When in Portland

do as hipsters do.

Here's the inspiration photo. We'll see if I can pull it off once I wash my hair.


Ok, back to having fun with this gal.

2009 in Review

This is my third time doing this whole year in review thing. Check out 2007 and 2008.

----

What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Acquired a job with a salary. What up, late bloomers!

Did you keep your New Years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Apparently my only real resolution for this year was to get a job. Look who's batting a thousand.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Sam's sister. And though the babe is in MA, I get the privilege of seeing some very cute baby shots on a regular basis.

Did anyone close to you die?
Just all the celebrities of the world. And I feel worst for Farrah. MJ totally stole her death thunder.

What countries did you visit?
Australia to see the sister.

What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Giant admissions from exes that keep me in counseling. Whoa, who let the TMI fairy in with her pesky dust?

What date(s) from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
May 16- grad school graduation, five years to THE DAY of my undergrad graduation. Spooky. October 19- first official day on the *new* job.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Entertaining the thought of a buying a place of my own in the near future. And yes, even thinking that thought counts as an achievement. The obvious one is my Master's but that's been the product of several years. Regaining some of my confrontational personality after being a doormat for awhile.

What was your biggest failure?

Trying to figure out the damn html for this question. I know it is easy, but I'm lazy. F it.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing more than you typical colds. Oh, that's a lie. I found out I have the cholesterol of a dead person.

What was the best thing you bought?
Most recent haircut because I was way overdue for a change. Luck ring. Money spent towards mending clothes instead of buying new things.

Whose behavior merited celebration?
All my friends for putting up with my CRAZY. (same from last year. And from what I can see, every year going forward).

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Republican teabaggers. Seriously, you crazy.

Where did most of your money go?
Grad school (same for the past three years. Getting smart costs mad money, yo.), food stuffs, impulse purchases (hello, PedEgg)

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Being done with school. Pig Pickin'. Moving to DC proper.

What songs will always remind you of 2008?
MILEY CYRUS- PARTY IN THE USA. AND YES THIS TOTALLY DESERVES ALL CAPS. All of Lady Gaga, the Fame Monster, but specifically Bad Romance. Darude- Sandstorm. Shakira- She Wolf. Good King Wenceslas.

Compared to this time last year, are you...
I. Happier or sadder? This exact time? Probably happier because I'm not putting any pressure on myself for NYE. Not that I'm not excited about my plans, I'm just not hanging all my happiness in the new decade on how tomorrow night goes.
II. Thinner or fatter? eh, lord knows. I back up at my heaviest weight (seriously, that TMI fairy is getting WAY too liberal with her dust) but the weight has arranged itself better this time.
III. Richer or poorer? Richer, but I'm no one's sugar mama.

What do you wish you'd done more of?
Trusted my gut instincts. Cooked at home more.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
Spent time obsessing about the past. Eating full fat cheese.

How will you be spending Christmas?
Christmas Eve was at cousin's house in south central PA, Christmas Day- Chinese food and "It's Complicated"

What was your favorite TV program?
Of the year? Glee. That's obvious.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Hate is pretty strong. I don't think there is anyone I hate, that I know personally.

What was the best book you read?
The second book in the Wideacre trilogy. Seriously, maybe one of 5 books I read this year that WASN'T a romance novel. And there's still a healthy dose of sex (be it incestuous) in it. I need real book recommendations and how. The whole in grad school so I only have the brain power for romance novels doesn't cut it anymore.

What was your greatest musical discovery?
Miley Cyrus. Shut your face. Party in the USA makes me happy.

What did you want and get?
To move into DC proper.

What did you want and not get?
A museum job.

What was your favorite film of this year?

Oh lord. Well, I love most films, so really, pretty much anything I saw, I liked. Away We Go was cute. I loved the music in Pirate Radio and couldn't stop myself staring at the glasses. Star Trek was FANTAB. I feel like I answered the question a few weeks ago and was more erudite but it just isn't coming to me right now.

What did you do on your birthday, and how old?
The big old 26. Had many celebrations, including drag bingo and some good old fashioned bar time.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Getting my license- on my way with the permit! ---> always getting my license. Still holding fast with the permit.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
"You look Amish, but in a good way." direct quotation from coworker from this summer.

What kept you sane?
Professional help. Friends. -----> some things never change

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Lee Pace. Ah, lovely pie maker. Also, I just finished Wonderfalls and the man is too cute for words, unless the words are TOO CUTE.

What political issue stirred you the most?
The fact that people don't want universal health care. I don't know much more about the debate but I just want to slap people who don't believe in health care for all. Because they've never been uninsured and boy howdy, does it suck.

Who did you miss?
My ladies out west. My ladies in Baltimore.

Was 2009 a good year for you?
I truly think that each year since high school graduation has gotten better and better (for the most part). Which makes me really excited to get old.

What was your favorite moment of the year?
Graduating is pretty up there. Any and all champagne Mondays (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, etc.)

Where were you when 2009 began?
Logan Circle, one of a few peeps dressed up at a dinner party.

Who were you with?
Folks from Haverford and the lovely folks I know through them.

Where will you be when 2009 ends?
Birthday/NYE party in Adams Morgan.

Who will you be with when 2009 ends?
A bestie from work, Monica, and greader friends. What up, Google Reader!

What was your favorite month of 2009?
March had me in Australia but also learning that I didn't get a dream job. May had me graduating but also moving. October had me starting a new job AND dressed up as Maleficent, so that's pretty awesome

How many different states did you travel to in 2008?
MD, VA, DC, FL, PA, NC.

How many concerts did you see in 2009?
Um, just one, I think. But it was awesome. Guster. Hello, college.

Did you have a favorite concert in 2009?
See above.

Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
Shame is heavy. I pretty much am embarrassed by most things I do but they make me, me, so shame doesn't enter the picture.

What was the worst lie someone told you in 2009?
"Yeah, a second date would be fun."

Did you treat somebody badly in 2009?
Certainly brusque or brash at times, but always out of love.

Did somebody treat you badly in 2009?
Nothing out of the ordinary.

If you could go back in time to any moment of 2009 and change something, what would it be?
Say yes to moving into the place I lived over the summer. Oh the headaches.

What are your plans for 2010?
Lower my cholesterol to that of only someone on the brink of death. Save money so that when my lease is up, I can move to my own place or only have one roommate (big girl dreams!). Take stock of my life more often and have my choices reflect my desires. Stop writing sentences like that.

Green Rant of the Day

In this day and age, why do I have to argue with someone about turning off the light when you leave a room? I don't care if it is an energy saving light bulb, energy is energy, all goes to our bill and destruction of the earth, etc.

TURN OFF THE GOD FORSAKEN LIGHT.

In other non hippie rage news, I'm about to wash my hair for the first to see what it looks like curly. Will report back soon.

I'm such a whiner

Here's the pic I brought in.

And here's me!
Oh the drama over a hair cut!

I haven't tried Samy Big Curls curl defining creme yet, but am tres excited and if it doesn't work out, eh, $4 down the tubes. If it is the bees knees, you know I'll be telling everyone about it.

Other things featured in my vlog (barf, did I just use that word?):

- Conair Infiniti: Pretty nice hair dryer, but I only dry my bangs, so it doesn't get a whole lot of abuse. Does its job adequately.

- Conair Ultra Slim Ceramic Flat Iron: nothing too fancy here, but again, only for bangs, so does its job well enough for me.

Will comment on other products once I've used them. Addendum to video: already tried air difuser on for size and of course, doesn't fit. Lies, I tell you, lies! But hopefully this is a temporary set back.

YAY HAIR!

Second Thoughts

I'm sure you are tired of me talking about both a) yoga and b) my hair, so... I'm only going to talk about one of them in this post! BULLY FOR YOU!

So, of course, I have a great hair day right before the day I'm supposed to cut it all off. And I'm having second thoughts. What if I have mom hair? What if it gets way too curly for its own good and eats my face in the middle of the night? Because that has been totally known to happen when hair gets curly. Oh the humanity!

Waving good bye to my youthful and non-mom hair length.

Oh look! It is my friend, Juliet! Hi, Juliet! We had our six year friend-aversery this summer (what up, nerd caamp!). She would like to tell you that she doesn't have a butt chin, that is a scratch. In the interest of full disclosure, it was a pimple that she popped that became a scab that she then hit with her blowdryer. You can see why we are friends.

Anyway, the hair.

I hope it isn't hideous. Will post pics tomorrow of (hopefully) infertile hair. Of course, it will be straight, so won't be much of an indicator anyway.

Semi Annual Hair Cut/ New Glasses Speech

So, I haven't had a drastic haircut, length-wise, for over five years. Through the years, every three to four years, I chop off all my hair. Like... allllll my hair. My last donation was September 2004 and I've been slowly working on bangs since March 2008. I feel like a major change but I don't want to go super short again. I'm thinking something like this, maybe a little longer, with a side swept bang.

Also, I need new glasses. What do you think of these?

Also, remember that I'm not a willowy blonde. I look like this.

ETA 11:04PM: Do you think I could pull this off? Too short with my mad curly hair and cheeks?

Odd Sleep Patterns

So I've been awake for over an hour and instead of fretfully trying to fall back asleep, I figured I would use this time to write a cover letter for a job I'm already doing but don't officially have... yet. I hope.

Fall is here but in true DC fashion, the lovely temperate days are mixed in with some extra summer temps that September just can't seem to shake. I'm all for sundresses, but for just a little bit, I would like to wear them with boots instead of flip flops, kthxbi.

When I moved to my new place (have to pass grocery store on way home) about a month and a half ago, I figured my home cooking rate would shoot through the roof. It has not. I also have to walk past an empanda joint. These things may or may not be related.

It is time for a fall haircut but can't decide whether I should go side swept bangs that are probs totes better for my face shape or straight across because I didn't get to enjoy them enough before sweltering summer.

The childhood film references continue

So I cut my hair at the very end of spring and finally achieved the heavy bangs that I wanted. And right before graduation, too. Very gutsy of me. But then summer came and brought with it THE HEAT. And since I am always hotter than everyone else in normal situations, I'm especially sticky in the summer, forcing me to pin back my bangs for the majority of the summer.

Today, I decided it was temperate enough for my forehead to have some coverage so I straightened my forehead curtain.

All of this to say that I strongly resemble Peg from Lady and the Tramp.



And a trim might be in order.

Things I've Bought Recently That've Made Me Feel Good

A haircut. It has been a year in the making, but look- the bangs!
Luck ring from South Moon Under. Totally copied my little sister on it, but I could use all the luck I can get.My fancy brown flip flops have been on their last legs for quite some time, so I figured it was high time to replace. Again, South Moon Under FTW.

Yup, I that girl who buys the same piece of clothing in multiple colors. But I don't care because IT HAS A BIRD SILHOUETTE. I had to take down the 11 swallow decals today, so I figure two shirts is an equal trade. My new place will still have the three penguins, three cranes, and one condor, so I'm not totally birdless.

What I Did Not Buy Because It Was A Bit Too Pricey But Am Sorely Regretting And Will Be Checking Back At The Store In A Week And See If They Will Sell It To Me For Less
Yes, that is a gold beaded mini dress with an open back. And if you ask "But where could you where such a thing?", I say , "EVERYWHERE, EVERY DAY."

A newish me

So I got my haircut again today. Something I probably shouldn't have done, given my desire to save money. But it has been about 3.5 months since I got it cut and I was in need of a change.
Perhaps the change was bigger than I imagined. Because everyone is saying that it doesn't look like me. And the following that up with "It looks so good!!". And I'm all like "But you just said it doesn't look like me!"
And then there is an awkward silence.
I do feel that I look much hipper than I am in actuality. Hence the photos of me posing like... well, like a poser.
We'll see how it looks when it is curly- the bangs will still be straight- but for now, I'm delighting in the novelty.
And looking like an asshole while doing it.

who is newly shorn?

ME! yes, i have been long over due for a hair cut. i haven't had one since i first got bangs back in... march? april? a long time ago. and an update and freshness were much needed.

so shy, aren't i?
my best sarah palin. imagine a gun in my hands and russia outside those windows.
senior photo. KIT!

so, it is still pretty long, though i'm actually a bit nervous about the length since it will shorten a great deal when curly. the bangs are MUCH better in that they are real bangs and not just hastily cut chops of hair (sorry aveda but bang did a much better job with my bangs. oh snap.) i love my hair when it is like this- professionally blow dried, silky smooth, and tangle free. i can run my hands through it. you straight haired ladies don't know how big of deal this is. even on my hair's best days in its natural state, it is still a nest. right now, i feel very dignified.
class of '09, ready to take on the world!

will be sure to post the curly everyday version when i eventually wash my hair. which might be never.

strong desires

to pick up and take a vacation, anywhere. to spend money i don't have. to eat crabs everyday, even though i know they aren't sustainable. to get my permit but also to remain license-less. to get my hair cut. to dye my hair, though i can't decide on darker or lighter. to get new glasses. to buy new pants. to do yoga everyday. to clean my computer, both externally and internally. to be a few weeks in the future, when my fall schedule will hopefully be set and i will be a little less foggy brained about everything.

open letter to the random man behind the arlington westin

dear sir,

thank you for complimenting my hair. i know that the wind had been having its way with it and it certainly isn't looking the best it can be, but i sincerely appreciate you voicing your opinion.

but no, i will not tell you my name. shower me with compliments all you want, but that will not weaken my resolve.

i bid you a good eve.

sincerely,

tatiana

some things you ought to know

- while i love seltzer water, in particular lemon-lime zazz, it is perhaps not the best drink to take with me when it is going to be rustling around in my bag all day. carbonated beverages are sticky.

- so it seems that most people think i should keep my hair long- and they win! mostly because i'm going to be moving out of my parents' house (free) into dc/va (not so free) and the $60-$70 i would spend on a haircut could by my utilities for a month. i know it seems like a lot for a haircut (or maybe not, i don't know your personal upkeep budget) but i don't really spend money on makeup or other girly products, so i tend to splurge on my hair. that and since i get it cut about once every year and a half, it averages out to be not that much.

- remember how everyone was pregnant? yeah, well, the few remaining celebrities that weren't are now. matthew mcconaughey's girlfriend is with child and some playboy playmate is carring david spade's spawn. this nest that everyone is getting on is growing crowded.

- that being said, nicole richie and christina aguileria both had their babies- girl harlow and boy max, respectively. congrats!

- mid-atlantic winters are much less pleasant than those on the coast of california. i think i always knew this in theory but experiencing the difference in reality is a cruel wake up call. i've been inside for about an hour and my nose is still cold.

- i've added a new label that is long overdue- celeb. maybe, i'll go back through and retag. but i think not.

new poll

so, i went through my blog last night, rereading old entries, cringing at all the typos i was too lazy to fix. and i realized.

i write a lot about my hair.

this makes sense because i talk a lot about my hair. and if you reread my hair timeline, you see that every four years or so, i cut a lot of it off.

that time is upon us. but i'm not sure what to do.

in the past, i didn't really know how to deal with the massive beast that is my head of hair. but i've since semi-mastered the technique and am now wondering if i could deal with short hair again.

so, please, participate in the poll to your left, leave comments on any specifics, and enjoy this third day of the new year.

you know it is has gone too far

when you see if you can get gmail addresses with your random famous peoples' last names.

tatiana.levi- no :(
tatiana.pace- YES! sweet
tatiana.daly- oh yeah, i'm on a roll
tatiana.urie- sweet, this rocks
tatiana.schwartzman- seriously, i could marry just about anyone. no levis though.
tatiana.wilson- oops! spoke to soon. no former beach boys in my future
tatiana.heimbold- ah just a temporary setback
tatiana.lewis- damnit! not that we could get married anywhere except massachusetts anyway.

(all these last names come from here)

more addresses i could claim now, just in case:
tatiana.clinton
tatiana.obama (but not edwards)
tatiana.spears
tatiana.tancredo
tatiana.romney
tatiana.huckabee
tatiana.ferrera
tatiana.pitt (but not jolie)
tatiana.aniston

obviously, the iowa primaries, thursday night television, and old hollywood couples are occupying my mind.

i was testing this out last night while i was getting about 9 legitimate gmails for myself. unfortunately, the standard firstname.lastname format is unavailable for my name, so i've come up with a bunch of alternatives. i may poll my four commenters at a later date, but in the mean time, if you want to contact me, you can do so at rizado.tatiana@gmail.com

because apparently rizado is already in use! curly headed spanish speakers are more tech savvy than i thought.

and, because i am excited beyond words, i have to share what may be the best hair day of my life.

try to keep cool about it, but really, really excited.

ah, couldn't hold it back anymore! just too happy! and no, i didn't strip down to take this pic. my awesome hair is just too cool for my shirt to shine through.
ok, scaled back again. but, behind that cool mug, i'm thinking 'it only took 24 years, 6 months, 17 days to get my hair to do what i want!'

for those of you keeping track at home, this means that you now have less than 6 months to pick out the perfect birthday present for me. it is too late for christmas, wow me on my holiday.

wash away the sleep

before i read this, i was all about the night shower. i've worked in cafes for seven of the last eight years, so when i got home, i smelled like the inside of a coffee pot. not something i want to transfer to my sheets. plus, showering at night= not showering in the morning= getting to sleep in just that much longer. all in all, night showers were totally where it was at.

but then my hair became an even bigger priority in my life (hard to believe, as i firmly hold my hair to be a mane* part of my personality). if i wanted my hair to look at all good, i would have to wash it. IN THE MORNING. EVERY DAY.

ugh, this wasn't something i wanted to do, but like i said, my hair is me, so i got on board with the whole morning shower thing. and it was hard at the beginning, not only because i had to wake up a full 45 minutes before i had to be out the door opposed to my old 10, but also because i had to fight with my little bro for the shower. i hate shouting first thing in the morning.

but now, i understand those irish spring commercials a little better. the blast of water really does something to rise the sleep out of my eyes and ease the pillow creases off my face. even if i fall asleep in the car on the way to dc (this happens with alarming frequency- don't worry, i'm not driving), i am more awake.

so, i'm a convert. morning showers for me always. sure, the night shower holds the allure of clean body before bed and extra sleep in the morning, but that last blast of cold water to seal out the frizz is like the cup of coffee the rest of you swear by.

*haha, get it? mane/main. i'm hilarious.

major pet peeve.

having to clean up my own eyebrows after i have paid a professional to wax them for me. LE SIGH. i mean, honestly. i didn't realize i had to touch them up until 15 minutes after i left the salon and it made me feel good that i didn't leave that extra dollar tip. i just knew somehow.

a happy halloween present for you!

so, i did just post my fav weekly stumble but since karel tagged me oh so long ago, you get a treat of two posts! in one day! (edit: it is after midnight, so technically, not the same day. but i'm still going to count it as the same day. like you would at sleepovers.)

1. Link to your tagger and post rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself, some random and some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of post and list their names.
4. Let them know they were tagged by a comment on their blog.

1. i used to have a pure white hair growing out of the middle of my forehead. just one hair. i called it my unicorn. i guess i plucked it enough that the follicle is dead. i miss it sometimes.

2. i made myself a sock monkey when i was in college. his name is tippecanoe. when i studied abroad in australia and i wanted to save space in my luggage, i didn't bring him. i did take a picture and put it by my bed. he now sits on my desk. oh and i stiched a 'T' on his butt.

3. i subscribe to oprah magazine and love it. i do not watch her show.

4. growing up i hated olives and seltzer and thought my mom was disgusting for liking both. there are days when i want nothing but kalamatta olives and fizzy water. to me, this is more proof than i'm an adult than paying rent.

5. i was never 21 in college and had to miss on some senior week good times because of it.

6. i will only wear shorts if i'm exercising or lounging. to go outside, it is pants, skirts, or dresses.

7. my favorite number is 27 because. 2+7=9. 3x3=9. 3 to the third power is 27.

ok so while i read a ton of blogs i'm not super comfortable tagging people yet. and i can't tag karel. so instead of getting rejected, i'm just not even going to try. but i suggest this as a fun exercise to come up with strange facts about yourself that you don't mind strangers finding out.

weekly... ur, how about monthly timeline

so, a wise man pointed out that this would be hard to keep up weekly and i have to admit that the idea of coming up with something 52/53 times a year that fits the timeline format... might just be too much for me. but, i think i can swing monthly. so, back to the drawing board to think of weekly updates (or three weeks out of the month because the fourth, i've got this baby). if you have any ideas, pass them along.

Hair Timeline: A Winding Path
(because of the curly hair. yeah, i know it isn't a good pun if you have to spell it out.)

age under 1: i am born with very little hair. it stays this way for awhile. so much that my pop pop fashions hats made out of newspaper for me to wear in pictures to help with the glare. thanks, pop.

age 2: the mop is formed. i look like a sepia toned shirley temple, only with more sundresses and less lollipops.

age 3: i experiment and decide to cut my bangs. i shear them off as close as i can to my scalp... and stop half way across. my mother has to finish the rest. oh and this is right before my mom and step dad's wedding.

age 5: the mop is gone and replaced by wavy, long, unruly, easily tangled hair. i rock the bangs that start half way back from the forehead. this is also the time that i hate having my hair washed. HATE. so much so that i beg and plead to not have it washed and to have 'just a butt bath! just a butt bath!'.

age 8-11: i rock the side ponytail. i brush my hair while dry. all in all, a hot look.

age 12: in an attempt to regain the cute mop of my extra youth, i cut off a lot of hair. no to the cut cute, yes to the mushroom 'do.


it doesn't take a large picture to see just how hot i was.



age 15: though i've grown out my hair so that it doesn't look like an atomic explosion, i go to an ani difranco concert and before i know it, my hair is all gone. not even a mushroom cut, just gone. it grows out again over the summer and i decide that it needs to be even shorter. so i shave it. i learn the full extent of my round cheeks.

age 17: wanting to rebel before i go to rome to have my second audience with the pope, i dye random sections of my hair a deep purple. after two weeks in the italian mid-august sun, this lovely aubergine turns to a disgusting burnt peach. though my mother was against the hair color in the first place, she pays for me to get it fixed before going to college because 'that's where [i] will meet the people who will matter most in [my] life. and [i] can't have them thinking [i'm] a freak.' no, i'll just let them talk to me to figure that part out.

so, to recap, i go from natural to large chunks of purple to burnt pink to heavily blonde highlights in about a month.

age 21: so, after growing out my hair from both poor haircut and color choices, i decide to donate my hair to locks of love after college graduation. you must have 10 inches of hair to donate. i grew my hair extra long so it wouldn't be too short after the cut. the stupid guy cuts off FIFTEEN INCHES OF MY HAIR. i cry. my hair is up by my ears. i look like a a) french school teacher when i straighten it or b) a french a poodle if i don't. despite this vast difference in appearances, i can't be bothered to straighten it.




don't let the smile fool you- not happy with the hair.




age 24: hair is significantly long again. i read curly girl and totally change my habits. i had grown to love my hair but only now do i realize that i've been drying it out so badly. though still long and crazy, my hair is much smaller. and for those of you who know me, this is a big deal.






me... so hot right now.