5 Things I Won't Pay For and Back That Azz Up

Some things I just can't get out of paying. Like bills. Or my train fare to get to work. Or getting my brows done, because I'm a giant wuss and won't tweeze them myself. But some things I'd rather do without or make do, because I refuse to pay for them. For example...

1. My morning Cup of Joe
I cannot fathom getting Starbucks or DD every day. I would go completely broke. Also, I need my coffee RIGHT AWAY. I don't pass any coffee shops on my way to the train, and you know when I like to drink it? ON THE TRAIN. And if I need more, well, there's free coffee/tea/hot chocolate at work. Stopping at Starbucks or DD is a treat... and I like it that way.

2. Shipping
With all the free shipping options and coupon codes out there, I refuse to pay for shipping.

3. Books
First of all, there's this crazy place called a library. And you know what? They STILL lend you books fo FREE! I remember when I showed up at book club with a library book, and my friend scoffed at me. But you know what? I didn't even really like the book- why would I want it in my collection? If I do like a book, and neeeeeed to own it, there's a website called paperbackswap.com. And it's awesome. Free books for all! Oh, you're looking for an e-book? My friend told me about this other site Smart Bookworms and they have free e-books. I'm never paying for a book again!

4. Fancy Planner
Ok, ok. I get it. Erin Condren has this fancy schmancy LIFE planner. With stickers and colorful tabs, and blah blah blah. Yeah, it's gorgeous. And if I won one, I would use the shit out of it. But you know what? I've been using this Manhattan Planner for 6 years, and I LOVE it. Also, it has a subway map in it, which is good for me since I am directionally challenged, especially in NYC. And I can transfer my address book/contacts into it every year, since I keep getting the same one (in different colors, obvi).

5. Regularly Scheduled Manis/Pedis

I actually like getting my nails done. But all the time? Hell no. I have nail polish, and can buy several more for the price of a manicure at the nail salon. And ya know what? It's much easier to fix when it starts to chip. So there. 

What are you unwilling to pay for?

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"You got a classic kind of crazy

But you know just who you are"

Baby Shower Weekend in VA

Last weekend was spent in VA for my friend A's Birthday and Baby Shower. There were sooo many people and so much food! Here's what I was able to capture:

Making the puri and samosas

"Puri is A dough of flour and salt is either rolled out in a small circle or rolled out and cut out in small circles and deep fried in vegetable oil. While deep frying, it puffs up like a round ball because moisture in the dough changes into steam which expands in all directions." -source

"A samosa is a fried or baked pastry with a savory filling, such as spiced potatoes, onions, peas, lentils, ground lamb, ground beef or ground chicken. Its size and consistency may vary, but typically, it is distinctly triangular. Samosas are often accompanied by chutney. " - source

There was a TON more food, and cake, and brownies (omg...sooo good), but I was too busy eating it to take pics!

Men at work

A's hair is gorgeous

decorations, homemade cookies, and pink punch!

The lovely parents-to-be!

Celebration

Thanks for lending me this, A!

*Baby bump love*

How was your weekend?

I'm The Kind Of Girl Who...

...hates being naked

...only listens to voicemails to get rid of the notification

....prefers summer to any other season

...goes to the beach for sun and sand, but almost never gets in the water

...hates confrontation

...always leaves the bathroom door open when I'm home alone

...resets my alarm clock 3 times before falling asleep. Otherwise I can't sleep. OCD much?

...can't wear socks to bed 

...prefers jeans and a tank/hoodie to dresses/skirts

...usually has buyers remorse when I buy things for myself

...takes selfies but doesn't post them

...sucks at finishing projects (personal ones, not work ones, let's not get all cray)

...has collections: quotes, fortunes from fortune cookies, cards, ornaments, and when I was in middle school I had an expansive rock collection

...has the best intentions, even if they don't always work out

...is really bad at expressing emotions through words- I do it through actions

What kind of girl are you? Link up at Hey, Hollywood!

Weekend Updates

 Thursday:
SNOW DAY! We woke up late, and then RJ made these amazing bacon bowls- bacon, egg, cheese, and sriracha- amazingggg! I swear he can make something out of nothing- definitely a skill I'm trying to pick up! The rest of the day was spent lounging around the apartment, watching the snow and TV, and relaxing.

Friday:

We had a very casual Valentine's Day. We decided not to do gifts, just cards (I'm a sucker for a good card). I was a little upset during the day because I didn't get flowers delivered to work, and RJ kept texting me like "What time do you leave work? (5) Did you leave yet? (5:05- and no), and then I told him when I actually left. I thought maybe he was here and trying to surprise me, but I was wrong. And I got over it by the time I got home. But then RJ came over and was like "I'm sorry I'm late... I was really upset and didn't want you to see me that angry." Apparently he DID order me flowers- my favorite flowers, and the florist just didn't deliver them! I saw a pic of the flowers and the receipt- he had ordered them over a week ago! That alone made me smile from ear to ear. He is getting a refund though, so that's good. Then we ordered Pizza Hut, had a few beers, watched some TV and fell asleep on my air mattress- oops! 

deliciousness

Saturday: 

First off, thank you for your input regarding outfits last week-- I went with the work outfit! 

RJ made reservations at a fancy schmancy restaurant in NYC. I was kind of not too excited to go, since it was snowing... AGAIN. But I pulled myself together because he really put in effort getting these reservations. We decided to head in a little early and have some drinks beforehand. Well, that didn't go over well, and we were already fighty by the time we got to the restaurant. And then the damn tables were so squished together that when I was getting into my seat, my purse accidentally knocked the table next to ours, and spilled the guy's red wine ALL OVER HIS LAP. I was so embarrassed. And annoyed. And then I was just like screw this- we're going home. So we did. ::end scene::

Sunday:

Headed over to RJ's parents house for lunch, and I was able to do my laundry. Then we stopped at his friend's house, and he gave me a brand new North Face fleece for free!!! He said he had bought it for his girlfriend for Christmas, but they broke up before the holiday, and it was just sitting in his closet and he didn't want it there anymore. I don't know why he didn't just return it, as it still has all the tags on it, but I was going to argue! 

After that we went to a bar where his two friends were bartending. I thought it would be more crowded since so many people would be off on Monday, but it was pretty quiet. Which is how I spotted his ex so quickly. Why is it that when you run into people you don't want to see, you look like a disheveled mess? Is that just me? Luckily someone called me, so I had an excuse to go outside. And then I stopped in the bathroom on my way back in and put on some makeup. RJ was like... "did you really just put on makeup because she's here? Why do you care? I'm here with you!" Ok, he had a point... but still. Men just don't get it!

Anyway, stopped off for some food, and then watched The Walking Dead. I still am not caught up, so some things were really confusing, but I kinda love it!

Monday:

I had off, and was originally planning on relaxing all day. I had been looking forward to it all weekend. But my mom called Sunday night and told me that my aunt was really sick, and I should try to get to the hospital. So I did. And then RJ took me out to dinner to make up for Saturday night. I had the most amazing paella EVER. Seriously, so good, and the portions were huge! 

seafood paella

obligatory Valentine's Day pic!

Love Yourself

Whether you love or hate Valentine's Day, it is a day about love, and it's important to remember to love yourself above all. We all have things that we may not love about ourselves, in looks or habits/personality, and sometimes we focus too much on those negative aspects. I know I have been lately. So today, I'm choosing to focus on the things I love about myself, and invite you to do the same!

Physical:
smile
shape of eyes
dimples on my lower back
butt
legs, specifically calves

Personality:
good friend- I will always try to be there for my friends
adventurous- I'll try (almost) anything at least once
spontaneous- at any given time
driven (when I want to be)
eternally optimistic- need to see the bright side of a situation? Ask me- I'll find it for you :-)

What are some things you love about yourself?

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With that said, I made this little playlist of love songs,
because I actually LOVE love!

Whether your with your friends and with a significant other, I hope you have a LOVELY day!

Enjoy! :)

What to Wear: Valentine's Day

As Valentine's Day is fast approaching, I have been scanning magazines, the interwebz, Pinterest, everydamnthing trying to find something appropriate to wear.

Last year was fairly low-key- we spent the actual night eating B1G1 free Qdoba and falling asleep to Battleship, and went to dinner at The South Street Seaport- which I chose. So, I knew what I was getting into. And then we went to a hookah lounge and it was perfect and chill. And I knew what to wear, because I knew what we were doing, and I knew my bf at the time very well.

This year is completely different. First of all, there is a new guy. Secondly, I didn't make the plans. I don't even know what the plans are. In fact, all I was told was that we would be in NYC, there would be dinner at some point, and wear comfortable shoes because we'd be doing some walking.

Which leads me to think: 

Where are we going to dinner? Will it be fancy or low key? How much walking are we talking about here? Is it just dinner or something else? And omg is it going to snow? WTF am I going to wear? 

So I need your help! Which one do you like best???

fancy schmancy

street cute

tis is actual exactly what I will be wearing to work

girly girl... though I would trade out those shoes

cute and casual...

Valentine's Day 2013 by lildesiqua featuring a revlon nail polish

I like this, but it doesn't seem very "festive"...
where's the red or pink?

My absolute fave....unfortunately I do not own any part of this outfit,
and it's way too cold for this level of cuteness.

What are your plans for Valentine's Day?

Confessions

I confess....

I hate those candy conversation hearts. And peeps.

I ripped my jeans the other day. Luckily I was only in the company of an 8 month old, so I wasn't too embarrassed. Sidenote: I ripped my jeans at least once every year I was in college, becuase I was putting on weight (Freshman 15 is no joke, try more like Freshman 20). It became a thing that my friends would often ask about, but it was usually pretty funny. The first year, my friends actually all signed my jeans because it was the day before my bday, and they were all excited that I was "growing a booty."

As much as I think snow is pretty, it's a giant pain in the ass to commute in, and I'm really over winter.

I really love eating Chinese food out of the carton, beer and Coke out of the can, and booze whiskey straight from the bottle #itscalledsipsnotshots

I really want flowers delivered to work on Valentine's Day. Yes, I'm that girl and yes I will openly admit it.

#itsatest

What are you confessing today?

Shit Men Say

I found this linkup last month, and I really loved it, so I decided to join in this time! These are some of the gems RJ says via FB statuses... enjoy! 

On Women:

My idea of the "perfect girl" likes zombies, horror movies, knows football, and would dress up as Catwoman while I dress up as Batman at our wedding. #foreveralone

If your significant other becomes fat, you should get fat too and kinda like...roll around with them. That'll show how much you really love them.

Best spot to pick up girls...the "Self Help" section at Barnes n Noble.....I'm terrible.

I think for Valentine's Day everybody should get a bottle of wine instead of a box of chocolates. Because everybody finishes the whole bottle, and leaves those few chocolates left that they don't like....just a thought.

On Food:

When my tax refund comes in, I''m going to buy nothing but double stuffed Oreos...and then I'm going to build a mountain with them.

...and I just ate an entire sleeve of Oreos. Good job RJ.

I just ate 4 bags of Famous Amos Chocolate Chip cookies just so I won't spend $30 on popcorn, soda and candy at the movies tonight. I think that's very, very smart of me.

I paid $6.99 for fried chicken for lunch. I only ate the skin. Just realized I paid $6.99 for chicken skin.

Philosophical Thoughts/Questions:

Do vampires poop?....No right?

Every time I go to New York City and use a public restroom there is graffiti in it. How many guys just carry a sharpie on them at all times?

The lesson of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" is that nobody will like you until they need something from you.

I accidentally selected "French" as my language at the ATM , I was going to keep going and see if I knew any French but then I was like....what if it gave me euros?

Weekend Updates

Friday:
I didn't do anything noteworthy on Friday night. I bought a few necessary groceries because I knew I would be away for most of the weekend and thought I would be coming home to 30 inches of snow on Sunday night. I made a "guest book" for my friend's baby shower, found TransitCheks that I thought I had lost (or spent), and packed.

Saturday:
Hopped on train to Central Jerz, had a late lunch with RJ, then got picked up by some friends to go to Philly for another friend's 30th birthday dinner. We went to Sampan- I'd never been there before and the food was really good! It was Asian fusion and family style, which was great for the size of our party. There are pics, but they haven't been posted yet and I didn't take any, so all you get is basically my outfit:

Sunday:
Woke up early and started prepping for the surprise baby shower, which I would say was a success! She was *finally* surprised-- only took 30-ish years! And I was super proud of myself for not saying anything to her about it the night before! And everyone really came together with setting up and especially cleaning up, and her parents and friends from NYC, MD, and NJ were able to make it, which I think made her really happy. Again, I didn't take pics, but this is similar to the "guest book" I made:

How was your weekend?

Five Favorite February Things

February Favorites by lildesiqua featuring Sur La Table

1) Batman PJ's (similar here):
Because Batman is RJ's favorite, and these are a lil sexy and a lil cute... (heyyo VDay...)

2) Sur La Table mug (buy it here):
Um because it's super cute and reminds me of the movie Up. And it's only $10!

3) touch screen gloves:
These really make my life happy and keep my hands warm

4) Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer:
I use this everyday. I think it really does even out skin tone, and I like that it has SPF in it

5) Aveeno Eczema Therapy:
Confession time: I have eczema. I get it every winter, on different parts of me. Like, last year it was only on my upper arms, this year it's on my palms. Ick. This stuff is a lifesaver!

What are some of your Favorite things lately?

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I think it was Jordan who posted the lyrics to this song on Twitter recently, so of course I looked it up. And immediately realized I had never heard it before and fell in love. So here ya go:

February Goals

Back in January, I made a list of "resolutions." You can see that here. That's a grand list of stuff I want to accomplish this year, and I've already made some progress:

- "Make the apartment feel like home: As in, freakin decorate already!": Um, I (finally) took down my Christmas tree and decorations yesterday. Oh, and I utilized a picture frame I got for Christmas. Baby steps.

- "Make 24 new dishes... and find a favorite/go-to: 12 months, 2 dishes a month- should be doable": I made chicken parm last week, and making pork chops tonight!

- "Make friendships a priority": Had a fabulous brunch, took another friend to the concert, made plans to see another friend last night, which didn't work because of the dang snow, but we shall reschedule. And I have several other "girl dates" in the works... I'd say I'm doing pretty well on this front!

- "Read 20 books": I just started Allegiant, finally!

-"Comment more/connect more": I haven't blogged as much lately, but I would say that when I do, I've been responding quicker than I was last year. Amiright??

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Here are some concrete goals for this month...

FEBRUARY GOALS:
- finish one book
- cook 2 MORE dishes
- do my taxes
- purchase the dang microwave and couch. and shoes. 
- hang the 3 pieces of artwork (that have been sitting in my closet for the last 4 months) up
- spending freeze!! 

Weekend Updates

Friday:

RJ came over, and we went out. Mainly because I wanted to. But then we left early, because he wanted to. I was pretty bummed because I wanted to go to Winter Blast, or the movies, and we didn't do either. And then he says that we're not going to the wedding because he can't take off of work.... soooo now I have no idea what's happening for Valentine's Day, and that bummed me out too. Did I mention that I already booked the hotel and can't get a refund?? #passthewine


Saturday:
Went to see Gavin Degraw with my friend-- we were super close and aside from me almost punching someone in the face, it was awesome! PS. The girl totally would have deserved it- she was pushing me for more than half the concert and basically being a complete bitch.

Sunday:
Apparently there was some football game or something. We went out with some friends for the beginning of it, but left a little before halftime. And then we fell asleep, and by the time we woke up it was over. I'm not even mad about it- I didn't place any bets, didn't really care who won, and I heard I didn't miss much.

How was you weekend? Were you excited about the game?