Hi friends,

I wanted to let you know that I need a break from blogging. In my opinion, a blog is a good indication of how you feel about your actual life. Where you are headed, who you want to become, etc. While I feel secure in my career and some of my personal life, there are other things I need to reflect upon.

I want this blog to be awesome. I want it to have some direction. I want it to be positive.

I especially want it to reflect my healthy lifestyle. If you’re a long time reader, I’m sure you know that I’ve struggle with weight loss and body image in the past. Recently, I’ve taken those topics by the balls and completely revamped my life. I’ve stopped snacking at night, I’m more conscious of the nutrients I feed my body instead of only focusing on the fat and fiber intake. I’ve become an avid reader of food blogs. Blogs that don’t focus on people feeling awful about themselves after eating some cake. Instead, these are people who, like I am currently, enjoy eating and don’t feel guilty.

What do you guys think? If I change the direction of my blog to focus more on health, fitness, and food, would you still read? Also, should I continue this blog, Wearing Mascara, or completely revamp and find a new name and a new domain?

Please let me here your thoughts.

I was talking with Danielle the other day and she said that if you look at something so long, it becomes unclear. You need an outside eye and an outside opinion. That’s why I need these couple of weeks off as well as your honest and respectful opinions.

Also, I joined Formspring awhile ago. If you want to ask me a question, feel free. It’s actually been a really useful tool for me. The questions I’ve been receiving have been allowing me to self-reflect.

See you in a couple weeks,

Julie

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Hi all,

I haven’t been so forth coming on my blog in the past several months. Partly because I’m ashamed and partly for safety issues. However, I’m just going to come out and describe what’s been going on with my living situation because, frankly, I don’t care anymore.

Last year, when I accepted this internship, I was very excited. Normally, you receive a salary for these types of internships but because of the economy and various others reasons, I did not get a salary but opted for free room and board at the school where I work.

Yes. I am living and working in the same place and it’s DRIVING ME INSANE. Think about it: I wake up every morning, walk out my door, and *poof!* I’m at work. There’s little separation between my personal and work life. Visitors are almost restricted (I had to fight to have Dan visit… they didn’t tell me this when I accepted the internship) and I can’t have candles which may seem insignificant, but I feel like I’m a child sometimes.

I basically live in a college dorm-like situation. I live alone (wouldn’t have it any other way!) and I have two bedrooms and one “living area.” One bedroom, I use for storage space. Let’s not forget that I’m coming from a full apartment from DC… I had a lot of stuff. So, that room is off-limits for me and others because I literally can’t walk through it.

The living area has an old couch, a small kitchen table and a small kitchenette. I have a VERY small refrigerator (smaller than the one I had freshman year of college!), a TINY oven, and a stove top. I haven’t used either the stove or the oven because they are so old that I don’t want to turn them on. Even if I wanted to cook (which I do, desperately), it would be almost impossible because there’s barely any food storage space. It’s just not the best living situation.

So, I’ve been living like this since late August when I moved to Pittsburgh and I’ll be here until June. The situation has many pros but also a lot of cons. Pro because I am living for free and there is no daily commute. Con because it’s seriously messing with me! I want to cook, I want to decorate! I want to have people over for goodness sake. I’m so over it! I’m a 25 year old woman and I feel like I’m stuck in a college dorm. I feel so in-between and it’s taken me a loong time to actually be happy.

Back in the fall, I was so depressed I couldn’t stand it. It probably showed through in my blogging too. I felt like I had nothing to write about. It’s one thing to move to a new city and not know anyone. It’s another thing to also hate your living situation. Luckily, I’m happy now and counting down the days until June.

You don’t even realized or understand how nice it is to let this all out! I feel so liberated that it’s out in the open!

**********

On another note, today I went to a doctor’s appointment located in a hospital. While I was driving out, my car just DIED on me. It did nothing! No lights, no start-up, nothing. If I had a penny for every time I had an issue with my car in the past month, I’d be rich. So, what I wanted to be an hour-ish appointment turned out to be 5 hours.

A new battery later, I was out.

I don’t think I’m going to DC this weekend – at least not today and I doubt I’ll wake up tomorrow wanting to go for just a night. The roads on the way to DC are not in the best conditions because of the recent snow fall.

My current plans for the night include watching all my DVRed shows What are your plans for the night?

xo,

Julie

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Tonight, I went to Piper’s Pub on East Carson’s street for a Pittsburgh Tweetup. I’ve previously been to a Pittsburgh Blogfest, but this was my first Tweetup! It was so much fun meeting with people I interact with daily on Twitter. At events like this, you might as well have a big sign on your forehead that says, “I’M A NERD!” Aka, it’s at these Tweetup’s that your real name goes out the door and your Twitter username walks right in. I am no longer, “Julie” but rather, “Wearing Mascara” and yes, that is mascara on my eye lashes. I am, indeed, wearing mascara, just in case you lose me in the crowd.

Anywho, here are some fun pictures from the night! Jenana stole my camera (we just met and five seconds later she literally snatched my camera out in front of me. I like her, she has balls). Enjoy, all you Twerds

Julianne and I

Rachel (check our her graphic designs! Love them!)

Jenana and someone else I didn’t meet (who are you?)

Jenana and Andrea

Me and Techburgh, aka Andy

It was a fun night and I’m excited to do it again!

Oh and I have to note this. I would be a social media failure if I didn’t. For all you Pittsburghers out there, please do not EVER, and I mean EVER go to Lifetime Auto in Squirrel Hill. They suck and are thieves of your hard earned dollars. Trust me If you want more info or a guy you can trust, email me.

Life is good.

I’m attempting to go to DC tomorrow to celebrate some of my favorite ladies birthdays!

I hope I can also meet up with Kristen from Puddles of Run for a run or lunch possibly! I need to get in 5-6 miles this weekend depending on how I feel! I’m SO excited for my races!

What are you looking forward to this weekend?

xo,

Julie

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Hi everyone!

This week has been unusually stressful! Sometimes, I wish I had a sound proof room everywhere I go so I could run in and scream my face off. Ever feel like that?

Remember how I got in that little car accident? Well, it turns out it wasn’t too safe for me to drive because my bumper might fall off. Oops. So, I immediately took it to a body shop in Pittsburgh (the best body shop EVER.. so honest.. so honest.. if you need a recommendation, let me know!) and tomorrow, I am taking it to another place to get some interior stuff fixed. My car has been through a LOT lately and I hope this is the end of a problem streak.

Today I had a billion errands to run after work but I still wanted to get my run in. Luckily, the sun is currently setting around 6:05 pm! This makes me unbelievably happy because I can get runs in around 5 pm! Spring is just around the corner. Sooner or later, we’ll be in sundresses and shorts!

To prepare, I wore my running outfit and shoes to run errands. Then, I found an awesome 3.5-mile run and ran around Pittsburgh.

It was a great run, however, Pittsburgh has some major sidewalk issues and I ain’t talkin’ about the snow fall. I’m talking about cracks, potholes, and other forms of cement issues. I almost wiped out once and luckily, I landed perfectly on my other foot. Yikes! That was a close one! It’s scary, you know? One wrong step and there goes my half marathon dreams.

How are you doing tonight? How are your new years resolutions or goals coming along?

Cheers!

Julie

P.S. Please pardon the dust on my site. I’ve been playing around with it

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Now I’m caught up (picture-wise!)… onto this weekend!

Friday night, I met Akirah, Andrea, Julianne, and Maggie for dinner at Mad Mex. It’s so nice to have these girls around and I’m stoked that Maggie is moving back to Pittsburgh very soon!

Picture stolen from Quarter Life Lady

The food was great! We went to the one in South Hills and it’s SO much better than the one in Oakland. The Oakland one is way to crammed (you can barely walk!). Plus, I thought the food was better in South Hills (less spicy!). They are also very accommodating of different needs. For example, I was able to order whole wheat tortillas with my fajitas and the waiter was awesome to do whatever we needed. There are even vegan and veggie options! (Brandi, if you ever come to Pittsburgh, you know where to go!).

Saturday, my mom came to visit for the day. She arrived around 10:30 and we immediately went to visit my grandmother (which went pretty well!). Then, we went to Sesame Inn in Mt. Lebanon. Growing up in Pittsburgh, my family frequently visited Sesame Inn for the best Chinese food we’ve ever had. To this day, I have not had a better Chinese meal. It’s a MUST go in Pittsburgh! Then, we went to my mom’s favorite hardware store and ended up driving around to our old neighborhoods and houses. It was awesome spending time with her and it was nostalgic going down memory lane.

Our second to last stop was Dick’s Sporting Goods because I was on a mission for a new running bra. I tried on several brands and ended up with the Under Armour Heat Gear Endure Zip Front Sports Bra. It’s awesome and definitely holds me in well. Lastly, we went to the grocery store where my mom so nicely bought me groceries I needed them badly! I stocked up on Greek yogurt, bananas, and healthy juice to go with my Amazing Grass shots. Thanks mom!

Saturday night (last night), I met my friend Cami for my first Ethiopian food experience! We went to Abay and… um… WOW! I cannot believe I didn’t discover Ethiopian food before last night! Shame on me. It was amazing!

We started off with Vegetarian Sambussa which had lentils, onions, peppers and herbs inside.

There was no silverware at the table. For the entree there was a big piece of doughy bread. On top was the entree in which we ate by using pieces of bread ripped off.

It was delicious!

This morning, I woke up bright and early to fuel up for my 5-mile run I had planned with Julianne and two of her friends. We had a fantastic time! It was the first time I ran over a Pittsburgh bridge Typically, I run around my neighborhood instead of going into the city. Running over a bridge was awesome because it’s total foreshadowing for the half marathon in May.

source

Now, I’m finishing up laundry and getting ready for the week. How was your weekend?

xo,

Julie

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Hi all!

Right now, I’m basking in my post-running high. Ahhhh… I feel ah-mazing. I just had the best hot shower and used some new blueberry bodywash that smells like heaven (thanks for buying it for me, Mom!).

Anywho, I was looking through my camera pictures and damn, I completely forgot to post some pictures from the last month! Oops. So, this will be a hodge podge of a pictures from the past month.

Awhiiiile ago, my friends and I met for sushi at this new restaurant at Tyson’s (in Mclean, VA) called Wasabi. It was crazy cool because assorted sushi, salads, and fish were on a conveyer belt. You didn’t order your meal (unless you wanted to). Instead, you picked off your favorite dish from the belt.

My friend, Laura

In that picture, please notice the girl in the middle of chowing down.

When Dan came to visit recently, we went to the Carnegie Science Center. I will always have a soft spot for this place because my parents took my sisters and I there often growing up. I remember running around playing with all the exhibits

One of the best parts is the Miniature Railroad and Village which is basically a history lesson of Western Pennsylvania. The details are fantastic and I can’t imagine all the work that must have gone into building it!

a mini Fallingwater

Dan and I also hit up the USS Requin Submarine! Everytime I go to the Science Center, I have to hit this up. Dan and I fun going through and touring all the rooms.

This picture makes me LAUGH! Check out how my fly is down and I’m clueless! Hahahahaha!

hehehe

It was a great day!

Before we left, I did this Nerves of Steel thing… It was SCARY! Do you see me? Ahhh! I was happy I did it though – such an adrenaline rush!

Hope you’re having a great Sunday! I’ll be posting tomorrow all about my weekend

Cheers to you!

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Hi everyone!

As a semi-new-runner, I want to share something I’ve been thinking about for awhile: my new found LOVE for running and how to achieve that love. Trust me, if I can do it anyone can. Growing up, I could barely run around this small field near my elementary school. I didn’t believe in myself. Now, I find myself having chats with Julianne about how frustrated we both are that we can’t run in this horrid winter weather mess!

When I first moved to DC, I became roommates with this girl, M and the first thing I learned about her was she just completed her first triathlon the previous summer. She raved and raved about the athletic task and explained that by using the Couch to 5K program, she was able to complete her running goals.

Immediately, I Googled Couch to 5K and started on my journey running 60-seconds at a time with a 90-second walking break for 20-minutes. I could see my fitness improving after about a week.

Still though, I hadn’t yet experienced the “runners-high” my mother always claimed that existed. Where was it? Was it the same high I felt after normal exercise on, let’s say, the elliptical?

Then, one week it just hit me. My runners high didn’t actually occur on a run but rather at work. I’ll never forget this: I was working retail at the time when all I could think about was my next run. I thought about it like it was some hot rendezvous in a hotel room somewhere. The next day, I knew I was hooked because I wanted to run and it was no longer a chore (at the time, any exercise was a chore).

The reason I’m writing this post is to send a message to new runners. You will, eventually, love it as much as I do and others do. Sticking with it is the goal! I highly recommend the Couch to 5K program (even if you’re fit from other exercise). It starts off so simple and you move up in weeks when you feel ready. Check it out!

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Happy post-Valentine’s day!

**I’m going to be honest with you. I’m trying to make this post sound as happy and optimistic as possible, but it’s hard. Today as I was driving home from DC, I got in an accident on the highway. I complete did a 180 on a patch of ice. It was terrifying and I’m still shaking from the experience. As you’ve read before, I don’t do well with car accidents. Luckily, I’m okay, but my car has some damage. Thanks so much to my Twitter friends for your support today. And, to everyone driving out there – especially on the east coast – please be careful.**

Anyways… on to the good stuff

All week and weekend, Dan kept saying, “You have to do everything I tell you to do on Sunday.” Clearly, I had no control and was very excited for what he had planned!

Sunday morning, we woke up and Dan gave me a beautiful rose to start the day off Nothing more romantic than a single red rose, yes?

Then we had a little debate conversation back and forth. He told me that after my run, I wasn’t allowed to shower and that I had to pack up all my things.

Um… what?! No shower after a 4-mile run (which was awesome btw… after almost 3-weeks on treadmill only running, I was needing an outdoor run!)? I was going to be a smelly/sweaty mess! However, after debating back and forth, I finally listened and did what he said.

We got in the car around 3 pm and he told me to close my eyes during the car ride. Ummm… okay, fine. When I was allowed to open them, we were at a hotel to escape from the night. We went in and he told me that our first order of business was to GO ICE SKATING! YES! I thought that was a great idea (and even guessed it!) because it’s something active and romantic all at the same time. We went to an outdoor rink where I showed off all my moves Haha… well, not really although I used to have moves. Growing up, I figure skated and it was a blast. Here are some iPhone photos:

Dan

Me in no mascara and no shower Notice my backwards skating skillz…

After ice skating (which was an awesome workout for my shins!), we went back to the hotel. My next surprise? A Lush bubble bath. Oh yes, my friends. Dan drove out to Tyson’s and picked out not one, but TWO bath bombs for my surprise bath which he set up. Um… I think I died and went to girlfriend heaven. I’m glad I didn’t shower after my run!

He got blueberry and lavender. I picked blueberry for my bath and saved the lavender for a bath this week

Bath bombs are the coolest things ever! Like a 4th grade science project or something. Sooo relaxing

After my relaxing bath and catching up on the most recent Glamour magazine, I got ready for dinner. Dan planned for us to dine at our favorite sushi restaurant which, sadly, closed. It sucked – we arrived all excited and there was a foreclosure notice on the door. REALLY?! So, quickly, we decided on another sushi joint on a whim. Luckily, it was tasty! When I first had sushi, I loved it for about a month. Then I had a bad experience and despised it for a long time. I wanted to like it so badly so I weaned myself back in by only eating vegetable sushi and only recently sushi with fish.

My favorite part about sushi restaurants, besides the sushi itself, is definitely the seaweed salad!

Yum… I love it for its texture, taste, and health benefits (look at all the green goodness!). I didn’t get a picture of our sushi because we inhaled it so fast. Dan order a Mexican style sushi and the way I would describe it would be if a taco decided to dress up as sushi for Halloween, that is what it would taste like. Dan laughed at my analogy for a good 10-minutes.

Before we left, the sushi chef presented me with a Valentine’s Day box full of chocolates… how sweet?! I love when restaurants give an extra special touch.

After dinner, we attempted Cold Stone but it was taking forever. It seems that the sales people wanted to talk with each other more than serve their customers. Cold Stone FAIL.

Then we went to see Up In the Air…

When the movie ended, Dan and I kinda looked at each other like, “Huh?” It was okay which is hard for me to admit because many people have said they loved it. While I liked some parts, there was too much of the movie I didn’t like which I didn’t see as oscar worthy. I thought Anna Kendrick did an excellent job though.

Finally, we went back to the hotel where Dan had a couple more surprises He pulled out a Lush massage bar and gave me a massage! LOVE!

I am unbelievably touched and happy that Dan went out of his way for me this weekend. This was the best Valentine’s Day yet and I can’t wait for many, many more.

How was your Valentine’s Day? What did you do?

Cheers!

Julie

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Hello, hello!

Greetings from my igloo!

Ha, ha, I wish I was joking.

Lots has happened since my last post, but really, the main thing is that Pittsburgh got completely snowed upon this past weekend. The same weekend my little sister decided to stop by my little apartment to visit for the weekend. It was SO nice to see her and we had an exceptionally great time just chillin’ out. It was nice to have someone snowed in with! I took no pictures because, frankly, neither of us were picture ready in our hobo clothes while watching movies all day.

She left on Sunday (and safely made it back to school) and I was left on my own. School was canceled and I was getting stir crazy. Once I figured out that school would be canceled for the rest of the week, I made a run for DC in the break of the weather. You see, storm number 2 was on it’s way and there was no way that I wanted to be stuck in my apartment alone so I hightailed it to DC to visit Dan. I made it just in time because we had a freakin’ blizzard here yesterday – oh me, oh my.

The best part was shoveling yesterday afternoon. I love a good cardio workout yet one that is useful (not like the dreadmill where I run and run and go no where except enhance my fitness). We also made it a point to shovel the driveway of the old man across the street because he always waves and says “Hello” whenever we see him. Such a nice man and now he has a clear driveway and walkway!

I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about this blog. I know I’ve always dabbled with the thought of changing the name and the focus and soon, I may do just that. I’ve changed a lot since this little blog started and I may want to go with my life changes. We’ll see.

Also… today is February 11, 2010 and my mom’s birthday! Yipeeee! Mom, if you’re reading, have a happy, happy birthday!

Hope you’re having a safe and warm week! Oh, and if you live in Florida, wanna switch homes for a little?! I’m looking at you…

Julie

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Hi everyone!

So… I’m not even sure if I blogged about this (I sure did Twitter about it!) but guess whaaaat?! I passed my Praxis certification test! I’m now well on my way to becoming a school psych*logist!!!!

It’s crazy because I honestly thought I didn’t pass. I did not feel confident when I was through so when I saw the scores today, I literally jumped out of my seat!

Thanks for all your support thus far, especially all the Twitter comments and the comments on my previous posts. Things are finally looking up for me in many areas of my life.

Julie

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