One to Nothin'

What I wore

April 2, 2014 by mackensieg@gmail.com 5 Comments

Dress: LC / Shoes: Target / Knuckle Rings: Fifth & Mae / Necklace: World Market

Give a girl a camera, some new Photoshop actions and a lacy dress and she will make a sandy body of water look like the twirliest bunch of fun drops the world ever did see (no matter how much goose poop her sausage pup drags her leash through).

Linking up here.

Weekend things

March 31, 2014 by mackensieg@gmail.com 7 Comments

This weekend I finally took my DSLR out to play and I ended up with a whole bunch of leaf, grass, water and Ziggy pictures. I took myself out to Swirl on the Square in Livermore where I nommed on the best pork sliders, did some wine tasting and then walked myself over to the movie theater to see the new Muppet movie. I love those silly Muppets. I made vegan banana pancakes because it was raining outside (why yes, I did listen to Jack Johnson while doing so, how did you know?), and I ventured into the city to explore. I had my first Blue Bottle Coffee experience, I made a new dinosaur friend (his name is Hampton) and I hopped on a rope swing at Billy Goat Hill. My weekend was lovely.

How was yours?

PS: Check out my first contribution to Beauty Buzz Daily!

Happy Friday

March 28, 2014 by mackensieg@gmail.com 5 Comments

Here are some of my happy moments from the #100happydays project. A very tired but happy pup after a run in the hot hot heat, my beautiful new camera that I fully intend to take for a spin this weekend, some much-needed rain in the middle of a record drought and I didn’t realize until I started this project how happy freshly painted nails make me. Such simple things, such happiness as a result of them. Follow me on instagram (@mackensieg) to see more. I have 70 days to go!

What’s making you happy on this lovely Friday?

Dating Deal Breakers

March 28, 2014 by mackensieg@gmail.com 6 Comments

That’s me trying to look flirty or something.

I haven’t talked too much about dating around these parts and there are some very good reasons for that, but in case you were wondering, I do have a romantic life, it’s just hidden (unless we’re Snapchat friends in which case over-sharing is caring). I feel like introducing readers to a new dude is an even bigger deal than becoming FBO (or do people even do that anymore? Shows how close I’ve been to that kind of commitment in recent years. Or does it show how old I am that I still go on Facebook? Anyway..). The point is, dating is hard and awkward and sometimes really fun, but we all have our dating “deal breakers” and these are mine.

Doesn’t like dogs. But more specifically, doesn’t like my dog. Fake it ’til you make it, bro. We’re a packaged deal.

Chews with his mouth open, sucks at his teeth or makes otherwise disgusting mouth noises on a regular basis. I’m cringing just thinking about it.

Wears socks with flip flops. The thong kind. It happens. I’ve seen it. And while we’re on the subject of footwear, he should not own Crocs unless he’s doing it ironically.. like a Snuggie. Even then it’s iffy.

Says “probally,” “libarry” or “nucular.” Just no.

Has poor texting etiquette, for example excessive use of “lol,” emoticons (unless they’re smiley poo emojis–total exception), random CAPITALS and poor grammar. I’m totally not a grammar nazi when it comes to texting, but I can only take so many “definAtely” and “wIerd” spellings before I break.

Likes any of the following music artists: Nickelback, Creed, Daughtry, John Mayer, Darius Rucker, Slipknot, Korn, ICP, Chris Brown.

Wears excessive man jewelry. In fact, most man jewelry is excessive unless it’s a wedding ring and that is a definite deal breaker.

Has a neck tattoo. Or a butterfly tattoo. Or a Chinese symbol. Or barbed wire. Or anything cliche or vulgar permanently etched on his body.

Has piercings. Ear piercings that have since grown over can be overlooked. Also, the inner baby punk rocker in me doesn’t hate small plugs. If I can stick my finger through it, then no (that sounds dirty).

Claims Scarlett Johansson is his dream girl. I hate her so hard.

Smokes cigarettes or dips. So so very unattractive.

Is terrible with directions. There’s only room in a relationship for one person to be lost all the time and I’ll tell you right now, that person is me.

Takes longer to get ready, takes more selfies, wears more product in his hair or stresses about his weight more than I do.

Spends the majority of his time playing video games.

Has an *active* Tinder account. You know what I’m talking about.

Doesn’t like playing One to Nothin’, Truth or Dare and other similar, pointless, ridiculous and wonderful games.

Refuses to try spamburgers. You don’t even know what you’re missing, bro.

Doesn’t like exploring. My dude has to be down for stopping the car the second we see a sign for the world’s largest ball of twine or a playground we have to play on. He doesn’t have to ask for directions when we get lost, but he has to appreciate the adventure, stay cool under pressure (when I’m freaking out) and he has to want to make out with me in the car, in the rain, under the stars even after we’ve been together for 4, 16 or 32 years.

But most importantly he has to love me a whole lot. Like, a whoooole lot.

That’s not asking too much, is it?

What are your dating deal breakers?

California dreaming

March 26, 2014 by mackensieg@gmail.com 8 Comments

I just booked my flight for LA at the end of April. I’ve only ever driven through or flew out of LA, so I’m super excited to explore and pretend to be a SoCal girl for a few days. I’ve already started daydreaming about the quirky swimsuits, cutoffs and hippie jewels I’ll be wearing so I went ahead and made a collage of them.

sunnies / ring / sandals / sunscreen / shorts / hat / swimsuit / bracelet

Am I stereotyping here? I don’t even care. In my mind SoCal is all about sun, turquoise and wavy hair and that’s exactly how I intend to dress. Oh, and that sunscreen is awesome. It’s light, non-greasy and it smoothes out the skin much like a foundation primer. I highly recommend it.

Have you been to LA? Any places I can’t miss?

Linking up here.

Last-minute, long distance, affordable gifts

March 25, 2014 by mackensieg@gmail.com 6 Comments

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I’m a procrastinator when it comes to all things in life, but now that I’m thousands of miles away from most of the people I love, my procrastination habit makes holidays and gift-giving occasions rather difficult. Usually I end up paying lots of money I don’t have for express shipping, buying an impersonal card from the store or just getting a gift card that fits inside of an envelope. These are all okay options, but the thing is, I love making personal, thoughtful gifts for people. I’ve been living in California for almost a year now, and along the way I have picked up a few tips for sending long-distance love all the way to Florida (even while waiting until the last minute).

Shutterfly is a website that allows you to pick out gorgeous cards that you can completely customize and send either electronically or through snail mail. You have the option of having the card sent to your address or the recipient’s and it even gives you the option of picking what day the card arrives (I sent one to my mom for her birthday and it arrived perfectly on time!). I love that you don’t have to worry about stamps, envelopes or whether it will arrive on time and they’re still totally cheaper than some of those elaborate singing-in-your-face cards you find at the store. The electronic cards are great too because they’re as cheap as 99 cents, you have the same options of customization and the blank-just-because cards (as shown above) were some of my favorite designs.

You can also customize gifts through Shutterfly like iPhone cases (I think I need that one with Ziggy on it..), coffee mugs, stationery and canvases sent directly to the recipient. So convenient.

Fromyouflowers is a great way to get beautiful fresh flowers fast (they have same-day delivery). The site is easy to use and a little pricy, but the quality is great, you can add balloons or chocolate and there’s a sale section.

For quirky, original and sometimes just really weird gifts (my favorite kind), check out Fiverr. The talented and strange alike offer their services on this site for just five dollars. Some of the fun gift ideas offered include professional photographs of your message written in Scrabble letters, an original song written, sung and recorded about whatever you want, a photograph of your choice turned into a piece of art or goofy cartoon characters, a puppet rapping a song for you and so much more. So far I’ve ordered a custom business card design and it turned out beautifully (I’ll share those another time). It was a great experience and you can’t beat the price.

Lastly, if you have a little time to prepare, pretend like you’re there to celebrate the occasion by sending a party package. Once upon a time I baked birthday cake (from the box) in mason jars, created shark cake toppers and made envelopes out of old maps. I also included non-perishable icing, sprinkles, confetti, candles and lots of little notes because I’m obnoxious like that. Also, be sure to include a note on top that says “FaceTime me before opening any further!” that way you can sing “Happy Birthday.”

How do you send long distance love when you can’t be there in person?

Weekend things

March 24, 2014 by mackensieg@gmail.com 5 Comments

I feel like my whole week was a weekend because I actually socialized with real adult people every night of the week (this is kind of a big deal since I usually spend all week talking twelve octaves higher than normal while communicating with an 8 month old). I played with various lovely people Monday through Wednesday and on Thursday I went to the Disposable Film Festival at the Castro Theater with Emma. I had no idea what to expect, but as soon as we arrived, I was immediately entranced by the organ that popped up in the middle of the stage and the gorgeous ceiling and intricate decorations all over the theater. Then the films, which were all recorded on various non-professional devices, started playing and they were completely amazing. From stop motion to documentaries to animated films, they were all incredibly unique and inspiring. It was definitely one of the coolest events I’ve been to in the Bay. After it was over we stopped by Hot Cookie to pick up some inappropriate baked goods. Have I mentioned how much I love San Francisco?

Friday night Emma joined me again for a trip to the Vine Cinema & Ale House in Livermore to see “The Budapest Hotel” and Saturday I hit up the Donut Wheel to devour that amazing cherry cake donut. I also took Ziggy to a dog park where she ventured out into the water and I even empathetically ate lots of pasta since Emma and Michelle had to run a half marathon Sunday morning.

I cheered them on at the Oakland Running Festival with some homemade signs and chowed down on an amazing burger while admiring a lovely milkshake sign at TrueBurger. Eventually I went running to try to make up for all the undeserved carb loading/post-race munchies and might’ve inflicted some mild heat exhaustion on my poor sausage pup, but overall it was a super solid weekend. Life is good, my friends.

Tell about periods when you haven’t read.

March 21, 2014 by mackensieg@gmail.com 3 Comments

In honor of my mom’s birthday, I want to share a (long) personal essay inspired by that wonderful woman who raised me. Happy birthday, mom. I love you.

I have always loved books. Before I could read I would pretend that I could by holding Archie comic books up to my face and turning the pages at a pace that seemed similar to my older sister’s. I’d also listen in as my mom read my siblings’ required reading books out loud to us before bed. I’ll never forget the time we laughed, cried and snorted because of the line in “Swiss Family Robinson” that goes, “Look at those curious great nuts father has got!” Although my reading has improved, my maturity has not.

Once I started to get the hang of reading, my mom handed me a book that looked like a real book in my mind. It had a beautiful cover. I remember there were fairies and ice slides, but there were lots of words and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to really read it. The distinction for me was when I could understand the whole thing all by myself; there were plenty of books where I had just memorized the words I didn’t know right away after someone else told me what they were. My mom assured me that I would be able to read this one for real. I took it and skeptically began to read. I tested the waters a bit and was thrilled to find that this action-packed magical adventure was truly one that I could dive into. I read it about 546 times and then read it some more. I think this was the turning point.

I was ready now. I read a big girl book and I felt I could take on anything. It wasn’t long before I started receiving Babysitters Little Sisters books in the mail. Every month I would get a package full of new books, stickers and Babysitters paraphernalia and it would fill my little body and disproportionately large head with blinding ecstasy. I still remember the smell of the books and even a few of the storylines. Then came Harry Potter. Oh, Harry. I felt like I had such a deep connection with him because he and I were both 11 and our summer birthdays practically made us twins when I read that first book. I could not wait to receive my letter from Hogwarts. I went to a couple midnight releases of the books as I got older and my mom always came right along with me.

In elementary school, I was that nerd who couldn’t wait to receive a summer reading list like the big middle schoolers. Even in high school I looked forward to checking off the required reading – there’s a picture of me in Panama City for Spring Break senior year where I’m heading out to the beach with Ayn Rand’s “Anthem” in my hands (soon to be replaced by tequila shots, but that’s neither here nor there).

There’s something entirely unique and unreal about the connection I feel with books. I always liked being assigned books that I would never think to read otherwise. Even if it bored me to tears, I could never just abandon it. I slowed down a lot though once the requirements stopped. I think the book I received at college freshman orientation was the first “required” reading book I ever blew off, and there wasn’t even a consequence (my mom did, however, borrow and read that book. She enjoyed it thoroughly.)

Throughout college my passion for reading simmered and it wasn’t until I moved back home and basked in the glory that is my mom’s very own library (aka immense bookshelves surrounding the living room) that I picked it up again. I started flying through books while I was lived at home, and I continued right up until I moved cross-country in April.

I kept trying to get into “Casual Vacancy,” even before I left and I just couldn’t make myself keep going. I remember being on the phone with my mom and telling her how I kept putting it down and not picking anything back up. She had already read it of course and simply said, “Don’t pick it back up.” And just like that, I moved on. I just needed permission from my very own, all-knowing, book-loving mother. I haven’t picked it up again, but I have, however, finally started plowing through books again. Now that I’m safely nestled in an apartment with my very own mini bookshelf, I gave myself permission to let that part of me exist again.

I guess the times that I haven’t read have been the times of upheaval, uncertainty and perhaps vulnerability. When I first started high school and my primary, unwavering purpose was to make friends and not be the loser who sits alone in the cafeteria. When I got to college and was determined to find a sorority and a major that I loved and could grow with. When I moved away from my family and to a strange new place full of new, exciting and terrifying experiences. Oddly enough, these are the times when I put down the pages where I escape.

Perhaps a feeling of security is crucial to my ability to dive into a story and truly make a connection with it. Maybe I have to be at peace with myself and my surroundings before I can get lost in someone else’s.

Or maybe it’s when I feel overwhelmed, scared and small that I remember that books, much like my mom, are always there to make me feel safe, secure and whole again.

Thank you, mom, for instilling the deep love for the written word in me. I can’t wait to do the same for my children one day.

This post is in response to the following prompt: “Tell about periods when you haven’t read. What were you doing? (OFFA, 160)” See more prompts from Megan here.

Pros & Cons of looking like a child

March 20, 2014 by mackensieg@gmail.com 13 Comments

I get mistaken for a child on a regular basis, so I thought I’d gather up some of the benefits and downfalls of being a 24-year-old high schooler. Sit back, grab a sippy cup and enjoy.

Getting discounted student tickets. From the couple dollars it saves at the movie theater to the more dramatic discounts it affords at theme parks, museums, festivals, etc. It’s a money saver for sure.

Holding on to the hope that I will finally look 24 when I turn 40.

Spending my monies on nail polish instead of wrinkle cream (although I suppose prevention is key).

Not getting judgmental looks when I go straight to the “Young Adult Fiction” section at the book store.

Shopping in the juniors section of clothing stores without getting weird looks from strangers. Same goes for stores I probably should be growing out of, like AE & AF.

Babysitting 11 year olds who aren’t embarrassed to be seen with me. (The other day they said, “If anyone asks, you’re our older sister, okay?”)

Going to the grocery store in my PJs, rat’s nest hair and no makeup just to buy froyo and Redbox movies, and the real adults just thinking to themselves, “Kids these days.”

Making cops feel extra bad when they pull me over because I cry and remind them of their daughters.

Receiving fewer questions about my single, childless status.

Answering the door to solicitors and having them walk away when I tell them my parents aren’t home.

Receiving dirty looks from passerbys who think I’m a cast member of “Teen Mom” as I push the dude baby around in his stroller.

Being out on a date with an older guy who gets served right away while the bartender studies my i.d. suspiciously for five minutes before reluctantly accepting that he is not, in fact, babysitting me.

Being asked for my i.d. when buying anything from spray paint to super glue to tickets for rated R movies.

Having to answer quiz questions about said i.d. because everyone assumes it’s fake.

Getting hit on by high school boys. Seriously, one asked me the other day which school I go to, and a group of them wouldn’t leave me alone at Target.

Feeling the wrath of judgey high school girls who are the girlfriends of said high school boys. (I can practically hear them whispering, “She’s totally not even cute, I bet she has less than 1,000 Instagram followers”)

Getting hit on by much older men who I immediately assume are pedophiles.

Patronizing attitudes from peers who don’t realize they are my peers.

Hearing the OMG-YOU’RE-SO-OLD in the voices of the youngins who originally assumed I was their age.

Do you guys look your age? Tell me I’m not alone in this.