Thar he blows and some Target covetables.

DH doesn't appreciate the fact that I like to take pictures of Ben when he looks like a beached whale. But this is what he does. All. the. time.

In any case, here are some Target covetables I want:

First is this adorable Merona Penelope Polka Dot Dress, $39.99. Not only is it super cute, but my sister said it made me look thin, LOL. Just ignore my pasty arms and ankle socks. Not sure if this was a 10 or 12 I tried on. I didn't care too much for the feel of the material and I anticipate a wrinkle fest in my future if I do end up getting it. I also don't know how often I would wear it. I just want to "collect" it I guess.

The newer Target fitting rooms seem perfect for iPhone photos due to the bright lights. I can't wait to try this at Loft because they have the weirdest lighting ever. I can't ever tell if anything looks good unless I run out of the fitting room to check out what I've tried on in another mirror.








I kinda wish I'd taken a photo of the yellow Merona Hailey Twistneck Dress, $39.99. I don't think the online closeup does the wonky bow justice. It's like half a bow, looking like a weird lumpy mass on my chest. Not good.

I hope this next dress shows up in the stores so that I can try it on and see how it fits. It's the Abigail Printed Dress, $42.99. I like the neckline and the print might work for me, but best of all...it has POCKETS! Too cute!





While at Target today, I snagged some great jewelry deals. First is an awesome multi-colored beaded bracelet (like this necklace) originally $24.99 for $12.48. Next was a multi strand gold chain/pink & white pearls necklace (reminds me of the J Crew pastiche) that was originally $39.99 for $9.98. Finally this necklace of scattered pearls and sparklies, originally $29.99 for $7.48. Please excuse my hastily snapped, crappy iPhone photo of the first two items. It makes the necklace look kinda cheap, but that's not the case in person. I just can decide if I should keep any of these things, deciding to buy now and think later.

Finally, I purchased the Merona Marilee Leather Comfort Flat Shoes for $24.99 on impulse. They come in black, gold, and this pretty amethyst. I normally wear a 10, but these seem a little roomy. I'll try them again tomorrow to see if my feet have changed. They normally tell you to try shoes on at the end of the day because feet swell, but I've found that mine are more swollen in the morning. Plenty of times I've bought shoes in the evening only to find them tighter the next morning.

Not only did this pretty color catch my eye, but also the promise of comfy supportive shoes. They even have some cushioning along the arch. I hope these work out!

Fun with the 4MP Kodak

I'm lucky enough to work near two very different Target stores. One is the old layout with no real grocery presence and the basic snack bar- ooh, and TWO entrances, LOL. On the plus side, it doesn't seem like this store gets shopped as much as some of the "fancier" ones, so it's easier to find your size. The other one boasts the expanded grocery section and a Starbucks with the newer store layout. This is the one I wandered into today to kill some time at lunch.

I was pleased to find some new Merona slub tees that I can't seem to find online yet. I'm sure someone else will post a review soon with better pictures. I opted not to take fitting room photos with the iPhone only to be at the mercy of a 4MP Kodak that has seen better days. I really need to upgrade for when I'm out and about. Sorry for the blurry pics in advance (plus my poor photo skillz).

Up first is the Berry Stripe Slub Tee for a reasonable $9.99. I tried on the large and was pleased with the fit. I'm a sucker for striped/graphic tees and thought the raspberry color would be fun. The stripes look "painted" on. The price tag is also different, shown below.

The next tee I tried on has a cute little gray Schnauzer on it, but the tag says Slub Tee Black. Not real creative...I tried on an XL because they didn't have a large and even though that was a bigger size than the berry stripe, it seemed like it fit the same. This was also $9.99.

I also picked up a Merona cardigan that was originally $19.99 but has been marked down to $13.98. It's very similar to the much talked about J Crew honey glaze. It's thin and might stretch/pill some (cotton/nylon/spandex blend), but for the price I wanted the color. This is the large layered over the doggie tee.The cardi is still available online but at the original price. It lists the color as ochre.

Check back soon for post(s) of my recent shoe acquisitions courtesy of eBay and the resale shop!

The Informers

Have you seen The Informers? It's based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, which I know I read awhile back. I can't recall a damn thing about it other than it's a bunch of jaded rich kids getting into trouble and making poor decisions.I get to watch it on my own since hubby has no interest. My goal is to get through it tonight so that I can put it in the mail tomorrow in the hopes that Netflix will send the first disk from True Blood before the holiday. I actually did not request this series...

My Wish List (subject to change at any time)

Inspired by TastyMoog here, I've decided to make up my own little wish list for the holidays. While I have excluded health care reform (a girl can dream!), my list is pretty small since I just buy whatever. I also don't trust people to get me the right size in clothes since it can vary from store to store. And I'm picky. And I really don't need anything.

First up, I want a new stainless steel water bottle. I have a Nathan brand one with a straw, but it sucks. Pressure builds up, causing unfortunate explosions of water at inconvenient times. I'm not picky about color/pattern- I just want it to fit in the cup holder in my car.

I've been coveting this cute beetle watch from Fossil. I don't need a watch since I don't wear the one I do have, but I kinda want a big man-type watch.

I also need a case for my iPhone since I'm too lame to buy one for myself. That would be why it's all scratched up and there's a tiny chunk missing from it...minuscule, really. Hubby prolly wouldn't be too happy to see that...In any case (ha!), I want this slider case where the bottom pops off so that I can easily set it on the docking station at night where the phone magically turns into an alarm clock that channels Thom Yorke to sing me awake in the morning. I want the orange case, but my better half already claimed that color. Black is lame and pink isn't really my thing, so I'm going with gray. That earned me a "Really! Grey! Ugh!‏" email this morning. LOL.

And of course a gift card from JC would be nice. I reminded him that it was on the OTHER corner at Easton. For my birthday, he got me an iPhone, so I wasn't expecting anything else. He surprised me (and was all excited about it) when he whipped out a gift card to...Banana Republic. It was so sweet, and I felt awful about not loving it. I just don't shop there. He just went to the wrong store on the corner at the mall. I was kinda surprised since my JC obsession is pretty obvious.

The next two items are random and I prolly won't get them. I've been wanting a Magic 8 Ball, but thanks to the folks at Lolcats, I could have a Magic Cheezburger. Their shirt of the day has an ANTEATER on it. I love those!

And though they won't get much play despite my desire to want to play more video games, I want Wolfenstein and Beatles Rock Band. I also need to add to my achievements since I've already received some when I rented the games from Blockbuster.

Lastly, who wouldn't want another kitty? This one actually looks a lot like Ben, which should thrill my husband. It would prolly become roly poly and messed up, too. Unfortunately, I can't get another cat until a current one kicks it or we get a house. A condo is too small for another cat...or a fourth litter box. And we'll need to get a bigger bed so that I can increase my chances of having foot room.

I still have some shopping to do. I've been randomly buying stuff for my parents, sister, and husband. I also need to mail a package to my nieces in the hopes they'll get it before Christmas. They like crafts, so they're getting a big box of Martha Stewart crafts I scored for a great deal at Big Lots. Hubby's going to make out the best of anyone (as usual cuz I spoil him), although he'll fake sadness over receiving clothes. I've seen him looking at the JC catalog tear outs from the men's pages! Mayeb I can talk him into wear a manly cardi?

This is a test of the emotional disturbed kitteh meowing system

My first photo! LOL. I do have vacation coming up, so I'll try to be a good blogger and post some real pictures. I definitely want to post all my awesome J Crew scores from the resale shop. It's just that I'm so bad at making sure to use a real camera and not the iPhone. I hope with the new one next year that they'll include a better camera. You'd think so since so many people take photos with their phone. I should break out the old Kodak, but it's maybe a 3.1MP...I can easily upgrade to a 12MP for less than $90.

So this is Ben. Yes, that's a weird cat name, but I didn't give it to him. Full name is Benjamin Franklin because at the time I brought him home, I was studying American History and my now husband was also reading my textbook (for fun...) thought that'd be cool. It's a good thing this furball is so cute, cuddly, and loving because he's a mess. Allergies, litterbox issues, fear of everything...A free cat is no free cat. I have no idea how much we've spent to "fix" him, but it's A LOT.

Our other "pretty" kitteh is Arwen. Yes, named after the elf from Lord of the Rings. Husband named her, too. Just thinking about her is exhausting. She's always into everything and never shuts up. Total antithesis to Ben. This is actually a really old photo of her- from back when I was still a science major. Perhaps this is why I had to drop out of Chemistry?

Return of the Hobbling Jedi

Egads, I haven't blogged since August? FAIL! All the time I think, "Hey, this is interesting/funny; I should blog about it." And it NEVER happens. I'm amazed by the people who do update their blogs every day, sometimes multiple times. How do they do it? I obviously have time to read theirs and take no time to update mine.

To recap, I'm still having issues with my right side, but at least now I know what it is. Pinched S1 nerve (due to a bulging disk), which is near the base of the spine and runs down my right leg. So all that running/exercising I was trying to do wasn't helping. Awesome. So the doc gave me this fantastic hard core back brace that I wore nonstop for almost two weeks...and then I started just wearing it while at home. It's hard to wear clothes over the monstrosity, plus I feel like a turtle. I worried that if I fell over I wouldn't be able to get back up.

Even better, the physical therapy I've been doing the past week and a half appears to have worsened my pain. What was once just a pain in my ass has mushroomed into an all out attack on my right leg. After some trial and error with some different anti-inflammatories, the doc had to put me back on prednisone, which is helping somewhat. New symptom that started up yesterday was some numbness in my pinky toe. Today the outer edge of my right foot feels numbish when I stand on it. Needless to say, the doc was NOT happy with the PT people because they weren't following his directions. Now I get to switch to a different place...but it prolly won't be until after the holiday. :(

So no running, biking, swimming, walking, etc until I get this sorted out. I haven't tried any yoga on my own recently, but depending on the move, it might aggravate that nerve. In the meantime, I REALLY need to focus on nutrition so that I don't balloon up...any more than I have in the past few weeks since I eat anything that's not nailed down or under glass. I tracked my food in Sparkpeople today, and so far I've been successful! Now just to do it for the next 1 million days...

I have trouble with...BENDING

I can hardly move without feeling like someone is stabbing me in the lower back. Or, it feels like my tailbone is going to burst out of my butt. Said pain is really low on the right side and seems to also be affecting my right hip. I'm shuffling about like an old person and have to brace myself when sitting down or standing up.

If life is like this now, WTF is it going to be like when I finally AM old?

So still now workouts this week. Blech! And all I want RIGHT NOW are potato chips and ice cream. I can't wait until Saturday when I get to go see a doctor, although I don't know what can be done there. What I really need is an X-ray or MRI or something. Back in June I had issues with my right shoulder/arm, but that seems to have cleared up. I was experiencing some back trouble then, but then it kinda went away. It's been acting up this past week, but last night and definitely today it's been worse. This is not a way to live life, so now I must go spend $25 to have someone tell me what's wrong...or at least refer me on to someone else.

I hope I won't have to see a chiropracter, but I'm not a fan of medication either. We'll see.

On a positive note today, I'm going to be getting some more work at work and some more responsibility. I guess they don't know what to do with me- I've exceeded expectations, which makes me ponder how low their expectations are. Or am I truly that awesome? I wish that was the case, but I'm realistic. I'm just hoping it all pays off and I can get into the Merchant in Training (MIT) program next tear. Only 3 people are selected each year, and I REALLY hope to get a spot. I'm eager to learn about the other departments within the company.

I just sneezed and it makes me want to cry. Maybe I should just go to bed and hope for something better in the morning. Or I might just read my nerd book until I pass out.