365 X 2

I've decided that one of my resolutions or "goals" as I'd rather refer to it, is to pick a project where I have to hold myself accountable. I know that the "taking a picture a day for the year" has been done by many, but I wanted to see if I could do it. Of course, I have to make it more difficult for myself and take two pictures a day to post for the year; one picture from my phone since it's always with me and another with my Canon. I really enjoy photography and am a complete amateur at it, but I figure this way, I'm forced to use my camera daily as well as work with some new photo editing software. I thought about taking a picture of the same thing everyday (something living), but there are too many times throughout the year, where I would not be able to take the picture of said thing, so I'm going with random. We'll see how this goes, I've never been good at sticking with any one thing for too long. 


DAY 1:

iPhone Photo

Canon Photo

I figured the best way to start out this little project is some of my favorite people and animal. 


DAY 2:

iPhone Photo
We like to keep it classy with our bathroom reading material

Canon Photo
All the pretty lights...or at least the ones on my fake plant.

So I Had This Idea....

So I'm sure someone somewhere has thought of this idea already, but so did I, and I thought it cool enough to actually take the time and share it, so here it is. I don't typically wear makeup, but when I do, I have to dig through a zip-lock bag (seriously) to find what I'm looking for. Since I'm on this crafty DIY kick thanks in part to Elizabeth Eljdid with her inspiring pictures, I figured there had to be a more organized and aesthetic way to deal with my makeup. This is what I came up with and this is what you'll need:

• A frame (check out your local thrift shop) any size will do depending on how much makeup you have
• Piece of sheet metal. I got mine from Lowe's and I got a piece thin enough that I could cut with tin snips. Lowe's would probably cut it to size for you if need be. Aluminum is not thick enough for the magnets. I tested it at Lowe's and it was a no go. You'll need the sheet metal to fit the size of the frame. 
• Fabric of your choice. Enough to cover the sheet metal
• Drill
• Smallest metal screws you can find
• Spray Adhesive
• Paint or Spray Paint (to paint the frame if you choose)
• Small magnets
• Super Glue

To start I figured out how big of a frame I would need so I went through my collection of thrift store frames and fit all of my makeup that I use regularly inside of it and chose the one that would work the best.

 Next, I decided to paint my frame, so I put a couple of coats of Killz (primer) over the original wood. I love this stuff and I use it on everything.

I then painted the frame the color that I chose with acrylic paint (2 coats), cut the sheet metal to fit to the back of the frame so that I would be able to attach it with the metal screws and I cut the fabric to fit the sheet metal leaving some extra to wrap around the back. I adhered the fabric to the sheet metal with the spray adhesive and I let all this dry overnight.

The next day I tacked down the extra fabric on the back with super glue and then used the drill to attach the sheet metal to the wood frame.

To finish I took all of my makeup and I super glued small magnets to the back of each. Depending on the weight of the makeup, you may have to put more than one magnet on the back. I also decided that I needed something to hold my brushes, eyelash curler and mascara, so I took an empty pill bottle and painted it and also glued magnets to it as well.

And behold the finished product. Not only is it practical, but it's pretty too :)

No, you may not use my pen

So I'm sitting here sick. Again. For the third time in 2 months I'm having to put up with cold/sinus/crap. I hate colds. Mostly because they make me whiny.

When I first started working at the community services board, I was astounded at how much hand sanitizer that was available. You can find this stuff on every desk, in every counseling room, people's shirt pockets, and there are even people sized stands around the building that it can be dispensed from. There is also an abundance of Lysol and Lysol wipes around to be used as well. Needless to say, I am starting to become a bit OCD about germs. Good thing there are plenty of people around me that I can talk to about this.

Unfortunately we get a lot of client's that come in off of the street, who use public transportation, who have poor hygiene, and they do not have health insurance, which means they tend to be sick a lot. So considering I do not work with kids, my recent rounds of sickness, seem to come from one place only. Because of this, I have now developed a phobia of letting other people use my pens. I have a bad habit of chewing on my pens, so the thought of letting someone else (especially a client) use one of my pens makes me queasy. I've also recently started feeling queasy every time I have to use the restroom there as well. I have started carrying around little bottles of hand sanitizer (though mine are the kind from Bath and Body that smell like something other than alcohol). My hands are paying the price by starting to look like scales, but it seems to be my only defense. I don't think wearing a face mask during an individual session can be easily explained and definitely is not a skill for building rapport.

So no, you may not use my pen.

Nothing Screams "Classy" Like Pajama Jeans

I've been procrastinating at this whole blogging thing, I know. I never feel as though I have something to write about. Until now. First off, one of the perks about coming home to Lynchburg is the Chiller Channel. A TV station devoted to creepy movies, sci fi stuff, and other greatness. Sounds a lot like SyFy but the Chiller Channel has one thing that SyFy does not. Buffy. Oh yes, there is a 24 hour Buffy marathon on Christmas day (I am asserting my dorkiness, but it's cool, I came to terms with it a long time ago). Now, I own all seven seasons of this show, and every now and then I go on a binge, but there is just something better about it being on TV. With that being said, Cox, you need to up your game and get on top of offering this channel. My boyfriend will probably hate you, but I'm tired of WWE Raw radomly interrupting the programming on SyFy.

Today however I saw by far the most ridiculous product to ever be commercially advertised. Until today, the snuggie held that title. If you want to stay warm and have your hands free, then wear a sweatshirt. But girls, now there are Pajama Jeans. Seriously? These pants are stretchy, look like jeans, are lined with some fleece stuff and do not have zippers or buttons. That's right, they pull on. Apparently you can wear these fantastic pants out on the town and then come home and still be so comfortable that you'll sleep in them. Really they remind me of the tuxedo t-shirts. They are simply sleep pants with jeans painted on them. But wait, theres more! If you order today you'll get a free crew cut t-shirt. Now your outfit is complete. So be sure and order yours today so that you'll be ready to go out with the girls and then go to bed without ever changing clothes. Oh wait. I can do that without pajama jeans.

Baking Challenge Uno

Since the idea behind this blog originally was to chronicle some of my baking adventures, I figured it was time to actually chronicle a said adventure. For Christmas my boyfriend gave me an awesome bread making book. It is not only recipes but really breaks down bread making and explains in detail how to really work with dough. This was the perfect gift for me, because, let's face it, my bread from regular bread recipes were coming out less than yummy. My mom gave me a stand mixer for my birthday, so I had no problem with making the dough, but when it came to baking, the inside was constantly coming out doughy no matter how many different things I tried. I decided that I was over making regular sandwich bread. I read my new book cover to cover and instead of starting with the basics, I decided to tackle the not so basic.

For my first attempt with this book, I decided on Challah. Challah is a sweet Jewish bread that is braided before it is baked. Reading through the recipe it looked incredibly intimidating, but hell, regular bread wasn't coming out any better so I didn't have anything to lose. So I made my dough, let it rise, kneaded it some more, and then stuck it in the fridge. That is one thing that I really like about the bread recipes in this book . You let the dough rise overnight in the fridge (I think this might be secret to not having doughy baked bread or maybe it's the eggs used in this particular bread, just a guess). Anyhow, the next day was baking day, the time when everything goes to shit. I followed the directions precisely and even managed to braid a pretty impressive looking loaf. This time I followed the baking instructions exactly, even leaving the bread in when it appeared that it was over baking. All this hard work resulted in:





Not too shabby. But more importantly, the inside wasn't doughy! Bread baking challenge uno was a success.

Creeeepy

Okay, so those of us who are Forensic Psychologists are a weird bunch. We don't deny this. We find the morbid to be fascinating and we want to work with offenders because their brains, let's face it, are a lot more interesting than the general population of "normal" people. We take classes like Criminal Profiling and Correctional Psychology and do presentations on Wound Pattern Analysis and Eyewitness Testimony and generally enjoy a good conversation about the characteristics of organized and disorganized serial murderers. However, with that being said, I still wasn't prepared for what I stumbled across today while teaching.

I teach Criminal Psychology at a community college and today we were discussing sexual assault. I decided that a good learning tool, as well as an eye opener to the statistics of sex offenders would be to pay a visit to the Virginia Sex Offender Registry. Now, I've searched my zip code and I know what kind of people live near me, so I had the class calling out zip codes and addresses and so forth so they could see who their neighbors are. I randomly clicked on one guy and pulled up the file and HOLY SHIT I know this person, like actually really know this person. I even said shit out loud, which I think earned me bonus points with the class. Turns out, I am in my Master's program with this guy, and not just that, but I sit next to him in my Addictions class and talk to him weekly. Once I get past my shock of staring at his face, I realize that he is not only a sex offender, but also a violent sex offender. That does not mean that he murdered someone or even inflicted bodily injury to anyone but I also know that it means his crime was most likely rape. Sure enough, as I scroll down, his charge was attempted rape and he was convicted. WHOA.

Now, I am not a judgmental person by any means, you can't be to want to work with offenders and in corrections, but I would have never have pinned this guy as a sex offender. I realized that this is exactly what I have been trying to convey to my students. Profiling is less than accurate and anyone can be an offender, even a classmate who is smart enough to be accepted to a Master's program, despite what all of the criminal theories tell us. Needless to say, my students definitely learned something today, as well as myself. Addictions class should be interesting tomorrow.

Complaining Already

My friend Sharon informed me that I am doing a slack job on blogging and that I am not providing her with entertaining stories to pass the time while she is bored at work. My boner. Unfortunately, I don't have any entertaining stories. My life is rather dull and uninteresting. Even though I don't sit behind a desk for eight hours a day, or any hours for that matter, doesn't mean that I have a plethora of fun stuff going on (though I got my SAT word in for the day). Actually, my week is pretty routine. I have to prepare to teach class which means actually reading the textbook so I know, or at least appear to know what I am talking about. By the way, this is the first time I have EVER read a textbook cover to cover. Plus it is that time of the semester where all of my projects and papers are due for grad work. Hence, I have no stories for you.

Sadly, I used to. Those were the days of Crazy Bitch Monster (CBM). I'm sure that everyone at one time or another has had "that roomate", but this chick was an adventure everyday and a quick prescription for high blood pressure medicine. My stories then were ridiculous and unbelievable, but so crazy that even I couldn't make them up. From stealing soft drinks, sabotaging ice packs, being involved in the mob, never being able to do my laundry, finding fully cooked meals forgotten about in the kitchen, calling the police, and the list goes on and on and on and on. No joke, as a professional, I seriously considered having her involuntarily committed. I'm pretty sure I could have pulled it off. Our parting was not bitter sweet, it was just bitter and CBM continued to stalk my cell phone for weeks after I moved out. So Sharon, or anyone for that matter, in light of my lack of entertaining stories, pick your favorite CBM story and I'll be sure to remind you of why that was the first thing you asked me about every morning for almost two years.