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)