I'm a Hallo-weeny! (see what I did there?!)

Let me preface this by saying that I am, "The Terrible Costume Person", during Halloween. No, really. It doesn't get much worse. I don't plan ahead. I, generally, don't spend any money. I have absolutely no pride, in that I often make up random things and then try to put a name to them. So this year I was..."Glittery". Yes, "Glittery". I told you I was terrible! My costume involved a glittery gold wig and lots and lots of glitter spray. And let's face it, if Halloween isn't a time for the shameless use of glitter spray, I don't know what is! Nontheless, it was a spectacular Halloween, lame costume or not!

Maine: The way life should be!

This summer I had a spectacular first, in which I was able to introduce my best friend to my favorite state! Maine (Which also subsequently led to a few more firsts for my friend; skinny dipping, Allen's Coffee Brand, and her first time in the Atlantic!)! After having not been back in 4 years I finally buckled down and planned a visit. It was probably my favorite vacation there ever! I even got lucky enough to catch the very beginning of the fall colors. The west coast is my home but Maine will always have a very special place in my heart.

*The pure exhaustion on our faces in the last picture is the direct result of far too much fun and far too little sleep during the entire week (it was 5:00 a.m. and we hadn't been to sleep yet--coincidentally that night also included skinny dipping and coffee brandy...pretty epic night!).

Am I allowed to put pictures of someone's house online without permission? I'm not sure, but this, to me, is the epitome of a small town Maine house! I Love it!

Jeanine jumping off of the (very very high up) Breakwater in Eastport, Maine

Is there anything more fun than making new friends on vacation?!

I made CURTAINS!!

After finding some fantastic material on clearance on joannfabrics.com last SUMMER, I finally got around to utilizing it! It was actually a rather uneventful process that involved measuring tapes, 9 yards of material, crawling around my living room on said material, and, of course, some headache with a sewing machine that I haven't quite mastered yet (though, the three days it took to finally get the curtain rod hung up made the sewing seem like a breeze...who knew?!)! Nontheless, I am quite proud of my accomplishment!

One Day Without Shoes!!

So, I may not be keeping up with this as well as I should be...but...A, for effort, right? RIGHT?! Eh. Not like anyone really reads these anyways!

For those of you hiding under a rock that DON'T know about TOMS Shoes, they are a shoe company that gives a pair of shoes to a needy child for every pair purchased. They're super comfy and steadily growing in popularity. And cuteness! But, to the point, TOMS Shoes has started a movement called "One Day Without Shoes". It's a day when we go barefoot to increase awareness about what not having shoes to wear does to children (For more information on that, check out Tomsshoes.com It's a great site to support!).

This movement all comes together on the 8th of April (yesterday). I was very excited about participating in this, particularly because I absolutely LOVE being barefoot! When barefoot isn't possible, I bring in the flip flops! So, having an excuse to not wear shoes and do something informative and rewarding is a combo that can't be beaten! I wasn't able to go the entire day without shoes because of a biology lab I have in the morning. When working with chemicals, for some reason, being barefoot is a bit...forbidden! But, as soon as the class was done I bared my feet! The city that I live in was even nice enough to sport some sun during this day as well, which is rare! I headed to the park to languish with my toes in the grass and write a bit. I lasted about an hour before, quite literally, getting cold feet. But, it was the most invigorating experience I've had since before the long winter and this rainy spring that is following it.

I'm sure TOMS Shoes will be encoring this movement again next year, and you should all join! On their site they list groups getting together in different cities (and towns...and wheat fields, in the middle of nowhere) to have barefoot "walks" ranging in length and setting. So check that out, too, or if you can't find one in your area, start one of your own! Entire schools, workplaces, etc. have done this, as well as celebrities such as Kristen Bell, Olivia Wilde, The Jonas Brothers, Brittany Snow, and lots others! Increasing awareness is a powerful feeling! And if that's not enough of a reason, then think of it as an excuse to not wear those heels for a day, under the pretense of a good cause!

P.S. Sorry you had to look at a picture of my feet! Probably should've warned you or something, eh?! :)