Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Funnies on Halloween

Happy Halloween everyone!! First of all, I wanted to thank you all for all your amazing comments on Monday's post and about finding a potential guy, I truly appreciate it and love this blogging community!! So today being Halloween and even though I have to work {isn't this considered a holiday, why don't we have it off??} I cannot wait to get home and pass out candy to the little kids in my neighborhood, this is the first year since moving in our house {10 years ago} that I'm able to do so!! I won't be dressing up to work, but I got a cute baseball tee with a pumpkin on it from Target a while back and will be sporting that. I thought a nice laugh on Halloween would be nice, so linking up with Michelle for Oh, How Pinteresting! 



Source: 9gag.com via nikki on Pinterest


Source: zipmeme.com via nikki on Pinterest

Source: imgfave.com via nikki on Pinterest

Source: thechive.com via nikki on Pinterest



And to put everyone in the spirit of Halloween:





Also, I want to send my thoughts and prayers to my readers and the people of the east coast. Watching the Weather Channel has been scary to think that all those millions of people are without electricity! Stay safe and dry!!

Happy Halloween lovers!!

Monday, October 29, 2012

Weekend Update

Happy Monday everyone! I know last week I had said I was going to lock myself at home and work on my paper all weekend long, forgoing any social life. Well, things obviously didn't turn out that way, or else I wouldn't be posting a weekend update, because I know to spare you guys boring details of me writing a paper. Luckily I got to have a small social life AND get my paper done all in one weekend. On Friday it was one of my good friends' 25th birthday and we were all driving into the city to go out and celebrate. We started out with some drinks at her apartment and then headed out to some bars. Since pictures are better than words, here is some visual stimulation for your Monday morning {or afternoon/evening}.



Starting the night off with some shots with the birthday girl! 


The girls & I claiming our spot on the couch.


My cutie pie best friend & I!


Here we are again ready to go.


Me & my girls.


Only picture at the bar/lounge we went to {don't even remember the name}.

Friday night was such a blast and I am so glad I went out, the next day however was dedicated to my paper and I was proud of myself for finishing it, even with some slight, but needed distractions. The rest of my weekend was pretty bland and mainly consisted of me recovering from Friday night. 

Now if you followed my few posts I did about my dating site adventures {read about them here and here}. Well I wanted to update you all a little, since bloggers actually care about the happenings of my life {which I love by the way, thank you all who comment/email}. Well I am happy to say I've met someone who actually seems like a winner. It's still too early to tell, but we've been talking non stop for a week now and we come from similar backgrounds and families so we get each other. I'm hopefully, but cautious at the same time and can only leave this in the hands of God. I'll definitely keep you guys in the loop where this one goes, if anywhere, but just wanted to throw that in there. 

Linking up with these lovely ladies, DanaLeeann, and Sami


Sunday, October 28, 2012

Sunday Social {Week 21}

Happy Sunday!! I know I said I was going to stay in all weekend and work on my paper, but I lied and got persuaded to go out Friday night for a friends birthday. I did however finish the entirety of my paper yesterday. I'll recap more about Friday nights adventures tomorrow. Today I am linking up with Ashley and Neely for Sunday Social and this week it's all about Halloween. Although I am not doing anything for Halloween this year, except working and passing out candy to trick-o-treaters, exciting life I live I know! I had to dig deep for some of these pictures, but it was so fun going through old pictures again! 

Sunday Social

1. What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid (pictures)?
I used to have so much fun dressing up as a kid and I can't even remember all the various costumes I'd be. From witch to pumpkin to princess, the one costume that really sticks out to me was me dressed as a ballerina. I absolutely loved it because it was all pink and it had a tutu, what's a girl not to love. 


wowza-I needed a tan back then!

2. If you could go back and dress up as something what would it be?
I had always wanted to dress up as Jasmine from the Disney movie Aladdin. I'm not really sure why I never did, I mean I have the skin color necessary, but if I could go back in time, I would definitely be her, she's my favorite! 

via

3. Favorite costume as an adult (pictures)?
I rarely dress up anymore because I don't go out to any parties anymore, but a few years ago I dressed as a cowgirl and loved it. It was a super simple costume {and unfortunately didn't have a cowgirl hat}, but I feel like I looked skinny back then and my hair that my friend did was perfection! All that plus the fact that I got to spend it with all of my favorite people made it even better! 


Look at those skinny legs...le sigh


My best friend & I (she was an m&m)

This next picture is just a for fun, I loved how my costume went so well with my friends & it wasn't even on purpose. {I was a cop and she was Snooki, that was the year of her big arrest}.


 
4. What is your favorite Halloween candy?
I love me some candy corn! If I get my hands on a bag, it WILL be gone you can count on that. Another favorite which people actually don't like is cowtales, I love the little cream in the middle because it tastes like the frosting in the oreo! 

5. What is your favorite Halloween memory?
I remember going trick-o-treating when I was in 4th or 5th grade and it was the first time my mom was able to get off of work in time to take us and it was super special for me. I don't remember what costume I wore that year, the only thing that mattered to me was my mom was there to take us. {Previous years we would go with our friends' parents}. 

6. What's your favorite scary movie?
I absolutely HATE scary movies, can't stand them. I get super paranoid after watching it and I have a fear of clowns and sewers on a rainy day thanks to the wonderful {not} movie It!


How would you answer these differently? 
Go Link up!

Friday, October 26, 2012

Nail Files {10/26/12}

Happy Friday everyone!! I could not be more excited it is finally the weekend and although I am doing absolutely NOTHING, I know I have a lot of homework that needs to be done. I also want to thank all you guys who read and commented/emailed me about yesterday's post. I am trying to stay on the positive side and hope that my lab work comes up good or the 12 week strict diet/exercise thing works out. Speaking of exercise, this 30 day shred business is really kicking my butt. I worked out before work yesterday and was sore ALL day. Like I said yesterday, I better see some results Jillian! Well onto today, I am linking up with Vicki and Tara for Nail Files. 




This week I wanted to go a little feminine and polished so I chose this pale pink color (Sugar Rush) that I got from the Sonia Kashuk  line available at Target. The only issue that I had with the polish was that it comes on super thin so I had to do about 6-7 layers just to get this color. I didn't mind that because I absolutely LOVE the way it turned out. For my accent nail I went with Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Diamonds in Pearls & Diamonds. It is an icy and sparkly white color that meshed well with the soft pink color. 

So what do ya think? 
What pretty color are you sporting?

Thursday, October 25, 2012

The Post Where I Vent.

Hey everyone!! So just yesterday I got some pretty unsettling lab results. Through the hospital every year, all employees can go to a health fair and get a wellness screening. In this screening you get your blood pressure, weight/measurements {yuck}, and fasting lipids {cholesterol} and blood glucose drawn. Since it had been a week since getting all this done, I logged onto the site given to view my results. Now, last year when I did the health fair my lipid panel was pretty high, but nothing that a little diet and exercise couldn't fix. 

So I thought I had been doing better in the past year, but according to my lab work, boy was I wrong. Although my total cholesterol was normal, my LDL {bad cholesterol} was too high, my HDL {good cholesterol} was WAY too low, and my triglycerides were sky rocketed through the roof. On top of all that, my fasting blood glucose was slightly over 100. I freaked out! I have a high risk of developing high cholesterol and diabetes because of my parents, but never did I think I would inherit it this early on in life, I mean I'm only 24!! I immediately called my doctor up and lucky for me there was a cancellation and I could be seen in the next hour. So I go with my lab results in hand to show to my doctor and honestly she was pretty shocked. She knows I somewhat regularly exercise and I am trying to watch what I eat as much as I can, so what the heck were these results. I told her I wanted to get my labs redone and see what they are again {hey, who knows it could have been a lab fluke}. 


So now I am reading over material on hyperlipidemia and drinking water {since I have to fast for 12 hours, I am only really allowed water and it sucks!!}. My doctor is waiting on the results of the 2nd labs and if they are the same or similar, then she is putting me on a 12 week diet/exercise program and then retest me to see if there is a difference. The only problem is, if there is no real big change with the diet/exercise, then my genetics are to blame and I will most likely have to be put on medications. Anyone that knows me, knows that I HATE medicines. I am not good at taking them regularly and I just sometimes feel like they aren't doing anything. My doctor's biggest concern about putting me on medication is that I am only 24 and if I plan on getting pregnant {not now, but in the next few years}, cholesterol medications and pregnancy don't really work well together. The statins can really harm the fetus and it is super risky to be on cholesterol medications while trying to get pregnant or already pregnant. This is really scary stuff for me because I am not sure what to do. Cholesterol meds are something that you pretty much take life long and being so young and eventually wanting kids is something that is really high on my priority list {after of course finding a man and getting married}. 

Sorry to vent, but this is just something that is freaking me out and I wanted to come to my blog and let out all these emotions. I cried a little when I was talking to my mom about this because I really do try to watch what I eat and get some exercise in my already busy life. I know genetics play a really big role, but I feel like I am too young to get these medical conditions. Have any of you ever experienced anything like this? I feel like I just want my labs to come back completely normal and it all to be a fluke put behind me, but I am obviously fearing for the worst. I know I could have far worse diseases, but this is something that is definitely life-altering and scary so I take it pretty seriously.

If you read all this, THANKS!! I love all of you readers for being there for me to put a smile on my face. I truly appreciate all the comments on my lighthearted posts and on serious ones like this. Any advice/reassurance/jokes will be more than accepted. 

Also, sorry for being such a debbie downer on a Thursday, but at least tomorrow is Friday!!! On another note, I have officially started Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred {since yesterday} and if I continue on doing it every single day {probably at level 1, MAYBE moving onto level 2 at the end}, I will have completed it on Thanksgiving Day. I'm not sure if this is a good or a bad thing, but if I work at it I better have the abs that Jillian promises or girlfriend is gonna get hurt! 


My suggestion to all you readers is, if you are at any sort of risk of developing high cholesterol, then go and get your lipids checked out to make sure you're squared away. It won't hurt and if it's high then I guess it's better to know early on to try to get on the right track and avoiding any further problems. 

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Dating Stories From Yours Truly

Hey kids! So last week I posted about dating site no-no's {you can read about it here}, well I had fun writing it and since in such a short time I have gotten to really "experience" online dating, I thought I'd fill you all in about what I've discovered so far. 

>>Really make sure you filter to your expectations, because clicking on a seemingly great guy who doesn't meet one of your "list-worthy standards" is really disappointing, especially if it's a biggie.



>>Be careful who you message, some guys are only on here for one thing and one thing only, it's gross really, but don't just message every single guy back. For me, the guys who message saying "Hey baby, how you doin'?" is NOT getting any response from me {unless he's Joey Tribbiani}. 



>>I got gutsy and liked what I read on a guy's profile and liked the pictures, so I just went ahead and sent a message. Nothing lengthy, just something simple and he actually responded. I was pretty shocked because he is REALLY good looking, close to model good looking, but he was really down to earth as well. We chatted for a little while and he even suggested we meet up sometime. I think it would be fun, but at the same time I don't think I will go. I don't really see a relationship between us, plus he is just way too gorgeous for me! 



>>You have to get through a lot of frogs to find the "prince" or what may seem to be your "prince". I'm still at the frogs, probably too early to find my prince. 



>>Learn from my mistake, if you are really feeling a guy who you are connecting with, make sure he wants the same things in life {you can get a pretty good idea from the profile, if they didn't lie} and for me religion plays a huge part in who I pick to talk to or not. I'm not excluding people based on that, but in the long run, I know what works for me and I am trying to stick to it. I was talking to a guy who I really thought was nice and we seemed to be hitting it off, but I found out way too quickly {good in my case} that there were just too many red flags. The religion thing was one thing, but the fact that he was constantly texting me {yes, I gave him my # because that's how comfortable I felt around him}, but having him text me when I was busy or out just got to be too much. I don't want clingy guys because I have my own life to live and I would assume the same for the guy I'm seeing. I felt really horrible about the way I did things, I just stopped responding to his texts or messages and I think he got the hint that I didn't want to talk to him anymore. I wish I could have done it a different way, but what's done is done.


>>My final realization, is go into dating sites with an open mind. You never know what you will find, even if it isn't in your city. Be open to talking to someone if you feel like you will connect with them, but stay away if they have things in their profile that turn you off. I've seen many guys' profiles state exactly what they are looking for and if you don't have those qualities, just don't bother knocking on that door. Other guys are rude by saying they don't like "heavy-set" women, well honestly that is just ignorant and you shouldn't put that on your profile, unless you wanted to come off as an ass, then it worked. 


**All images courtesy of Google.com**

Well, hope you guys had fun reading this post. I am still going to stick to this site for a little while longer to see what it has to offer. If you guys have any specific questions/suggestions, feel free to email me! 

Peace out girl scouts!

Monday, October 22, 2012

Loaded Weekend

Hey friends! I feel like this weekend was stretched out because I had SO much going on, haven't had a weekend like this in a while. Got to see some Bulls, had brunch with strangers, and hung out with my best friends! Let's see, on Friday after work I rushed home to get ready and headed out to pick up my bestie, from there we drove all the way downtown {in 2 hours of lovely traffic} and got to our friends apartment with 30 mins to spare. We had a few adult beverages and then headed to the United Center to watch the Chicago Bulls take on the Minnesota T-wolves. Of course my Chicago Bulls beat the T-wolves and it was such a fun game to watch. Although all my friends got their tickets late and had to sit up in the nosebleeds away from me and my sister, we still met up during halftime and at the end of the game to celebrate the winning. After that we headed back to my friends apartment and made our way home to sleep because I'm an old lady! 






The next day, Saturday, consisted of me waking up early and running a million and a half errands, busy day and I suppose productive too, but nothing exciting. Then came Sunday, I woke up bright and early {ok it was 8 am, but on a Sunday that is early} and got ready to head out to brunch with a bunch of girls I met on meetup.com, I thought the whole situation was going to be awkward, but these ladies are so nice and all around my age range which really helps. They always have fun meetups like pumpkin carving, halloween movies, and girls night. Unfortunately, because they aren't bloggers, no pictures were taken {and I didn't want to be the creepy one with her camera there ready to take pictures with strangers}. Maybe the next meetup I will take some! When I got home from brunch, I was ready for a nap maybe from all the food from the unlimited buffet and that's exactly what happened. Until I had to get up and get ready for my best friend's {from London} sisters engagement party that evening. I was more excited to see my best friend who I hadn't seen since June, even if it was just for the day. The engagement was beautiful and the couple looked gorgeous! Get ready for a picture overload :)!


The beautiful couple!




Goofing off, as per usual!

Strike a pose!


My best friend from London!!

The gorgeous bride-to-be & I

To say this weekend was fun is an understatement. I got to spend time with people I love and meet some new friends along the way. Saying goodbye to my best friend was hard and not being able to see him again until next year will be tough, but thank god for Skype and FaceTime! 

What did you all do this weekend?
Linking up with SamiLeeann, and Dana for Weekend Update!



Toodles darlings!