here is some music you could listen to.

now all i need is a red toaster to make my life complete.

i just realized that i have every necessary kitchen appliance, in red, except a toaster. i've got a kitchenaid mixer, a cuisinart dual food processor/blender, a cuisinart coffee grinder, and various accessories including a jar for tools, a cookbook holder, a paper towel holder, a colander, measuring cups, measuring spoons, serving dishes, cutting boards, serving tray, kitchen linens, et cetera, ad infinitum. so take notes, kris kringle. i want a red toaster.

ok, i said i have everything that's "necessary". i also want a red ice cream maker. sue me.

...oh wait, i forgot. i want a red teakettle too. and eventually i'd also like a red espresso maker (for posterity of course), and i need a waffle iron, in any color - although they do make them in red.

life is good

so there is a little bit of stuff going on. One of my best friends is getting MARRIED to an awesome fellow, and I'm a bridesmaid, so that's huge.
my 25th birthday was two weeks ago. I went to Vegas with a bunch of friends and we had a ridiculous time.
The day after I got home my dear friend Richard arrived from Scotland for a trip that ended up being much too short. His friends Gordon and Monique stopped in for a week on their honeymoon/world tour. They are super awesome. The three of them went out to the Yakima Valley on a wine tour after we all spent the weekend together, and brought back a ton of wine and we drank nearly all of it and had a lovely time.
Now all's quiet on the Western front - I spent the weekend doing a whole lot of nothing. Friday night we had an extended work happy hour. I met some fun new friends from work. Saturday I kicked it at my house, watching christmas movies and baking bread, and then I was asked to work at the bar so I made a few extra bones. Sunday I bought a coffee grinder and some new huge red mugs. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
See? Glorious. and they are HUGE. so that's awesome.
I finally sent out thank-you notes today for all the people who took me to Vegas for my birthday, so I feel better about that. Now I need to get a pleated plaid skirt for Halloween - when in doubt, be a Catholic schoolgirl.
and then after that, in between, and during, it's Michela Wedding time.
and theeeennnnnnnn... it's CHRISTMAS time! woot! I don't know if you knew, but I LOVE CHRISTMAS! really.

time flies when you're having fun

so it's been a month since i've posted anything. not like anyone reads this.

i've gotten a website on etsy.com, it's www.abbsmcnabbs.com. you should go there and buy some stuff. mama needs a shopping trip in europe.

my cousin got married last weekend. you need more pictures of me and monica having fun, so here's one from the wedding:



two girlfriends who have moved to LA from Seattle also got engaged last week. love is in the air. i'm really excited for all of them, michelie especially.

work is going well, stuff is starting to pick up and i'm really going to have to be right on top of everything, but that's just where i like to be so i think we'll be fine. i'll find out tomorrow or friday if i get a bonus - i'm hoping the answer is yes because, as usual, i'm a broke-ass ho.

speaking of broke hos, i'm going to vegas this weekend, because my 25th birthday is sunday. i get back at 230 am monday, something tells me i'll be calling in sick.

my friend richard gets into town from scotland on monday evening, i haven't seen him in over two years so that will be good times. i'm super stoked.

also, i've gone to a few movies recently. not once a week but more than usual, so it's a good start. i've also been drinking less, and exercising more, and eating more vegetables. i lost 3 lbs but gained 2 back - but hey. no big deal. i got darrin's dance grooves (he's choreographer to the stars) yesterday and monica and i are learning the routines.

i'm off to trivia. maybe i can win some dollars... or some jack. good times.

quality of life

i want to go to the movies more often. like once a week. i LOVE seeing movies in the theatre! i used to hate it but i was missing out.

you may be pleased to know that i have accomplished several of my goals from two weeks ago. or you may not. it's your choice. they were some of the smaller ones but doesn't it just make you feel good to check some stuff off ANY list?

fini:
-a handbag website up
-my kitchen cleaned
-my "skinny clothes" to leave completely - i just haven't the heart to give them away, but they're out of style anyway. they're just making me feel bad.
-a ticket to ireland/paris/amsterdam for a few days while i'm in scotland this year (ok i don't actually have one but i researched a weekend in ireland and it's extremely doable. so i'm there.)

also i attempted to have my car stereo installed but it didn't work out. i will give myself half a point for trying.

addenda: (if you ever say 'addendums' i will personally find a gun and shoot you)
-go to the movies once a week
-drink less (wayyy too many calories, and too much money)
-cook at least 3x a week (cheaper and healthier)
-set myself on the right track for at least 2 domestic weekend trips a year - i've got places to go and people to see. katie and ani in SF, michela in LA, emily in socal, aunt diane in TX, tatum and dani in NY, matty in boston, franko in chicago, etc. etc. $50 a week = $2500 a year. this is plenty for at least 2 or 3 lavish weekends. i'ma start doing this.

a very nice boy

all these items are negotiable to varying degrees.* but gee, wouldn't he be wonderful:
-dark hair
-a dog
-a boat
-glasses
-dresses like he just stepped out of a j.crew catalog
-loves washing dishes
-a good snuggler
-makes art


*"As long as you're dreaming, you might as well dream big." -Donald Trump

a 2 bedroom house

here are the non-negotiable elements of my dream house:
-built in bookshelves (seriously, my heart skips a beat when i see these in books or magazines)
-hardwood floors
-a big kitchen
-at least 2 bedrooms - one for me, one for crafts; a third would be a guest room
-trees
-a neighborhood business district (shops, restaurants, movie theatre) within walking distance
-a red front door
-a full size washer/dryer
-a big porch
-a gas fireplace! with a switch!

bonus items:
-french doors anywhere
-a claw foot bathtub
-a living room/dining/kitchen all in one greatroom
-a basement
-a deck off my bedroom
-skylights
-10' ceilings

gimme gimme gimme i need i need!

here's the short list, for today, of things i want in varying degrees, and in no particular order:
-a fast computer (a mac, perhaps?!)
-cable internet
-better money management skills
-a new serger
-the drive to finish a few of my quilting projects (and the batting)
-my car stereo installed
-a handbag website up
-larger handbag inventory
-my kitchen cleaned
-my laundry folded and put away
-my "skinny clothes" to leave completely - i just haven't the heart to give them away, but they're out of style anyway. they're just making me feel bad.
-10 pounds less by labor day (ha!)
-an ipod.
-a ticket to ireland/paris/amsterdam for a few days while i'm in scotland this month
-a 2 bedroom house (see related blog entry for details)
-a very nice boy (see related blog entry for details)

o bring us some figgy pudding

so my mom has just alerted me to the fact that figs are currently in season. my friend justyn has a fig tree in front of his house and can't possibly use them to their full advantage, he told me so himself. so i'm looking for fig jam recipes. mmm jam. anyone have any ideas?

oh man

it's 7:32 am on a friday. not only am i AWAKE but i am already showered, dressed, commuted, caffeinated, and AT WORK. this is absurd. i usually have not even completed step 1 (waking up) by 7:30. and don't think for a second that this will become a habit. i used to love mornings but somewhere in my early twenties i developed an allergy. it's kind of sad but what are you going to do?

i'm up early on purpose today, arriving before the elevators in the building are even unlocked so hopefully i can skip out around 3 pm, go home, pack, get all my brother's crap from his house, pick up the cooler and tent from my parents' house, hope to science that my brother finishes whatever he has to do by 5 pm and skeeedaddle out of town. we're going camping in oregon with some cousins, we went last year and it was a blast. i'm just annoyed at my brother because he knew he had a deadline, and the weekend trip planned, and the last few days he's been doing social things after work instead of staying late to finish the project. normally i wouldn't say a single thing about it because that's my general m.o. too but this time it's affecting MY plans because he thinks he might not even get out of here till 6... and we've got a five hour drive AND a tent to set up (in the dark thanks) AND beer to drink before everyone else goes to bed. 5 hours of weekend traffic, my brother and i in a car with no stereo (also his bad - he said he'd install it for me) is not my ideal way to start a camping trip.

that's enough bitching. i'm going to get some stuff done before i have to get some stuff done.
i hope you have a fantastic day.
love,
A