Happy weekend

Posted on October 28, 2011 by carlieblissirwin

Today is Friday AND I have the day off!

So I’m lying on the couch with some pumpkin coffee and catching up on Rachel Zoe.

My favorite quote from the season finale episode:

“I gag for Rachel’s salami.” – Joey

In which, to “gag” is a good thing.

Let me use it in another context for you.

I gag for this little ball of cuteness on the couch next to me.

Seriously. I. die.

Ooh! Speaking of gagging (and not in the good way), last night I went to an industry Halloween party at Cutters and saw this guy:

You know, just lying around ON A BED OF NAILS. He actually had horrible nail marks all over his back.

Halloween is so weird.

Love it.

Cozy Saturday morning

Posted on October 24, 2011 by carlieblissirwin

I miss this.

“This” was my Saturday morning. And since it is now Monday morning, I am taking some time to fondly recall what it felt like to be cozy and relaxed.

Ahhhhhhhhh…

Ok, back to editing copy about affordable 3G phones and worrying about Gatsby because he’s sick right now. 😦

But that was nice, wasn’t it?

And YES, contrary to what it may look like, I am wearing pants in that photo.

The five F’s

Posted on October 17, 2011 by carlieblissirwin

Friday

Fall

Friends

Fire pit

Freaking beer in a boot (Yes, I’m stretching it. What would you prefer? Fancy beer? Festive beer? Whatevs.)

And no, I did not drink that entire boot. We shared it. That’s what friends are for!

Photos taken in Palatine, IL at Emmett’s and Bauer’s Brauhaus.

I remember when I could sit down and not cry…

Posted on October 14, 2011 by carlieblissirwin

Ah, yes. Those were the good ol’ days (yesterday).

That was back before I subjected myself to a GoCycle spinning class. And now my ass is all kinds of unhappy. Last I checked, padded seats are not a super-advanced concept!

But the workout itself was fantastic. My legs were pretty much useless afterwards. To anyone who saw me walking home after class last night – no, I was not doing an impression of Bambi on ice.

Unfortunately for me, this all adds up to some terrible foreshadowing…

Normally, I get sore approximately 24 hours after a good workout. So come 6:30 tonight, I am preparing myself to be completely immobile. I might as well forget I even had these things called legs for the next day or so. And then, when I’m finally able to lower myself onto a toilet seat without screaming (cause this here is REAL!), I’ll go back for another class and enter this world of pain all over again. So worth it! (…is what I have to keep telling myself.)

Retro photo gems: 1st installment

Posted on October 12, 2011 by carlieblissirwin

Because I’m struggling to find something to write about today, I’ve decided to start a new series of posts entitled “Retro photo gems” in which I post old photos and we all laugh at them.

I like to call this first photo “Tiffany Drinks Herself Under the Table.”

Waaaay back in 2005, my friend Tiffany made this ubiquitous “young 20-something girls hanging out in a bar” photo SO much better by falling under the table mid-shot. I love this photo so much.

I think we can all agree that Tiffany looks incredibly angelic and peaceful as she resigns herself to the fact that the bar stool on which she was previously resting has shifted in a most unfortunate manner, and she is now in the throes of a situation over which she has no control. I love how she closed her eyes – as if she knew what happened next was not going to be pretty. Or maybe she had the presence of mind to utter a split-second prayer.

Needless to say, once our eyes had recovered from the flash of the camera, we found Tiffany on the ground. Under the table. Luckily, she was fully intact and cracking up with the rest of us.

Leopard heels, iced coffee and sunshine

Posted on October 6, 2011 by carlieblissirwin

Yep, it’s a good day!

I have some family members who are going through tough times right now. And I know material things like (super cute) leopard print heels are trivial. But even if you think they are ugly (what??) or a waste of money, don’t forget to find and appreciate little things like this that make you happy. Because at some point in your life, just getting through the day might be really, really hard. But maybe you can focus on these trivial little things. And they might not be enough to make for a good day, but at least they will give you a good moment. And help you remember that when bad things happen, the good will always still be there if you can just remember to look for it.

(Inspired by my idol, Danny Tanner, the master of heartfelt, sappy monologues.)

(source)

For the love of pumpkin

Posted on October 3, 2011 by carlieblissirwin

There are many differences between me and Cinderella, but I think the major one is this:

It’s midnight! The stagecoach has turned in to a pumpkin!

Cinderella: Crap!

Me: Someone get me a fork!!

In case you were questioning my love of all things pumpkin in the fall, I’ll have you know that I consumed all of these items last weekend:

Pumpkin spice latte
Pumpkin cupcakes
Pumpkin bagel with pumpkin cream cheese
Pumpkin beer
Pumpkin donut
Iced pumpkin coffee

And no, I am not ashamed. Just very, very satisfied.

Image from candlefind.com.

“Nice boots! Jesus!”

Posted on September 23, 2011 by carlieblissirwin

This is what an elderly man said to me as I got on the bus today.

I’m not sure how to take it, 1) because the boots I’m wearing are not particularly remarkable, and 2) because the way he said it made it very unclear as to whether it was a compliment and he really loved my boots, or if he was actually disgusted by them.

I think the most likely explanation is that his reaction was the result of mild senility and/or Tourette’s Syndrome.

Is it the weekend yet?

I pack like a Jerk

Posted on September 15, 2011 by carlieblissirwin

Tomorrow, I leave for a long weekend in one of my very favorite places.

Tonight, I pack.

Packing is the worst. (No wait, moving is the worst. But mostly because it involves a lot of packing.)

I always try to pack light and I NEVER succeed. It usually goes something like this:

“Here I go, on a quick weekend trip! It’s just a few days, I barely need to bring anything. Just these three outfits. I don’t need anything else. Except this red purse. And that’s the only other thing I need. Just these three outfits and this red purse… and that’s all I need. And this sequin dress. These three outfits, the red purse, my sequin dress, and that’s all I need. And these thigh-high hooker boots. So we’ve got the three outfits, hooker boots, red purse and sequin dress and I don’t need anything else! Except this pirate costume. But that’s it, I don’t need one other thing. That’s all I need. Wait, I need this too.”

If you’re someone who has seen the movie The Jerk, this may sound familiar. If you’re someone who hasn’t seen The Jerk, I’ve just given you something to do this weekend besides sitting around working on your “Home Sweet Home” cross stitch pattern or whatever it is you people do on weekends.

Image from anyfilmaday.blogspot.com.