Summer is officially here!

Sorry that I am not so good at posting as of late. It is my crazy busy time at work and things are exactly that... crazy and busy.

I am currently running on coffee, bananas and hard boiled eggs. My life is oh so glamorous. Be jealous.

On a better note, the Nordstrom Anniversary sale has begun. I have my eye on a few items and will be hitting the store this afternoon to “early access” shop. So when I say I am really busy… I mean that I am too busy to blog, but not too busy to shop. Priorities people. Priorities. The annoying piece of all of this is that I got a speeding ticket yesterday and my shopping budget for today went way down. Boo.

I have also been working really hard on my melanin production. I know it sounds intense, but it has mostly required sitting at the pool with my iPad while at Black Butte Ranch (lovingly referred to as BBR) over the 4th. Again, takes precedence over blogging.

Okay. I have no photos to go with this post. So, since it is finally sunny here in PDX, I leave you with my favorite summer things:

Frozen blendy drinks 

Sisters Coffee Company

Pool lounging 

Kickin' it w/ Blake Lively

BBR

View from the top of the Butte

Being outside

Brunch w/ Libby in our hood

Park lounging

BBQing

Baby BBQ that Libby bought

Sundresses

Effortless, yet they successfully keep you cool (in more way than one!)

Fastest written post ever. Happy weekend friends!

Woop woop! Leaving on a jet plane!

Woohoo! TGIF!

Why am I so excited that it is the weekend?

Well, I am off on one of these:

To go have some of these:

Moscow Mule and Bloody Mary. Two of my favorites! 

To use some of this:

No wrinkles here!

While spending my time here:

Have great weekends everyone!

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From Obsessed to Obsauced.

Sometimes my friends create new words. It isn't that weird. I feel like this is the case in many people’s lives. I instantly think of Happy Endings and how the character of Penny says ah-mah-zing. Her friends initially made fun of her before accepting it as hilarious and as unique to the quirkiness of Penny.

This type of scenario happens in my life on a fairly regular basis. Whether it is an unflattering nickname that sticks (poor Chubs), or a mispronunciation that will be said forever at that persons expense, there are words that are unique to my group of friends. But unlike Happy Endings, we will all start saying it around one another as a joke… until we say it in front of a stranger who blankly stares. Believe me, when someone calls Chelsii “Chubs” in public, strangers take notice.

The other night my friend Marina said she was obsauced with a nail color. I know this word came up later and somehow transitioned into the word obsoissed.

Yesterday an email chain discussion began about the merits of the two word hybrids.

Email from Martha:

Obsauced is literally 42 times better.

Here's why: It combines two words that actually are awesome.

Sauce: Which, if we're talking BBQ is delicious! If we're talking chocolate? Also delicious. I can't think of many sauces that aren't delicious. Sauce.

Obsessed: A word I say almost as much as I say “literally.”

I am literally obsessed with the word obsessed. When I say literally, what I'm saying may not be LITERAL. But I am still, literally obsessed. Literally. Obsessed.

If I may quote an email I received from Marina earlier this week, I can relate to the word obsauced "both metaphorically and over arching, as well as literally".  

Consensus is thus: Obsoissed is out. Obsauced is in. Thank you Martha for the detailed reasoning.

Yes. These are the people I choose to spend my time with… don’t judge. I wanted to post about this simply to share what my life (in terms of email and intellectual reasoning) is like. I hope you enjoyed!

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“Here’s to the sisterhood of the traveling pants.”

That was Cameron’s cheers to the fact that Marina is a traveler. We found her cheers incredibly hilarious, especially because I don’t think she even really knew what she was saying. So yes Cam, here’s to the pants... and Marina.

This weekend we had a send off for Marina. She is leaving us for 6 months for an amazing career opportunity. I am sure she will have an awesome experience and it is very exciting! Alas, I am selfish and I am going to miss my friend. I have not fully accepted that she is leaving. But that is just how it goes I guess. I think the day I text her and say “lets get fro-yo tonight” and she says, “dude. I am currently living in MT.” I will probably have a meltdown. So… anyway. We had a fab going-away send off for her. One of our favorite things is going to second Saturday at East Burn. Why? Because DJ Gray Matter breaks it down with the kickinest hits for us to boogie to. Think Whitney Houston, the Dougie and a giant dance party. You clearly missed out. But no worries, you can just go next month. You better make it though, because the next one is the last!

Send off Champy

Umm these next photos are going to come with a warning: View at your own risk! We were very sweaty from all of the poppin' and lockin'.

Music, dancing and friends are three of Marina’s favorite things (if only we could have incorporated her 3-legged cat into the evening). I can’t think of a better way to send her off into the great unknown.

Farewell Mar. Somebody is gonna miss you.

“We are like genuinely obsessed with your shows.”

Yes. We went to see Lauren Conrad last night!! In the car and the whole time we were waiting, we kept talking about what we were going to say to LC.

Some ideas that were floated around:
“My friend went to college with Steven and said he is an ass.”
“So what was up with that Jason thing?”
“Why the H didn’t you go to Paris?”
“Lo is my favorite.”
“You are my fashion icon.”
“Watched your cat-eye tutorial today… it was tight.”
“I’m not feeling the photo choice on the back cover.”
“We just wanted to meet you and are not going to be reading this crap.”
“You are so pretty!”
“Do you still party with Polster?”
“Wanna grab a drink after this? I’ll drop a pin so you know where to meet us.”

What was actually said: 
Me: “Hi! How are you doing?
LC: “Great! Your outfit is so cute.” (YES you guys. LC liked my outfit! Booya! Note: she did not say this to Mar or Lib.)
Me: “Thank you! We have been fans forever. We used to get together in the dorms to watch Laguna.”
LC: “Haha.” (Inner thought of LC: Why the F is this awesomely dressed chick bringing up Laguna? This is my book signing. Lag Beach is not my proudest accomplishment.)
LC: “My girlfriends all do that with Gossip Girl. None of us even really like it anymore; it is just an excuse to get together.”
Libby: “Yeah.” (in a breathy voice)
Marina: “We are like genuinely obsessed with your shows.”
Me: “… and your books!” (had to throw that in since it was a book signing)
LC: “Well, I hope you guys enjoy this one!” (while handing back the books)
All: “Thank you so much! It was great to meet you!”

About 5 steps away:
Libby to Marina: “Seriously? 'We are obsessed with you?' That is what you decided to say to Lauren Conrad!!?"

You guys. She is so pretty in real life. It is almost unbearable. Please take note that LC probably heard the reprimand from Libby to Marina. We were like 2 feet away from the table. Bahaha! Not like Libby has room to talk, she only said one word. We promptly went to the Doug Fir for burgs and bevs. All in all, it was a successful evening and meeting of Lauren Conrad. We are basically BFFs at this point.

Some photo proof that it happened:

Waiting in line sucks.

Not a great photo... but the only one of all three of us from last nights life changing event!

She is so freaking pretty!! Her hair and makeup were absurdly perfect.

Yep. Too pretty. 

Just texting w/ LC... no big. 

The illegal picture I took from closer up! Booya!

It was really fun to go meet Lauren Conrad. We really have been following her career since '04-'05ish. Plus, now we know how the book signing thing works. (FYI: It involves wrist bands and stuff.) I hope the Kardashians come to PDX some time for a book signing. Khloe is my favorite. You know, just for the record.

Longing for Linfield on a sunny Thursday.

Today is a gorgeous sunny Thursday. Days like this desperately make me miss college. I think of the community at little Linfield College and how everyone would be spending this day outside. Whether it is walking to O’Rileys, riding bikes, doing homework in one of the quads etc. I also picture gaggles of guys playing Frisbee golf until campo makes them stop and those other guys, who walk around barefoot (as a protest?... not sure why really), doing slack line between the trees outside Jane Failing Hall.

Wildstock '09

Also, it is a Thursday! Say you are done with class for the day by 2:00. You hang out outside until 4:30, go home, watch an episode of Full House on ABC Family and nap for an hour, get ready and then head to Roof Top for some rowdy Thursday night antics. No biggie that it is a Thursday, you only have one class on Friday and it isn't until 11:00.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my life now. I love my community, my neighborhood and exploring everything Portland has to offer. Sometimes I simply miss college. Not just campus, but the people. It wouldn’t be the same to go back now. Not unless everyone who was in school with me went back too. I need my friends to happen to walk by on their way home and decide to read magazines in the sun with me. There is nothing like the friendships you make in college. You live together, you eat together, you learn together and you can’t help but love each other. They are your family and campus is the backdrop of many good memories.

I guess this post is just about nostalgia. I still see my Linfield family often (I live with the same roommate for heavens sake), but today I wish we were lollygagging around Linfield’s campus with Union Block blended Chai lattes and tabloid magazines.

Outside the Mass Comm building

At the end of it all

Call Me Maybe

I have been listening to this song non-stop for the past two days. I know it is ridiculously pop infused. BUT I TOTALLY LOVE IT!!!

To go along with the awesome song… some of our favorite teeny-bopper stars did a homemade sing-along video to it. This is clearly why I like it so much! The video just seems hilariously normal. The girls are all in sweats etc. It reminds me of the kind of crap we would do in Black Butte during college (or currently… you decide that for yourself).

Here is a video of Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Ashley Tizdale (I secretly love the Tiz), some chick from Hannah Montana, Ashley’s boyfriend and some other peeps all dancing to Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen.

Side note: Apparently this girl (who is Canadian) has the same representation as the Biebs. Even so, I still love it. Their ploy for the song to blow up worked on me!

Boys to Men

Boyz II Men, A B C, B B D

Here is a little bit of my perspective on the shortage of men, as well as some insight from Ms. Mindy Kaling.

Excerpt from Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

“Men know what they want. Men make concrete plans. Men own alarm clocks. Men sleep on a mattress that isn’t on the floor. Men tip generously. Men buy new shampoo instead of adding water to a nearly empty bottle of shampoo. Men go to the dentist. Men make reservations. Men go in for the kiss without giving you some long preamble about how they’re thinking of kissing you. Men know what they want.

Boys are adorable. Boys trail off their sentences in an appealing way. Boys get haircuts from their roommate/friend, who “totally knows how to cut hair.” Boys can pack their whole life in a duffel bag and move to Brooklyn if they need to. Boys have “gigs.” Boys are broke. And when they do have money, they spend it on a trip to Colorado to see a music festival.”- MK

Yes Mindy. I agree. It is the boys who simply do not know what they want, and if they do, they still aren’t able to articulate it. AND we always fall for them! What is that?!

So where are all of the men? They are on the way! They just haven’t grown up yet.

What spurred this thought? Well, Marina and I were driving home from Seattle and had both noticed that one of our good friends ordered an Americano at breakfast. I know this seems minuscule and not a big deal, but it seemed grown up! Yes, many of us commonly order an Americano at Starbucks, but he didn’t even like the taste of coffee when we were in college. It is kind of refreshing to see people you love and have known forever start changing from being boys to being men. Even if it is a gradual process and we see it in little stupid ways like a coffee order, I swear these guys are starting to take ownership over their lives in real ways too. I love it!

So don’t stress ladies. There will be a plethora of men before long. We just need to wait a little bit longer and give them time to get there!

I was just going to post the audio link to this… but then I watched the video. It is too hilarious not to post! Those outfits! Bahaha

Hello 2012!

Happy 2012! Isn't this year just too crazy already? It is for me. Cheer season is in full swing. My girls are awesome and I am excited to spend my Saturdays for the next month and a half watching them perform the crap out of their routine.

For the holiday weekend I went to Seattle to spend some awesome quality time with the friends of mine who have relocated north since graduating. I am like the Michelle Duggar of friends who move to Seattle. 4 and counting…

Seattle was fantastic per usual. We got glittery for NYE and watched the fireworks from Cameron’s balcony. She seriously has the BEST view of the space needle. It was AMAZING! The rest of the weekend was filled with drinking, eating, going on walks, hanging out, cuddling and then some more eating.

Lindsay and Caitlin were ready to ring in the new year!

Grandma's coat finally got some wear. 

Marina is sassy.

Check out the view from Cameron's Balcony! Amazing.

Crazy eyes? Maybe they were smizing like Tyra.

Cameron and Justin kill it on the dance floor. 

Back to the apt for fireworks!! 

Happy 2012!

No New Years kiss this year. Crossing my fingers for 2013! 

Alleged best post of 2011.

I know my blog is not even a year old… But one of my favorite things about the end of the year is the ridiculous number of lists and magazines that contain “The best of 2011.”

The best _______ of (insert year) is always attacking us during the week between Christmas and New Years. I think the reason for this is because people are too lazy during this week to be creative. OR they have decided to continue their Christmas slothiness by putting in minimal effort. I bet the lists were all completed before the holidays even hit!

You think of the list and it probably exists.

-          Best  celeb couples  of 2011

-          Best  movies  of 2011

-          Best  starlet crotch shots  of 2011.

Okay, sorry… that last one was vulgar. I bet it exists though!

Well, my “best” post of 2011 was about flirting. I don’t know if it was really the best, but it was the most popular. I don’t know if people Google “flirting tips” a lot or something… but this post got the most page views by a landslide.

Read it and decide for yourself. Is it “Best of 2011” worthy?

I know the text is small in the screen shot. So here is the original post: God made mud, God made dirt, God made boys so girls can flirt!

Happy New Year! Can’t wait to get glittery and kiss a stranger! (kidding!… kind of)

And Bingo was his name-o.

So last night I went to Bingo at The Woods. The Woods is a super cool bar/ restaurant in West Moreland that used to be a funeral home. You may be thinking that this is creepy, but it really isn't! It makes the venue funky and unique. The “parlor” is filled with velvet couches and chairs at various coffee tables and regular tables. It is a friendly community environment as the host, Brian, tells jokes and eggs on crowd involvement. It was a blast! Brian has a dry sense of humor and was just plain hilarious as he led us through the game.

Prizes consist of grab bags of Dollar Tree goodies, Good Will gems and cash prizes (once we get to the black-out rounds). It was a big crowd last night and both pots for the 2 rounds I was there for were over $100. Seriously, I had a blast and will be a bingo regular from this day forward.

Here are some bits of communication and photos of the night. Yesterday I was both youthful and elderly. I played bingo… like an 80 year old. AND I had a slumber party with Lauren… like a 16 year old. ‘Twas wonderfully well-rounded. Also, I ran into some old friends from high school. Twins named Lauren and Dana. The weird part is that I went with two of my friends who happen to be named Lauren and Dana! CRAZY!

We got really hard core. I will be carrying my dauber around permanently. Just in case there is any impromptu bingo-ing happening. Really it was the host that made the evening… not the bingo. But still!

I recommend attending this weekly event. Doors open at 8!

God made mud, God made dirt, God made guys so girls can flirt!

So I had some questions about flirting. I myself have never mastered the craft. These are some notes that I think apply across the board… but who knows!? I take cues from my friends (also single), church (pastors are usually married and have forgotten what it is like out there), magazines (not real life) and TV (also not real life). SO… I am obvi at a loss when it comes to flirting expertise.

What I have learned in my 24 years of life. Smiling probably helps. As long as it isn’t an all-teeth smile that scares them away. You know, due looking all crazy and such. Laugh when they aren’t funny because it helps to be encouraging BUT do not get all extreme with the laughing. No one wants to see a cocktail coming out of your nose. Finding common interests… OR making some up? My interests aren’t that common. Wait, doesn’t every guy love reality TV, celebrity gossip and cheerleading? Not so much. I feel like when meeting someone new you should be good at things. And if you aren’t good at things… lie about it? Haha! I mean, they can learn the truth after they have fallen in love with your charm and hilarity! Right?!

At this point they are at least interested. Now you suggest a book. This means you can read (and probably did not attend Portland Public Schools). I rarely get to this point and once I post this I will probably Google “books to suggest to boys.” Okay, so now you are going to be friends on Facebook… Do not poke! Never poke… so creepy.

Does anyone have good flirting tips or hilarious disaster stories? I will ask some of my people and get back to you. This may warrant another post.