Sugar-Free, Make-Up Routines and Unravelled Socks

Dear Friends,

This week I have decided to eat only vegetables, fruits and proteins (nuts, meat, cottage cheese, eggs, plain yogurt). I will have nothing with sugar or honey. I am doing this because I have been researching that sugar can contribute to acne and because I have felt out of shape lately. I want to have more energy. I have also noticed that food has become the thing that I look forward to most in my days and I do not like that.

This is the close of Day One. It has been difficult. One of the hardest moments of the day was gazing across the table at my friend's Rueben sandwich oozing cheese onto the plate. Ruebens are my favourite sandwich.

Because I cannot particularly look forward to food and mealtimes I am trying to focus on other parts of the day to look forward to.

Here are some of the things that I have been planning throughout my day that I can genuinely look forward to:

1. Putting On Makeup
This is kind of a funny one, because it seems like it should be a routine and banal thing to cross off the list for getting ready in the morning. But I have been really enjoying experimenting a little with this. I am a little shy to admit it but I am addicted to certain makeup YouTube channels that are hosted by young women. This addiction started in 2012. I just found them comforting and they inspire me to beauty and experimentation in my personal style.

Here are some of my favourite ladies:

Liz Meghan: She's a sweet girl and I don't even know why I follow her. Her style is totally different from mine. She is a girly-girl. I guess I feel safe when I enter her world of make-up and hairstyles.

Melanie Murphy (BONUS: She has a great Irish accent which is great for practicing!)

Anastasjia Louise She's funny and has a great style. I love her outfit ideas and thrift hauls.

2. Writing a Letter
I love doing this but I never make enough time to do this. I want to write a Birthday Card for my dear friend Barbora.

3. Taking Off Make-up
At the end of the day I love to spend ten minutes pampering my face. It feels so refreshing and clean. Here's my routine:

1) Gently use Sephora face brush to scrub face all over.

2) Use a creamy face wash and makeup remover to clean face, neck and chest. I use this.

3) Rinse.

4) Dry face with clean face towel. I got mine from Walmart. Classy.

5) Splash face with a handful of witch-hazel toner.

6) Air-dry. Use this extra time to floss! Fun! I like to use an unravelled sweater. Just kidding. But that reminds me of the the other day when one of the little boys came home with one-and-a-half socks on his feet. When I asked him what had happened to the top part of his sock he told me that he had systematically unravelled it throughout the day. Wow. School is doing great things for that child.

7) Moisturise with a few drops of this oil. Sorry. I realise this is in Czech. Um. It's called Ylang Ylang oil.

8) Use dabs of this very strong ointment for bad spots of acne. CAREFUL! This stuff is super drying and bleaches fabric. I don't mind if it bleaches my pillow or the old T-Shirts I sleep in, but you might wanna be careful.

I am actually going to hop off and go implement this routine right now.

Goodnight, people!

LR

Elvis is Not Dead

"Where has Lucy Rose gone?!"

"Why has the stunning young internet sensation disappeared?!"

"Has she faked her death in and Elvis-like attempt to evade the pressures of stardom?"

These are the kinds of comments that have been appearing on the memorial Facebook page that my fans created in my honour after the rumours about my death were confirmed in the form of the discovery of a tattered sequin jumpsuit known to be the preferred uniform worn by the famous blogger.

Here is a reconstituted version:

If you are reading this please do not reveal to the public that I am actually alive. 

Sorry about that. Now I will be serious for a moment. I have been pretty stressed about school since having come back from Spring Break. That is my lame excuse. 

I have missed you much just as much as you have missed me. More, probably. 

I will be stopping in this week pretty consistently. I will be having an extremely light work load next week as I will not have to go to teacher's aiding, babysitting or one of my classes! The school has allowed me to skip out of these activities in order to maintain the story about my death. Just kidding. They all have Spring Break.

Well, I've gotta hit the hay. 

Goodnight, My Lovely Readers.

Weekly Cartoon and Outfit

Hi guys!

I have been tied up in studying for one last midterm. Thanks for bearing with my not posting for a while. I know it's been rough for you.

Here is my cartoon for the paper this week.

Also I wore an adorable outfit today. I also wore black skinny jeans, but I didn't have room to draw them. 

See you later, Friends!

Love,

LR

Texas Obsessions: Ball Moss, Gutters and Beans

Dear Readers,

How are you? Well? Sick? Tired? Ready for Spring? Me too. Don't worry. It'll be here soon.

I have spent the last week here at my grandparent's house in Texas. It has been very relaxing and sweet. I love being with my grandparents. I want to share some of my Texas obsessions. They are things that I think are very specific to Texas, or at least this part of it and they are emblematic of this visit.

1) This is a plant that I have seen in all the trees here in San Marcos. My grandpa says that it is called "Ball Moss" or "Tilandsia recurvata". Apparently it feeds off the air and does no harm to plants, but merely roosts in them and lives. I like them because they have these delicate tendrils sprouting out of them. They are a tangle of light green sprouts which sometimes fall in a clump onto the sidewalk. I think they are lovely and bizarre like aliens. 

2) The next thing that defines this area of Texas for me are the street gutters. I think they are crazy. They are about five feet long and one foot high. Rather than being a grate embedded in the side of the curb it is a big gaping hole. Any small person could slip right down into the hole. I imagine tiny children accidentally slipping through. That also made me think that anything could also crawl out of the holes. Shudder. 

3) The last thing that I now associate with this trip to Texas is beans. Pinto beans to be exact. The first night I was here (it feels like months ago) I ordered a side of pinto beans with chunks of ham. I had just got off the plane and my stomach was still settling. When the beans arrived they turned out to be a tiny bowl with about 10 beans and 1 piece of ham mixed in. It was the measliest bowl of beans ever. When the waiter brought my grandparents full chef's salads and me the tiny bowl of beans I tried to keep a straight face as if to say "I totally meant to only order these three beans in this teeny bowl and nothing else." The three of us laughed about it after the waiter left and they shared some of their salad with me. That incident began my love of beans. On this trip I have eaten them whenever the occasion has arisen. 

Advertising.

Dear Friends,

I have to talk to you about something.

I use advertising as a means to get publicity for this blog. I want people to read it and I pay a sum of money for every click on my page. I have been feeling bad about this lately. I use my own money, which I make at my baby-sitting job, but I still feel like my money should be going to something more useful.

As of today I will be taking myself off of advertising. I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but it will be hard to watch my readership stats fall. Perhaps later I will go back to it. But for now I need to channel that money toward things like school costs and random things like contact lens solution and coffee.

You can help and tell people about my blog. If you enjoy it, that is. If you just some here to laugh at my bad grammar and weird cartoons, then maybe not. But you can definitely help out and by being free advertising.

Thanks for listening to my blog-woes.

Bye, Friends!

Lucy Rose

Getting Lost in Purgatory

Dear People,

Yesterday I went running and got totally lost.

I told my grandparents that I would be back before dark and I headed out onto the streets of San Marcos. I headed for a series trails about a mile and half away from the house. I found them and looked at the map. I figured that the area called Purgatory Trails could't be that big. I ran on Dante Path for a mile or so before turning onto Beatrice Trail. It started to get dark and I began to get a little worried. We all know what happens to young women who run about on dark trails with no one around.

I started to panic and run faster. I was hoping to meet up with the road again at any turn. I didn't. Paradiso Way kept winding round and round, but I still wasn't finding the road. The sunset was beautiful but I couldn't enjoy it because I knew that my life was in danger. I felt like was on Inferno Lane rather than Paradiso.

Finally, I saw some houses above a rocky ridge. I felt this was my only option to get onto a road that my phone GPS would recognise. I scrambled down from the trail and into a dry creekbed that was overgrown with weeds and thistles. I waded through the brush. On the other side I started to climb the rock face. At the top I found myself in behind the backyards of some mansions. I had to traipse through the tall crabgrass and more thistles to get to the freshly manicured lawns. I crept along the backyard to the driveway. There was a man in his pyjamas taking out the trash. I knew that I would startle him as I snuck up behind him covered in mud in my dark clothes. He did start but I tried to reassure him that I was just a lost runner. HE seemed calmed and I limped off to find the road.

I finally found it. My GPS found me. And I kept running. It was getting darker. Deer began to congregate in the yards of the mansions I was running past. I met an old couple walking together. I ran faster.

Im the end I had to call my grandfather to come and pick me up. I would have had to run along a dark highway with no sidewalks in order to get home. My grandpa was goodnatured about coming to get me.

That was my adventure. I ended up running for about 7 miles, which is a lot for me.

My Grandparents

Dear Friends,

I am staying with my grandparents as I told you yesterday. It has been a sweet time. I have rested more than I have done in what feels like months and months.

We are sitting in armchairs in the living room watching this movie. Their dog, Molly, is sleeping next to me.

I have enjoyed observing my grandparents relationship. My grandmother cannot move around very quickly and she uses a walker everywhere. My grandfather is very thoughtful of her and makes sure that she has all the help she needs.

When we sit in restaurants Grandma silently passes her coffee creamers to Grandpa for him to open them for her. The transaction takes place silently because Grandpa knows what she is asking. He pours them into her cup for her too.

Grandpa clips Grandma's toenails for her every few weeks because she can't stretch to reach them herself.


                         


At night I get to sleep under a quilt that Grandma spent 40 years making. She laid it aside for years at a time and only finished it in the past year or so.

More Travel Advice

Dearest Folks,

I am in Texas right now visiting my grandparents. I am having a lovely time eating, reading, sleeping and eating.

I travelled here by plane and I thought that I would share some more of my travel advice with you poor inexperienced slobs. Ha! Just kidding! You aren't slobs.

To start with here is what I wore. I take the choice of an airport outfit very seriously. I consider it to be a unique and exciting challenge.

These are the criteria for a killer travel outfit:
1. Classy
Never dress like a slob in the airport. You'll just feel gross.
2. Comfortable
Obvious.
3. Layered
Temperatures in planes and airports are constantly changing.
4. Simple
Belts and metal hardware or shoes that are hard to take on and off.

Here are some more pointers:

This goes along with the "Dress Classy" concept. Traveling means leaving your comfort zone and so it is helpful to feel confident about yourself. 

Often times all seats at the gate that your plane leaves at are full. I often sit at a completely different gate if I have plenty of time. I sit at a nice seat at other people's gate with one eye on my real gate. It's pretty sneaky. People will try to befriend you thinking that you will be their new plane friend. Just act cool and play along. Then sneak off to your real gate when they take a bathroom break. 

There are several things that you really don't need to pack. Things like shampoo and conditioner are things that you can usually find at your destination. If you are going to a hotel they will have those tiny shampoos that one always feels compelled to steal. If you are going to your grandparent's house then you can borrow from your grandmother. You don't need a ton of jewellery, cuz you probably will loose some of it anyway and it will get tangled. You don't actually have to bring all of your pens and pencils. You will be more creative if you only have a few colours anyway. You only need 2 pairs of shoes. Sneakers and a nice pair that goes with everything. You also never need as many pants as you think. Wear them a bajillion times. 

Since you'll be wearing your pants so often bring a ton of fresh undies. Bring your entire sock collection. You will need all of your cords for your computer and MP3 device and phone. Travel breathe sucks. It just adds to the insecurity of getting out of your comfort zone to have the feeling of smelly breath. Never leave home without your swimsuit. I don't care if you are going to the desert. How terrible will you feel if you come to an oasis and everyone else can swim but you?

Have a great night, Friends!

Love,

LR

PS 

Here is more of my travel advice. 

Recent Obsessions

Dear Friends,

I just had a really hard midterm in Seventeenth Century Literature. It is all over now. Sigh.

Today I would like to tell you about some things that I have been obsessed with lately. I have been turning to these things in spare moments and they make me happy. Probably too happy.

Most of them happen to be on my phone.

1. Lumosity

This is a program that is meant to boost your mental processes like Flexibility, Speed, Attention, Problem Solving and Memory. Basically it is a series of games that you can play on your phone. I play them on my phone in the bathroom all the time. I have the free version so I can't unlock all their games, but there is no way I am paying money for this. To conclude, I do not know if I am smarter. I hope so, but I do not care that much. If you ever hang out with me and get worried because I have been in the bathroom for a long time...you will know why.

2. NPR

I have been taking a leaf out of my father's book.

This is his morning ritual:
5:30 AM - Pray
6:00 AM - Make breakfast while listening to NPR
6:30 AM - Wake up Paul Hugh and Isaac
7:10 AM - Walk to school

I have taken to using his routine because of my teacher aid position. I have to be at school at 7:50 AM so it helps to get an early start. NPR has been my companion. I like to stay on top of the news, but do not have a ton of extra reading time. That is why I love the radio. I have an app on my phone or I use the FM radio on my iPod. I always feel a little more confident when I know what's going on in the world.

3. Serial

Like I mentioned, I have been very into radio lately. I came across this program because one of my favourite bloggers mentioned it. It is a gripping show about a real-life murder case. It is hosted my an investigative journalist who actually goes through the process of re-opening a murder case because someone contacted her and thinks the man may have been wrongly convicted. It features actual interviews with suspects and witnesses. It is super well done and extremely fascinating. Check it out!

Thanks for stopping by and reading about the things that are floating my boat lately. I have many more "obsessions" that I will share later on. For now, Good bye!

Lucy Rose

Weekly Record Cartoon: The Pit, Funny Videos

Hey Guys,

This is my cartoon for this week's paper. My last one (which you can find here) was rejected for a yet undisclosed reason. Maybe it was too dark. Too weird? Sarcastic? Insensitive? This would not be the first time my cartoons have been rejected on the grounds of insensitivity. 

I hope that this cartoon doesn't ruin your day. I also hope that my relationship with the school paper can be restored. 

Good night, Dear Readers. 

Lucy Rose

PS

In case you are like me and had a bit of a down day here are some funny videos to help you feel a little better. 

1. This one is my absolute favourites: Peter Sellers pretending to be Laurence Olivier's Richard the Third. 

2. This one by Jenna Marbles is just bizarre, but I love it.

3. This one is also strange. So, so strange. But also beautiful. Thanks to Myra for introducing it to me.

Hope this was cheering unlike my cartoon.

How to Do a Winter Workout

Dear Humans,

Many of you have been asking how I stay in such good shape. "Lucy Rose, why are you so muscular and well-toned. You are incredibly fit! What do you do?!" Just kidding. No one has asked me.

BUT! Today I worked out with Sheldon in the Sports Centre. We did an intense workout on the indoor track. I led Sheldon in the method that I use in order not go crazy for running around and around a boring track.

Here's how to make your indoor track workout more interesting and more intense. It will work your whole body.

1. Run a few laps around the track. Start slow and speed up gradually. Just get warmed up.
2. Now you will start to incorporate some variations on the basic circuit around the track. Try these variations:

- Run a lap backwards. Watch out for other people!

- Run a lap with your arms completely extended above your head. It looks like surrendering. It looks dumb, but it is great for your shoulder muscles.

- High knees.

- Butt-kicks.

- Side criss-crosses. Run sideways (shoulder facing forward) and opposite leg crossing over the other leg.

- Lunges around the track.

- Do punches in the air as you run. Vary normal jabs with uppercuts and hooks. This also looks dumb.  Deal with it. You are fierce. No one can mess with you.

- Run a few laps with weighted backpacks or loaves. (That's what I called this.)

- Holding a weighted ball up to your chest.

Sheldon and I switched off choosing which variation to do. He is very trim and strong, but he does not work out with the regularity and intensity that I do. That is why he was dripping with sweat and exhausted. It was highly satisfying to make him feel the burn.

I am going to get to sleep now.

I hope this helps to make your Winter workouts less monotonous. And just in case you are brave enough to run outside this may help.

Love,
Lucy Rose

PS
I had a great outfit today. I carried my Converse shoes in a canvas bag so that I didn't have to walk in the heels to school. More Teacher Uniforms here and here.