November 14, 2013.

"All I want for my birthday is another birthday." 

Ian Dury

Today marks the one month count down to my 28th Birthday. Yikes!  On November 14 I will be 28 years old.  Where has the time gone?  Every passing year it seems as though I reach this moment more rapidly. Wasn't I 18 years old just yesterday?  Where have these 10 years gone?  They have slipped me by.  Goodness, when you say it out loud it makes it more real.  In 31 days I will no longer be 27.  And, I think I am okay with that.  This 27th year was not at all what I had expected.  It wasn't horrible, it was just different.  It wasn't great, it was just different.  

I started a new job.  I lost my grandmother.  I changed.  Then again the only certainty in life is change, is it not?  I will change, you will change, we will change.  And in this last month of being 27 I am sure I will change some more.  It simply is the way of life.  One more month.  One more month.  I am certainly looking forward to 28.  With my fingers crossed I hope that 28 brings amazing life-changing experiences.  You know, the kind of experience you will treasure for the rest of your life.  The kind of earth-shattering, life could not get any better than this experience?  Well, I am certainly looking forward to it.  Here is to the last month of being 27.  

xoxo

She Bangs.

"A woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life."

Coco Chanel

Lately all I can think about are bangs, bangs, bangs.  I WANT BANGS!  I do.  I desperately want bangs.  Should I get bangs?  Well, I don't know.  What do you think?  This picture was a couple of years ago when I really, really, really wanted bangs.  I wanted bangs so badly that I made my mother cut them for me.  I don't attempt to cut my own hair, ever. I am crazy, but, not that crazy.

Here is the thing though, I have a cowlick.  You don't know what that is?  Let me break it down for ya.  A cowlick is a section of hair that stands straight up or lies at an angle at odds with the style in which the rest of an individual's hair is worn (yes, I just quoted wikipedia, and?).  The worst part?  This cowlick is in the very middle of my forehead.  What does that mean?  It is really difficult to maintain bangs.  And here is the thing, I cannot stand anything high maintenance.  

My idea of hair styling?  Wash and comb, the end.  Okay, maybe every once in a while I condition my hair with some special hair product.  As long as it is under five minutes I am good to go.  Anything longer?  Ugh, not so much.

Oh, the dilemma.  To bang or not to bang, that is the question my friends.  That is the question.

xoxo

The Riesen.

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Wednesday, you have arrived.  The half-way point always makes me a little giddy.  Two more days!  Two more days!  Honestly, I do love my job.  As I've mentioned before, I work for a kick ass organization that has done, is doing, and will do amazing things for the international community.  I'm a proud worker bee, I am.  I just love the weekend more than I love work.  Is that so wrong?

Remember when I mentioned that really weird, really strange, odd, and creepy things seem to happen to me all-the-time?  No?  Well, yes, really weird, really strange, odd, and creepy things happen to me.  ALL-THE-TIME.  You would think that I would have grown accustomed to these random acts of strangeness.  But, no, I haven't.  I don't think I ever will.  Do I find these occurrences absolutely hilarious?  Hell yes!  

The "Felicity" episode I watched tonight reminded me of a day long, long ago.  Where do I even begin?  Once-upon-a-time my high school locker was broken into.  True story.  Okay, let me start at the beginning.  You see, there was this boy named W.  W was in my AP English class.  Besides having the same classes, W and I did not have much in common.    Sure, W was intelligent (our valedictorian) and sort of charming, however, he was simply not my type.  Is that my fault?  Not really.  

One day W walked me to my locker after class.  We were chatting and as I opened my locker W was standing over me, watching intently my every move.  I'm short, everyone hovers over me, so, I didn't think much of it.  I grabbed the books I needed and said my goodbye to W.  It was the end of a long day and all I wanted was home.

The next morning after my regular bagel buying routine I walked to my locker.  I held my lock, entered my combination, and opened my locker.  And, there it was, a small note and a piece of Riesen candy.  I was a little baffled at the whole situation.  I mean, no one had my locker combination.  NO ONE!  I was too curious to be angry so I opened the note.  The tiny, rectangular piece of paper said, "Here is one "riesen" to like me".  As soon as I laid my eyes on the handwriting I knew exactly who the culprit was.  W, W, W!  The question was, "How in the world did W get my locker combination?".  Better yet, did he actually believe this would win me over (apparently he did).

I scanned the locker room and as soon as I spotted him I knew exactly what I had to do.  Thank him.  I'm kidding.  I confronted the sneaky bastard.  W explained to me that the previous afternoon while he was standing over me he had memorized my locker combination.  Say what?  You did what?  Why?  W did not see this as an invasion of privacy.  All he wanted me to see was how much he liked me.  He thought it was sweet, thoughtful, caring, creative.  I thought it was stalkerish.  

Needless to say, things between W and I did not take-off.  Though he did write me one of the most beautiful poems I've ever read.  He put that Shakespeare guy to shame.  And, man, was he persistent.  After a few weeks he realized that I wasn't interested and decided to invest his energy into disliking me.  Yes, W went from really, really liking me to really, really disliking me.  Bi-polar much?  He decided to show me complete indifference for the rest of the school year.

In my defense, I did try to be his friend, I did.  He however, did not want my friendship.  He wanted more.  So, he turned all his positive feelings towards me into negative feelings.  From December to the rest of the school year W tried his best to ignore me.  It didn't matter what I had to say, he simply did not want to hear it.

Then during the last week of school, when he knew that there was a good chance he would never see me again, he forgave me.  The jury is still out on whether the punishment fit the crime.  I mean, did I even commit a crime?  Can I really be to blame for not reciprocating his feelings?  I think not.  Plus, he totally broke into my locker.  And his 'riesen' for doing so just wasn't enough.

xoxo

I am lovin'...

"Fashion has two purposes: comfort and love. Beauty comes when fashion succeeds." 

Coco Chanel

Tuesday.  Oh, Tuesday, you've been almost as horrible as Monday.  Is that possible?  Apparently, yes it is.   Friday, where are you?  Man, I'd do anything for a day of lounging in my pajamas all-day-long.  Until then we have the things I am lovin'....

If you are thinking, "Man, this girl's hair is a mess".  Well, you are right.  My hair looks like a hot mess.  However, it is simply because I refuse to use the blow dryer in the middle of the week.  I believe in air drying my hair.  Unless absolutely necessary, I try to keep my hair as far away from any heat styling as possible.  So, unless it is a special occasion, the weekend, or I am feeling a little sassy, what you see, is what you get.

/1./ My black structured bag.  It doesn't get much better than this loves.  It is super cute and it comes at an unbeatable price.  Target, I love the shit out of you.  Sucks for me that I was unaware of this whole buy one get one at 50% off online deal.  Boo!  Lucky for you, sucks for me.  You win some, you lose some, right? 

/2./ Can we talk about this polka dotted skirt at Forever 21?  It is absolutely adorable.  I have a serious love affair with polka dots.  Polka dotted skits, polka dotted shirts, polka dotted underwear, polka dotted errrthannggg.  And, for under ten bucks? I'll take fifty of those.  Please and thank you.

(Reference the above photograph for the structured bag and the polka dotted skirt in action.  You're welcome)

/3./ This bracelet from The Shine Project is what is missing from my life right now.  Light blue or hot pink, light blue or hot pink?  I just cannot decide.  Hey, husband, if you are reading this you can add this bad boy to my birthday wish-list ;)

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/4./ Have you watch the first episode of Witches of East End?  Put it on your to-do-list.  I have a sneaky suspicion that this will finally be the replacement to 'Charmed'.  Okay, okay, I am secretly wishing, hoping, crossing my fingers, saying my prayers that this will be my 'Charmed' replacement.  You can't deny that Ingrid and Freya are gorgeous.  You can't deny that magic and fantasy doesn't peak your interest.  I mean, beautiful women with super magical powers?  Sign me up!

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/5./ Lately I've been a tad bit obsessed with shirts that have kittens on them.  Weird, I know.  My newest obsession is this meow shirt.  Which I may or may not have purchased.  Okay, I bought it.  I mean, it does not get much cuter than that.  A little itty bitty bat kitten?  I die.  I die.  I cannot wait to wear it.  Maybe with my black floppy hat and my flared jeans?  I think so.

/6./ The other day as I was flipping through one of my one hundred magazines I cam across this Narciso Rodriguez perfume.  Holy amaze-balls!  Narciso Rodriguez, where have you been my whole life?  Have you ever smelled something and immediately fallen in love?  Well, Narciso Rodriguez For Her did just that to me.  It was love at first smell.  Husband, you can add this on to my birthday wish-list as well.  I know, the list just keeps getting longer by the minute.  What can I do, I know what I want =)

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(Isn't the bottle just darling?  Yes, darling.  Just go with it.)

Enough.  This list must end, otherwise you and I will be here till next week.  Tomorrow is Wednesday!  Get excited, only a few days away till freedom.  Friday, I am coming for you.  

xoxo

Winner! Winner!

"So the freshness lives on in a lemon, in the sweet-smelling house of the rind, the proportions, arcane and acerb."

Pablo Neruda

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If you were to tell me you do not like to receive compliments, I'd laugh in your face.  I'd laugh in your face and call you a L-I-A-R.  As a human being we adore when nice things are said to us.  It is just a simple fact of life.  The world revolves around the sun, the sky is blue, and compliments are nice.  It is, what it is.  

So, I'd be lying if I were to say that I hate being flattered.  I'd be lying because I love it.  Lucky for me, men love to compliment me.  Well, more specifically little old men, love to compliment me.  The reason for this is yet to be determined.  Everywhere I go a little old man finds it necessary to tell me I look good, I smell good, and that I'm dressed nicely.  Hey, I'm not complaining!

On these occasions I feel it necessary to share the nice, bizarre, perplexing, extraordinary compliments with my friends.  I mean, someone else deserves to bear witness to the peculiar story that is my life.  Which leads me to last week.  Last week I met a man named Hubert.  Hubert is a sweet man that works at the Publix deli.  Oh, it is important to note that the majority of these puzzling scenarios are either at Starbucks, Publix, or CVS.  Mostly at Publix.  

Back to Hubert.  The very first thing out of Hubert's mouth was, "Are you giving out autographs today?".  Um, say what?  For a second I turned around thinking he may be speaking to someone behind me.  No, nope, he was definitely speaking to me.  I of course just play along and laugh.  When it is finally my turn to be helped, Hubert says, "So, Covergirl, what may I help you with today, man, you look fabulous (emphasis on the fabulous)".  Mind you, it is almost 6 o'clock in the afternoon and I had the day from hades at work.  Translation?  I look anything but fabulous.  I proceed to give him my order.  Now, this is where the weird comes in.  

Weird and awesome, that is.  In my 27 years on this Earth no one has ever given me such a creative compliment.  I mean, Hubert has skills.  He flashes me his smile and says, "Covergirl, you are so gorgeous that if you walked up to a lemon tree the lemon would squeeze itself".  Hubert, Hubert, Hubert, you little charmer.  These are the moments I wish I were on a reality television show.  These moments are made for the world to see.  

Hubert, you my friend are a winner.  I think I'll keep you as my Publix deli-guy.  Who needs therapy when you have Hubert?  Feeling down?  Go to Publix.  Having a bad day?  Go to Publix.  Need some motivation?  Go to Publix.  This story beats the time a man walked up to me, grabbed my arm, looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Sweetheart, you are absolutely, absolutely stunning".  Take a guess where I was?  Yup, Publix.

I mean, I can't really disagree with the guy.  Look at that face.  That face is THE face of a Covergirl.  I mean, I am just waiting to be discovered.  Victoria's Secret Angels ain't got nothin' on me.  Till then I will take my act to Publix, because there I am a superstar.

xoxo

(Seriously, this is what models are made of, duh)

It's October 3rd.

"On October 3rd he asked me what day it was"

"It's October 3rd"

Cady Heron

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Apparently October 3rd is 'National Mean Girls Day'.  Did you know this?  I did not know this!  Why did I not know about this sooner?  I had to resist the urge to come straight home, pop in the oh-so-loved Mean Girls dvd, plop myself on my comfy couch, and call it a night.  Unfortunately, domestic duties, also known as cooking, took precedence.  My how my priorities have changed.

How does one properly celebrate 'National Mean Girls Day'?  Well, you make a tribute to the best mean girl of like, ever.  The one, the only, mean girl extraordinaire, the Queen Bee herself, Miss Regina George.  I mean, she like ruins people's lives, she's a life ruiner. You just don't get more mean girl than that, you don't.  

Regina George is the girl we all love to hate.  She is gorgeous, confident, outspoken, and will stop at nothing to get her way.  I almost love her more than Blair Waldorf, almost.    Don't believe me?  Well, in the words of Regina, "Do you know what everyone says about you behind your back? Hmm? They say that you're a homeschooled jungle freak, that's a less hot version of me!".

And, that is all I have to say about that, ciao!

xoxo

Just a reminder....

Renata, according to....

"In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different."

Coco Chanel

Today will be different.  Today the truth comes out, sorta.  I find that the best way to get to know someone is to ask the people who know them best.  It is easy for me to come up with different adjectives to describe me.  However, those descriptions are one-sided, biased, so-to-speak.  Now, asking my friends to describe me, well, that is an entirely different story.  That is some serious truth-talking, ya dig?

This afternoon I had the ingenious idea to ask four of my closest friends, and my husband to describe me in five words.  Five words, no more, no less.  Here is what they said.

Let me start out with T.  My sweet T has been my friend for over ten years.  TEN YEARS!  These were the five words T chose to describe me.

/1./ Thoughtful /2./ Funny /3./ Beautiful /4./ Creative /5./ Fashionista

I know, I know, I am flattered.  Next we have my friend K.  What can I say about K, she is ahhhhhhmaaaazzziiinnngggg.  Yes, amazing.  One of the most generous human beings ever to walk the face of the planet.  Here are her five words.

/1./ Intelligent /2./ Bonzer /3./ Fanciful /4./ Writer /5./ Debonair

She's so fancy, isn't she?  Love it!  If you have no clue what bonzer means, don't feel bad (I had no idea either).  I did look it up and it means awesome.  She thinks I'm awesome.  I now present you F.  F has known me longer than my own husband, and I've known him since I was nine.  We fight, we cry, and we make-up.  She is like family.  F's five words are.

/1./ Beautiful /2./ Sweet /2./ Humble /3./ Outspoken /4./ Warmhearted

What a doll!  Up next we have V.  V, I don't even know, she just gets me.  When I asked her for five words she gave me nine.  She proceeded to say that nine was not enough.  Well, what she actually said was that I needed categories, not just words.  I can't decide whether or not that is a compliment or an insult.  We will go with compliment.  These are V's five, I mean nine, words.

/1./ Compassionate /2./ Emotional /3./ Beautiful /4./ Intuitive /5./ Intelligent /6./ Feisty /7./ Trustworthy /8./ Loyal /9./ Hilarious 

I agree, I am hilarious.   Last, but certainly not least, we have my husband.  Honestly, there are moments that I feel he knows me better than my own mother.  Actually, he does.  These are the five words out of hundreds of words my husband chose to describe me.  

/1./ Intelligent /2./ Stubborn /3./ Optimistic /4./ Tough /5./ Emotional

I think he may have meant 'difficult' instead of 'tough', however, we will just leave it at that (I am both).  There you have it folks, "Renata, according to T, K, F, V, and the husband".  It doesn't get better than that.  And, I have no idea where that emotional thing came from.  I am far from emotional.  Okay, I lied, I am a hurricane.  

I promise no bribery was involved.  My people, well, I guess they love me.

xoxo