Monthly Archives: September 2014

Sep30

Quitting Smoking

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Quitting Smoking

So I made the decision to try quitting smoking on Thursday of last week. Since then, I’ve only had two cigarettes. Let me tell you, I’ve been fiending for a cigarette every day, and last night I finally caved and had one because I was so stressed out. All of this stuff with trying to get registered for college, and looking for a new job has just been a whirl wind of anxiety for me. I just want one thing to go my way for once, so I’m really REALLY hoping I get the job at Next, which I interviewed for yesterday. My fingers and toes have been crossed all day, and it would make me so happy if I was offered a job. It would relieve so much stress to get one out of my two major issues (college and job) tackled. I had a minor freak out last night about it and my need for a cig was too strong to fight! Lucky for me, my sister smokes the same kind of cigarettes I do, so it was easy access for me to grab one. I thought that not smoking for a few days straight would help ease the desire for a cigarette, but it did just the opposite. My cravings are insane and my anxiety is through the roof. I feel like I gained a few pounds too from not smoking so frequently, so that really wigs me out as well, because I’m such a freak about my body and my weight. I really hope all of this gets easier these next few days, because I feel my anxiety building up in me like a big rubber ball and it’s seconds away from shooting off. I feel so irritable all the time. I know the easy way out would just be to go buy a pack of my beloved Marlboro Smooths, but I’ve made it close to five days with only two bummed cigarettes – I have to keep going. I could really use some love and encouragement, guys. These past few days have been so rough. Please, please keep your fingers and toes crossed for this job I interviewed for, it would mean a lot to me! Have a great Tuesday everyone! -Sarah

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Sep30

Sleeper Agent

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Sleeper Agent

An album I’ve been really enjoying as of late is Celabrasion by the punky fun group Sleeper Agent. This group of guys and gal are cool. They have a really amazing ability to combine some very pop-inspired lyrics with a rocker edge. Our lead singer Miss Alex Kandel is extremely talented. The way she plays with her voice to go from pop star, to rock star, to sweet crooner at the drop of a hat is quite impressive. The album is best known for their opening jam “Get it Daddy” – an anthem of rebellion if I’ve ever heard one! Kandel gives us her best sultry “I’m a grown up now” voice during the chorus as she announces to the world “I’m not a baby no more”. I’m sure a variation of these words have been uttered by every teenager in the entire world, myself included. The gentlemen in the band are to be acknowledged as well, because the playing of their instruments is tight as a drum. Here’s the lineup:

  • Tony Smith – guitars, vocals
  • Justin Wilson – drums
  • Scott Gardner – keys, synths
  • Lee Williams – bass
  • Josh Martin – lead guitar

With so many instruments being played at one time, you might think that Sleeper Agent might sound like a bunch of noise, but that’s far from true. Some of their playing through out the album is so subtle, you can barely even tell it’s there. There are also a bunch of ingeniously placed pauses through out a few of the songs when some players get a break while another instrument is introduced after the pause. While working at PacSun, we played at least half of Celabrasion through out the day when it first came out. I liked what I heard so much that I had to get the entire album so I could hear it the whole way through. The album ranges in a symphony of different sounds, from sexy little singles like “Shuga Cane” to sweet ballads like “That’s my Baby”, there’s sure to be something for everyone. Celabrasion is short and sweet, barely thirty five minutes, but each song packs such a punch that a half hour is all you need to feel satisfied by Sleeper Agent.

Check out their official video for “Get it Daddy”, and you’ll be head bobbing and feet tapping in no time. Do I have any Sleeper Agent fans out here? What’s your favorite song off of Celabrasion? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

Sep30

A Special Night

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A Special Night

Family is so important to me. Monday nights always hold a special place in my heart because it’s when I get my cherished one on one time with my dad. And it’s no secret that I’m the ultimate daddy’s girl. Monday nights (AKA Middle Aged Monday – AKA MAM) is when I get a full two hours just for me and my dad when we watch Dancing With the Stars together. It’s been a tradition of ours for years now, and it’s time that I wouldn’t trade for all the money in the world. Every Monday night like clockwork at eight o’clock we settle into the living room with our snacks and soda and indulge in our television guilty pleasure of DWTS. Every season we tell each other we’re not gonna get sucked into watching…and every season we find ourselves glued to the tv set every Monday night. It’s always so fun to be daddy’s little girl and cuddle up next to him, laugh at all the commentary, and tell each other “I could do that” to all the moves in the routines. During commercial breaks we dance around the living room and recap the just performed dances. We comment on all the racy costumes and snicker at all the dances that we declare “I could have done better than that!” I love it when my dad is goofy with me, and I love seeing him laugh and enjoy himself. One on one time with each of my parents is so special to me, and it’s memories like Monday night tv time that I’m going to cherish for forever. Simple things like watching a television program with my dad or going on a quick shopping trip with my mom hold very dear to my heart, and I’m so lucky that I can indulge in time with one or both of my parents whenever I want. I’m so thankful that for my entire twenty years of life, I’ve truly been a mama and daddy’s girl. I’m feeling incredibly grateful right now. It’s so nice to be able to look forward to Monday night tv every week and to have the two hour daddy daughter hang out exceed expectations. My DWTS time with my dad is the equivalent of a daddy daughter dance to me, and how lucky am I that I get to attend a daddy daughter dance every week. I am content. I am thankful. Have an amazing night guys. Be well. -Sarah

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Sep29

Gone Girl – Worst Ending EVER -_____-

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Gone Girl – Worst Ending EVER -_____-

I just finished Gone Girl and I am SO ridiculously disappointed in the ending. Like, seriously? The book was absolutely fantastic until the last thirty or so pages. That’s when it just got stupid. Now I can understand the lukewarm reviews on this book, because the ending sucked. The entire novel had so many interesting twists and turns, that the conclusion just seemed like Gillian Flynn gave up. She took an “easy way out” ending. I mean come on, shacking up with your sociopath wife and playing family with her until the day you die? Not impressed. It was obvious that Flynn was trying to end the book with this edgy, dysfunctional family feel, but it just left me feeling like I wasted a lot of time reading the book. Nick tried strangling Amy thirty five pages before the book ended for gods sake and we end with him being cool playing daddy to his and Amy’s child she conceived with his sperm she withdrew from the fertility doctors? What? I’m just so frustrated because I was loving Gone Girl SO much until the end!!! The finale was predictable, anti climactic, and just an all around bummer. In my opinion, it took Gone Girl from a ten to a four, easily. I’m just really confused as to why the book ended like this. Honestly, I wanted Nick to win in the worst way possible. He got shit on the entire four hundred pages of the story. Throw him a bone and throw Amy in jail! Now, I know what you’re thinking – An ending with Nick reining happy and victorious would have been just as lame as the published ending. And in a way that’s true. However, I feel like a lot of readers wanted the book to end that way. Nick was the under dog for a lot of the story, and I for one love a good under dog story. The tables turned on Amy from America’s sweet heart to a total psychopath, and I really wanted her to receive some type of punishment. Get a taste of her own medicine. Sometimes the ending that everyone wants is the best choice, rather than some bogus attempt of being edgy and creative. *Rolls eyes* So disappointed.

Where are all my Gone Girl readers at? How did you feel about the ending? How would you have liked the book to end? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

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Sep29

77 Degrees and Sunny:)

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77 Degrees and Sunny:)

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It’s a GORGEOUS day in Akron, Ohio! A lovely 77 degree day, which is surprisingly warm for the end of September. I had a job interview this morning at a really cool store called Next, in downtown Akron. The area I interviewed in is called Highland Square and it’s this super artsy hang out scene that I would really love to work in, so keep your fingers crossed for me! Once I got home from my interview, I broke out my shorts and a crop top, grabbed my favorite pair of oversize sunglasses, and went outside to my backyard deck to read. (My pentagon shades are from Target. I was so happy when I found these babies for fifteen dollars, while the Miu Miu pair which were identical to these were three hundred!) It felt amazing to sit back in a lawn chair and let the sun beat down on my face as I read. It’s so peaceful to be able to go to the deck, which overlooks a spacious backyard and crack open a good book. It’s a great reading atmosphere to be surrounded by nature: birds chirping, our flower and vegetable gardens, and a long stretch of bright green grass littered with fallen leaves. I’m so close to being done with Gone Girl, so expect to see a post soon with what I’m sure will be my “OMG!” reaction! Keep your fingers and toes crossed that I get this job I interviewed for today, and have a fantastic Monday! -Sarah

Sep29

American Horror Story Excitement!!!!

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American Horror Story Excitement!!!!

I seriously can’t even handle my excitement for season four of American Horror Story! October 8th can’t come soon enough!!! I’m banking on AHS: Freak Show to be one of the best seasons yet. I’m not gonna lie, Coven deeply disappointed me, so I’m hoping this rebound season will blow me out of the water. It was a matter of time before AHS did a season set in a carnival, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what unique twists and turns they can bring into a somewhat classic setting. Speaking of twists, I’m already scared for this season’s antagonist Twisty the Clown. According to the creators of the show, they didn’t particularly want to do a clown, because it’s so over done. But then they came to the agreement that if they were to do a clown, it was going to be the scariest one of all time. Apparently they did a fantastic job of making him scream worthy, because two camera men reported to have nightmares after finishing filming scenes with Twisty. I’m really excited to have what seems to be a genuinely scary villain in the show, both in their actions and visually. Papa Legba from Coven was probably the closest thing they’ve had to fit that description thus far, and even he wasn’t that frightening. Twisty the Clown sounds to be more like a monster, which is what makes me both nervous as hell and thrilled! I’m interested to see what they’re going to do to make classic carnival characters like the conjoined twins, the strong man, and the bearded lady fresh and new. Because we already know there’s going to be nothing classic about these characters. There appears to be a really strong cast of actors, minus one – Emma Roberts. I absolutely CAN NOT stand her. Her acting is mediocre at best, and even that’s generous considering she’s surrounded by such high caliber actors like Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, and Dennis O’Hare. If she could stick to acting on Nickelodeon, that would be great. Besides, it’s so obvious she got cast in the show because of her high status man candy Evan Peters. SO BITTER. I’m so excited for Miss Lange to absolutely KILL IT, as the carnival ring leader. I’m sure every AHS fan called this casting choice as soon as the season theme was revealed, but it’s still really cool just the same. Her take charge personality and sassy snark is going to make for one hell of a ring leader. Let’s be honest, Jessica Lange can do no wrong anyways.

What is everyone looking forward to the most about Freak Show? What was your favorite season of American Horror Story so far? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

^^^^ AHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sep28

OOTD: Sunday Funday

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OOTD: Sunday Funday

My outfit of the day today was fairly simple:

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It was a breezy 70 degrees in Akron, Ohio today, so I decided to wear something easy and light while I ran my errands. You can’t see my shoes in these pictures, but here they are:

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  • Dress: PacSun, O’Neil
  • Shoes: Kohl’s, Vera Wang

Unlike a lot of people, I really love a good high low dress, aka the “mullet dress”. I love the idea of maxi dresses, but they over power my tiny frame, so the high low dress is a perfect compromise. It shows just enough skin that I’m not drowning in the dress, and I think it looks extremely flattering on me. The shoes were a bargain from Kohl’s. I got these beauties probably three or so years ago for around twenty dollars. You can’t beat that for a pair of Vera Wang’s! These wedges are my go to summer shoes, so I thought it would be nice to give them one final hurrah before we enter into chilly October. This was the perfect running errands outfit for a semi-lazy Sunday Funday!

What was everyone rockin today? Can’t wait to scroll through all of your blogs later to see your OOTD! -Sarah

Sep28

Gone Girl: Halfway through AND FREAKING OUT!!!!!

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Gone Girl: Halfway through AND FREAKING OUT!!!!!

Alright, I promise I won’t post any spoilers, but I just got to part two in Miss Gillian Flynn’s ‘Gone Girl’ and I’m on the verge of having an aneurism. There’s so many twists and turns in this novel that I can barely keep up, in the best way possible!!! One of the major shocks in the book has just been revealed, and let me just say: I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!!!!! HOLY MOLY! Everything I was expecting in this book, every preconceived notion that I self righteously thought was true has just been blown out of the water. I seriously don’t understand some of the lukewarm reviews I’ve heard about this book, because it’s so well written, and creative as hell to boot! This book is the absolute definition of a page turner. I’ve been so happy that I’ve had time to binge read this weekend, because if I had other plans, they probably wouldn’t have gotten done – because I can’t put this book down to save my life. Every time I get a free few minutes it’s devoted to cracking this baby open and trying to fly through a chapter or two quick. The funny part about this shocking reveal at the half way point, is that I should have seen it coming. It’s almost like Gillian Flynn made this reveal happen to tease her readers a bit. I’ll tell ya what, it worked. Now I’m semi kicking myself in the ass for not coming to a conclusion sooner, but it just adds to the fun of reading this book! It’s keeping me on my toes, and I love it. Seriously guys, give this book a try, because it’s just fantastic. Where are my Gone Girl readers at? Can we PLEASE talk about this book and how freaking good it is?! Leave me a comment and let’s chat! -Sarah

PS: THE MOVIE LOOKS SO GOOD!!!!!!!!!

Sep28

Ballin on a Budget

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Ballin on a Budget

Yesterday night, I went shopping at TJMaxx with the intention of getting some hat boxes for my collection of vintage beauties left by my beloved grandma (RIP!!! <3).And I ended up leaving with these gorgeous babies instead:

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Wanna guess how much I paid for them? Fifty? Thirty? Try ten! I had a ten dollar gift card from using my TJ’s credit card, so I got these little booties half price, as they were twenty originally – which is still crazy cheap! While browsing through the home goods aisles I began questioning if it was really necessary to buy hat boxes, when I could just store them in plastic containers in my closet to keep them away from the dust, dirt, and sunlight. Problem solved. Besides, they didn’t even have any hat boxes anyways. So naturally, I wander to the shoe section, because you’re not going to NOT look at the shoes when you’re at TJ’s. When I stumbled upon these Wanted brand shoes, I knew they had to be mine. I’m so obsessed. They have the perfect amount of rocker edge with the industrial feel of the buckles and black gemstones paired with the sweet touch of the pointed toe and tiny heel. I’m so excited to rock my new kicks with my black coated leather super skinny jeans for a punk rock feel. I’m also looking forward to completely changing the mood of these shoes by wearing them with a soft and flowy dress paired with tights and a sharp blazer. My sweet grandma loved TJ’s and I truly am her grand daughter because I definitely inherited her love for the store! It’s so much fun to spend an hour or two wandering through all their fabulous purses, shoes, accessories, and clothing for every occasion. It’s also always an added bonus when you can snag a new addition to your shoe collection for a fantastic bargain! Such a successful shopping trip!

Where’s all my TJMaxx shoppers on here? What’s been your favorite thing you purchased from there? Leave me a comment and let’s chat! Happy Sunday. -Sarah

Sep28

Movie Night!!!

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Movie Night!!!

It’s family movie night tonight and let me just say, I am thrilled! There’s seriously nothing better than putting on a pair of sweats, making love to a big bowl of popcorn, and enjoying a stupid funny movie with the fam. Tonight our movie of choice is Super Troopers. We’ve never seen it before, but have seen it multiple times on top funny movie lists, so we figured we’d give it a go. My family bonds over stupid funny movies. Our fan favorites include: Old School, Zoolander, The Internship, Step Brothers, Office Space, and Anchorman just to name a few. Honestly, family movie night is the one time I’m not slightly annoyed by anyone, because no one is talking! Ha. It’s always so fun to hear huge belly laughs and a symphony of “ohmygods” and “did he just say that?!” fill up our living room. One of my favorite things about movie night is that we have something to talk and joke about for the next few days. The playful back and forth quote banter between everyone is the best! It may seem lame, and I guess it kind of is….but, I think I’d rather be at home with my crazy sibs and parents watching a dumb comedy than going out on a Saturday night. No matter how much my family drives me crazy, (and believe me, they drive me freaking nuts) I still cherish my time with them. I’m such a hot head (and that’s not a redhead pun!!!) that sometimes all I can handle is something simple and small like movie night. These are memories I’m going to keep for forever, and smile every time I think about them. There’s something really special about these nights, and I’m really excited to get some quality time with the crew. MUSHENHEIM FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT 2014: COMMENCE!

What are some stupid funny movies that we should watch next movie night? What’s your ultimate favorite comedy? Leave me a comment and let me know so my fam can add it to our “to watch” list! Have a great Saturday night! -Sarah

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