Things I do when Aaron is out of town.

One of those rare times has come again - Aaron is out of town!  Yeah!!  In case you are new here, this is a great thing because my introverted self never gets to have the house all to myself.  This is a rare treat - though I am sure I will miss him by Saturday.

Anyway, there are a handful of things that only happen in my household when no one is home, and I'd like to share those with you now.

1. Cereal for dinner.  Just about every night.

Come to Mama.

 

2. The bathroom door stays open.  There is nothing more liberating!  lol.  I really only am happy that I can take my showers with the door open and not have to worry about the light interrupting any one's sleep in the morning.  Oh, to be a grad student!

 

3. I stay up late.  There is no logical reason for it, I think I just enjoy rebelling against the routine.  I immediately regret it when my alarm goes off. 

4. Ultimate A/C control.  I am not even close to being a cold natured person, quite the opposite.  But when Aaron is home he likes it a chilly 72 degrees or less with the fans going at full speed.  It dries my eyes out, I have to use a blanket in the summer.  It is insane.  Plus he leaves after me and never turns the temp up, so we air condition an empty house.  So frustrating!

It is staying at 78 this week!

5. I become a gal about town.  When I get off work, I have to sit in 45 minutes of traffic until I get home, then I have to figure something out for dinner so we can hopefully eat by 7.  I don't like eating much later than that, I am already hungry when I leave work.  Since I don't have to rush home to make dinner, (because I am having cereal, remember?) I will go all over the place.  Feel like going to world market?  Why, yes I do.  Want to go get those caterpillar eyebrows waxed and have to wait zero minutes at the salon?  Yes, please.  I might even go to the mall, or meet someone for happy hour.  It gets crazy.

6. Clean-a-palooza happens.  I have no clue why, but aside from doing dishes, I have trouble doing chores when Aaron is home.  Either I am wanting to hang out with him, or I don't want him to see me digging through his piles of stuff trying to put them away.  Somehow our place stays reasonably clean, but I really get down to business when he is gone for a few days. 

7. Best sleep ever.  Getting to stretch out in the middle of the bed is awesome.  Plus you are the only one snoring, so you probably wont wake up in the night. 

 

Thanks for going out of town, Aaron!  It is the best gift you can give me, lol. ;)

 

 

#fantastysuitefail - The Bachelorette Recap

 

As promised, today we are recapping this week's The Bachelorette, season 9!

 

Fan favorite Desiree from Sean's season of The Bachelor is this new season's Bachelorette!  I think she is adorable, and also obsessed with Cinderella.  She knows that isn't real life, right?  Either way, she is ready to find Mr. Right amongst a quite peculiar group of men.

 

 

 

 

So it is really hard to recap the first episode, because I have commentary of my first impression of everyone!  I'll stick to the standouts...

 

 

These guys got roses before the rose ceremony, so they definitely left an impression with Des.  All the men in the house were going nuts once guys started getting roses, wondering what the trick was.  Obvs these dudes were just being themselves, having a hot body or manipulating our feelings with cute children.  Duh. 

 

1. Bryden - I really like him.  He is a military guy, so he is a beefcake and probably makes the bed in the morning.  I am sure he will get far, but will get axed at the end because he is too boring or responsible.  I hope I'm wrong!

 

2. Drew - All the twitter ladies were going on about this one.  Yeah, he is good looking, but he seems a bit like a smooth talking weasel. 

 

3. Michael G - I don't remember too much about him aside from making her wade in the fountain for her penny she threw in last season of the Bachelor.  She much like muscles.

 

4. Nick M - I can literally say I know nothing about this dude.  I don't remember him getting out of the limo, or even talking to her?  I am sure we will learn more as the season progresses.

 

5. Zak - Ugh.  His opening line (while shirtless the WHOLE night) was 'do you accept these abs?'  ::eyeroll::  This guy is a doofus. 

 

6. Ben - Has a very cute child.  I don't trust him as far as I can throw him though...

 

It could be my negative associations with Bens on this show.  They just go after girls like Courtney.

 

 

But yeah, after we met everyone it was a usual night of everyone throwing elbows to try and get one-on-one time with Des.  Abs guy jumped in the pool.  Kasey kept speaking in hashtags.  Jonathan kept trying to get Des alone in the fantasy suite.  Seriously?  Like MULTIPLE TIMES he tried.  Thankfully Des asked him to leave after the third time. 

 

 

Beware ladies of North Carolina!

 

There are those who didn't make the first cut though.  That has got to be embarrassing. 

 

 

1. Nope for Larry.  He botched his intro my making Des dance with him and her dress got all caught in her shoes.  Plus he was just kind of creepy. 





 

2. Sorry, no Diogo.  You came in a full suit of armor, which was a bold move.  Sadly your brand of boldness did not pay off.  Perhaps you can go be a knight at Medieval Times.  Unless you already are, and that is how you got this suit of armor in the first place. 

 

3. You're done, Micah.  I thought it was a really cute gesture to design your own suit to show Des that you are interested in her line of work.  But when you are matched up to a bunch of man-hunks in real suits, you aren't putting your best foot forward.  I'm sure you'll find a nice girl who loves goofy guys. 

 

4. Poof! Nick M, the magician/tailor did not have the magic touch with Des. 

5. I almost forgot Mike R (not shown in group).  He seemed a little bit like he might be gay.

 

 

From the looks of it, we are going to have quite a ride this season!  You can find me on Twitter Monday nights tweeting along with #thebachelorette  be sure to follow along @whoisnataliem - it is hilarious! 

 

Are you looking forward to this season!? 



 

  



 

 

 

Houston Art Car Parade!

Hey Gang,

I am late unloading pics from our fancy camera, so this is why I am sharing so late.  Houston Art Car Parade was the weekend before last, so we went and saw all the sights!  This is an annual event in Houston, and we had never been - so obvs I had to take pics of every single car I saw...lol.  Hope you enjoy this display of people turning cars into artwork! (If you want to see a larger pic, I believe you can click on them to blow them up)

That is Jesus hanging out the passenger side, like a scrub. (No scrubs, TLC, anyone?  lol)

Pole on a car?  Stay classy, Houston!

Sock Monkey car was one of my faves.

Bumble bee car

Dog

Covered in fish

 

Thug cars that bounce up and down

Construction equipment car

Butterflies

Peacock

Metal?

Strawberry

 

Legalize marijuana people.  Of course they would show up, lol.

The crapper car

 

Hell in a handbasket, lol

Pink Bunny

I think this was a metal elephant

Luchadors, lol

Giant VW Beetle

Man traveling by unicycle - not part of the parade

Cockroach, ew!

 

 

This parade is really fun, if you are in Houston, you really should check it out!

May Birch Box Brag!

 In where I show off my lack of photography skills.  Sorry about that.

 

 

 

 

I have actually tried all of these before writing up my review!  Are you as impressed with me as I am? lol. 

 

I'll go in order of the card because that is what I am feeling right now. 

 

1. Beauty Protector / Protect & Detangle

This stuff is alright.  It detangles pretty well, but so does $3 kid stuff, so that doesn't seem mind blowing.  Speaking of blowing, I do zero amounts of heat damaging stuff to my hairs.  I wash, mousse, hairspray, airdry.  So this product really isn't meant for people with hair routines like mine, I'm guessing.  As a conditioner, I think it is alright.  My hair feels very soft, but check exhibit A.

 

That is a crazy amount of frizz happening off the top of my head.  Plus I think my brows are turning grey, so that is a very sad day.  I got the olds.

 I digress, but I have used the Biolage leave in conditioner and I like it 1000% times better for around the same price.

Speaking of price though, I usually think 99% of this stuff is way more $$ than I want to pay for makeup and beauty products, so I am unsure why I am even a subscriber....

 

Moving on.

 

2. Coola - Classing Face SPF 30

Loving that this has a high SPF factor for us pale vampire gals like me!  Plus is is organic, which is nice and fancy.  I really liked this stuff because it was so lightweight and smooth.  Regular sunblock is just a big goopey thick mess, and I almost think I'd rather deal with skincancer than have to have that stuff caked on under makeup.  Problem solved.  It is a bit pricey, but I'd say worth it if you are dolled up and in the sun frequently.

 

3.  Folle de Joie eau de parfum

I am wearing this today, and I think I would like it if I hadn't overdone it.  I put on the usual amount that I would for any scent and I can REALLY smell it, like crazy a lot.  It is a fresh and airy kind of baby-powderish scent - but trust me - a little goes a loooong way.  Is there a way to remove too much perfume?  Because it is really turning my stomach at this point.

 

4. Sumita Color Contrast Eyeliner

LOVE!  This stuff goes on so smooth!  It is just like butter!  Only downside is that it is pretty unblendable.  Good if you want a really sharp defined line, but bad if you mess up and blend to hide your mistake (me.).  It is pretty reasonably priced for the quality too.  I will definitely be buying this once my sample runs out.

 

5. Yes to Grapefruit Daily Facial Scrub

LOVE!  I think I may have found my new go-to facewash.  I feel like I am in a weird skin age where anti-aging skin stuff is waaay over moisturizing and weird and makes me breakout like a 17 year old, and everything else is too over drying or made for young oilyish skin.  Or it costs $20 and I am sorry but in your dreams would I pay that much for some soap!  Oh plus, my skin is sensitive and turns red whenever you even touch it.  It is awesome being me.  This stuff is only $10, which is a much easier pill to swallow, and it was really easy on my face (not crazy red after washing) and has very gentle exfoliators in there that got the job done without being rough.  I already bought a full size bottle, hopefully the results stick! 

 

So that was my Birch Box this month - tried any of these before?  

 

Interested in trying Birch Box? Click here!

 

 

 

 

Summer TV !

O.M.G. you guys, how good was that The Office finale??!  I laughed, I cried, I literally screamed Sue Heck style when I saw Michael Scott's face!

I think I did the dance too.  #noshame

 

And I totally lost it when Erin met her birth parents, and Nelly got Ryan's baby!  And Michael Scott had kids!  It is like everyone got what they always wanted.  My cup runneth over.

 

No need to be depressed for too long, summer TV has a pretty good sounding lineup.  Here is what I am looking forward to watching while staying out of Houston's unholy heat and humidity.  

 

The Bachelorette!!!!

 

Mondays aren't so bad when The Bachelor/Bachelorette is on!  I have serious problems because I get OBSESSED when these are on.  I cancel plans, I tweet along on Twitter, I seek out tons of recaps the next day.  It is like the worst of my TV watching persona comes out.  But instead of shaming myself, I am going to embrace it and will be posting recaps of my own.  I love Desiree, and I feel much less bad about trash talking dudes as opposed to desperate ladies.  Sexist much? :\  Either way - one week from today, it is on!!!

Here Comes Honey Boo Boo

My favorite family is coming back July 17th!  Everyone loves to hate them, but I adore them!!!  Once you get past the fact that they are just poor rural people, they are hysterical and such a loving family.  Looking forward to catching up with them after a long hiatus! 

Extreme Makeover Weight Loss Edition

I am not one for weighloss shows.  I have never gotten into The Biggest Loser and the like, but I am going to give them a go mostly because I hope to get inspipred to drop some pounds this summer.  This premiers on May 28th!

HGTV Star (Formerly Design Star) 

This is one of the coolest reality shows!  These designers from all over the place do weekly challenges to find a winner who gets their own show on HGTV!  This is totally my Mom and I's show.  We get to in depth discussions and critiques on the designers, whether they executed their idea well while honoring the client's wishes...we just love it, lol.  I can already tell I am going to root for crazy hair over there on the far right.  It all gets going on June 9th!


As you can tell by my preferences, I feel reality TV really hits a good stride in the summer, lol.  What are you looking forward to watching during the off-season of summer??

A Love Letter to The Office

You guys, I have fallen into a mild depression over the series finale/ending of The Office.  Clearly.

Dear The Office,

I am embarrassed to say that I have shed several tears as these last episodes of your series are winding down.  Not just because of the heart exploding story lines, but added to the fact that Thursday nights will never be the same. 

You may think I say this to all the shows, but I have never loved a show quite as much as I love this one.  I feel like everyone contained in those walls of Dunder Mifflin has stolen a piece of my heart forever.

You, The Office, are also basically responsible for Aaron and I falling in love.  When we were just friends/neighbors circa 2007-2011 we would get together every Thursday to watch 'good TV night' - The Office and 30 Rock being staples.  This eventually turned into hanging out all the time, which eventually turned into a marriage proposal!

Evidence.  2009

For crying out loud, we chose our wedding song because it was Phyllis and Bob Vance's wedding song.  (Aaron wouldn't agree to copy Pam and Jim copying that youtube video and dance down the aisle to Chris Brown :\) We had to find a Sbarros in New York City on our honeymoon so we could take a picture of where Micheal Scott likes to get a 'New York slice'.  To this day both of us randomly start singing the Scott's Tots song- "Hey Michael Scott, whatcha gonna do?  Whatcha gonna do to make our dreams come true" or make remarks about pretzel day.  I have to laugh every time I see a George Foreman Grill. 

These characters are ingrained in our lives.

I could write an entire book of my favorite episodes, greatest Office moments, but I couldn't possibly narrow it down into only a blog posts worth.  It would just be too big. 

That's what she said. 

::sobs::

I will miss this show so so so very much.  I love every character like they were a member of my family.  Tomorrow when you air your final new episode, please know my heart is sending a message of gratitude to every actor/writer/producer/etc that was a part of this show and truly raised the bar for what constitutes good television. 

 

May we have reruns forever,

 

Love,

Natalie

 

 

Does anyone have an Ark I can borrow?

It is raining something fierce over here today! 

 

Here is a photo of the only area of natural light in my office - that little black square in the center of the picture, diagonal from the clock on the wall.  It looks like night outside.

Pic fail, you can not tell, but it is raining super hard.  This area floods at a drop of a hat too, so hopefully this gigantic rain cloud moves on down the road here soon. 

 

This rain is just making me super sleepy though.

How's the weather where you are at?