polka dots and candy bars

I would now like to introduce, STATE OF ERIKA. While I'd like to pretend that this is some amazing new series that I've started that will regale you and leave you laughing, it's really just a forum for me to be candid--though, I've been told that bitter/cranky/hangry Erika has her hilarious moments. My long distance friends have been subject to emails of these same type from time to time (normally, after a long night rife with stories), so I thought I'd just write a general state of Erika for everyone to enjoy. Enjoy! Sleepy          I don't know what it is, but every time I've tried going to sleep this week, I've been amp'd up! I can't get to sleep without a lot of coaxing and series of yogic breathing. I wish I could say that it's because I have something SPECTACULAR planned at the end of this week that I'm really incredibly excited for, but I think the only thing that I've been looking forward to is vegging out and eating ...

Hello!! Did you miss me?? Sorry for my two-week hiatus, but Empire and Scandal aren't going to watch themselves. And, writing about my long distance runs are generally not entertaining for most (#sorrynotsorry). But, I'm baaaaaaacccckkk and going through my quarterly feeling of hair angst. Meaning, I want to chop all of my hair off and start anew. Be one of the cool girls that's able to pull off an edgy cut and still look completely feminine. And, let me tell you, finding hair inspo is HARD out there for a pimp. I am scouring the archives (like, early 2000s people) for short hairstyles, so that I don't say to my Dominican hairdresser with a love of sniping (which, I'm sure is true of most hair stylists, but my trims tend to leave me a couple of inches shorter than I originally planned), that I want something, "Edgy, but also can be cleaned up for work. You know, very Clare Underwood ." Because, I'm almost confident that: a) the word 'edgy...

....while watching the Oscar's drunk. I'm not going to pussy-foot around IT, you guys. I was pretty drunk for the Oscars. Not to mention the fact that I went to not one, but TWO, Oscar parties across town from each other. Somehow, I was still able to catch Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Director. I cheered during Patricia Arquette's speech  (in a completely quiet room, might I add. Now that I know that Meryl and JLo had my back, I feel a lot less self-conscious.), was confused about how lame Kerry Washington's dress was during the red carpet, and loved that Alejandro (I'm not even going to attempt his last name) ignored Sean Penn's comment. But, after logging onto Facebook, I realized that there were some things I missed. Things I missed: 1. Joan Rivers not being included in the "In Memoriam" --I definitely watched that sequence, but I think I was stuffing my face with a brownie (something that Joan would disapprove of, I'm ...

Photo credit: ThinkSoul25  Normally, I stick to the hard and fast rule of "No workout buddies, unless it's for a race". This has served me well, since sometimes, you want to be able to take your time on the treadmill, lift weights, do ab exercises, etc., without actually socializing with another person. Sometimes, it's nice to just be. However, there are other times when it's nice to have the camaraderie of another person sweating next to you on the treadmill. That person appreciates the fact that you dragged yourself out of bed at 6AM to make it to the gym and, therefore, does not judge you when you text, "OMG! I JUST WANT BACON" at 10AM. True story. Recently, my friend Mike and I have been working out together, as one does when they live a solid 10 minute walk from one another, and, because our schedules don't necessarily align, we always workout at the crack of dawn. Literally, I'm up at 5:30AM-6:30AM (depending on the day/the level of...

Love me, love me Ahhh, Valentine's Day. Or, Gal entine's day, depending on whether you are so persuaded. The day that makes otherwise confident woman feel mopey and puts most guys on edge. I've never really been one for Valentine's Day, outside of the tasty chocolates. Those  I love. However, when a co-worker pointed out to me that if I wait a day (not my strong suit, but I gave it a whirl) all of the Valentine's Day candy is AT LEAST 50% off. I officially became ALL ABOUT VALENTINE"S DAY. However, for those not entirely food motivated, Valentine's Day can be nerve-wracking, anxiety-inducing, and all around crummy. But, never fear, VERMONT TEDDY BEAR IS HERE!!! I'm not even joking guys, there were MULTIPLE commercials for this life size teddy bear a couple of days before Valentine's Day. Tag line being, "Why get her flowers or chocolate, when you can get her a large Vermont Teddy bear??" You have to almost feel sorry for the guy or...

Hey gang! I'm trying to take this blogging thing a bit more seriously, so look forward to some changes to the look of the blog, and, hopefully, some more interaction from yours truly. Feel free to leave comments in the space below OR email me at questions@polkadotsandcandybars.com , for any suggestions you might have or topics that you'd like to see covered! Thanks for reading! Erika 

Basically me in high school, but taken from Gretna Green Not literally, of course. High school's only bright spot was the light at the end of the tunnel--college. I am talking about the uniform that I wore. While I was in  high school, it was loathed. However, since then, I've found myself finding more and more reasons to wear black watch plaid (I don't know why, don't look at me like that!). It all started with the very chic and, somewhat off-kilter, look of black watch plaid pants that I bought from Lord & Taylor (yes, they still very much exist and things are a lot cheaper than I remember). Then, I found myself on a mad hunt for a black watch plaid shirt--though, admittedly, I saw a girl on the Metro wearing them with distressed jeans that had a very edgy, relaxed vibe that I couldn't resist. You get the idea: buy the shirt, look like the girl. Basically the premise of every advertising campaign ever. Anyway, I digress. Now, I've found myself lust...