close encounters of the creepy kind

I love love love scary things. And I totally believe in all that supernatural nonsense. Especially around Halloween.

Sadly, I have never seen a ghost or any other "real" creepy thing firsthand. And that makes me mad.

Not that I think I even have much chance of ever seeing a ghost, I met a guy who was a paranormal investigator and (no lie) a "lay exorcist" he had only actually seen a ghost once. Lame, in my opinion.

So I have to live vicariously.

And that being said...leave me a comment telling me about your favorite creepy encounter. It doesn't have to be something that happened to you, but if it didn't happen to you directly it has to be something you heard directly from the person who it actually happened to.

Then I will pick my favorites and feature them tomorrow!

Hit me with your best shot.

Wishful Wednesday:Costume

I wish .... I was six years old and going trick or treating, and my costume would be a bunch of grapes!

I once saw a very similar costume to this after I was past trick or treating age and always wished I had done it. I like the idea of making your costume and doing something really silly.

Not that I didn't have some awesome costumes as a kid, but a lot of them were very girly rather then goofy. For example I was Catwoman (complete with these black boots that went over my shoes), a "harem girl" (it was kind of a Jasmine type outfit...yes, I realize it was slightly questionable that my mom called me a harem girl) and a cowgirl (also with some sweet boots.)

I also won a costume contest when I was 2 or 3 and my mom dressed up me and one of my little boyfriends as Raggedy Anne and Andy.

But now, if I was a little 6 year old again I would totally be a bunch of grapes.

P.S. In honor of Halloween I am devoting my posts this week towards all things creepy and Halloween-y...get ready!

a puppy in fall

sick day

K and I both have cold so we called out sick today. I'm feeling better today then I was over the weekend but who couldn't use a day off now and then?

I'm trying to use this day off to actually be productive and do some work on my applications for school! Wish me luck!

annoyed

Do you know when you wake up and you just feel a mild sense of annoyance with the whole world? That's how I feel today. Kind of like I want to punch something or someone.

It's Friday and I should be in a good mood, but little things are bothering me.

Things like:

• People who put "read receipts" on every...single...email they send at work. I'm going to read your email and respond...why do you need proof?
• Stupid tattoos. If you are going to get a tattoo get a good one. Don't get the outline of Mickey Mouse behind your ear.
• Hangers left on random doors. K always puts his empty hangers after getting dressed in the morning on the doorknobs of either his closet, our "laundry room," or our bedroom. I just don't get why the hangers need to come out of the closet at all let alone why they get left on the doors.
• People who key cars. This happened to me this summer and one of my coworker's car was also keyed recently. Who does that?
• Pee on toilet seats. First of all, I don't get how this is even possible to do as an adult female. And second, why wouldn't you wipe it off?

Here's hoping my mood improves and thanks for letting me bitch, blog friends. What is annoying you?

Wishful Wednesday:Vacation

I wish...I was going on vacation tomorrow to Australia and New Zealand!

This is both a depressing and fun Wishful Wednesday. Depressing because I probably won't be going on any cool vacations for a while and fun because there are so many places I really want to travel to. Ever since I read the book "The Thorn Birds" (which is one of my favorites) I have been obsessed with going to Australia. Then when I saw and fell in love with "The Lord of the Rings" movies I added New Zealand to my list as well.

I figure to really be able to make the most of this vacation I would need about 3 weeks. I would want to see Sydney, hit up the beaches and go to the deserts of Australia then go over to New Zealand and go on some of the Lord of the Rings tours (yes, I am a nerd.) And I am sure whenever I do plan this trip I would figure out even more things to do in each country.

With K being in law school and me planning on going back to school I know we won't be going on this trip in the next couple years...but someday I promise I will be there!

{found here}

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clean out the food week

I have declared this week "clean out the food week," at least in my apartment...but if you would like to join in please feel free. I am waiting on official approval from whoever it is who declares days, weeks and months different things.

What this means is that I am trying to use up all of the random food that has compiled in my pantry and freezer before I go out and continue to buy more food items and let older things sit there. It's also sort of like I am a contestant on Top Chef because I have to invent things with whatever I can find. Don't judge me, I take what small elements of fun I can during my mundane evenings. If only Tom and Padma were there to hang out.

Last night I decided for night 1 of "clean out the food week" I would take the easy way out and make this Safeway frozen skillet meal (chicken Alfredo with portobello mushrooms.) Now I did buy that meal when I moved into my apartment (in May of 2008) but I figured it has been frozen...it has to be ok. I once ate a piece of my grandparents frozen 50th anniversary cake on their 55th anniversary...and it was good! But, I was wrong.

As it cooked I began to lose faith in the water-y, off-white mass of gummy noodles and chicken in my skillet. There were two mushrooms. Maybe I could heat up some soup? K was on his way home and he eats anything so maybe I could feed it to him and pretend that I ate already?

Too late...he arrived home and the grossed out look on my face couldn't fool him. I told him I wasn't sure I wanted to eat it but he could have some. He took a sniff and declared that it smelled both acrid and sweet...like vomit. I held back from barfing in the kitchen sink.

It went into the garbage disposal. Then K looked at the bag it had come out of and noticed that it had a use by date...of April 2009. Yes, I can read, I really thought frozen food was good forever.

Thank God, Chik-fil-A is right down the street.

back in blonde

I got my hair done this weekend.


It really needed it. And yes, I do wear my high school cheerleading sweatshirt.


After two years of trying get back to "normal" after dying my hair auburn. It's nice to finally be back in blonde.

(The self portraits were due to the fact that K was gone this weekend, I covered my face in the first one becuase I was looking pretty nasty.)

Insert Clever Title Here

Here are the things I considered blogging about yesterday: Farmville on Facebook (I'm obsessed), my hair (getting it done somewhere new tomorrow), statement necklaces (want some), and what I was made for dinner last night (chicken and sausage cacciatore with grape tomatoes.)

Here is what I actually blogged about: nothing

The reason: It was (well, still is) cold, gray and rainy out and I felt very blah. The only thing I was motivated to do yesterday was crawl into bed and sleep, which I couldn't do. Or watch season 1 of True Blood again, which I also couldn't do (stupid work.) I did, however, cook the aforementioned amazing dinner for K and I since he is leaving today for New Jersey to visit his family and friends.

Which means I will be alone during this cold, gray and rainy weekend and plan on being very lazy. Ok, that's not completely true. I really need to start getting my application crap together, requesting transcripts, finding people to write letters of recommendation etc... So maybe only 95% lazy. Oh and I am also (as I mentioned) getting my hair done.

In other news...all of this rain is making me really wish I had better rain gear. I now have the boots but I need a rain jacket...any ideas where I could find a cheapish one that isn't ugly and in a basic color that wouldn't look weird with red boots? (click on the link to see what my boots look like)

Wishful Wednesday: Talent

I wish .... I had one particular talent, and it would be to be able to bargain shop!

You know those people who are always finding amazing deals on awesome stuff? Yea, I am so not one of them. My roommate sophomore year of college would randomly go to the mall and come back with 5 shirts she got for 20 bucks...it was insane! Keep in mind I think she may have been a compulsive shopper, but that's another story.

I think to be a good bargain shopper you have to go shopping/browsing all the time and have a lot of patience to dig through sale racks. While I try to do this I still never seem to have much luck. One of the reasons I love shopping at The Limited is that they always have great sales and the sale racks are easy to look through. Takes some of the work off me!

But I would still love some shopping Jedi Master to teach me the ways of bargain shopping! Any takers?

The Big 200

This is my 200th post! When I started this blog I had no idea how much fun I would have with it or all of the awesome people I would "meet." Thank you all for reading my little blog!

[photo found here]

does your grandpa need a friend?

Last night I watched the new season of "The Girls Next Door." Don't ask me why I did this because I really have no idea. Perhaps it was out of nostalgia for my college days when we would watch the original girls while drinking mimosas...or maybe it was just my morbid curiosity. The same curiosity that makes me watch the Kardashians.

Whatever the reason, I watched it. What a snooze. The new girls, Holly 2 and the Creepy Twins, are really boring and seem like they may actually be slightly less intelligent than the peacocks on the Mansions lawn. No offence peacocks.

Holly 2 has a "normal job" making $10 an hour working in Hef's "scrapbook" room and the Creepy Twins actually sleep in the same bed, dress matching everyday, eat the same foods and are essentially one person.

Anyways, these girls seem to have continued a trend I found very strange about the original girls. And that is them always making this huge deal about how supportive their families that their daughters have joined the harem of a man in his 80s.

Don't get me wrong, Hef is a cool cat, I would hang out with him (and that is all...I may be too old for him anyway) but if my 19 year old daughter, sister, friend, whatever...told me she was moving into the Playboy mansion to become a girlfriend I would probably flip out.

Can you imagine if someone told you that? Especially your child?

"Um, Mom, I would like you to meet my boyfriend...yes, he has more in common with Grandpa then you or I but we are so in love. I'm moving into his house and getting a flock of dogs, but don't worry I can work in the scrapbook room. And there are still plenty of people my own age to hang around with...all of the other girlfriends!"

Yea...don't think I would be supportive about that.

How Lovely!

An awesome new reader of my blog, Tracie, gave me the One Lovely Blog award. She actually gave it to me last week...but I was procrastinating. Thank you for the award Tracie!

I believe you were supposed to pass it along to 15 people but since I like to be a rebel I am going to pick 3 of the blogs I have just recently started reading and totally love!

Here they are:

BonBon Rose

The Seattle Smiths

Llama Tales

Weekend Recap

As soon as I got to my car on Friday I literally started sobbing. Friday was such a perfect summation of all of the things I hate about my job and I just couldn't take it. I think now that I have a plan and something I know I actually want to do it makes it hard to deal with all of the crap.

After venting to my mom during the car ride home and to K when I actually go home I felt a bit better. We had a nice relaxing evening catching up on the dvr and eating Qudoba.

Saturday morning I had Broadway Babies, even though it is only an hour, it is so much fun to be working with kids again. It makes me very optimistic about becoming a teacher!

Then during the afternoon K and I went shopping (he got new sneakers and something special for his Halloween costume) and then to a movie. We saw "Couples Retreat" which was definitely not the best movie ever, but it was funny. Plus the previews were amazing...especially "New Moon!" We also had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen, which was very yummy. They have this miso salad with crab and shrimp that I am obsessed with.

Sunday we went over to my parent's house to watch football and eat. Which is pretty much our standard Sunday ritual. My mom made one of my favorite meals...these shredded pork taco/burrito things. It was a nice relaxing day.

I was dreading coming into work today but so far it doesn't seem so busy so perhaps all the OT might get cancelled (knock on wood)? I'm going to plan for the worst and hope for the best on that one!

By the way...last night I had a dream that I was Kim from Real Housewives of Atlanta. I was mad because Kandi started dating Big Papa too. Very strange!

Just when I thought I was at the bottom...

It got worse.



In terms of job burn-out that is.



Today has been absolutly crazy and I have to stay late. On a Friday.



And I have overtime on Monday and Tuesday.



Did I mention how much I am looking forward to going back to school? (now I just have to get in!)

Random Thoughts on Friday Morning

1) My job has been completely burning me out lately. It seems like there is a lot to do and not enough people to do it. You might think being busy is a good thing, more to do makes the time go by quicker and all, but that is so not the case. The days drag on and are extremely monotonous. I get home at the end of the day and can't seem to muster up the energy to do anything other then pour myself a large glass of wine!

2) Etsy is my new obsession! I have heard other people talk about Etsy but never really took the time to look at stuff on it. Now that I am all signed up I love getting the emails daily with all of the awesome finds. I made my first Etsy purchase this week (I will post about it at some point) and would love to hear any recommendations of sellers you like!

3) The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. This was one of the books I bought for the beach that I just now got around to reading. I almost stopped reading it because I found the beginning very slow but I kept reading and absolutely loved it! It's got a lot of plot twists and intrigue. The ending took me by surprise and I think I am going to re-read it now that I know what happens to see what I pick up on!

4) King of the Crown and Toddlers and Tiaras have been added to my dvr. They are both hilarious and I now find myself using the term "full glitz" in day to day life.

5) Woot Woot! It is finally Friday! Anyone got any big plans?

Wishful Wednesday

Since I don't currently participate in any blog carnival type things I thought I would join in on Kelsey's (from The Seattle Smiths) Wishful Wednesday! So here is my first one...

I wish I could change one physical trait about myself. And that trait would be my hair!

I toyed with going with my weight...but I whine about that enough already (not so much on the blog but to myself, K etc...) Plus weight (hopefully, someday) I will be able to change...sadly I am stuck with my hair. It is very fine and I am horrible at doing my own hair so it always looks limp and stringy by the end of the day. Sort of like when you see a little kidnergarterner getting off of the school bus. It actually holds curl well but I can't do anything to it myself, nor do I have the patience on a normal work day. The color is fine but I would just love to have thick, curly hair!

My hair icon...Miss Carrie Bradshaw

On Vow Renewal

Note: I have never really explained why my blog is called "Curiosity." The simple answer...I am I curious person...I like to talk about different things and find out more about them. So there you go. This post is regarding a topic I am currently curious about.

I'm not married nor do I have any firsthand experience with family or friends renewing their wedding vows so most of my knowledge comes from what I have seen on TV or on the Internet. It seems like vow renewals are everywhere right now and to be honest, I have some issues with it. Prior to everyone and their monkey baby renewing their vows I was under the impression that it was something that your grandparents would do during their 50th anniversary party...not that you got to have a whole new wedding whenever the mood strikes. So I thought I would outline my issues and see what you all think.

1) The Time Frame

This is by far the biggest issue for me. Jon and Kate Gosselin renewed their vows after under 10 years of marriage (and we all know how that worked out...) which obviously was an excuse for TLC to throw a destination wedding and cross promote "Say Yes to the Dress." But 10 years to me, when thinking of marriage in terms of a lifetime, just isn't that long. Why not wait until you have been married 25 years or something...that is a little more significant. A girl in my sorority got married this summer in her parents backyard after a very brief engagement because her husband was getting deployed. I sent her my congratulations and she told me that they were going to have a reception and renew their vows when he got back in the spring. The reception I get...only family was at the wedding so they want a chance to celebrate with all of their friends, but why do you need to renew your vows after less then a year?

2) The Dress

Isn't your wedding dress is something special and a once in a lifetime type of thing? Just because you are renewing your vows years later and styles have changed you don't get a whole new dress. If you want to wear white that's fine but I just don't get why it has to be another expensive wedding gown. The Duggars are renewing their vows (it's on tonight actually) after 25 years. I'm cool with renewing after 25 years but they also went on "Say Yes to the Dress" and Michelle got this expensive customized gown (I know it was probably free for her but still.) After 18 kids and pregnant with number 19 is wearing a wedding gown really necessary? When you renew your vows you are not a bride again...you are a married woman. If you want to be a bride again...get divorced and remarried.

3) The Party

As I said, it's fine to renew your vows (after many years) at an anniversary party or even as it's own event. But people have entire weddings again...complete with bridesmaids, flower girls and the works. It's like the dress, just because styles have changed or you get some new ideas...you don't get another wedding. Plan a nice party instead.


Anyways, I don't want this to seem like I am anti-vow renewing. I just think that your wedding is such a special day planning another whole wedding takes away from the orginal. But maybe I am wrong? What do you think about renewing wedding vows?

After some thought I have opted to remove this (or shall I say the former version of this) post, while my blog is semi-anonymous, I don't know if it will always be that way and I would hate for something I said about someone (such as referring to them as Hitler) to come back and bite me in the ass!

If you did get to read it and have advice for me, email me: curiosity.cee@gmail.com.

Halloween Makeover

My Broadway Babies class this morning put me in the Halloween spirit (the theme of the whole session is "Halloween Stars") so I did a mini-makeover. What do you think? I tried to make a cool header on scrapblog.com and failed miserably but I think in general I did ok with the rest of it.

I would love to eventually invest in a custom blog layout. Does anyone have any reasonably priced recommendations?

What are the Kardashians sick or something?

Yesterday, I saw that this was a top headline on people.com.

(click on the link then come back)

How is that news? And why are the employees of people.com wasting their time writing this drivel when they should be figuring out who Padma's baby daddy is? That is important news.

Anyways, just some random thoughts on celebrity news...as for the current situation with Jon trying to shut down "Kate Plus 8"...I'm not even going there.

Happy Friday!

I love Comments!

The very witty Sass at Hot Piece of Sass gave me the Super Comments Award, thanks girl!

It was hard for me to decide who to give this award to since I basically live for comments and love anyone who leaves me one...no lie.

So I decided to give it to the person who gave me the most useful comment on my black flats quest post, which (after much deliberation) would be Kristen from Ladybug Blessings. She told me to try Target for black flats and even provided a link to show me what they looked like. Thanks to her advice I went out and got them yesterday. They are very comfortable and were only $12! Thanks Kristen!

Everyone else...please keep the comments coming, I really do appreciate what you have to say!

Happy Birthday to K...

Today is K's birthday, he is now 24 which is sweet since we are the same age again. For a little while there I felt like a cougar...just kidding.

If I had baking skillz I would make him this cake to celebrate his birthday and the start of Halloween month.
But I don't have any baking skillz or any fondant...so I am making him fajitas instead.

Happy Birthday K, I sure am glad you were born!

{Super cool cake picture found here}