I'm Back x2...And This Time I'm Bringing Sexy With Me

Heard that song on the radio today, lol...So, it's been a while. I just haven't been in the mood to write lately, particularly about beauty. My life hasn't felt very beautiful lately. It's sadly just trudging along, waiting for the right time for lots of good things to happen. Namely, once this month ends and I can go home to New York and do some traveling and prepare for the next phase of my life's journey.

I have gotten back into art lately -- making greeting cards. Oh my gosh, I've turned my bathroom into a spray paint studio! I will definitely post some of my work up here in the future.

I've also started watching Asian dramas and am totally hooked! I'm currently watching the Taiwanese version of "Meteor Garden," a show about a poor girl who becomes the rival-turned-love-interest of the richest boy in their very affluent college. It's got drama, romance, humor and more. I'd definitely recommend it! This show and more are available for free -- for those of you who don't know -- on MySoju.com.

Anyway, on to the sexiness...I was in a good mood after conducting an interview for my job today. (The interview had nothing to do with sexy-anything, to make that clear!) I met with a man to discuss his volunteer work as a court advocate for children for a story I'm writing. During the discussion, he explained that he'd decided while he was still working full-time that once he hit retirement, he would devote half his time to volunteer work and half to personal time.

Now that he's retired, he said he does just that. He volunteers with a slew of other organization, he and his wife travel, he reads books, he exercises, etc. What he kept saying is that when it comes to what someone gets involved in, it's all a matter of priorities; What's important to you to get done? It might not be the same goals as your neighbor or your friend, and that's fine. It's about determining what matters most to you and making it happen.

We all only have 24 hours in a day. We can't change the past, whether it was good or bad. What do you make priorities in your life from this point on?

This made me realize that I was putting too much of my energy into wasteful and silly things when I have to keep my head focused on the game, on the bigger picture. It made me think how sometimes I let important matters fall to the wayside. I'm not directionless by any means, but admittedly, since leaving college I've had lots of aspirations and barely know where to start. It's definitely comforting and empowering for me to consider the fact that I really can do a lot to influence my destiny. And I think an important step is defining some of my priorities and continuing to let those aspirations guide me in a positive way, instead of succumbing to anxiety about what I messed up in the past or what I'm afraid I can't do.

I left the interview feeling pumped -- the guy was really, really nice too, so it was enjoyable to lunch with him -- spent a hot hour on the Metro, and got back to the shopping mall where I was parked. I try not to shop on a whim but I fell in love with two rings in Charlotte Rousse today.

Forgive the lackluster photos, but let me share some sexy with you:

And by sexy I mean glamorous, empowered, bold, happy. I never wear rings on my pointer finger but that's where it fit best, and there's something I like about it there. I rarely wear big rings like this either, but hey, sometimes it just works!

The ring looks like the petals are lacquered. I think it's kind of retro-feeling. It cost $4.

The polish, which did not photograph well, is "Feverish Rose" by Sally Hansen. It's a dark-Barbie-esque pink. I topped it with a sparkly clear polish by Wet 'n Wild, which is subtle but noticeable. So these nails are quite girly!

Combine the ring, the nails, and a dose of self-confidence and...for a moment, I feel like I could take on anything in this world. :)