procrasti-tater strikes

hi. just checking in during one of my regularly scheduled procrastination breaks. i have 6.5 out of 8 sections of the portfolio done. too bad that last full one is one of the heftier ones. will i be able to have it all done within the next 12 hours? hopefully.

anyway, while assembling the portfolio, i came across this silly photo.ok, so maybe it doesn't look that silly from there. but up close, you'll see i'm sporting my slanket.
the problem is the slanket is super long on shorty me. so it's all wrapped around me strangely so that i could walk and help assemble that thing (i was still able to use my hands although you can't see them here...yay slanket!) you used to be able to see from the plane when flying into LAX from SFO (we cut it down finally at the end of this semester). hey, it was cold that night, and we were working until about 1 AM.

i look like a druid! maybe not, as all i know about druids comes from this episode of ducktales (oo-oo! tales of daring-do, bad and good luck tales, oo-oo! D-d-d-danger, watch behind you--there's a stranger out to find you. what to do? just grab onto some duck tales, oo-oo! not pony tails or cotton tails but duck tales, oo-oo!). maybe i just look like a potato. literally.

rogaine

lil wayne just needs to stop. now. especially his comparisons of himself to 2pac and biggie. really?!?

i want to see the movie notorious.

yesterday, i had ne-yo's rogaine song stuck in my head. all. day. long. you know, the one that goes "she's got a rogaine; that's why i love her..." the bear kept "correcting" me last night. whatever, i know the lyrics.

speaking of hair, i got my unruly hair finally cut. to the bear's delight, i am growing my hair out again. unfortunately for him, i had to chop a bit off to get a good shape for growing it out properly. by the way, a big thank you to cee. i love jessica at salon eleven now. she was very clear when explaining her suggestions. she also let me know what she was doing. best of all, she gave really explicit, easy instructions for styling my hair. there's nothing like a good blowout to make you feel hot for a day. or two. and yay for the salon being a little more convenient during my daily routine. my last place i loved, but it was a bit of a trek and only justifiable on days we were going out to see the in-laws. oh, and salon eleven is very nice, too. hip but not pretentious, warm, friendly. OH, and while i was there, they played the yeah yeah yeahs, outkast, AND old school swv. awesomeness. so much better than, say, lil wayne.

i only got an iphone photo while wearing a bulky hoodie before i washed my hair. never mind that i look about 12. oh, and the ends are cute. too bad mr. hood is in the way.
this is the best i could do to get the back of my head.
total fail.

i worked most of yesterday at the old job. it reminded me how awesome it is to not be working full time. then i worked today at my school job. so slow. easy peasy. i did nothing for 3 hours and made a tiny bit of pocket change.

pink on pink

you asked for it.
meh. quality of the photo isn't great (it's printed on plastic, and it's an ID, what do you expect?). random spots on my face that aren't really there. necklace askew. wth is up with the hair? it's time for a haircut. pudgy face. colors are off a bit. i do have a strange halo-like thing, though. 0;). it's probably just the flash.

discombobulated

i don't know where my head is at [sic]. can someone please help me find it? i just went to go put a load of laundry in. instead of throwing some detergent in the water, i threw a dryer sheet in. yes, into the washer, not the dryer. maybe i need an all-in-one washer/dryer like the one from LG.

oh, and i should clarify that programs of the type i am in are notoriously disorganized. even the top schools in the nation can be quite disorganized. plus most that are teaching are also practioners--some very famous. so there are egos and different priorities to contend with (not that it's an excuse, it's just reality). like one of the people that gave us a firm tour last week said, they forget that the students are the paying clients. as one who teaches at a few other programs himself, he reminded us not to be intimidated and take and to take and learn all we could.

these school posts aren't getting this comment whore as many comments as in the past, so i thought a photo might help. problem is i'm backing up my main storage drive right now, so all my photos are inaccessible at the moment. i typed "potato" into google images and came up with this:
i'm usually not a fan of heart-shaped things, but this one makes me giggle. looks more like a butt. what what (in the butt)...oooooh yeah. potato hearts you.

i'm a "good woman"

or a whore. either way. don't worry, i'm used to being called the latter not because of my character but because of something else having to do with me. i know, vague enough?

why, you ask? because i made some kickass bucatini alla puttanesca for dinner. as a side. don't worry, i controlled our portions accordingly. not that it really matters since i'm quite rotund these days anyway. bucatini has a hole in it...very appropriate for whore's pasta. tee hee. ok, enough with the vulgarity.

i used a recipe from the new trader joe's cookbook cee got me. so it's not all that authentic since i used tuna instead of anchovies and capers in vinegar instead of salt. whatevs. it was good. even the bear, who hates capers and olives, admitted it was yummy when eating it while not hungry after his crappy, long day.

oh, and the main entree of salmon with lemon vinaigrette and other side of asparagus with orange champagne vinaigrette weren't bad, either. don't worry, all sauces were made last night. crazy working potato doesn't have time to whip up three sauces on a work night. much less the patience. plus you do NOT want to see me when it's hunger headache time (roughly 3 hours after the last time i shoved something in my mouth). like whoa, we got a protein, a veggie, AND a carb in one homecooked meal. this is potatobear household history.

sorry, no photos. i have leftovers, though. yum. good night.

oh wait, i have this [completely unrelated yet hilarious] photo instead.

it's not even winter.

in the stillness

the bear finally finished GTA IV. it is so quiet. peaceful. lovely. ahhh.

oh, and i think and hope next week will be the last of this string of bothersome classes. whee!

i'm wondering why, after d-day and finishing the test tonight, i don't feel as much of a release and as giddy as i expected to or think i should.

here's a more celebratory weemee, decked out my usual summer wear + my new tory burch sandals. in turquoise, of course!

i can see clearly now, the rain is gone

oh, who am i kidding. i live in southern california. rain? what's that?

how to see clearly:

step 1--wash your car.
i finally washed my car for the first time in...probably 6 months or so. i am a bad, abusive car-mom. oh, and i only finally washed it because i had to drive a client around that day. thank goodness for the car wash in the garage of my office building and their newly extended hours.

step 2--nerd it up.
yes, for the first time in twenty-something years, i am wearing glasses.

obviously, my cheapass didn't go for the anti-glare coating. yay for the bear's awesome vision insurance. boo for not covering many of the extras. the insides of the frames are orange, and there's some subtle orange bling on the sides that you can't see so well here. i'm such a sucker for basic on the oustide, amazing on the inside (like blah bags with cute lining or shoes with an awesome pattern on the insole...i've bought stuff just for the lining before, no joke). i only have to wear them for distance, so you probably won't see me sporting them too often except while driving at night or in class. as of now, i'm amazed at how crisp signs look when driving, but still a bit nauseated.

it's amazing how crisp and clear everything looks from the driver's seat now.

chop it all down!

i wanted to drop something off at the in-laws' this past weekend, so i decided to check out wan's new hair stylist while i was at it. it's not that i didn't like my last haircut (in fact, i liked it a lot), but that stylist is hard to get to because of her location and schedule. now rochelle is a bit far as well, but she lives very close to the in-laws, so i can try to schedule hair appointments to coincide with our trips to see them.

i like the new cut quite a bit. i decided to go way different. it's so nice and light for summer. plus she undercut my hair so a bunch of hidden layers are super short, thus lightening the load of hair i have and preventing puffhead. well, until those undercut layers grow out, that is. i had a moment of doubt when i got home (the cut is the kind that looks all edgy and hip on white girls but can look totally fob on us yello [sic] ones), but i finally decided that i do really love it and can rock it.

oh, and rochelle is pretty fab, too. she spends a lot of time looking at your hairs before making recommnedations, she's very deliberate about her cuts, and she lets you know what's going on each step of the way. plus she's got a great eye for what will suit you. i totally recommend her.

alright, enough of this blabbing. onto the photos!

the day before [stolen from aline's blog]
after:

of course it doesn't look as fab today since i styled it, but i'm still loving it and can't wait to experiment with different looks (sleeker for nights out, perhaps?). i'm loving the feel of the breeze on my neck and the mini dollop of shampoo required. now to see if my lazy, low-maintenance self can keep up with this look. . .

grumpy pants

tight pants make me grumpy. i just feel so constricted, restricted, and otherwise-stricted all day long.

all of my pants are quite snug right now.

i know, i know, i'm not fat. i do have some pockets of extra fat here and there, but it's nothing too crazy (don't hate, please, just looking at myself through realists' glasses). however, my snug pants give me major muffin top, make the thighs of my pants look like overstuffed sausage casings, and worst of all, make me grumpy!!!

plus i have a dr. appointment next week, meaning they'll be weighing me. i never weight myself, so i'm a little scared to see the actual number. lucky for me, fat doesn't weight as much as muscle, and i know some of my already meager muscle has melted into fat.

it's really time to do something about it. like...go to that place i haven't stepped foot in in over 6 months. what's it called again? maybe i'll ease into it by hitting up a yoga class there tonight since the bear will be bowling off his calories. oh, and maybe shutting my piehole halfway so i'll eat a little less.

hasta la vista, marriage* fifteen.

*doesn't quite have the same ring as freshman fifteen. hmph.

almost christmas, not quite

before i speak of our nice, long weekend away, some random thoughts:

[i]
the hairs when not touched by professional hands, let down to to dry naturally, and dabbed with a little bit of product.
1. i need to be more heavy handed with the product. this is bordering on ajumah poof [this is really the best definition/translation i could find online. someone needs to write a better one!], and we can't have that when i haven't even hit thirty yet.
2. if the hair is curled, the downward-pointing lashes should most definitely also be curled. heck, those lashes should be curled every day.
3. the length is aiite for my natural hair texture. it looks much better when flat ironed. this lazy potato is a bit saddened. if only i had wash 'n' go hair, since i usually treat it like that anyway.

[ii]
888. the number of entries on my google reader waiting to be read when i returned from a mere three days away from internet access. i know some would think this a rather lucky number of entries, but it's a bit overwhelming. luckily, a couple hundred were from my news feeds, which i promptly clicked "mark as read."

i found complimentary internet access in the hotel lobby on our last morning there.

[iii]
i have not read for pleasure in, oh, um...oh heck, i can't even remember the last time. i couldn't find a magazine that peaked my interest at the airport, so i picked up a paperback instead. syrie james' the lost memoirs of jane austen is definitely a quick, fun read if you're a jane austen fan.

the premise is that jane austen's long, lost memoirs have been found and edited into this volume (when in fact it is all fiction). the author's style mimics austen's well enough, and more importantly, it's the first book/movie/work of full or partial fiction in a long, long while that has made me suspend disbelief, as i believe any good work of art should, so fully. the author also rather skillfully intertwines austen's true whereabouts in certain years, her supposed experiences at the time, and how those influenced, informed, and appeared in austen's novels. i guess the girly girl in me, who has been so lucky as to have experienced being romanced and is experiencing a marriage based on love, truly hopes deep down that she also was able to experience such a thing in real life and not just through observation and creation of characters. after reading this book, i want to go back and re-read all of her novels again.

this is probably the last "for fun" book review you'll get from me for a long time.

[iv]
i came home all motivated to clean things up, wrap up the last of the gifts, write a few last cards, get the laundry done, catch up on blogs/bills/email/facebook/messageboards, finish our parent albums which we are giving them as part of their gifts, deadfile bills that are past 7 years old (yes, i'm that crazy anal), gather up donations and load them in my car so i can give them before year's end, put some more ornaments on our poor three that still only has three on its branches, and other thrilling miscellany. however, i instead got sucked into the internets where reading an email here and a blog there has gotten me into a pensive, think-too-much, melancholy mood. i know! it's christmas! chin up, potato! but that also means it's year end, and this year is ending much too quickly without enough room nor time to think. maybe i should stop blogging and find some alone time.

anyway, without thinking, i know this year has been a blessed one, the next two days will be filled with fun, some more family time (as if this weekend wasn't enough already ;)), hopefully some reflection on why i celebrate, and tons o' food. i wish you all a happy holiday and hopefully some rest from work as well!

chop chop!

so i finally took action after all my talk of new hair. i got nanners' stylist's info from her over a month ago, accidentally missed the first appointment i made, and then had to reschedule my appointment four times due to being so not on top of my schedule these days. at the SFAM holiday hoorah this morning/afternoon [more on that later as photos are uploading now, and i'm sure other members will give better synopses than i will], we discovered that our friend k also had an appointment with the same stylist at 4 pm. my appointment was at 5. i got to see k again with her fab new hair before i got in the chair. we also both presented her with photos a la nanners.

the stylist was awesome. she was honest with me that i can't go as short as i'd like to (score: bear 1, tater 0) as i'd get "earmuffs" or what i like to call "triangle head" due to my wavy hair. boo! ah well, i am very pleased with the end results, the friendly stylist, and the price.

i tried to find a before photo, but i have none because i have worn my hair in a ponytail, every day, for the past 5 months since i was so sick of it and its length so unmanageable. it was way past the bra strap in back. boo. oh, "an after photo!" you say? here you go.

i need a professional to blow my hair out every day. photos of this style in waves and curls to come, eventually, as well.

post-wedding chop

warning! lots of potato pics in this one. just. the. potato.

i've been contemplating this since a month before the wedding, but there are a few things holding me back.

namely:
1. i'm cheap. i cut my hair maybe twice a year if my mane is so lucky. my current stylist charges only $40 a cut. i know i'll most likely have to shell out at least double to find a good stylist in this city.
2. i still haven't found a stylist i love. $40 lady is fine for trims or even medium-length cuts, but that's it. i don't trust her for something more radical. anyone have a recommendations for a stylist who can work asian, wavy, bendy/formable, very textural, thinning but has tons of volume and frizz hair? yes, the potato hair is quite temperamental. i'm open to someone on the westside, south bay, long beach, or north orange county.
3. i'm lazy. see #1 for how often i drag myself to the salon.
4. "winter" is upon us. i will be seeing snow, as we've got our first snowboarding trip scheduled (tahoe in december...whee!). the extra hair keeps me warm. on the other hand, the extra hair is harder to shove under a winter hat and/or hood.
5. i'm lazy. shorter hair often requires more upkeep. right now, i can just toss it into a ponytail for instant polish.

just in time, instyle came up with a photochopping flash app that i've been desperately searching for for years as real photoshopping takes a longass time to get the angles, hair color, etc. all looking believable. i found it via weemo's experimentation and a post on a message board. one tip - use a photo with as much of your hair pulled up and out of your face as possible and no sunglasses on your head, or else you might end up looking like this:

mandy moore


milla jovavich


kirsten dunst


michelle pfeiffer

enough of that. i uploaded a better photo, but i had sideswept bangs in this one, so it still distracted a bit. i originally left the color in its original state, then i tried it in my natural hair color as we all know by this point in this entry that i am too lazy and cheap for hair color upkeep. not that i'd ever go platinum blonde, but ya know. click on each photo for a larger, non-pixelated version.

jessica alba #1


jessica alba #2


posh spice aka victoria beckham


halle berry


cate blanchett


sandra bullock


giselle bundchen


naomi campbell


claire danes


eve


america ferrara


katherine heigl


katie holmes


j.lo


milla jovavich, again


lucy liu. no need for color change on this one.


eva longoria mullet


katharine mcphee


red potato. debra messing.


sienna miller


mandy moore #1


mandy moore #2


natalie portman


nicole ritchie


ashlee simpson


gwen stefani. aka potato in drag.


charlize theron


carrie underwood


naomi watts


reese witherspoon
[which kay pulls of very well]

catherine zeta-jones. scary potato.

in conclusion, i think whenever i get up the nerve, funds, motivation, and the name of an awesome stylist, i'll do something like this, courtesy of the fab jasmine star's blog (sad i didn't find her during my own wedding photographer search, although i do love the one i ended up with). too bad i don't make such a great blonde, and too bad this style will require a bit more handling and upkeep than my current style. but...i think it'll work with my hair type and face shape.




oh, and that little project i was supposed to have done today? um, yeah. no comment. sigh. :(