Tragedy of the Forgotten Dolls

While surfing the internet a few weeks ago I somehow stumbled across this awesome site that got me all nostalgic about toys I used to have as a child. Amazing! There were sooooo many good ones that I had long forgotten about and for that, dear lovely dolls, I apologize. I want to feature each of my fave dolls on here eventually, but for right now I'm gonna have to keep the rest a secret. BUT let me start out with a true treat (PUN INTENDED): The Cupcake Doll! These cutesy little things had plastic skirts that, when turned inside out, transformed into a cupcake! Their skirt became the bottom of the cupcake/"wrapper" and their hats became the icing! They smelled delicious too, with adorable names such as Cutie Fruity Cherry Chip and Candy Sprinkle Taffy Tammy. LOVE.

Totally used to have the one on the far left! I forget her name, but she smelled delish and I loooved her glittery purple skirt! She had some strands of glitter in her hair though, and I hated brushing it because it would always tear out!

Back to Front: Cupcake Doll's "Tropical Treat" collection, cupcake sundae dolls, and the dolls in "cupcake mode."

 

The Ghetto Ways of Travel- Pt. 232292.. but officially Part I

And so begins my good ol' bus ride to NYC, Megabus style. 

I fucking hate Megabus. Actually, I just fucking hate buses. They're dirty, uncomfortable, smelly,... and it always takes a few extra hours to get to said destination than it would if you were in the passenger seat of a car with a 90 year old woman.


I am surrounded by annoying Asians that speak in their foreign tongue- GOD, how they can talk. They never travel alone- they always gotta have their little entourage and they always seem to have something to say to each other, so they just never. shut. up. 

Then there's that dude's iPod behind me. SO LOUD. UGH. It sounds like really bad soul music with terrible drums. I'd consider busting out my own iPod with some euro trance or loud, blood curtling metal. But then I would waste my own battery and sista wouldn't have motivation music for her morning workout. (Wait a minute.. did I just hear Brandy & Monica's "The Boy is Mine?" Holy fuck. I did. I cannot believe my ears. That's it, my Legally Blonde soundtrack is busting itself out asap).

Oh, ok, now there's another Asian chewing with their mouth open. Lemme tell ya something: I'm half Irish, half English. The Irish is a cursing, angry, sarcastic motherfucker who can out-drink anyone with shots of whiskey. The English side is overly polite. Courteous. Well-mannered. You do NOT chew with your mouth open. I could hear you clear across a room. Close your fucking mouth and have some respect. It's fucking disgusting. No one wants to see the two-hour old McDonald's french fry remains in your mouth. NO ONE. And your boyfriend is just as nauseating, just because he puts up with your lack of social etiquette. Barf. 

I'm not innocent either. I'm tip tip tapping away on my keyboard, so I'm contributing in the lovely soundtrack of ghetto bus sounds too. Every time I start to feel bad I have to catch myself and remind myself of the other contributing musicians of this chorus. 

We stop at Buffalo airport next and the seats will be a fillin.' I'd like to think I've kinda mastered the technique of silently refusing to move over. Follow these little guys below to avoid becoming the victim of an already uncomfortable ghetto bus ride:

Tip #1: 
Take up that empty seat, dammit. Throw your purse there, your suitcase, your laptop- the more, the better. Take off your coat and throw it on top of everything else. This makes it look unwelcoming. The person sees how much CRAP is on your seat and realizes, "Hey! They can't move over, they have too much STUFF! It will be a very uncomfortable ride for both of us. I'll just move on to the row with the cute little kid playing video games.." 


Tip #2: 
SLEEP. If you aren't really sleeping, LOOK LIKE IT. This person doesn't know you. The last thing they want to do is gently tap your shoulder and whisper sweet nothings in your ear to get your ass to move over.


Tip #3: 
If you have food, put it out immediately. Display its entirety on that empty seat. You want it to look like you're in the middle of the best meal of your life. I mean, how dare they interrupt your lovely pot roast dinner that Grandma packed for you? 

To sum it all up: The more complicated, the better. People don't like to interact with one other. They want to say as little as possible in the least amount of time. They want the seat next to the young college boy with a tiny backpack. Or the business man reading a newspaper. They want someone that looks remotely conscious who can slide to the next seat as quickly as a jackrabbit hops across a track field. They do NOT want someone who needs to be woken up from a dream with their loved one or needs to pack up all their makeup that has mysteriously fallen all over said seat. 

Uh oh, the passengers are starting to pile on. Time for some "zzzz's..." But not until I've laid out an elegant spread of leftover filet-o-fish wrappers..

For the love of Chanel..

Oh, how I need this for my birthday one day

Of course, I couldn't have the cupcakes without the ice cream cones

Well said, Karl. Well said. 

Some lovely Coco Chanel quotes: 

  

“A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous.”

“In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different.” 

“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.”

“Elegance is refusal.”

“I love luxury. And luxury lies not in richness and ornateness but in the absence of vulgarity. Vulgarity is the ugliest word in our language. I stay in the game to fight it.”

 

My New Favorite

Army Of Lovers- Crucified

Lately I've been listening to a lot more electronic music. Mainly because its FANTASTIC for keeping me energized while working out. Since I don't have that many friends that listen to electronic music, I've had to resort to Pandora and using good ol' google, using the search terms "the best trance workout songs." Boy, did I find some goodies. While this song may not sound very "trance," that doesn't mean that I am not extremely grateful for discovering the song- and the ultra tranny/glam/cheesy video that I am such a fan of.

In Style Magazine's 50 Best Skin-Care Tips of All Time

Sometimes being at the hospital can lead to surprisingly good things- while Dad sleeps, I get to browse the internet and lurk people's facebook & twitter pages. This time I came across In Style Magazine's twitter page (I know, I know, I'm wayyy late & shoulda been following them a year ago) & discovered this little gem: The 50 Best Skin-Care Tips of All Time. Sure, you have to click the next page for each tip and sure, there are some obnoxious Dove ads that sneak their way between tip 22 and 23, for example. But, it's all worth it with these "who woulda known?" tips.

Some of my faves:

#25: Choose "Fragrance Free" Over "Unscented"

Formulas that claim to be unscented can still contain aromatic essential oils, which may upset sensitive skin, says spa owner March. If perfumes tend to irritate your skin, check for labels that say "fragrance free." First Aid Beauty Gentle body wash ($14; at firstaidbeauty.com) is mild and still ultra-moisturizing. 

#40: Anti-Age with Ice

For homemade skin care, all you need is an ice cube tray, Ole Henriksen says. Pour in some apple juice and freeze. The malic acid in the frozen juice is an anti-aging alpha-hydroxy acid. "Pass the ice cube gently over the skin," he says. "It feels like a mini-facelift!" 

#42: Sleep on your Back (this is the second time I've read the sleeping on your side/stomach can encourage wrinkles!!)

Yes, it's relaxing to snooze on your tummy, but to avoid wrinkles, flip over. "I can tell which side of their face my patients sleep on," says Dr. Day. 

#43: Eat Your Water

When you eat hyrdating fruits & vegetables like grapefruit or cucumber, "the water penetrates and plumps up cells better than drinking water," Dr. Murad says. Aim for three daily servings of fruit and five of veggies.

True love(?)

Should Barbie Take Ken Back?

When someone says "coke" and "bologna" in the same sentence, I'm instantly thinking of a lunch break from work complete with a neatly wrapped bologna & cheese on rye and a can of coke... or a bag of coke?

If I were the cops, I woulda just let them off for creative points.

Bologna cocaine

things that make me happy, pt 1

Life's goal #192819028101982019: Pomeranian puppy complete with teddy bear cut & fabulous outfits

Irribitter prose (taken from the cancer blog)

(I decided this post was appropriate to post in both of my blogs, so I am copying it from the blog I created about my Dad's leukemia...

I cannot sleep because I slept too late today (I dreamed well). 


I am highly annoyed. 

Today is my father's birthday & he is spending it in the hospital, less than a  week after his bone marrow transplant was performed 

[translation ---> he feels like shit]

We cannot bring him cake because he has no appetite for sweets.
In fact, he has no appetite for anything (yay, chemo). 
We're lucky if he chokes down 4 oz of yogurt for lunch. 

Candles aren't allowed on the unit, for obvious reasons. 
What a lovely celebration. 

:-( ----------> :-)

Let's turn that frown upside down, now, shall we?

:-( ----------> :-)

 I, we, are extremely grateful that my father has spent another year with us. 

Let's hope, dream, wish, and pray that there will be many more spent. 

...............

 Ok, now, let's satisfy that irribitter (clever, eh?) mood I'm in. 

Maybe then I can sleep. 

And dream of dolphins & ocean & sunshine with rays that sprinkle across the sky like glitter. 

I'll swim in the waves & the dolphins will dance with me. 

Maybe a sea turtle will take me away.

And feed me the potion that will turn me into a mermaid (I turned down the jellyfish because, after all, they are boring)

& I could stop feeling emotion. 

And anger. 

For the pain & suffering my father is going through. 

For his fucking bone marrow allowing only cancer cells to be alive & well (NOT very nice). 

For his having to sleep alone, scared in a hospital. 

For my mother sleeping alone, scared, in their bed. 

For my mother's tired, stressed, exhausted eyes that are spent  caring for the only man she loves, when they should be well, together, traveling Europe.

For their worry, fear, & loneliness. 

For my sisters & I, worry, fear. 

Fear that we will lose our father far too early. 

Fear that my loving parents will be torn apart. 

Fear that he will never see Baby Fig, Ashley's wedding, or meet the fool I end up with.

Pray for us.