ronni

Decorating Sense

/ dork, pictures, ronni, Uncategorized

We interrupt this blog for a test of the dorkilicious dorkity dork system.

This is only a test.

Teehee

One of the chores I hate the most is putting away my Christmas decorations. For one thing, it’s work, which sucks, but another thing, I’m packing away all my pretty things for another many months. See, I have a little secret.

I cannot decorate worth a damn.

No. Seriously. I really suck at it. Adam did most of the decorating that’s in our apartment. He did most of the painting, he hangs the art, he deals with the furniture. My contributions? Calendars and dolls, and my little corner with the desk. The only time I do halfway OK with decorating? Christmas. And that doesn’t get to stay up all year. It doesn’t matter that I play on Pinterest all the time, or that I am addicted to watching HGTV. I still have no decorating sense. Or class.

Just last night, I was watching a show on HGTV with my friend Jen. These rich people in Texas or somewhere–their entire first floor flooded while they were on vacation, so they called in this designer. Their tastes were definitely above mine. The leopard print carpet on the stairs? I totally would slide down that on my butt. The big horse statue/sculpture thingy? I’d climb on it and take a picture. I told Jen that if/when I ever became super, duper rich, my house would NOT look like that ’cause it’s just like me. I’d hope I wouldn’t be obvious “new money,” but that old, rich, dark stuff is not my favorite.


so not my style
[via]

Another thing I don’t get is people’s obsession with “outdated” this and that. I couldn’t care less if my appliances are stainless steel or not. If they’re functional (and the stove is gas), then I’m good to go. Granite countertops? Not necessary. I mean, yes, all that stuff is really pretty and it would be nice to have, but it’s not a deal breaker for me if I don’t have it. (And I don’t.)

When I watch those shows and I watch how picky people get over things, I kinda want to giggle. Adam and I have a pretty big apartment by Chicago’s standards, especially for what we’re paying. But it’s not *gigantic* or anything. It was hard for me to downsize, and we still struggle with storage space. I once lived in a 2300 square foot house, then I lived in a 450 square foot two bedroom apartment alone before moving here. I’m also a pack rat. Poor Adam. The sheer amount of STUFF that came with me overwhelmed him greatly. Poor guy. But we got it under control (sort of).

We don’t plan on moving for a while, but if we did, here are my must haves:

two bedrooms
two bathrooms
bathtub
air conditioning (this is more for Adam’s sake than my sake)
dishwasher
gas stove
storage
cat friendly
close to public transporation

Here are my “nice-to-haves”:

hardwood flooring
walk-in closets
basement
laundry
porch or stoop
close to downtown

And this list is my “it’d be cool if it was there but if not, I’ll be fine, and I’m certainly not going to pursue it” stuff:

stainless steel appliances
granite countertops
master bedroom that has its own bathroom
Jacuzzi soaking tub in that master bathroom
courtyard

So there you have it. I’d like to think I’m easy to please when it comes to living spaces, but I don’t know. I haven’t actually seriously looked for a place to live since 2006. And moving’s such a pain in the butt that I’m OK not looking for now. It’s when I watch endless House Hunters and House Hunters International marathons that I get like this, you know. Will I stop watching them? NOPE. THANK YOU.


this is more like it
[via]

And that was a random insight into my dorkiness. It really wasn’t a test. I just didn’t want you to panic.

You’re welcome.

7 Comments

Feeling Just A Little Bit Off…

/ books, pictures, ronni, sick

Crazy Tree

I haven’t been feeling well the past several days. Although, if I want to be honest, I haven’t been feeling 100% since Atlanta. I’ve been way more tired than usual–I can sleep all day and all night if I’d let myself, only venturing out of bed to use the bathroom and grab a small bite to eat (my appetite hasn’t been all that great). Nausea hits at the most random times (like this evening in Trader Joe’s). I think it’s either iron-deficiency anemia or my gastritis is back. BOO.

THIS NEEDS TO STOP!!
I’m ready to feel better again! I have stuff to do, people to see, *awesome* house guests staying with us next week. So here’s what we’re doing:

1. Loading me up with iron-rich foods, such as spinach and Cream of Wheat.
2. Loading me up with lots of fluids: water, orange juice, etc.
3. Getting me loads of rest.

Plus, I want to get back to yoga, I need to clean, take down the Christmas decorations, and get groceries. NO MORE TIME TO BE SICK, RONICA.

I will beat this thing.

Adam thinks it’s my SAD coming back. I tend to get really down in the winter…but it usually doesn’t kick in until February or so. But I’m pretty convinced this is just physical. At least for now. My mind is fine, and I’m still interested in doing things I like. Just the thought of actually doing them makes me feel overwhelmed and I just want to go back to sleep. So it’s not that I’m not interested, I’m just too tired.

At any rate, I am confident I will have this thing beat by Sunday.

Well, OK. I’m HOPING REALLY HARD.

One thing I have been doing in all my downtime is rereading a bunch of books. I decided to reread ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS. This book got a LOT of hype when it first came out. Me? I was just excited to read a contemporary book by a debut author. As most of you know, I tend to stick to YA books, and the YA market is SATURATED with paranormal. Now, I do like paranormal from time to time, but I LOVE contemporary. Contemporary YA is where my heart lives. Deb Caletti, Sarah Dessen, Laurie Halse Anderson, Susane Colasanti are just a few of the authors I love. (And I’ve met three of them!)

Anyway, I read ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS several months ago, and I liked it enough. But this second time around? I am in LOVE. A love story about a girl who gets sent to an American boarding school in France? Yes, please! The characters are so three dimensional. The setting is PARIS. It has a boarding school. And food! And hot guys. WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE?

So am I recommending this book? YES! And I might just order a copy just to make notes in the margins. Stephanie Perkins did the damn thing. Today I ordered LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR and I can’t wait to read it.

YOU SHOULD READ THESE BOOKS, TOO!

Then we can like, talk about them and stuff.

Now that the new year is here, I’ve decided to read new books again. I have a huge stack of them in my apartment (so I really didn’t need to buy LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR, but dammit, I wanted it), so while I wait for my delivery, I am reading WITHERING TIGHTS by Louise Rennison. It’s a cute book so far (I’m almost done!), but it’s not as funny or engaging as the Georgia Nicholson books. Still enjoyable, though, so I’m not complaining. I’m also reading RADIANT SHADOWS, the last book in the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr. YES I’m reading two books at once, what?

So there is that. And I am obviously well enough to be blogging. And I added Aidan’s birth story to my blog. (You should go read it!) So that means I will be 100% soon, right? Right? My energy will come crashing back and I’ll be so happy I will DANCE. I mean, we’re having amazing weather, and I want to enjoy it! Plus, I DEFINITELY need to be ready for Disney World. And I miss using my exercise bike. Plus yoga. And you know, not sleeping all day.

OK then. That’s all for now. Ta ta!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
That means if you buy any of those books, I’ll get a lil somethin’ somethin’.
But trust me, I will not steer you wrong just to make a buck. Just sayin’.
Also, books were purchased or borrowed from the library.
Because that’s how I roll.

12 Comments

Looking Ahead…

/ pictures, reflection, ronni

Pink

“To dream anything that you want to dream.
That is the beauty of the human mind.
To do anything that you want to do.
That is the strength of the human will.
To trust yourself to test your limits.
That is the courage to succeed.”
— Bernard Edmonds

I don’t make resolutions, per se. But I do have hopes and dreams.
These are my hopes for 2012.

See Aidan more often
Write more, unabashedly and with excitement
Possibly write/complete a novel
Travel to another country
Get hard core with my yoga practice
Lose weight
Get enough work-at-home projects to be comfortable financially
Read 75 new books
Write more in my paper journal
Be more positive
Become more assertive and honest
Have more faith
Write and mail more handwritten letters

There is so much to look forward to in 2012! New music to discover, new books to read, new people to meet, new experiences to have, and new opportunities to pursue. Plus The Hunger Games movie!

You already know about our Disney World trip, but I’d love to visit my friend Amy in New Orleans. A trip to New York City wouldn’t make me sad, either. But that can wait until summer. Oh, and I’d love to hit a nice, warm beach. A resort where I do nothing but relax and drink juice while baking in the sun. Or under a beach umbrella. Whatever.

There are some online friends I hope to meet in person in 2012.

I hope to be ever so closer to doing this:


Source: google.com via Ronni on Pinterest

I’m still undecided as to what to do about yoga teacher training. The spring session begins March 8. Am I ready for that kind of commitment? I suppose I can wait til the summer session. But I don’t want to put it off too long…cause I can see myself doing that then going “It’s too late. I may as well not do it now.”

NOT OKAY, RONICA.
I know your tricks and manners.

…good Lord. I’m talking to myself on my blog.

I’d like to volunteer at PAWS Chicago, the no-kill animal shelter where we adopted Helena. I really want to work with the kitty cats. I should make it happen in 2012.

And of course, there is the usual workout more, eat better, blah ditty blah blah blah crap we all spew out. Will I be able to stick to it, is the thing?

I understand why people make resolutions. 365 (366 next year) days seem like a lot. But I think that most of us make these resolutions and expect to get them done right away (like within 30 days)… and well, when we don’t, we get discouraged. The weight isn’t dropping off all that quickly. Just can’t/won’t quit the Whatchamacallit bars. The winter is so gloomy and grey, and who wants to work out when it’s like that? Writing? It’s too hard, man.

I have to give myself time. That’s why I don’t make resolutions–cause then I’ll end up beating myself up for failing, when I really just need to ease myself into things rather than shock myself with ALL THESE LIFESTYLE CHANGES RIGHT NOW which will NEVER stick, not with that kind of pressure.

So, no pressure, right? 🙂

Source: inspirinquotes.tumblr.com via Ronni on Pinterest

Happy New Year!

Comments Off on Looking Ahead…

2011: A Year In Review

/ pictures, reflection, ronni, survey, year-in-review

Autumn in The Morton Arboretum

I can’t complain. 2011 was a pretty good year for me. I got to do some neat things, go to neat places, and meet cool people (like Weird Al Yankovic!). I was introduced to new music, made some crazy life-changing choices, and did some neat things. I got to meet my Plurk friends Jon & Rho, I had the chance to see my favorite author Sarah Dessen (and she totally recognized me!), I got to see SJ Tucker loads of times, and I got to eat a lot of sushi!

The easiest way to recap is to do a survey. I know how much you guys love those. Feel free to steal and do it yourself.

Was 2011 a good year for you?
For the most part, yes!

What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before?
– attended Musecon
– rode a horse

Horseback Riding!

– pet a giraffe

Awesome!

– purchased exercise equipment
– got a passport
– Pilates reformer
– Capeoira
– got a facial
– lipolaser

Did anyone close to you give birth?
A lot of my friends had babies or are pregnant,
but I can’t say anyone particularly close to me.

Did anyone close to you die?
My aunt Lue passed away during the summer.

What countries did you visit?
None.

What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
August 5, 2011. I took my life back.
…and a giant leap of faith.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting into better shape.

What was your biggest failure?
Didn’t complete writing a novel. Boo.
Also falling back out of shape. Ha.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Mostly colds.
Had an incident in April that I thought might be gallbladder related,
but it was just gastritis.

Where did most of your money go?
Disney trips, dolls, clothes, sushi, gifts

What song will always remind you of 2011?
Nataraj (Dancing in the Flames) by Suzanne Sterling
Come Down by Ginger Doss

What do you wish you’d done more of?
– writing
– yoga

What do you wish you’d done less of?
Working. I worked way too many hours at Schawk.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
Ginger Doss
Bekah Kelso

What did you want and get?
– new camera
– Disney trips
– passport
– exercise bike
– books

What did you want and not get?
– MORE AIDAN TIME (there is never enough)
– a treadmill (our apartment is too small for such things)
– a trip out of the country

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 37. I spent the day with my family and ate
food from Harold’s Chicken Shack.

What kept you sane?
Reading. Lots of reading.
My family. My kitty cats.
Jen and Amy and our email chain.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Matt Smith

What political issue stirred you the most?
Anything that had to do with women’s reproductive rights

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011:
Having a lot of money isn’t everything.
It HELPS.
But when making the money
is costing your health, family time,
and sanity,
then it’s time to rethink some things.
So I did.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Sweaters and jeans, or tee-shirts and jeans, or hoodies and jeans.
Grey long-sleeved tee-shirts.
Sometimes a cute skirt with boots.
Long, hippy skirts or dresses.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I love that I can’t think of an answer to this question.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
Magic touched my life again
in a single breath
shining in your eyes
like a firefly
and a moment of revelation
–Ginger Doss

Few Days Old Braidout

3 Comments

Holy Crap, Y’all.

/ birthday, pictures, ronni

Another birthday is upon me. I’m now 37 years old.
The big THREE SEVEN.
How in the world did that happen?
When did I become a BONAFIED grown-up?

Because I sure as hell don’t feel like one, let me tell you. I mean, in practice, I *am* a grown-up. I have a husband. I have a kid who is nearly nine years old. I work for money and/or free unlimited yoga. I pay bills. I have my driver’s license and I even have my own car. (Never mind that I make Adam drive me all over Chicago because seriously? Chicago drivers scare me. And I used to be the aggressive one when I lived in Ohio.) I don’t have a curfew, and I can come and go as I please. I can buy whatever I want, provided I have the cash for it. I can eat candy for breakfast (and sometimes I do!). If I have a hankering for a glass of wine, it’s perfectly legal for me to have one.

But as I said, I don’t feel like a grown-up. Today, Adam and I were driving past Chico’s, and I said to him “I think those are the kinds of clothes I am supposed to be wearing now. But I can’t because I think they’re hideous.” He said, “You live in the city. You can dress however you want.” And I suppose he’s right, but if I’m going to be forty before long, I wonder if it’s just plain inappropriate for me to love Old Navy so much. Or to shop in the junior’s section at Kohl’s. Or the hippie dresses. Like the long flowy ones from Mod Cloth. And what about skinny jeans and long sweaters, combat boots, and pea coats?

One of my favorite things, though, is to see people’s reactions when I tell them my age. This almost always happens:

Then I hear “NO WAY!! I thought you were [insert awesomely young age here].” My favorite was a couple years ago when a teenager asked me which grade I was in, but most people put me around 23 or so. TWENTY THREE!

People.

That never gets old!

So, technically, I LOOK young enough to pull off the types of outfits I wear. But yo, I don’t want Stacy and Clinton knocking on my door and putting me in the 360 mirror is all I’m saying.

Cute Outfit Revisited
does this outfit look OK on me?

Then there is the whole “I don’t have a real job and am I really thinking of going into yoga teacher training and why can’t I settle down and be a normal, conventional adult who seems to be at least resigned to a 40-60 minute commute, 10-14 hours a day in the office then another 40-60 minute commute home, speaking of homes, I can’t believe I am still renting but that’s all my fault, no need to go into that right now I mean AT LEAST MY CAR IS PAID OFF and blah ditty blah blah blah.”

I still don’t even know what I want to be. Sometimes I want to work in an office so I can feel like I’m normal, I guess. But then I remember that I like and value my freedom and I especially value it when a client trusts me to get the job done without breathing down my neck or watching me every second to make sure I’m not “goofing off” or something. Sometimes I want that book contract, but as long as I’m not writing, how the hell is that going to happen? And then I get scared of what *could* happen. I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly in the publishing industry, and I wonder if I am ready to take that on. If I could handle it. And then yoga. I love yoga. But how committed am I, and am I committed enough to go through the training so I can be an awesome kick ass teacher? I know how yoga makes me feel and God knows I’m a yoga evangelist like whoa. But can I pull this off? And more importantly, will I ever be able to do this:

I have my ups and downs. On the one hand, I am very happy where I am in my life, something I never saw coming. I have an awesome husband, the best son in the world, I live in a neighborhood where I can walk to a yoga studio, an awesome pizza joint, a sushi bar, an Italian grocer, an Italian bakery, and a CVS. I have three cute kitty cats. I get to go to Disney World on a regular basis. I have a loving family. I’m making cool new friends all the time. I have a home, shelter, food, and money to buy fun things and treats. When I think of where I was four to five years ago, it’s amazing how things have turned around. And I am grateful every day. Even though I complain about traffic lights and taxes on groceries and slow people on Michigan Avenue and how hard it is to find a job and to have that job not want to suck your soul away as well as your life.

But on the other hand, I feel like I should be accomplishing more. I should be doing more. Or that I should have DONE more. I should have published a book by now. I should have a HUGE savings. I should have some retirement money saved. (I have none.) I should be a manager or a director or in charge of something major, wearing suits to work or whatever. Except, I know that’s not me. At least, not that last part. Can you imagine? HAHAHAHAHA. I mean, I’ve love a corner office or something, but for God’s sake, don’t make me wear a suit to work. And WHY in God’s name am I so drawn to pink things and Hello Kitty and Barbie and dolls, and why do I read YA instead of I dunno, classics or biographies or something?

Oh well. I like what I like, I guess.

Can you believe this little girl:

In The Crib

Has grown up to be this fabulous:

Hi!

Yeah, me either. And here’s a secret. I don’t think I’m all that cool. I mean, I am who I am, but I know I’m a big geek, and I know that I’ll never be one of the “cool kids.” And most of the time, I’m OK with it.

As for celebrating? I plan to go to yoga, then I will be at the airport for many hours to meet my mom and Aidan. Afterward, who knows? Adam and I already had sushi Monday night, and he got cable again so I finished cleaning and wrapping gifts with a House Hunters marathon in the background. I’d missed House Hunters.

Anyway, Happy Birthday to me. And here’s to many more! 🙂 *raises glass*

15 Comments