raise your hand if you have credit card debt...

If you are in your twenties or thirties, you probably have a lot of debt. According to the statistics, anyway. So if you are one of the unlucky ones to be sitting on a heap of student loans or Credit Card Debt,welcome to the club. However, it is a club you'll want to be leaving soon. You've heard it before, but the interest on those credit cards can really add up. If possible, try to consolidate your credit card debt onto one card with a low interest rate. Credit card companies are notorius for lowering them if they think you are going to switch cards, so don't be afraid to call them and demand a lower rate.

january + warm weather + alaska = very odd

it has been unseasonably warm here lately... in the 40's!!... chalk one up to global warming!!

Oh, those glossy magazines....

To me, there is nothing more relaxing than stretching out at the end of the day or on a lazy weekend and reading a magazine. I was already a certified avid reader. I think the magazine obsession started a looong time ago, back when I was about 9. My aunt gave me a big box of Teen Magazine past issues. And I have been reading magazines ever since. It didn't matter what it was. I would even read my mom's copies of Women's Day or Family Circle when I was as young as 10. If it was laying around, I read it.

As a teenager myself, I was all about Sassy. If you were a teen-age girl in the early 90's, then you probably read it, too. I remember how sad I was when the magazine ended. And then, when I was about 19, Jane Pratt and (some of the same) staff were back with Jane, which I still read today. I've also been a long time reader of Allure, Marie Claire, Glamour... well, I will stop now. The list can go on and on and on.

Oscar Nominations

I am so glad that Little Miss Sunshine rec'd several Oscar Nominations. I thought this movie was t-riffic and if you haven't seen it yet, you really need to.

get ready for those flip-flops

Being up in Alaska, as I am, the stores are still chock-full of winter gear. But my sister, who is in the Lower 48, has told me that the stores there are full of swimming suits. I don't really have a need for those up here, but if someone finds some cute cherry-printed flip-flops, send them my way. My dog chewed on mine from last year....

ready for a vacation?

Well, the holidays are finally over.... are you ready for a vacation yet? I found a travel site that contains guides written by Harvard students, http://www.letsgo.com/. If you are looking to go somewhere on the cheap, check out their tips. I looked up some of the Alaska stuff and they seemed to know what they were talking about. Check out what they have to say about your destination...

so many photos to catch up on.....

I love to take pictures... of anything and everything. I started scrapbooking a little over two years ago. I was hesitant at first... I thought it was something only old ladies did. But I was wrong. You can really create some cool stuff with a little bit of paper and a few accessories. If you don't believe me, check out Ali Edwards. She is an amazing artist.

you gotta love it

You gotta love the look of the French Manicure. So classic and country club-ish... I heard the French hate the French Manicure and think it is stupid. Well, here are the directions if you don't know how to make your nails look fancy and preppy.

soup

winter equals soup. 'nuff said. find recipes here.

Classy Lady

I heard a line about a famous actress in the 40's or 50's who swore a lot, and she thought it was comical; like who would have thought such a pretty lady had a mouth like a drunken sailor... I admit, I have a bit of a mouth on me, too. However, I can control it. If you can't, or if you just want to quit, here is an article about how to quit swearing. I guess it is supposed to be really helpful, but I find it somewhat funny that someone would need to read an article on how to stop swearing. I mean, just keep your mouth closed.

New Year's Resolutions

If you are going to make some New Year's Resolutions, check out this article I found http://www.goalsguy.com/Events/n_facts.html. You can learn the history of making resolutions and other trivia.

At least, when someone asks you next month how those resolutions are coming, you can spew all those fun facts at them instead of telling them you broke your resolutions on Jan 3......

I wouldn't call it crafty......

I wouldn't call myself "crafty", but I do wish I was. I can scrapbook like a maniac, I have to give myself credit for that. But I can't knit or sew or anything like that. My mom is a wonder with a glue gun, so I probably have the genes in me. One day I will explore them and see where it takes me.

Babies?

Lots of babies are born in the summer.... which means there are lots of women who just got pregnant or are about to. If you are among them, congratulations. I don't have kids, but I do have nephews. And they are amazingly wonderful. Yes, they are going to wake you up at 3 am but how can you get mad at anything that is so darn cute?

If you have a bunch of money to spend on kids' clothes, I would buy Childish Clothing if I were you. It is very hip and not at all cutsey. Oh, and they have stuff for you, too, momma.

No Sew Blankets - cheap & easy last minute xmas gift

I know a lot of people that have made these no-sew blankets. I've never made one... one of these days I will... they seem super easy and have the potential to be very cute, if you choose the right patterns and all. And, they do make nice presents. I mean, who doesn't want to be warm and cuddly?

I owe it all to Sassy???

When I was 14, I discovered Sassy Magazine. Remember that one? Jane Pratt was the founder and editor and I was just amazed that a young woman could do that.... actually start a magazine. I loved reading the articles by Christina Kelly and Kim France... I thought they must have the most wonderful lives. Getting paid to write (and interview some very cool people). Andrea Lee Linnett really opened my eyes to some fashion I would never have thought of, but I interpreted it my own way, and yes, I did wear courdoroys under baby-doll dresses. I was the coolest in the early 90's, let me tell you. Totally non-comfortist. And that magazine and it's editor and writers definitely helped shape who I am today.

TV

I will admit that I love TV. I was named after a TV character, after all. I have heard stories of people who don't own televisons and I have mixed feelings about these people. I am somewhat in awe of them, but part of me thinks they must be really wierd. I mean, what kind of person doesn't own a TV? Even if you think that the stuff on TV is beneath your mentality, without a TV you can't watch DVDs of documentaries or totally underground art films or whatever someone without a TV would watch....

I am not into reality TV, I've never seen an episode of "American Idol" or "Survivor", and I am not going to start watching it, either. And I don't watch "Lost" or "Grey's Anatomy" or any of these shows that people go ga-ga over.

However, part of me misses the glory-days of the talk shows. Back when I was in high school, I would get home at about quarter to three, and I would watch Ricki, Sally Jessy, Montel, Jenny Jones, etc. Yes, Montel is still on, but it isn't the same...

Women & Money

Women & Money... well, for starters, we get paid less than we are worth; women usually have less in savings for retirement becuase they take time off from work to raise children and they typically invest in "safe, low interest" options; etc, etc, etc. The list can go on and on. You are probably familiar with Suze Orman. If not, pick up one of her books - she can break all those "money terms" down into simple language. Plus she understands where you are coming from. She is a woman and she has been in major debt herself!

They Say You Can Do Anything With Duct Tape

Here are some instructions on how to make a duct tape purse. Yes, you heard that right. Your dad will be proud, and you can tell Kate Spade to move over.

Want to save $500

I found this article on MSN that lists "easy" ways to save $500. Some of them are pretty easy, like making your own coffee instead of buying it from a coffee house, etc. Some of them are not so fun, like giving up cable. Anyway, here is a link to the article: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/SaveMoney/10EasyWaysToSave$500OrMore.aspx

If you really want to know......

How does DSL work? How do men work? How do you buy a car? How do you do anything??? Find out at www.howstuffworks.com. It's free, it's easy, and you will learn something!!