Karma

Trevor gets to go out to dinner with the people from his work tonight, totally paid for, and I can't go :( I guess that's what I get for not feeling bad enough for him not getting a clothing allowance.

Free dinner is such a better immediate reward though than clothes. And it tastes better.

One of the New Outfits

I've had a couple people ask what my new clothes look like. I hadn't taken any pictures of me wearing them until today. So here's the one I'm wearing today. I just started getting a cold today and my face is all puffy and disgusting, so you won't be seeing it; but the important part is the clothes anyways :)

New shoes: $8.99 on clearance at Kohl's

(so awesome)

New jacket $10.43 at Lane Bryant

(that equals like 89% off!)

New shirt: $17.99 at Target

(it's this awesome deep purple but my camera phone can't pick that up; it also loses some of its pizazz when you're holding your jacket back trying to take a picture. this is one of the only shirts i purchased at full price; had to have it.)
My pants are my same old black ones, but they go with the jacket nicely. I'm also wearing black stretchy socks ($2.50 at Payless)...and a silver sparkly snowflake necklace I've had for like 7 years and the earrings I got for free at Constance's Lia Sophia party. Shnazzy enough for the boss? Guess we'll see.

Glimpse

Have you ever wondered what your fashion style would be like if you had all the money in the world? Seriously, think about it. How would you dress if money didn't matter? What would your style be?

I feel I've got a small glimpse of what my style would be if I had a bagillion dollars. I let my mind open a lot this week while looking for clothes, and even though I didn't buy all of them (because $200 only gets you so far), I still tried on a ton of new things.

I've discovered that the main reason all my outfits are so blah is that I generally have to buy ONE thing at a time, and it has to be versitile. I have to be able to wear it to work and on Saturday because it's like 1 of 5 shirts I own, you know?

But I feel very, what's the word? ...Released... I've always felt like I have no style of my own because all my clothes are just... clothing to wear, and not meaningful. After shopping a bit with someone else's money, I feel slightly better about my style; I can see where I'd go if I could keep shopping. Now all I need is some more shoes :) Why do I like shoes so much?

I wish this on all of you.

(Cool side note: I got a pair of dress pants AND a suit jacket AND trouser socks all for $42! The cashier just kept adding on the discounts until my $110 total equaled $42. I don't care if she gives the discounts to everyone; I love her.)

Clothing Allowance

Oh! I almost forgot! (How could I forget?!)

My boss decided my clothes are not professional enough, and that I need new ones. So he is giving me a $200 clothing allowance! Haha, seems pretty funny (not that I'm complaining) that he made such a fuss about not giving me the raise I told him I wanted at my last review, only to realize he's not paying me enough to dress properly and be forced to pay for my new clothes.

But like I said, I'm not complaining :) I started last night. Idunno how many of you have ever just had $200 to spend on clothes, but it's a pretty amazing feeling being able to just grab everything and try it on, knowing you can get most of it. Yeah yeah, I know, if I were going to buy FANCY clothes I'd be able to get like 2 things. But I know how to make it stretch.

Yay! I'm excited! And sad for Trevor's jealousy :)

This shirt is the one I'm wearing today.

January

So, the last 4 weeks have been crazy crazy, but very satisfying in the weirdest way. To explain, you all need a little background. A few days before Christmas, Trevor and I realized we'd completely messed up our budget and that we had about 15 transactions that were going to clear the bank after it hit zero... about 2 days before pay day... Uh, oh no! Pretty much all you can say. Well, we got through that fiasco (minus $500 in bank fees, merry christmas) with the help of our family dearest and good ol' fashioned personal stamina, ha ha.

Christmas was pleasant. We like our family.

December 26, 2008; 7200 South I-15 on-ramp. Trevor spent the day at work, and was on his way home to change for his show. Truck in front slides on ice. Trevor brakes his speeding car (10 mph is apparently too fast for the conditions according to the police officer), but slides into the truck which is positioned in his lane of traffic. Long story short: Day after Christmas, no snow plowing, angry cop, and freezing temperatures = $112 ticket and $500 deductible for undrivable car. Happy new year.

The only up-side to all of that is that we DO have rental car insurance and we were able to drive an SUV up to Idaho cram-packed with Trevor's family for 1 of 2 funerals New Years weekend. Up-side, indeed. Trevor's grandma, who he knew less than he'd liked, passed away just before Christmas, and we all decided we would feel much better about going to the funeral. I think we're all glad we went. For me, it was sort of a day full of awkward hellos, goodbyes, and yes-i'm-fine-how-are-yous. The couple times I met his grandma, she seemed like an entirely sweet lady, and learning more about her only firmed up that feeling.

The day before Trevor's grandma's funeral, we went to MY grandma's funeral in Salt Lake. I didn't know her as well as I'd liked either, but I'm glad I went. Again, it was a day full of yes-i'm-fine-how-are-yous and oh-it's-so-good-to-see-yous (while thinking, "who the heck are you?") I It seems there was a lot I didn't know about my grandma, and a lot I'll probably never know. For now, I'll have to stick with remembering her red bathroom, her make-up and teasets she let me and my cousin play with, her beads for making jewelry, and her crazy love of indians. Maybe all that's a little skewed because I was only like 8 when I knew her, but it's all I've got.

The whole funeral weekend made me realize how much I need to just love the family I've got now. Even through divorce and changes--I just need to do my best to not dwell on obvious barriers.

So, after that week, Trevor and I continued our life of no money spending. Kind of hard for us--we like our freedom :) I thought I was going to hate it, completely. But after 4 weeks, it hasn't been that bad. It seems that Trevor is better at not buying little things than I am. What? I enjoy the simple pleasures in life, yeesh. A couple weekends ago we used some Christmas gift-cards (thank you, Heidi) and got ourselves a little sum'm-sum'm. Trevor got a freaking awesome new coat on clearance for $15, and I got a fancy wrap/shawl doohicky (like the one the chick on the RC Willey commercials wears). It felt nice to have a reward for our good budget keeping.

I finally found the exercise bike that's right for us (for $50!!!), and purchased, and hauled it away using the band van (scary! 15-seaters are bigger than you'd think; but I did a good job). Trevor's work took all the employees and their dates out to dinner last weekend at Rodizio Grill--very good, but I don't think I've ever been so incredibly meat-sick. You should go there, at least once, though, if you ever get the chance. Especially if you're a man. Trevor is trading his phone again because we found out the Palm Treo only supports 2 gig memory cards--which is "so not enough" for Trevor. He also decided we somehow had enough money to get a used xbox 360, so I guess we'll be saving up for more games over the next few months.

Today, our car is finally done in the shop, and we have to go pay our deductible. I think Trevor is so ready to be done with the rental car too. Although the claim with the insurance company is not finished because the dude in the truck is totally lying about everything! I finally re-registered my car for $189 (it expired in October!), and paid Trevor's ticket $112, and am now making plans to re-register Trevor's car at the end of January, safety and emmissions included for $200ish, and get caught up on our overall vehicular maintenance by the end of February.

I can't help but think of where we would be today if we had been saving AND we hadn't had all these weird expenses. We'd have, like, $1,200! That'd be amazing...That's a vacation. But, then again, we wouldn't have started saving like we are if we hadn't been slammed with the expenses. So wish us luck in continuing our budget. We've been pretty lucky so far, seeing as we've had the leeway to get the bike and the xbox. I think I'm finally honing my budgeting skills--I haven't been the greatest in the past.

As far as my other goals (I decided to only show you the ones I've been good at :) it makes me feel better):

1. Pay off this one loan we have with a certain relative BEFORE summer comes. We only have $150 left!
   
2. Find a way for either me or Trevor to start school again. I am resolved to take a math class as soon as we are able.
   
3. Finish reading Robert Jordan's book 1 of The Wheel of Time by January 15th. Okay, so not done yet. Page 533/782. Very small type, I remind you.
   
4. Follow THE budget. See blog above :)
   
5. Purchase one of the exercise bikes I've been oggling. CHECK.
6. I also feel accomplished because I finished watching the John Adams series last weekend. It was a complete success. Perfect. You should watch it.
   

For Lex

Progress

I feel accomplished. I'm actually TRYING to complete my goals. I couldn't remember how to do the strikethrough thing to the words, so I just bolded the one's that I've made good progress on.

1. Pay off this one loan we have with a certain relative BEFORE summer comes. 1/9/09 Made payment on time at least.
   
2. Find a way for either me or Trevor to start school again.
   
3. If it is me who goes back to school, I want to find a way for me to USE what I'm schooling for.
   
4. Go 2 weekends in a row without spending over $20 total. (And then NOT spend more the next weekend to compensate for not spending a lot the other two weekends.) 1/9/09 Doing very well for mabye 3 weekends now :)
   
5. Starting in January get to church 4 out of 4 weeks. 1/9/09 doing good so far...considering there's only been 1 week.
   
6. Finish reading Robert Jordan's book 1 of The Wheel of Time by January 15th. 1/9/09 um... I'm hoping to spend some quality time this weekend.
   
7. Get Trevor to read Twilight. (Okay, I know that's not a realistic goal to put on MY list.)
   
8. Follow THE budget. 1/9/09 Been doing this since a week before Christmas!
   
9. Make something crafty to give away. 1/9/09 Making a quiet book!
   
10. Read scriptures and pray every night for 2 weeks.
    
11. 7.5. Dwell on reasons I love Trevor and think of ways to improve our relationship or be kinder to eachother. 1/9/09 doing better at this.
12. 1/9/09 I'm adding this--purchase one of the exercise bikes I've been oggling.

Happy New Year?

Serioulsy, why do we celebrate this? Woo hoo, a new year...they come every year. Time passes on it's own, and yet we celebrate it--WE make it special--it's not special all by itself.

Last night while we were watching the ball drop, I couldn't help imagining what I would be doing if I was one of those people in Times Square. Um... Not too hard to imagine. I would feel awkward and not be one of those people screaming my lungs out because it's 2009 instead of 2008. What's so good about 2009 anyways? We're all just going to be excited it's over in another year.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against living, or time passing. But I just don't see the point in celebrating "the new year." I can't get excited when people tell me happy new year, and I didn't feel excited when we counted down from 10. What's so special about the new year? It's not even a global celebration. Now, if we knew the world was going to end for sure in 2012, then yeah, let's celebrate our brains out. I just don't get it.

I can understand wanting a set time frame, beginning and ending, to the goals that you make; and I can understand wanting to reunite with friends, and make promises to be better at being friends. But I don't think I'll ever understand the mindless cheering and blind excitement that comes with celebrating the new year. If you want a day to drink till your eyes pop out, or stay out all night, why don't you just say so, instead of using the excuse that "it's a new year, and it's exciting."

I'll be blunt. Our January is going to suck. It's already started. Maybe the fact that January is the first month of this so-called "new year" is why I'm not feeling the thrill. Maybe I'll celebrate the Chinese New Year instead.

Christmas Past

I was going through some of my old pictures, and I found the ones from me and Trevor's first Christmas as a married couple in 2006. It made me feel so much better about what I was sure to be a trashy Christmas for eachother on Thursday. We've had worse; we can handle it.

And the more I think about it, the more I remember we found gifts this year that really mean something, so I'm feeling pretty good now.

Ugly Sweater Parties

I know, I'm so out of the loop. But I just read about this awesome thing called an Ugly Sweater Party :) I want to do one.

This girl I know has a pretty funky blog and she put up a picture from what I think was her Ugly Sweater Party. Look see http://thisismablogbrittany.blogspot.com/2008/12/happy-christmas.html. I sure hope it's okay to share her blog... Maybe if I shower her with compliments she won't mind. She is pretty good at photo taking and creating on her own. You will like her.

Ugly Sweater Parties
December 14, 2008 by clander
Over the course of a calendar year, white people have ample opportunities for themed parties and drinking: Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, and Cinco De Mayo are the most popular officially sanctioned holidays. But that does not mean that white people shy away from creating their own impromptu themes for parties and evenings- mustache party! ’90s prom! Designing Women!
During the month of December, white people face an especially difficult challenge. This is the time of year when parties and drinking are most appropriate, but the most obvious theme of Christmas must be avoided. This is because Christmas forces Christianity upon others, and though their ancestors had no problem with this activity, modern white people are quite disgusted by the idea. Hanukkah parties are fun, but a bit too exclusive, and a Kwanzaa Party requires an enormous amount of physical, mental, and ironic labor that can only be done by the most elite of white people.
White people needed to find a party that was completely without religious affiliations, but still connected enough to the idea of Christmas that they could serve eggnog and hot toddies. The answer: ugly sweater parties.
These parties feature festive drinks, Christmas music by Sufjan Stevens, and most importantly, intentionally hideous sweaters. These ugly sweaters provide white people with an invisible shield that protects them from any criticism that might emerge if any Christianity accidentally slips into the evening.
“Hey man, I love that Burl Ives song, but um, you let Silent Night slip into the mix. That’s kind of awkward because, you know, the Crusades?”White person points to sweater and makes a funny face.Order is restored.
If you find yourself invited to one of these parties, you must begin your preparations immediately. Craftier white people have been searching used clothing stores since last Christmas, and so you should not expect to find anything of significant ironic value. Instead, your best hope is to see if any of your family members have an old sweater lying around.
“Hey man, nice sweater. It’s so ugly.”“Yeah, when my family first got to this country we had to shop at Goodwill, this is the first one my father bought to get him through his first winter here. Good thing they didn’t have these parties back then, right? He would have died.”“Geez, man, I’m sorry, you can cut in line for egg nog.”