Why I hate cookie cutters

SKIM AND READ BOLD ONLY FOR A SUMMARY. This puppy is LONG.

Let's face it cookie cutters SUCK. I don't mean the colorful shapes cutting your homemade dough (be honest, you bought it) into snowmen and animals and hearts and other fun things to decorate.
I mean the cookie cutters of life. Mainly post 18-year old American life.

Here's my favorite list of them. And by favorite I mean, absolute most bogus (in no particular order).
Not sure why I am feeling pretty fiery about this tonight, so be warned: ZERO FILTER.
And remember folks, I am no expert on any of these. I just have an opinion and I am more than willing to voice it.

1. Graduate high school and go to college.
Right, because our country needs MORE than 37 million people adding to the $1,011,654,459,649 in total outstanding loan debt right now. Countless stories can be found of motivated students and their co-signer parents who wound up declaring bankruptcy because the monthly payments were impossible. The jobs their degrees WERE for either didn't exist, weren't hiring or only hiring "with experience". Don't tell me I need a degree to do the work I want to do -guess what else they want, a little thing called life. Experience in the field. Hands on learning. A degree doesn't get you that. Your degree got your foot in the door, his experience got him the job.

I know this can be rebutted profusely, but in short-the debt isn't worth it. Unless you follow your passions to becoming a doctor or a lawyer etc. where the degree and experience go hand in hand, why not just go find an internship after high school and work your way up? It would be a shit ton less debt. Even getting multiple certifications (cosmetology, hair, carpentry, etc) to discover what you actually might be passionate about could cost less than uni-debt-land.

Not that I have any room to give parenting advice, buuuut I nannied for awhile so it almost counts. Force your kids to eat veggies, not go to college. With that being said, also don't let your kid be a mooch off you until he's 40. HELLUUUR. Advocate for your children as soon as you can- help them discover what they love. Give them the space to be themselves, create themselves and be the man or woman of God they are called to be. Even if it's not what you envisioned. The worst feeling for a child is knowing they disappointed their parents. Don't set that bar there, live in the possibility that your child is going to discover what they're passionate about and they'll tackle it with every fiber in their being. Can you imagine what they'd be capable of if they had that kind of support?


2. Get married, by a house and go on vacations.
Pass. I don't even feel like writing about this one anymore. It's been so viral on the internet and that deflates all my interest in writing about it.
I will say, wherever you are at, be content there. Don't rush a thing. *notetoself*

3. Graduate from college and get a "big boy" job.
Refer to Number 1.
Also..are you freakin kidding me!? You just spent the last 4, okay 5, years of your life inside freezing dingy classrooms and now you have on "real world" goggles? You did not pay $27,000 to get a degree AND get brainwashed. For the love of the world, you're (probably) 23 years old, single and haven't been to 90% of the world, and if you have, skip this one entirely.
Why lock yourself in to corporate America so soon? You can't even afford the suits yet. Get a temp job, a couple of roommates, maybe eat ramen.. but SAVE some money (I know, the loan payments suck, but I won't say told ya so). And then go with said roommate to a new land. Maybe it's the other coast, maybe it's Croatia, maybe it's a volunteer trip. I don't know, but you need that more than you need that resume sent to 900 CEOs or whatever.
See the world. See the world. See the world. 
Open your eyes to some culture. Corporate America and classy suits will be there. Shoot, maybe you'll discover your dream job along the way.

4. Go on a honeymoon somewhere beautiful.
Contrary to the last post, I find honeymoons to be like the puppy strollers that litter the Boca Town Center Mall: unnecessary, overdone.
How about you and your new wifey go on a mission trip together. Or invest that money in the life of an orphan. Or find something that the two of you have huge hearts for and support that. It's like fancy beautiful honeymoons happen because they "are supposed to be". Nooo. You probably blew a pretty penny on that wedding (THAT's another post) so boot the honeymoon.
*You'rewelcomefuturehusband*


5. Mannequins, numbers and sizes interpret what you should look like.
I overheard women yesterday while I was at work saying something along the lines of, "Well, yeah, that's cute, but not everyone looks like that. Nobody is really built like that. Get real.", says the 90 pound yogi to her friend. Bitch, please.
There is NO mannequin that can please everyone. You know how many mannequins we would have on our walls if we did? And someone would still get left out. Be realistic - that mannequin serves to show you what a FREAKIN PAIR OF YOGA PANTS LOOK LIKE, not what you should look like, not what you should weigh and not how tall you should be. If you think they serve to show you the latter then reading my blog is probably step one to waking you the eff up.
If you want cake, eat it. Don't whine about our mannequins for making you feel inadequate though. 


6. Sugarcoating unhealthy and/or obese OR super-fit and healthy, because everyone deserves to be "_____" (insert happy feel good phrase here.)


7. Cookie cutter houses are THE biggest offender. Get the H outta here. blech.


...maybe to be continued

Little People Closet For Sale

Purging the "stuff" before I go to Kuwait. If any of my fellow petite lady friends would like anything, please let me know! I also have a few bedroom pieces of furniture. We can haggle a price ;)

Gianni Bini size 6

Francesca's size S

Minuet size S

As U Wish size S

I.N San Francisco size 5 (missing button clasp)

Alyn Paige NY size 3/4 (discoloration from a purse on right armpit)

OC OC size 0

Cotton On size XS

Peppermint size S

J. Crew size XS

White House Black Market size S

White House Black Market size M

bebe size S

Handmade by Paige Arms Approx size 2/4

Chelsea Violet size S

Left to right: Gray White House Black Market size 4, White eyelet Anne Taylor LOFT size 0, J.Crew Blue shorts size 2, Lucky Brand bermudas size 4, Gray and Pink Hot Kiss shorts size 1/3?, Almost Famous denim cutoffs size 3/5?

Hi/Lo XXI skirt size S

J.Crew High Waisted sailor pants, never wore them way too big for me. Size 4

XXI skirts lace size M, solid red size S and red/white size 27

Left to right: Anne Taylor LOFT high waisted jeans (hemmed) size 0, Anne Taylor LOFT Mint jeans size 0, Anne Taylor LOFT orange crops 2 petite, a.n.a white crops size 4 petite, GAP skinny jeans with tiny white polka dots size 0

Reaaaallllly vintage boots. I think they are a size 6 or 7W.

Night Stand (needs to be glossed or repainted..DYI fail haha)

Desk/Vanity and Stool

Storage Drawers

IKEA book shelf

Random Lamp

Artwork

Q8: Not Facetious

Which one is not like the others:

Move to San Antonio: May 2011
Move within San Antonio: October 2011
Move to Austin: April 2012
Move to Boca Raton: August 2012
Move to Tampa: February 2013
Move to Austin (again): August 2013
Move to Kuwait: February 2014

HOLY POOP.

It's the last one, in case you were wondering. Wanna know why it's not like the others?
Duh, it's another continent.
BUT, it's also a commitment for and to the future, not just a stepping stone to get me to part B or C of life. Ground floor of new possibilities. Threshold of opportunities. Beginning of a new role- same Coach Sasha, different game plan. Canvas for creation.
Cheers to Kuwait 2014.


Now rewind..for those of you who are just joining and hearing this for the first time:
Yes, I am moving to Kuwait. Because I was recruited for a pretty amazing opportunity doing exactly what I love to do. (If you don't know what I love to do then you are probably a really poor friend.)
No, I'm not going to get stoned there because I'm American, but thanks for asking.
Yes, it's Islamic and they wear those "head thingys" you speak of.
Yep, dry country too.
I will be there for at least a year.
Yes, a WHOLE year.
Sure, I'll miss things and people. But Austin will be here when I get back. Lululemon will be here when I get back. Crossfit will be here when I get back. Heck, even Barton Springs will be here when I get back. 'Merica ain't goin anywhere just cause I am.
Yes, I can still be a Christian there. Yes, I intend to take my faith with me (am I supposed to leave it in my seat on the place ride over or something?)
Yes, I can go to church there, be a light there, be hands and feet there and LOVE the snot out of those people. I can and will.

Capiche?!



(If you are a true friend, or just like mail, and would like to do me a HUGE favor, send me your mailing address. No, I don't have to rely on snail mail in Kuwait, but I would love to write a lot more letters before I go.) If you don't like snail mail..go home.