platinum.

blonde, not plus, for all those cola kids out there.

i need a change. next week, nate and i are headed to washington, d.c. to see his family, to see cool people, to eat good food, drink, hang, shop, and have a real vacation. so that'll be a nice change of pace from working at the restaurant so much. i'll come back refreshed, excited, ready. until then, i plan on working my little butt off and making lots of money for DC, and being super positive every day.

but for those who know me well, when i say i need change, i usually achieve it via my hair. whether it be a little color here, a drastic cut there, i like playing with hair. it grows. nothing's ever completely permanent, really, it can always be fixed if need be. i love that. there are few things in life that are quite as much fun as playing with hair. with that said, i really like my cut. i've done pretty much everything except for a buzzcut. i've done long hair, layered hair, side bangs, straight across bangs, the vidal sassoon bob, the pixie, and most things in between. i've done red hair, brown hair, black hair, even blue hair and pink hair (for about a day each). but i've never done blonde...

so i've made an appointment with my wonderful hairstylist to go platinum blonde on april 11th. starting then, if everything works out (and it will, because i trust my girl enough to know she's not letting me out of the salon unhappy), my hair will look like this:



get excited. 'cause i am.

incoming...

new blog soon, je vous promets, but for now, something to share with you:

www.waiterrant.net

exactly what it sounds like. i love.

charlottesville!!

so last weekend, i visited charlottesville. i have a friend, lyssia, who i've known since before i was in second grade (which, every time i say that or i think that, becomes more and more impressive). she lives in oregon now, working as an executive chef and visiting her in virginia while she was there for a week made a lot more sense than flying out to oregon. plus, i'm always looking for an excuse to visit virginia. if i don't do so at least once a year, i feel a little crazy. especially with the non-weather of south carolina. i miss mountains and seasons.

either way. lyssia. this is a girl with whom i used to hang on a very regular basis from second grade until at least tenth. we would make crepes together with peaches and whipped cream, we would do little spa days with homemade hair conditioners and we'd paint our toenails. she was "Wall L" in sixth or seventh grade. i was "Wall E." long story.

it was fantastic seeing her. and i loved that she got to meet nate. they had 'met' via facebook (ohhhh, 21st century, you're sooo weird!!), but never met in reality. we were able to stay at another old friend, laura's, house right in the middle of town. it was a great home base, and so sweet that laura offered it. and that's nelson county for ya: you can not see someone or really even talk to them for seven years and they'll still offer their house for you to crash at. it's amazing. i miss people like that. really good friends, real connections, people who are consistent at least and consistently nice at best.

so many other things happening these days. i've been working more at the restaurant, including some office work during the days which is nice for several reasons--money, feeling more accomplished at the end of the day, learning more, challenging myself--plus becca's in town for spring break, plus nate and i are headed to DC next week for his spring break. i can't wait to eat amazing food, see fun people, go shopping, do an actual vacation...take a real break, not just a weekend, and sort of recollect myself.

yesterday was an odd day. my sister called while i was at work to tell me that my grandmother on my dad's side had died the night before. and i felt so off and strange all day, and almost guilty, because i don't feel that sad. i didn't really know her at all. i was always under the impression that she was a really nice lady, but i really didn't know her. and i don't know how my dad is dealing with it, but i hope he's fine. i think he's fine. i think she was the second least likely to go first out of all my grandparents. it just threw me a bit yesterday and i didn't know whether to tell my co-workers, because it's like, i mean, i'm fine with it. it shouldn't necessarily affect my work. i've just never had a death in the family, i've never been able to say that, i've never had to say that. i don't have two full sets of grandparents anymore. it's all just very different. hm. all i can say, in conclusion i suppose, is that i hope it was very peaceful.


isn't that all we can ever hope for?

la vie est belle. live it well.

the boots of my dreams.

they're now only FIFTEEN dollars. and still available only in a size SIX. oh payless, do you really want to hurt me? do you really want to make me cry??

so sad.

in other, happier, news, i'm in a spectacular mood on this lovely thursday. work was slow last night and i ended up getting out of there at around quarter til eight. nate then proceeded to taking me out to dinner--cheers to impromptu date night!!--at gervais and vine, where, surprisingly, i had never had the pleasure of eating. it was all delicious, from the red bubbly to the marinated manchego to the dark chocolate raspberry torte.

it pretty much made my week, although i'm hoping for big things tonight also, with a little outing to the whig. i'm off tomorrow and don't have huge plans for my day other than the gym pretty much so i kinda' want to let my hair down, have a couple drinks, and hang with some fun people. won't you join me?

made a mix cd today replete with new fun french disco-y tunes. been listening to the playlist all day with is definitely increasing the goodness of my mood. i'm optimistic about work this evening, about a night out, about my day off tomorrow, about life in general.

spoke with sean the other night, while slightly intoxicated therefore erasing most details of the conversation from my already questionable memory, but there was talk of a visit to south carolina. just when life is so fucking good, it gets better? i wasn't aware that was possible and yet...a short charlottesville visit in the near future to see one of my oldest and dearest friends for the first time in years, becca being on spring break soon, would love to hang out with my sister!! sometimes it hits me just HOW MUCH i miss her, then sean?! and THEN a visit to dc to visit nate's family in late march for his spring break, eat good food, see cool people...march is shaping up to be a beautiful month this year.

so even when the hot red ankle boots only come in a tiny tiny size six and even though they're only fifteen freaking dollars, life is pretty fabulous.

la di dah. le bonheur est le meilleur.

academy awards 2008!

this will probably end up a purely red carpet-y post, as i didn't get a chance (yet!) to watch most of the nominated films. in fact, i think the only big one i saw was juno, which didn't seem to have a chance in hell of really winning anything...except for best original screenplay...which it did.

but anyway, on with the red carpet FUN. emma's best and worst dressed. women only, because men are boring ;)

best dressed:


amy adams. this is sooooo pretty! i love the color, i love the silohuette, and although some critics say it wasn't fancy enough for the oscars, i completely disagree as i believe it embodies understated elegance.



heidi klum. i don't why she was even at the oscars, but she might have been THE very best dressed there, so go her. i also LOOOOOVE the styling--the hair is fantastic, the makeup is perfect. lots of women wore red to the oscars but very, very few WORKED red. heidi worked it. there's a difference. this is it.



keri russell. i have had a soft spot in my heart for keri russell ever since felicity which solidified after waitress. i'm so happy she was able to go to the oscars, to introduce a nominee for best song from august rush (which i never saw but whatever) because this is really lovely. ethereal. prettyprettypretty.



marion cotillard. i will confess, i haven't even seen la vie en rose yet, which i know, is a huge shock, terribly crazy, but i fucking LOVE marion cotillard. i think she is insanely beautiful, exceptionally talented, and she seems really sweet. nate asked me last night who i would want to sit next to at the oscars, and i said either jack nicholson (because how fun would that be?) or marion cotillard, if only so i could speak french with her all night long. either way, this dress took a while for me to warm up to, but it grew on me, and now i'm kind of loving it. and i don't think anyone else could wear it as well, but because marion is so gorgeous and so french and so amazing, she does. so good for her. and apparently, it's some scandale that she wore jean-paul gaultier. i forget why. she usually wears someone else, evidently, but i think it's only appropriate.

runners up, best dressed:



jennifer garner. i wish this was purple. that's kinda all i have to say about it. i also didn't like her pimping out rachel zoe during her red carpet interview, but that's because i hate rachel zoe. either way, i like this. almost.




katherine heigl. i think this fits PERFECTLY, which is important. i like the red. i'm just not a huge fan of the hair or the makeup particularly. she looks older for some reason. just because you're married now doesn't mean you have to look like a mom, katherine heigl! you're young. be young. i really liked that she said she was nervous when she was presenting. even if she kinda seemed bitchy on the red carpet, she seemed real during the ceremony, and i can appreciate that. next time, pull your hair up.



kristen chenoweth. she's kinda slouchy in this picture, but the dress is fucking cool. again, i really wasn't a huge fan of all the black. and even though the red was a little tired, this would have been reeeeally cool in red. i also really liked her makeup. and she's just super-talented and seems down to earth.



helen mirren. if you tell me this isn't the hottest older lady you've ever seen, you are a liar.

AND now, for the worst dressed of the evening:



diablo cody, writer, Juno. come ON. put in SOME effort. yes, we all know you used to be a stripper. and now you're an oscar-award winning writer. dress appropriately, please.




jennifer hudson. just because it's an improvement on last year's disaster doesn't make it right. her boobs look SOOOO uncomfortable, like they're screaming for some breathing room. everything just looks a bit one size too small, doesn't it? like it's cutting off circulation in certain places? i wish it were a cream color, not bright white. i wish it fit better. i wish she would get a new stylist...




jessica alba. what is going on up near her face? feathers? plumage? really? penelope cruz kinda did the same thing, but hotly. maybe it's because i don't like jessica alba. naturally, i DO like the color.




nicole kidman. the dress itself looks cheap to me and as though it will wrinkle like crazy all night long. the 'bling' is just stupid. i don't even mind nicole kidman, i fucking LOVED her in moulin rouge and thought she was the most fabulous, but she seems to be going downhill since then. shame.



rebecca miller. oh dear.



tilda swinton. who, for some reason until really recently, i always got confused with sting's wifey trudie styler (TS, TS, i guess). this is awful. it's like she went to wal-mart, bought some black velvet (blaaack velvet! in that little girl's smiiiiile!!), cut it up, threw it over her un-styled hair and her makeup-less face, and called it a dress. then she walked up on STAGE to accept her BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS AWARD in THAT. i would be so embarrassed. but maybe that's her thing.

runner-up, worst dressed, because i can't decide whether or not i truly don't like it:



ellen page. we all knew she was going to wear black, but i kept wishfully hoping that she would show in something jaw-droppingly gorgeous, something rich and decadent and bright and fabulous. but this could be worse, i suppose. i do like the vintage-y vibe, i just wish it had more shape. and i know she's only just-turned-21, but i almost wish she had taken ballet when she was little or something, so she had a bit more poise. and better posture. but i LOVE her and think she's terrific, so she's forgiven.

so that's it, i suppose, my red carpet round up. now i have to go watch these films. perhaps there will be a post about how george clooney was ROBBED! in the future...just you wait.

i'll leave you with a little miley cyrus and that really cute pose she's always doing on red carpets these days. p.s. why the HELL was MILEY CYRUS at the ACADEMY AWARDS?! for some reason, i almost loathe miley cyrus. maybe i'm just jealous of all of this:



or maybe not.

sickness.

so i was sick from sunday-present, kinda. i thought it was allergies/a hangover on sunday, but it kept getting worse. and i hate being sick, even just a little cold which this was, really. i just can't do anything and i hate feeling so useless. i slept all day pretty much for almost two days, didn't go to work, didn't go to the gym, had a REALLY hard time taking care of the animals...i was such a pathetic little mess. i'm finally feeling better, but even now, i'm still that sort-of sick which is even worse than being full-out sick. because i want to do things--go shopping, go to the gym, go out, etc--but i just don't fully have the energy.

i have been doing more yoga though, which is really nice to get back into. and although i definitely prefer classes, i'm also finding that doing it solo kinda works.

since i have been sick, i've been thinking about quitting again. cigarettes. the last time i smoked was one little cigarette after lunch on sunday. i haven't had ONE in almost three whole days and i haven't been craving them either. it's just hard to think about working and not smoking or going out and not smoking. i have been pretty good about not smoking a whole lot during the day, in general, even before getting sick. my routine usually consisted of waking up, working out, showering, eating, running errands, and then and only then, usually about three, would i smoke a cigarette or two before work. then a cigarette straight after work. then some with a few drinks after work and that's it. which isn't really bad at all, but i suppose it'd be good to stop altogether.

we'll see. nate and i both do want to stop so i think the two of us together can get to a certain point, some date in the near future and i'm sure together we can definitely do it.

the payless boots were only available in size six, in other news.

and with that, i'm off!!

payless.

so i made a mistake today and popped onto payless.com

i LOVE payless shoes. i don't want a good pair of shoes that will last me forever, because i'm far too ADD when it comes to styles, i want something that i like right NOW and if i don't like it tomorrow, i don't want to feel bad about having spent tons of money on a shoe i'm never going to wear again.

i have a pair of boots from payless that i think i've worn exactly one time. but they were twenty-five bucks. so it's like, i like having them around in case there's that ONE outfit with which they go perfectly, but i don't really mind that i don't wear them everyday because when it comes down to it and we're thinking about the big picture here, twenty-five bucks? not THAT much money, REALLY.

and there's not tons of cute stuff on the website necessarily right now, that's not the problem. the problem is that there is a pair of boots, ANOTHER pair of cute little ankle boots, something to which evidently i'm addicted. and they're thirty bucks. again, not TOO TOO much money, but do i really need another pair of cute little ankle boots that i might not necessarily wear lying around my closet? and they're red which is both more and less appealing to me. i LOVE red shoes. i'm slightly notorious for said love of red shoes. but red is surprisingly hard to sort of match to things.



i'll probably end up buying them at the end of the week. a little valentine's gift to myself, after what promises to be a hard week of hard work.

that sounds like a nice sort of deal there.

it's a gray day. i need to get out of the house, but go where? always a difficult, unanswerable question. i have a day off from work today. i've been to the gym, i've eaten a big delicious breakfast, and walked the dog. and it's to that point in the day where either i have to decide to go out and do something, or take a nap or something.

the grayness isn't helping me resist the nap option.

but i'll probably go across the street for coffee and some real writing.