Lame Cyber Monday

On Monday morning, I woke up and eagerly flipped open my Macbook.

I am not (and never will be) a Black Friday shopper. I can appreciate a good deal, but one of my least favorite things in the entire world is shopping when it's crowded. And we all know that Black Friday takes "crowded" to an entirely new extreme.

Besides that, I absolutely ADORE online shopping. I cannot get enough of perusing through a store's inventory in such a neat and organized manner (especially when that store in "real life" is messy and chaotic...yes, I am talking to you, Forever21), and it feels like Christmas when a package arrives with my name on it.

So naturally, I am a total Cyber Monday girl.

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This past Monday though? I felt very underwhelmed and disappointed.

Most websites just had free shipping, and a few others offered 30% off or so on selected items.

I can find those kinds of deals year-round. I expected to be wowed and amazed!

Here's hoping to a better next year...

Walk the Moon: AMAZING concert

Friday night, I went with two friends to the Walk the Moon concert.

It was phenomenal.

I had never been to a concert of a smaller music group, and I fell in love with the atmosphere. There was this feeling of community and closeness between everyone in the audience and even the band.

I enthusiastically painted my face and danced without worrying about how stupid I looked.

Because I look REALLY awkward whenever I dance.

Rhythm and I have never been close friends.

When the band left the stage at the end of the show without performing their most popular song, the audience began chanting, "ANNA SUN! ANNA SUN!"

Of course, the band ran back out to perform it as their finale, and as they neared the last refrain, CONFETTI SHOT OUT OF THE STAGE.

INCREDIBLE. I felt like I was in a movie. A bit like the scene in The Lizzie McGuire Movie when Lizzie performs as Isabella. Okay. That doesn't make much sense, but I think the feelings of exhilaration were similar.

Walk the Moon, I am in love with you.

THERE'S A MAN ON OUR PORCH!!!

Last Wednesday night, I was sitting at the dining room table on my laptop when the doorbell rang.

It was 11:30PM. Only one of my roommates was home, and she was on the third floor.

Needless to say, I was a little creeped out.

I cautiously made my way to the front door and peeked out the window.

THERE WAS A DRUNK HOMELESS MAN ON THE FRONT PORCH.

"Ma'am? Excuse me ma'am? I'm sorry to bother you," he was shouting.

I screamed (Seriously. Dramatic) and ran up the three flights of stairs to find my roommate who was washing her face for the night.

Exactly what I looked like.

"THERE IS A MAN ON OUR PORCH!!!!!" I exclaimed.

"What? What? Should we call the police?" she responded.

We eventually crept back downstairs and made sure our late-night visitor had left before going to bed.

Of course, I opted to sleep on the futon in my roommate's room that night.

There was no way I would be sleeping alone.

Where did you get that coat?

Sunday evening, my roommate and I were walking to mass in the pouring rain.

Along the way, we came across a black coat on the sidewalk. The poor coat was lying in a puddle and looked so sad.

After closer examination, we realized that the abandoned coat was one of those North Face jackets that feels all soft and fluffy.

"What size is it?" I asked.

"Medium!"

"Perfect! Let's take it home."

So we turned around and took our new jacket home where after a nice trip through the washing machine and dryer, it looked and felt good as new!

See?

We realize we may be categorized as garbage pickers now.

It's okay.

Caught in the rain

As I was leaving for class this afternoon, it was difficult not to notice the dark and cloudy skies.

Feeling too lazy to go find my umbrella, I decided that it had rained enough for the day, and that I would be fine walking to and from class.

Oh, I was wrong.

While I managed to stay dry on my trip to class, I cannot say I was as lucky on my journey home.

This is me.

All (fake) smiles.

For some reason, whenever I am caught in the cold and rain sans umbrella, I literally want to cry. I think, Why is this happening to me? I am freezing, and my hair is being ruined. My life is so awful. I am so sad.

Not dramatic at all. 

"YOU NEED TO TURN THE CAR OFF"

Friday evening, my roommate and I were driving to the grocery store when her heat suddenly stopped working.

"That's weird," she said as we both felt cold air blowing out of the vents.

"Is that smoke?" I asked, taking a closer look at the hood. "Let's just stop at Starbuck's. That way we can have nice drinks while we wait for Triple A."

"I bet we can still make it to the grocery store," my roommate replied.

Stopped at a light, we noticed the man in the Jeep in front of us motioning to wind the window down.

"YOUR CAR IS SMOKING!" He shouted.

"Yes, we know!"

"YOU NEED TO PULL OVER!"

"We will!"

"NO! YOU NEED TO TURN THE CAR OFF! PULL THE CAR OVER NOW."

The man in the Jeep looked really worried. We figured we should probably be too.

Lucky for us, we were stopped beside the entrance of a parking garage so my roommate whipped her smoking Lumina inside and turned it off.

"Get out of the car Jenna," she exclaimed, and we both dramatically ran from the vehicle (which was quite fun).

Eventually, the car ceased smoking and Triple A arrived to tow it (although the tow-truck could not fit inside the garage and my roommate was forced to move her car to the busy street- another story, another time). Our other roommate's boyfriend came to pick us up, and we were delivered safely back home.

Sad roommate with her broken car.

What a trip to the grocery store.

QA didn't destroy me- hooray!

Yesterday evening, I had a quantitative analysis exam.

Whenever I have a QA exam, I experience a total nervy-b and my stress levels are obscene.

I also miss out on a lot of sleep, which may or may not be linked to my studying habits and penchant for procrastination.

Even though I absolutely hate big exams or tiresome papers, I have to admit- I can't get enough of that feeling of relief and just pure happiness afterwards.

Last night, my roommates and I celebrated with a bottle of spiced wine and Celine Dion music.

We love Celine!

I am very glad to be done with my stressful event of the week!

Although it should be noted that I don't think I did so awesome on my exam...

Oh well. I'm an English major. I'm expected to be atrocious at math.

Smoky Eye Success or Fail?

This morning, I used the Almay Intense I-Color Smoky-Kit for green eyes.

And honestly, I'm just not sure if I indeed look sultry and seductive or like I got punched in both of my eyes.

Smoky eye success or fail? It's okay to be honest here bloggers.

I won't cry or anything. That would ruin my (maybe) good eye makeup!

Jenna? Is that you??

First of all, please accept my humble apologies for abandoning my poor blog. It was close to calling 241-BLOGS, but fortunately I arrived home from Chicago just in time.

As always, I had such a wonderful weekend visiting my friends.

Highlights of the trip included:

Shopping for six (okay maybe more) hours straight and making some amazing purchases, including A NEW PEA COAT!!!! I found this lovely coat on sale at Anthropologie for only $80, originally $288. What a steal!

Eating dinner at Friends Sushi. Yum, yum.

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Being very tacky and touristy and riding the ferris wheel at Navy Pier (Note: we were totally freaking out in the wind, and I may have posted a dramatic Facebook status claiming we were stuck at the top of the ferris wheel. This was a lie)

My lovely friend who suggested riding the ferris wheel.

Walking miles down to Buckingham Fountain to discover it was covered up for the winter.

Not what we saw.

Having crepes and tea with one of my dearest friends this morning <3

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The funniest part of my trip happened this afternoon though. I was waiting for my cousin to pick me up at 2PM when he texted me to let me know he was running late and it would be closer to 2:30. I was extremely happy to receive this news since I was starving and now had time to get a quick lunch.

Since I didn't have too much time to spare, I ended up getting a hamburger and fries from a place called "Devil Dawgs." I sat down at a picnic table outside surrounded by my luggage and carrier bags and began to eat.

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What should happen next but a sweet girl from a number of my freshman year classes walked by.

"JENNA??? IS THAT YOU?" She asked, understandably confused as to why the girl who transferred schools was sitting at a picnic table alone eating a hamburger.

GREAT way to be seen after three years! TOTALLY NORMAL.

Wednesday Weigh-In

Confession: I have been petrified to step foot on my scale these past few weeks.

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I vowed I was going to get my act together after midterms (a time when I consumed an obscene amount of chocolate and sweets).

But then Halloween came.

And after that...well, I felt like I had fallen so far off the weight loss wagon that another wagon had come along and run me over.

Okay. That was a little dramatic.

I hope (!!) I am ready now to get back into a healthy routine.

This morning, I stepped on that dreaded scale.

Today's weight: 139.5 pounds

So I've only gained back three pounds in my three (or more) weeks of unhealthy eating!! SUCH a relief!

...and there goes my iPod

Whenever I'm working out, I have a terrible habit of dropping/launching/tossing my iPod.

I will be on the treadmill or elliptical and start to get REALLY into whatever song is playing on my iPod. Involuntarily, my arms begin to sway more dramatically and then BAM!

I accidentally get myself tangled in the earbud cords, and I yank my earbuds out and send my iPod flying across the gym.

Today, I did this while listening to Rachel Platten's "1000 Ships."

It's such an invigorating song. I could help but sway my hips and arms. My poor iPod had no chance. After it toppled to the floor, it actually stopped working for a few minutes. 

It had a near death experience.

I think it may be time to invest in one of those exercise armbands. 

She's making a list, checking it twice

This weekend, I took on one of my favorite tasks of the year- compiling my birthday/Christmas list.

Since my birthday is December 19th, a mere six days before Christmas, my list requires quite a bit of work.

Words cannot explain the joy I feel as I type in the URLs to my most beloved of websites and copy and paste the links to coveted items into an email appropriately titled, "Jenna's Birthday and Christmas List: 2011 Edition."

Very official, of course. 

Here are a few of the items I'm wishing for this birthday and Christmas season.

1. Kate Spade 2012 Desk Top Planner

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2. Red Mittens

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3. ALDO 'Roediger Riding' Boots

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4. Dogeared Turquoise Teardrop Healing Gem Gold Dipped Earrings

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5. The Myth of You & Me by Leah Stewart (and lots of other books!)

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6. Colin Firth. 

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Kidding. 

Okay. Not really.

My favorite accessory

Last birthday, my wonderful grandma gave me a gift that ended up becoming my most favorite accessory.

It came dressed in a holiday Saks box (I am a December baby) with a beautiful red ribbon. I may have derived as much pleasure out of the box's wrapping as I did the box's actual contents. Just throwing that out there.

What was inside? Why it was my Marc Jacobs watch!

Most awkward photo EVER? Yes. Creepiest face ever? Yes.

Here is a more professional one of my beloved watch.

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Ah, yes. That's better. Thanks Google Image search!

I love wearing watches. It just looks so much classier to check the time on your wrist rather than your cell phone. Agreed?

So- what is everyone else's favorite accessory?

The Perfect Night In!

Tonight in Cincinnati, it is cold and rainy.

My roommate and I picked up Indian food for dinner and had truffles for dessert.

It was delicious. I want more.

I love being (almost) done with classes for the week and inside our warm, cozy house for the night.

I just painted my nails in OPI's "My Address is 'Hollywood.'" They look fabulous. 

I can hear the rain hitting against my window as I am all snuggled up in bed watching Love Actually.

Men in Cincinnati, please feel free to show up at my door with a sign like this.

Oh yes. Very amazing night.