#18 - Makeup..DONE!

 

So it was Labor Day and Benny and I's long-time friend, Jamaal - was hosting his 30th birthday party with all of our friends in DC.  Most of that week, I obsessed over what I was going to wear and how I was going to wear it.  I even had my hair set on rods in order to get that sexy and free look.  Well, when I got there, it just wasn't clicking.  Benny had to go out for a few hours, so since our hotel was in the heart of Georgetown, I decided to wander the streets.  Then I saw it - SEPHORA! I'm obsessed with that store so I thought, maybe I'll go in for some tinted moisturizer and some pretty eyeshadow.  I found something else!  A wonderful makeup man (wish I could remember his name now..forgive me) but he took those bobbles from my hands and set me on a journey.  First, he filled in my scanty eyebrows with a Makeup Forever eyebrow pencil then provided my skin a light stroke of foundation and set it with powder.  Finally, he did my lips!  Silky brown lipstick with a gold gloss over it.

My hair after hot yoga..but before the party!

Benny and I after the sprinkle on the boat - most of the makeup had gone by then...I think

All but the lips done as Sephora, Georgetown

Benny and I in our mustaches for the themed night

#8 - Making My Patio My Haven

I didn't expect for this to happen so soon.  But after I ran the Purity Moosic City Dairy 10K (and PR'd!), I felt like conquering something else.  So I went to Big Lots and bought a few pots/planters, some flowers, and a window box coco flower planter.

So I put the bulbs for calla lilies and star lilies in the planers.  Let me tell you, they should say a ruler is necessary to get this job done.  Who can "guestimate" 6 inches? Not me...that was tough.  (don't judge me)

I love these little planter stands.  They are perfect for allowing drainage too for the times when the plants get more water than necessary and they keep my patio from getting those planter rings.  Win-win.  

 I put the cushions in the chairs...and put that citronella candle out.  Although, I haven't seen any mosquitos...crossing my fingers that they have decided that my blood tastes like neck sweat so they've ceased to hang around.  Really doubt it...(my sweat is like twizzlers)

 This is a view of the finished product.  Do you see the flowers in the rectangle basket/coco planter?  Amazing! And easy peasy.

 Okay, I bought this little solar powered light for the back.  Mainly because going out there in the dark scares me.  The solar light might help :) You know what's funny...it's not the dark or what may be out there that scares me.  It's the dog poop that my neighbors fail to pick up.  Who wants to risk stepping in that?  I digress...

This is the awesome view from my patio.  It's too nice to not be a part of the haven.

But I couldn't consider my patio a haven yet.  A haven would be somewhere that I could entertain, relax, and hang out.  That meant a grill.  But I'm a starving doctoral student with a mindful eye toward my credit and getting a grill didn't seem worth getting another credit card.  So, I decided to wait until June when all of these random bills and commitments had passed. My father always says to have patience because when you rush into buying things, you get in trouble.  That's what he said when I was telling him about my journey to make my patio a haven.  Then he asked a bunch of questions about which kind of grill I was looking for and told me that it will all pay off.

The next morning, I woke up to a phone call from the Home Depot up the street from me.  My dad called them and ordered me a grill!!!!  Just the kind I wanted too!  It was the most amazing thing that has happened to me in a long time.  And so very thoughtful and endearing.  When I called him to thank him profusely, he just said "you deserve it" and "I'm happy I can make you smile".  That's my daddy.  And I'm his little girl.  Even as I am on the brink of celebrating my third decade on earth, my daddy is still my daddy and still knows what it takes to make me giggly and super excited.

 My grill at the Home Depot - the people there were really nice!  They were so taken by my dad (he's a charmer) that they GAVE me a full tank of propane for FREE! That saved this broke student $43!

So I set it up on my patio, read the directions, attached the propane tank and sat back to admire my work.  That night, I grilled up burgers and put bleu cheese on top.  I even used the warming rack to toast the bun.  PERFECTION! I love it.  Thanks, Dad :)

It's official...my patio is my haven (now if I could just keep myself from checking to see if the bulbs have sprouted yet...it hasn't even been a week lol).

Off to get some work done and try to clean up my place...

And so it begins...

A few months ago (I'm guessing), my best friend and I agreed to come up with a "bucket list" of sorts of things to accomplish/do/overcome/conquer before we turn 30 years old.  On August 18, 2013, I'll be turning the big 3-0 and I want to make sure that this last year of my 20's is something to smile about.

Most people don't want to think about turning 30.  Most women consider it the tipping point where their biological clock begins to pound rather than tick, and their bodies go from being their pride and joy to being their most hated image.  I refuse to go out like that.  My list will be about celebration and rejuvenation.  I want to give praise to the greatness of God and clear out the emotions/mindsets/people that may be holding me back from experiencing everything that God has for my life.

So here are my rules with this list:
1) No excuses.
2) To blog openly about the experience (good, bad or ugly)
3) To be open, even when I get scared

Who knows who will be reading this but if you come across it, please leave a note.  Thanks!