Seriously, how hard is it to find a floor length dress? Apparently super hard. I haven't actually gone out to stores to look yet, but that's mostly because I won't have the money to actually purchase anything until next week, but let me say I feel pretty discouraged just looking on the internet. Have you googled floor length gowns ever? Do it. Do it now. Here are my issues...
1. I am 25 years old. 25 YEARS OLD! So I am pretty positive that a Mother of the Bride type dress, which typically comes up fairly fast, is going to age me a lot and make me feel just a little bit ridiculous. If you like that kind of dress that's cool, but for a 25 year old it is unacceptable.
Seriously, I'm 25. How old will this make me look?
2. Did I mention that I am 25? Yes, I am 25...not 17 or 18 and in the market for a prom dress. I am not looking for a sparkly, glitzy, fluffy sort of dress (yes, fluffy...I consider it to be a bit fluffy with all that tulle and such). I can't fit into my old prom dress (nor do I really want to anymore) and it just wouldn't work for me either. I am NOT looking for a prom dress.
Pretty sure I wasn't even looking for this type of dress as I looked for a prom dress.
3. I am pretty anti-strapless dress. Seriously, it doesn't really look that great on anyone and then you're constantly sitting there tugging up your dress just to make sure it doesn't slide down and expose what you do not want exposed. I mean seriously, how stupid do you look constantly tugging that up. I remember that being sooooo hard when I was looking for a wedding dress. Seriously, stop with the strapless dresses already!
So, you might be wondering...what do I actually want. Ugh...it's so hard. I never really thought that I would need a floor length dress until my husband told me right before he left the country (ha, good timing on his part right? He had to have known I'd be annoyed). Well, if you must know...I want something simple. I'm looking at some darker colors, probably sticking close to a black, because I just do not like wearing anything super bright and it'll be winter when I do wear it (in December) so yea, no bright colors. I want straps (duh!) so that I don't look like an idiot constantly tugging it up. I found this dress, which I love, but is sadly out of my price range (who has nearly $300 to drop on a dress like this?)
I love the simplicity. It's not over the top in any way. I want the waistline to be a bit higher, because I tend to lean towards more of an empire type dress, but I love this. But not $300 worth.
So where should I look? I'm thinking of attempting to hit up thrift stores and consignment shops, because you never know what you will find (I got a really cute black dress for $8 at one, just needs a small adjustment but still...pretty awesome). Suggestions? I am pretty frustrated and not at all excited to start actually going out there to search. But I need to get one since apparently this could be my dress code for various events in my life later on as well. Any and all suggestions are helpful. :)
Time for another Top Ten on this Tuesday, thanks to The Broke and the Bookish. Today's is all about Halloween, and since we all know that I'm not into watching scary movies or books I'm picking some book characters I'd like to be for Halloween if I were able to dress up (which I am not because I have no friends here and am just all around lame this year I guess...). So, in no particular order:
1. Linh Cinder from The Lunar Chronicles- Ok, so I've only read the first book. But still. She is a cyborg mechanic. How cool would that be? How I would pull it off I do not know, but I figure the internet would be super helpful here. Maybe this would work?
But I think this is something I would have to look into more. I just loved her, so yea, that'd be cool.
2. Flapper in the style of The Great Gatsby- I can't say that I love any of the characters in this particular book, but I love this book. I loved getting to dress up when we did an event at the library. Seriously, so fun. There are so many different styles of dresses and head dresses I could do. Ah. So hard to choose.
Also, the costuming in this movie...fantastic. I seriously just adore it so much. Could take lots of inspiration from that.
3. Celaena Sardothien from the Throne of Glass series- Seriously, she is fantastic. She is incredibly strong and yet can be slightly girly as well. The various costumes I could pull with her as an inspiration would be awesome. She has dressed many different parts as an assassin, and I haven't even finished the third book yet.
Just based on the covers alone I could think of some cool stuff. Sadly, I am not blonde.
4. Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series- I have never been able to dress up as any of the Harry Potter characters, and Hermione has always been one of my favorites, since before the movies and Emma Watson's fantastic portrayal. I love so many characters, but she was my favorite first. She is kind, intelligent, and always willing to help out a friend. Who would't want to be her?
And I wouldn't necessarily have to do the school uniform look. I could do the Yule Ball look too. Ah, it would be fantastic.
5. Dauntless (or any other faction) from Divergent- I think I can't decide exactly what faction is my favorite, because they all have so many qualities that are really great. I also can't pick a favorite character (and no, Tris is not my favorite character. I mean I don't hate her, but still). So many options, and so many cool characters come from all of these different factions (and some not so cool ones).
I'd probably lean towards Dauntless or Abnegation just because those colors seem to be pretty me, but who knows.
6. Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games- Uhm, duh! Did you doubt this would make the list? Katniss is pretty awesome, and her costume would be pretty sweet cool. I really don't have any other reasons for this. It just a no brainer.
Again, many options. Sadly..I cannot braid my hair. Anyone want to do that for me?
7. Basically anything from Alice in Wonderland- I'd go as Alice, The Mad Hatter, The Queen of Heart, The Cheshire Cat...basically anything. I think these costumes would be super fun and I would LOVE to explore the options that it brings.
I seriously don't know if I could chose. Maybe this is cheating, but seriously...anything.
8. Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice- Seriously, it would be such an awesome costume. I love Pride and Prejudice, and Lizzy Bennet is pretty awesome and I think doing a Keira Knightley type of costume with this would be pretty awesome.
Seriously, some gorgeous costumes. And they'd be pretty simple to put together too.
9. Will Scarlet/Scarlet from the Scarlet series- I don't know if I've gushed about this retelling enough, but I would love to dress up as Scarlet. Either as Scarlet pretending to be Will Scarlet or as Scarlet being Scarlet. She's such a strong character that has overcame so much. Has so many attributes that I admire, and I think it would be a fun costume. Plus people might actually be able to guess this.
I love the whole Robin Hood story, and this was such a fun re-telling that I adored. Why not dress as the main character?
10. Princess Buttercup from The Princess Bride- I think I would love this. And honestly, I hate couples costumes...but how fun of a costume would it be to be Buttercup and Westley? It would be awesome. I read this book once, loved it. Watched the movie a million time and I love it. Would be a lot of fun, and probably one of the few people would actually get.
As many choices as there are, I'm definitely thinking the red dress would be best. Simple to put together and everything.
Sadly, I will be doing nothing for Halloween. I do not know anyone around here so it looks like I'll be sitting at my place watching movies and eating candy. Well that and I have to close at the store as well, so that's exciting right? I'll just have to think up of more costumes for next year.
Hope you all have a safe and fun Halloween!
Isn't it kind of sad that my favorite Halloween movies are animated and musicals? I'm looking at Nightmare Before Christmas, Corpse Bride, Coraline, Sweeney Todd, Sleepy Hollow (ok...not a musical), etc.
Another Tuesday that I can participate in the Broke and the Bookish's Top Ten Tuesday. This week is all about the series that I have not yet started but hope to soon! So here we go, in no particular order at all.
A mystery about a woman who flees Ireland for America and becomes a prime suspect for murder. I know a few people who have read it and they highly recommend it. I have recently been getting into this genre a bit, and this this would be a fun series to further my interest in it.
This has been on my list for awhile, and it seems to really fit into my love of fantasy series. I just love the worlds that the authors of books like this create, and this one is not a SUPER long series, which definitely makes it more appealing.
If you know me you know that I am a sucker for Dystopian books, especially series. I tear through them pretty fast and ALWAYS want more. This one has been on my list for awhile, and it seems to be CONSTANTLY checked out at the library. One of these days...
Set in Norway? Filled with Norse Mythology? Count me in! It's not very often you find a book set there that has mythology included, and I think it sounds super interesting (and some reviewers I follow on Goodreads seem to like it)
Did I mention that I LOVE fantasy series, especially lately? Because I do. This book just came out recently, and it seems right down my alley. Sadly, when I checked it out I was in the middle of something else and ran out of time (it's a pretty large book). But it's pretty high up on my list.
Marie Lu wrote the Legends series, which I was obsessed with. Seriously. I liked it was easily comparable to the Hunger Games, and I think I liked it more! She seemed to create characters that were easy to relate to, but yet were unique in the world she created. I hear WONDERFUL things about this book, and I cannot wait to eventually get my hands on it (though I'm wondering if I should just purchase it..)
If you know me, you know that I love Alice in Wonderland, and I seem to really be drawn to retellings of it. I absolutely loved The Looking Glass Wars (and feel pretty strongly that if you have not read it then you really should!) and would love to read about the Queen of Hearts.
Read the description and tell me that this does not sound like a book I'd be super into. Seriously, I dare you. This book is sitting at my apartment right now, it's just I'm such an ADD reader. I get so easily distracted by other things. But I plan on diving into this series as well. It just sounds awesome.
This is a series I have been meaning to get into, and it's another one that I have just sitting on my dresser. I seriously have been really into fantasy lately, and this is yet another one that seems right up my alley.
I actually just found out about this one today while reading another blogger's top ten (seriously, how fun is it to discover new books from other bloggers? I love it!). It just really intrigued me. It sounds like the author created a super interesting world and the characters do as well. Luckily, I think I can wait a little bit for this one since the 2nd book won't be out until sometime in 2015.
Anything else I should be adding to this ever growing list???
This week's Top Ten Tuesday is about those books that have those settings that we just would LOVE to travel to. So...here we go!
1. HOGWARTS
Obviously, if you know me you know this would be my first choice. And YES...I know this place doesn't REALLY exist, but thanks to a few amusement parks I can still pretend. I just think the world of Hogwarts was so interesting, and I would love to be a part of it. I would want to try to weave through the moving staircases. I would love to dine in the great hall and to go to Hogsmeade with all of my peers. It would be awesome.
2. AMSTERDAM
I'm not talking the red light district. I am not at all ever wanting to visit that. But the part of Amsterdam that Hazel and Gus visited. I want to walk along the canals and just take in the parks. I would probably visit the Anne Frank museum, because I think while you are there you should. I just want to see the history and sights of this place (just not the red light district. That scares me).
3. SHERWOOD FOREST
I tend to really like the world of Robin Hood, and reading the Scarlet series definitely made me love it more. Scarlet is based on that story, but with a few different twists that I loved. In general, visiting England would be awesome. But going to this particular area would be awesome.
4. ERILEA
I have been thrown into this fictional land of Erilea lately and, if it did exist, I would love to go there. I just think the land sounds so interesting and the people so interesting and unique. I just think it would be awesome. And if I happened to run into the characters in this book oh well, added bonus.
5. WONDERNATION (or...Wonderland I guess)
I LOVED The Looking Glass Wars, and it is a version of Wonderland I would love to see. To live in a world where imagination is such a huge deal...AH, that would be awesome. Yes, I again realize that this is not a real place. But it seems I read a lot of fantasy and really fall in love with a lot of the worlds the authors created. If you haven't read this series yet, I highly recommend that you do!
6. SCOTLAND
So I realize that not the entire book is set in Scotland, but there are parts that are. And honestly, I think Scotland just sounds awesome. I would obviously go for modern day Scotland, and not attempt to get there during WWII, but still. How awesome.
7. A CASTLE OF ANY KIND
I am a sucker for Fairy Tale retellings, and Ella Enchanted is one of my FAVORITE books. I read it soooo many times as a kid, and I could easily read it again and again. I love the medevial fairy tale world that was created in this book, and I would love to be put in the world. But since that is not really something that exists I think visiting a castle would be the best solution.
8. CAMP HALF BLOOD
Again, this doesn't exist. I just loved the camp feel in the book (NOT THE MOVIE! NEVER THE MOVIE!). I think it was a great environment for kids who don't quite fit in elsewhere. I just want to go there and observe all the things that go on during the day. Seriously, I read a lot of fantasy...
9. SEATTLE
Ok, so I have been to Seattle already, but it was a pretty short trip. I think there is MORE to explore in Seattle and in that particular area of Washington. I would love to go back and really explore and not feel so rushed. I would love to explore other parts of Washington and the mountains. AH! Seriously, I would love to go back. Sadly, Bernadette doesn't love Seattle so much...but I do!
10. ENGLAND
I would love to visit someplace like Austenland, because that would be awesome. But I would definitely settle for touring England and London. I would love to go over there. The buildings are gorgeous. A lot of the books I read are set there, and I would LOVE to be able to visit it.
Yeaaaa, I think I'm going to get just start packing my bags now. Who needs Wisconsin right?
Oh hi there! This is going to be short(ish) and sweet(ish), but I am in need of a little help. There is a bit of a backstory, but I promise it'll be quick, and then maybe some help from some of my friends (or just suggestions from anyone is cool, but I would like to assume if you spend time reading whatever it is I happen to write then we're friends, if not at least internet friends).
If you know me personally, if you've read anything from this blog lately, or if you are my friend somewhere else on the internet...then you know I've been dealing with some stuff. A lot of it seems to be bigger than me, and it probably is (good thing I know I'm not alone in al of this), but I'm just needing some help. I have been having just THE WORST time adjusting to life here. It's crazy how you can move away from the familiarity of your hometown and find everything is just COMPLETELY turned around (even if you are just hopping the border into the state next door). I have felt pretty alone (minus Jake, he's been pretty awesome) and have kind of given up when I really know that I shouldn't. My job hunt lead me to retail, which is now proving to be some of the most difficult work I have done (seriously, you get a staff filled with 15 women...you are bound to have drama) and I have been failing at finding anything else (I found a couple library jobs I REALLY wanted and got rejected, again). So, after working yesterday and hearing about personal drama from one of my co-workers and seeing how she feels coming to work I have decided my attitude really does need to change. It was kind of the wake up call I needed. But I need some help. So here is where you, my friends, come in.
I just need people to hold me accountable. Seriously, make sure that even if I do start to complain it's just me getting something off my chest (because that seriously helps a lot) and it's not me being negative and crabby. Also, I need to find things in my life that cheer me up, because I've really just been in a weird place. Soooo I could use some book recommendations. Here's my Goodreads page in case you kinda want to see what I'm into. I love what I have been reading, but I need something a little more uplifting and happy. Also, if there's literally anything else you can think of to help me turn this around. My goal is to be a light in this workplace. It will not be easy, at all. It's a strange work environment and I definitely do not feel valued there (and I'm pretty sure no one else does) but I want to make some sort of difference. I know there's a reason I'm where I am.
So to sum it up I just need your help to:
1. Keep me accountable. And a little encouragement please. This will not be easy for me.
2. Help me find other things that will keep me in a good mood. Something happy or uplifting would be awesome.
And now, if you've read this though...thank you. It does mean a lot. And to all of those that have been praying for me, it means the world. So much has been going on, and there is a lot that needs to be done before things are fixed. I hope to find some fun things to put on here eventually. I get too moody when I blog, and I apologize. I promise you...one day I'll write something fun. But until then, goodnight!
I think every single day I think "I could write a book on shopping etiquette from the Sales Associate's view point TO the customer." I haven't exactly been working retail that long (I know there are people who have been working retail for years. More power to you! I am not sure how long I will last) but MAN have I seen some terrible behavior from people. I realize that there are sometimes terrible retail workers. I've dealt with them, I have worked with them, I know they exist. I also know that there are some super rude customers. The way I see it is that there is no excuse to be rude. You probably won't see these people that often in your lifetime, so why not fake it? Here are some rules I would like to enforce, if I could, while working retail....
1. PUT THE PHONE DOWN! If you are finding a coupon that's one thing, but then let the associate that is helping you know so that they don't feel like you are just trying to show you are above them. Texting, snapchatting, and talking on the phone at the register is rude. You are there for maybe 5 minutes. Calm down. I realize I may not be the most interesting person in the world, but it's a couple minutes of your life. I'm being polite, please just wait for a few minutes to answer that text.
2. If I talk to you about the rewards program at least be nice when you turn me down. There's a polite and impolite way to say "No thank you." Please, leave the attitude at the door. You know that most associates are required to ask you, and you know that it is not always their choice to even say anything. Just be polite and remember they are not trying to force you. Also, know that the associates are not trying to track you and keep your information. At least I know we aren't where I work. And don't use the cop out excuses. Just say no thank you, and say it nicely please. Typically I am very pleasant and then I get what I call a bitch wave and rude no's and then I just try to finish the transaction as fast as I can because I really can't handle it anymore.
3. If you wait until the last minute to shop for something that you NEED that night you kind of forfeit the right to be picky and rude. I have had to deal with lots of homecoming shopping lately, and there have been many that come on Saturday morning to get their shoes for Saturday night. I will do all that I can to find you a shoe you like, but I can't just pull a magically perfect shoe out of thin air. Sadly what is there is what is there. I understand you might be frustrated because you had an idea and now you have to come up with a new one, but don't take it out on me please. I will do all I can to make your experience as pleasant as possible, but that means you have to want a pleasant experience.
You know, those seem to be my top 3 complaints. It kind of amazes me how rude some people can be. And if you are going through something so horrible in your life that makes you feel like you have to be that rude then I do apologize. With that being said, I do not hate my job. I think I dislike retail, but I like the store I work for and the company. And I know people like that will exist in any type of retail store. I have helped some amazingly interesting people in the store, and I have helped them find things they needed and given them the most pleasant experience. Some of them have touched my heart so much and I am so grateful for them. I work with some great managers that have been super helpful as I've been dealing with some tough stuff and I like a majority of my co-workers. Now...if only some of my co-workers would be kind enough to cover a Saturday for me so I could get back to MN just a little earlier.
Top Ten Tuesday is something kind of fun that is done over at The Broke and the Bookish that I really like to participate in when I can. Lucky for me, this week works pretty nicely and I am going to give it a whirl. This week's Top Ten Tuesday is all about fall reading, and the top ten books that are on that list. I'm in a bit of a reading slump, so I'm going to pick some that I really want to read soon and hope to get a good portion of them read this fall. Still adjusting to this schedule with my new job, but I am going to get some reading done too! So, here we go...
Currently reading this. Loving it, and really need to take the time to REALLY read more of it. I'm sure this means that the next book will be added to this list as well, but I figured I just wouldn't include it quite yet.
I just am so excited that he is writing a children's book with someone else, and I really want to read it because I think it could be all kinds of awesome.
I loved loved loved the first one. Flavia is one of the coolest 11 year olds ever (notice Mr. Harry Potter, I said one of the coolest, not THE coolest). I can't wait to keep reading these books.
This book series has become a bit of a guilty pleasure of mine. It's an interesting take on a dystopian-type world and yea, I just gotta keep reading it.
I've been on the request list for this one since it came out, and I'm still pretty far into the list but I am excited to read this one. Sounds really interesting.
This one is on my nook and I am super excited for it. I really liked Silver Linings Playbook (totally different than the movie, but a good different). It was a book that was simple, funny, and a nice fast read. This plot to this one sounds interesting.
Ok, so this is something I've been wanting to read for AGES, but haven't gotten around to yet. I own it too, which is awesome. Sadly, I would have to find out which box it's in since most of our books just aren't quite unpacked yet.
I have had this book for at least a year and just keep getting distracted from reading it. I really have gotten into fantasy-type books lately (hence my LOVE for the Throne of Glass series) and have heard really good things about this book.
I loved the first book in this series, and I have a friend that is constantly telling me I have to get back into it and catch up with this series. It seems I get too easily distracted because I really do have a lot of series I need to finish. I guess after the ending of books like Mockingjay, where I was in love with the series but hated the ending, I've been scared to really finish a series and be let down again.
I've read this before, but it was in high school. With the movies wrapping up I really think I want to try to read this again. I realize there are lots of people who would go on and on about how the movies don't stay true to the book and yadda yadda (seriously, it's an adaptation. There are so many things that are better left up to the imagination and I think people would just be upset with how they were shown on screen anyway) but I really love the movies and want to read it again.
So, there it is. 10 books that I would like to read this fall. Sadly, I may not get to a lot of them but I hope to at least knock a few of them off the list and tell you all about how much I love the books. I think my reading has just not been the same since Rainbow Rowell. Oh well.
SO now, I get to the challenge part, which is totally unrelated to reading. I've been struggling a little bit with where I'm at in life. I mean I have had lots of ups and downs (lots of downs) and I am trying to really figure things out for myself. Sadly, this means that even though I can see that God is here with me and that He is providing I still tend to be a bit negative about things. So this week, for the whole week, I have decided to try to find one positive each day while I am at work. I don't hate my jobs, I don't necessarily love it either (seriously, people treat retail works pretty crappy). I have been struggling lately because there is that one co-worker that I work with pretty regularly who literally hates her job and everyone she works with. She refuses to talk to anyone but the managers, and kind of has them wrapped around her finger. She has talked to me once, and it was not nice. She spends a lot of time giving me dirty looks mostly because lately I haven't been doing so well with rewards sign-ups so then I have not been main and kind of work the floor more instead. So anyway, I have decided to challenge myself to one positive thing a day. So here is my positive from yesterday:
So obviously yesterday was kind of rough. A lot of the stuff I mentioned above happened just yesterday. So I was annoyed and a bit upset about it all. Lucky for me, I was about to have two awesome encounters with customers. My first one nearly broke me. She was a woman fighting breast cancer. She had just finished up chemo for the day and was in the store to find new shoes. She had a ton of other health problems going on, not at all related to breast cancer, and she was tired and needing to sit while I ran around the store trying to find a shoe she was looking for. Sadly, we did not find what she was looking for but she seemed happy about it. We gave her all her options and she told me she would be back to look again. She kept telling me it was ok that we found nothing, but kept telling me all about herself. She was proud to show off the socks that she makes herself and was just such a joy. I've never been so sad to not find shoes for someone. The second customer I worked with was my last one for the day, and I didn't necessarily even work with her. She was surrounded by boxes of shoes and explained to me how the arthritis in her feet made it so that it took awhile for her to pick and choose shoes. She didn't necessarily need help, but she just wanted someone to chat to. So I talked with her and then told her to let me know if she needed anything. I came back to check on her 3 different times, and each time was different and yet the same. She just basically talked through her various shoe selections that were surrounding her. She kept asking me if it was close to closing and if she needed to hurry up and I kept telling her to take her time (we aren't allowed to kick anyone out, and honestly as long as they find shoes and leave it's not the worst thing in the world). She left at 9:05, just after the store was closed, with 5 pairs of shoes that worked perfect for her. And she kept telling the guy working at the register about me and then she got contact information to call the company to tell them how wonderful I was. It really made my night, and yet it made me kind of sad. Because I wasn't doing anything out of the ordinary, just being nice and making sure she was doing ok. The fact that she brought up how odd it is to find someone like that kind of sucks. It's not that hard to put a smile on your face and be nice to someone while you are working.
But that's it. Those are my positives from yesterday. Those two ladies really made my night, and it made me feel like even though I work retail and may feel like it's a bit of a failure on my part I am still helping people and doing something good for them.
And now I must go and get ready for another shift, and I hope to have something positive to share about my shift when I wake up tomorrow (I have to close, and pretty much anticipate going to bed once I get home...). If anyone ended up reading this, I hope you have a fantastic day.
