Chennai To Delhi

I will be traveling to India and will be updating a different blog while I am there: chennaitodelhi.blogspot.com

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My best friend

My life is much fuller with this little chicken in it. I have realized recently that she has been with me for my entire 20s and now we will both continue to age gracefully as I move into my third decade, with her faithfully by my side. She loves me truly unconditionally (although I did challenge that by bringing Buddy into the picture). She is cross eyed, she has almost no teeth, her breath is horrible, she carries toys and slippers all over the house, she drools when she is overwhelmed with joy, she loves sleeping between our pillows, she does things she knows she is not supposed to do, she throws up when she gets lonely, she can't imagine sitting anywhere but your lap when you are working on a laptop...in other words she is perfect in every way.

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Returning from whence I came

I realize it has been a while so I decided to take a quick moment to check in. So much has happened, as a friend said to me recently, I was a rockstar in March. As most of you know I have completed my Masters thesis and I have gotten a job doing research with the Veteran's Administration. I am slightly lost without the ability to hide behind my status as a student, but freedom from the thesis makes it all worth it. Hopefully I will feel inspired to update again soon with something more substantial.

Thesis Recruitment

I have finally gotten IRB approval to recruit subjects that are not only in the intro to Psychology course at Long Beach State. If you would like to participate or if you know anyone that would be interested in participating please contact me. More specific information is on the flyer below. I still need quite a few participants so any help would be greatly appreciated!

Waiting for Tami

As i sit here waiting for my dinner date to arrive I thought I would take a break from writing and look through some more furnishing ideas. First of all, we have found the couch we love and so far that is the only thing that is set:



Everything else seems to change daily. It is slightly overwhelming, albeit a blessing, to try to furnish and decorate a 3 bedroom home in a cohesive and attractive way. I am pretty sure we are leaning towards a simple table that is sturdy and well made so it will last a while and if we want to change styles down the road changing the chairs or the colors around the table will be effective. I was looking through craigslist and it seems like everyone has decided to get rid of their dining room tables from the 80s. Not only does it make craigslist not an option I thought it would be a good idea to try to go with something more timeless than a glass top with peach legs a la 80s art deco hipness. So far this is what I have found:


The flooring that is currently in the dining room is a lightish color beige? tile. I want to take it out and put wood down and leave the tile only in the kitchen. It looks like we are going to have a full month to get the house clean and painted and ready to move in but this new flooring idea may be a little ambitious and perhaps too expensive. The wall color we have agreed on so far is gray. I know it seems like it wouldn't be such a great choice but it is such a classic serene color without having to stick with a neutral like beige or get too crazy with color. It will make it easy to find accent pieces and change the mood of the room more often as the paint will compliment so many things. Of course, once gray was decided on we had no idea exactly how many shades there were. Once we get the keys we are taking the advice of our more color savvy friends and painting a few samples in different areas of the house to see how the light looks on it.

As a side note, I am typing away about color and furniture and I am happy that these are my biggest problems. The entire process has taken so long that I had to shut down the part of me that was excited about home ownership until things were more certain. Finally, things are certain and it is taking a bit for my giddiness to return. I am really looking forward to starting my little family and getting all nested in a home, not just a house. If you gave this post to a younger Beth she would have laughed at you...no way was it written by the same person! In other words, I am shocked that I would be so happy being so settled.

I cannot resist posting this

I have been following Allie over at Hyperbole and a Half for a while now, and recently she posted a blog that relates to mid-twenties adolescence in such a perfectly hilarious way, I wanted to make sure it was enjoyed by all. I am not sure if everyone can relate, but I know that I have had the same thoughts (probably verbatim) and I wish I could tell her that turning 29 will make things easier, or at least you would feel like an adult, but really nothing changes and being responsible is just as exhausting as ever.

Enjoy: This is Why I'll Never be an Adult

Houzz.com

I found a new site where I can collect some decorating ideas for the new place. I am working on picking some wall colors as well as searching for some unique dining room light ideas. So far I really like what I have been able to do on the site. Check out the collection of photos I have put into my "ideabook":

Color and Lighting ideas

Houzz- Kitchen Design, Bathroom Design and More»

Home Designs and Pictures:

Kitchen Remodeling · Bathroom Remodeling · Living Room Remodeling · Bedroom Remodeling · Dining Room Remodeling · Patio Remodeling · Landscaping Remodeling ·

Growing up

So I think I may need to change the name of this blog, I think I may officially be leaving behind my adolescence. And it only took 28 years. Matt and I decided to start looking for houses. We went through the process of getting pre-approved for a loan, found an agent, found a house, and tomorrow we will be signing the papers for the offer on the house. Throughout this process we have had new noisy neighbors move in above us and the apartment next door managed to catch on fire, I feel as though the universe is in agreement with our decision to move. Our idea of a perfect place to move was a bit idealistic. We wanted a 2 car garage, a dishwasher, a place for laundry, a kitchen with counter space, a location closer to LA and Hollywood, affordable, a fireplace, and a private outdoor area. We feel like we found it! It is located in a stigmatized area of Pasadena, but after my Dad drove around today he confirmed that the stigma no longer holds true. I am probably too excited but I wanted to share, luckily it is not a foreclosure or short sale so we don't foresee too many obstacles in the process, but things can always happen. Here are a few pictures:

Front of the house:


Back of the house:


Front patio:


Front room:


Dining Room:


Kitchen:


Master bedroom:


The fireplace in the Master:

Confusion

I am happy. I really am. I have taken steps in my life to ensure that happiness. I have cut back on the hours at my dead end job. I have made the completion of my thesis a priority. I have the support of an amazing husband. I love every single one of my friends, they all support me and I know they are there for me when I need them. I am lucky enough to have an amazing, understanding family who I love so deeply it sometimes hurts. Also, my pets are fun and comforting in their own special ways.

Why then am I unable to motivate myself? Why do I have difficulty getting out of bed in the morning? Why do I avoid talking on the phone when a friend calls? Why is it so hard to stick to the plans I have made for myself? I woke up this morning and planned to have breakfast then walk into the office to do some work, followed by some gym time and a walk home. Then my evening and night was going to be filled with thesis work. Not an overwhelming or intricate plan so why is it 5pm and none of it has been completed?

I am not writing this blog to whine, but perhaps to vent and see it writing and put it in public will force me to see how ridiculous I am being.