One Breakfast Taco Too Many

Bonjour, mes amies! I'm in high spirits today and have no idea why.. especially considering the fact that one week from today I will be sitting in a tres uncomfortable plastic chair in the loathed Crockett Center, starting Day #1 of the BAR exam. I know i've said it before but.. 3 days, really?!?!? Is that NECESSARY??? Anyway, i woke up early for the first time in weeks and managed to shower, dress, and drop Miss Lola off at the vet before arriving here at school. (poor darling is getting spayed today!) I have a long day ahead of me here (and probably @ a coffeeshop later), and it's nice to not have to worry about Lola and going home to walk/feed her. My mother is officially over having the cats, which is fine b/c after all, they are MY cats and MY responsibility. My post-bar goals include a massive decluttering/organizing/overhaul of my apartment, and that will include making space for 2 cats and 1 dog to live comfortably avec moi. It can be done!

Treated myself to two delicious breakfast tacos this morning. If you're not from Austin, you may not be aware of what a breakfast taco entails. It's a bit of an Austin specialty i've come to realize, but is tres easy to make yourself. Bacon, egg, and cheese in a tortilla... not hard! My faves include the aforementioned bacon/egg/cheese combo, as well as a migas-style. I had one of each this morning, and that was one too many... i'm stuffed! But at least that'll keep me full for awhile. Hate thinking about what to eat when in study-mode - takes too much time.

One of the reasons for my good mood is that after Momma Park's short but sweet visit Sunday, i did a little centering and realized that i CAN have peace of mind about this exam. Regardless of what happens, i know that things will be FINE. Isn't that the story of my life after all? 3 miserable years of law school and less than stellar grades and yet still i somehow landed a great job here in Austin? It's truly a blessing, and i thank God everyday for giving me this seemingly undeserved opportunity. Besides, i've actually studied and worked for this exam, so at least i'll know that i put in my effort. If things don't work out, they don't work out. And life goes on! I've lived with far too much FEAR, and honestly, i think it's just a waste of my time. (And yours, probably!)

Mmkay MUST start working, but i'll leave you with this hilarious e-card my BFF Judd (also studying for the BAR) sent me yesterday. Definitely laughed out loud in the library! http://www.someecards.com/viewcard/1463a0267ca30926f810d7ce1e15414a

xoxo darlings,
C

Acceptance

Nuff said.

Happy 4th aka Pity Party for One

Bonjour, friends. I hope everyone's having a lovely 4th of July... BBQ-ing, hanging by the pool or if you're lucky, the lake, watching fireworks w/ loved ones.. My 4th hasn't started in the best way. I woke up feeling ICKY - there's just no other word for it. Took Lola out and then headed straight back to bed in the hopes that a couple more hours of sleep would help. It didn't. Had to cancel my personal training session and then spent the next 4 hours either on daybed in the salon (fancy word for my living room!) or in my comfy bed. Lola was snuggled up right next to me the entire time. Ugh quel pity party. Since then i've managed to get up, take miss Lola out again, and eat. Now i'm finishing up my paper so i can be DONE with summer school and can focus on Le Bar. Planning to do a makeup Bankruptcy lecture tonight if i can stomach it (literally, my tummy is not happy these days). Also hope to soak in a nice bath... Wish i could do something creative to cheer myself up, but i feel guilty not studying. So it's either resting, in the attempt to feel better so i can get more work done later, or being achey and doing work anyway. Sigh.

I do hope your 4th is better than mine. Only 3 1/2 more weeks of this!!!

muppin is bad cat!

This is the email to which i woke up. It's from my dear mother... (Muppin = Muffin, my female cat):

Hi miyun !

are you study right now?
i want to call you , i don't want to interrupt your study so am sending email.
guess what muppin did just while a ago.
i was lying down couch try to relax , watch t.v. with a little blanket over my body,
and muppin jump over top of mommy try to lay down, and little later i felt wet.
you know what she did, she pee on me.
don't laugh!!!!!
goodnight...
love mom.


WHAT IS WRONG WITH THAT CAT?!?!?!?!?!??!?!

Life is Good

Bonjour, friends. It's a lovely Sunday afternoon, and i'm taking a petit break from my BAR studying to muse a bit on some good things in life right now. First, my dear friend and Paris flea market partner-in-crime, Claudia of The Paris Apartment, has touched my heart once again. A little while ago I sent her a box of vintage French perfume label stickers that i found at Paper Place. When we were at the flea markets last September, she searched hi and low for some authentic vintage perfume labels, and so when i saw them i couldn't NOT get them for her. Anyway she was so sweet to give me a shout-out on her blog! It still THRILLS me to see my name on the blogs of these incredible women (Claudia, Kimberly..) b/c i just can't believe i actually KNOW them. Like have MET them and spent time with them. They're just so awesome! Anyway, here's the post - The Paris Apartment (Scroll to the bottom and ALSO check out her fabulous studded console table! Major lust.)

Speaking of furniture, i haven't done much at all with my apartment in the past month. This is a dramatic shift from the days of yore when i rearranged pretty much daily. And since i managed to make my bed this morning for the first time in quite awhile, i thought i'd give you a little glimpse into my bedroom transformation. I decided to "Anthropologize" my bedroom awhile back and the progress has been slow but still headed in the right direction. The duvet cover is from the Shabby Chic line @ Target, the LOVE pillow covers from LUSH design in the UK, and that's my crappy $9.99 lamp from IKEA stuck in the left corner (b/c i don't have the heart to throw it out... yet.). On the right wall is a fabric-covered bulletin board filled with cards and other correspondence from dear friends and family. I love to look at it when i go to bed at night and remember just how lucky i am to receive so much LOVE.


And here are some pics from my home office turned creative sanctuary. It's the most recent transformation in my apartment, and i just LOVE it. It's packed (literally) with creative posters, crafts, art supplies, stationary, books, scrapbooks, journals, etc. It's crazy and overwhelming and i LOVE IT!

My Life Lately

Bon matin, dear friends and readers! I know it's been awhile since i've had a "real" blog post, but you know, life is crazy busy. Still i've managed to wake myself up enough this morning to put some real time and effort into this one... Lately i've been finding myself needing an exorbitant amount of sleep (for moi, anyway). Normally i can do quite well with around 7 hours of sleep per night. (In hs, it was more like 5 1/2!), and so my normal schedule involves me going to be around midnight and waking up at 7. But goodness me, the other night i was so exhausted that i fell asleep at 10 and then woke up at 8! 10 hours?? That's a bit much for me, as i was tired the rest of the day. Last night, however, i went to bed at 11 and struggled to wake up at 7. Goodness. Sleep does get in the way, doesn't it? But it's so delicious. And i cannot tell you how glorious it is to be able to put your head on the pillow and be asleep within minutes. Having had so many issues with insomnia and inability to fall asleep before 7 a.m. (uh huh... not fun), it's SO nice to know that my sleeping is predictable, albeit a bit excessive. It's kind of nice that Bar/Bri has put me on such a schedule, as it's great preparation for my working life.

Speaking of Bar/Bri, it still sucks. But today is a treat b/c Pony and i are going to watch the lecture online in the comfort of Chez Moi! We're going to get coffee and breakfast from Flipnotics and then cozy up on the couch and let the dogs run free (you'll recall that Pony has a darling little Yorkie named Beau). We went to dinner last night at San Paolo's, a Brazilian restaurant mere minutes from the law school. It was surprisingly cute and delicious! Definitely heavy food, but I thought I made pretty decent decisions and stuck to acceptable portion sizes. More importantly we had great conversation, and it made me realize, quite sadly, how much i'm going to miss her. I struggle with spending time with her, as she's in a relatively new relationship (you know how that goes), and we both have busy schedules. But last night reminded me why we are best friends, despite being different in almost EVERY way possible. (She's Republican, just bought a diesel SUV, has no qualms w/ fake tanning and smoking, and purposely spit her gum out on the grass just to tick me off.) The thing about Pony is, she truly believes in me. She never doubts me or my interests or my abilities, and even if they're a world away from her own interests, she's totally supportive. And she genuinely loves me. So even though her attitude towards the environment, welfare, etc. is far from my ideal, i still can't help but love her for being who she is to me. I mean that's what real friends are, n'est ce pas?

So i've been working on my positive thinking and have been listening to The Secret CD's... it's a little cheese, but has some excellent points. Really really simple points too that people just need to be reminded of from time to time. For example, if you love and respect yourself, you will attract people who love and respect you. I don't know many people who would deny that, but how often do i think/talk about how much i hate myself? MMhmmm... the power of positive thinking is powerful, friends. It really is.

In other news, it looks like I'm going to be spending my 25th birthday in Lake Tahoe with my darling sister, her hubby, and our two pups Sofie and Lola. Also, i'm going to be leaving Miss Lola with the Szetos for a month while i travel to Southern France, Paris, London, and D.C. I will miss her TERRIBLY but i know if i leave her with my sister, she'll be WELL taken care of. Plus Sofie and Lola just adore each other! If, however, i get Lola back and she's a barker, i will be sure to have some "words" with Ma Soeur!

Can i just take this time to discuss briefly how much i adore my dog?? I never understood dog people, but now that i am one (and yes, i really AM a dog person now) i totally get it. She is my BABY, my CHILD, my FAMILY. I can't even begin to express the emotions i feel when i look into her CUTE lil face, esp. when she cocks her head (too cute!). I love that she knows our routine now. I love when i wake up and look down to my left and see her creamy fluffy goodness asleep next to my bed (it's only a matter of time before i throw her into bed w/ moi!). I love how she insists on accompanying me to EVERY trip to the bathroom (TMI? sorry... but i pee a lot!). I love that every time i walk in the door, she wakes up, bounds to me, and covers me with kisses. I love how good she's getting at pottying at the right times and places. I love that she's not a tiny purse dog and not my accessory but my dog, my pet, who i can walk and run with and hold onto (ya know.. without killing). I just love everything about her. Right now, for example, she's curled up in her bed right at my feet. Looking adorable and so sweet and just the tiniest bit scruffy. Love love LOVE it. Ok i'm done now.

Have a good one, kids. :-)

The SEED Manifesto

Love Lynne Franks, and although i haven't made it completely through the SEED Handbook, i love this Manifesto. I want a huge poster of it made and plastered on my wall!

SEED Manifesto
*

I …………, affirm that I will


Constantly plants seeds as well as pick the blooms

Keep the space and time to stay in tune with my higher self

Never let go of the big vision

Put my values, including integrity, compassion and love, at the centre of my enterprise

Remember the three R’s: respect for self, respect for others, responsibility for all my actions

Believe in myself so others will too

Keep humour and laughter as vital ingredients of my business plan

Get up early in the morning

Not neglect my personal relationships, loved ones, and friends in any way

Manifest abundance in all areas of my life

Keep clutter to a minimum

Recognize my gifts and delegate the rest

Look at difficult situations from all perspectives

Welcome in mentors and mentor others in return

Light candles every day and surround myself with fresh flowers

Give people more than they expect

Talk slowly but think quickly

When I lose, don’t lose the lesson

Know my industry

Keep improving my technology skills

Smile when picking up the phone

Remember my body is my most important tool – stretch, exercise, breathe, go for a walk, dance

Every day try and read a poem, listen to an inspiring piece of music, look at a wonderful painting or go into nature

Drink six to eight glasses of pure water every day

Listen as well as talk

Learn the rules then break some

Know there is nothing more sexy than confidence

Remember that no-one, not even I am perfect, but I’m doing the best I can



SIGNED ……

DATE ……