home sweet future home...

I flew to Cali on Wednesday, May 19th, to find a place for Trav & I to live.

I've been here a few days & in that time, we saw three awesome apartments that we can't afford & a room for rent that we can... that was fucking awful... in a tiny ass place with a married couple... & their screaming 1 year old.... in a shitty naighbourhood... in a crappy area.... kinda close to Compton... NO THANK YOU!

Then, we saw some more shitty complexes in relatively terrifying areas... then we saw two other really nice ones, that we can't afford....
sound frustrating? ya...

exhausted, tired, & on the verge of tears, we came back to the apartment we've been crashing at, to find a Craigs list listing of a room for rent in the SAME COMPLEX!!!

This morning, we walked the 20 seconds to the other apartment to be greated by a nice guy (matt?), his girlfriend Jennifer & an adorable 3 month old Huskey pup (Grays? Graves? i'll get it eventually).
The room is sunny, big enough for us, with a mirrored wall of closets (holla). $700/month (split between the two of us, $350) with an additional $30 utilities. (cable & internet will probably take it to MAYBE $75?

I'm happy to announce that, on the first of June, Travis will be packing up his things & moving over to the new place. I'll be back on the road again (eek!) on June 4th & will be driving across the states again... (double eek!) ALONE (EEEEKKK!!!) to join him, in our new place, by June 10th.

I'm freaking out.

honestly, i'm scared. i'm really, really, really, scared.
What if he & i don't get along? What if i can't find a job? What if i don't make any friends? What if i hate everything? What am i going to do without my girls? I'll miss AmeCakes & JenBunny so much it'll kill me.

No, i have to embrace this new life. I have to make moves, literally, & take it as it comes.
I just hope that we aren't making a mistake. This is completely the wrong way to move in with someone, i know, WE know that. I don't want to suffocate him, but i don't want to feel isolated, either. I'm scared that we were so caught up in the whirl-wind of us even getting together, that we rushed it.

[we haven't even said the "L" word yet...]

i do know one thing. i can't wait to be done stressing, done packing, done thinking about what i need to do next. i can't wait to get SOMEWHERE & just... BE.
I want to get back into a routine. i want to be able to find a job, that i actually like, write on my beluved & missed bloggy.

i can't wait to get back to my own little reality. I miss you all so much. i have no idea what's been going on with anyone & it makes me feel awful!

i can't wait to tell you all about everything. maybe i should do a time line post to just get the basic facts about my drive & what's been going on?

a quick few tid-bits of my last days in Cali:

-went to P.F. Changs. Had amazing Crab Wontons. I'm a fan.
-went to the Cheesecake Factory. Had phenom "Crispy Artichoke Hearts" with a Lemon-Garlic dipping sauce, edamame, "Bistro Shrimp Pasta" [Crispy Battered Shrimp, Fresh Mushrooms, Tomato and Arugula Tossed with Spaghettini and a Basil-Garlic-Lemon Cream Sauce.] & "Wild Blueberry White Chocolate Cheesecake", all washed down with Strawberry Martini [made with Pearl Vodka infused fresh Strawberries..]...

i know... right? holy SHIT.

-Saw "Date Night" with Steve Carrell & Tina Fey. laughed my pants off!
-Went in the hot tub last night w/ Bazinga-face. it was too hot, but i liked it.
-Watched "The Men Who Stare at Goats". awesome. just freak'n awesome movie. i really wanna watch it with my dad before i leave home. he'll luv it.

i luvs u all so much. thank you for sticking with me.

luvs it*

Down the Rabbit Hole!

Here i go!!!

I've scheduled this post to go up right before i take the plunge...

down the Rabbit Hole!!!

see you when i'm back!

"after this, i shall think nothing of falling down stairs!" 

-Alice

luvs it*

Manic Monday: Alice in Wonderland

it's Alice in Wonderland Week!!!!

it's no shock that i'm obsessed with Alice in Wonderland.
you've all seen it here before, it's a pretty obvious obsession

[for me & many others]

but, since the new *Tim Burton* version is coming out shortly, everyone seems to be even MORE manic about the tripped out story of a little girl lost.
so, i'm bringing back Manic Mondays to celebrate:

Alice in Wonderland

As a child of the Disney generation (if that's even accurate), my initial thought of Alice in Wonderland is the, semi-terrifying, 80 min long, animated version from 1951.

i've always luvd the story of the girl named Alice, even if it is a liiiiittle weird...

i luv the imagination, the implied horror & excitement in a topsy turvy world, & the gratitude we can have when we finally get home again.

Of course, i'm not the only one who's found inspiration pouring from the seams of Wonderland.
the Lewis Carroll original is, arguably, one of the most provoking stories in literature, inspiring everything from:

Music

Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit 

[one of my personal fav songs ever.]

Aerosmith's "Sunshine"

GWAR's "Phallus in Wonderland"

[see parts 2-6]

Art

Salvador Dali's "A Mad Tea Party"

[collection of Alice in Wonderland inspired images part 1 & 2]

Jewelry, Fashion & Photography

Annie Lebovitz Alice in Wonderland Photos for Dec 2003 Vogue

[more here!]

 

watch the impromptu Mad Tea Party where Disney released a preview of 

Alice is the New Black 

line.

view other pieces by Tom Binns's Alice in Wonderland line for Disney Couture at Creative Contrast and Boutique for you, & see some of Tom Binn's work as well as more Swarovski pieces at the Disney Store!

[Also, follow @TomBinnsDesigns on twitter for updates on new gorg pieces.]

Science

there is a medical term called "Alice in Wonderland Syndrome" a "disorienting neurological condition" which has symptoms of seeing things in disproportion.

personally, i think i have "White Rabbit Syndrome", since i'm perpetually late!

[learn more]

there are a million other ways that Alice in Wonderland has applied, inspired, enlightened culture, but there's no need to overwhelm!
i imagine whatever is next is going to be amazing...
i can only hope that it's a Cirque du Soleil!

Do you know of any others, that i didn't mention? 

Do you have any fabulous photos, news or links to share?

e-mail them to Spankyluvsit@gmail.com!

Continue with me through Alice in Wonderland week & look forward to reading about my trip down the Rabbit Hole to be posted this weekend 

[i'm seeing the movie Thursday at midnight!]

luvs it*

marquee: The Box

seriously...
this movie was weird.

but.. i'd wanted to see it since i saw the ads, so i gave it a whirl.
it was def verrry weird, but i liked Cameron Diaz, James Marsden & Frank Langella.
i was stoked to see Gillian Jacobs [Britta from one of my new fav shows, Community]

honestly, i'm not going to say much about the movie. if you like really bizzaro movies, give it a watch. keep an open mind & don't say i didn't warn you.
  

have you seen it? what did you think? 

Any other movies to add to my marquee that i just can't miss!?

 

luvs it*

marquee: Valentine's Day

I just saw Valentine's Day with my Ma & Em Butthead Sis Piece. We went for, yes, Valentine's Day, which also happens to be my Ma's bday [& that dog, Holly - who is 3 today!].

The movie was really cute. i enjoyed it. The cast, obvi, was brilliant & I'm really falling for Jennifer Garner, especially after last nights movie & then today. She's just so adorable!

in case you don't realize the magnitude of the cast in this movie, here are the players:

Jessica Alba    Bradley Cooper

Jessica Biel    Eric Dane

Kathy Bates    Patrick Dempsey

Jennifer Garner    Hector Elizondo

Anne Hathaway    Jamie Foxx

Queen Latifah    Topher Grace

Shirely MacLaine    Carter Jenkins

Emma Roberts    Ashton Kutcher

Julia Roberts    Taylor Lautner

Taylor Swift    George Lopez

See the movie, even if you are an anti-Val Day/ hata, trust me.

it's a really sweet movie with something for everyone.

[yes, even you Negative Nancy's!]

i'm even starting to really like Jessica Biel who, since her departure on 7th Heaven & her desperation to be anything BUT Mary Camden [aka taking the sluttiest, bitchies, most obnoxious roles & becoming a sex symbol w/ a "ass of gold"] i haven't been really able to stand, but, in this, i REALLY liked her!

have you seen it? what did you think? 

Any other movies to add to my marquee that i just can't miss!?

luvs it*

marquee: The Invention of Lying

 

i just watched The Invention of Lying. it was sooo good. Ricky Gervais was adorable &, like always, hilar. Jennifer Garner is so cute & she really was the perfect choice for this role. Jeffery Tambor was great as the awkward "crap boss", Jonah Hill was sweet, but really, pretty sad, as the suicidal "loser" naighbour & there are just tons of cameo parts by tons of my favourites.

[whom i won't tell you, so you can be surprised!]

if you haven't seen it, you really should! it's so good!

have you seen anything really great lately? 

have any recommendations for my *movie marquee*?

luvs it*

book one: the lovely bones

i've finished the first book toward my reading goal, & i luvd it!

it was so good. i wish that i'd been able to give it more time, as it took me over a month & i've been hoping to read a book a month.

[i def started the month off reading two books,

one at home, one at work,

to avoid being without something 

to read on a smoke break.]

so, now that it's read, i can see the movie, directed by Peter Jackson, which looks uh-mazing!
 
if you haven't read it yet, please do. it's really great.
 
now, to finish the other book, hopefully with enough time to enjoy another & be a book ahead!

[expert level is 15 books this year!]

have you read it? have you seen the movie?

what did you think?

[any books to recommend

i add to my list of "to read",

please comment them! 

-you can also see my 

virtual book shelf here!]

luvs it*

Dark Side of the Moon

As i told you all last week, i've been writing the "What's New is New" article for my companies MySpace page.

I'm really enjoying getting a chance to write about current topics & get PAID for it!!!

Here's my post for this week:

Dark Side of the Moon

The month of October is almost and, in true fashion, a lot of strange things are happening in the world, leading up to, what seems to be, a pretty weird Halloween.

In the past week, we saw NASA “bombing” the moon, everyone’s favorite Werewolf, Taylor Lautner look amazing in the pages of GQ magazine, joy rides in silver mylar space ships, and the upcoming release of “This Is It”, the touching story of the last days of the ultimate “Thriller” to be in theatres October 28th.

Halloween is the perfect time to allow yourself to be scared and raise the paranoia of the Boogie Man, monsters under the bed, and things that “go bump in the night”. The movie Paranormal Activity asked fear fans to demand that their local theatre screen the film, and after 1 million demands, it was released nationwide.

Performers: Grab your fake blood, vampire teeth and shreds of the un-dead’s threads, and go wild this year! If you’ve booked a Halloween party, or even if you have an upcoming public event, show your freaky side and make the audience scream! Remember, it’s always fun to get spooked, and being a clients “treat” this Halloween is sure to make them remember you for next year!


What do you think? Should i think about becoming a reporter? JenBunny thinks she can see me as one... i played one in a play in 8th grade... that was fun...

Have fun counting down the days to h.ween 2009!

Check in on all my "What's New" posts at www.MySpace.com/GigMasters

luvs it*

New York, I Love You

I can not wait to see this. It's FINALLY out. (after i've been waiting for EVER)

i can't waiiiit!

luvs it*

scream queen.

What the hell is it about scary movies on a rainy day that are just irresistible?

I don't even like scary movies. they totally creep me out & i will inevitably end up looking behind me or walking quickly from the car to the house at night for the next few weeks!

but.. yet... the movie still plays...

sick.

luvs it?

luvly bones.

i'm going to read this book. then, when it comes out, i'm going to see this movie. it's going to be amazing. just letting you all know.

luvs it*