What I Wish I Could Buy: Vintage Bag

Owls aren't the only vintage items I'm loving right now. I also really like this cute vintage travel bag from Olive Vintage. Caramel brown matches everything in my closet, and the size is just big enough for a weekend trip home.

Anybody else love older luggage? I always think vintage suitcases have so much more personality than modern ones, but they tend to be clunky. This travel bag seems like a good compromise (darn you spending hiatus!)

Image via Olive Vintage.

Affordable Art: Ten Dollar Drawings

I love art- but usually find that anything artistic is WAY too expensive for my student budget. So I get all excited when I find new forms of art that don't cost too much. I saw this cute spoon drawing (above) on Simple Lovely and just had to check out the rest. Apparently Alicia Carrier is the artist, and is offering custom 5X7 drawings for $10 a piece. You can check out her previous work on her blog Ten Dollar Drawings.

How cool is this collection of bug drawings?
Both images via Ten Dollar Drawings.

I need a sleep makeover.

Looks like Heaven.

This post is incredibly late in the day, I know. I try to post earlier in the morning but I was too tired today to get it together.

To be honest, I've been having trouble sleeping lately. My sleep schedule is so off: during the week I might have to get up at 6am (for work) or 10am (for class). I know that you're supposed to go to bed and wake up at the same time, but has anyone actually tried to get up at 6am even when they don't have to? I'm not a morning person, mind you. It's just not happening.

That said, I do think the wonky sleeping schedule is messing with me, and I've only been getting 5, maybe 6 hours of sleep a night. And I'm tired. So I'm proposing a sleep makeover- I'm going to try and sleep at least 7 hours a night, and I'm going to try and make my bedtimes and wake times a little more consistent. And I figured since this blog has held me accountable in the past (see the spending hiatus) maybe it will work for this too.

So Thursdays from now on will be sleep makeover days (appropriate, since for whatever reason I usually get the least amount of sleep on Wednesday nights). Each Thursday I'll tell you all how I'm doing, and I'll let you know what my goals are for the next week. I'll do it for a month, and we'll see what happens :)

My goals for the next week: 7 hours a night, that's the big one. I'm aiming to be in bed by 11pm and up at 6am on days I work, and be in bed by midnight and up at 7-8am on days I don't. I know that's not a perfect schedule, but it's a pretty good start for me.

Anybody have any sleep-better advice? When do you all go to bed and how many hours do you usually get to sleep?

PS: Remember this post where I was so tired I kept obsessing over beds? I still do that. I really want a gorgeous white bed with a pretty canopy like the one above.

Image via the Domino website.

Hoot Hoot: Are Owls Cute?

Wall Owls

Today I was flipping through some of the vintage shops on Etsy, and I noticed that I was oddly drawn toward vintage owls. I've never really felt one way or the other about owls, if anything I've always thought they were a bit cheesy, but all of a sudden I am liking them. They look quirky, and sort of cute. Either that or I am losing my mind.
An owl family is cute, isn't it?

And this sweet glass owl?
And c'mon, how adorable is this little guy?

Tell me, am I insane or are owls, like, really cute?

Brass owls via bluebellbazaar. The other three are via OliveVintage.

It's Fat Tuesday!

Just an excuse to eat extra brownies. Or wear a sweet pink mask like this one from Etsy. I chose the brownies.

Image via artisanmaskers.

Spending Hiatus Update: Week Five

There's not a ton to say about the spending hiatus this week, to be honest. I was so busy with classes last week that I didn't have time to hit the grocery store for food, much less go shopping for anything else.

The weekend was better, though I still didn't have any time for illicit shopping. On Saturday, Nathan and I revisited Baja Sol, the burrito place with the amazing salsa bar that I hit up with a friend during week three. It was, once again, delicious. I'm serious, no matter how down and out I'm feeling, a good burrito or some enchiladas will always make me feel better. I'm going to make Burrito Therapy my contribution to modern psychology. Anyway, we also watched One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with Jack Nicholson- fantastic movie if you haven't seen it (also an excellent book, but that's a whole other blog topic).

Watch Me: via Wikipedia

On Sunday my dad and his girlfriend Cindy had a Pictionary party which was super fun. It didn't hurt that I came home with a huge bag of leftovers so that I won't be needing to cook for awhile yet. Most college students I know will agree: leftovers are like GOLD.

So really, I didn't have any time to go shopping last week at all. There are a few things that I've sort of been lusting after lately, though...

The Remington Emi Air Wave:

via drugstore.com

According to the ladies over at The Daily Obsession, this little guy will give me soft beachy waves (as opposed to the Chewbacca hair from my last attempt at beachy waves). It is also on sale for $20 *cry* but the fact that I now have short hair has helped me resist the temptation thus far. I'm pretty sure that if I try to get a wave in my thick, short hair, I'll end up with a fro.

Also, I've been really feeling the need for new workout clothes. I've started running and hitting up the gym again because I, uh, live next door to my university's gym, which is free, and I rarely use it. And I know that technically it shouldn't matter if all the other girls there are way cuter in their workout clothes than I am in my ratty tee...but it does. I know I'm there to sweat, but I still want to look good, you know? I've definitely been liking the cute tanks from the Stella for Adidas line:

via shopadidas.com

How cute is this yoga tank? I love the ruffles on the sleeves! Unfortunately, at $75, it's way more than I want to spend on a workout tank (note to self: find affordable workout clothes).

That's about all the temptation I've had lately as far as shopping goes. I've found that resisting little purchases gets WAY easier with time, though I still struggle when I get bored on the weekend. I keep telling myself that if I really want it, I can have it after the spending hiatus is over.

Here's the part where you all advise me: should (affordable) workout clothes count as a necessity or should I let them wait until after the spending hiatus? Technically I have clothes I can work out in. But also technically, they're fugly. Is cuteness a necessity? You decide.

PS: You can check out the other spending hiatus posts here.

I need one of these.

Via Apartment Therapy via Book of Joe

A cat remote control! If only I could silence Tigger at 7am when she decides it's food time. Le sigh.

Design Idea: Framed Magazine Clippings

I loved this idea from Apartment Therapy: clip out magazine photos that inspire you and frame them for inexpensive art. I already have a huge collection of magazine ads and pictures that I just fell in love with and I wanted to make an inspiration board with them, but I balked at the idea because I felt it would make my place look too cluttered (a huge problem in my tiny apartment). But with this, I could arrange a collection of pictures in different frames and it's like an inspiration board/art display. It's such a simple idea, I can't believe I didn't think of it before.

Has anybody else made an inspiration board before? Or am I the only one out there who collects magazine photos I like?

Honey Facial Mask Review

via allposters.com

This post is super late today because I had a ridiculously hectic day. Nevertheless, I promised you all a review on my honey facial mask yesterday and here it is.

The concept of the mask was simple: smear honey all over your face, let it dry, wash it off. According to the folks on MUA it would make my skin soft, radiant, even pimple-free. Yes, please! My skin was threatening to freak out on Sunday night after I neglected to wash my makeup off the night before, stayed up late, and downed a bunch of sugar and caffeine because it was Valentines Day, eeps. I decided a calming honey mask might just be what my skin needed.

I started out by washing my face with a mild cleanser. I use Clinique's liquid facial soap in mild but anything gentle should work. I didn't dry my face all the way after washing, since honey on dry skin didn't seem like it would work very well. I was a bit skeptical about how I would like having honey on my face because I thought it would feel really heavy, but it just felt a bit "tight" like most facial masks do. It really helped to apply it with your fingertips in a circular pattern to sort of "massage" it on (think of how they would do it at a spa). I definitely had to pull my hair back for this part, there is no way you want to get your hair in honey, and I would also suggest avoiding the eyebrows unless you want a sticky mess.

After applying I kicked back for 15 minutes until I felt the mask was a little bit "dry" though it was definitely still sticky. You could probably leave it on your face longer, but I was impatient. I hopped in the shower and steamed it up a bit before splashing water on my face and the honey came right off! No huge sticky honey removal mess, which is what I had been really afraid of. I rinsed all the honey off with water, then patted my face dry and dabbed a bit of sensitive-skin moisturizer on my cheeks.

The results when I got out of the shower were really nice, though not earth-shattering. No, my pimples did not suddenly disappear. No, there was not a halo of light emitting from my face. But my skin definitely felt softer and looked more even. I'm not sure about radiant, but it looked less ashey and beat-up. And the best part was that the breakout I was SURE would come never did. Could it be the honey that helped? I think so. It really made my skin look and feel a lot more calm, and sooo soft!

So, in summary:

• Honey is (naturally) a sticky mess, but applying on a damp face will help a lot.
• Wait 15-20 minutes before rinsing, then use lots of water to get it off. I found a shower worked better than hovering over the sink with honey on my face.
• There is little risk of irritation it seems. My skin is somewhat sensitive and it was perfectly fine with the honey, both while it was on and after I washed it off. Some of the ladies on MUA did report reactions though, so definitely wash it off if you feel burning/itching or start to look irritated. Or do a skin patch test first. At any rate, I had no problems and the honey felt like it actually decreased the irritation in my cheeks.
  
• The results probably won't rock your world- but you skin will look a wee bit nicer. And with repeated use? Who knows? It's totally worth the cost of a $3 bear jar.

via mejier.com

PS: I know there was some talk on the internet about whether it was alright to use regular processed honey for this, or if you needed to go organic. My honey literally came from a bear jar like the one above, and was Target brand. Perhaps there are more benefits to organic honey, but I didn't have easy access to any so I didn't bother. The store brand seemed to work perfectly fine. If anyone has tried organic honey and noticed a difference though, definitely share. :)

Spending Hiatus Update: Week Four

I've officially made it a month on the spending hiatus! Woohoo- only two more to go!

And you know what? It hasn't been that bad at all. I was surprised, because I thought I would die without my cosmetics fix but instead I've found that I have a lot more time for myself and a lot more money for other things, like going out with friends and ahem, blogging. And according to this blog post from Glamour's Vitamin G, experiences have been more closely linked to happiness than "stuff" so dinner is better than a new lipstick anyway. Good to know, yes?

This week I did really well, though I did have to do a lot of shopping to find a great Valentine's Day present for Nathan. I think it helped that I was pretty busy doing homework and cleaning on Friday so that I'd have time to really enjoy my weekend. Saturday was great, Nathan made me dinner (awww...): salad and crusty bread with melted pecorino cheese (mmm), and this awesome baked lemon chicken with rice boiled in lemon as well. And I made us cute little individual brownies in Valentine's Day muffin cups, which were also pretty delicious if I do say so myself. On Sunday I went to CVS for mouthwash and dark chocolate because I consider both essential (and because chocolate is 1/2 off after V-Day) and I almost broke down on a cream eyeshadow from L'Oreal HIP which was such a pretty cream color and also 1/2 off. I'm proud to admit that I resisted, though, and I don't really miss the eyeshadow after all. Funny how things are so much irrisistable in the store?

One way I have been getting around spending my money on new things is by scouting out DIY tricks on the internet. I mentioned last Thursday that I've been looking at new homemade beauty products online and found a few I've been wanting to try. I didn't get a chance to try either of those, but on Sunday I did try out a honey mask because my skin was feeling close to freaking out (I may or may not have forgotten to take my makeup off on Saturday night, ahem). I'll write more on that tomorrow, but let's just say it was totally worth the $3 or so that a bear bottle of honey costs (see above).

And now I'm on a full-fledged DIY kick, so stay tuned for more tips and reviews :) Anybody have any DIY beauty "recipes" they swear by?

Honey bear picture via Meijer.

I Think You're Fat.

Actually, I don't. But I DO think that this article from Esquire Magazine** (from way back in 2007) is really intriguing. The author, A.J. Jacobs, takes on a movement called Radical Honesty in which one is supposed to be, well, radically honest. Say whatever is on your mind, hold nothing back, don't sugarcoat it. The results? Mixed.

When the author confesses to a friend that he was insulted at not being invited to his wedding, the friend confesses that he did it in retaliation for not being invited to the author's wedding years before. Apparently the whole thing was a mix-up: "A breakthrough! We are communicating! Blanton is right. Brian and I crushed some eggshells. We are not stoic, emotionless men. I'm enjoying this. A little bracing honesty can be a mood booster."

But when his wife is telling him a story and he blatantly says he doesn't want to listen anymore? Not such good results. And as Jacobs says: "Ninety percent of the time I love my wife...And 10 percent of the time I hate her. Why should I hurt her feelings that 10 percent of the time? Why not just wait until that phase passes and I return to the true feeling, which is that I love her?"

Which brings up the question: is it okay to be totally honest or are white lies necessary to keep from hurting others? Or even more thought-provoking: are we capable of being totally honest?

I am inclined to say no. As humans, we are designed to have censors that keep us from doing and saying whatever we feel like. Not only does this benefit other people, it benefits us. What happens if you eat whatever happens to look good? You get chubby. What happens if you say whatever you want whenever you want? You destroy social bonds (and occasionally hurt other people). And your brain is always deciding how information is filtered and presented, so chances are the information as you are seeing it isn't even the truth in the first place. At the risk of sounding too New Age-y, there could be no literal "truth" to tell.

When Mr. Jacobs tells his twenty-seven-year-old nanny that he would ask her out if he wasn't married and that she is "stunning," he confesses that it visibly makes her nervous. Um, yeah, you're hitting on someone who works for you. Sexual harassment much? But Brad Blanton, the founder of Radical Honesty, states that sex talk in the work place doesn't count as sexual harassment and it is society's inability to handle the truth that's the real problem.

Here's my bit of honesty for the day: I think Brad Blanton is an idiot who, despite being called a "psychotherapist" has clearly never actually studied psychology.

What are your thoughts? Think you could be radically honest for a day? A month? Your entire life?


**I don't happen to read Esquire magazine on a regular basis, the article was just something I stumbled upon. However, if you happen to be female and up for a few good laughs, I highly recommend that you read some of the things the mag has to say about women because they can be hilariously innaccurate. Are women's mags that inaccurate about men? Hmm...

Happy Valentines Day

Whether you're going out, staying in, or ignoring the day completely, have a good one.

A few Valentines Day posts I didn't have time for:

The World's Smallest Valentine (which you can customize!)

Valentine's Day Lingerie via The Daily Obsession

An adorable lovebirds greeting card (above)

A button I probably need to buy (hi Nathan!)

Not a Valentines Day person at ALL? Support V-day instead (and help end violence against women and girls)

Valentines Day Flowers

Today I stumbled across Susannah Conway, a photographer featured on Bliss, and was captivated by her beautiful images of the world around her. I especially loved these two photos of flowers: "Solitude" (above) and "Sunshine" (below). Wouldn't they make a perfect Valentines Day gift?

It's like getting your sweetie flowers without having to pay the ridiculous florist shop prices (twice as much money for the same flowers just because it's Valentines Day? I think not!).

Images belong to Susannah Conway, and you can see more on her etsy shop Unravelling

Homemade Beauty

via allposters.com

I really liked this article on Total Beauty about making your own natural beauty products. The VAST majority of my beauty products are store bought, but I do have some homemade tricks that I use. Extra virgin olive oil is sweet for taking off stubborn mascara and honey and oatmeal will make a great facial mask for an oilier, combination skin type (ahem, me).

I especially like the "recipes" included in the article, especially the honey lip scrub:
1 tsp of olive oil
1 tsp of honey
2 tsp of white granulated sugar
A dash of lemon juice

Mix and apply, basically. How easy is that? And I can't believe I've never thought of using lemon on my flaky lips before, it seems so obvious (hellooo citric acid!).

Also, the chamomile and oatmeal scrub/mask looks like it could be nice:
1/4 cup chamomile tea (brewed and cooled to room temp)
1/4 cup oatmeal (lightly ground)
2 tbsp honey
2 drops of almond oil (not sure where you get this, a health food store?)

I might have to try some of these out soon. I'm intrigued by the idea of homemade products partially because they're cheaper, but also because by putting them together yourself, you know exactly what is going in them. No scary toxins here!

Has anybody else tried at-home beauty products? Have they worked or not? Spill your secrets!

When is your best thinking time?

I am of the opinion that everybody has one time of day where they do all their best and most creative thinking. Mine is definitely at night, usually when I crawl into bed. Suddenly when I get a little sleepy, I get all these awesome ideas in my head for research projects I want to try, or new topics for the blog, or new ways to decorate my house. Of course, about half the time I forget these awesome ideas before the morning- one of the pitfalls of doing my best thinking at night. And if I get really excited about the idea, I have trouble sleeping. I've started keeping a journal next to my bed so that if a particularly brilliant thought hits and starts nagging at me, I can jot it down before I drift off to sleep.

When is your best thinking time? First thing in the morning? During your lunch break? Any other midnight Einsteins out there?

Image via this article on Hydrohealth about keeping your heart healthy. Apparently getting less than 5 hrs of sleep a night increases your chance of heart disease, although they don't really say how much. Hm- looks like I may have to get better at thinking some other time of day.

Valentine's Coupons

I like the idea of printing off a little coupon book for your loved one on Valentines Day. Not only is the idea totally cute, but low-key as well (and relatively free!). You can make your own coupons personalized with things you know your sweetie would like, or order them from the Etsy shop everydaygrace.

Image via everydaygrace.

Yarn Flowers

These cute 3 Valentine Flowers from Etsy make me happy :) I want them on my desk looking all cheerful right now.

Spending Hiatus: Week 3

So last week was week three of the spending hiatus. First, the temptation:

It was $1 sale time at Rag O Rama. As the name might suggest, this is when the store (basically a trendier thrift store) takes a bunch of stuff out of storage and marks it all $1. Yes, a single dollar. Believe you me, I sorely wanted to go and "just look" but I think we all know that never really works (it only $1!) so I stayed home.

And what I did instead of shopping:

I realized on Friday that I was bored/lonely and, thus, tempted to go shopping but instead Iwent to Baja Sol and had amazing burritos with a friend. I might just have to invent a new type of therapy- burrito therapy. I think it would be a hit. They also have an awesome salsa bar at Baja Sol with at least 25 different salsas to choose from which is like heaven for me.

And that was pretty much my weekend, since on Sunday I mostly studied and cleaned. And reorganized my closet. Which sounds lame, except that I love reorganizing. Plus I got to banish my fugly blue clothes hamper to the closet so that it doesn't sit in the middle of the room anymore.

I found that I felt a lot better about going out to eat and buying gifts this weekend because I hadn't already wasted my money on other stuff. I was able to really enjoy myself because I wasn't stressed thinking "I already spent $20 on makeup (or $1 clothes), so I shouldn't really buy dinner..." Instead, I just went out and enjoyed myself. And that was really, really nice to not have to worry about the money all that much. Which is not to say that I will be eating out every night- just that as an every-now-and-then thing, it's not going to kill me IF I keep my other spending in check. Could it be that I *gasp* learned something already?!

How was your weekend? (PS I just realized that half of this post is about food. I like to eat. A lot.)

Also:
The Spending Hiatus
Spending Hiatus Week 1
Spending Hiatus Week 2

Things to Do Instead of Shopping (apparently I should add in eating a whole lot)

New Hair

So as I mentioned earlier, I got my hair cut yesterday and I've got the pictures to prove it. But first I just have to say that the experience was awesome as usual. I usually get my hair cut by the students at The Aveda Institute nearby and they always do a wonderful job, though you can definitely tell when one of them is not really 100% what they're doing and that can be a bit nervewracking. But yesterday I ended up with a very nice student named Aimee who really took the time to make sure I liked my new hair, especially since I was cutting so much of it off. If you've ever thought about getting your hair cut by a student, definitely give it a try because it can save you some cash, plus the students will (usually) go out of their way to make it a good experience since they're new to the business and still trying to impress people. Plus, at Aveda they really go above and beyond- when I go I get a shampoo, cut, and simple style plus a shoulder and scalp massage and a mini facial, all for about $20 depending on the experience level of the student. And I get to leave smelling like Aveda (herbal awesomeness) which is a huge perk. If only I could afford their products so I could always smell like that!

But enough blabbing, I've got pictures!

First, my inspiration:
This is the photo I brought into the stylist, which you might remember from Wednesday. I was really looking at the length- just barely grazing the shoulders with a few shorter layers here and there.

And this is my goofy self beforehand (actually, a couple months ago, but same hair):

And this is my still-goofy self with shorter hair:
Obviously it's not an exact replica of Miss Hathaway because my hair is more straight and, well, I'm not Anne Hathaway (no kidding!). But I liked our interpretation. Also, I need to stop tucking that one piece of hair behind my ear, whoops.

I've always had long hair. My Dad and Grandma made me keep it in a bowl cut until the third grade or so, I'm not sure why. At any rate, I think I was traumatized by the experience because I haven't had my hair above the shoulders since. This is the first time I've had short hair in 12 years!

I have to admit, I do miss my long hair just the littlest bit. But this saves me a TON of time in the morning because it takes virtually no work- a little brushing if anything. And I do think it looks cute, though it's definitely different. I'm going to be working on finding fun stuff to do with it, which I feel will be harder with shorter hair.

Let me know what you think! And I won't be offended if you think longer is better because, well, I do too. Shorter is just easier :)

Sneak Peek

It's 1am and I totally just got back to the apartment- hence why there was no post today! Yesterday, really.

But I did end up getting my hair cut today and *drumroll* several inches came off. I even took one of the photos from my previous post with me to the hairstylist- and I will tell you which one (plus post pictures of the results) tomorrow. So stay tuned :)

In the meantime, if you get bored, check out some of my older posts that you might have missed:

I'm really obsessed with Goodwill.

Stayin' warm when it's a bajillion degrees below zero outside (approximately).

I like boyish clothes.

The best ice cream, oh, ever.

Dreaming of spring (fashion).

A Hairy Topic

I am getting a haircut tomorrow and I've got no clue how I want to do it. I might just keep it safe and just refresh the style I have now (long and layered).

But if I were going to make a major change, here are some of the styles I'd be considering:

Via the Glamour website

Long with bangs. I had bangs last year and loved them but Nathan hated them and I hated trying to make them lie flat every.single.morning. They were cute though- and I like the little "pieces" beside the bangs above.

confession: I forget where I got this picture

I'm not sure what you call this...a layered bob of sorts? It's very similar to the Steven Alan hair (below).

The Steven Alan hair I mentioned a while back- shorter and messy.

via totalbeauty.com

Anne Hathaway's long bob (lob?) is too cute- I like that it is a little messy to keep it from looking boring.

Feel free to vote on which is the best- perhaps I will change my mind and try something different tomorrow after all :)

Pretend Shopping: Things I Love List

Psst I know this is a late post- I was running around like a maniac today, trying to get things done. Story of my life :-P

You all know by now that I love shopping. Well, since I am on a spending hiatus and all, I have really been enjoying "pretend shopping" which is my internet version of window shopping. I thought I'd share a few of my faves from my most recent "shopping trip."

This gorgeous crystal and lace headband from Jennifer Behr looks amazing (but tricky to wear without looking too formal?):

via The Daily Obsession

I love the earthy feel of this Lily of the Valley Necklace from Etsy (and the price is good too!):

via dahliasforme

The whimsical Caged Bird Tee from Threadless:

Via threadless.com

And this cute clutch, also from Etsy (I love the mix of grey/black and yellow- and the way the print subtly evokes flowers):

via LaVitaLola- who sells lots of other AMAZING clutches that I can't afford.

There you have it: tell me what sorts of things you've been lusting after lately. And am I the only one who does pretend shopping?

Things To Do: Shopping Alternatives

Image via buzzsugar

I came up with a little list of things I have been doing to avoid shopping lately, and here it is:

1. Reading- this one is a given. I have a pile of books that need attending to- and if I ever run out, no need for a bookstore. The Columbus public library system is pretty rad.

2. Saturday Cleaning and Organizing

3. Working out- I actually went to the gym this Saturday for the first time in months and spent 30 minutes on an elliptical. I was proud. Also, I'd forgotten how amazing the post-gym feeling is.

4. Yoga- is something I'm getting back into after a few months off. It's so relaxing once you get into it, but it can also be very, very challenging.

5. Home Pedis- to battle scaly winter feet. I did my feet this weekend and they look a million times better. Keep an eye out for a post on that sometime soon.

6. Me Time- a girly movie that Nathan would hate, and a copy of Real Simple (or Allure, or Glamour, or just about anything...) and I'm a happy camper.

7. Operation Save Domino- I can't make the magazine stick around, but I can nab as much stuff as I can off their site before it goes down. Don't want good inspiration to go to waste.

That's just a few of the things I've been up to- but I can always use suggestions! :)

Spending Hiatus Update: Week 2

It's official folks- the spending hiatus is getting old.

I have managed not to buy anything unnecessary for two weeks now though and I'm rather proud of myself. Granted, it was a lot easier since we had a near-blizzard going on in Ohio so I would have had to dig my car out to go shopping anyway, which was not going to happen. I have realized, though, that I am a complete shopping addict. I just love buying new things, it doesn't really matter what it is. As long as it's something I didn't own before. I walked to Kroger and bought groceries and soap on Sunday and boy, I have never been so excited to buy soap. Not even fancy soap. Plain white bar soap. It was like Christmas.

Really, I do think the spending hiatus is helping so far. I've always used shopping as a form of therapy, I think. It's something I realized Saturday night- I was stressed out and in a sad, lonely sort of mood and couldn't get ahold of anyone and, boy, all I wanted was to walk to the nearest store and buy something, anything. I resisted though- I stayed home and read some magazines
and had a Me Night. Which was pretty nice, in the end.

Today is wicked busy so this is about all I have time to post for now- but come back later for more updates :)

Anybody else use shopping as therapy? If not- what do you use?