I'm Back

This picture turned out a little creepy... A selfie of a T-shirt is tough.

Tshirts, jeans and Toms at work - one of the few perks to working in West Texas

Sun's up, Guns up, everyone!!! Today is the happiest day of the year for both Daryl and I. WE. LOVE. FOOTBALL. SEASON!!! And today is our beloved Red Raider's first pre-season game against SMU. When I went to say goodbye to D this morning (he's still fast asleep when I leave the house in the mornings) he smiled with one eye open and said "You're wearing a double T!... The only reason I'm going to work today is so I can wear a Tech shirt". Seriously, ya'll. THE ONLY REASON we went to work today was to talk about football with our coworkers (I mean, it's the day before Labor Day weekend. Ain't nobody being productive today). We still have that new season, hopeful glow. Maybe this will be our year.

So, yea, I'm back! I honestly should have never left. It actually took a lot of effort NOT to blog. I've been scribbling blog ideas in the margins of my meeting notes and checking blogger just to look at my old posts. I really missed it! And I was really no MORE productive without blogging. I just spent more time on Pinterest and Bloglovin'. Maybe a tech detox should be in my future.

After reviewing my notebooks, sticky notes, iPhone Notes, and drafts, I compiled a list of blog posts I've brainstormed over the last week while twitching from writing withdrawals:

• Wenning - Damn you, infomercials. I never stood a chance.
• Wanderlust Festival - My Lori and I got our tickets and we're kind of geeking out with excitement
• Why do only women over the age of 70 compliment my clothing? Should this worry me?
• Purging my Pinterest, Inbox, Facebook friends... my obsession with keeping all things lean and mean.
• HACing my face up - My pathetic attempt at getting better at makeup
• The quote I read that changed my life (is that dramatic enough for you?)
• Why haven't they invented a way for pill bottles not to make so much dang noise? (I think I can turn this in to an entire blog post...)
• Piercing prospects - how many piercings is too many piercings for a professional?
• My birthday wish list
• We are the Champions - how to crush every other team in your adult recreational community center volleyball league

So... yea. That's list pretty much sums up what I've been up to lately! And what you have to look forward to, if it still interests me when I get to writing about it.

Also, if I survive my Labor Day weekend, I'll update you on just how horrible or awesome Hot Yoga can be. I'm signed up for my first class Sunday and I'm starting hydrating for it today. Can never be too safe.

Hope everyone's Friday is swift and Saturday/Sunday/Monday slow! XO!

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Blog Love

For some reason, I find this quote intensely motivating. I have it pinned to my vision board. But sometimes it just doesn't FEEL like I have enough hours in the day to do it all.

I'm beyond swamped at work, have been traveling my face off lately and have picked up evening activities (volleyball league, counseling, ect) like I think I'm some kind of superhero or something. So. Pardon me as I take a get-my-life-back-together blogging sabbatical. I'll try to post sporadically (Clueless, anyone?) as time allows but I gotsta gotsta gotsta like... unload the dishwasher? And work out? And actually make eye contact with my boyfriend rather than keeping my eyes glued to my computer screen 16 hours a day?

I do have a post half-written about my Louis Vuitton experience this weekend. That'll be posted sometime this week. But that's all the commitment I can muster at this point in time. So, please go visit some of my favorite bloggers and enjoy their wonderfully addictive blogs. I'll be back sometime next week!

Young House Love - This particular post is SO exciting! I love not having to wait for their after pictures. This is my new most favorite blog ever in the whole world. It feeds my craving for wanting needing a house of my own.

The Jenna Marbles "What Are This" video - I mean... you're welcome. Go spend your life laughing at her videos.

MaskCARA - Want to learn how to contour your makeup? She's the queen of all makeup tutorials... I get lost in her blog for days. Good luck finding your way out.

Clean Eating for a Dirty Mind - Paleo versions of all your favorite sweets. I can speak from experience when I say the paleo Sunbutter cups were off the chain.

The Skinny Confidential - I'm not one to hate on other bloggers, but the way this girl writes could maybe rack a person's nerves? Okay, I'll say it, it racks MY nerves. The cutesy, valley girl writing kind of makes me roll my eyes. With that being said, I still, like, OMG, totes read it on the reg. Very good content and the interviews (where someone ELSE is doing most of the talking) are fun to read and take tips from.

Little Baby Garvin - And my new favorite girl-next-door blog! Sorry, Lacey, you just don't post regularly enough these days. I've found a new fake best friend blogger. :)

And if that doesn't keep you busy, go follow The Sorority Secrets on Pinterest and be prepared to hunker down for hours on end, repinning your brains out.

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T G I F

Lately, I've been a little like:

The maid hasn't come in 5 weeks due to vacations on her part and then on our part... so the house looks like... well... a coupla bachelors live there. Not that inaccurate.

I have been driving around with Goodwill stuff in the back of my car for weeks a month and I haven't had a chance taken the time to go drop it off.

The chicken coop is SO close to being finished but we haven't been home enough to finish the run, let alone maintain live chickens! So we're pretty thankful that endeavor got delayed.

I have zero groceries in the house. I've taken to eating the clumps of brown sugar out of the bag for my desserts (don't judge me).

The guest room (which, lesbihonest, is my dressing room, not a guest room) looks like a hurricane hit it and the hurricane brought clothes that are all bordering on one size too small if I don't stop eating bean and cheese burritos soon.

I ate bean and cheese burritos for dinner last night.

Kanye is going through a 'chew all the things' phase. Tell me it's just a phase, people. He'll outgrow this, right? 

I haven't seen the inside of a gym in 2 weeks.

With all of that said, D and I took a good look at our lives, our messy house, our out of shape bodies and somehow prioritized an above ground pool that was on clearance at Walmart.com as exactly what we needed. So with our few hours of spare time this week, we used them to set up our new pool! 

It was a breeze to set up, seeing as how D did the raking and leveling and all that before I got home. I'll have to take an "After" picture because it took us a couple evenings with the hose in the pool to get it filled up, since we weren't home AND awake for more than an hour or two at a time this week. But I'm really, really looking forward to further procrastinating getting my life together to spend weeknights floating around in our new pool like a mermaid. :) However, that too must wait, because we're on the road again this weekend for Car Car's wedding and Louis Vuitton buying. :D Poor us. 

Cheers to skewed priorities and Fridays, bloggies! XO

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Currently

Watching - DRUNK HISTORY! Are you guys watching this?? I know it was a Youtube series for a while so we may be a little behind the times but D and I have been glued to every episode on Comedy Central so far.

Eating - Everything in front of my face. OMG. It's out of control. I don't even want to go in to it. Let's not talk about it, ok?

Thinking About - Signing up for a stupid 5k. Or something similar to give me a stupid goal to work toward. I hate running so much. It's absolutely the reason I lost my passion for soccer. When there was no equipment out when I got to soccer practice as a kid, my imagination kicked in to high gear, frantically trying to figure out a way to get out of the 3 mile run I knew was in store for practice. Jump in front of my mom's minivan as she's pulling away? Pee my pants? Rip one of my cleats in half like the Hulk? All better options than running.

Mad About - How old I'm feeling these days. I blame 85% of this on the stark realization that my metabolism is doing exactly what everyone told me it would one day do, 10% on my new concept of what "sleeping in" and "staying up late" mean, and 5% on the joy that buying a new mandoline (the kitchen tool, not the instrument) brings me. Relating to this buzzfeed a lot these days.

Reading - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. D and I have been reading it on road trips and his Hagrid impression is on point. Also, can we discuss the fact that I JUST realized Diagon Alley is "diagonally" just broken in to two words? As an avid fan, I'm so disappointed in myself.

Celebrating - How much we love Mel and Andy. We spent all weekend pool drinking at the San Luis Resort in Galveston, riding the rides on Pleasure Pier, making fun of the name "Pleasure Pier", speaking in accents, getting fake tattoos, gorging ourselves on delicious food and just generally enjoying their company while we can! Next year, we'll be celebrating Oktoberfest in Munich, but until then, our weekend at the San Luis will have to tide us over.

Just a couple dudes, helping each other put on sunscreen... (Andy really does heart to fart btw)

Walrus-ing a couple Pina Coladas to start their day. 

Just water for us two (PSYCH!)

The guys tied the bucket of beers to their swim trunks as a handy way to keep up with it.

Drinking geniuses, I tell you.

Mel totally won the hoola hoop contest! But I think the real winner was that hammered bachelorette in the blue on the left, just dancing around HOLDING her hoola hoop. 

Andy's 'stache glasses were a hit with the hammered bachelorettes

Craving - I mean, if we're being honest, a Subway cookie. And also, world peace.

Making me Happy - My new vintage arrow collection! I saw this image of a small collection kept in a clear vase on Pinterest and I've never navigated to Ebay faster. My first few arrows were waiting on the front porch when we got home Sunday night. I couldn't be more excited!

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Decisions, Decisions

I've mentioned before my Wish List system. Recap: I make a list of expensive things I'd like to own. Then I prioritize them and when I can afford to make a purchase, I choose the thing I want the very most on my wish list. This is how I avoid buyer's remorse. When I don't do this, it stresses meowt.

Well, I've decided I need a retail pick-me-up and on the tippy top of my Wish List is a Louis Vuitton! I reviewed my budget, slapped myself in the face, went through denial, took a shot of Tequila, watched Youtube video reviews, and made a spreadsheet just to narrow it down to my top 5 options. 

For the most part, all these purses have the must haves: 

• The monogrammed print I've idolized since I was in Junior High, 
• A zipper for sekurrity
• A flat, structured bottom so I can sneak Starbucks cups in to movies without it spilling
• Strap long enough to carry on my shoulder so I don't have to wear it in my elbow like Paris Hilton, but short enough that I COULD wear it in my elbow if I was feeling particularly Paris Hilton-y, 
• Large enough that I can use it as a mom bag someday 
• Timeless enough my granddaughters will fight over it after I die

That's not too much to ask, is it?

Now, I need your help. Which one should I get?!?

Westminster broke my heart by not coming in the Monogram Canvas. It was everything I could want in a purse but I had to stick to my must haves list. My 13 year old self would kill me if I didn't get a monogrammed bag.

I'm planning to buy it this weekend. So! Anyone have any words of wisdom for me? Purse reviews? Tips on what to look for? Most importantly, Louis Vuitton coupons laying around?!? That would be greatly appreciated!

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Ideally Introverted

I want to go on record and state that. AIDs is a horrible, very real disease that deteriorates a human in a tragic way that I really only have a mild understanding of because I read the book "The Hours".

That being said, I cannot help what my initials are and a while back, D and I went on a mission to have entire days dedicated to the each of us. Daryl's Ideal Day (a "DIDs Day") and Arica's Ideal Day (an AIDs Day). We often do these days on birthdays, obviously, occasionally as a form of apology and/or retribution when one of us has clearly screwed up, or when one of us has had a rough go of it lately and is worn down and needs a pick-me-up. The last example usually applies to me. As an introvert, I get worn down by the go-go-go of our lifestyle and require a concerted effort to recharge.

If I had to plan a DIDs day, which I wouldn't do, I'd have him do it to make sure it was indeed Ideal, it would look something like this:

Sleeping in
breakfast burritos from Taco Villa
shooting guns
late lunch
afternoon at the pool with all of his friends
home to nap
late dinner at Buffalo Wild Wings or somewhere equally loud with friends
going out to a bar with friends
Whataburger
pass out

Somehow, a day like this RECHARGES him. As an extrovert, spending QT with lots of people he loves is what provides him the energy to go back to the routine of work and responsibility.

This is almost polar opposite of what an AIDs day looks like. An AIDs day (I know, it takes some getting used to) would look like this:

Up early, immediately drink a green smoothie then a coffee so that I'm a functioning human being
I'd plan to go to Crossfit or Spin next... but depending on my mood, it may turn in to walking the dog.
Home to shower and snack and leisurely get ready for the day.
Arrive 15 minutes early to brunch with Cashley (I am not late or rushed in any way on an AIDs day)
A trip to TJ Maxx or Target to buy home decor or organizational supplies.
Home to lay on the couch Pinning and watching TV for MOST of my AIDs day interrupted possibly by baking Paleo cookies, stretching in the middle of the living room floor or reorganizing the filing box in the office.
Late afternoon time at the pool (this D and I absolutely align on. Cannot get enough time at the pool)
Nap/Lay in bed watching TV
Dinner just the two of us somewhere quiet that we don't get to go often, wine, dessert, the whole nine yards
Home to pretend I'm going to watch a movie I've seen a million time but instead I'll promptly fall asleep.

In my ideal day, there is a lot of time spent at home, very few friends involved, and quite a bit of eating. Sorry I'm not sorry. Also, D never leaves my side on an ideal day. I let my crazy clingy flag fly that day. Introverts, unite!

This came up because my sissy's birthday is coming up and I was asking her what her JID was... so I figured I'd share my AID.

I hope everything gets a slice of ideal this weekend! I know I will because our weekend revolves around a swim up bar at the San Luis Resort and a coupla knuckleheads we happen to adore. XO!

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Thursday Ramblings

Anyone else washing their hands for the full 20 seconds these days in honor of Kidd? I also almost cried when I broke a chip in the queso the other day. I did see this cartoon the other day and for some reason it basically cured me of my mourning Kidd. The idea of him being Heaven's morning show DJ... it just made me so overwhelmingly happy!

Speaking of washing hands, why do people, before trying to only use one paper towel, go ahead and tear off two?! Try it, people. Just TRY only using one paper towel. It's PLENTY when drying your hands after going potty.

I can barely contain my excitement about the news of Ellen hosting the Oscars! I think Ellen ranks first on my "If I could have dinner with any living person on the planet" list. Tavi Gevinson is in my top three. No shame.

I have GOT to get back to clean eating. Now. Starting RIGHT. MEOW. I can do this I can do this I can do this. (while editing this draft, I ate a mini Twix. CURSES! UGH! I'm so weak)

Missed a huge chunk of hair when curling this morning. Right above my right ear. Big ole chunk o' straight. Woopsie. Not fooling anyone with my "beachy waves" today.

I have found it. The perfect bra. It keeps everything where I like it all day. No shoving your hand down your shirt and adjusting (hawt mental image right there) Clearance at Dillards - $9.99 or something like that. It's a-mah-zing. It's "Cabernet" brand? I think that's like Dillard's brand... whatever. I need 6 more.

NOLA. Sept 30-Oct 1. SPE Annual Technical Conference. Be there. I'll be there. We'll throw a nerd party. BYOC (Calculator)

The Puppy Brother version of the AT&T "It's Not Complicated" Commercial. OMG. I die. That little girl's mind blown nod cracks me up:

Someone is spying on me. With a phone planted in my office somewhere. I keep hearing a "buzz buzz" exactly like an iPhone when it gets a text message. But it's not my iPhone. I checked the obvious places: taped under the desk, under my desk chair, under my guest chairs... you know... where people typically hide things in thrillers. No dice. I'm losing my mind.

I want to clean and organize things. ALL THE THINGS! I think it's all the back to school talk? And all these organizer things out and about? Like last night, I bought a 1" binder at Target just because it was pretty (navy with gold foil polka dots? I mean... c'mon. I had to) and I have no use for it... but I want to have a use for it! I ALMOST envy teachers. I love watching them pin classroom organization stuff on Pinterest and I'm like, I wanna be a teeeeeeeeacher and then I remember, no... wait... wait a second... I do not like to be around children I am not related to. Now I remember. So I would like to organize/simplify/decorate our office, instead.

Love this wall color... just not sure I can convince D to paint a room we are rarely in

I mean... it's really the furry chair and random wall twig that makes me love this image so much. 

Love the androgyny of this one... but with a less lame lamp, I think.

Ohhhh Lucite organization... you make my heart sing.

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Me, Myself and Eye

If taking selfies in the car were a sport, I'd go pro.  I'm considering a vanity-riddled series called "The Many Faces of Arica" where I just post all the ridiculous selfies I've taken lately. I chalk it up to growing up with America's Next Top Model. Always trying to 'find the light'. And, I mean, some pretty successful photographers promote selfie-taking as a way of playing with angles and learning how to photograph people in a flattering way. So since I'm not a photographer, that doesn't really justify this hobby of mine but it does make me fell better about the hobby. So I'll take it.

However, a few weeks ago, prior to our company golf tournament, I was early to the course so I was sitting in the car... taking selfies, of course. Little did I know, I was doing a 'before' photo shoot.

Ok, I should stop and mention that I was attempting to get a particularly pathetic shot to include in a post about how I had to get up at 5am on a Saturday, drive almost twice as far as I usually do for work just to play golf. 

Okay, again, I should stop and explain that these pictures were starting to remind me of "Hot girls making ugly faces"... have you guys seen this? Average looking girls take their best flattering "Hot girl" pictures and put them next to their best "ugly face" pictures... it's. hilarious. Look it up. It's totally a testament to the fact that angles and filters and lighting make all the difference. Here are a few.

So then I went and played golf with these yahoos. We were trying to look like we were drunk and leaning on our drivers... idk if it really came across in the photo... oh well. And Andrew! Not leaning. Lame.

All that narcissism before the tournament only to get some pollen or something that I was allergic to in my eye at the golf tournament, have my right eye swell closed like Hitch, terrify everyone in the clubhouse when I took my sunglasses off at the end of the day, get four Benedryl shoved down my throat, and also get a sunburn on my nose. This is how I ended the day.

Oh hey, hot stuff. Cool selfie. High note: I won the lady's long drive contest with only one eye. Granted, there were only 2 other girls in the tournament... details, details.

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Photo Dump Blogging

This is what my phone corrects "Booboo" to... Booboise. So... Lori is now nicknamed Booboise. She says she's always felt like she looked like a Booboise. :)

Greenz :)

Kanye likes the green stuff

D offered to pack for me for the weekend! This was the list he was to pack and below is the list I packed. He did a really good job! Other than for no real reason he packed six extra t shirts. 

"Just in case" 

Things I do not trust him to pack... the list is pretty short though!

The picture I sent my mom to apologize for D breaking her pick ax.

Perv thought I wouldn't take a picture of him if he had Kanye's balls in the picture. Wrong-o.

Full disclosure: What our home looks like when the maid goes on her summer vaca. 

Neither of us think cleaning is a very high priority. 

That lamp is still broken from a freak Just Dance party accident

Take the Jeep to the public pool day! So colorful!

Thank you, Starbucks, for understanding me. #roar

D took a staycation day a few weeks back... when I text him to see how his day was going, this was the response I got.

I know exactly the voice and hand gesture he used when saying "OH NOOOO"

Kanye got a Kermie toy!!! Jenna Marbles, be my best friend!

Gainz in my desk drawer!

I think... I think maybe my car needs an alignment. 

Mel's morning insight in to the inner workings of her brain that cracked me the hell up.

TRIPLETS! (It's funny because the two on the left are ACTUALLY a part of a set of triplets)

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