out with the old...kinda

levi hates my pajama pants.

he's made it no secret that he thinks they're the ugliest things he's ever seen.

i don't blame him. they're awful. one pair i've had since i was 15. they're worn thin, full of holes, and just about the dumpiest things i've ever seen. the crotch goes down to my knees. my mom actually threw them away once.

i dug them out of the trash.

call me crazy, but i like when levi's attracted to me. so my mission for today was to find a new pair of pajama pants.

i was successful! i found a pair of cute, fitted, comfy pj pants on sale at anthropologie.

here are some before and afters.

exhibit one: ugly

exhibit two: ugliest

exhibit three: much much better

p.s. i found a skirt on sale at anthropologie today that i really really wanted to buy, and i didn't. please be proud of me for exhibiting restraint and being responsible. it was hard.

p.p.s. i am toootally NOT getting rid of my old pj pants. i had to hide them from levi because he wanted to throw them out.

p.p.p.s. sorry for my lack of blog interaction for the past couple days. i've been busy with the new job, sort of foggy brained, and dealing with a very slow internet connection. but i have read all your lovely emails and comments (gosh, i love hearing from you. it just makes my day), and i will be responding to them very soon. i promise.

For Like Ever

We finally hung my For Like Ever poster above the bed! Yay! It looks soooo good. This photo isn't amazing because it was difficult to find an angle that would keep most of the glare off the frame, but you get the idea. And don't make fun of my old lady quilt!

I saw this poster on the cover of Domino magazine and went on a mission to find it. The original $10 version was completely sold out, but they had created a $30 larger version (which is now $60, btw) so I bought that. Let me warn you, I had a HECK of a time framing this thing. I ended up having to take it to a framing place because the poster is an irregular size. They created a matte for me and framed it, and I am very pleased with how it turned out. It cost a pretty penny though. Fortunately, this is when I had money! I am very happy, now, that I went to the trouble of framing it then. If you'd like your own, you can purchase one HERE.

So after Levi went through all the trouble of hanging this thing the other night, this is what he says to me, "How about we just move to another studio in an area we like better?" Funny timing, Levi, but I like what you're throwing out there!! So, fingers crossed, prayers said, hoooooopefully, we are moving! We are so over downtown Long Beach and this awful place. People don't live here because they want to live here; they live here because they have to. We want to be in a place where people are happy to live so we're going to back to the Long Beach we both fell in love with. We looked at a studio yesterday that's about a billion times better and nicer than this place and only $30 more a month. The only downside is a smaller living area (bigger kitchen though!). As soon as Levi is off work this afternoon, we're going to drive around looking for "for rent" signs and view some places tomorrow. If we don't see anything better, we're gonna go for the place we already looked at!! It's so exciting! Hopefully, in less than 33-ish days, we will be in another apartment! Wish us luck!

An introduction of sorts

Just like many bloggers before me, I'm not exactly sure what I will be doing here or how often I will be doing it. But I thoroughly enjoy quite a few blogs on a daily basis so I thought I would contribute my own.

Now for some explanation of my blog's title. Without getting too political, the recession our country is currently experiencing bloooooows. I have found myself in some pretty dire straits financially, and I'd like to chronicle my experiences so that one day, when I am sitting in the lap of luxury, I can look back and remember all the hard times and amazing times that being poor brought me.

I've always been a strong person, but quite reluctantly. Like everyone else I have ever met, I've had my share of rough times. I always come out of them alive and having learned at least one small something. But I don't think I've ever really embraced my hardships. I've never gotten to know them. I'm not sure that I've ever even accepted them. I've always just kept going, doing what I have to in order to get through them and survive. I'd like this time to be different. I'd like to take this opportunity to really experience what poverty is, to really learn from it, and to allow it to change me...in a good way of course! :)

My boyfriend, Levi, and I live together with the lovely Lily in a teeny tiny studio, with the ugliest emerald green carpet you'll ever see, in downtown Long Beach, California. I am convinced that the Bob Marley song Is This Love was pretty much written for us.

Lily stretching on ugly green carpet

me and Levi

I was going to school 40 hours a week (getting my Esthetician's license) when the recession really started picking up. I had saved a big chunk of cash in order to pursue this goal. It would have been just enough to get me through, but a few things happened along the way. To make a long story short, I ran out of money in October, and Levi has been supporting us both ever since. Levi works as a hairstylist, and let me tell you - he's amazing! He doesn't make tons of money (no commission - blah), so most months we juuuusssst squeak by. I have expanded my job search to anything due to the lack of open positions in the salon industry, but, so far, nothing has panned out. Jobs go really quickly around here. The unemployment rate in Los Angeles County is 9.9% so the competition is fierce. So for now, I try to stay busy and take care of Levi and our home the best I can (speaking of, I really should be doing laundry right now). Despite less than desirable circumstances, I love my life. I'm even grateful for the financial hardships we struggle through. They've taught me to stress less and to appreciate everything I have.