these are random things from pintrest.

{from here}

{from here}

{from here}

{the pin}

{from here}

{hereee} ps you guys, i seriouly love patrick stewart. like, a lot a lot.

{pinned}

Monday, Monday...or, why I lead the most boring life in existance.

Oh hi.



This is what my cubicle looks like.  Well, part of it.  From an on-the-desk angle.

Here you can observe me in my natural habitat.

Note the Monster Rehab and the eight zillion pictures of self & fiance.

And also, the Valentine's Day mug that is my daily coffee mug.

{do you know how much i hate valentine's day?}

{i guess having to watch someone die will do that to ya}

So this weekend, because it is inching ever closer to autumn, I decided to head to the mall to find some new wardrobe staples for fall, especially since my mall now has Free People and H&M and Anthropologie.  And ya know what I found?  A big fat wad of nothing at all.

{this is what happens when you drag your fiance to the mall with you. he was not happy to be dragged around the mall, though i just spent AGES in his stupid comic book shop. and they didn't even have the walking dead book i need! arghhhh}

You know something is wrong when you can't even get up the gumption to buy new clothes.

simple fall by traci-horschel featuring black kitten heels

{what i would have gotten had i been in the shopping mood. i really want that sweater especially...i should just buy it online...}

And there you have it. Most boringest post ever.

Have a lovely week, all :)

{OH! stay tuned for a big giveaway on Thursday...cuz it's my birthday!!!}



sometimes i lick blowup dolls.

ok. so this picture has a story.

this is during my little sister's (the one on the far right) bachelorette party.

there was alcohol involved.

that is a male blow up doll, thank you Spencer's.

i think we named him bill? or bob?

anyway.

he was my date all night.

did you know random strangers to not like to be touched with a blowup doll?

well. they don't.  most of them don't even laugh.

fuddy duddies.

1. Bold or Understated?
um. both.

2. You have to survive alone in the wild and you only get to take one thing with you. Your choices are: A Pocket Knife, a Water Bottle, or a Book. Which do you choose and why?
ya know, my answer doesn't even matter.  i'm sorry but i'd die no matter what. i am NOT a nature girl.  seriously. i'd have zero chance of surviving.

3. Thirty Two Cows, Seven Eight Chickens, How Many Didn't?
um what?!

4. Would you rather die doing one legendary act of service or do small acts of kindness that may go unnoticed every day?
small acts of kindness :)

5. Happiness is ________. (one word; fill in the blank)
StarTrek

6. Can you laugh with out smiling?
no. and i usually end up jiggling like santa claus too.

7. Do you pop your knuckles?
errry day.

linkin up with my homie,  miss Gentri Lee :)

dear miranda lambert...your husband is amazing.

Dear Blake Shelton:  seriously, how did i not recognize your awesomeness?  last night’s concert was one of the best i’ve ever been to.  you’re brilliant.  and Miranda Lambert is one seriously lucky lass.  dear fiancé: YAY! one week down, many more to go! can’t wait until we aren’t living paycheck to paycheck anymore…i’m so proud of you.  dear fair quesadilla place: omygeesh how did you manage to make the perfect quesadilla?? honestly, the best i’ve had in my life, and i’m amazing at any food that involves melted cheese.  thank you for filling my belly with deliciousity before we saw blake last night.  dear jack daniels lynchburg lemonade: i’ve found my new love.  dear "baby" cousin:  happy 17th birthday!!!!

Linking up with this lovely lady!

Being an Evil Stepmother. Part two.

Some moments in step-parenting (or, ok, almost step-parenting...still have a few months before that title of "stepmom" is officially mine [the day before mother's day next year, actually!]) are awesome.  Some moments are less than awesome.  Sometimes you think you're the shit...and then get hit with one of these:


The first time you hear the words:

"You're not my mom."

Seriously, talk about heartbreaking.

Clearly, oh dear child, I'm not your mom.  I very clearly recall not pushing out out my vagina.  Thanks for the reminder.  Lack of DNA, however, does not mean a lack of love.

Girl, I've brushed & braided your hair, made you breakfast/lunch/dinner/snacks, read to you, tucked you in at night, given you baths, watched you cry at the end of Pete's Dragon, given you approximately eighteen million hugs...

No, I'm not your mother.

But I will never stop loving and protecting you like you were my own.

Then there are the awesome times. Like this:

The first time you hear the words:

"I love you."

Probably the most precious moment of my entire life.  Even including the first time my fiance and I shared those words.  The thing with children?  They totally see through your bull. They can tell if you actually like them or not, or when you're lying (most of the time).  To gain a child's trust, respect, and love?  That's amazing.

I don't know if we'd even done anything significant that day...probably just hung out and maybe played a board game, but when we were dropping her back off to her mom, after her obligatory hug goodbye, I got those precious three words.  Best. Thing. Ever.

Seven Q's

This is me and my youngest sister.  We're pretty cool. Also, apparently, pirates.

1. It's back to school time! Are YOU going back to school?

Not I!  I never actually graduated from college, and I have no plans to return anytime soon.

2. Speaking of back to school... You receive 10 pts if you can name this movie:

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms."
"You've Got Mail".  I really love that movie!  I used to watch it whenever it came on TV when I still had satellite TV...I guess I should probably actually buy it now!  I love Meg Ryan :)

3. Who did you hang out with in school? Cool kids, jocks, nerds, were you a loner, etc? (all are welcome here- btw)
Um, in my early high school days, I hung out with the punk kids.  And then they all graduated and I hung out with younger kids...actually I pretty much always hung out with the punk/goth/emo crowd I guess! LOL

4. What was your favorite subject in school?
History & English.  I didn't always like my teachers (actually I mostly hated my teachers) but I liked the subjects.

5. (I've asked this question before, but it was a while ago) If you had to go back and redo one of the following, which would you choose and why? Preschool, Elementary, Middle School, High School, College?
I used to want to go back and re-do high school because I missed out on parties and such (because my younger sisters always asked my parents to do stuff first and I had to baby sit my brothers!), but upon learning what those guys were really up to back in the day...I'm kind of glad I "missed out". 

6. Home/ Packed Lunch or School Lunch?
Honestly, I rarely ate at lunch time.  For the longest time I was so painfully shy I couldn't even order a school lunch (I got one of my guy friends to get it for me...apparently I had a legion of people with crushes on me), or I would just not eat until I got home.

7. What's more exciting? The first day of school or the last day of school?
Probably the first day.  I loved seeing all my friends again after summer break!

Linking up with GentriLee!

Happiest Monday!

At least, the happiest I've had in a long while.

Today is the first day of my fiance's new job!  He was supposed to be up at 430 to make sure he caught his ride...but woke up around 3 instead.  Wowza that's early.

Needless to say...I've been up pretty much since then too. Way. Too. Early.

But, we made chicken enchilada things for dinner last night, so I had a delicious lunch of leftovers!

And...I am ridiculously over the moon about this new job situation.

As is my fiance.



Hope you all have a great week!!

3 personality traits. {blog challenge #6}

The sixth thing on the blog challenge is to write about three personality traits I'm proud of.

{it is harder to write this much about myself than I'd thought it would be}

1: I'm a total goofball. I really love to make other people laugh.  Or even just smile when they're having a bad day.  I've perfected wacky accents and silly anecdotes and self depreciating comments just for this use.  Seriously.  Also, I always read little kids books in voices.  My cousins love me for it :)

2: I love with my whole heart.  I can't help it.  If I care for you in any capacity, I will go above and beyond to make sure you know it.  I'm exquisitely loyal.  But...I'm also the kind of person who could meet Mother Theresa on a bad day and decide she's the devil.  And my first impressions of people are generally spot on, but when they're not, it takes a LONG time to reform an opinion of anyone.

3: Though I'm a worrier at heart, I am always an optimist.  I generally prepare myself for the worst, but I always expect the best.  I am happy on rainy days because it makes the plants grow.  My dad once told me {because I am the opposite of a morning person, and everyone knows it!} that if you wake up in the morning, and decide to be happy, you will be happy.  Happiness is a choice.  I choose to never stop being happy.

Being an Evil Stepmother. Part one.

Considering my fiance and I are getting married next May, the fact that I'm becoming a stepmom for real has begun to sink in.  Hard.  And because I'm clearly new at this official role, I tried to look online for guidance...but there isn't a whole lot out there.  Many of the step parenting sites I've found are very strongly faith based, and since my fiance and I aren't practicing a faith, there is only so much advice I can take from these sites, when every other sentence is about listening to God's will.

Thus, I've decided to walk you all through my journey.  It'll help me to write things out, and hopefully some of you will be able to offer advice along the way.  Or perhaps you'll stumble across these posts and find some advice you can use, or at least know that what you're feeling is reflected in someone else's heart as well.

...

{here}

It's one thing to be in a more peripheral role as the father's girlfriend, you know, doing a bunch of the fun time stuff.  After my fiance and I moved in together, I started taking a bigger role in my (future) step daughter's life...but after a few months I started to pull back a bit...  

Since I've known my fiance for about 12 years, including the time he was with his ex and had his daughter at the age of 18, I know more of their past and relationship history than most women in my position might.  So when we were first dating, and I got to hear about their times in court and battle over visitation and child support and whatnot, (especially since having a crush on my fiance from wayyy back) I naturally took his side in everything.  He only sees his daughter once a week?  Evil birth mother.  He can't keep her overnight? Evil birth mother.  And so on and so forth...until the day I realized that "evil birth mother" might have some points.  

Here is where I broke some key rules.

1: No matter how much you agree with whatever badmouthing the birth parent has about your significant other (s/o from here on out), do not agree or add to the badmouthing.

The day I found myself inadvertently adding fuel to the fire was probably the stupidest I've ever felt in my entire life.  This particular day was caused when I was feeling particularly peeved with my fiance over something stupid, and was also feeling resentful of the fact that I was having to deal with "evil birth mother" and having to pick up my future step daughter (SD from here on), as well has having to buy groceries or something like that.  And as EBM began complaining about needing something from my fiance, I began to chime in on his faults as well.

Why not do this? Well duh. EBM (or EBF depending) is not the one you're in a relationship with.  The fact that they are no longer in a relationship with your S/O is proof that they already know your S/O's faults, and have chosen not to deal with them.  Furthermore, complaining about those same faults will only lead to your EBM rating even lower on their scale, meaning that all the days your S/O has worked to get to see their kid, might well start to disappear.  (**ok, so custody works differently for some people, but as our case has no official visitation schedule worked out, it's at the whim of the EBM...so don't give her cause to not want the child to see it's other parent.)

2: Resentment. It's one thing to be pissed at your S/O for needing you to take care of some parenting duty...it's something entirely different when you realize this anger is starting to lead towards resenting the child.  Remember - the child did not choose this.  The only thing the child did was to be born to someone who wasn't you.  It's okay to be mad at your S/O for not taking care of a parenting task - Do not take this anger out at the child.  In my case, my reaction was to begin to draw away from my SD.  On days my fiance would get her, I'd go do something else instead of hang out with them.  Since my fiance isn't, and has never been, a ten year old girl, I believe I might have done some harm to their relationship as well with my absence, since sometimes girls just really need another girl around, even if they are playing video games.

It's okay to agree with the other birth parent about some some of your S/O's faults...just keep it to yourself.

...

dear friday...

ok, worst phone picture EVER. my soon to be step daughter's birthday cake from last night.

dear brenda: happy 10th birthday! we love you so much.  dear fiance: i cannot even begin to explain how excited i am about your new job!  i know i've been a bit a lot more impatient with you lately, and i promise to stop that.  dear work: please hurry up and end. i have an appointment with my bed for a nap.  dear birchbox: i. am. so. excited. i finally signed up for a subscription! perfect birthday gift to myself. yay! dear leftover cake & ice cream: i hope you don't mind that i'm totally eating you for dinner tonight.  dear unborn baby nephew: seriously, i know you're not due to be born until september 7th, but you should really come out sooner and give your mama a break! we all love you so much already, and i can't wait to meet your adorable little face!

linking up with Ashley

...

So you might all notice, I've changed up my blog again!  I have a bit of an obsession with Photoshop, and can't stop making things.

Everything used for my blog header and welcome note are due to this wonderful lady right here: {irocksowhat}

She's got tons of free download stuff you can use for your own blog, plus, she's hilarious.

...
Also also, my Etsy shop sale is still on!  Remember to use coupon code BIRTHDAY40 for 40% off any {LolitaRose} purchase!  <3

Etsy love = HUGE sale.

Hello, friends.

How you doin?  (as said by Joey on Friends. just cuz)

So here's the situation.

My parents went away on a week's vacation...

Oooops no, that's part of the lyrics for Parents Just Don't Understand...

{shop now}

Remember when I posted a few days ago about a sale in my Etsy shop for 20% off?

Yuppp, changed my mind.

It's 40% off.

Yeah guys, that's nearly half off any and every thing in my Etsy shop.

Oh don't get me wrong, I LOVE it all...but I'm pretty over summer.

Which equals: HUGE savings for you!

And, to add extra icing on the cake...

Every. Single. Item.

in my shop is now officially super limited edition.

Meaning: once it sells, I'm not making it anymore.

Use coupon code BIRTHDAY40 in my Etsy shop now to get 40%  off your entire purchase.

(that means you could even buy everything and STILL get the 40%, no limits.)

{Post Script: Also in honor of my birthday, I will be having a pretty big giveaway on August 30th! Check back for updates soon!}

 

7 Questions!

these are my new glasses. no idea why i thought that face was appropriate...

1. The Olympics are awesome! What's your favorite Summer Olympic event to watch?
I actually don't watch the Olympics very much.  Though I did watch the women's trampoline event...that was pretty awesome.  I can't believe how high they jump! Crazy.

2. If you could compete in an Olympic event (either season), which would it be?
I am not athletic, and do not really enjoy playing sports. So probably nothing.  I'd be a judge! LOL

3. Would you rather be tickled to death or poked (by finger) constantly for the rest of your life?
Um. Poked probably, I hate getting tickled!

4. Do you keep your nails long or short? Square or round?
Not short short (like to the skin), but nothing super long.  They're always round.

5. Do you think you're funny?
I am friggin' hilarious. Duh.

6. When you have something you're looking forward to SO much, but it's still a ways off, what do you do to keep yourself distracted?
Probably read a lot.  I can go through like a book a day when I don't have other stuff going on. I love reading.

7. You've just won an Olympic Gold Medal! What are you going to do next?!?!
Hopefully get paid big bucks by Nike or something to wear their stuff!  Yeah, I love money. Haha.

Linking up as ever with Miss Gentri Lee!



guilty pleasures. {blog challenge #5}

{via}

I have to say, I kind of agree with Loki.  Er, I mean Tom Hiddleston.

Anyway.

I definitely have to say that there aren't many activities or things I indulge in that everyone I know doesn't know about.  I kind of talk a lot.  And I pretty much think everything I'm into is awesome.

But here's the list of things I'm into that other people probably wouldn't admit to.

-Everything and anything involving Harry Potter.

{via}

-All things '80's.  Like NKOTB.  And Adventures in Babysitting.

And Tom Cruise.

Oh how I miss '80's Tom Cruise.

(though Rock of Ages Tom Cruise was nice.)

-Also anything and everything Star Trek.

Except Voyager. And Enterprise.

So...

original & TNG & DS9.

plus this hottie:

{via}

-Still totally rock out to Britney Spears.

-I kind of enjoy parts of Jersey Shore.  Not all of it, but I have been entertained by an episode or two.

{via}

  -I nearly forgot about my love of Disney movies.

{via}

{via}

{via}

...that's kind of all I can think of at the moment.

Um, see you tomorrow mmmmkay?

When I was a little kid...

(you'll notice I've slacked a bit on that blog challenge thingy.  whoops)

(also, i'm skipping my business name.  i told you in the first post, so no need to repeat myself!)

Happy Monday ya'll :) 

this is me when I was like 6? I think. I'm in a flower girl dress I wore constantly for dressup. also, i stole this from my mom's facebook page. so thanks mom. xo

This is supposed to be a post about my earliest childhood memory.

To be perfectly honest...

For some reason I remember next to nothing about being a little kid.

Seriously.

I have little bits and pieces of stuff, but everything's all muddled together.

I remember NOTHING about elementary school.

(well school at least, I think I remember other stuff).

But here are some things I can remember:

1: The time we started eating calf feed.

Seriously, this happened.  My grandparents used to run a dairy farm, and when I was a little kid, they still helped my uncle with the daily aspects of it.  I don't think my little brothers were born yet, so I couldn't have been more than 6, or if I was, Josh at least wasn't old enough to run around with us.  Anyway.  My younger sisters and cousin and myself used to go to the barn to "help" out with stuff.  (or, chase around the feral barn cats. whatever) I remember that we were playing the dare game, and someone broke out the double dog dare.  Turns out, calf feed tastes like strawberry poptarts.  Who knew?

2: The time I might have broken my brother's nose.

Or, the times I might have broken my brother's nose.  The accidental trip up Grandma's stairs, and the accidental knee in the face when he was chasing me and my sisters down the hallway... sorry bro.

3: The time we went to Maine.

Ok, so I was 12 when this trip happened (thus not such an early memory), but holy crow it's the most griswold best family vacation ever.  My dad had gone to a bachelor party the night before we left, and was thus in a fairly cranky (hungover, perhaps?) mood the day we left.  Also probably because he asked my mom to have us all (yeah, 5 kids and herself) ready and the camper packed by the time he was home from work, and that didn't happen.  So we finally take off, dad drives all night, and we end up crossing the border into Maine at like 3am.  Did I mention we picked up another family along the way?  The final camper count was like 11 people crammed into this RV when we settled to sleep at this rest stop.  No sooner had everyone laid down, than a security guard knocks at the door.  My father, who had probably been going on three hours of sleep the whole previous day (consider the bachelor party late night AND work AND long ass drive with 7 kids in the vehicle, plus 3 other adults),emerges from the back sleeping quarters with quite a slew of curse words on his tongue...and proceeds to call the security guard a dickhead.  The rest of the trip, though memorable, does not even begin to match the level of hilarity that my 12 year old mind gives that moment in time.

Sunday Social

Lord knows I LOVE to talk about myself, so when any kind of linkup involving questions comes up, well...heck yes I'm gonna do it!  I found this via Natalie Blair's blog, because I love reading everything she posts.

1. What is your favorite Fall activity?

I love carving pumpkins, and baking!  (baking is definitely a fall activity, because it's so darn hot in my house over the summer...and i love to bake) Although since my fiance moved in with me, we've started a new tradition in fall of making pepper jelly! And that is definitely one of my favorite activities too :)

 

2. Do you follow a football team? if so which one and why?

Buffalo Bills!!  Hometown, represent.  Of course we still live here, so chances of changing our favorite football team is never gonna happen.  Every year we start out with high hopes...only to have them dashed every time the playoffs come around. ugh.

the only game we've been to together...it was december, and raining. look how close we were to the field though! win!

 

3. What is something fun about Fall in your area?

The first weekend of October every year, there is an awesome Oktober Fest in Ellicottville. Delicious food, fun vendors, and even better BEER!!

 

4. Fav Fall outfit staples?

Simply fall by traci-horschel featuring leather sneakers

H M jumper sweater
$20 - hm.com

BKE fitted jeans
buckle.com

H M leather sneaker
$23 - hm.com

Grey handbag
purseboutique.com

5. Thing you are looking forward to most about this coming Fall season?
My sister is having a baby in September (or the end of August), and I cannot WAIT to meet my new nephew!
 

6. Favorite Fall holiday? Traditions?
I really LOVE Thanksgiving.  And this year will be my first time with my fiance and I HOSTING Thanksgiving at our little house!  Eeep.  I can't wait :)

Linking up with Neely, here!