When Life Gives You Lemons

When life gives you lemons, what if you don't want to make the lemonade? Everyone has problems, sometimes they spring up out of no where, or in my case, drip from the ceiling out of no where. My problem didn't actually drip out of no where, it began in 2009. Instead of replacing the leaking air conditioning unit that was poorly installed during the 1995 construction of our home (my husband bought it in 2002), we decided to bandage it up, a quick-fix. You know what band-aides do eventually? They fall off. After numerous band-aide replacements, we had to bite the bullet and replace our air conditioning unit. 

Of course we shopped around. After having multiple people come in to look at it,  some  never returned our follow-up calls, even a "family friend" (I use this phrase lightly).  We finally found a company who decided to take on the challenge. 

I better enjoy this new air conditioner, because this is my vacation for next year.  

What did I learn about this entire experience? Well, as so many of you know I love makeup, movies, travel, books, shoes, clothes, electronics and handbags, but even with occasional "shopping spree" I am quite the "little saver". I'm not stressing about this home renovation project. I just want to get it done!

I also learned not to rely on the "cheap" band-aide fixes because those will just lead to a bigger, more expensive problem in the future.  

My husband, the funny guy that he is, told me that I couldn't buy anymore books. This made me chuckle. I told him, "You needn't worry, I buy used." 

Black Panther Review

****For some reason, the coloring is off on this blog. I tried to fix it the best I could. Sorry in advance. 

How can I come across in this review and not sound like a Debbie Downer? I had super high expectations for Black Panther and while my expectations weren't quite met, I still enjoyed the movie.

First off, the last Marvel outing, Thor Ragnarok, blew my mind. Every other Marvel film will now be set to that standard. It took Thor, three outings before they finally succeed in making a cool film. Even Kenneth Branagh couldn't get it right. 

Black Panther is such a multi-faceted character, he's a king and a superhero. He must protect the people of Wakanda, and yet also be a part of regular society. I loved his (Black Panther's) first outing in Captain America: Civil War. I love Chadwick Boseman! He's very nice too look at, especially on the cover of Rolling Stones Magazine. On that note, here's what I thought about the characters/actors.  

I've loved Chadwick Boseman since 42 and he was great in Marshall too. He is amazing as T'Challa. Lupita Nyong'o as Nakia is great too, but I couldn't help but hear the voice of Maz Canata (I wonder why?). My favorite character by far was Letitia Wright as T'Challa's sister, Shuri. She was funny and strong willed and kicked some butt on her own. I couldn't help but feel annoyed at Michael B. Jordan's, Erik Killmonger. I get that he's upset about being left behind, but what about his mother? She isn't mentioned except for once, when they say that his father, Sterling K. Brown (Randall from This Is Us, the BEST show on the planet) fell in love with an American. We don't know much about his life growing up. T'Challa had no idea that this man existed. Why must T'Challa pay for the sins of his father, who wasn't a bad guy to begin with. I don't clearly understand why T'Challa's dad didn't take Erik with him in the end anyway. This is the problem I had with the movie. The fact that Michael B. Jordan's character felt to entitled to a throne that didn't belong to him.  In the end there was no redemption in his character either, and that annoyed me. 

The action was just ok. There weren't too many on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments. I thought those  very few moments, were what we were given in the promos/commercials for the movie. There were a few fight scenes, but nothing to wow me the way Captain America: Civil War did. My husband fell asleep in this movie and he didn't fall asleep when we watched Fifty Shades Freed. What does that tell me. This couldn't hold his interest.  He did say he wanted to see Black Panther again, probably to watch all that he missed when his eyes were closed and his snoring got too loud. 

The visual effects were great, except the spaceship in the sky. I didn't like that. I thought it was silly. Why would no one mention this fancy spaceship in the 80's or question why it was flying overhead? I love how Wakanda is so exotic. 

I'm not all too familiar with the Black Panther mythos. In fact, I'm not too familiar with much of the Marvel mythology, just what I've read and learned in the more recent years. I think that because I heard so many amazing things about this movie before I went to see it, my expectations were just too high. As I mentioned Thor earlier, I had low expectations for that movie. Thor and Thor: The Dark World weren't that great, then they released Ragnarok, which was a super fun ride. The opposite could be said about Iron Man. I thought the first in the trilogy far surpassed the two sequels. Anyway I digress (as per my usual). 

I liked the acting, that wasn't the problem. The storyline wasn't as great as I thought it could be. I  feel a bit burned out by the amount of Marvel/DC action films being released, and yet I feel the need to watch them all. 

I would give Black Panther 3.5 out of 5 Pink Gerber Daisies. 

On a side note someone I know asked me if this film was about the rise of the Black Panther movement of the sixties. I had no words. 

Things That Make Me Happy in 2018: Day 25

Because I want to make sure that I post daily, and sometimes I'm not near my computer, I posted a few days on Twitter. Here is my list of things that made me happy today.

1. My little dog Mia was so happy to see me today when I got home from work, that she hijacked my Snaps. It melts my heart that she loves me so indiscriminately. 

2. I got a bunch of amazing makeup in the mail today!! Two Violet Voss Palettes and the ABH Prism Palette.

3. It's Friday and my little bugger Sammy won't leave my side. I have two pups Sammy and Mia. Here's a photo for good measure.

I Spend TOO Much Money on Stuff.

Looking back on my 2017, I've realized that I spend way too much money on "stuff" (a word I tell my students never to use in an essay). I'm not talking about the essentials like groceries, gas, car payment and utilities, I'm talking about all of the other things. Do I think that I'm a compulsive shopper? Maybe, that's why I'm trying to set some goals for myself. I have to STOP shopping. 

I was unemployed for 2 years and didn't shop at all. I wore clothes with holes and spent all the money that I had saved. Don't get me wrong, I have a savings now, but It doesn't have quite the amount that I would like or that I once had prior to my unfortunate circumstance (unemployment).  I learned at that time, that I didn't need "stuff" just because I wanted it. I really have to go back to that way of thinking. Just because I want something doesn't mean I need it.

Listed below are the things I spend my money on. I use my gift cards, but often times I go over the amount and have to spend some of my own money. 

1.  Makeup:  I'm obsessed with it. Days that I go without, my husband tells me I look beautiful. I know I don't wear it for him. I wear it for me. Putting on a face of makeup is very relaxing to me. It's like an art project, where you're painting a picture, in this case the picture is your face. 

2. Clothes: What girl doesn't like clothes? (and weights fluctuate, unfortunately).

3.  Shoes: See the comment from above.

4. Jewelry: Same sentiment as point #2

5. Purses: Same as above, BUT!!!! Once a year my husband go to Vegas. There is an outlet mall that we go to and  I usually hit up the Coach outlet store. I have one not to far from me. For some reason we never shop there.  In 2016, my husband and I went to Orlando and also went to the outlet mall there. I bought a bag, so when we traveled to Vegas in 2016, I didn't buy a thing. When we went to Vegas for the new year, I bought two.

6.  Books:  I love to read, but I have a backlog of books that would keep me entertained for the next five years. Many of my books (except those purchased at Barnes and Nobel with a gift card) are bought at used book stores or library book sales. 

7.  Movies: My husband and I got to the movies often. I love movies because I don't have to give them the long term commitment I would a television show. Don't get me wrong, I have a few shows I watch on regular T.V., I just prefer film. We know how expensive movies can be. 

8.  Coffee: I get Starbucks for free, It's a Grind I have to pay for. 

9.  Travel:  From this list, this is probably my favorite thing to do. An airplane ticket is very pricey, let alone two.

10: Entertainment other than movies: My husband and I like to do new things. This means tickets to Cirque de Soleil, concerts, musicals, plays, art exhibits, etc. These things cost money, but they're also giving us AMAZING experiences. This isn't considered "stuff", therefore these are the things that I will continue to spend my money on. 

For the month of January I implemented a "no buy zone", meaning that I am not buying anything other than food for the household. I will be shopping from my own stash. And as I write this, I realized that I did buy some shower gel and a blush from Flower Beauty. I also needed cotton balls, so I'm not sure if that counts. 

Moral of this lesson, I hated being unemployed, I really did, but I liked having a more simple life. 

A Year to be Thankful Day 12: Three Things That Make Me Happy

I didn't miss my post yesterday, about the three things that make me happy, I just posted in to twitter. This is what I posted. The color will be off a bit off because I copied and pasted from my Twitter page.

Since I won't be home until later to write these on my blog I'm going to give my list of things that make me happy here. 1. I'm in Long Beach. 2. I'm eating yummy fish tacos. 3. I got to watch The Good Doctor #Happy2018 #LongBeach #thegooddoctor

A Year to be Thankful Day 11: Three Things That Make Me Happy

Three things that make me happy this 11th day of 2018...

1.  I met my new neighbor.

2.  I have a three day weekend. 

3.  I can't wait for the new peach palette from Too Faced!!! I love makeup.

A Year to be Thankful Day 9: Three Things That Make Me Happy

Today's three things that I am happy about.....

1. I got to hang out with my friends Lilli and Anthony at Portos. This was the first time they met.

2. I was able to watch This is Us, what an amazing show.

3. I saved a bunch of Roxette songs on my Spotify and decided to put on a concert for my husband last night.  I wouldn't call it a concert so much, it was more like my off key singing was making him laugh out loud (LOL). It was hard to sing with a straight face. 

A Year to be Thankful Day 8: Three Things That Make Me Happy

Three things that make me happy on this eighth day of my happiness goals:

1.  I watched I, Tonya.

2.  I love Strangers Things 2 and even more the fact that Sean Astin is in it this season.  I LOVE Sean Astin. Once a Goonie, always a Goonie. 

3.  This is Us is back from hiatus. 

A Year to be Thankful Day 7: Three Things That Make Me Happy

Day seven of things that make me happy.

1. I'm watching Lady Bird.

2. I made grilled cheese sandwiches and soup for dinner. 

3. It's RAINING!!!! 

A Year to be Thankful Day 6: Three Things That Make Me Happy

I will be a day behind this entire year. I didn't start doing this until Jan 2. 

1.  I loved The Greatest Showman. I watched it last night with my hubby. What a great movie!

2. I'm really enjoying Something Blue, the sequel to Something Borrowed.

3. The makeup concierge in Target told me she liked my outfit. She wasn't working at the time, so I think she actually meant it. 

A Year to be Thankful Day 5: Three Things That Make Me Happy

Day five of things that make me happy.

1. I'm meeting up with some friends tonight.

2. I went to my favorite coffee house to relax.

3. It's cozy in my house and I'm compiling a list of my favorite movies from July-December.

A Year to be Thankful: Day 4 Three Things That Make Me Happy

So this year I've decided to post a quick daily journal of the things that I am thankful for  in 2018. I've been posting three things a day on my Twitter account @JonelleME. I'm going to post not only to Twitter, but to my blog too. Today is day four for me.  I'm going to post today, but I'll copy and paste the last three days from Twitter below. 

Day 4: 1.  I'm going to see a movie with my hubby.  2.  I used Uber twice today, by myself. The first Uber driver dropped me off in the wrong place, but that makes me laugh more than it makes me angry. 3.  I bought some makeup and had an amazing facial today and my skin feels amazing.  4. I finished The Princess Diarist.

Here are the Twitter posts from the last few days

Day 3: of things I'm thankful for in 2018 #blessed #Grateful #2018goals #GoalsOf2018 #goals 1. I'm with my dogs again 2. My door on my Honda is finally getting fixed. 3. I'm getting a facial tomorrow.

Day 2: #Happy2018 #happiness #goals #NewYearNewYou #2018goals I had a great time in Vegas. I'll see my pups soon. I have my health.

Day 1: 3 things I'm happy about 1. I'm with my hubby drinking coffee. 2. I'm on vacation. 3. I bought some makeup. #2018goals this year in going to post 3 positive things a day. #Happy2018 #positivity

I'll be posting these daily. Thank you to my cousin Stacey who gave me the idea in the first place. She said it takes 28 days to change your outlook. This is a way to make sure I'm being held accountable for the changes I'm trying to make in my life.