An Open Letter to Mr. TMI

Tell me, in the wee hours of Friday morning (1:06am, to be precise) is it really necessary to stand 15 feet from my window and talk so loudly?  I can only assume you weren't aware that the 1920's building I live in is brick.  Thus the courtyard my apartment windows look out to, carries sound like the Grand Canyon.  I can only assume you were confused about which early morning it was, Saturday morning at 1:06 am would be forgivable.  

What truly puzzles me is your self-incriminating speech.  The weed consumption, nice.  The sexual escapades in graphic detail, now is that necessary?  Seriously.  If your mom wouldn't want to hear it, neither do I.  Especially, when I'm trying to go to sleep so that I can be alert and productive for that thing I do 5 days a week.  Work.  You should try it!  On a more positive note, it's great to hear that you get up at 6:45am to work out.  I hear that's good for you.  

In conclusion, I'd like to leave you with this pearl of wisdom:

"He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, It will be counted a curse to him." ~ Prov. 27:14

Sincerely,

Sleepy in Seattle

Be your own stylist - ClosetCouture.com

Just signed up for ClosetCouture.com yesterday. You can upload your clothes, create looks and even get professional stylist advice (that part will cost you). Can't wait to get some of my picture up and start playing around :-) My profile is pretty empty now, but I'm hoping to spend some time working on it. See Amanda on ClosetCouture.

(Photo by Amanda, Dec. 2008)

Words of Wisdom from Martin Luther King, Jr.

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

"Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that."

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

"I submit to you that if a man hasn't discovered something he will die for, he isn't fit to live."

"Nothing in all the word is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."

Europe 2008: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

(Photo by Amanda, Dec. 2008)

Amanda's 2009 To Do's

Not the biggest fan of "making resolutions".  I'm a goal oriented gal.  I like tasks and the sense of accomplishment that comes when I've checked off every item on the "to do" list.  So, here it goes:

Amanda's 2009 To Do's:

• Find a way to make $$ with photography.
• Hand-craft all Christmas 2009 gifts.
• Start/maintain a regular work-out routine, keep a predetermined weight (not to be mentioned here).
• Go on a trip with my siblings, their spouses and our cousins. One trip, many relatives.
• Actively participate in a small group at church.
• Purge my belongings--give to goodwill, recycle (now that I have my handy sewing machine I can refashion the clothes that are too big), and get rid of "stuff" I have no use for.
• Begin to sew and design clothing & household items.
• Commit to a missions trip in 2010.
• Host 5 parties at mi casa.
• Read 2+ books a month.  Maybe even write a few reviews?
• Blog regularly (off to a good start).
• Save a predetermined amount for a house/condo down payment.
• Pursue strategic friendships (no, I'm not talking about romantic relationships or networking)--the ability to grow and nurture friendships is something I need to work on.  
• Pay off ALL debt, except a college loan (maybe the college loan too!).

Old hobbies revisited

Before I left for my European adventure in November, I bought my first sewing machine.  

Isn't she cute? ;-)  It's been 10+ years since my last sewing project, so I decided to start by making aprons.  Last weekend, I visited Jo-Ann's with a good friend to pick up all the necessary accessories.  Kids in a candy store.  Now my "dining room" is set up with my sewing machine, cutting mat, scissors, fabric, thread and the box full of buttons I've been saving for....well, anything.  I'm so excited to finish all the projects I have in mind!  This should serve as a fair warning to family & friends that hand-created gifts are likely to come in 2009.  

Now to find a sewing theme song.  Suggestions?

Surprised to see this on national news

Love him or hate him, President Bush has had more impact fighting HIV in Africa then any other president in US history.  To read more. 

1.14.09

As an afterthought, I should clarify.  Now that sibling weddings are over, I decided to embrace the laziest part of myself.  The part that hates having hair anywhere near her face, neck, ears, etc... and who wants to sleep in till the last possible moment.  I love her :)  Inspired by Kate Moss' Coco Mademoiselle spread, I went for a shorter 'do.   A friend wanted to see pictures, so I had a little fun with Ella* and put together this collage.  

*Ella is my faithful travel companion and fellow adventurer.  She is also my camera.

Europe 2008: Countryside

(Photo by Amanda, Dec. 2008)

Merry Christmas to Me!

Gotta love after-Christmas sales!  I decided to expand my entertainment collection with a few shows....

The Unit Season 1 & 2: I already like this show, but haven't seen the first two seasons in their entirety.

Seinfeld Season 1 & 2: I-haven't-really-liked-yet-but-I'll-try-one-last-time.

Prime Suspect Season 1: Always enjoy BBC crime shows & Helen Mirren.  Big fan of Wire in the Blood & Touching Evil.

Damages Season 1: A new FX show.  Last season iTunes offered a free download of the pilot episode and I really liked it.  

Europe 2008: Cologne, Germany

The first stop on our European adventure, Cologne, Germany. Turns out it's a little chillier then we had hoped (but we carried on all our luggage!!).  This picture was taken after we parked our car and started walking towards the main cathedral.

(Photo by Amanda, Dec. 2008)

I caved

Something inside of me is fundamentally opposed to paying for iPhone apps.  Perhaps it has something to do with working for a web based company that provides a FREE service to consumers :)  I might just be cheap.  Regardless of the actual reason (the anonymity is more exciting, so I won't be paying a therapist to figure this out), I caved.  

What could be worth throwing away my values?  Scrabble.  Boggart (a Boggle knockoff).  

Was it worth it?

• Scrabble $4.99 (cough).  I love the Scrabble app!  I don't regret the $$ I coughed up for it.  It's easy to use and is uncannily similar to an actual Scrabble board.  You can stop and start in the middle of a game, play against the computer or connect with other friends who have the app (have yet to try this).   Best of all, I can improve my Scrabble game anywhere in the world so that I can compete with friends & family members (yeah, you!) who consistently beat me.  It seems competition is worth at least a $4.99 investment.
• Boggart $1.99.  Boggle pulled it's app from the iPhone before I was able to try it out.  Boggart seems the closest imitation currently available.  The game is pretty simple to use.  My biggest complaint is the lack of a "back" key when I've misspelled a word and the lag time for the app to recognize a word I've entered.  If you're a crazy Boggle fanatic and you need to play on the go, then this is a viable option.  Otherwise, it's probably not worth the $1.99.