goodbye blogger!!

SURPRISE!!

 i've decided to join the ranks of elite bloggers and migrate over to wordpress...i've had this account for a while and could never figure it out. i still have a wordpress URL, but over the next few weeks i'm going to figure out this self-hosting and domain name thing and make it all snazzy and official. since i pretty much have everything else up and running over there, i'll be posting on that space from now on.

using reader/an RSS feed? subscribe to my new page here!

 (.gif has nothing to do with the post...

just wanted to have an epic sendoff for this blog!)

wegmans is awesome, as long as you don't work there {my first job}

i combed through a bunch of writing prompts from different blogs, but nothing really struck my fancy until i saw this one. ohhh the stories i could tell...

my first job was at a grocery store called wegmans. if you have never had the pleasure of going to wegmans, i feel bad for you. because wegmans is the best place on earth. don't get me wrong, it is the worst place ever to work, but being a customer is awesome.

i started working at wegmans the summer before my junior year of high school, when i was 16. i was a cashier, and it was miserable. i remember searching high and low for a pair of black pants for my uniform, finally settling on one pair that i wore pretty much until they were just threads. at that time, you could only wear the starchy, boxy white shirt or the "we're number 1!" shirts in the summer, both always oversized and hideous.

i always joke that working at wegmans was a rite of passage for fairport teenagers. most of the people i knew worked or used to work at wegmans when i was 16-18 (and sadly, some of my former classmates still do...). i remember when people would come into class asking if someone else could take their shift. they'd draw schedules on the board and trade away. i worked at a wegmans that wasn't central to fairport so i didn't get to indulge in this pastime, but at the time it was hilarious.

i don't want to brag...but i was a pretty awesome cashier. my IPM (items scanned per minute) were always awesome, which was made even better because that meant i was at the express lane more often. a word to non-cashiers: express lane employees are usually the happiest because they have it easy, and they're good at what they do. when we had those "feed a family" or march of dimes campaigns, i was always at the top (i'm a sweet talker). i was handsomely rewarded with a few $5 gift cards, which i promptly spent on shampoo (probably). when wegmans royalty came to our store, they told her to come through my line. just sayin'.

having most of your friends sharing similar experiences made for some great storytelling/vent sessions. customers suck stories are always great, especially when you're trading them with people in the exact same situation, and venting about the same managers, etc. i won't bore you with all my stories, just one of my favorites. please to be on my side with this one?

when i first started at wegs, cigarettes were kept in a case near the front end, but if a customer wanted anything, you had to flag down a manager to get it out. during busy times, this was an insane hassle. eventually, ALL wegmans everywhere (at least in NYS) started selling cigarettes at the customer service desk, which was a separate transaction but made everything run smoothly up front.

you know how you can just tell when people are going to be difficult? yeah, this was one of those times. this customer comes through, puts a crapload of stuff on the belt, and halfway through the order asks for cigarettes. i kindly explained that they were now sold at customer service, and had been for at least 6 months at that point. well, apparently she hadn't been to wegmans in that period of time, because she was UP IN ARMS that i couldn't pull strings for her. she called over my manager and told her i was being difficult, complaining that she'd never been treated like this, etc. WTF?!?!? the manager couldn't do anything, either. the lady left in a rage and apparently called the store to complain some more about me. my manager told me this, laughing, assuring me i did nothing wrong.

so that's my story. wegmans, my first job. i don't miss it one. single. bit.

my philadelphia

if you've been reading my blog for the past few months, or if you know me personally, you'll know that in the past six months or so i've picked up running as my exercise of choice. from 6th-10th grades i was involved in cross country and track, but after many frustrating injuries, i traded my running shoes in for theater shoes. however, seeing the positive impact running was having on my friends, i decided to make a change and get my rear in gear once again.

in a few short weeks, i'm running the broad street run here in philadelphia, a 10 mile straight shooter course down the longest street in philly, and i couldn't be more excited. not only will i be running with some great friends, i'll also get to experience my adopted city in a brand new way.

while searching for new music to add to my playlist, i decided to finally add the "rocky theme," in addition to a few other philadelphia themed pump-up songs. though i haven't seen any of the Rocky movies (i should get on that, huh?), this one is really inspiring (click...it won't embed. i promise it's worth it!)

tomorrow i'll set out on my longest run to date, a 9.2 mile loop along the Schuylkill river [you can see part of it from :56 to 1:06 in the video!], down to the art museum (with those infamous steps) and back to my house. i did part of this loop last week, on a beautiful spring day when other runners were out in full force. these saturday long runs are my favorite time of the week - just an hour or two to myself with a chance to take it all in. this running thing has given me the chance to enjoy philadelphia in a way i wouldn't have been able to otherwise. on my shorter runs, i run along the canal in my neighborhood, full of cute puppies and geese walking around 2-by-2. what's not to love?

the running community in philly is awesome, too. i see the same people on my runs in town, and i've taken to waving to a few of them, and if not a wave, then a friendly nod of acknowledgement that each other are awesome (well, that's what i like to think).

i've only been here a year, and there's still so much i have to explore! i need to eat more food, see more sporting events, do more shopping, and meet more people. although i never imagined myself here, it's definitely been a great place to live.

and i promise it doesn't look this trash-ridden today.

executive by day, wild man by night

which of these suave 80s men would you date?

though it's probably 20+ years old, this video is pretty true to what online dating is like.

online dating can be incredibly fun if you have the right attitude. i had my reasons for jumping into the online dating pool, and i just kind of let things happen as they did. no pressure, no expectations. and i had fun! and i was out doing things, enjoying my single 20s, and meeting new people. and what i've come to find is that now, online dating is not just accepted, it's pretty much the norm.

for anyone looking to jump in, make sure you set some boundaries for yourself before setting out. i always told my roommates where i'd be, who the person was and where they were from. all but one time i always met up with the person somewhere else - not my house.

of course, you'll encounter some really, um, interesting characters. if you want to read some personal accounts, head on over to this awesome blog (i may or may not be a contributor).

beauty blog

remember when i had a beauty blog? it's been nearly 7 months since i last posted on it.

BUT i've recently had the itch to start it up again. so please head on over and check it out!

beauty by tara.

there's nothing wrong with loving who you are

it occured to me last week that this april will be the first time in FIVE years that i am not packing my life away into suitcases and boxes and moving it into a 4x4 storage unit or into the back of a car and hauling it elsewhere. i have finally found stability, and boy does it feel good.

in the past few weeks, months even, i have also found myself saying something along the lines of, "well the old me would be... ... but the NEW me is..."

it's nothing big. i don't think i have changed that much. but what has changed is definitely for the better. i don't know if it's because i've lost weight and am finally confident and comfortable with myself, or if it's because i'm finally living "the dream," if you can call the dream being broke most of the time but living with awesome people and having a job that you mostly enjoy.

i don't know when it happened - i know it's been a gradual change. this past year has definitely forced me to grow up, and look at myself in ways i never did before.

old me:               

follower              

spender                

suuuuper shy              

jealous

mega judgemental

horrible dating record

dead-end job-haver

awful cook

hesitant

lazy

new me:
leader
saver
waaaay outgoing
motivating
non-judgemental
better dating record
good job-haver
decent cook (excellent baker)
dives in head first
active

i was never unhappy with myself. in fact, i was probably a little too confident in myself than i should have been. but now, i feel so comfortable with my life. i'm content, proud of myself, and more than anything, ecstatic for what's to come. and sometimes i feel so guilty about it, because i want everyone i know to have and feel the same.

end heavyness.

I'M GOING TO VEGASSSSSS.

for any new followers/readers via #BiSC - be sure to follow me on twitter and on my tumblr, if you roll that way.

no comment

i really want to comment on the whole BYU/Davies thing, but i feel like i can't really gather my thoughts enough to really form an opinion that will make sense.

as a BYU graduate, it's hard to see the media criticizing the school so harshly for the honor code. no drinking or sex? how do people survive?

the honor code has been around since BYU was founded. it's nothing new, and the school wears it on its sleeve. BYU's stone cold sober school ranking is something the school prides itself on.

is the honor code harsh? yes, to people looking in on it. for students who willingly choose to go to BYU, it's nothing new. it's church doctrine and teachings we've grown up hearing all of our lives, or to converts, what they learned from the missionaries. i know people who aren't mormon think it's weird that we do (or don't do) this stuff.

yes, mormons don't drink coffee, tea, or alcohol, or smoke or do drugs. when you're in provo, it's not hard to NOT do those things. i've never had coffee - and honestly, don't really want to. i find a way to survive without it (diet coke...) but even if i had the opportunity to drink it, i probably wouldn't. i hate tea, too. so really? not hard, at least for me.

do people do it anyway? of course. provo - and utah in general - isn't a mormon police state. there are bars and liquor stores, just like anywhere else.

the thing about brandon davies is that in the end, he did choose to go to BYU, knowing full well what was expected of him, and the "rules" he would need to abide by (again i stress - if you're living your lifestyle like the honor code anyway, they're really not "rules"). is it a huge blow to the team? yes, obviously. things like this happen more often than you'd think at BYU - this just happens to have a lot of media attention because of the person involved.

i'm know that brandon feels horrible about what has happened. whether he "turned himself in" or if it was someone else, it probably would have come out eventually. i feel so bad for him, and for his girlfriend, to have their private lives thrust out in the open like this.

i don't expect any of my non-mormon friends to agree with the honor code. i know it's different - BYU is definitely different. but you know what? i had a great time in school. i made amazing friends, got a great education, and had the opportunity to really grow up and make my own decisions.

i'm sorry this was so jumbled. like i said, i don't really know how to put into words how i feel. in the end, i really wish people, especially in the media, would educate themselves just a little bit about BYU or the honor code, or mormonism, before criticizing it. in the end, the students choose to go there, and they know what they're getting in to.

/end soapbox rant.

8tracks

after months of AOL radio and pandora listening at work, i needed to look elsewhere (as much as i cherish my citizen cope channel, i was eating up my allotted hours very, very quickly)

ergo, i turned to the new-to-me site 8tracks.

can i just say....i am in love.

first of all, there's the endless number of mixes you can listen to, easily favorite, and listen to over and over again. i have discovered so much new music in the past few days. second, there's the opportunity to create your own mixes using your own music, and share them with others. i know it's not really a new or novel idea, but seriously, i have come to realize how stunted i am in the music department by listening to the mixes others have made.

so, come play with me over on 8tracks. i posted a condensed version of the love week soundtrack over there (and it already has one "like"!)

if you want an awesome introduction, this mix has been on repeat for me for the past few days.

love week 2011

i've taken it upon myself to bring love week to the east coast.

what's love week, you ask? only the best six days of your life.
(feb 8th to the 14th, naturally)

love week =
-daily soundtrack listening
-wearing love week colors (pink, white, brown {chocolate}, purple) every day (not all at once, of course)
-romantic comedies
-NO MOPING

my crazy beautiful friend lindsay started love week our freshman year of college. she got everyone involved - even the boys! ever since, our group of friends has looked forward to this week. even if you're unattached, it's just a really fun way to celebrate your friendships and have fun reveling in the ridiculousness of it all.

for the second year of love week {2007}, i will never forget making cookies with linds and yooms at my apartment, burning at least 20 cds, and running around provo hand delivering cds and cookies to everyone. at each apartment, we'd give a little preview of each song and have a dance party. it was one of my most favoritest memories in college. in 2009 we spent an entire day in the graphic's lab compiling the soundtrack and burning cds in anticipation of the party of the year.

 

oh yes, so there IS a point to this post.

i need your suggestions for this year's soundtrack!!

i have a bunch of songs already together, but i haven't gone through and made any final decisions. the only rule for songs is that they must say the word "love" somewhere in the song, it doesn't necessarily need to be in the title. 

my plan is to make a .zip file and send it to anyone who wants it - so please pass the word along!

the categorization method

you know how in middle school you liked to pretend *insert teen heartthrob here* was your boyfriend? and you'd daydream about how their tour bus would magically appear in your neighborhood and you'd go on this one fantastic date and live happily ever after. no? just me? oh well.

well, i am 24 now, but i still have my faux boyfriends. yes - plural. and a while ago, i came up with the perfectly sane and acceptable method to enable one's self to have multiple faux boyfriends without making the others jealous.

categorize them.

i'm not sure when it happened, but i started referring to jason segel as my "hollywood boyfriend." then when i moved to philly and discovered the Eagles, stew bradley became my "sports boyfriend." i have a "work boyfriend" and a "train boyfriend" and many others - you know, the unattainable or untouchable guys who will, with 99% surety, never have a place in your life except to be gorgeous eye candy. and if they are people you see on a regular basis, you most likely melt into a puddle of mush and suddenly forget how to use your words when you see or speak to them.

over the holiday break, i was explaining my method to elizabeth, and i am proud to say that my wisdom has caught on.

 

i particularly like elizabeth's breakdown of sports ---> basketball. why not expand and break down the categories even further? i'd never thought of it before, but i'm implementing it now.

anyway, please spread this wisdom on. i hope it becomes a thing.

so fetch!

so remember that one time...

when i actually used to blog? no? me either.

but i'm back, i swear.

what have i been up to these past few months? well...

• i got promoted at my job, to a full-fledged-full-time-benefits-having working girl. i love my job, my co-workers, and my company. it has really helped to cement my decision to move to and stay in philly. so happy i know i am secure, at least for a while.
• traveled. a lot. new york city a few times, DC a few times, baltimore a few times, rochester a few times.
• picked up running. inspired by my bffs clare and eliz, i started working out again. in addition to my job, this is the second-greatest thing that has happened in the past few months. in december i ran a 10k (6.2 miles) with some great girls (see below), and next i'm tackling the 10 mile broad street run here in philly in may. i look forward to saturdays and my long runs, and can't wait until the weather is warmer so i can really start training. my only wish is that i'd started this much, much earlier than i did.

 

• last but not least, i tackled the world of online dating - and won. but more on that later.

anyway, i suppose i'm making a late new year's resolution to blog more. seeing as i really, really want to attend #BiSC, i feel the need to become a blogger again. who wants to be there to remind me to keep this up?

if you really miss me, you can find me on twitter and my now un-defunct tumblr (cures work boredom).

stay pretty! smize and run!

enjoy your life.

"I just got one last thing, I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have. To spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get you're emotions going. To be enthusiastic every day and as Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Nothing great could be accomplished without enthusiasm," to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have. The ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality."

-Jimmy V 

i've been saying it for years

 

thank you, nymag daily intel team, for finally putting into print what i've been saying/complaining about for YEARS about gossip girl:

"Why on this show does everyone walk away from one another before anything is resolved or questioned? In real life, when there is a complicated twist (and if only real life was so entertaining!) usually people stick around to get to the bottom of it. Minus 20 for everyone walking away from Vanessa (while she still had Serena’s phone) without dealing with one actual element of the problem. "

this happens WEEKLY. i understand it's because they need to carry on the drama, because we'd have a 5 minute show otherwise, but still...it is SO FRUSTRATING to watch!!

if you don't read the recaps from nymag, i highly suggest starting now. they cover so many shows, and they're all hilarious to read, and the comments are even better. my favorites: gossip girl (obviously), jersey shore, glee, HIMYM, and RHONJ/NY (when they're on). ch-ch-check it. and thanks to alex for letting me know they even exist!

ok, off my soapbox now.

new blog

i've started a new blog! don't worry, this one isn't going by the wayside. i promise.


this blog is my own kick in the pants to get back to blogging - on both of my blogs now.


the new blog is a beauty blog - yes, i know. i was hesitant to do it. but i'm really trying to build it up and make it fun and informative. hair and makeup are big hobbies of mine, and i thought there's no better way than to share it on a blog dedicated to that very topic.


as part of my launch, i'm sponsoring a giveaway - a one year subscription to a beauty/fashion magazine of your choice (well, from my list).


please check the new blog out, leave a comment, and enter my giveaway!
http://beautybytara.blogspot.com/

plans

my life has certainly not gone as i planned, but somehow, everything seems to work out.

and i know there's even more fun -- and challenges! -- ahead of me.

june favorites

i've recently become addicted to frequenting makeup "guru" videos on youtube to find out new tips and tricks and reviews of products i'm interested in buying in the future. i love youtube for this reason -- i can search anything i'm looking to purchase and find real live reviews of it, see how well it works, etc. it's amazing and has actually saved me a lot of time, effort and money by finding out products are not all that great, and deciding not to purchase them. if i were braver or more photogenic, i would think of getting in on this trend myself. but i can't even keep up a blog, how would i make a little video channel survive!?

so for now, i'll use my blog as my platform for this. i've got 3 products right now that i'm in LOVE with. however, i'm still getting used to this new blogger in draft thing, so my pictures aren't working out or formatting properly. i'm including links to the products, so click through to see what they look like!so it's not a toss/try/buy, just a sampling of my favorite products right now. got any suggestions? let me know!

first up: benefit's dr. feelgood

i bought this last summer after seeing a good review of it on youtube. it says it's a primer, but i HATED it and stopped using it after a while because it wasn't working. but a few weeks ago, i found it in my mess of half-used-makeup-i-hope-to-use-again-at-some-point and decided to give it a try, but in a different way. it has been sooo hot and humid in philly, which makes my makeup run like whoa. i decided to use this product OVER my makeup (which it says to do on the directions, anyway) and let me tell you...it's amazing. not only does it minimize pores and smooth skin, it sets makeup like nothing else, mattefies, and basically blocks the humidity all together. 

i'm so glad i picked it up again. personally, i use it before it put on my BM mineral veil, so it's like double whammy of protection and perfection. just so you know how well it works...embarrassing but true story...i accidentally slept in my makeup last weekend and had to wake up early for work. when i woke up, my face looked as fresh as the moment i put it on the previous morning. so i went to work like that, and nobody could tell. PROOF.

second: cover girl lash blast fusion mascara

i've always been a fan of cover girl mascara's especially the lash blast line. since i'm on a budget, i'm saving my stash of diorshow and using this instead, and i'm really happy with it. the fusion combines the best of the best when it comes to mascara -- length + volume + curl. it's no diorshow, but it's a very good alternative that i highly reccommend.

third: aveeno active naturals nourish + style smoothing shine creme

i'm constantly on the search for the perfect style creme that will give me everything i want:

• no greasiness -- a MUST
• tames the frizzies and flyaways
• smells good
• lasts a while
• inexpensive
• protects my hair
• moisturizing

so when i saw a commercial for this stuff, i had to try it. and it does everything i want, and lives up to its name! i use this on and off with my john fredia heat protecting spray, and it's good mix. the creme smells delightful, covers well, and leaves my hair feeling soft, silky smooth, and not weighed down. plus, the naturalness of it makes me feel like i'm doing something good, idk.

let me know if you try any of these out...i'm interested to know what other people think!

(FTC {haha like anyone cares on this blog}: i bought all of these products myself and was not compensated in anyway for these reviews)

manayunk bike race

this weekend marked the unofficial start of summer in philadelphia -- the annual philadelphia international championship, or simply, "bike race." it seems that, if you say these two words to anyone in the philly region, they know what you're talking about, and understand your situation completely (thanks to the girls at work who helped me out this weekend!).

anyway, yesterday was bike race. we were up at 7:30 to shower, and out the door by 8:30 to make the hike up to the summit of the "manayunk wall." from wikipedia:

"The "Manayunk Wall" is an inclined street, comprising all of Levering Street and a few blocks of Lyceum Avenue, that is a part of the Philadelphia International Championship, an annual one-day bicycle race. It is reputed to be the steepest vertical drop in the city of Philadelphia. The "wall" begins at Main Street in Manayunk and, most years, ends at Pechin Street in Roxborough."

thank's to clare's cousin ryan, we scored VIP passes to his company's party at a house with a prime viewing spot right on the summit. we saw the bikers as they peaked after a long ride up the 17% grade hill -- and they did that 10 times (4 times for the women). the race was 156 miles total. incredible. it was so cool to be right there, and see the sweat dripping from them. definitely a great motivation!

famous

if i ever become famous enough to be invited on a talk show, this is my wishlist for which shows i'd want to appear on most.

1. ellen - i'd dance my booty off
2. chelsea handler - i like that she's direct. and hilarious.
3. conan - duh.
4. regis and kelly - i wonder if they'd let me play travel trivia.
5. craig ferguson - makes me laugh all the time.
6. jimmy fallon - can i play pong?
7. letterman - just to say i did it.

BLACKLISTED: LENO

it's a good thing i'm not famous though, because as my last FB status message shows, my friends have a lot of ammo against me.

big dreams, small spaces

as you may or may not know, i recently made the move to philadelphia! i've been here about a week, and i'm really enjoying it so far. i moved into a place with some friends in a neighborhood called manayunk, also known as One Giant Hill with a really cute main street.

i volunteered to take the smallest room in the house (a gorgeous, recently renovated rowhouse at a steal of a price). i LOVE my room. i have 3 closets, two of which take up an entire wall. when clare first sent me pictures, i was terrified i wouldn't even be able to fit a bed and a single nightstand against the wall. i didn't even know if i could fit my dresser. luckily, the pictures did not do the room justice, and the space is more than adequate. 

one of the challenges we face is the bathroom. it's tiny. we haven't encountered any morning traffic problems, but it would be hard for each of us to get ready entirely in that bathroom each morning. so we've taken to setting up shop in our rooms. now to the point of this post.

but how does one maneuver around a hideous, off-center radiator against the only wall with scant available space? you go to ikea, of course.

ikea has a solution for just about everything, don't they? originally i was going to try to find a very tall hutch/table to go around the radiator, but then we saw this floating shelf, and it was just the perfect length (and price!) i've set up quite the little makeshift vanity with the shelf, a candle thingamabob for my makeup, and a cheap mirror from target in the place where a window once was (wonder why they didn't actually make it a window, anyway?) for the summer, the radiator is the perfect place to hang my blow dryer (idk what i'll do in the winter, however...).

more pics of the house coming soon when we have it all decorated!

lucky

(please excuse my blog while it undergoes a major overhaul, and i attempt to teach myself HTML all over again. this stuff is hard.)

when i was younger, i used to be really lucky. in 4th grade, i won the grand prize at my school's annual book fair - $50 of books for me, and $50 of books for my classroom. i was in heaven. fast forward to 8th grade, when i was lucky enough to get through to my local radio station, reiterate the top 10 songs of the night, and win 2 tickets to the upcoming aerosmith concert. (i sold the tickets -- too young to attend/appreciate...turns out aerosmith pulled one over on concertgoers and put the stage on the lawn, which gave my lucky ticket buyers front row seats...).

anyway, i feel like i've been lucky my whole life. until now.

i'm moving to philadelphia next week. i don't have a job (but i have an interview). it's taken forever for this to happen, with lots of hurdles and bumps along the way. my car is falling apart (luckily, M+D have graciously helped me acquire a new one), and i'll barely break even when i have to send in my tax check next week.

when did my luck run out? what did i do wrong? i'm just so frustrated.

i need a lucky charm.