O Christmas Tree

Allison's Christmas Trees 

I've had this dream for a while now of going out to a Christmas tree farm and cutting down our own tree. My family used to get our trees from the VFD up the street until they stopped selling trees, and then we moved on to Home Depot.

The perfect tree! 

We always had a pleasant experience doing so, but there was something about the idea of truly selecting my own that appealed to me. And yes, I always opt for a real Christmas tree even though they're-- to quote Julia Louis Dreyfus in Christmas Vacation-- messy and corny and cliche. I will never get the dreaded fake tree.




I was driving one day and passed a sign for a place called Allison's Tree Farm. After some research, I decided their prices were comparable and so Shelley and I went to check it out. It was adorable-- as soon as we pulled in, we were greeted by the staff.

Shells cutting the tree 

the shop

They have two options: choose a tree from their pre-cut selection in a lot near the shop or go choose your own and cut it down. They provided us with a saw and a map of which trees are where and sent us to trudge through the rows and rows of pines.

When searching for a tree, my criteria is to get it as close to the tree from the Eat & Park commercial as possible, so that's what we did. All the way down and back, scoping for bald spots or soft needles, standing beside it as a height check.

Finally, I saw one and zoomed in on it like a light was shining, spotlight style. As I'm walking towards it, Shelley pointed out from ahead of me, "What about that one?" and indicated the same tree. It was unanimous. We (read: Shelley) sawed it down and we carried it back to the little shop, where it was shaken, wrapped, and attached to our car.



When we went inside to pay, we perused the ornaments and fresh wreaths for sale. They have tables set up and sell hot cocoa in little paper cups as well. I also learned that for every tree someone cuts down, they plant three more. I am never less of an environmentalist than during Christmas, where I have lights up everywhere and cut a living tree to put in my living room until it dies. Knowing that three were planted in its place assuaged that a bit.

Just grab a tripod and some lights and go!

If you're like me, you put your tree up on Black Friday instead of shopping. If you aren't, maybe you're one of those people who wait until Christmas Eve to do it, or you are just super busy and haven't gotten around to it yet. Either way, I highly recommend stopping over to check it out. Side note: it's also a prime Christmas card photo location.

Zorro's favorite spot

Zorro loves the tree too. We've had a pretty difficult time keeping him away from it (and any attempts to do so have been met with as much sass as a silent ball of fluff could muster). Instead, we just allow him to lay on the tree skirt. I don't really blame him for wanting to be close to the lights and the delightful scent of pine.

For Tomboys Who Sometimes Go Glam

I’ve always thought of myself as kind of a tomboy—not the rough & tumble athletic type, but the Vans and t-shirt kind of girl who can’t be bothered with manicures or purses (what would I even put inside?!) or keeping up with the latest makeup trends. I’m too busy and too laid back for that. In the cooler months, a cardigan or a flannel is my go-to, and in the summer months I like a flowy top or a sundress (which, I recognize, is infinitely more girly than the winter attire but also about as effortless as it gets—dresses are one piece, eliminating any need for matching). And let’s not start with me trying to curl my own hair. Why can I do things to other people I can’t finagle on myself? Mysteries.

            

I feel like every time I log on to any form of social media, there are either women who look completely flawless (read: unrealistic), or women doing makeup tutorials. Look, I’ve watched “Ru Paul’s Drag Race,” and after seeing average dudes become gorgeous women, I get the benefits of contouring and enhancing brows. My sister is a makeup aficionado herself and always has that doll-faced look that astounds me.

However, these makeup tutorials are always on super speed with some EDM music in the background and still end up being ten minutes long. I do NOT have time for that routine when I’m tumbling out of bed at 6am. Furthermore, all the contouring and layering results in a different looking person than the one running to the store in sweats and a messy bun on Sunday morning. As I said, my sister is into makeup and said she enjoys wearing it, and that’s wonderful—as long as it’s something women want to do for themselves and no one else, have at it! I enjoy eyeliner in that it makes me look awake and thus a little more human on the days where I’m dragging through in a sleep-deprived state. 

           

Bridesmaid :)

That being said, I do like the occasional smokey eye. Ever since I tried it out for my best friend Liz’s wedding a couple years ago, I love using it as a go-to feminine touch for my standard finger-raked locks and Chapstick. I don’t wear a lot of makeup—I typically keep the routine to a basic neutral eye shadow, signature winged eyeliner, and some mascara. Boom. I like the minimalistic look and sometimes even opt for just a couple coats of mascara (especially when it’s humid outside, because why bother?). However, I’m wont to expand for special occasions, such as the aforementioned weddings, holidays, or date nights where we actually feel like going out. 

I pulled my inspiration from Kristen Stewart. Say what you want about her shrinking violet personality and the Twilight saga, but the girl rocks the smokey eye look better than anyone I’ve seen, and she does it with variety as well as finesse: bold black rocker-chic, turquoise highlights, or neutral browns and greys. I went with the latter for my wedding look, and it’s soft enough for me to recreate every day (though Mary only knows I don’t want to).

         

I don’t use any kind of anything on my face—except for the minor sweep of Cover Girl blush on each cheek to give my Casper skin a glow in the winter. I swear by Proactiv’s three step system—sensitive skin, of course, because I’m allergic to everything—and I finish with their green tea moisturizer for a nice dewy effect that’s also great for my skin. That’s it.

           

I actually made a tutorial for my femme fatale eye shadow routine because sometimes even the chillest chicks like to look a little daintier. J

Love and Light

Over the last few days, listening to the news has been a rather frightening activity, leading many people (including myself) to anxious feelings, wandering thoughts, and horrific dreams. It's terrifying to think that humanity can be so cruel, and that so many of us are at the mercy of so few power-hungry leaders who are pretty detached from reality. These leaders, who make calls to drop chemical or nuclear attacks on PEOPLE, make decisions which impact us overall.

It makes things seem pretty bleak.

My post for this week, then, is written with the purpose of spreading love and light. I seek to draw your attention to the good and the positive-- hence The Bright Side-- and times like these are no exception.

It's easy when things seem to be going really well to forget anything evil in the world, just as it is difficult to remember the beauty and love in the world during times like this.

Look around-- God has created a wonderful world for us, complete with human beings who seek, in their own way, to spread this message of peace and love and beauty. I know so many people personally who put so much of themselves into everything they do-- from my mum, who texts me every morning to say hello and give me a weather update, to my girlfriend who makes food infused with the thought and purpose and tenderness, to any of my friends-- most of whom are teachers or nurses-- who pour themselves into their work every day with the simple purpose of making a difference.

The music we listen to, the books we read, the food we eat, the houses we live in, even the pictures you like by some random amateur blogger/photographer on Instagram... all of these are done with passion and purpose and happiness. To me, this is en route to spreading love and light to others.

Any thing that you do that makes you happy, that makes someone happy, that is done with goodness and pride and thoughtfulness, is your way of making a difference, of ensuring that NO ONE has power over your life but you. YOU make your path, you have the power over your life and what happens to you. If enough of us join together with this same notion in mind, and try to spread our love and our light, then we will be bigger and more powerful and beautiful and fearsome than any figures of "power" that we see in our tragic world today.

I have a friend, Julie, who is a fellow English teacher. In typical nerd fashion, we were discussing poetry-- because why not?-- and sharing some of our favorites. William Ernest Henley's "Invictus" came up, and the whole poem is so empowering, but the last stanza in particular stands out in support of exactly what I'm trying to convey today: "It matters not how strait the gate/How charged with punishments the scroll/I am the master of my fate/I am the captain of my soul."

Try-Pod Month

So, March is try-pod month. I acknowledge that March is almost over, but I would be loathe if I didn't get my recommendations and reviews out there in the next 1.5 days. Try-pod = try a podcast. I despise talk radio-- I turn on the radio to listen to music, not commercials and people making lame jokes. Podcasts, however, are nothing like that (except perhaps for the occasional lame jokes).

I first started listening to podcasts (by choice) about four years ago. Prior to that, I had them forced on me over various roads trips to various places with some old friends, volume blaring as people recounted little stories here and there in the nasal tones of Ira Glass.

Then I was introduced to Serial, and I was hooked. I'll start with that one. Serial, season one, is Sarah Koenig telling a murder mystery serially, over twelve episodes. It's the story of then-teen Adnan Syed, who was either framed for the murder of his girlfriend, or a vengeful ex-boyfriend. Koenig hooks you in Dickensian style, along with a plunk-a-plunk piano tune, and draws you in. I listened to this CONSTANTLY-- while I was driving, while I was folding laundry, while I was blow-drying my hair. And then it was over. Season two impressed me less, and I am still waiting for a third.

S-Town just started and downloaded itself to my phone a few days ago-- same people who produce This American Life and Serial, and I am an episode and a half in and already hooked.

The Minimalists is a podcast I've recently gotten into in an attempt to de-clutter my life and get back to basics-- use things, love people, and all that. It's interesting to hear their insights and the ways they suggest going through things. What is stuff, anyway? (P.S. It's harder than it sounds-- I vacillate between hating clutter and being sentimental-- not a good in-between).

Then there's The Moth. I discovered this one accidentally, whimsically. I love its hazy, dreamy green cover, and everything about the concept. The Moth is an hour long, usually 4 stories, and themed each episode. There are story slams in various areas of the U.S., including my own little artsy Pittsburgh. It's done under the guise of the type of stories people used to tell one another just because, on sleepy porches during humid summer nights with slow breezes rolling in and moths fluttering around the glow of lamplight. My responses to these stories are as animated as the storytellers themselves-- laughter, shock, emotion, raw and exposed onstage, over a microphone, over the radio.

In a similar vein is This American Life. Ira Glass hosts this show every Sunday, and it too is themed. The stories are poignant and real-- vague enough that they are relatable but real enough that they still connect to everyone at the same time. That's the power of good journalism. It is inspirational, as a writer, to see people doing the thing you love to do yourself: to tell these stories of ordinary people doing ordinary things in a somewhat extraordinary way. People leave an impact on us, and Glass's narration opens listeners up to one more way of truly connecting with people, in a way that moves beyond news feeds and tweets.

Finally, Stuff You Should Know, whose hosts, Josh and Chuck, are like long-lost friends. They cover every topic imaginable and even some I've never thought of, and they do it in typical How Stuff Works style, making it all relevant, humorous, and informative concurrently.

There you have it. Check out some of my suggestions, and if you do, tell me about it in the comments section below. I'd love to hear from you! :)

Truffles, The Variety Pack, and a Perfectly Poached Egg

It's been a crazy two weeks. So much has happened and I am left emotionally drained at the end of it-- like "sitting at home in a hoodie and shorts on Saturday night" drained. There is a breeze, so that's nice. This past week was also Valentine's Day-- or in my case, Valentine's Week.

Some remnants of The Dessert Disaster

In spite of the tumultuousness that was the month of February thus far, Shelley succeeded in taking the term "sweetheart" to a new level. Monday, our bunny Zorro got neutered, we had our nephew Trent for a couple days, and by the time the surgeries and child drops were over it was 9:30 at night, and I had to make a treat for school the next day (I'm a teacher (one of many hats)). Shells suggested this cream cheese and Oreo mixture dipped in chocolate. The plan was to shape them like hearts, dip them in white chocolate dyed pink, and call it a day. The dessert missed the memo. My white chocolate covered Oreo truffles were a major fail-- although my girlfriend tried not to laugh at them, a chuckle escaped as she pulled me into the living room to finish watching Nick be a skeeze ("The Bachelor" is our guilty pleasure).

Broken Hearts 

When I woke up in the morning, she got up with me, went downstairs, and had the idea to cut the sad hearts into squares, cleverly call them Broken Hearts, and serve them that way. They still tasted delicious, for the record, as was evidenced by the fact that they were gone nearly instantly. My co-workers also loved the name.

As I had night class Tuesday, we passed our celebration to Wednesday. She came home from work with groceries and a bouquet of flowers-- beautiful flowers-- chrysanthemums, daisies, carnations, roses, morning glories...  Not just a bouquet of roses or carnations or something. I felt like a child as I exclaimed, "You got me the variety pack!" Wow, nice reaction Rebecca.

The Variety Pack

Then, she prepared dinner. She is a chef in every sense of the word: creative, random, anal, and arrogant (about her food)-- but she has every reason in the world to be, as anyone who has eaten a meal she's made knows. The meal is one that, when it was initially described to me, had me raising an eyebrow-- smoked salmon with sweet potato hash and orange rind, hollandaise sauce, and, quote "a perfectly poached egg". This has since become my favorite meal, paired with a nice Reisling. I received this meal on plates I had said I liked once when we were out-- surprise #2 for me.

The meal was followed by the most sinfully decadent dessert I've ever had. I requested a chocolate cheesecake, something rich, and of course it exceeded any dream: chocolate crust (keeping with the Oreo trend), vanilla and chocolate swirled cheesecake, topped with chocolate ganache (which, as my co-worker Julie said, could make a napkin taste good).

My decadent dessert  on pretty plates 

The dessert's leftovers got taken to work, where my colleagues proceeded to call this cooking and cleaning love of mine "a unicorn" because someone who prefers to do those things is such a rarity. We got a good laugh out of that later.  

The next day, I had a doctor's appointment and I was nervous about it. When I came home (all is well), she had bought me a bigger bookshelf, white like I wanted, and assembled it in my studio alongside a lamp in my favorite color. Finally, a place to house my books. I mentioned offhand that I needed to get one next time we were out, and then it was here. Cut to her detailing my car, Arlandria, this afternoon in the beautiful sunshine, as I sit on the driveway and do my homework and smile because it's adorable. 

The thing of it is, I don't think any of these actions had anything to do with the fact that there was a holiday indicating these things should happen. Instead, this is just how you behave when you love someone. I felt I should mention this because I am not a chef, nor am I particularly good at gifts that aren't memory-type gestures (most notably a trip to the Panthers stadium), but I use my words well and make every attempt to utilize that gift to show people when I appreciate them too.

I went through an angsty phase when I was younger where I tried (key word there) to hate Valentine's Day as a ripoff, money-making, generic pile of garbage. While the "Galentine" phenomenon this year (insert eye roll here) almost brought the angst back, it didn't, because I just love love, in all of its many forms. I love my mum, who was my first valentine. I love my sister. I love all the friends I have made over the course of my life, my other family members, my bunny, and--duh-- my girlfriend. I think the holiday has become overrun with excessive gift giving like it's Christmas, or the pressure to do it perfectly with an expensive meal and lingerie and all of that. I keep it nostalgic-- homemade valentines, some flowers, and the words to represent all the love in my heart. The holiday is all about LOVE, and that is truly something to be celebrated in a world where it seems to so often be forgotten. 

My Green Eyes Can See Clearly

I can finally see! I have not been this excited about a purchase in a really long time. As anyone who knows me is well aware, I have abysmal vision. As in, "1 or 2...2 or 3...7 or 8..." as the eye doctor flips through various levels of prescription intensity. I also haven't had glasses since I was on my mum's insurance plan, so it's been a little while of squinting down the road on dark, rainy nights through expired-prescription glasses. 

First glimpse.

Recently, I saw an ad for a company called Warby Parker. I checked out their website and I nerded out a bit-- this place was awesome. First of all, it was started by a group of guys who, in their college days, decided eyewear was WAY too expensive and should be more affordable. So they decided to start a company where they made the glasses in house and dealt with customers instead of adding in the always-loathed middle man. As if that wasn't enough to hook me, they are like the TOMS of glasses-- each pair you buy donates a pair to a nonprofit organization/developing nation.

Once I browsed the frames, I learned that you can pick five pairs and have them sent to your house to try on and decide which you like best. So I don't have to leave my house, the frames are cute, they are affordable, and I can buy a pair and then donate another pair to someone who can't afford their own glasses. Solid plan. 

The winner!

As soon as they arrived, I tried on all five and sent pictures to every female friend I have (something my girlfriend made fun of me for mercilessly) and it was a unanimous decision for the same pair. I sent the options back, took a picture of myself so they could judge the distance between my pupils, and uploaded my prescription. Furthermore, the lenses automatically come with scratch-resistant coating, anti-glare, and are thinner than the Coke bottles I would be stuck with otherwise. Did I mention they were affordable? 

I know this all sounds like a shameless plug, but honestly, I am so happy to have glasses that are cute, inexpensive, and support a good cause. I can see out of my glasses for the first time in almost four years and it cost me 1/5 of what it would cost anywhere else. Highly recommend.  

Sunshine Daydreams with Sand Cloud

Love the colors!

Since today is Groundhog Day, and our furry little friend Phil unfortunately decided that we are having six more weeks of winter-- really, why do we trust his judgment? I'm done with winter as of January 2nd-- I started daydreaming of beach days that are even further away.

I recently got asked to be a Brand Ambassador for a company called Sand Cloud. Every purchase you make from them donates 10% to protecting Marine Life. I am a huge supporter of anything that donates money to a good cause-- if I am buying something I want or need for myself anyway, why NOT have it benefit someone else too? With the recent state of the world, I feel like the environment could use a little love, so I was happy to oblige.

The website has all manner of beach apparel-- long sleeve t-shirts in an array of colors, water bottles, bumper stickers, and, of course, the beach blankets. I love this idea because I always struggle with two towels and end up getting everything covered in sand. This rainbow tie-dye number is big enough for two to spread out and has a pretty awesome hidden pocket to store valuables.

According to the Conserve Energy Future website, as of 2016, plastic remains the most common element found in the ocean and all of the contamination from pollution in various forms (including a trash dump literally the size of Texas in the Pacific Ocean) are wreaking havoc on the Earth's water systems. These chemicals are consumed by animals all throughout the food chain. Ultimately, larger animals like polar bears can end up consuming contaminated seals and hold a level 3 billion times higher than their environment (WWF).

Why not support a good cause? I even have extra incentive for you: if you check out the website and like what you see, use my code BebeFe25 for 25% off everything on the site!

Trolled

It started with cereal.

I have always been a huge fan-- perhaps this has something to do with the fact that I watched Jerry Seinfeld and his friends shovel it into their mouthes throughout random conversations about nothing for a great deal of my developmental years-- and as such, I like to have a few boxes around for me to consume at my leisure. I convinced my girlfriend that this was essential while we were grocery shopping (in spite of her hatred of milk) and basically brainwashed her into selecting a variety of cereals for herself (because we are adults).

While I prefer Pops and virtually any form of Cheerios, she tends to like the kid cereals, like Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Cookie Crisp (aka dog biscuits in milk). One of these boxes boasted that it came with a prize, and thus, a game began.

I was upstairs brushing my teeth one day, only to hear her crunching in the hallway. I looked out to see her eating a bowl of cereal, and then nearly spit out my toothpaste as I viewed what was on the banister.

This troll. 

From the cereal box. 

Watching me. 

So of course it became a game. Since late September, we have been trolling each other, so to speak, by hiding this little thing all over the house. One day, I was at work. I opened up my lunch, which Shelley had woken up early to pack for me (I am, unfortunately, chronically late).

I had to document the evidence to
our friends. 

Lunchtime rolls around. I open up my bag. A napkin. Useful. A note. Sweet. And there, on top of the food which was so lovingly packaged, was a tuft of orange hair.

It didn't stop there. This thing has hidden in cleaning supplies, under glasses, and in waiting in her shirt in a closet (the troll waited in there for a long, long time-- probably should've picked a different shirt). 

One night, I was sitting in night class after having recently shared the Troll Saga with my friend Liz. This class was the dullest, longest, most ridiculous excuse for a special education class ever (due in large part to the instructor), and as I sat in the midst of this four-hour lecture of boredom, I decided to pull out my planner and focus on more important things, like news articles, homework for my other classes, lesson plans, a to do list (dropping old clothes off at the Salvation Army dropbox was vying more for my attention than this instructor). I unzip my bag. 

I reach for my planner. 

There, sticking out of the aqua blue cover, was a tuft of orange. The troll. Hiding, so inappropriately timed, in my planner, probably shoved there by Shells right as I was about to leave the house. I lost it-- laughing out loud, having to awkwardly explain the troll and how its placement in my planner during class was akin to Jerry Seinfeld placing the PEZ dispenser on Elaine's leg at a concert-- that kind of laugh. 

Months later, we are still at it... 

Planners Gotta Plan

Even the packaging is cute!

It has been so incredibly gloomy outside this week, but my day was totally brightened up by a trip to the mailbox (who doesn't love getting mail? (as long as it's not a bill 😊 )). I am in love with planners, cute office supplies, scrapbooking, etc. I have a thing for organization, essentially. There is something so satisfying to me about having a plan-- everything mapped out in detail, neat and orderly.

Don't get me wrong-- I LOVE spontaneity, but there are certain things that I need to have taken care of before I can just jaunt into the sunset with my hair billowing behind me in the wind.

The possibilities! I like the sticker
that tells you to focus on the good. 

I have been really excited about the plethora of adorable office supplies that I've been seeing as of late-- colors, a little bit of glitter, and awesome pens (you have to appreciate the value of a good pen) that jazz up what could otherwise be a mundane task-- hey, as much as I love the planning, it doesn't mean I want it to look office-space-dull.

I recently stumbled upon a website called The Reset Girl Shop, which is full of stickers, die cuts, planner inserts, and-- you guessed it-- planners. As I already have my own planner, which I am quite passionate about (pun intended), I instead chose to browse around for some stickers and such that would add a little bit of flair to my plans for homework, projects, blog posts, and news articles.

Plan to live free :)

My package arrived quickly and everything inside was so charming, from the Carpe Diem stickers to the itty bitty hearts and Instagram reminders. A woman named Cori and her husband own the shop and coordinating blog and write under the mantra that it is never too late to reset your life. I felt like this coincided pretty well with the positive vibe I'm going for with my life/blog, so I gave it a try in
order to spruce up my pages. I encourage any of my fellow teachers/planner lovers to investigate 😀

Bonus: Every month, you get a list of things to list for each day of the month-- #listersgottalist.

Happy planning!

Love,
Bebe