Dream House Tag

I love tags...I do them in my head but never post them. This is for future reference just like everything else here! Tag if you're reading! This is originally from one of my favorite blogs: http://somethingalwayz.blogspot.com/ - she's wonderful, especially if you're a wax-lover!

Build Your Dream House Tag

1. Acreage or City Lot?
Doesn't matter! I live currently in a small suburban area (one where the houses are all different rather than cookie-cut from the same stuff) and I enjoy it. I have neighbors at all angles but no bother. I don't know how comfortable I'd feel living out on a huge piece of land with no one around, though.

2. Basement or Crawlspace?
I wouldn't mind a basement! I've never had one. At the moment, there's a crawlspace but never ever shall I see it. I don't do small spaces.

3. Attached or Detached Garage?
I have also never had a garage. I would love an attached garage but it doesn't even have to be closed in. I would just love to park my car inside and away from the elements.

4. Wood or Vinyl Siding?
Vinyl is more sturdy, right? Vinyl.

5. Brick or Stone Accents?
Stone would be nice and rustic. Bricks would be nice, too - I am neutral on this one.

6. One, Two or Three Story?
One floor. I don't like stairways - not because of the walk but they're creepy as all hell to me. I wouldn't mind a recessed den or dining room like small steps in a house, that would be awesome and cozy.

7. Hardwood floor, Tile or Carpet on main floors?
Real, finished hardwood. We've always had the peel-and-stick stuff or the clap-together boards. No carpet ever anywhere in life. Ever. That's what rugs are for!

8. How Many Bedrooms?
Just two would be nice as long as it's just me. I've always wanted to fix up a guest room. 

9. How Many Bathrooms?
One great, big bathroom attached to the master bedroom and one smaller but full bathroom to go with the guest bedroom.

10. Walk-in-closet or En-suite?
Walk-in!

11. Jacuzzi tub or Separate Shower?
Both - it's a dream house, should I have to choose?

12. Gas or Electric Stove?
Electric, I guess.

13. Cherry, Oak, or White Kitchen Cupboards?
White...I love a bright, clean, white surface to anything.

14. Cozy Eating Nook or Large Dining Room?
Again, why can't I have both? I would love a tiny breakfast and coffee nook (with a DIY coffee bar!) and a slightly larger, maybe six-seater dining room area. Nothing huge!

15. Office or Guest Room?
Guest room!

16. Bright Modern Colors or Neutral Hues?
Neutral (I love ivories and taupes) - an easy palette to play with and bright, playful accent colors!

17. Curtains or Blinds?
We've always had both. Right now, I've got sheer black curtain panels and heavy wooden venetian blind - love them. So again, both!

18. Home gym or Kids' Playroom?
Neither...no kids, ever (another post, for sure), and if I had a home gym, it wouldn't get used. I might set up a treadmill in the guest room but otherwise, neither of these things.

19. Swimming pool, Hot Tub or Swing Set?
None? None of these things sound like fun. I'd like an outdoor fire pit with a few comfy outdoor seats and maybe a barbeque and bar outside, too? Stocked, please!

20. Flower Garden or Vegetable Garden?
I've always wanted a nice, big (flourishing) veggie garden!

Cosmetic Line-Cutters

Line-cutters, here, meaning short cuts or tricks that no one really talks about or maybe they do, but these are my favorites. A quick list - hopefully - that you can refer to.

• Cream blush can double as a lip color and lip color can double as a cream blush. For lip color, rub some on the back of your hand and pick it up with a blush brush or fingers and dabble on the cheaks. 
• Mascara can be many things: with an angle brush it can be a liner on top and bottom, it can be used to tame dark-hued brows or set them into place, or of course, as mascara. (Too, if you've got dark hair, use mascara to tame fly-aways around the hairline.)
• Used up a mascara? Clean up the wand with remover and soap and water to use as a spoolie.
• Use that mascara wand (cleaned, of course) as a spoolie to tame brows, comb through mascara, tame fly-aways around the hairline. Spritz with hairspray or dabble on some hair gel for a little hold if using on the hair or brows. 
• Brow powder is a magical thing, too. Use it for brows, eye shadow, liner, and contouring! Contouring powder or bronzer can be used for the inverse. 
• If your skin isn't super-sensitive to silicas, silica powder is amazing as a setting agent.
• Witch hazel is a wonderful makeup remover and is a lot gentler than astringent alcohols. 
• Moisturize fully before makeup primers and makeup in general. Lips, too!
•  My routine for quickness and efficiency: shower, brush teeth, moisturize, blow-dry, make-up, style, lips and fragrance very last.
• Nails smudge mid-drying stage? Lick it - seriously, if it's not too wet, you can use your tongue to push smooth it over. Google this. It works, I promise. 
• Un-coated junk aspirin has great exfoliating properties. I don't recommend using it as a mask because your skin sucks up things like that. But do put about five in your hand, soak them in warm water and allow them to dissolve. Mix this with your cleanser or use it straight-up, it's wonderful! Use infrequently, this is pretty tough stuff!
• Sugar does the same as the above but it's most abrasive! Be careful. (Use on legs before and after shaving, too, as a scrub or all over with body wash, it works wonderfully!)
• Sugar and lemon make a great facial scrub. Lemon will brighten and fade acne and freckles, sugar will scrub away dead skin and reveal fresh, new skin. 

I'll continue to add to this list when I'm not so tired.
-A

10 More Things...

...that you should know about your neighborhood deli or any restaurant for that matter. I am no longer a waitress but I sure as hell feel like one most days. Here to lay it all out there once again after this recent job-change. This applies to dining out altogether. I now work at a high-volume deli chain that processes several hundreds of dollar per hour in a town of about 10,000 people...doesn't sound like much but when all of these people decide to come eat at the same damn time...uh...yes. A few things need to be said.
Again, from the bottom:

10. Come during rush-hour. We're fully staffed and ready to go at peak hours (11-2, and again at 5-8 in most stores). I'd love a table of 20 during lunch rush far better than a table of 20 after I've got things cleaned up and sent everyone home. 

09. I hate when I've got plenty of clean tables but the one you want to sit at is dirty and you need me to pull away from what I'm doing to come clean it up. I'm on my way but damn-it, pick a clean table if you'd like to sit at a clean table!

08. Please don't come behind the counter! During peak hours, I may be slow at getting you whatever it is you need but with a customer moving to get their own stuff from behind my work space is hazardous to everyone.

07. Fast-food and quick-serve are two different things. Figure out your time limitations before going to dine-out.

06. This is going to be a long one. As hourly employees and as a manager, myself, we get hours docked or pay cuts or written up when there are major complaints that go directly to corporate. We do all we can as employees - they hired us as hospitality workers - one such instant in which a Sunday rush brought about a 20-minute wait-time for a couple of people, the gentleman that asked about his food was told it would be another two minutes (and it was, not a second longer). He sat down and immediately sent the owner of the company a novel concerning his wait-time and thereafter pointed out all the trifling other details he didn't like about the restaurant as well. This trickles down onto the hourly-paid workers like fire. We got hell for this. Before writing complaints, ask to speak to a manager on duty- I'm always willing to go above and beyond so that you're happy before you leave! That's what they pay me to do! I can't give you back time but I can make it up to you one way or another. The gentleman went over my head, I didn't have a chance to fix anything. 20-minutes, during peak, isn't bad at all for us and our regulars know that. Sure, shame on me for not noticing they were from out of town and on a "schedule" of some sort but shame on them for not voicing complaints to the immediate managers who could have saved everyone a bit of heart-ache.

05. Customer: "Oh, you're out of _____?"
      Employee: "Yes, I'm sorry."
      Customer: "You know, they sell _____ down the street."
This is the most pointless exchange of words I'll ever encounter. Restaurants depend on deliveries and bulk food delivery services are probably the most poorly organized industries ever. They leave things off of the order, they'll send yogurt instead of fresh fruit, they don't send enough of something we ordered plenty of, etc. I have no control over this as an hourly and if they sell _____ down the street, don't expect me to go get it. Unapproved products and brands in the store can cost me my job. 

04. No one in any restaurant ever has ever been excited for customers 10-minutes before closing. It's not just me, as a cashier, but my cooks are trying to go home, my dishwasher is trying to go home, and hell, I'm trying to go home but coming in to sit down 10-5 minutes before I lock the doors is something I find nearly insulting. My hours are posted on the door. And personally, I won't bother with a restaurant that's closing down. In clean-up mode, it's better to just walk away. I'll get you a drink, I'll sell you some of the finest pre-packaged deserts, chips, cookies, anything, to go! But don't make us cook during this time. It'll suck for us and you, I promise.

03. Know when to leave. Squatting at a table for three hours is fine but don't do it an hour before close and complain that someone's sweeping near your table and the place is starting to smell like bleach. We have to clean up, lock up, and go home on time.

02. If your kid is shy, doesn't want to talk directly to whomever is taking the order, whispering, or if he or she can't choose - pick for them! As a parent or guardian, you know what they'll eat and what they won't eat. If your little one is holding up the line trying to choose between a pizza or salad or if I can't hear what the hell they're saying because they're scared to tell to me for whatever reason, pick for them.

01. Once again - we're all human, customers and employees alike. I know who's worked in food and who hasn't. Those who've worked in food generally have more patience and sympathy. It's a great job most of the time but there's a few people who make it hard on us and makes us rethink it all before clocking out and going home. Trust us - most of us know what we're doing. 

Christmaaas

...was great this year, as is every year. So very thankful for my family and friends and this year, it was spent with them because my job-change this year has put me in such a better place where the hours don't bring me to tears.

I got lots of stuff but most importantly, I got to spend lots of time at home with those that claim me (thank God - no one else will)! Christmas gifts included a deluxe dozen cupcake baker (in the color pink, no less) that'll cook a batch in about eight minutes! Very excited! Cash - always nice, gas is going to go fast next semester, and a table and chairs that I've been wanting. And my parents finally got me a heated blanket that I didn't know I needed until well, now, my tootsies are nice and cozy.

I also gave a lot of stuff this year, too, giving is the part I like about Christmas. I love shopping for others - I start in September, most years! It's always nice to see someone's face light up after opening a well-thought out gift. It it selfish that I shop for others just for inner satisfaction of the concept that I have made their day? Ha.

Just stopping in to round up December. I'm about to post another "list." This is turning into a "list" blog. Oh, well. I hope everyone had a safe, happy, loving Christmas with family and friends and if you didn't, I hope you're smiling for some reason or have some time before a new year to take for yourself. Enjoy what's left of 2013 and 2014, please be nice!

-A

Favorite Holiday Movies

This is going to be more of a reference than a public post - we all have our favorites near and dear around the holidays. This is what I've watched since I was a wee-thing around Christmas in no particular order. A lot of these can be found on Viooz.co, Netflix, Youtube, or even Redbox brings back the classic ones around this time of year.

1. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000) - the original cartoon is just a classic now and a must-watch, the one with Jim Carrey couldn't be more perfect. So fun and colorful!
2. Christmas Story (1983) - a wonderful classic that really explains how children are feeling during the holidays, I think. Also, very funny!
3. Elf (2003) - I don't mind Will Ferrell in this movie. As soon as I saw it, I knew it would be a yearly must-watch for the family and me. Cute movie for everyone. 
4. Home Alone (1990) - perfect pair of movies for the holidays, the first and second. This one is so much fun to watch. 
5. Home Alone 2 Lost in New York (1992) - because these came out around the year I was born, I think I've been watching these since before I could even remember and that's why I love them so. Perfectly executed movies that just get better with age. 
6. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) - we watch this traditionally while decorating the tree after Thanksgiving and as a kid, you don't catch everything said but re-watching as an adult and every single year, it just gets funnier. 
7. The Santa Claus (1994) - these are very much a feast for the eyes and explains what we all thought of Santa in the 90's if I'm honest. 
8. The Santa Claus 2 (2002) - loved this one so much! So colorful and fun - the third one bums me out, I love the first pair of these movies, though. Kids would love these and adults can appreciate these. 
9. Jingle All the Way (1996) - this movie is very cute and fun but my parents have watched this movie and sympathized. Dad is looking for this amazing toy all over that is sold out and it becomes a huge ordeal but ends wonderfully. Parents would have fun watching this with kids, I'm sure. 
10. The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - this movie holds a special place in my heart for the Halloween aspect, I've been watching this since I was 3. It's a must-watch and must-appreciate because stop-motion is so incredible. Do watch this with your kids for the holidays, it's so different from the cartoons they have now.
11. Look Who's Talking Now (1993) - oh, I hate that this list isn't an even 10 but I have to throw this in. I love this movie, it's so sweet. A must-watch for kids and parents alike, parents will appreciate it more, however. Very cute and fun and centered around family.

These are Christmas-themed episodes I enjoy from television shows - most of these can be found on Youtube or Hulu around this time of year. 

1. Roseanne (1990s) - S5, EP12 - "No Place Like Home for the Holidays" - true, Roseanne is known for her Halloween episodes (I need to create a Halloween list like this, too) but her Christmas episodes brought out a raw, true feeling to it considering this family is the television equivalent to my own. It's nostalgic and truthful. S6, EP12 - "White Trash Christmas" - another raw episode considering the holidays. They go nuts with the crazy lights, again, my family! Also, there's an episode where Roseanne and Jackie are playing Mr. and Mrs. Claus at the mall, not sure which season or episode - it's further down in the seasons. Very funny and authentic. 
2. Rugrats (1992) - S2, EP14 - "The Santa Experience" - this was my childhood. This particular episode can be found on Youtube but you have to invert your colors temporarily to watch it there. I do have the boxed sets (yes, I still watch them at 22) but this is more convenient honestly. Very fun for me as a kid at heart but as an adult, I can still appreciate the humor. 
3. Full House (1980s, 1990s) - S2, EP9 - "Our Very First Christmas," and S6, EP12 - "A Very Tanner Christmas" - there are probably others, these are feel-good sitcom Christmas episodes and are going to be appealing to those that remembered the show. These are sickly-sweet but fun to re-watch if you can catch them on television. I can't find these online anywhere.

If I left anything out, sorry! These are my favorites. A lot of really authentic classics like Miracle of 34th Street, the Rudolf and Frosty cartoons, etc. haven't played a huge part in my childhood Christmases, therefore, they're not included in my holidays as an adult. I do hope you find something here you can relate to!

Likely until next year, ya'll...
Merry Christmas to you and yours!
-A