Hello, September!

Thursday, September 2nd, 2010
Daily Grind, Family & Friends, Keith, Photos
No Comments

I honestly cannot believe it’s September already. It certainly doesn’t feel like it as temperatures hit almost in the 100s today on the East Coast. Hurricane Earl is coming to visit us tomorrow, and I have to wake up at 4am to go into work at 5am for my opening shift. At least I get out before noon, right? In a way I’m kind of hoping for a good storm to clear out the hot, humid weather we’ve been experiencing. I love laying out in the pool, and will be sad to see the cover on it next weekend, but part of me is also ready for fall. I want to wear my fall scarves and my cardigans!

September is actually a month of celebrations. My Dad’s birthday is on the 4th, and my parents celebrate their 30th anniversary on the 13th. Then later in the month I’m going to Tucker Max’s book signing in NYC with Keith and Kelly. I’m so excited to meet him and take a photo with him. If you haven’t yet read “I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell” you should stop reading, drive to your bookstore or library, and get it NOW!

With the fall weather on the way (hopefully soon!), I’m starting to think about all of the fun fall activities that I want to do. I’ve made a short list and hope to add more to it at some point. Last Fall Keith was out of work, and I wasn’t working many hours so we had to cut out some of our usual fun activities that we do together. But, now that I’m working more and he’s working fulltime, we’ll be able to do some more this season (if we don’t fall asleep first, haha!) While working a lot has been making me want to do nothing but sleep, and sometimes gets me a little sad (I really want to be teaching!), thinking about all of the fun things I’ll be doing make me happy and lift my spirits.

The Fall Fun List
Apple picking
Making my awesome apple pie
Haunted hayride
Haunted houses/graveyards at Lake Compounce
Drinking cider
Picking out a pumpkin with my Dad
Dressing up for Halloween
Fun sized Junior Mints (yay for trick or treaters)
The smell of leaves and fireplaces
How the moon looks in the fall

These are just a few of the reasons why Fall is one of my favorite seasons. This year I also want to try to go to some of the local fairs and get some yummy fair food. Funnel cake anyone?

Christine asks the readers…

Saturday, July 24th, 2010
Daily Grind, Site Stuff
9 Comments

I’m aware that today is Saturday, and for the past two weeks I have been posting a new sonnet for all of you to read, enjoy, and marvel at. This Saturday is a little something different. Why? Because tonight my parents, Keith, and myself are leaving for San Francisco, California. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know that I am in love with that city, and have been three three times since I was only a little wee one (four years old!!). We went again my freshman year of high school, and once more in 2005 when I graduated high school. (see my flickr for the oldies!) SF is also the home of one of my favorite bloggers, Brook of homegirlcaneat. If you haven’t read her blog, go and do it. It makes for some fabulous reading material!

I am insanely excited to go back to the place where I left my heart (heh), and am excited to bombard you all with tons of visuals when I return, but when I am on vacation relaxing, I’d like to be able to come back with some new ideas and opinions from all of you loyal readers. So, without further ado, when you comment, please answer the following questions, so I have some good insights to read when I come back. Otherwise, have a nice week, thanks for the input, and expect lots of photos when I return!

1. Should “Sonnet Saturday” be every Saturday? Or every other Saturday to allow more time for “regular” blogs? (I ask this because I was seeing that Saturdays come around REALLY quickly!!)

2. Regarding health/fashion/beauty/fitness, what is a subject, product, or article YOU would like to read about?

3. What do you like about my blog? Why?

4. What do you dislike? Why?

5. What would you like to see more of on my blog? Pictures? Memes? Anything?

If there is anything else you would like to mention, just let me know in a comment. When I come back I’ll be reading all of your suggestions. Have a great week, and don’t miss me too much!!

What’s in my bag?

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010
Beauty & Fashion, Daily Grind, Photos
5 Comments

What can I say? Some of my favorite blog posts and photos to look at on flickr are “Inside My Bag” posts. It’s just interesting to see what other people carry around with them. So, with that in mind I decided to provide you with a chance to glimpse into the bag of Christine. Here’s what I carry around with me on a daily basis, with one or two things missing. When school’s in session, add in folders for each class and a poorly organized five star notebook. The bag featured for this post is one of my favorites. It’s from the Coach Poppy collection and I received it as a Christmas present from my parents this year. I love the fun colors. It’s a great carryall as you will see below.


1. My Coach Poppy bag. =]
2. My wallet with various things inside of it.
3. My Juicy loves Sephora cosmetic case. (see below to snoop that!)
4. The New Testament, I’m currently reading Revelations.
5. A hallmark datebook. Nice portable calendar.
6. A mini composition book, perfect for jotting down notes.
7. My sock change purse.
8. BBW foaming hand sanitizer in Warm Vanilla Sugar.
9. Lubriderm lotion. I wash my hands a lot at work & need to keep them soft!
10. Pens, to write down said notes.
11. Chococat mirror.
12. A mini flashlight.
13. A penny, I always keep a loose one in my purses.
14. ‘Attitude’ inspirational coin.
15-19. Randoms: Pink pocket mini Swiss army knife, snowman charm, gum, rose in a tube, & Carmine’s NYC matches.
Not pictured: Keys, Menthols & my lighter


This is a simple photo, but inside my purse I always have my Saint Theresa medals. She is my patron saint so I always keep her with me. These were given to me by my mother, and you’ll see that I have two in here. When school is in session I keep one in my school bag and another in my regular purse.


1. My cosmetic case.
2. Advil and Tylenol. Usually people end up asking me for it, but no worries. I always keep it on me just in case.
3. Scrunchie. Too many times staying at Keith’s and nothing to tie my fro up with!
4. MAC Blot Sheets, to absorb my EVOO skin. =P
5. Nail clipper.
6. Blistex Silk & Shine chapstick. Tastes like Koolaid.
7. MAC Lustreglasse in Luminary (I believe!)
8. Aquaphor. I kept this in here when my tattoo was healing up, but it works wonders for super dry skin too.
9. My awesome nail file.

You might be thinking, “Damn, she’s got a lot of stuff in that bag,” but to me it’s always better to have more than you think you’ll need. Plus, it’s great to have a large bag when someone (Ah-hem, Keith!) wants me to carry some of his stuff. Even with everything above tucked into my purse, there is still room for a book and my glasses (which I take with me to doctor’s appointments just in case), a bottle of water and a whole bag of Goldfish crackers (I found this out while going to Newport in May with the high school kids).

What do you keep in your purses? Do you prefer a large tote, or something more compact?

Feeling droopy? Hang on, Sloopy!

Thursday, July 1st, 2010
Daily Grind, Work-a-Holic
8 Comments

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I am currently blogging to you from my brand new laptop (A Dell Studio 15 w/built in cam & black and white polka dot design!!!) that I purchased for myself with graduation cash. With all of the fanfare over, and the working world crashing down around me, I’ve been a little down on myself as of late despite my happy face in that photo up there. I think it has a lot to do with the stresses of job searching, working my butt off at Panera, and Keith becoming a manager at Michael’s. He’s been working a lot and sometimes we’re not able to see each other as often. I also am used to being an over achiever, and not being in school for a semester (I’m planning to go back to grad school in December) is hard for me since I’m always busy with some form of academics or another. I also want a teaching job…badly! So though I’ve been feeling a little droopy, there are some things I do to give myself a pick-me-up.

- Paint my nails a fun color: for some reason bright fun shades on my fingers and toes make me happy. I’m currently rocking a shocking pink on my digits and a purple with black and white polka dot design on my toes.

- Think about and sometimes write down my “Highs” of a day. This started on the beach in Rhode Island when my cousin’s were discussing their high’s and low’s of each day. Keith and I started doing that as well, but sometimes you just need to think about the high’s alone.

- Retail therapy: While I try to be savvy with my money, there are just some times when you need to spend a little something on yourself. I try to make it something small like a new accessory like fun sunglasses or a cute change purse, or a new lip gloss. When you work hard, and start to get down on yourself when things don’t work out, you have to remind yourself that you deserve a reward too!

- Talk it out: What are friends for? If something is getting me down I like to talk about it with a friend or two (or three!) A lot of my friends are going through some of the same emotions since they too just graduated and are trying to find jobs. We can offer each other tips or simply complain and vent together.

- Those fattening drinks from S-Bucks: Yes, I go to the gym. Yes, I watch what I eat, but sometimes a Mocha Frappuccino from Starbucks is just what I need. (And now I can get it made with skim!)

- “The Why I’m Awesome List” is pretty self explanatory, but sometimes writing it down and posting it somewhere visible to you (and perhaps the others in your house?) helps.

It stinks to feel mopey, especially when you’re usually a positive person, which I try to be as much as possible. What are some times when you just feel down? What do you do to remedy how you’re feeling? If all else fails, just be glad that you’re not like Holden Caulfield who says, “When I really worry about something, I don’t just fool around. I even have to go to the bathroom when I worry about something. Only, I don’t go. I’m too worried to go. I don’t want to interrupt my worrying to go.”

Noted & Quoted

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010
Daily Grind, School
15 Comments

As an unemployed English teacher (this is what I’ve been calling myself as of now), I am obsessed with quotations and explaining them to death. I’m the teacher who will have you sit with three lines of Shakespeare and have the class discuss them for at least twenty minutes if not more. Yes, yes, I’m the teacher who will tell you that each word has relevance and will make you look up each word in the OED. (English majors, you’d better know and love the OED–for non-literary dorks it’s the Oxford English Dictionary). Thanks to some inspiration from my fellow bloggers, I’ve compiled a few of my favorite quotes for you to ponder over.

I expect comments with an analysis and evidence for your position (I kid!)

“It’s funny. All you have to do is say something nobody understands and they’ll do practically anything you want them to.” - The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger

“If music be the food of love, play on.” - Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

“The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.” - The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

“You buy furniture. You tell yourself, this is the last sofa I will ever need in my life. Buy the sofa, then for a couple years you’re satisfied that no matter what goes wrong, at least you’ve got your sofa issue handled. Then the right set of dishes. Then the perfect bed. The drapes. The rug. Then you’re trapped in your lovely nest, and the things you used to own, now they own you.” - Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

“Love is needing someone. Love is putting up with someone’s bad qualities because they somehow complete you.” - Just Listen by Sarah Dessen

“‘When you pull down yo’ britches, you look lak de change uh life.” - Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

“Making eye contact during rough sex is roughly the equivalent of trying to read Dostoyevsky on a rollercoaster.” How To Make Love Like A Porn Star by Jenna Jameson

If I were to keep going I’d probably have at least 50 quotes here from books that I’ve read over the years. I’m currently piling books on top of other books. Can you imagine how many noteworthy quotes there are in all of the books I own? Tons!

What are some of your favorite quotes from books? Why did you like them? What made them stay in your mind? Which ones of these do you like the best?

PS: Thank you for all of the wonderful congratulation messages. <3 Each one made me smile!

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