SoulMoxie

Better Late Than Pregnant

Amy from Rocketwife tagged me, oh I don't know, 3 weeks ago. I've never been tagged before so this was very exciting for me. Until I sat down to write.

I'm suppose to write down eight things I'd like to do before I die. This is all great in theory, but then my mind begins to spin. What if I want to do more than these 8 things? What if there is something I'm forgetting? What if my list is vain and superficial? What if I change? What if people think I'm stupid? What if it's not a good list? What if I die tomorrow? What if? What if? What if?...And then I slam the computer shut, wipe the sweat off my brow and walk away. Please tell me you do this too? NO? I'm just a freak. Well, how about that.

I really was determined to get this done. I thought my 29th birthday would be an excellent time to identify 8 things/goals to accomplish in the upcoming years. Please note that I had to change '8 things to do before I die' to '8 things to do in the upcoming years'. This subtle difference, for whatever reason, makes this exercise even possible for me. So here goes...

1. Have a successful, long marriage. This may seem like a given, but when you're in your 20's with a divorce already behind you...

2. Run 50 marathons/half marathons by the age of 50. I ran my first 1/2 marathon 10 years ago (that makes me feel old), and I immediately fell in love with races. I don't like to run, but have completed 16 1/2 marathons and 1 full marathon. I think completing 33 more would be damn impressive. In fact maybe we should change age 50 to 40. I'm giddy just thinking about it. Come to think of it, maybe I do like running.

3. Live in a foreign country. When I was 18, I lived in Chile for 5 months. I was young, scared, and depressed, so spent most of the time in the fetal position in my 200 sq. foot efficiency apartment. When I wasn't eating pastries that is. Now that I'm older and more mature (hair toss), I'd love to live somewhere different and experience a new culture. Who am I kidding, though, I'll probably end up scared, sad, and depressed in the fetal position.

4. Have Children. Again, this may seem like a given, but when you're 29 and still don't have all your ducks in a row...

5. Visit all 7 continents. I only have Australia and Antarctica left, so I think this is already in the bag. Unless something tragic happens, of course, which gives me a panicky feeling, so let's not go there.

6. Be a better friend. I've lost contact with too many dear friends over the years. As I get older, I realize how important some of these friendships have been, and cringe that I let them go so frivolously.

7. Become a vegan for a year. Minus the piercings, of course. This is pretty far fetched considering I had some steak and bacon dish for dinner last night, but I've always struggled with food/mind/body issues. I think having the discipline to be a vegan for a year would help me grow immensely as a person, as well as show respect for my surroundings.

8. Be able to say that I've tried my best. I've spent too many years afraid of failure and afraid of what I have to offer. Because of this I've sabotaged successes, ruined relationships, and screwed myself out of many happy moments. I want to fail - because the only people that fail are the people that have tried. And heaven help me, I want to say I've tried just about everything.

There you have it. What are some things on your list?

Winner Winner Gets A Chicken Dinner And A Gift Card

But really, seriously, there is no chicken dinner.

Did you all read the comments? Did you? Because I was laughing my ass off. I mean how is it possible that someone can be told that they look like Mariah Carey, Heidi Fleiss, Oprah, and Scarlett Johanson? And now everytime said person (yes, I'm talking to you Jenx67) comments on my blog, I am going to imagine some weird combination of all four. I'm going to be totally disappointed if I show up in Oklahoma City to visit Jen and I am greeted with anything less than Oprah's hair on Mariah Carey's face with Heidi Fleiss's body, and ScarJo's husky voice. Ahh, the vision.

Alright, here are mine.

I've been told I look like Sarah Jessica Parker, which was a good thing to me, until Jess announced that SJP was completely two faced - meaning that she either looks really good, or like she's been hit by a bus. I'll still take it.

In junior high, I was told I looked like the mom from Terminator 2 - Linda something, I think. I think she is atrocious looking, but this is before I sculpted my eyebrows, so I'll take that one, too.

A girlfriend told me recently that I looked like Melanie Griffith in my prom picture. Let's forget that one.

By far the funniest one for me happened in China. The Chinese think we (Americans, Caucasians) all look alike, except for our different hair colors. Fair enough. My ex-husband and I visited a University in China a few years ago and were absolutely swarmed. We were asked for autographs and took about a thousand pictures with young students that insisted that they were in the presence of Rachel and Ross. We didn't fight it much. He really does look like David Schwimmer. As for me, I decided right then and there that if my self esteem ever plummeted, I would hightail it back.

NOW FOR THE WINNER

Daisy, who said:

Being a redhead I get every look alike comment from Nicole Kidman to Isla Fisher. I've also heard I look like the chic from Enchanted, the girl from Desperate Housewives and once someone told me I look like the white version of Halle Berry. LOL!!! Who would have thought my face was so versatile. ;)

Daisy, don't you live in Australia? But are originally from Utah? Where I am this very second. What a small, strange world...e-mail me at sarah@brownutah.com with your mailing address and preference of gift card - Pottery Barn, Target, or the coveted Bass Pro Shop.

Thank you all for your birthday wishes. I am typing on my birthday gift this very second. Our reception was excellent and all things nice. I will be back tomorrow - see you then

Rachel

P.S. The winner was chosen in a very scientific manner.  I called Jess and asked him to pick a number between 1 and 23. He chose 11. Daisy's comment was that lucky number. Cheers.

What Shopping At Target Really Means

Your guest post today comes from a dear friend of mine that wishes to stay anonymous. Not only is she hilarious, I must say that there are few things better than sitting in her backyard on a warm summer night eating red velvet cake and sipping vodka tonics. Red velvet cake and vodka tonics don't go together? Hmm. We didn't notice. And  the cake was more of  a mauve than a red.

 

 

“You’ll never believe what happened to me this weekend!”

“What?

“A dog peed in my purse!”

“No way!  Which one?!”

“The Marc Jacobs one.”

“Get out!”

“Uh-huh.  I mean, there were other purses there, like Target ones, and it wouldn’t be such a big deal if he had gotten those, but he had to pick mine.”

. . .

As the owner of several purses, some of the Target variety, I’m not sure how I feel about this particular overheard.  Granted, a dog taking a leak on your spendy handbag is a major bummer, not to mention totally disgusting, but last I checked, urine of any variety flowing into the receptacle where I keep things like lipstick, extra floss, and tampons officially qualifies as “a big deal.”  But maybe urine is more offensive to people who buy Marc Jacobs than it is to us lowly Target shoppers.  I mean, I’m probably a statistical anomaly, I bet most people so pathetic that they buy purses at Target actually like having pee-sodden pocketbooks.

 

 

 

“I don’t know what you’re so upset about.  I like to give my purse a little sprinkle before I go out so I can find it in the coat room after brunch.”

The Girl Who Would Be Sparkerly

Our guest poster today is a great friend of mine. She is the brilliant mind behind Sparkerly - which I refresh at least 50 times a day in hopes of receiving a side splitting laugh. And she makes damn good jam.

Have you ever said, "You know, I haven't seen so-and-so for a really long time.  I wonder what they're up to?"  Then, a little while later, you see that person like 3 times in a week and you remember that you didn't actually like them anyway and you were glad you hadn't seen them all that time?  Well, I'm kind of feeling the same way about 14-year-old Carrie.  I was talking about how my past is coming back to haunt me on my blog recently and then, in the trunk of my car, of all places, I find a journal I kept when I was 14.  It was a journal I was given at church and we were asked to write in it during sunday school at church and OH BOY it is absolutely scintillating!
 
For example:

Sept. 10, 1989
 
Tomorrow I start school again.  No more sitting around with nothing to do.  My day will begin by getting up at 5:00 or 5:30 a.m. (I've never tried that before), seminary, school, and so on.  It will be a great challenge for me, but I will accept it and do as well as I can.
 
School is easy for me, But some things trouble me.

 

The funny thing about this is the last sentence: School might have been easy for me, but spelling "easy" and "thing" weren't that easy.  In the original, I spelled them "esay" and "thig".  Also, my grasp of punctuation wasn't that great.  Who knew you didn't capitalize letters after a comma?  Not 14-year-old Carrie!  Rules of grammar and punctuation didn't apply to me, because I was just that rebellious. 

Oct. 15, 1989

 

Fasting isn't easy.  I'll be the first to admit that.  I never knew what I was fasting for before, so it was hard.  Tim told me that I should fast for myself after I told him I didn't really know what I was fasting for.  That makes it a lot easier. 

I'm sure you know what fasting is, but you might not know that Mormons do it once a month because it's easier to "feel the spirit" when you're starving to death.  If you know me at all, you know that I don't enjoy being without food for very long.  My husband will attest to the fact that I can turn from a complete monster when I'm hungry, to my beautiful and charming self just seconds after I am able to force as much food as I possibly can down my gullet.  So, fasting was always a huge deal for me.  I HATED it with the burning fury of a thousand firey suns.  Apparently, however, I felt a lot better about it after Tim told me to fast for myself.  That doesn't even make sense.  (And you probably could guess that I had the biggest crush EVER on Tim and I was convinced that we were going to get married and have a minivan full of babies.  In case you were wondering, we did not. )

Dec. 10, 1989

 

The present I want most is a watch or a sweater.  I want these things because I need them.

I still haven't learned the difference between "want" and "need."  This is why I have a cupboard full of fancy purses and too many shoes.  Also, who needs a sweater in San Diego? 

Feb. 11, 1990

 

I have NO idea on what to write about.  So, this week has been exciting!  HA!  What a laugh.  Sister Peterson's baby is sooooo cute!  I could hold him 4-ever.  I {heart} babies!  Especially cute ones liker hers!

It's so weird!  I wrote this exact paragraph as an entry on my blog just a few days ago!

March 25, 1990

 

I've learned to listen to people when they say things.  Once my friend asked me something about what she was talking about and got mad because I didn't know.

Obviously I didn't learn to listen to people, because I still do this all the time.  My husband will be talking and talking and after a while he'll ask me what he was saying and I'll be like, "Um... you were saying that you want to have sex?"  And he says, "No, but that sounds like a good idea anyway."  That tactic works pretty well with husbands, but I can tell you that judges do NOT like it.  Especially lady judges.  They start screaming about "bribery" and "solicitation" and somethingsomething... I don't really know because I kind of tune it out.

 

So, friends, there you have it.  A glimpse into the mind of the girl who would be Carrie.  Just be glad I left out all the parts about how I was sooooooo steamed that Sara didn't want me on her volleyball team. There were, seriously, like 3 pages full of that crap and, unlike the stuff posted above, it was totally boooring.  I bet you can't wait until I find my diary from when I was 11.  I know.  Neither can I.

 

The Story Of My Life & A Contest

I am heading to Wisconsin today. Soon. I shouldn't even be writing this because there's, oh, 23 things that still need to happen before I depart for the airport. One of those being "need to find home for dogs". Shit. I hate when I forget that one.

We're heading to Wisconsin to have our 'at home wedding reception'. I didn't know you were recently married, you may be thinking. But I was, and we were, on April 12, 2008. We didn't want a big hub bub so we ran off to Cabo with some family and friends. The 'at home wedding reception' is the anti-no-big-hub-bub so really is like undoing everything we've done. Except for you really can't undo Cabo, or lifelong vows. So erase that last sentence. Jess grew up in a small town in Wisconsin. Kinda near Green Bay (screw Favre - I hope he tears a meniscus). On lake Winnebago. Anyway, that's where we're headed.

I have some guest posts lined up, so be sure and stop by. I'll check in, if I have a moment....

ONE MORE THING...

I was a total stress case this morning. Wait, I still am a total stress case, but that's not my point. When I opened my e-mail this morning, Miss Lorrie was all "comona ovah" or whatever, so I did, and she said I looked like Drew Barrymore - which, oh my goodness, had me rolling in hysterics because if you've met me in person, I so do not look like Drew Barrymore. Ha, ha, he, he, ho, ha, ho, ha. 

Let me compose myself.... Because I am getting married this weekend. Again. And I am in a genuinely good mood. And I DEFINITELY don't look like Drew Barrymore, I want to have a contest.  And why not?

Here's the deal. Leave a comment below telling me what celebrity you resemble.  Even if you don't see it, but have been told you resemble this person, that is enough.

Winner will be drawn at random. On Tuesday. No, let's do Wednesday, it's my birthday.  It will be my birthday present to you -whaaa??

Prize is $50 gift to Pottery Barn, or Target, or Bass Pro Shops. Your choice. Aren't I something?

Tell all your friends...and start commenting...

Hooked On Houses - House Party Tour

If you are here from Hooked On Houses- welcome to SoulMoxie! I'm so glad you could make it for the house tour. Take off your shoes and come on in!

If you're a regular reader of SoulMoxie - go here to check out the Hooked On Houses home tour...if you love looking at houses, you won't regret it.

Now, let's get started...First you should know that you're in Utah. Salt Lake City to be exact. 9th & 9th to even more exact.

My home used to be a bungalow. It still is kinda. But not really. I bought it in 2003 and trust me when I say it was "Craptacular". That second story? Well, it didn't exist. The front yard was a mound of weeds and the color of the house was one that resembled fecal matter.

I fell in love with the house for all of it's history and charm. You even could say that I believed in the house. I'm so glad that I did because look at it today!

P.S. I live in Utah, which translates to desert. The front yard is landscaped with rock and plants that are all native to the state.

You are standing in the entry way right this second. We can either turn left to go into the living room, up the stairs, or through the kitchen to the back bedrooms and the bathroom. Can you handle the options? See where that bar is in the kitchen? That used to be a wall. I had it taken down to open up this space. Walls are so out.  

Here's the living room. the wall used to end at the end of the exposed brick. I like a little bit of space in my living area, so I had that little wall moved a couple of feet back.

One of the reasons I loved this house was because of all the gorgeous woodwork. It's all still here in all of it's glory. See that window above the couch? If you look closely, there is a bullet hole. It is the remnant of an attempt on the original owner's life. She was one of the first women in Utah's legislature, which apparently didn't sit well with some of the men at the time. She lived to be in her 80's though, so she had the last laugh.

This is a new gas, radiant fireplace. I found a company - Valor - that has been making fireplaces since the 1800's and basically has the same designs now that they did back then. I think it fits this space perfectly. Shall we step into the kitchen?

I was at a complete loss when it came to choosing my kitchen cabinets! I had the original woodwork in the house to consider as well as the hardwood floors. It seemed that any natural wood would just be another distracting shade of stained wood. I knew I had to go with a color, but nothing too sleek. I chose a black distressed look over knotty alder. Stainless steel appliances, outlet covers, and shelf and bar compliment the rustic feel of the home.

This planter window makes me smile. Don't get too close to the sink, though, you'll see a pile of dishes that are just out of view.

I wanted simplicity in the guest bathroom.

This is actually a bed side stand that I picked up at a local consignment store. I really wanted to showcase the sink so this was perfect!

This claw-foot tub was at my office, but I thought it would be the perfect addition to this vintage bathroom. White beadboard, slate floors, and the exposed brick wall all add to the feel.

This is a little nook at the top of the stairs. It overlooks the backyard.

Those are my husband's toes. Sorry. We are standing in the nook at the top of the stairs now. If we go right, we will go into the master bath. If we go straight through those french doors, we will be in the master bedroom. Let's take a look down the stairs before we go on.

There's the entryway where we started. Shall we go into the bathroom?

I just love this vanity! I chose a rare worm wood maple and one of the coolest granite slabs I have ever seen. And all that counter space is more than enough to handle my bazillion amounts of product.

If I'm not answering my phone, or door, you can almost bet I'm sitting in my shower with the body sprays hitting me at every angle.

 

Can you see that I am having a love affair with anything that is distressed black? This room is huge with a nook sitting area and a massive walk-in closet. There are windows on all three sides, so the cool summer Utah breezes make for excellent sleeping. Now, let's go see the yard...

Every yard should have one of these. Even though I live downtown in the city, it sounds like I'm creekside most of the time.

This is where I'm sitting right this second as I type this. Drinking an iced coffee. Listening to the waterfall.

That concludes our tour. I hope you'll stay a bit longer and check out SoulMoxie. Click here to return to the home tour party.

Thanks for Coming!

A Sanctuary Revisited

Remember this post? If you don't, I highly recommend that you go there before reading any further - if you want' to be BLOWN away by my mad skills, that is.  If you do remember that post then I apologize for the anticipation that has no doubted kept you from many peaceful nights.

I know that I said the project would hopefully be done within 5 years. And if you know me that was a very reasonable, if not optimistic, goal. But sometimes, on rare occasions, I get a fire under my ass. And when I get a fire under my ass - watch out. It's amazing what I can do. I can often do in 3 months time, what other people can do in a day. Are you impressed yet?

The guesthouse at our cabin in Oakley is complete (almost) and open for business. Note the futon and shaggy carpet. Once I have a vision, I rarely stray. I am absolutely loving this space. Check out all of Jess's memorabilia on the wall. It's all his Army crap that really should be displayed, but let's face it, doesn't belong in my space. My space being everywhere except the garage and this "area" that I've now designated his wall space. Because I am a generous and kindhearted wife.

I TOTALLY LEFT THE PENCIL SHARPENER. Do you see that people? This means that not only can you relax in this space, but you can bring every single pencil from home and when you leave they will be sharper than when you came. AMAZING. I originally thought that maybe I was being a little over ambitious with my plans for this space. Fitting an easy chair, table, futon, and entertainment area in here seemed like a tall order, but now that it's complete, I think everything fits perfectly. Like a glove. Or like furniture in a room.

This space could use a little something more... more books? some pillows? If you remember, this is going to be my meditation space. No, I still don't meditate, but I still believe that when this loft is complete, I will have to. It will call to me. Hopefully. Maybe.

There you have it. A little Sanctuary. You are all invited to stay. I will even make you breakfast...

I Hate Decisions...UPDATE!

thanks everyone! #2 is moving in this weekend. I would have chosen #1, so if shit hits the fan I will be sure and blame all of you who voted via comment and e-mail. If shit doesn't hit the fan I'll take all of the credit. That's just how I am.

This person finally moved out. And left the place smelling like one giant litter box. Yum.  I've been in there getting grimy and dirty trying to desmell the place - and now it smells like a bunch of chemicals. In a litter box. Yum. 

With interest rates climbing and the instability of the housing market, rentals are in demand. I listed this place on Craig's list yesterday and this morning I have multiple applications to choose from. This is where my mind begins to swim...

How do I choose the best prospective tenant? All of their references check out... All of them seem like good people...And even though I've been doing this for 5 years, it's still tough, so I want some opinions. Cast your vote in the comments...

Tenant #1

Single guy - going through separation.  Software developer. Will have part time custody of 2 cats. Has been at his job for 1 year. Makes $3,500/month. Has lived at previous apartment for 5 years. Trying to quit smoking.

Tenant #2

Single guy - wanting to move away from Provo, Utah. Account manager for local ad company. Wants a cat. Has been at his job for 1 year.  Makes $1,900/month. Has lived at previous apartment for 3 years.  Works in anti-tobacco advertising, so a militant non-smoker.

Tenant #3

Single guy - moving back to Utah from Denver. Manager at a music store. Has a yellow lab. Has been at his job for 10+years. Doesn't want to tell me how much he makes. Has lived at previous apartment for 9 months - owned home previously. Doesn't want to tell me if he is a smoker, or not.

*Apartment is townhome style 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom with it's own front porch and fenced backyard. It has it's own basement for storage and features hardwood floors, a walk-in closet and a claw-foot tub. Located in funky neighborhood across from a coffee shop.

This Link Is For You Babe

If it were up to my darling husband, he would watch the Olympics 24 hours a day for the entire length. If it were up to me, we would watch Golden Girl reruns until the end of time.

If it were up to my darling husband, The Olympics would be longer than two weeks (or is it three?). If it were up to me, the Olympics would be highlighted in a half hour SportsCenter type thing.

If it were up to my darling husband, he would be in the Olympics. If it were up to me, I would be getting a massage.

If it were up to my darling husband, we would be in Beijing right now. If it were up to me, we would be on a beach in Bali.

If it were up to my darling husband, I would be completely enthralled in the Olympics. If it were up to me, he would click here so we wouldn't have to watch it at home.

P.S. Truly an excellent blog. Not only does it solve the mystery of why divers shower after every dive, but it totally references Murder, She Wrote. Now that I can get behind.

Totally Top Secret, But Not Really Because I Can't Keep Secrets.

I have never been able to keep a secret. Or be discreet for that matter. I was the eight year old that found all of the gifts 2 weeks before X-mas and opened every single one. Not just mine. No, no, no, no. Because if that were the case there would be a "surprise" for someone else that would equal "secret" from me. So, I opened ALL OF THEM. I'm not bad with ALL secrets. Sad, depressing ones I can keep. It's just when something is really exciting or great, I have to share. And share I will. Let me put it this way; If you need a vault because you were just diagnosed with cancer - call me.  If you need an assistant to let everyone you've ever met/talked to/bumped into/stared at/worked with, even though they were on a different floor and you really never talked to them, know that you just got engaged -CALL ME.

This bleeds into all aspects of my life. I'm always hitting flea markets, and yard sales for amazing steals. I have furnished most of my house from garage sales, and while most people would consider that private...me, yeah, well, not so much. You like that table? $10 bucks up on Yale Street. You like this shirt?  $15 at Banana Republic. You love my BCBG halter dress? - $82 at Market Square. The problem is that most of this information is unsolicited.  As is with most unsolicited information, well, it's unwanted.

 For the past few years, I've been trying to bite my tongue. This is no easy feat. I feel like a liar, a fraud, or even worse - SOMEONE WHO KEEPS SECRETS. I've been wearing this really amazing lipstick lately, and tons of people have commented, "I love your lipstick," "Great lipstick," "I need a lip shade that looks good with my skin tone."  Do you understand what it's like to smile and say thank you? And then shut up. I'll tell you what it's like. Actually I won't because I just got really anxious and jittery even thinking about it and had to resist the urge to call every woman who's commented on it, apologize and then buy them a tube to make me feel better, when really, they were just being nice and honestly didn't give a shit about said lipstick in the first place.

With all of this pent up energy, I have to tell someone about this life altering lipstick. And why not you? Of course, this is unsolicited, so if you don't care, then please, by all means, tell me to shut up.

Cover Girl Outlast lip-color. I never wore lipstick until about 3 months ago because I am so not the reapply type. It just wasn't worth my time, but this? I have applied this in the morning, gone to the gym, eaten lunch, worked all afternoon, eaten dinner, met with clients and it is still on when I go to wash my face before bed.  Amazing. You can check it out at any local grocery, drug store, or here. I even think they have a lip-gloss which promises 10 hour coverage. Can you imagine? Be still my heart.

 

And this? Kiss Me Mascara. I know $24 for a tube of mascara is pricey, but considering the fact that I used to only wear mascara to special events because I CHOOSE not to look like a vampire on a regular basis. And that I've thrown more full $10 tubes of mascara out because of a rational fear of many miscellaneous bacterial eye infections makes this totally worth it. It goes on in little tubes. I can't explain this exactly, but it equals no smudging. I mean none. The best part? It comes off with only water, so no more of that fancy shmancy eye makeup remover. Praise be. You can check it out at Sephora, or here.

And last, but not least, if you think I'm completely neurotic, but kinda like neurotic, or if you think that I used waaayyy too many commas in this post, you must click here.