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004. A new beginning.

My whole life, my smile has been something of a bother to me. When I laugh, I get this incredibly ridiculous overbite-laugh and feel as though my mouth is an atrocity against man. No matter how many lovers and friends say how much they like my smile, it has still been a sore spot on my face in my own mind. Over the past few years, I've become accustomed to covering my mouth with my hand when I laugh - especially when something is exceptionally hilarious. I've had numerous photos of me taken this way, hand over mouth with the giggles. But this photo to the right is the first photo I've really seen of me laughing out loud without my hand over my mouth. And to be honest? It's really not that bad. I look so happy, and really, that's all that should matter, right?

So, I challenge you to find a photo of yourself really smiling, really laughing. Post it on your own blog. Tell the story behind it.

Here's mine:
Two of my best friends, Brian and Liz, decided to put together a creative project of wonderful, day to day things to do so that one can never, ever be bored. One of those things was to write secrets and notes on a piece of paper, attach it to a balloon, and send that balloon on an unknown trip. We had already eaten at a picnic, enjoyed ourselves with kids on the playground, and blown bubbles all over the park. I was with two of my best friends, my boyfriend, and two other close friends who I love with all of my heart. We all spent the day laughing, telling stories, and enjoying the beautiful weather - Arizona winters are mild, to say the least. The day ended with this:


So, if you're driving on the 60 East and see those words, it's our message to you.

Let's talk about...

PLAID AND FLANNEL.
Oh my gosh.
I don't even want to talk about it.
Okay, I lied. I really do.
I love flannel and plaid. It's great. It kills me. In the past two days, I've bought two flannel shirts, dug up one I had from last year, and got a plaid skirt. I can't wait to BUY MORE PLAID AND FLANNEL. Also, did I mention everything was at least two of the following colors: grey, black, white, and/or red? Yes. They are. Forever21 has a full wall of plaid and flannel. I am more than excited to go back and purchase more.

This brings me to my real topic: I am obsessed with fall shopping. I really, really am. I live in Arizona, so you'd think it wouldn't be that exciting, and, especially because I wear sweaters all throughout the year (if you work in a mall, you understand why), it seems like fall and winter shopping is almost pointless. But you, sir, are wrong. Just because in Phoenix, we don't get snow, doesn't mean that in Flagstaff, two hours north, there aren't snow capped mountains and fluffy white stuff littering the NAU campus.

The weather gets brisk enough for sweaters, jackets, wool tights, and boots. Sure, snow boots are not necessary. That doesn't mean I can't get a great pair of ankle boots for the "dead" of winter - you know, 35 degrees.

So, this year, apparently, it's black, grey, red, white, plaids, skirts, and tights.

Well, and then the bright purple tights and bright blue tights I got for a dollar apiece.

Those just throw a wrench in my whole wardrobe.

(002) let's talk about... (Swiffers)

... Swiffer sweepers. As someone who has been working retail for the past three and a half years, I can honestly say that the old school dust mops do nothing but push dirt around. Instead of getting up my nose and into corners, the dust that comes into contact with the Swiffer is automatically picked up and stuck there. Whether it be the classic Swiffer or my personal favorite, the Swiffer Wet Jet (I smile just thinking about it), it amazes me that there was a way of getting any floors clean prior to the invention of the Swiffer. Oh, it is just so easy, light, portable, and fabulous. And if you want to clean, say, baseboards or lampshades, just use the dust cloths by themselves. They work great - promise.

This brings me to the best type of Swiffer - the Wet Jet. I hate mops. I really, really hate mops. I've worked at numerous retail locations where, when I'd be asked to mop the floor, I'd be greeted with a disgusting, hairy, discolored mop head. I'd have to fill the bucket with water and Pine Sol (whoever thought Pine was a good smell for a whole store? The store ended up smelling like a taxi cab), drag it onto the floor, slather the mop all over the tile, and end up having to go over it again on my hands and knees. This happened during my first two and a half years of retail.

Then, the beautiful day came when I found a job where, instead of ever seeing that mop again, I had the Swiffer Wet Jet. Now, if you have no idea what it is, take a chance to enlighten yourself: Swiffer WetJet. Pretty amazing, right? Working in children's retail, you see some pretty gross stuff on floors - gum, ice cream, candy, holy-hell-what-is-that-don't-touch-it-with-your-bare-hands kinds of stuff. The Wet Jet takes care of all of that for you. You press a button on the handle, liquid squirts onto the floor, and you use the Swiffer to wipe it up. Amazing!

Let me leave you with this: I am not a neat freak. I am far from it. I am the queen of a messy room. Yet, for some reason - maybe the simplicity and ease of it - I am in love with Swiffer and all of their products.

Really, the Swiffer is absolutely frantastic.

(001) let's talk about... (me)

...me, just for a second. Hi, hi, hi. Frantastic here. Writing about myself is nearly impossible for me. I've revamped this blog after only posting in it once or twice. So now, here it is and here's what it will be: I'm going to talk about things I consider absolutely f(r)antastic. I'll talk about things I love and probably things I dislike.

To be completely honest with you, I'm terrible at HTML. Things like that confuse me. Instead, I'll use a template, but fill the bland page with excitement - hopefully.

Tell your friends about Absolutely Frantastic, suggest things to check out, and well, enjoy.