ClandestineChic

Image Source: We Heart It

I hope everyone reading this had a great holiday weekend, possibly enjoyed Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping, and spent lots of time with their loved ones.

I am back.  No, really, I am. I’ve missed this blog.   I went on a bit of a blogging sabbatical for the last week or so.  What did I do?  The picture above pretty much explains it all.   I’ve been doing a lot of reading, lounging around, watching horrible, one-star movies,  and contemplating the year of 2009 and going into 2010.   As someone who spends hours on the computer every day, sometimes I feel like I have to take a break.   I was minimal with my contact on Twitter and emails, and I’ve resisted the urge to window shop online for hours at a time.

With all of that being said, I am going to be updating my blog roll (something that I have not done in a long time and I’ve been neglecting, sorry!).  If I have not added your blog to my blogroll and you would like to be added, please let me know!

Earlier this evening, I visited my friend, Ms. Sister Baby at her home to work on a project.  I hadn’t been over to visit  for some time, so when I walked into her room, I immediately noted her jewelry collection.  I noted that she always wears at least one piece of jewelry every time I see her, but I didn’t know that her collection was this large. Also, most of her items have been handed down to her by her grandmother. As I’ve been working on  my sparse jewelry collection, I definitely admire her assortment of jewelry, especially her vintage pieces.   She let me snap a few pictures, although she objected that the jewelry layout was “messy”, but I thought it was really cool:

As my hair has been a hot mess as of late and it doesn’t seem to have any intentions on changing and I don’t think I have any intention on making it change, I’ve come to appreciate the ornate headbands and hair accessories that are out and quite popular these days.  To be quite honest, if someone thinks I have a bird’s nest on my head, I’d rather them be distracted by that than the state of affairs that is my hair.  Hair clips, headbands, hats, I don’t care–I want it all.

Image Source: Bitching & Junkfood

Image Source: Urban Outfitters

I would like to thank the always  creative and fabulous Pretty Robotic for this lovely Kreativ Blog award.   I’m very honored to receive an award , especially from a blogger who is highly creative and churns out great posts on the regular.  Thank you very much, Pretty Robotic!  When I first began writing this blog, I honestly just wanted to open up an outlet for me to express myself and not feel like I was performing a  “job”.  And this never feels like a job, so it’s worth it.   So to follow the rules in receiving this award, I must:

1.  List  7 things that you don’t already know about me.

2.  Name 7 other blogs to receive this award

3.  Leave a comment on each of the blogs I nominated

4.  Thank the person who gave you the award.

So here we go.  The 7 things you don’t already know about Clandestine Chic:

1. I got my first job at the age of 13, working at my local pool for the summer.  Reason being?  My allowance was okay, but I wanted more money to shop for new clothing.  My first clothing purchase with my first big paycheck?  A pair of cutoff Levis shorts  from Nordstrom for $13.  I stay classy.
2. I’ve written about my favorite holiday being Halloween, and my least favorite holiday?  Christmas.  Yes, bah humbug, I am a scrooge.  Not that I become necessarily moody or irritable on Christmas, but I just don’t really like the holiday.  Don’t worry, I still hand out gifts to loved ones and sing “Joy to the World” with carolers, but the day itself usually entails me to laying on the couch watching the “A Christmas Story” marathon and finally dragging myself up mid-day to see family.  This isn’t some fairly new thing, either.   Look at me with Santa circa 1993-1994 and giving someone the “Whatever” face:
   

   I was not amused...

3. I am an only child.  I’ve found that there are some great pros and some great cons to not having any siblings. If I had the choice, however, I think I would have at least one sibling.
4. I am deathly afraid of snakes.  I can’t even stand the sight of them on television.  My skin starts to crawl and I feel dizzy every time I even think I hear the slithering of a snake on the ground.
5. I have never lived outside of Illinois and I think it’s taking its toll on me.  I need to move around more and experience more.  Chicago is a lovely city and it will always be my hometown, but it is time to go.
6. Okay, some of you may know this, so I am kind of breaking the rules, but I am a Sims-O-Holic.  I love playing the Sims and I’ve been addicted to the game for quite some time now.  Whether it’s the Sims 1, 2, or 3,  I am a loyal follower.  I’m the person who buys all of the expansion packs, mourns when I accidentally kill my Sims in a fire and loses sleep  because “one more hour” turns into an all-night extravaganza.
7. And last, but not least: I am a pre-K dropout.  Yes, at the tender age of 4, I decided that pre-school was no longer for me and I dropped out.  Luckily, my dad worked a night shift, so he was able to watch me in the mornings (although, he probably wanted to sleep), so I kind of got off easy.  The reasons I dropped out were due to what was probably some separation anxiety (see number 3) and being ignored after I fell off a see-saw.   However, I am living proof for all parents with children in pre-K  that there is a glimmer of hope if a kid drops out.  I’m not trying to advocate children not attend pre-K at all, but I’m just saying, if they don’t make it through, it can be okay.  Me?  I just watched lots of Sesame Street, Fraggle Rock and read Berenstain Bears, so I did feel a bit prepared when I joined the other kids in kindergarten.

Now, to pass on this prestigious award on to other creative bloggers, I choose:

1. Dream Sequins

2. Marian Kihogo

3. Breakfast at Saks

4. The Art of Accessories

5. A Stylized Hysteria

6. Wicked Whimsy

7. What Was I Thinking