10 year plan (this is the abridged edition):

I’ll be living in a big city, something like New York or Chicago. I’ll be an executive at a PR firm. I’ll have a large loft apartment with hard wood floors and exposed brick walls. I’ll have a closet full of designer clothes and a Fendi bags. I will live with my adorable Old English Sheep Dog. I will be fabulous in ten years.

Fast forward 7 years.
I’m a mid level employee who works in a cubicle in Indianapolis.  I work in advertising so that part is close to the goal.  I do have hard wood floors and exposed brick! I do not, sadly, have designer clothes or Fendi bags or an Old English Sheepdog puppy. I’m afraid that the sum of these parts makes me slightly less than fabulous.  Not bad, but not fabulous like I anticipated.

I have 3 years to really start rolling.

I think the time I wrote this I was into watching Sex and The City. I was going to be one of them. Traipsing around drinking Cosmos and ruling the world. I think almost every girl my age has had the same fantasy…well except for the people in my high school English class. I definitely got some stares when I presented this to the class.

I’ll pause for you all to pick your jaw up off the floor.

These were all symptoms of me becoming a big girl.  I am officially a grown up.  A grown up that can’t  turn back.

I’m buying a house.

yep.

It all started a few weeks – or 25 years ago depending on what version of the story you want to hear.

My dad is in commercial real estate, and for a good chunk of my childhood I had no idea what he did.  To be honest, some of it is still a bit hazy.  Because of Dad’s career, I’ve heard a million times the value of owning property.  I’ve heard about how it’s an investment and can pay off in the end.  It all made sense until I was old enough to really understand what owning property entailed.  It might be smart but I never thought I’d be able to do it.

About a month or so ago I started thinking about my own house.  I knew the market was starting to pick back up and it was a now or never moment.  And there are only till April 15th for that bomb diggity tax credit.  I started browsing real estate websites.  I’ve done this for years just because I’m curious what houses look like on the inside.  I started just looking at one place and there.  I started talking to Dad and Adam (who is also in real estate) about it.  The more I started looking the more confused I became.  What the hell is a FHA or  principal and interest?  I’M A COMMUNICATIONS MAJOR.  I WROTE A PAPER ON ANCHORMAN ONCE.

Two weeks ago Dad set up a few showings.  After looking at the ones we had set up the realtor suggested we look at one more property and we agreed to humor him.  It was in a neighborhood that wasn’t on my list.  It was close proximity wise but is still up and coming and my mom was not ok with that.  We walked into the house and it was instant.  It was like the house read my mind.  It perfectly suited me.  It was completely redone with new appliances and everything.  I was in love.  It’s a historical home but with an oven that cooks evenly… JACK POT.  The next few days I kept sending my parents articles on the neighborhood and how great it was.

Once we were all on board I had to decide if I was willing to take the leap.  I had NO IDEA had to make that kind of decision.   Early one Saturday morning, I parked my car in front of the house and for a good 15 mins or more just sat and prayed, “Lord help me. Lord help me.  Lord help me.”  I didn’t even know what else to articulate.

Finally I just did it.  There was an offer, there was a counter, there was an acceptance.  The entire process from seeing it to accepting took 1 week.  It was the 5th place I looked at.   It’s been so fast.

Once it happened, I shut down.  It wasn’t until yesterday or even today that I’m dealing with it. I couldn’t get overwhelmed or excited or anything.   Cue the sickness.  I’ve never felt myself do that before.  I knew I was causing it, but I couldn’t get past it.  Finally, I started talking about the house.  Letting it be ok to be a little terrified as I  signed the millions of pages with interests rates and numbers on it.

It was like magic. I felt the nausea start to go away.  I was happy to eat my Jimmy Johns for lunch today.  I think my long hot bath didn’t hurt either last night.

I also changed the back ground on my computer to be this:

I mean how awesome is Gloria Steinem in this pic?  I’m using it as my inspiration.  I can be a young unmarried woman and own a house.  I don’t need to wait for a man for me to make smart financial decisions.  TAKE THAT!

So, I think I’m still a little sick over the entire situation.  I mean there’s a lot to think about and deal with.  But I am incredibly thankful to know I have a support system.  I feel amazingly blessed to have had my Dad and brother help me out.  I had to, and happily trusted them 100%.

If all works out I’ll closing on May 27th.  You all are invited to come and help me weather protect (that’s a thing right?) the deck on the back.

I would like to thank God above for his wonder. I’m still in shock!

I have to thank my director, Marty Scorsesse. You discovered this midwest girl and brought her to hollywood. It is because of you I have met the two important men in my life – Oscar and my husband/costar Leonardo DiCaprio. Baby, you are my it! Thank you for your inspired performance in this movie. You brought out my best performance on this film and in my life.

I want to thank my parents for everything. For letting me be in Wizard of Oz in second grade and then letting me watch the movie every single day for a year after that. They put up with my dramatic nature and gave me constant support and love. Hi Brody and Josie. Aunt Best loves you.

[Insert some culture reference and make a political statement... maybe some tears]

God bless!

One of the creative partners we work with exposed me to this image and I can’t stop starring at it.

I love how it’s an angle you never see of her.  I love that it shows all the people required to make her a success.  I love that is shows the “magic” of tv.  And I love that guy’s gut hanging over his pants – just doing his job.

I feel like handing Julia Child her pie pan would create much more excitement if it were me.  But that’s his job, so I bet the excitement wears off.  While I can’t have that job with Julia, I would gladly sit behind Martha and hand her spatulas if she wanted.

Julia and I are already bff.

LOST STARTS IN EXACTLY ONE WEEK.  MY PRECIOUS LOST IS RETURNING TO ME.

I cannot wait to start this season.  The only down fall is that it’s the last season – no more after this.  What am I going to do next year.  NO – STOP IT – I CAN’T THINK LIKE THAT.  LIVE IN THE MOMENT OF THIS SEASON.  namaste.

This season I’m expecting great things.  They have a lot of questions to answer and I can’t wait to see how they do it.  I hope they bring back the polar bears.  They’ve always held a special place in my heart.

For the premier 2 years ago, I had a little party (3 people – Jenn, Bethany, and Erik).  The best part of the party was the food I made:

Sayid’s humus

Hurley 7 layer dip

Sun and Jin’s Egg roles

Tropical Fruit and yogurt with vanilla wafers crumbled on top to look like sand and a toy plane sticking out.. CUTE RIGHT.

I doubt I’ll get that Martha for Tuesday’s premier, but who knows.

Can you wait for the premier……EEEEK…. sorry I just thought about it again.

I have my Sayid action figure on my desk each day looking out for me.  I’ll bring him home for the premier.  I think he’ll like watching himself just being a bad ass.

BUT ALAS VICTORY WAS MINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My favorite, non Martha magazine – Lucky finally turned onto what I was looking for:

Road Trip Polish

“Driving through the desert on her way cross-country, entrepreneur Gina Carney-her new company, RGB, makes 17 impossibly chic nail colors-needed a polish change.  Toast, a cool, urban mushroom, won out.  ‘When I made it, the shade seemed arty and downtown-ish, but suddenly it had dusky, road -trip feel- like when you get off the highway in the middle of nowhere, very dirt-road-in-the-desert.’ Indeed, though we love all of her spot-on perfect neutrals, we love Toast…the most”

http://www.rgbcosmetics.com/products/toast.html

I got Toast and Minty… and they are PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!

If I had my way, I would have a mani-pedi once a week.  But sadly, my real person lifestyle doesn’t allow for such things.  I actually really use my purchased nail polish all the time.  I think I wore Moon Over Mombai for a year straight.  It’s simply an investment piece.

I wish I had better pictures… but I don’t so try not too judge too harshly- unless you think it looks awesome

But today I want to talk about my success.  Not just any success – A CRAFTING SUCCESS

Word

I said it… CRAFTING SUCCESS

Being in a sorority I had to learn to make random crafts like painted ponytail holders, ribbon bulleton boards, and fancy batons.  As awesome and useful as a pi phi puff painted picture frame is, my crafting wasn’t useful.   Ultimately though, I was just average. I mean I can work my way around a glue gun, but no one would actually want what I can craft.  Since I am POOOOOORRRRR and failed a cheese artisanship I turned my Christmas gift sights to crafts.

I made this for darling Aunt B for Christmas:

Am I right ladies?  Is this not something Martha would be all over?

In actuality it is relatively (ok really) simple to make.  Simply cut felt circles, fold in half twice and stick with a straight pin.  DONE SCORE WIN SUCCESS BEST NEICE EVER

I made my other darling Aunt, Aunt Kim some sheep.

I know to say it out loud, it sounds like a lame gift, but it really isn’t.  Aunt Kim has a sheep collection. They’re soft and cute and small.  Because I’m a good niece, so I wanted to add to it.  Originally I was going to order something from Etsy.  After perusing the selection, I found some very cute felted wool sheep.  My curiosity got the better of me and I wondered what went into making felted wool so I hopped on youtube.  Granted the video I watched some lame but informative video.  All you do is taking rooving wool and stab it with a needle over and over into a shape.  Granted I stabbed myself a few times, but I didn’t get any blood on the sheep.

In an effort to hand over a box that had more than a sheep I gave them character.  I added a flower to one since Aunt Kim likes to garden and a fishing rod (with a fish dangling on the end) since Uncle Greg likes to fish.  Who doesn’t want their personality put in sheep form?

Wahhhhoooooooooooo,  Crafting is fun.  Maybe someday I’ll become a world renown crafter.

NOT ANY MORE