a wink is my kryptonite
sundays wrapped up in sheets
a kiss on the forehead
dimpled cheeks
broad shoulders
warm hands
a kiss in the rain
full lips
witty quips
preferably sane
nibbling of earlobes
hot breath on my neck
cuddle til morning
pick up the check
make me laugh
challenge me
teach me something new
prove me wrong
come along
i'd like to meet you
Friday, March 07, 2008
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Farewell to the $30,000 Millionnaire...
Today, I went to Target...and for the first time in my life, I purchased Hamburger Helper. *She hangs her head in shame, not making eye contact, and moving quickly through the aisles. The box of 'Helper' is tucked conspicuously beneath the other items in her cart*
So Target is one of my favorite places....Beautifully packaged and aesthetically designed useless and useful items in abundance...Trust me, I am Target's target consumer. A marketing department's dream subject, and it's reflected in my credit card bills and my apartment. Lovely as it is, to be surrounded by the stuff....all good things must come to an end. I must quit living above my means. And so this little entry is an ode to my former life in all of its glory and then a list of resolutions to do better, live more frugally and perhaps, even (gasp!) begin saving...
One handbag, two handbags, three handbags...poor:
In the beginning, I was a financially responsible and smart college graduate. I paid my bills on time, I shopped for groceries and cooked meals at home, I didn't have an entirely exciting social life, but I was debt free (outside of student loans). My downfall began innocently enough. I bought a tiffany blue leather Kate Spade wallet. The lining is green and I. love. it. I loved what it looked like, I loved that it was designer, I loved that it was expensive. I charged it, of course...promising myself that next month I would pay it off with my extra money. But the next month, Macy's had a very cute boxy Kate Spade Bag with tiffany blue leather handles and I just couldn't resist. So freaking cute and all mine. My friends began calling me Kate Spade. My credit card bill was totally workable in my budget and I was perfectly content....but I'm telling you, handbags are addictive. Over the next couple of years, I found myself completely hooked and sliding easily into a lifestyle of luxury. I followed my initial handbag purchases up with another canvas Kate Spade that looked like a gardening tote, then I bought the pink courderoy one that looks like something right out of an audrey hepburn film. I couldn't be stopped. Next was a lunch-pail shaped bag in lime-green crocodile embossed leather and all the while I was dining at the finest restaurants in Napa Valley. Places that most people in the country only get to read about in Bon Appetit. My credit card balance was ballooning and I just spent and spent and spent. It's hard to explain why I thought that was okay. There was always a rational plan to pay it off. Extra paychecks, tax returns, I was being promoted like crazy at my workplace. There were causes for celebration, fun nights with friends, a general 'keeping up with the Joneses' of Napa Valley, and a real live endorphin rush from Retail Therapy. I was seizing the day. One life to live and its only money, right? My grand finale was a pair of Christian Dior sunglasses in September, and at Christmas I bought a BEAUTIFUL Isabella Fiore bag, rust colored leather, covered in brass studs in an almost paisley design. I love that bag and someone comments on it almost every single time I carry it. What a life! I titled this piece farewell to the $30,000 millionnaire. After taxes, I don't take home more than $30K a year and here I was, living liking a Rockefeller (well, maybe not a rockefeller, but somewhere way above my level of necessity. By last summer, I was treading financial water and I had this crazy notion of moving to San francisco....the 2nd most expensive city in the country....and my grand debt talley (credit cards only) was $18,000. Oy.
Fancy SF Girl:
So I shuffled my finances, figured out a smart pay off plan, got my affairs in order and improved my credit score (which wasn't really all that bad to begin with) and moved into a lovely flat in San Francisco. I was paying $990 for a bedroom in a beautiful flat. I had my own room....my own bathroom. We had a shared back yard, a guestroom, free laundry on the property! It was one of those "too good to be true" situations that I had somehow landed in. It was meant to be and I found these 'nice girls' on Craigslist!
Long story short....it all fell apart and after 5 miserable months in the 'beautiful flat' I was booted at Christmas time. All of the supposed headway I had made financially was all for naught because now I was put to the task of coming up with a deposit and first months rent in my new, current and fabulous apartment, with almost no notice. But I had to get out of there. I will only say three words, "Thank you, Momma."
And now here I am, a newly decorated apartment where I am 200 times happier than I was 2 months ago, and still in a boat with no oars, just sitting there, floating in debt. The American dilemma.
That Isabella Fiore is still the last expensive handbag I've bought, a year and a half later, and I have a huge crush on a grey patent leather Tracy Reese bag, which I have accepted will never be mine. I still go out to eat at nice places, but its much less frequently than once upon a time. The great part about that is that San Francisco is also loaded with cheap ethnic places that taste amazing and give you a fun night out without breaking the bank. And although I still have those thoughts of, 'its just money and I'll be able to pay it off,' I honestly do not get the same thrill out of shopping that I once did.
So.....in the spirit of seizing the day and still living within my means, I have come up with the following list of ideas for becoming the fancy sf girl that has an actual savings account:
~no going out to drink/eat unless there is something to celebrate. We have a pretty large stash of booze and wine in our little chalet thanks to the very generous people who came to help warm our house. The party's at our place!
~join a museum... and when I have the urge to go do something San francisco, I'll visit a new exhibit.
~join netflix and watch every single movie that's ever won the Academy Award for best picture.
~cook at home, make use of the cafe in which I work, and spend as little money on food as possible. (hence, the hamburger helper....which I'm not altogether sure I can do again.....I may be reforming, but I am an admitted food snob)
~write a real live, hold myself accountable, realistic financial plan
~And do not give up my fabulous hair cut and color every 6 weeks in Napa Valley. ( I gotta have something to look forward to, dammit)
This list could continue and I'll no doubt find more and more ways to take back the spending habits, but for now....this is what I've got. Wish me luck. And tell me it'll all be okay.
So Target is one of my favorite places....Beautifully packaged and aesthetically designed useless and useful items in abundance...Trust me, I am Target's target consumer. A marketing department's dream subject, and it's reflected in my credit card bills and my apartment. Lovely as it is, to be surrounded by the stuff....all good things must come to an end. I must quit living above my means. And so this little entry is an ode to my former life in all of its glory and then a list of resolutions to do better, live more frugally and perhaps, even (gasp!) begin saving...
One handbag, two handbags, three handbags...poor:
In the beginning, I was a financially responsible and smart college graduate. I paid my bills on time, I shopped for groceries and cooked meals at home, I didn't have an entirely exciting social life, but I was debt free (outside of student loans). My downfall began innocently enough. I bought a tiffany blue leather Kate Spade wallet. The lining is green and I. love. it. I loved what it looked like, I loved that it was designer, I loved that it was expensive. I charged it, of course...promising myself that next month I would pay it off with my extra money. But the next month, Macy's had a very cute boxy Kate Spade Bag with tiffany blue leather handles and I just couldn't resist. So freaking cute and all mine. My friends began calling me Kate Spade. My credit card bill was totally workable in my budget and I was perfectly content....but I'm telling you, handbags are addictive. Over the next couple of years, I found myself completely hooked and sliding easily into a lifestyle of luxury. I followed my initial handbag purchases up with another canvas Kate Spade that looked like a gardening tote, then I bought the pink courderoy one that looks like something right out of an audrey hepburn film. I couldn't be stopped. Next was a lunch-pail shaped bag in lime-green crocodile embossed leather and all the while I was dining at the finest restaurants in Napa Valley. Places that most people in the country only get to read about in Bon Appetit. My credit card balance was ballooning and I just spent and spent and spent. It's hard to explain why I thought that was okay. There was always a rational plan to pay it off. Extra paychecks, tax returns, I was being promoted like crazy at my workplace. There were causes for celebration, fun nights with friends, a general 'keeping up with the Joneses' of Napa Valley, and a real live endorphin rush from Retail Therapy. I was seizing the day. One life to live and its only money, right? My grand finale was a pair of Christian Dior sunglasses in September, and at Christmas I bought a BEAUTIFUL Isabella Fiore bag, rust colored leather, covered in brass studs in an almost paisley design. I love that bag and someone comments on it almost every single time I carry it. What a life! I titled this piece farewell to the $30,000 millionnaire. After taxes, I don't take home more than $30K a year and here I was, living liking a Rockefeller (well, maybe not a rockefeller, but somewhere way above my level of necessity. By last summer, I was treading financial water and I had this crazy notion of moving to San francisco....the 2nd most expensive city in the country....and my grand debt talley (credit cards only) was $18,000. Oy.
Fancy SF Girl:
So I shuffled my finances, figured out a smart pay off plan, got my affairs in order and improved my credit score (which wasn't really all that bad to begin with) and moved into a lovely flat in San Francisco. I was paying $990 for a bedroom in a beautiful flat. I had my own room....my own bathroom. We had a shared back yard, a guestroom, free laundry on the property! It was one of those "too good to be true" situations that I had somehow landed in. It was meant to be and I found these 'nice girls' on Craigslist!
Long story short....it all fell apart and after 5 miserable months in the 'beautiful flat' I was booted at Christmas time. All of the supposed headway I had made financially was all for naught because now I was put to the task of coming up with a deposit and first months rent in my new, current and fabulous apartment, with almost no notice. But I had to get out of there. I will only say three words, "Thank you, Momma."
And now here I am, a newly decorated apartment where I am 200 times happier than I was 2 months ago, and still in a boat with no oars, just sitting there, floating in debt. The American dilemma.
That Isabella Fiore is still the last expensive handbag I've bought, a year and a half later, and I have a huge crush on a grey patent leather Tracy Reese bag, which I have accepted will never be mine. I still go out to eat at nice places, but its much less frequently than once upon a time. The great part about that is that San Francisco is also loaded with cheap ethnic places that taste amazing and give you a fun night out without breaking the bank. And although I still have those thoughts of, 'its just money and I'll be able to pay it off,' I honestly do not get the same thrill out of shopping that I once did.
So.....in the spirit of seizing the day and still living within my means, I have come up with the following list of ideas for becoming the fancy sf girl that has an actual savings account:
~no going out to drink/eat unless there is something to celebrate. We have a pretty large stash of booze and wine in our little chalet thanks to the very generous people who came to help warm our house. The party's at our place!
~join a museum... and when I have the urge to go do something San francisco, I'll visit a new exhibit.
~join netflix and watch every single movie that's ever won the Academy Award for best picture.
~cook at home, make use of the cafe in which I work, and spend as little money on food as possible. (hence, the hamburger helper....which I'm not altogether sure I can do again.....I may be reforming, but I am an admitted food snob)
~write a real live, hold myself accountable, realistic financial plan
~And do not give up my fabulous hair cut and color every 6 weeks in Napa Valley. ( I gotta have something to look forward to, dammit)
This list could continue and I'll no doubt find more and more ways to take back the spending habits, but for now....this is what I've got. Wish me luck. And tell me it'll all be okay.
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