lets be honest...

"no shopping" policies, are for the birds. so i bought a set of these from here. and i can't wait to get them (in february. apparently i'm not the only one who threw caution to the wind when it came to these bad boys. its the curves, they'll get you everytime - just ask the boys.)

oh bother...

image

i'm not going to lie; it has been a "rough" start to my lil' experiment. and please note, i do use the term "rough" lightly as i do, at the very least, recognize that commuting to your couch isn't all that bad.

but do you know those days where everything that could go wrong, did go wrong? and everything thats suppose to be super simple, was all kinds of complicated? well i have had roughly seven of those gems right in a row. and while i want to curl myself up in a ball, in my bed, with the covers over my head, for at least a few days - i'm going to tell you a story that always makes me smile, because i made him smile.

i met jason, my fiance, the day lehman brothers went bankrupt. the day the recession began, the day fortunes were lost, the day the job market began to crumble. the worst day in jason's professional life.

you see, he worked (well, works) for lehman and while i was spending that sunday in the lounge of our shared apartment building drinking and watching football with friends he was quietly sitting in the corner searching for news online about the future of his job, his field, and (of course) the economy as a whole.

after rooting for my hometown team, the cleveland browns, i called it a night and headed up to to my place, but not before saying something. and while i don't remember what that something was i do remember that something that made jason smile. and right at that very moment i knew i wanted to make him smile for the rest of my life.

if at first you don't succeed...

...buy a box of pre-baked brownies.

via vi.sualize.us

raise your hand if you thought being voluntarily unemployed meant a life of leisure? that it means voluntarily becoming a nap taking, manicure getting, lunching, reading, bum? well my friend (and my family members who will undoubtedly be furiously raising their hands with an exasperated grunt of "pick me, pick me!") you could not be more wrong...

i've got things to do! i have my life to get back. i have content to dig up, stories to tell. i have to chisel away at a few years of corporate living (also read: stress) and a personality to re-find. i'm busy. really busy. i gotta...

play with my new camera. artsy photos aren't just going to take themselves.
decorate the bedroom
get crafty
make some memories
bake cakes (from scratch)
learn how to sew
take up pilates and/or spinning (i'm not about to get all crazy and do both. i'm going to be
honest with you; i will be taking a nap from time to time.)
organize my sad excuse for a closet
maybe start writing again
oh, and plan a wedding (details, details...)

so you see, you won't find me lounging on my couch, eat bons bons and watching soap operas. on au contraire, i'm taking this time to master a few things, try a few others, and obviously fail at a few more.

today.

via vi.sualize.us

today i am walking away.

today i am closing the window on hatred, pettiness, and greed and opening the door to hope optimism, and change.

today i am saying no to "no" and yes to opportunity, to chances, and to hope.

today i am turning my back on them and opening my arms to me.

(today i quit my job. today, i return to my blog. today i chanter sous la pluie.)