My Top 10 Pet Peeeves

I can't stand it when... (remember: every sentence, except for the last, starts with "I can't stand it when...")
1...people chew loud (I will stay calm and not say anything for some time, hoping the person will get the hint (from the expression of my face, of course), but when the person keep chewing like a cow, I will turn ballistic on the poor soul).
2...companies list both their email and phone # on their contact page, and when you email them a loooooong letter with all your questions they reply and say, please call and give their phone number!!!! (Ugh!!!!!!!!! That company just lost my business. PERIOD. I got your email from the same page as your phone number. Why list the email address if you don't use it??? If I wanted to call I would have called, not emailed. HELLO!!! I am not blind, I just don't like being on the phone!!!)
3...friends are jealous of their friends having other friends! I did not marry you, I am allowed to have more than one friend.
4... friends compete with each other. I don't know about other people but I personally can't be friends with someone who constantly competes with me or makes me want to compete with them. Friendship is all about comfort. If I know we are competing I can never be open with you.
5...moms who think that they are specialists in childbirth just because they have kids to show for it. (If you have conducted enough research you know that every pregnancy and every childbirth is different and yours is not the only way. Teachers who teach childbirth classes report that first-time moms do best in class because they are more curious and pay more attention as opposed to 2+-moms who consider themselves experts in the matter. I wrote this one because some moms ask me about my childbirth plans and before I can utter a sentence, they jump in, interrupt me and say that I am wrong to think in this or that way (just because it differs from their experience). Read some books, do some research, watch some documentaires, take some classes people!!!!!!). As you can tell, this is a new pet peeve, lol.
6...people don't return their phone calls. (You didn't pick up, you're busy, I get it! You couldn't call that same day because you were tired after work/school/whatever, I get it! You don't return my call at all, ok, I'll let this one go. This repeats over and over again (without valid reason)...I won't pick up your phone calls any more. So don't act all surprised when I miss your calls over and over again. This surprise probably irritates me the most.
7...you argue with someone and to prove their point they bring up a fact from your life/personality/history that was told to them in confidence and when you were feeling most vulnerable. This is more than a pet peeve, I think. Do this to someone, and they will never look at you the same.
8...the following happens. You are extremely close with someone, you talk to each other any way you want: you can jokingly curse at each other, be rude to each other, basically act at ease with each other as if you were sisters/brothers/whatever, and then that person talks to you in that same way when there are other people around. And then when you're hurt (for a reason), they act as if they didn't do anything wrong, and your sensitivity is to blame.
9...someone donates to a charity or does good stuff for other people and others say, "Oh, he/she does that for tax return purposes". Ugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am not even going to get into this one. It is just too frustrating. (I mostly hear people saying this about my idol: Oprah, and it irritates me SO!!!!!) I hope you, the reader, are not one of those people. However if you are, comment below if you want to argue with me about this. I guarantee you an interesting argument!
10. Racists, ageists, sexists, other -ists, in short bigots, are my biggest pet peeves! I think everyone who knows me knows how strongly I despise bigotry!!!
The points are not in any particular order. They are not the only pet peeves I have either! I didn't plan this blog post. I just went with the flow and wrote whatever came to mind. Comment below if you would like to read more "top 10...." posts in my blog. Until then my loves!!!

The Organizational Freak In Me!

Hi everyone. So today I decided to write a blog about how I organize my makeup and fashion accessories. I would love to hear back from you; maybe we can learn from each other. Do now hesitate to share your own tips on organization.
Although it is important that the items I use for organizing be cute, the most important feature is by far functionality. I'm all about functionality. I will keep changing stuff and trying new items until I find exactly what I am looking for, i.e. something that makes me spend as little time as possible on a daily basis and something that is easy to maintain.

Let's start with makeup. So you know that you can buy MAC eyeshadows individually in a container, and that is fine if you are planning to have only a couple of their eyeshadows. But if you like the quality and price and you are planning to collect some, I would recommend getting their custom eyeshadow palettes and filling them with "pro palette refill pans". It is the exact same quality and color of eyeshadow. The only difference is that it is cheaper since it is already depotted. To save time on looking for the right colors I have color coordinated all my MAC shadows.
On the back of the cover I use stickers (purchased from Office Depot) to write down the name of each eyeshadow.

I organize all my eyeshadow palettes in a letter holder (also purchased at an office supply store). 

As to my makeup brushes, I put them in vases filled with bean bag filler (purchased from Joann's Fabric). 

The rest of my makeup fits into these containers (also purchased from ikea). I think it's supposed to be tupperware. It comes with a lid which I don't use. I kept the lids just in case. I think it will be very convenient to have them when we move out. I can just close the lid and transfer my makeup to my new place more safely. The cool thing about these containers is that they have 2 dividers that come off. It's pretty cool considering that you can have anywhere from 1 big drawer to 3 smaller ones. 

By the way, isn't it great that these containers fit into my vanity drawer so perfectly?!

As you can probably see the makeup is categorized into each drawer: foundation, blushes, concealers, paint pots and fluid lines, mascaras, tools, lip sticks, lip glosses and eye pencils. I have two other smaller drawers in my vanity that holds miscellaneous items. 

Moving on....nail polishes! I bought a nail polish holder from ebay and it fits more nail polishes than I have, which is cool given that I buy new colors all the time  :)

Jewelry... Braceletes were probably the hardest jewelry items for me to organize. No matter what I did, I wasn't satisfied. First I put them in one big drawer, then into three different drawers, but what I realized was that I needed to have them in sight to wear or else I would either use the same one over and over again or not use any at all. I finally bought this bracelet holder from ebay. 

What I like about it is that it showcases all my bracelets so it saves me time, plus I am more likely to wear one. What I don't like about it is the quality. It's basically a roll of cardboard wrapped with some black fabric.  However, I'm sure that there is a more durable version of this. I have seen them at accessory stores but I don't know where to get it from. It so irritates me that sale associates never know where the owners got them from lol. Forever 21 always has some nice quality ones to showcase their jewelry. I'm going to try to look more to find this same design with different material. Keep me posted if you know where I can get one from.

Next: belts and scarves. I finally found these hangers at www.organize.com. They are perfect for scarves, ties and belts because the hangers are designed to spin for quick access. I have another one holding my purses but I don't like it for purses that much since they take more space and are not really functional for big purses. However, these hangers work great for belts, scarves and your man's ties ;) 

By the way the pink hangers you see on the left are for my necklaces, earrings and rings. Each hanger has about 15 zipped drawers on each side. I got them either from TJ Maxx or Nordstrom Rack. I don't quite remember. I like that they are clear so you can see what's in them. I organize them due to size (long or short), color (gold or silver) and type (earring, necklace or ring). 

Below you can find links to all the items mentioned above. I hope this post was helpful to you guys :) Good luck.

Circular labels  http://www.officedepot.com/a/products/944009/Avery-Removable-Round-Color-Coding-Labels/

Letter holder (I used this kind before but I like my current one better because it's wider and fits my palettes better. Unfortunately, I can't find the one I have online, so I'm posting this kind) http://www.staples.com/Staples-Silver-Wire-Mesh-Letter-Holder-5-1-4H-x-7W-x/product_939746

Brush holders  http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/86933500

Vase fillers http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?pageName=search&flag=true&PRODID=xprd1131757

3 drawer containers for makeup (choose the 9x7x3 size from the drop-down menu) http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60118214#/10112525/

Vanity table (You didn't see the full vanity in the blog post, only the drawer with all my makeup. The big drawer is in the front. Those two little drawers on top are where I fit my miscalenaeous items) http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10121228

Nail Polish Rack - For this item, go to ebay.com and look for nail polish display rack 60

Belt, tie, scarf hanger http://www.organize.com/tiespinner.html

Dance Dance Revolution!

I have never felt as loved and cared for as I did yesterday at a friend's birthday party. After my pregnancy announcement on facebook most people were seeing us for the first time. Upon entering the restaurant everyone would come give us a hug and congratulate us saying how happy they were for us. It felt so great! We were like superstars :) As the party went on and everyone got up to dance, I also left my chair to join the others on the dance floor. I was so excited about that part of the party because I have so much passion for dancing! I can dance for days without ever wanting to stop :) The first dance was kind of slow, then mid-tempo, then it all began with the third dance! I was in the middle of it when someone whispered in my ear that I needed to take it easy. Then others started to call me to talk to me about the dangers of jumping around. I have massive education in pregnancy because I have been reading books about pregnancy and child-bearing since I was 15, took prenatal/postnatal classes at UCLA, have been doing research since we decided to conceive; so when they told me these ridiculous things about how "the baby is going to fall out of my uterus", I...let's just say I didn't laugh, because the person who told me that is someone I have so much love and respect for. I just told them that it was ok, that they should not worry because I knew what I was doing. I felt so touched though that there were so many overprotective people around me.Voicing their concerns and opinion about how I should take care of my pregnancy is completely fine with me. I have no problem with people worrying about me!!!!! Who doesn't love it, right? Concern equals love, and if I have that many people to love me, then I'm the richest person in the world! But when it gets to a point where someone almost grabs you mid-air and pulls you back...come on! Really?! It happened so many times I lost count! I'm dancing, having the time of my life, then next thing I know I'm in someone's arms who grabs me from my behind and gives me another lecture about how I should take it easy!... Let me describe how that made me feel. Everyone knows a girl like this: she is kind and smart and great and you all love her, but she changes 360 degrees when drunk. You love her so much you don't want her to do something stupid at a party, like get all over someone else's husband, so you are always next to her to make sure she doesn't embarrass herself in front of others. I felt like that girl yesterday, I swear! Another thing I felt was as if I was a 14 year old girl who thought that one becomes pregnant only when having intercourse during her period (she probably has a dog for a pet, lol, sadly there are so many uneducated teens like that!) and is suddenly surprised her tummy's getting bigger for no apparent reason! Now she knows she's pregnant, she goes to a party and wants to have the time of her life. Everyone's watching her on the dance floor to make sure the silly little one doesn't do anything irresponsible and uneducated again. Again, all that attention was so flattering but after telling them a couple of times that I didn't need to be babysat and still having to face the same thing over and over again...I guess I was just hurt at the lack of trust towards my good judgement :(
Let me bring up another interesting point :). Why is our worry and concern for others so much stronger when the responsibility lies exclusively on them? What I'm trying to say is...all that smoke in that little room was so much worse for my developing baby but no one seemed to be worried about that! I'm in no way saying I'm better than anyone else. If I were in their shoes I would act exactly the same. I would push the thought of a pregnant lady to the back of my mind not to feel guilty about smoking in the same room as her...I'm at a party, right? I'm here to have fun and be a little selfish! I get all that. I'm not trying to point fingers at anyone....All I'm saying is either care completely or not at all. You can't pick and choose! Jumping around and dancing is bad for my baby but a room full of smoke is fine?!
For those who don't have the proper knowledge about miscarriages, here's a tidbit of information from the American Pregnancy Association:

Why do miscarriages occur?
During the first trimester, the most common cause of miscarriage is chromosomal abnormality - meaning that something is not correct with the baby's chromosomes. Most chromosomal abnormalities are the cause of a faulty egg or sperm cell, or are due to a problem at the time that the zygote went through the division process. Other causes for miscarriage include:

Hormonal problems, infections or maternal health problems
Lifestyle (i.e. smoking, drug use, malnutrition, excessive caffeine and exposure to radiation or toxic substances)
Implantation of the egg into the uterine lining does not occur properly
Maternal age
Maternal trauma

Also, to make everyone have the certainty that I am fine and nothing has happened to me or the baby, I'm going to see my OBGYN this week, but meanwhile I talked to one of my UCLA professors and described everything in detail and had quite a long conversation with her. She confirmed everything I already knew. She says I'm fine. I should listen to my body and unless my body tells me otherwise, I should not alter my lifestyle :) Thanks for worrying and caring so much about me but seriously I'm not a teenager, I know what I'm doing hehe :)))))))))))))
P.S. The most curious thing....I think I liked the whole experience yesterday 'cause if there is one thing I love to do is shock people and be controversial lol. I actually enjoyed being thought of as crazy lol!!!!!!!!! I know that this might not seem crazy or controversial to other cultures but Armenians are a little too overprotective about pregnancy.....
P.S.2 I've been smiling the whole time while writing this blog; there is no anger or hurt in it, just humor and some food for thought hehe. If my writing does not demonstrate that, I wanted to make sure that you knew and felt the happy vibe in it :)))))))

About Relationships, Divorce and Mind-Reading

This blog is devoted to relationships. A healthy relationship is one of the main ingredients of a happy life. A healthy relationship is not a given though, i.e. it does not just happen. I'm a firm believer that you have to work on it. But let me define what I mean by "work". If there is one I don't mean by it is trying to change someone. Yesterday I heard a girlfriend of mine tell her fiance, "I hope you know that you are not going to do that after we're married. Do what you want NOW, but I am not going to tolerate that behavior after we are married".  I always wonder at people who think that marriage is in some magical way going to solve their problems. Why do they think that putting their signature on a marriage license, gives them the power to radically change their significant others. I think that might be one of the reasons why so many marriages end in divorce. I was with my husband, then boy-friend, for a long time before I got married. And the reason I did so, was to get to know him and come to terms with his ways; to be sure that I can be happy with him just the way he is. I had to love his flaws as much as his strengths. And let me just put it out there...I don't mean to say that change is bad. Change is actually great when the person wants to change. But if the person has no intention of changing, and you are constantly trying to push him/her to change, it means that you don't want that person. You don't love that person...you want someone else that isn't him or her. Your marriage license does not enable you to "mold" a person...and when you finally realize that, one of two things happens: you either end up living with that person without being happy or you get a divorce. So if you don't think you can be  happy with that person just the way he/she is then why even commit?!
Another thing that can make or break a relationship is the goal. For a relationship to be healthy and happy you need to make marriage as your goal not your wedding. (For those who never legally commit, living with someone should be the goal not moving in with him/her). You have to work on your marriage every single day! It is going to seem like I am expressing conflicting ideas here but just hear me out. By work, (among other things) I mean talking with each other. I think communication is the key to a healthy relationship! It is never good to hold things inside. Sometimes what you might think was the worst thing your significant other did might turn out to be the best thing he/she ever did when talked about it from his/her perspective. Instead of pulling your hair out and spending sleepless nights over it, you should talk about it. You might disagree but at least you know where he/she was coming from. Some people collect so many things inside over the years and never talk about them that one day they realize that they don't even love their partner any more. When trying to figure out why their love disintegrated and their relationship fell apart they are left with no answer. And here's why: while minor incidents are long forgotten, the anger and hurt and disappointment you felt when they happened stay with you, and over time they turn into indifference, contempt and sometimes hatred. It doesn't have to be that way. If people pay attention to small things as they happen and solve them, it won't get to a point of no return. A little rain never gets anyone's attention but a hurricane gets everyone's attention. You don't have to hire a divorce lawyer before you ask your significant other, "Where did we go wrong?" Instead, if you don't like something, right at that moment ask, "What am I doing wrong? Is there anything I did to hurt your feelings?" or "You know, I did not like the way you talked to me in front of so and so today". Always talk calm though, never confront a person but rather show them how eager you are to hear their point of view. Hear them, don't just listen! Try to understand what they are really saying. If you don't agree, express your point of view without screaming or in the worst case leaving the room and throwing a you-know-what-I'm-done at him/her. Disagreeing and agreeing are both good as long as you really hear each other out. (Thanks to communication, both my husband  and I have changed so much throughout years. However, we have never forced the other person to make that change. We have done that at will, after hearing each other out). You have to consider that you are two different people, you have had two different life experiences, you have grown up in two different families, and now you are making  one taking all that with you! We often expect people to act as we would in a given situation, but how you would act under circumstances is not necessarily how another person would! As I already said, we really are different people! Once I had an AHA! moment when my husband said, "I'm not a mind-reader, you know! If you wanted me to do that why didn't you just tell me so?" If you want something, ask! Do not expect it to naturally happen! If it does, great! But if not, it is not a shame to ask, right? None of us is a mindreader really!
What do you think? I would love to hear from you.

About My Daddy: The kid inside...

It was my father's 60th birthday today, and I decided to dedicate today's blog to him. There is so much to tell about my father. He really is an extraordinary person. He is kind, loving, caring, adventurous, loves life and everything it has to offer. There is so little he needs to be happy. I can't say he has been the best father to me or my siblings but he really is an extraordinary person. The reason he hasn't been the best father is not because he didn't want to but because he didn't know better. He was brought up without a father, and I think he never actually learned how to father himself. He has very high expectations of his children even when he didn't try his best to deserve their love and respect. He, like many other parents of his generation, thinks that his children "owe" him one way or another. I think he has changed throughout years though. He used to drink and when he was drunk, I despised being in his company. He was not abusive, NO! He never emotionally, physically or verbally abused anyone. He's way too kind for that. However, he would turn into this completely different person who I could never have respect for. He would talk about these irrational, immature and selfish things to which my reaction would be, "Is he serious, he can't POSSIBLY be serious!". There was a time in my life where I had to live with him for 3 years and that was the time when he turned from my best friend to a person who I almost despised. That was also the time when I realized that no matter how much I loved him and wanted him in my life, I could not EVER live with him... He drank heavily during that time too so I think that was the reason why our relationship transformed so dramatically during that period. One night I had to run away to my aunt's house at 3 AM in the morning because him and his lover (who had no sense of proper behavior whatsoever) almost emotionally killed me with their selfishness. Throughout my childhood and up until my late teens I ADORED him!!!! He meant EVERYTHING to me. He was my BEST friend...My high school years were filled with excruciating pain because of my peers and if it wasn't for him I might not have survived it. Actually not MIGHT, I WOULDN'T have survived it! Anything bad that happened...I knew I could go to him, and only minutes after our conversation I would feel light again. So it was painful to see how our relationship digressed during the time my mother was away. When my family finally reunited our relationship improved a little but it was nothing like before. My parents ended up getting a divorce, and I saw my father only once in a while and even that was more for the sake of habit than anything else. He was now completely alone...my brother didn't want anything to do with him, my sisters had had enough, and I was the only person who talked to him. One day I saw him and he was sober and he was so sad!!!! I said, "Dad, what's the matter?", and he told me how he had been thinking about how much he had hurt his children and how guilty he felt. He told me about the conversation he had had with my oldest sister and how he thought he had hurt her. I asked him if he was drunk when he talked to her and he nodded. I said, "Dad, alcohol is ruining your relationship with everyone, don't you understand that? I don't know how much longer I can handle it myself. You need to stop before you have lost everyone that matters. I don't LIKE you as a human being when you are drunk...you turn into this extremely selfish person and you need to do something about it". I didn't see my father for three whole months after that. The next time I saw him, he opened his wallet and gave me a gift...the best gift I have ever gotten!!! It was an alcoholics anonymous chip for three months. My father had been sober for three whole months! He has been sober for 3 YEARS now!

I wrote a status message in facebook today congratulating him (he's not on facebook, though:) and my oldest sister "liked" it. I got so happy and I told my father today that she says happy birthday. His eyes got so sad and happy at the same time. He said, "I wish she could see how much I have changed. I wish the day will come when she will forgive me because if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have made this radical change to my life. She was my wake-up call, and I have to thank her for every sober day I live...".

I hope he will continue his commitment to sobriety, and that one day we can all live happily ever after :) But for everyone to come around, I think we need a little more time :) I just wish it's not too late. I love you daddy!