My friend and i are in a weight-loss competition.

for the month of june.

we're both ponying up 50 bucks.
whoever loses the highest percentage of weight wins the pot.

I just spent a small fortune on healthy foods to stock the fridge.

i threw away lots of tempting treats from my kitchen.

i pigged-out for my last meal of blissful happiness.

I so got this in the bag. just give me the 100 bucks now.*

any suggestions on what awesome thing i should spend it on?

*the only thing i'm worried about is the wedding/family reunion one weekend, and the all you can eat&drink duckblind another. naybe i can sabotage my friend on those weekends too? ;)

Two Things.

1) I am kinda known for wearing dresses. Especially in the summer. If you see a dress in a store and think "lightweight, kinda hippie", odds are i own it.
so i've been stalking this dress at old navy for 2 months, but everytime i went they were either sold out, or only had xxl and xs.

i finally realized that all the gas driving there wasn't worth it, and i should just suck it up, and order it online. (i hate paying for shipping, yo) because i need it for a bbq next month.
so i just ordered it. SO EXCITED!!!!

and 2)

when i looked on my photos to find the image of the dress, i randomly found this picture.

love.

GPOYW.

Beerpong Extraordinaire -edition

Happy Birthday Brother!

You're awesome, and i hope you have an awesome day!

Stoked.

Normally, I don't pay full price for movies. considering i'm good at finding outfits for $9, why would i willingly spend the same amount for a one-time viewing of a film?

I stumbled upon Madison's $3 theater my first summer here, before i had air conditioning. And would happily drop money to sit in a cool, temperature controlled room for 2 hours. Sure, i had to wait approx 3months later than everyone else to see a movie, but i didn't mind. It was usually a good thing, since people who watched it already could tell me if it was worth my time.

The last movies I saw in the theaters, for full price, were: The Hangover, The Proposal, and Iron Man 2.

• The Hangover was totally worth it.
• The Proposal, meh, i could have waited. (still cute though. god, i adore betty white!)
• Iron Man 2, i think it was worth it. I think. It was visually fantastic. And if someone besides me would have paid, it would have totally been worth it :)

So, in general, I'm on the fence. I'm just not sure i can justify dropping nine bones for one viewing. When for twice that, i can own the dvd and watch it as many times as i want.

However! There are a couple movies this summer that i am so freaking excited about, I can barely contain myself. I'll gladly pay whatever amount they ask me to.
and there's more that i am also looking forward to, i am just willing to have patience and wait to see those.

Whoops! I may have just pee'd with excitement. note to self: wear adult diapers when sitting in the theater seats.

What summer movies are you thrilled about*?

*pleasedon'tsaytwilight.pleasedon'tsaytwilight.pleasedon'tsaytwilight.pleasedon'tsaytwilight.

Updates (i.e. Randoms)

here's a few updates that i have been meaning to post, but have been neglecting this poor blog like the brown and crispy plant that's on my windowsill. so here goes:

1. I'm not moving!!!
   i worked out a way for me to be able to afford this place again next year. And i am just tickled pink! i love where i live. I love all the windows, and how bright it gets. i love that it's an easy bike ride (or slightly difficult walk) downtown. and I love that this is outside my door everyday
   
   well, everything but to toes. those are only outside when i am.
   
   
2. i never did find my new perfume.
   i tried. oh, how i tried. all the research i did made me quite woozy. and i did find a few that are ok. but still, i'm not convinced they're for me. thus far, the top contender is Ralph Lauren Romance. it's nice, but i'm still not convinced.
   
   
3. i am so, so, so in love with where i live. (redundant, i know)
   my state has just banned car title loans (hooray!) i hate when people/companies prey on the desperate. not to mention, no more having to endure those god-awful commercials.
   and my city is having a naked bike ride (ok. i won't participate. and i prob won't even go observe, but i love that it exists!)
   
   
4. I'm super excited about my new job.
   (duh!)
   
   
5. i have lots of fun things planned for this summer!
   including: trips north to play at the lake. brat fest. brewers games. mallards games. more camping. potential water park visits. and a possible trip to the wisconsin state fair.
   
   

With Regards to Number 5, that might mean even more neglect on the ol' blog here.

(sorry in advance. i still love you. lots.)

Anything else you need an update from me on? What are you up to?

GPOYW.

Awesome -edition

Nom Nom Nom.

There's been one slight -yet distinct- change since living here.
When I am sitting in a waiting room, I now read MidWest Living rather than Southern Living.

No surprise, they're exactly the same.

So, while at the doctor's office yesterday, I came across this recipe, and am dying to make it.

Which means, brunch at shellbell's! all are invited :)

I'm Pretty Much Bear Grylls.

I have officially survived camping!

I had a pink folding char.

I had lots of s'mores and gooey campfire treats.

I became one with nature... if becoming one with nature means freezing your ass off, because i definitely did that!!!!

In hindsight, maybe i shouldn't have based my new sleeping bag purchase on which one was the cheapest and prettiest. i freaking froze my ass off. Sleeping on the cold, hard ground sucks. it sucks!

[Sidenote: Mom and Dad, I don't understand how you guys did it when we were kids! I mean, i am in my twenties and haven't had to birth children, and after one night i was done. d.o.n.e.! My back was killing me. My nose was stuffed. and I wanted my mommy (and an extremely hot cup of cocoa). Am i remembering it incorrectly? did you guys use an air mattress? and if not, how (or more importantly, why) did you guys take us camping for extended periods of time...willingly!??]

So after the initial hell that was freezing my ass off, and cursing mother nature, my friends, and anyone else i could think to blame for being outside at that moment, I made the prudent decision to buy an air mattress. Best.purchase.ever.

Seriously, i probably would have paid any amount they wanted. Fortunately, i didn't have to sell my soul for it. and for a very reasonable $27, my opinion of camping increased tenfold.

On Saturday we went to Devil's Lake. Now, i've been told it's probably the best state park in the state. But it's the only one i've been to, so I can't verify that. I can tell you, that it was gorgeous.

I, however, was not. Seems like if i'm going to decide to not shower for a weekend, I also need to decide to not pose for picture. yeesh.

but i will tell you that i was one of the fastest hikers of the group. haha! all those treadmill hours logged are paying off. (and now we need to have a moment of silence in memory of my gym membership. because like all good things, it came to an end. sniff. sniff)

There were lots of indulgent meals to eat. Gorgeous campfires to sit by. drinks to be consumed.* and sleeping bags to snuggle under.

Utimately, I really enjoyed the trip! and now that i've worked out all the kinks and my rookie-mistakes, i look forward to doing it again a couple more times before summer is over.

[And here's my other rant: the burden of an suv owner is, when it's time to travel somewhere, you're automatically drafted due to your cargo space. i understand that's my burden of having an awesome car, and i accept it. Miracle of miracles, we were able to fit 4 people and all our gear in. The complaint is that, when you're done dropping everyone off at the end of the weekend, there's no one left to help you unload your crap out of the car. (waaah. waaah. waaah.) but that's ok. I got it done, right before i collapsed into an unintentional nap (aren't those the best??)]

And when i came home today, i took the hottest shower i could tolerate and turned on every electronic device i own. Not because i needed to, just because i could!

*but not that many actually. my cooler's still about 1/2 full. which made it all the more fun to carry it back upstairs to my apartment :(

Three Words I Never Thought I'd Say.

I'm going camping.

Yep. In approximately 6 hours, I am loading up the suv with gear, food, enough beer to drown a short person... And enough bugspray to drown another person of small stature.

Somehow I got convinced that roughing it outdoors for 48hours would be a great idea. Honestly, I am just in it for the s'mores, and these little heavenly friends that i made yesterday (devil's food chocolate cupcakes with buttercream frosting. Wait, what were we talking about before? I lost my train of thought)

When I was a kid, our family went camping every summer. And I do have good memories from it, but i am pretty sure that I am repressing all the bad memories. The poison ivy. The mosquitoes. The Tics. THE FURRY CREATURES THAT GO "BUMP" IN THE NIGHT!!!

To be fair, I didn't drink beer as a child, and I think that will increase the fun-ness level of the trip exponentially.

And I did tech sleep outside, in sleeping bags in college. But I'm not sure that was 'camping', so much as it was passing-out while waiting in line for football tickets or concerts :)

So hopefully it goes well. I will be slathering myself in bug repellent, and hoping I don't become flammable...but staying far enough away from the campfire just to be sure.

But just so we're clear, I would much rather be here this weekend. That's the kind of tent I can definitely wrap my head around!

Dear Wisconsin,

What, exactly, is Pub Cheese?

I find it odd that it doesn't exist anywhere else in the universe, and yet, you guys have shelves of the stuff at the grocery store. A myriad of flavors and brands to choose from.

I recently tried it for the first time, and I honestly don't know what to make of it. I didn't enjoy it, and yet i kept eating it.

Is that how everyone else feels about it too? It's not good, but before you know it the container's empty and you have amnesia about the taste when you put another tub in your shopping cart?

Surely it can't be real cheese (which really seems against the grain of this state).

It's more like whipped play-dough.

I really do love you, state. I love the beer; and I am in a long-term monogamous relationship with fried cheese curds.

But i might have to put this in the "no" category; along with old fashioned's and the urban chicken movement.

So, what is it? And more importantly, what's the appeal?

Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Your Biggest Fan*,
Shellbell

*...maybe. I mean, we'll see. First tell me what this stuff is and then I'll decide.

Happy Dance.

i promise there was music on during this, you just can't hear it. but it was there, i swear!

I'm sure alot of questions are coming to your mind:

1. Shellbell, Why the happy dance?
2. Shellbell, Why are you sharing this amazing video with the entire interweb?
3. Shellbell, You are so talented. Have you considered auditioning for So You Think You Can Dance?
4. Oh Dear Lord, Shellbell. why, oh why, was i ever friends with you???

And I will answer these as best i can

1. The Happy Dance is because... I GOT A JOB!!!!!!
2. Because now, no matter what stupid thing you may do today, it won't compare to this. and hopefully to put a smile on your face.
3. Yes. Yes, I have. But, obviously my skills are phenominal, and I wouldn't want to make the other applicants feel bad.
4. cause i'm awesome. duh.

Anyway, back to the important part: I, the apathetic fish, have received gainful employment!

EEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!

This is a nice step-up for me, and a sweet little pay raise. ironically, i'll actually have less expendable income this coming year than previously, but i digress. back to happy, BACK TO HAPPY.

Keeping my big mouth shut about this for the past 48hrs, until it was official, has been excruciating. And there are a dozen of you laughing your ass off right now, because by "secret" i mean i called handfuls of people to share my joy. but whatevs, that's quite contained for me.

and the best part? the position doesn't start until July. which means i still get 2 months of goofing off!

Yahoo Hooray!!

oh! and the other best part? i've convinced myself i need more professional clothes* for the position. SHOPPING SPREE!!!!

*on a related note, i need this (in blue/grey). it would make my life complete. i think.

mom's day.

[mom don't read this part! just scroll down]

when i was home the other week, I handed my brother some money and said, "whatever you get mom, i'm in for half"

and from that preface, enjoy the following text conversation:

big brother: mom loved the flowers we gave her! good job!!

adorable sister: haha. thanks! it took me awhile to pick out just the right ones, but when i saw them i know they'd be perfect! ...what kind did we get her?

big brother: a cactus and a venus flytrap. with a note that says, "you're a prick and bite me"

adorable sister: :/ i want my money back

big brother: sorry, no refunds.

Well thankfully he was telling lies to his adorable little sister, and later sent me the 'fantastic' photo of the bouquet!

umm. wow. thanks for the picture :)

My mom is definitely not June Cleaver.

"Organization" was a four-letter word growing up in our house. We were always frantically running out the door to the next practice or lesson that we had inevitably forgotten was scheduled. Dinners were always "unique" creations that involved going-rogue of the box's instructions and winging-it...And then just adding the word "surprise" at the end of the name to cover your bases. "try it. it's tuna helper surprise! you'll love it" (and consistency wasn't important either. The same titled entree could be made 50 times, and never taste (or look) the same twice)

Our house was loud, chaotic, and fun. And we wouldn't have had it any other way.

in a town where minivan-driving soccer moms are the norm, my mom is a free-spirit.

If everyone marches to the beat of their own drum, my mom's percussion instrument is like no one's i've ever seen before. She is a character. Unique unto herself. She's a snare drum in a sea of timpanis.

While she would have preferred fame and fortune and a downtown loft condo. She pursued manicured lawns and soccer teams because it was the best place for her kids to grow-up.

So thank you mom. Thank you for the person that you are (strange as that person is:) and allowing us to be a part of your life.

And now, I will share with you one of my favorite tidbits from my childhood...

In my elementary school, we had something called "Room Mom". Basically, that parent was in charge of all the holiday parties for their classroom during the school year. In theory, the parents usually just brought cookies and helped the kids exchange gifts at christmas or cards at valentines, etc.

but when i was in 4th grade, my mom was our Room Mom. and while the other classrooms were having sweet, simple cookie-filled parties, my mom threw parties like:
-a christmas fiesta! complete with maracha music, make-your-own fajita bar, and a pinata
-a valentines party in which we had a "cake decorating race". yep, let's give 9 year olds bags of icing and tell them to "run" and "hurry"!
-and end of the year party with beach balls, Hawaiian shirts, popsicle races, and more!

Her parties were so.much.fun. everyone loved them. even our teacher, the stricktest, toughest, meanest teacher in the school enjoyed them.

And then mom was called into a meeting with the principal. and told that her parties were too wild. got the kids too excited. and made the other classes jealous. And was banned from ever being a Room Mom again :)

But hey, if you're gonna go out, go out in a blaze of glory!

So thanks again mom. and happy mother's day!

Belated* GPOYW

ole! -edition

*it was still taken on a wednesday, so whatevs.