50 Book Challenge: January update (5/50) and reviews

This year, one of my goals was to read 50 books. Typically I will read anywhere from 25 to 40 books over the course of a year, so 50 was enough of a challenge. This also gave me an excuse to go to the library and read all of those books I’ve been meaning to read. While I don’t have any rules for myself against re-reading, my ultimate goal is to read 50 new books. But who cares if I don’t, really.

If I don’t go back and write about what I have read, review or discuss it, I will not remember a damn thing. Isn’t that the point of reading – to learn things? Even if it’s just a new joke, or that you really hate romance novels? My time as an English major taught me as much. If I rewrote my notes before an exam, I did not have to do any other studying. If I wrote a paper on a subject, I understood it enough to write essays months later. I will be writing “reviews” here in an attempt to remember and learn, though they may end up just as stream-of-consciousness reflections.

January started off excellently, as far as goals are concerned. I completed 5/50 books and started the sixth. What did I read? Well, here you go.

 

1. Paradise by Toni Morrison: I was introduced to Toni Morrison for the first time (much later than I should have been) in 2011 by my favorite professor. In my literary criticism class we read A Mercy, and ever since then she has topped my list of favorite authors. Morrison has a particularly unique way of presenting her worlds: equal parts confusing and enlightening, visceral and lovely. Paradise is no exception; however, I found myself confused more often than enlightened. Characters are often referred to by vague pronouns, scenes from odd points of view, so the story becomes slightly disjointed and/or difficult to follow. But this is Toni Morrison we’re talking about here. Parts of the novel were so good it hurt. I won’t say this was her best work, but it’s a hell of a lot better than so many other things out there. This, I feel, deserves a more critical re-read.

2. After Dark by Haruki Murakami: Another favorite author I discovered far too late in life, Murakami has never failed to capture me. After Dark is short and sweet; I read it in three days, a feat (for me) in regards to any Murakami works. It did not seem to have the same depth as Kafka on the Shore or The Wind-up Bird Chronicle did, but I found myself enjoying it nonetheless. The novel is simple and straight-forward, but still requires active reading and pause for thought. I read a review that said Murakami is “for people who enjoy thinking about feelings.” Factual.

3. Columbine by Dave Cullen: After the Sandy Hook tragedy, I found myself fascinated with gun violence in schools. A morbid curiosity I suppose. It seemed only natural that I read Columbine, in an attempt to grasp, at the very least, facts on one of the most famous episodes of school gun violence in America’s history. I do not feel like I will ever understand the why of such things, but certainly the who, what, when, and where. Cullen presents a mostly unbiased view of the events, structured in a non-linear narrative that feels more compelling than chaotic. Cullen leaves few stones unturned; the ones that do remain are buried deep with the bones of Eric, Dylan, and their victims. I read this in 2 days, perhaps to speed past my many feels. I closed this book with a heavy heart and moved onto something else as quickly as possible, but I feel like it was an important, necessary read. I can only hope something so thorough is written for the other confusing acts of infamous violence.

 4.  Legends I, part 3/3 edited by Robert Silverberg: The only reason I own this multiple-part anthology is because of George R. R. Martin, the heart-eating, soul-crushing author whose world won’t even let my brain go.  I love him and hate him. His epic A Song of Ice and Fire, incomplete yet, has left me needing more Westeros, so I sought out his “Dunk and Egg” stories. They are only published in anthologies so far: Legends I part 2, Legends II, and Warriors I. After purchasing Legends I part 1 without realizing there were three parts, I went ahead and bought the remainder of the anthology because can’t bear not to have a complete set of something. I also can’t bear not to finish something once I have started it, as far as books go at least. This volume took me a while to finish because I am lazy sometimes. Other books got in the way. Fortunately, it is comprised of four novellas, meaning it is easy to take breaks between them without having to attempt to remember what happened before.  I started it back in November and finished it some time early in January.

These anthologies have introduced me to a world of new fantasy epics that I am almost afraid to tackle. Jumping between worlds was exhilarating and terrifying. Can I really take down Wheel of Time AND The Dark Tower series? Perhaps. I certainly am going to try.

5. The Orphan’s Tales: In the Night Garden by Catherynne M. Valente: This book is part one of two incredibly magical, engrossing novels. Stories within stories within stories, folded together masterfully, create a rich fantasy world that feels so deep and real.  In the Night Garden is lush with beautiful prose and unique, well-developed characters. At first I wondered why the books were separate, as the could have been one very large volume, but this novel has a slightly different feel to In the Cities of Coin and Spice. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Valente is now among Morrison, Murakami, and Martin as my top modern authors. I cannot wait to read more of her novels.

**

February preview:

6. The Orphan’s Tales: In the Cities of Coin and Spice by Catherynne M. Valente (completed 2/8/13)
7. 1Q84  by Haruki Murakami
8. The Magicians by Lev Grossman
9. The Magician King by Lev Grossman
Current status: 6/50 books read

fat brain

Like most everyone, I made a vow to myself for 2013 that I would lose the 60 pounds that quickly fell upon me over the past year and a half. Mid-2011 I was at a perfectly acceptable weight for my height; I looked great and felt awesome. Right about that time I had the Mirena IUD removed, and since then my weight has slowly topped my personal charts. After six months I had gained almost 50 pounds. 2012 was spent carefully eating everything in my path and packing on another 10. At 209 pounds around Christmas time, heavier than I was when I was most heavily pregnant with my 10-pound son, I knew some shit had to be change. This time, actually change, not temporarily shuffle around.

My relationship with food is unhealthy. It makes me feel disgusting to admit that, but it is what it is. I eat without thinking, pushing myself past my limits of fullness to stuffed. After tracking my foods for a few days on through this app and weighing every day*, I noticed how often mindless eating occurs. Before I started paying attention, I could not understand why the weight packed on so quickly. What I failed to realize was that every calorie adds up, and when I am constantly consuming calorie-dense foods, 2000 calories is just not a lot. Eating to self-soothe is possibly the worst idea I’ve ever had. Combined with my sedentary desk job and utter lack of exercise elsewhere, no god damn wonder I gained weight so quickly. The hormone shift likely had something to do with my attitude, but that’s the thing – it is my attitude and I can’t blame it on some tiny piece of plastic or mean people anymore.

Hence, new year change. Fortunately my husband is willing to do the work with me. We both have significant numbers to drop by the end of this year, and without the accountability I don’t know if either of us could do it. We have tried separate weight loss journeys before and it just doesn’t work. Grocery trips, eating out, and exercising are all nearly impossible without the other person supporting. We have been working on the Couch-to-5K program (LOL YES AGAIN) since January 1 and have been doing pretty well. I feel like my attitude is better this time around, but I always feel that way in the beginning. It’s not going to be easy, I realize that, but making small changes has made building up to significant ones a lot less daunting. First I cut sodas and desserts, then started cutting elsewhere: a 4 oz. glass of juice instead of 8. A bite of the kid’s macaroni instead of an entire serving, or more, for myself. One piece of bread for my sandwich, with half the condiments, or none altogether. And every single bite is entered into my calorie tracker, so no calories “disappear” into the fat folds of my unhealthy brain. Every calorie counts. Even the 3 in my morning coffee.

Last night was a night full of misery for both of us. After eating ribs and “funeral potatoes” at a business dinner, we both couldn’t fall asleep for hours despite being exhausted and sore from working out earlier in the day. We were restless and had trouble getting comfortable. Our anxiety spiked (we both have similar issues with it, including matching physical symptoms. Live with someone long enough… ). All for ribs and some carbs. Unhealthy food and the temporary pleasure is really just not worth the anguish any longer.

*I use this weight-tracking spreadsheet in my Google Drive, which I also mostly access on my phone. After ten days it gives you a running average, as well as a graph for visual tracking of changes/trends. It also calculates your weight loss as well as percentage. I want to lose an astonishing 33.01% of my highest weight. I have lost 8% of my goal so far!

consumerism!

I’m participating in a nail polish no-buy with a group of girls from a Facebook group, from October 15 until November 30th (or whenever everyone else is eliminated). At first I thought I’d kick ass, but it’s been a lot harder than I anticipated. The past few months I’d been acquiring polishes like crazy – especially with Zoyas finally hitting my Ulta (and its clearance rack). The China Glaze Wicked collection really called my name, too. I, however, have been good! Even with the suedes finally being sent out in the Julep Maven box! I skipped November. I have no idea how, because I wanted so many of them. What stopped me was realizing I’d be spending money on some polishes I didn’t want at all just to get the ones I did want. I figure, someone will eventually want to swap if I want them badly enough. Swapping is my saving grace.

Speaking of swapping, I’m in another Facebook group called Sisterhood of the Traveling Polish, and I am of course on the bottom of the list. It’s been torturous seeing all the beautiful colors being taken out of the box – but I know that there are some mysteries being put into the box, too. The box should be at my doorstep in a week or two.  I promise to share what I choose. 😉

Even though cosmetics aren’t included in the no-buy, I’m kind of forcing myself into a no-buy for everything that isn’t totally necessary. The Urban Decay 20% off sale was too tempting, though. I snagged Naked2 and a giant bottle of UDPP for $60, both of which I will use every single day. They arrived last week and I’ve been swooning over Naked2 ever since. Perfect collection of neutrals. I won’t share swatches or anything, because they are all over the internet, but I highly recommend it if you are in need of a good neutral eye palette. It’s super versatile for both simple and dramatic looks.

dat haul

Boring first EOTD look using Verve, Pistol, and Busted from Naked2. Also wearing UD Lip Junkie in Naked, which I now want in full-size.

Update on my Nailtiques treatment: on day 11 officially. I have not been diligent about daily application, though I did well the first five days. I had been sick and delirious for a couple of weeks, so remembering anything is a true accomplishment. After a few days I have noticed improvement in the strength of my nails, though they haven’t grown much obviously. I couldn’t stand bare nails any longer, so I caved and played with my new Zoya. Lucky for the treatment I get bored quicker than a toddler.

First post-Nailtiques NOTD: Zoya Meg, stamped with Color Club Worth the Risque using some Cheeky XL plate. I also added some hex glitters from a Spoiled polish. Hello messy cuticles!

That’s enough acquiring for now, and I will end this boring post. Consumerism! I has it!

hot mess week 2012

This week has been one of those. Sunday I woke up with some sort of fever/stomach virus that plagued me until I finally went to the doctor yesterday. Fortunately Monday was a holiday for me, so I was able to rest up, but I still needed to take most of Tuesday and Wednesday off. Meaning, of course, that all this week –  including today – I have rocked leggings and loose things, no makeup, chipped and broken nails, lazy buns, and the same grey headband.

Broken nails! Let’s talk about them. My nails have always been my problem children. The only time they’ve been really awesome is when I was pregnant, and they grew long and strong. Otherwise, they suck. I constantly mess with them, whether it’s absently chewing on cuticles or picking at polish. I get really frustrated with myself when I notice a nail breaking right at the quick, because it means that A) I’ll have to trim all of my nails really short so I don’t go insane and B) that nail will hurt and look stupid until it grows a little.  I have sort of small nails to begin with, so when they’re short I think they make my fingers look stubby and gross.
One day while browsing around CVS, I noticed the line of Nailtiques products. After some brief research, I thought it might be a good start to getting my nails nice and healthy. I had a coupon for 20% off at Ulta, so I stopped in there yesterday and bought the smaller bottle of Nailtiques Formula 2.

So here’s day one, freshly trimmed and  filed, my gross nails after my first application:

terrible

So let me apologize for the state of my cuticles, the yellowing, the dog hair, and the leftover Orly Liquid Vinyl. That shit sticks. The yellowing is from a lime green  Sinful Colors polish (I can’t remember the name) that I used over a month ago. I guess I can’t really complain about staining when the polish was 99 cents. Rambling aside, I’ll update with any results.

In other nail news, I picked up Zoya’s Lotus and Meg on sale at Ulta. How do I love thee, Ulta clearance?! So many gorgeous polishes with no home. Carly was on the shelf, too, and I put it back with remorse… I may go back and pick it up, if my husband doesn’t kill me first. Scrangie’s swatches are making the want even worse. Then there’s the Urban Decay Friends and Family sale, too. My wallet. It cries.

body hate

I repulse myself sometimes.

Months of being overweight have finally weighed down my mind. I’m sure another cycle of depression is starting, but I am beginning to loathe every part of my body. My sick brain tells me you are fat, therefore worthless. Instead of doing something about it – changing my diet, exercising more – I soothe myself with comfort food and shopping. Fuck.
And what’s a girl to do when even her own influences – other moms, people her age, popular bloggers, media coverage, “friends” – are openly hateful of “fat”? Completely unsupportive? Humble-bragging about adhering to cultural standards of perfection? This goes back to my insecurity and fear about putting myself out there. It has burned me in the past. As far back as third grade, when a supposed friend told me in gymnastics class, “I hate to tell you this, but you look fat in your leotard.” I never went back to gymnastics after that class ended.

For what it’s worth, she was always a bitch.

We shouldn’t let bitches get us down, but I do, and getting over it is a lifelong thing, clearly. Besides that comment, I was mostly exempt from a lot of physical disses from my peers (or maybe I just forgot most of them). A lot of the influential ladies in my life growing up openly despised their bodies, which is what was impressed upon me the most. In front of a young girl, women whom I saw as incredible would wax damn near poetic about their imperfect noses, their ugly hair color, their big thighs. Fad diets and exercise programs paraded through my life like boyfriends: exciting at first, then annoying, then gone.
I am so careful to avoid emphasis on my own daughter’s appearance. While I don’t feel that we should completely avoid telling our girls that they are pretty, that is not the only complimentary words she ever hears from me. Her creative endeavors, academic efforts, sense of humor, attitude, as well as her physical appearance all get equal praise.

Anyway, there’s no moral to this post. I’m just repeating what so many people have said before (and better than I have). Changing negative perception is fucking difficult. We all can certainly try, though.

Wittlebee first box review!

After reading Rebecca Woolf’s (of Girl’s Gone Child fame) review of Wittlebee, I had to try it out for my own children. Unfortunately my daughter, being in size 6-7, is just out of the available size range (they only offer up to 5T currently), but my son is still in 3T so I knew I had to try it out.

The basic premise is this: you spend $39.99 on a special box of seasonally appropriate clothes curated just for you. Each box contains 6 pieces, though my box has 8 as I signed up in June, just before the switch. I am still undecided on whether I will go to the 6-piece box; the idea of pieces being higher quality for only a couple of bucks more per item is appealing. Either way, the items you do receive are fantastic.You can pause for up to three months and cancel anytime, no obligations.

When signing up, you select certain options to ensure you receive items that match your style and needs. Our current selections are:

• Size: 3T
• Clothing Style: Hipster, Mix and Match
• Graphics: Skulls+Rock&Roll, Cars and Trucks, Stripes
• Favorite Colors: Orange, Grey, Blue, Green
• Styles needed: Short Sleeve, Shorts, Pants
• Accessories Needed: Underwear, Pajamas
• Styles not needed: Writing/Slogans
• Climate: California Dreamin
• Child’s Gender: Boy

(When choosing colors, the prompt says “choose up to 3,” but I honestly could not eliminate any from that lineup of 4. I hope it doesn’t upset my stylist ;))

You also have the option of having a mom stylist call you to add notes to your profile, but I did not use that. I did, however, add about a thousand notes. Things like “no hats” and “Stripes are awesome. Plaids are okay (he already has a LOT of plaid shorts).” I paid for my first box on June 5, it shipped on June 12, and arrived June 14. Amazing! I blame the lag between payment and shipment on the large influx of subscribers thanks to Wittlebee’s intense marketing. After I subscribed,  I noticed them all over the web! Discount codes everywhere! Way to suck us in. Now I can never stop 😉

So, onto the good stuff: our box! First, the box is adorably packaged. Each item is carefully rolled and packed into pretty tissue, sealed with a “wittle” bee sticker:

Cute, right? And here are all our goodies:

Five adorable tees, and three pair of perfectly comfy shorts. Julian went nuts when we opened the box at home. (I had this delivered to work, and of course had to take a little sneak peek before he did. Shhh.) His first outfit choice was the “monkey shirt and champion shorts.” (The red pair of shorts has a little embroidered logo with crossed racing flags, so he has deemed them “champion pants.” Apropos, no?)

The tees are AWESOME. I mean, really. Look at them. Geek monster, helicopter, skull skateboarding, and mowhawked Small Paul. The green tee is American Apparel, which is the softest and most comfortable shirt I think he owns. The shorts are all great for an active little boy in the hot Alabama summer. (By the way, 100º+ weather can kiss my ass. Must we revisit this?)

Thanks, Wittlebee, for a perfect first box. Our next box starts processing this week so I hope it comes quickly… maybe right in time for my birthday.

If you’re interested in signing up, you can get $10 off your first box by using my referral link (I’ll get $10, too, which is pretty sweet… share the love!). It’s a great gift for new moms and baby showers, or birthdays, or even families with multiple kids. You can mix and match sizes, genders, and styles in your boxes, or switch up months when entire boxes are devoted to each child. Plus, satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. If you don’t like a box, send it back and they’ll make sure you LOVE the next one. Wittlebee’s really got something sweet going on here. Check them out!

dealing with unhappy skin: Retin-A + clindamycin review

I have always had problematic skin. Nothing too horrible, but with the exception of my time with the Mirena IUD, my skin has never been 100% clear. Most of the time I will have a handful of blemishes, coupled with constantly uneven skin texture and a mottled tone from the scars. It’s annoying and kind of gross. Over the past six months, my skin has taken on all sorts of awesome changes, so I finally made my first appointment with a dermatologist. He prescribed four different meds for me, two of which are specifically for mild acne. (The other two are for a sudden onset of eczema. WTF skin, I hate you.)

I have been using this combo for just under two months now. The first day was impressive – my skin immediately felt smoother. After that, shit went crazy. Not in a bad way, but I never really knew what to expect. First, my skin “purged,” meaning that a lot of zits popped up. My skin was incredibly red and it almost looked like I had hives on parts of my face. My skin became even more sensitive to product than usual. Applying the clindamycin twice daily was excruciating. It felt like I was stabbing needles into every pore. The peeling started a few days later.

I kept my face makeup free for the first week. Day 6, I attempted to apply the foundation I had been wearing without issue (note: “without issue” meaning I had no adverse reactions on my skin… I actually kind of hated the stuff as far as coverage/look goes).  It burned like CRAZY. I put the makeup on at work, which was so stupid, because I had no face cleanser. My face has always been intolerant of regular soap, so I just wound up washing it off as best I could with plain water. My face was tender and raw the rest of the day.

The peeling came and went over the next few weeks, and I could see improvement in my acne. What does pop up is very small and only lasts a day or two. There are days when the peeling is really bad.  One day, it got to the point that I felt the need to scrub it off. I was too harsh with my tender skin and wound up having a significant open, raw area on my chin for a few days. Super great, let me tell you. At the 6-week checkup, my dermatologist told me I’d see even better results in six months, so I’ll post another update then. Maybe. If I remember. Ha.

The absolute best products I have found for keeping my tender skin happy:

Avene Cleanance Soapless Gel Cleanser: This shit is amazing. I will buy this product until I die, unless they stop making it, immediately after which I will die. After I wash with this, my skin is  smooth, matte, and perfectly clean. And a little bit goes SUCH a long way. I use between a pea and dime sized amount, depending on if I have makeup to remove or not, and how lazy I am (always).

Thayer Witch Hazel Rose Water AF Toner: Nothing too exciting here. Alcohol free toner, refreshing without burning. It even moisturizes a bit.

CeraVe AM Moisturizer with SPF30: Again, this is about as boring of a product as you can buy, but it does what it is supposed to. It’s a tad bit thick and smells like sunscreen, but it gets the job done.

 

One thing I have not found is the best foundation for my skin. I am pale with chameleon skin; no one shade has been able to match in all light (sunlight, fluorescent, my bathroom). Is this a common thing, or am I crazy? Well, we all know I’m crazy. But does anyone else have this issue and any suggestions to deal with it? I’ve been dying to feel “put together” with my makeup on, and nothing has done the trick lately. Help!

and I was running.

My relationship over the past year or so with Couch-to-5K has been sporadic at best. You know, Couch-to-0.5k-to-couch-to-walking-to-couch-to-a-very-slow-5k-to-oh-for-fuck’s-sake-give-up-already. And we don’t even have a couch, just a loveseat in dire need of replacement and a really comfortable leather recliner I have commandeered. So, Leather Recliner to 5k, here I come. Again. My dude and I started it earlier this year, but as usual, something got in the way and I am on hiatus with week 3.

After having my IUD removed in June I have gained about 45 pounds, which is just terrible. None of my pants fit anymore. I live in comfy skirts and a pair of “skinny” (HA!) jeans that I bought recently. If I weren’t regularly being visited by the red dragon, I would almost think I was pregnant. I even get phantom womb kicks and it’s really fucking with my baby fever. TMI? IDC.

I have a few vague goals. My main is weight loss, but more importantly, health. I am still trying to figure out if it’s worse for me to have an actual number in mind to haunt and taunt and maybe even inspire me – x pounds lost by x date, x pounds overall, x-minute 5k – or simply: do better. Be better. Simple, but also unstructured and leaving less room for discipline. I am terrible about disciplining myself … clearly: hello, 45 pounds.

Unfortunately, my brain confuses discipline with self-berating. “Nice job, lazy, you managed to read 500 pages of a book but you can’t jog for a total of 10 minutes? Most of it’s walking for Chrissake. No wonder you are almost in the 200s.” (By the way, I haven’t weighed this much since I was pregnant almost four years ago. WITH A TEN POUND BABY.) I then discourage myself, and berate myself even further, and it’s a really stupid vicious cycle. Why yes, I am crazy. Mind if I take a Prozac?

So, let’s take a walk on the positive side. Even though I am still rather picky, my taste buds have evolved to like – even crave – green things. Fruit, eh. Not so much. But broccoli? Asparagus? Spinach? Yes, please. Just 5 years ago I would have never touched most of the things I eat now. A marked improvement I owe to many people, but mostly my husband who not only cooks delicious things for me but encourages me to try new things.

I also have grown to LOVE jogging. My brain goes far, far away and I find my happy place there. It took quite a while for me to get there mentally. Running used to be extraordinarily difficult. It took all of my will power to make it to just that next mailbox. Pass one more tree, just one. To that next driveway – you can and will do it. Now I am surprised at the end of each run, how short it was and how entirely not difficult it seemed. I owe this to learning how to hold my body properly – proper footfall, good posture, arms held close to the torso, relaxed wrists, shoulders still and not swinging around. I keep in mind that I want my body to work efficiently, instead of against itself. It did require a bit of training, as I would constantly fall back into that detrimental gait. And this is all probably very common knowledge, but it was like I found Nirvana when I started running correctly.

No matter which route I take mentally, I am going to try. I won’t beat myself up if I fail, because I will just keep trying.

And a cute running outfit can’t hurt (I NEED THOSE SHOES WHY ARE THEY SOLD OUT EVERYWHERE):

evening jog by kelliq featuring a nike sports bra

NIKE tail activewear, $160
Nike activewear, $35
Nike sports bra, $30
Nike, $10
Amazon.com: JVC HAFX35P Soft Marshmallow headphone (Pink): Electronics, $13
Apple 80 GB iPod AAC/MP3 Video Player Black (5.5 Generation), $999

I’m Only Happy When it Rainbows

I’m Only Happy When it Rainbows by kelliq featuring topshop shoes

Christopher Kane rainbow dress, £1,195
Sheer tunic, $250
Topshop shoes, $60
Miu Miu leather handbag, £950
Tasha stone jewelry, $48
KG Kurt Geiger bracelet, £10
Trina Turk 18k earrings, $85
Cat eye sunglasses, $12
Marc Jacobs beauty product, $40

Polyvore is my guilty pleasure window-shopping site. I build outfits there every now and then, going by texture and feeling and color palette. Today’s was inspired by my favorite color, the rainbow, and the grey cloudiness that precedes one.

#TheHungerGames midnight premiere, China Claze Capitol Colours

Yes, I was one of the crazies who attended the Hunger Games premiere last night. I strolled into the Monaco at 11:50, after a stressful evening (including almost stalling on the way there because I was so low on gas). It was packed. I had to park in the butthole of the lot, and ran through the rain to get inside before I missed anything. Fortunately my long-time friend, his girlfriend and her BFF were there waiting with my ticket… pre-bought the first day they went on sale. (Erica, you da bomb gurl.)

The movie was fantastic, PG-13 and all. I’m not a die hard fan,but I did have some pretty high expectations, and they were most certainly met. Even with the discrepancies, I left feeling totally satisfied. Cinna! Seneca! Ceasar! Effie! Haymitch! Rue! Peeta, even! And Jennifer Lawrence, how I love thee:

“Yesterday I had to do an interview. I was in a horrible mood. I couldn’t think of basic words. I could see my publicist in the background, mouthing things to say. They want you to be likable all the time, and I’m just not.”

Um, hello Katniss? She was just remarkable, though I admit not as I initially imagined her. I had my doubts. Jennifer Lawrence broke them in half.

Anyway, I am running on four hours of sleep – yes, I did have to go to work after staying up until 3am – so my thoughts are barely cohesive. Pointless posting, maybe, but I was there! I was there and it was amazing and I am going to see it again as soon as possible.

~

It’s time to get silly and girl now. Let me share one of my guiltiest pleasures: nail polish. The gorgeous Hunger Games Capitol Colours by China Glaze have been on my list since I heard about them earlier in the year… yet how’s a girl to decide between all twelve gorgeous shades? Most of the time I don’t care if something is inspired by one pop culture icon or another – I see them as useless and simply for boosting profits – but these really caught my eye. Fortunately I needed some hair color, and stopped by Ulta on the way home yesterday. Right up front was a display for the collection… but the only full-size colors left in the whole store were Mahogany Magic, Dress Me Up, and Foie Gras. As much as I love a good deep brown, I wasn’t interested in MM and I already own a pretty taupe so FG was out, too. DMU was the only color in the whole collection that I really didn’t want, but! Glory of glories! Behold:

L to R: Fast Track, Agro, Smoke and Ashes, Luxe and Lush

Perfect mini-bottles of the colors I craved, for only $13.95. (Though I admit to wanting three or four more different shades as well… I’ve got to stop somewhere!) Smoke and Ashes is my favorite of the bunch. Its application was smooth and it looked perfect after one coat. The bluish shimmer adds a certain mystery to the shade and it stands out amongst my (many) other so-dark-they’re-pretty-much-black polishes. Luxe and Lush is the most fun topcoat I’ve ever owned; I foresee many future uses. The varying flakes of iridescent shine vs. your run-of-the-mill glitter bring it up a notch. Agro is a lovely olive-green that can be worn year round, I think. Fast Track is a demure, shimmering champagne evoking quiet glamor.

Ignoring the terrible state of my fingertips, I wore all four colors last night because I’m crazy like dat: