Weekend Reads

Ah, after a rather short week the weekend is here. I've been looking at a lot of Fall 2013 shows and neglecting my blog. I also finished reading a book and watching Chuck. Life has been good. 

Shaam's playlist is nice and you'll love it. If you haven't already, Shina's blog is pretty nice. She posts a lot, so be warned and this post about whether to sew or glue is just what every crafty person needs. 

Here are some fun pins I've recently pinned.

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I am so excited for the graduation and I've already made a board of different photo ideas for the day and got two photographers. It's crazy. I'm re-thinking my dress because mom isn't too sure about it.

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I've also been looking at different types of nail art for the Essie campaign. While this one is very pretty, I don't like the mix of the different kinds of prints. 

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This is a brilliant idea but I don't have the heart to cut the spine of a book, yet alone a classic.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Forever 21

Hello everyone, it's my birthday. It's the mellow-est birthday ever. So far, I've stayed away from cake, had mini Popsicles and gotten excited over graduation. In fact, I think I'm more excited about graduation than my birthday.

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Here's a little except from my journal.

"I’m at the office. I have been changed from my usual spot to a spot at the back. Everything looks different from here. I don’t hate it though, I’ll probably grow to like it. I already have my day planned. After office, I am going back home, and doing what I do every day; watch an episode of Lie to Me, an episode of Chuck and go through some more shows of Fall 2013, maybe read Whupped or The Casual Vacancy. It saddens me that I’m doing this today but at the same time it reassures me because of the consistency."

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes. I'm very blessed to have wonderful parents, amazing friends and you all. I wish you well. 

Jane by Design

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I absolutely loved this show. I think Mh was the one who suggester to me that I am like Jane/Jane is like me. Anyhow, being the person who hopes to one day be in Fashion, I felt a lot like Jane. I still do, except of course I'm not in high-school anymore and I do not have a double life working for a fashion line. 

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Jane is a 16 year old high-schooler who applied for an internship at Donovan Decker but was mistaken for the job of an executive and started working there juggling her high-school life, her punk-obsessed best friend whom she also happens to love, and so many other high-school and high-fashion drama going on with India who wants her boss's job, and the ever handsome British designer Jeremy. Then her mother comes home, and her brother's in love with her guidance counselor and her brother's old flame comes back and there's best friend's new girlfriend and her boss's nephew who likes Jane. Seriously, this girl has got more drama than Blair, Chuck and Serena combined. 

I don't keep track of the drama, (except for the ones to do with fashion of course  and I mainly watch it for the dresses, the accessories and THE SHOES! Jane has a penchant for tutus which I never really understood but I absolutely adore India's style and Jane's accessories  especially her belts and rings. Girl knows her stuff too well. 

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India's comeback in short hair and fancy blazer!

Jane and her tutu's. Which pretend 22 year old wears these to work? Especially to work in a fashion label?

Here are the boys!

Jeremy Johnson, the British guy who is the head designer at Donovan Deckers. He has a slight obsession with vests. He and India and Jane can be considered some sort of a love triangle. He also does some stuff leading Jane to fly to London. Nick Faddon, the preppy popular guy who is extremely nice and also plays Prince Charming and he plays basketball. Jane had a major crush on him since forever.

Eli, Gray's nephew and protege'  who also likes Jane, big surprise huh! The big brother Ben Quimby, who is adorable and all.

The complicated punk best friend, Billy. He is too complicated to even talk about. 

If you're the kind who watched stuff for the fashion, you are going to love this. I am still a bit sad that it got cancelled. 

Series Update: February

How I watch series is that I would download all episodes of a season and when the season ends, I'll watch it all because I have a hard time trying to keep up with what episode I last watched and because I just need to know what happens in the next episode and I like the cliffhanger at the end of the season. Anyhow, I have been watching some series regularly.

30 Rock

I seriously love Tina Fey. That woman is amazing. I also like Jack and the whole TGS gang. I am a bit sad that it has ended, but since I last watched S6 I still have one more season of the crew to go. I love how almost no sense it makes and they make up everything so it's so insane but fun. I need a lot of crazy in my life since it is rather dull. 

Drake and Josh

I finally finished watching it and it is fun. I love completely overreacting the brothers are and sometimes get mad that all bad stuff (mostly) happens to Drake and I'm always telling Muntha how she's like Megan, evil! 

NCIS

I absolutely love series where they show police procedure and crimes, maybe I like seeing people in pain. :O Anyhow, Gibbs is interesting and so is Abby. I love how quirky the characters are. I've only finished watching S1 so I still have a lot more of Gibbs and Tony and Kate and Abby and Ducky and McGee to look forward to. If you're into the criminal kinds of stuff, you'd definitely like it. 

Chuck

I am currently in S4 of Chuck and as much as I love Chuck and Sarah, I've forgotten most of the story-line and I miss when Sarah was being all cold to Chuck, but I don't want to watch it again. For me, its a one-off thing. You watch it all once and be happy, unlike FRIENDS where you watch reruns and be ecstatic. 

Lie to Me

I was very glued to this series at the start and my favourite character is Eli and I loved when he sang the White Lie song and I think I watched it until they stopped showing him. Maybe he was fire or something, but the series was really interesting at the beginning, and then somewhere after Eli stopped appearing I lost interest and stopped watching. Then it got cancelled and I have a few episodes remaining so I started watching them again. 

2 Broke Girls

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this show. Max and Caroline are so amazing, I don't know which one I love the most. The jokes are so funny and every episode is just so amazing. I'm definitely gonna love it more. 

What are you watching this month?

Inspirational Women: Ellen DeGeneres

Saying I love Ellen would be an understatement. She is amazing, beautiful, funny, talented and everything that is just right for a TV show host and a person. Her shows can make me feel cheered up instantly no matter what kind of a day I'm having. Her monologues are brilliant and she has the most fun segments in the show, and let's not forget the dancing. 

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My favourite segment of the show is a tie between the Tea Time and the Facebook Photos. I love the people she bring in. Tony is fun and Tony Karaoke is hilarious, Sophia Grace and Rosie are just too adorable and talented and not to mention BRITISH! I also like Rainer and Atticus, firstly cos of the name Atticus (hello Mockingbird!) and because they are freaking geniuses who can name any president, and their number of presidency and what colour underwear they wore on inauguration day. Not many eight to nine year olds can do that. 

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I love the songs, the interviews, the scaring people, the embarrassing tweets, the surprises, Amy talking to people in song lyrics and the parodies, but mostly I love when Ellen brings families who are suffering, struggling and give them hope and another chance. For so many families, Ellen is their source of strength  the person who made a substantial difference in their lives. She's their knight in shining armour, their guardian angel.

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She inspires me everyday though her sense of humour, through her compassion, her down-to-earth personality and the fact that she's gone through so much and still managed to give back to so many people. She makes this world a brighter place. I want to grow old like her, with a fun side, with a love for children, with a heart of gold. 

Here's to Ellen, for 10 seasons of making people laugh and cry, for being there on the TV, for being kind and asking people to be kind to one another. 

I've been sleeping in my bed

It had been some good days, some not so good. I've been thinking a lot lately, mostly about goals, about growing old, and about family. 

I've also been reading a lot which is always a good thing since it makes me want to talk about things (especially how I feel) which I normally don't do. I loathe talking about feelings but sometimes it's necessary and books give me the freedom to do so. I call it being book drunk. 

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Tomorrow's going to be big with OBR and lots of marketing to be done. I'm also helping a friend who's helping a little buy get a liver transplant. All this feels very good.

Lately, I've been distancing myself a lot more than I normally do. I don't know why. I've been listening to lots of music, watching Ellen and trying to keep away from sweet food which is actually very hard. I have been thinking a lot about minimalism and materialism. I know, these are very difficult things because I love owning things and material things make me happy. I guess I need to find other sources of happiness too.

I'm glad for a lot of things and I'm excited for a lot too. Today, I'd like to thank you for listening. For reading, for being there. In a way, I feel like I'm Charlie from Perks because you are my friend, you are that person who did not sleep with that person at that party. You listen, and most of you probably know me, but for the rest to whom I'm just a blog, a name (mostly diary girl! haha), you make me feel good because even though you don't comment, you read. That itself is enough for me.

Enough of sentimental talk. I'm leaving to attend a practice for something exciting happening tomorrow. 

Monday Playlist: Inspirations and Tragedies

Lately, I've been listening to a lot of good inspiring music and it has been helping me keep track with some important things in life like writing down goals and watching Drake and Josh. Here are some new favourites.

Try by Pink

Hello new favourite song. Honestly, I love everything about this song. The lyrics are uplifting, beautiful, and the music video was sensational. I felt like crying and then laughing and then happy all over. Pink knows what she is doing. 

The A Team by Ed Sheeran

I have had this song for a while and always skipped it when it was in shuffle, but the other day, I saw the video and I fell in love with the song. It is amazing, so sad, but so beautiful. It's tragic really, but then again don't we all love tragedies? Lesson Learnt: Always listen to a song before judging it by opening music. 

Suit & Tie - Justin Timberlake

This song is so fun and so nice. I can never see Justin as that geeky teacher in Bad Teacher, haha. I think the lyrics are pretty fetch.

Stay Stay Stay by Tay

No playlist is ever complete without a Tay song. This one in particular is so fun and describes a lot of people I know and their relationships. As always, Tay never disappoints. 

Daylight by Maroon 5

This band is coming up at par with my favourite bands and I cannot be any happier. This song in particular is amazing. It is so inspiring and the video was just beautiful with all those stories, all those lives and wishing for daylight. Seriously, watch the video. You will not be disappointed. 

Sweet Nothing by Calvin Harris ft Florence Welsh

Florence is so graceful, so classy and her voice is mesmerizing. This song was beautiful in so many different levels. I love it. I'm living on such sweet nothing!

What's on your playlist lovely people of the earth?

Book Reviews: Hollywood Murders and Letters to Friends

Last few weeks have been rich on the reading part. I've been reading e-books like crazy, my LibraryThing account gets visited everyday and I keep discovering new people and their lives. 

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Looks to Die for was nicely written. I loved the name drops to famous brands, the Hollywood glamour, the sleuthing wife and the adventures. There were a few nice surprises and some not so nice, but the story was well written and held my interest till the end. It was my kind of story. I sort of felt it was like Nancy Drew - after she changed her name, became an interior designer and left Ned for a doctor - and it brought back many memories I had of reading about the girl detective and how she got out of tough situations. 

Short Summary: Lacy, an interior designer's doctor husband is accused of murdering an upcoming actress, so Lacy goes on detective mode to prove her husband is innocent, meets with an ex-con, a self obsessed TV persona and several Hollywood people, and has to balance her family, love life and work in between solving the murder case.

Fav Character: Lacy Field. As I mentioned, hello modern day Nancy! She was sophisticated, tough, mysterious, cunning and the kind of woman every girl wants to be. 

Verdict: If you love thrillers, this would definitely be good for you. Even if not, I would recommend it though. Lots of details and a fun read. 

Rating: 3/5

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The Perks of Being a Wallflower is so so amazing. Seriously. I loved how it was written all in letters and throughout the book I was falling in love with Charlie and his friends, trying to figure out who the friend was and being excited about the music and literature mentioned in the book. The characters are very well defined and it was relate-able. After finishing it I could not figure out who the friend was so Abe told me it was ME! It was the reader, because the reader is the kind of person who did not sleep with that person at that party. It made me feel all good inside. 

Short Summary: Charlie writes letters to a friend in which he describes tackling high school  his family, meeting new friends, falling in love and some secrets of the past. 

Fav Character: Charlie. In most books, my favourite character is usually the main character because I see the world through his/her eyes and it becomes easier to relate to. Charlie was me in a lot of ways. He and I both love reading for pleasure and while I'm not generally a wallflower, I do tend to be one among unknown waters. 

Verdict: Whether you are 13 or 46, you are going to enjoy this book, it is beautiful  brilliant and extremely happy. You should definitely read it, especially before watching the movie so that you'll know Charlie better. The movie (as usual) missed some very important plot twists and moments. 

Rating: 5/5

What are you reading this week? I'm reading 50 Shades of Grey (YES, it is disturbing  and Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. 

Survey Saturday: Random Bored-ness

I got a bit bored, so decided to do a random survey. Remember when these were all the rage on Facebook? Yeah, me too. 

Last thing you watched on TV?

I don't watch TV. The last TV show I watched was NCIS. Season 1, ep 20. Tony was kidnapped and Gibbs and Kate went to rescue him. 

Whats in the fridge?

Chocolate which I can't eat because of my dental issues. -.- Lots of milk, chocolate frosting, mustard and grape juice. 

What should you be doing right now?

Nothing really. 

Last person you talked to?

Muntha. I showed he this funny post on Facebook about Max and Ruby's parents. 

Favorite color?

Yellow. Always. 

Any pets?

Counting my soft-toys, yes. Tortie, the turtle. 

Any guilty pleasures?

Reading blogs and watching too much 30 rock. These changes from time to time.

Favorite scent?

Valentina. Seriously. I used to be a huge fan of Miss Dior Cherie, still am but this scent is so me. 

Whats your current mood?

I'm indifferent. Doing fine. 

Last time you went out?

Last night. It was staff night at office and it was nice.

Who was it with?

Office people obviously. 

What are you wearing?

Random tee and pants. 

Last place you ate at?

My kitchen. Dad and I had lunch a while ago. 

Are you overly emotional?

Nope. I'm not even emotional yet alone overly.

What are you listening to right now?

Taylor Swift - The Moment I Knew.

What is your preferred type of music?

Country. 

If you could be anywhere right now, where would it be?

Right here, right now. I'm content with this place. 

Last movie you saw?

Love and Other Drugs. I was not ready to see that side of Anne Hathaway but she was fine. 

Hope you're having fun. 

Weekend Reads

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Ah, weekend I'm a bit glad you are here, but you make me lazy. I sleep all day, make myself omelets with too many olives and spend the time listening to the Hot 100 chart. Meanwhile, here are some blog posts that I've liked.

Style Me Pretty - On Wednesdays We Wear Pink (I am a big fan of Mean Girls and the fashion in the movie is amazing.)

Hot Chocolate and Mint - Why Did I Fall in Love With You (Sometimes I think you need to think of why you fall in love with a person, with your mom, with your family and let them know)

Color Me Katie - 10 Things That Make Me Happy (her posts about things that make me happy make me happy as well. Such small things, but such big feelings)

College Prep - 23 Year Old Woes (I seriously felt like this is how I'd feel even when I am 23. It feels good to know)

Hear Your Me - Just Give Me a Reason (This is a beautiful post, just like the beautiful girl who wrote this)

Have a great weekend everyone. 

You're dressed in that dress I like

This month by far has been great. I got an amazing pre-birthday present from a friend, M (not the former classmate) and have already messed up one of the gifts. Self-note: Do not wash hands when wearing fancy rings. 

Work has been going rather well. I try not to discuss work here eventhough I work at marketing which basically is about getting the word out there, haha. I like to keep my professional and personal life as seperate as I can for as long as I can.

Lately, I've been reading a lot which is good and I've been able to keep to my routine and the trips to dentist don't scare me anymore. I can honestly say that my life is at a peak right now. Thank you Allah for bestowing me with everything. 

I might sound very unlike myself right now eventhough it is the most myself I am at. I know, it proabbly not makes much sense. 

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On better news, I have more than 15 pairs of shoes which surprises me but I still have a hard time finding shoes to match, hah. I'm thinking of going minimalistic. I don't know. Lately, I've been very calm and in dire need of picking veggies instead of meat. Either it's a good change or bad, only time will tell. 

I would like this moment to thank all you readers for being with me all these years. Part of blogging is about myself, the need to write it down. I do keep a journal, but sometimes I need to write somewhere where people can see it. You guys are part the reason I've continued blogging. I like to think of you people as readers, like a story except of course my life is a lot mundane and hardly has any plot twists.

Let me quote Ellen here, "be kind to one another".

DYM's 0th Anniversary

I have very good news. Our baby, our NGO, Dhi Youth Movement (DYM) got registered. On 12.12.12. I don't particularly enjoy nice dates but getting it registered is so wonderful and seeing it written on paper.

So, to celebrate it, on 3rd Jan we did 16 Acts of Random Kindness (ARK's). It was such a day filled with love and blessing. Here are a few of the things we did.

Left tear off smile posters around Male'. This was so much fun. Especially seeing some taken out. :)

Sent our favourite dessert (Sizzling Chocolate Affair) at Symphony Solo to a random couple. This sweet reply just melted out hearts.

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Left hearts with cute and inspiring messages on random cars. We hope that it made at least one person's day.

Drew a giant chalk art at Helipad area. This was the most fun and tiring. We spent a big half of a hot Friday doing this. The nicest thing is, it was destroyed by rain after around two to three days, and not by any human. 

You can read my post on DYM to know about all other acts.
PS This is my 400th post. :)

Maldivians on Social Networks

I saw this video the other day from this Arab guy who was explaining the Arabs on social network and I realized even we Maldivians are a lot like what he explained. So here goes:

The Activist

She posts a hundred posts a day about peace and about standing up for causes. Her profile picture is usually some logo of a current ongoing campaign or holding a board that says something about a campaign. (I mostly fall into this category)

The Politician 

He is always talking about which party is better and how his political views are the best and blah blah. Profile picture is usually the party logo.

The Songwriter

She ALWAYS talk in songs. Sometimes you wonder if her life itself is a song. Her profile picture is usually of her in the side with lyrics of some song written all over it.

The Sheikh

He posts Hadith and verses from Quran and it usually ends up inspiring you because it relates to your life. Also pictures of how to properly wear Hijab and other tidbits on Sunnah. Profile picture is usually an avatar of a person  with a beard.

The Lovebird

Her status updates are mostly about love and how much she loves life now that her significant other/boyfriend/cat/whatever is in her life. Lots of re-posts about how girls love when guys do this and that and you can often find her wall-posts on her boyfriend's wall. She abuses the heart sign on Facebook so much you just have to roll your eyes every time one of those "I love MY BEEFF" posts come up on your news-feed  Her profile picture is of them together with the words "together forever" written on the picture

The Emo

Everything in his life seems to go wrong and he thinks Facebook-ing his problems are the solution. His posts are often about how life sucks and how his girlfriend who dumped him is a bitch and about the sun getting in his eye. His profile picture is of a drawing of a guy with dark straight hair and red eyes with some cheesy quote about how you are always alone. Not to be confused with the attention whore. He does this because it's like therapy to him

The Attention-whore

She posts a status saying something vague like "the worst thing happened to me" and when you ask what it is, she normally says nothing, or don't ask. WHY POST IT IN THE FIRST PLACE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT? Ah. Her profile picture is either of her or a random rose or flower or something. 

The Parents

Their life revolves around their kid and being parents. They post a hundred pictures of their baby and kids everyday and write posts about how their kid is just the best. Oh, my baby just pooped and it looks good. Seriously. Their profile picture is their kid, obviously.

The Nerd/Geek

They love to post about science, art, movies and are often very informative. They like to keep their distance to people. Their profile picture is some fictional character.

The Fashionista
She posts about shoes/clothing/fashion week and re-posts pictures of celebs wearing gorgeous gowns. The profile picture is usually of them modelling.

The Social Network Pro.

He is on Instagram, Twitter, Keek, Foursquare, G+ and his posts are usually linked to all social networks. You can find out about new products, technological inventions, and see how many places he's the mayor of. 

These are just a few. I'm sure you can help me expand this list. Do you have any friends you can associate with each category?

Birthday Wishlist

Those of you who are friends with me on Facebook may or may not have seen my wishlist yet. I tried to include 21 things but honestly finding something that I really really want and will use is getting more difficult so it only has 14 items. It's mostly for the people who would actually spend the time (and money) to get me something I really want for my birthday. Ofcourse I would happily accept anything because it's the thought that someone cared enough to wish or give me something that matters. Anyhow, here's the list.

Dementor's Kiss Necklace from SixAsTray - I have a lot of Harry Potter inspired things and this would fit perfectly. I don't own any black necklaces (which is quite a suprise actually) and I'd have more reasons to eat chocolate.

Fingerprint Bookmark from Fredflare - I always forget which line I've read last, but if I had this I would never. It is the perfect gift for someone like me. Simple, easy and useful.

Birds on a Wire Photoclips from Fredflare - I have a board that I often change photos in so that I can always see them rather than tucked away on an album. This would keep them all over the place in a nice way.

Peony Monogrammed Mousepad from The Preppie Techie - I am a huge fan of anything monogrammed. Also in dire need of a mousepad. and a mouse. The design looks really nice as well.

Footzyrolls - These are every girls' best friend. They are really simple flats that can be rolled and put in a  small pouch to be carried in a bag/clutch. For emergencies and for when you need to start dancing but you're wearing heels. I can think of at least 7 different uses for this.

Tweetmug from Amazon - I collect mugs and this defines me. I am obsessed with twitter. I am also a tea addict so I'll use this to drink at least three cups of tea per day.

Wreck This Journal from Fredflare - Ever since I first heard of this around three years ago, I have wanted one so bad I even tried making one myself and it didn't exactly work out. I love this.

Lilly Pulitzer Umbrella from Lifeguard Press - I consider myself a Lilly girl. She's the epitome of sophistication and her line is full of the most chic items like this beautiful umbrella.

Cube Ring from Onme - This is a very unusual quirky little ring that would fit perfectly in my quirky ring collection. You bet I'll wear it everyday.

Poketo Music Balloon from Poketo - These dainty little speakers are portable and so easy to carry around and play music from. I need one in my life, or maybe two.

Bicycles Messenger Tote from Fredflare - I love this design. I don't own any messenger bags or totes right now so this would be an investment into my bag collection.

Freak Out and Throw Stuff ring from Rings and Things - I already own two Keep Calm rings and love them insanely. If I could, I would buy all of them.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - This is my absolute favourite novel of all times. I love the story, the characters, everything about it. I seriously need this book to be my own.

Marc Jacobs Dot - I seriously think this is gonna suit me. It has Jasmine, berries and driftwood which are all notes that I like.

So basically, that is what I really would like to have in my life. Oh and my birthday is on 18th. 

February Favourites

February is my favourite month mostly because it's my birth month and also because it's such a short month. My days are filled with watching series, meeting friends and doing some self building things. Here is what I'm loving right now.

1. Neon Pink See-through Duffel by Fredflare - I've always loved duffels, neon, and see-through so this is like a dream bag, except of course it's not a Birkin. It's the next best thing. 

2. Jonathan Adler Coated Canvas Journal from Lifeguard Press - Journals are so very my kinda thing and I like to think I'm preppy because preppy things excite me and make me want to be a better person. This diamond pattern is so sophisticated and fun. 

3. Embossed Metal Card Case from See Jane Work - Ever since I saw this Police lady (who btw has the coolest job as an ass-kicking crime fighter head person - much like Gibbs or Beckett) take out this really pretty card case, I knew I needed one. These are simple but very chic. I can't decide between purple or red. 

4. Mockingjay brooch from GiftsofTansy - I read and watched The Hunger Games last week and it was the best thing ever I loved Peeta and Josh was perfectly playing him. I already have a mockingjay necklace so this will be complement it perfectly. 

5. Liz Lemon Pouch from Withlovebunny - 30 Rock ended and I'm rather sad I won't get to watch it any more. No more blergh, or dealbreaker, or Liz or Kenneth. This however is the perfect reminder of all that is The Girlie Show and the craziness that follows.

6. Superman Pendent Charms from Nuchyk - These will always be a reminder of someone special. Superman. 

7. Shimmering Feather Crown from Pretty Little Things - I want this for Mick. She loves crowns and feathers. I think she learned that from me. 

Happy February! What are you loving this month? I'll be doing a lot of personal things this month like celebrating my birthday, reading that letter I wrote to myself a few years ago and making some changes to my life.