Obsessions

So, these are my latest obsessions (I mean, in case you were just dying to know)

1) The Kindle app on my phone. Holy cow, this is dangerous. At first, I didn't think I'd like reading a book on an electronic device, but it makes it quite handy and easy to read late at night in my bed.

2) Related to #1: Books. I've forgotten how amazing it is to read. I've always been a big reader. I love psychological thrillers, murder mysteries, horror stories, sometimes sci-fi, but no sappy crap. Blech. There's nothing worse than a love story. I don't mind them as movies (one of my favorite movies is "He's Just Not That Into You"), but not as books. They don't keep my attention. I also hate fantasy books. In sixth grade, my teacher was concerned I wasn't reading enough age-appropriate stories for my age (Whatever! I was reading Michael Crichton in 4th and 5th grade. I was also reading horror stories, too, but she didn't have to know that.), and recommended several fantasy stories for me to read. My mom picked some up for me, and the recommended story about mice as pirates or something held my attention for all of 10 pages. It was the same thing with "The Hobbit", which was on my Honors' English summer reading list in 10th grade. I did get introduced to "Ender's Game" on the same reading list, however, so it wasn't all for naught. Anyways, since I got the Kindle app, I've downloaded and read four books; three books in a week's time. My two favorites have been "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn (which I have read twice now) and "Doctor Sleep" by Stephen King (the sequel to "The Shining"). I loved both of these so much.. I would probably read Doctor Sleep again, too.

3) Birchbox. This is a mailed, potential monthly subscription box that provides 3-5 beauty products per month, depending on your own preferences and beauty concerns (skin, hair, nails, etc). You can sign up for one month at a time, or a yearly subscription. It was so fun getting one box with five products in them that they had chosen for me. I received spray hair detangler/conditioner, lip balm, microdermabrasion exfoliator, makeup foundation, and a lip/cheek stain. If you sign up, it's about $8-12/month.



4) Fresh soap. Have any of you been in or seen a Lush store at the mall? I always wondered what the heck was in this store, as it looked kind of like a comic book place, or a kids' store. I heard about this soap called Demons in the Dark, and it blew me away. It's a fresh-smelling, minty soap that I've fallen in love with. Be ye forewarned: they will heavily try to upsell their products. They gave me a hand treatment, including a cleanser, exfoliant, and lotion, which were amazing, but super expensive. They're handmade, cruelty-free products, but I can't afford to spend $40/month on body products. I walked away with the soap and felt lucky.

5) Leapfrog learning videos. Carter received this one for his birthday, and has watched it nearly every day since. It's his obsession (obviously not mine), but it has taught him the sounds that the letters make. It's awesome.

Stitch Fix Review #3

So, I decided to try Stitch Fix another time, especially due to my last success with my 2nd Fix. I did have some special requests, though, which included the following:

1) A light jacket, similar to this one:


2) Colored skinny jeans (a fall-appropriate color would be nice, like the one above).

3) A non-gold, brightly colored statement necklace, perhaps similar to this (I know this doesn't have a lot of color):

However, this is what I got:

They now printed out all of the clothing items and the outfit ideas on one page, with the option of pulling them apart. I just wish they no longer annoyingly pinned these cards inside the clothes.

First: 19 Cooper Landon Front Pleat Short Sleeve Blouse

First of all, I love pleats, and I love the bright blue color. However, it was too short, a little too tight in the arms, and hung out straight from my boobs, making me look pregnant. If you can't tell by my face, I really didn't like it. Verdict: PASS

Second: Kensie Susanna Metallic Dot Crew Neck Sweater

If you look at my Pinterest clothing board, you'd notice that I have an unhealthy obsession with polka dots. However, this sweater didn't do it for me at all. The polka dots were slightly metallic, but were otherwise not noticeable. The sweater was also a little short. The sweater material was thin, scratchy, and cheap-feeling. It was also over $70. Verdict: PASS

Thirds: 41Hawthorn Abrianna Longsleeve Knit Cardigan

So, I know Stitch Fix couldn't possibly know this, but I hate open cardigans. They are not flattering on me and I just don't like the concept. Also, it was extremely long (like past my butt), which is extremely rare for me. However, I did like the color. Verdict: PASS

Fourth: 41Hawthorn Ivy Tab Sleeve V-Neck Blouse

Love, love LOVE this green color. It's more of an emerald green than it appears in this photo. It wasn't too loose, OR too tight in the shoulders/chest. Verdict: KEEP

Fifth: Peppermint Isabella Pleated Skirt

 Ok, so I hate these photos. Especially since you can see what a waist I DON'T have.. Anyways, pleats in the crotchal region = yuck. I have a couple of skirts that have a few pleats, but mostly at the bottom of the skirt, like this one:



Anyways, I really hated the skirt. Not flattering, a little too short, and the cheap, shiny, stretchy black polyester fabric definitely looked like something a referree would wear.. a sexy female referree, maybe.

I have to say, I was quite disappointed. I asked for three things, and I got NONE of them. I even had the same stylist as I did last time! However, they did provide me with some pretty colored tops, especially compared to the mostly black items I received last time. I don't completely fault them for not knowing that I hate open cardigans, but I am pissed off that they couldn't include one single item that I requested. I did have a $25 referral credit (ahem, feel free to use me as a referral), so that made my purchase cheaper and made me happier.

Anyways, I'm taking a break from the Fix for a while. I don't have the money to keep up regular boxes, especially with Christmas coming up. Maybe I'll try another box when spring arrives.

Here are my other Stitch Fix Reviews:

1st Review

2nd Review

4th Review
5th Review

Stitch Fix Teaser

So, I don't have time this weekend to post about Stitch Fix #3, but I just wanted to let you know that I received my 3rd Fix, and I was very disappointed. I've taken pictures and will post those later.

Just to give you a teaser quote, though, I received a piece of clothing that might work as a Halloween costume for a sexy female referee.

Six Months of Separation

So, it's been six months since my life has been turned upside down. Where are we now?

Well, Graham is still down in Portland. Now, he's living on and off with his grandparents to save on gas. He is attending Portland State, re-taking some of the classes he failed. He is working a couple of jobs, including janitorial work and working with Engineering for Kids. He is doing fairly well, but misses us terribly.

Carter is doing ok. He misses his dad a lot. He cries for daddy whenever I say no to what he wants. I have to say, "Sorry, Carter, I know you want an apple at 2:30 AM, but your daddy still wouldn't give you one even if mommy says no." (This for real happened two nights ago.) He also is going through a stage where he likes me to "hold him like a baby", and he'll even say "mama" like a baby.. It makes me a little sad, because I think this is one of the ways he is dealing with the separation.

I am doing ok. I've come to terms with what has happened, and what can happen. There is still fear, still a lack of trust, but I have hope. I have hope that people can change. I have hope that things will be ok in the end (wherever that may be). I have hope that we can build a better, more trusting relationship that is completely open about who we are and what we are. It is not going to be easy. It never will be. We are humans with many flaws and imperfections. With our faith in Jesus Christ, and some hard work, I think we can make it. And, if we don't.. at least we tried.

So, if things work out, Graham may move back home in January. There will be ground rules set: a job, a set school schedule, responsibilities at home, verification of activities, etc. Things have to fall back into place for this to work out (a job being the foremost responsibility), but this is our tentative plan. There are fall-back plans, so we'll see how things work out.

I know some people think I'm crazy. I know, it definitely feels that way at times. I can't believe that I've landed at this conclusion, especially when I look back at where I've come from.  When this first happened, I remember my mom telling me to pray, lots of praying. I distinctly remember saying, "But I don't want to pray about this, because I'm afraid of what the answer may be [i.e. forgiving Graham and trying to make it work]". But yes, I've prayed thousands of times of what I should do, and it has all ended the same way. I know that this is what God wants me to do, even though I have doubted it and even wanted to rebel against it.

However, in a marriage, don't we all take the good with the bad? We all put up with some sort of crap from our spouses.. it's just how much and what you're willing to deal with. Some women couldn't deal with what I've been dealt, and likewise I couldn't deal with what some other women deal with from their spouses.

Anyways, I'd appreciate your support in this matter, especially if I know you personally. I know what the risks are. Trust me. I've lived this. I've had nightmares. But, I don't need to hear you voicing those fears. This is my life, my decision, my marriage, and my family. Whatever happens, that remains to be seen. Either way, I'm seeing it out until the end.

Carter's 3rd Birthday

So, we celebrated Carter's 3rd birthday in a chill birthday party on Sunday. It was just us, Graham's family, and my sister. No games, no activities, just opening presents, eating cake, and watching Carter and his cousin play with all of Carter's new toys. Funny thing was.. I planned on making him a construction cake, but nothing else with a construction theme.. and pretty much all of the toys he received were construction-themed (a jackhammer, chainsaw, moving construction toys, etc.). Here are some pictures:

I used the red velvet layer cake recipe from America's Test Kitchen. Here's the recipe:

I used the no-bake Oreo Cheesecake filling and ganache from here (the recipes are made to fill and cover a 9 by 13 sheet cake, so there was lots of extra left over). It ended up working out really well doing this type of cake as it cracked when I was transferring it out of the pan to let it cool. So, I cut the other cake to match, crumbled the leftovers, and put them in the little truck. Carter absolutely loved it and kept asking to see his cake all afternoon.

Carter ate his whole piece! There was nothing left of the cake. Super rich, but totally delicious.

Anyways, that's it for now. We are off to Utah tomorrow for a 4-day vacation to visit family. I'm not super excited to fly with Carter by myself, but I'm excited to have a few well-deserved days off.

Oh, and here's my guy on his actual birthday morning with special birthday waffles.