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Archive for April, 2013

my latest issue: dove “beauty”

Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, I suspect you are familiar with Dove’s “real beauty” campaign. It has been going on for some time, and it’s supposed purpose is to show that all women are beautiful magical creatures and we must all celebrate how amazing we all are and reject cultural norms of what is beautiful. I have called bullshit on these from the beginning, and the latest round of ads featuring a “social experiment” gets me even more ragey than usual. I have seen too many women I would normally consider reasonable and intelligent turn into blubbery messes over these ads. They somehow miss all the problems with this “experiment” and how all of the women featured still fit a very specific standard of beauty. One even beyond the usual standards of the industry.

Dove “Real Beauty” Sketch Ad

While I accept and celebrate that we are all different and special for different reasons, I also accept and celebrate that this includes skill sets and talents. Some have exceptional skills in logic or math. Some are brilliant artists. Some have incredible bone structures that Michelangelo himself could not have sculpted if he tried. There are even those special few that possess many or all of these. (Natalie Portman or Geena Davis, anyone?) One or the other doesn’t trump all. Beauty and brains are equally important, and equally unimportant. Some people are destined to be neurosurgeons. Some are destined to get trash from point A to point B. Some are destined to wear clothing and strut the runway. Society needs all of these, and they all require specific skill sets. There are countless occupations such as these, and all are important. Just because one isn’t cut out for one doesn’t mean they are worthless. It means they are cut out for something different and just as important. They are just as worthy of love and adoration, regardless of skill set or physical attributes. This includes loving yourself. Yes, I dare to say it, you don’t have to think you are beautiful! It doesn’t mean you don’t love yourself, it doesn’t mean you aren’t worthy of love. It means that you are a valuable person, it means you have valuable skills. It even means that someone else may still think you are beautiful! After all, like art, beauty is subjective. All of this is fine. After all, wouldn’t life be awfully boring if everyone thought the same thing was pretty?

Dove ads are trying to take “average” women and make them models. That’s fine, I suppose. However, as I previously mentioned, every job requires a certain skill set. In the case of modeling, it requires a certain physicality and, for print work, one to be photogenic. Neither of those requirements are necessarily equivalent to beauty. Most models need to be clothes hangers. If you have ever done any fashion sketching, the proportions in sketching are different than average proportions. The closer one’s proportions are to these (longer body, smaller head, the longer the legs are in proportion, the better), the better suited they are for fashion modeling. These proportions are not “ideal.” If you look at the classic DaVinci piece “The Vitruvian Man” you would see that these people aren’t “ideal.” There has been outcry recently that the fashion world should change the requirements for modeling. That this isn’t representative of what “real” people look like. Last I checked, these models had skin and bones and breathed in and out just like every other being. They just have unusual body types. I agree that eating disorders should be looked for, however, I know that not all models have eating disorders. There are actually people who can eat how they want and are still slim. I’m related to a couple of them, but am not one of these people myself. Yet, it has become fair game to accuse the naturally slender of having an eating disorder. To tell them they are gross, or not real, or to eat a cheeseburger. I have yet to hear someone say that it’s wonderful that someone found a job that uses and celebrates their natural slender state and unusual proportions. Yet, I have heard lots of women just thrilled that Dove is bucking the trend and using “average” women. However, how average are these women? I guess if you are trying to reach the majority, which are white women, then yes. High fashion does a better job of celebrating diversity than the usual Dove ad.

I will admit that the Dove advertisers are good. They know how to trigger emotions. They use clever language to tell us just how important it is to be pretty, under the guise that it’s okay to not be beautiful. These sketch ads are especially sneaky. They have all these intelligent women watching them in tears, sad that women just don’t understand how pretty they are. None of these women realize they are being played. First, the experiment is flawed. While these are some of the top forensic sketch artists in the country, they are working under unusual conditions. They know that they will be drawing the “flawed” version that the individual sees first, followed by the “attractive” version the stranger sees. Further, in a true sketch situation, the person offering the description can see the sketch to see if what is being drawn is accurate to what they are describing. The adjectives one may use would be different than what another would use or because of limited vocabulary and this provides an opportunity to ensure that the drawing is accurate to what is being described. For instance, the word round could be used to describe simply the shape or to describe weight. Second, the sample shown in the final cut lacks diversity. We see that there were some women of color used, but they don’t get featured nor do they speak. We just see the blonde, blue-eyed, slender white women with make-up free faces. Not just a specific version of beauty, but one that is indicative of the west coast. So very specific! Finally, the language used gives a particular meaning to what is beautiful. The word “thin” gets tossed out a lot. So, thin is beautiful. If you don’t think you are thin, you don’t think you are beautiful. In fact, the words fat and fatter are used as negative. Finally, it talks about how important it is to be beautiful. In the descriptor on Dove’s homepage, it says that it is trying to inspire women and girls to reach their full potential. Apparently, one cannot reach their potential without being beautiful. They don’t say it explicitly, but they are giving a big middle finger to brains and strength and talent. At the end of the ad, it has one of the women describing her experience, talking about how important it is to pretty much everything in life to be beautiful.

So, once again, I call bullshit. You don’t have to be pretty. You don’t have to be thin. You are still worthy of love and success. You are still talented. Hell, someone will still think you are beautiful! I am the first to admit that I am a pretty vain person. I like to look good, generally. However, I don’t equate that to my worth. I am an artistic, intelligent, talented woman. That is why I will make it far. I don’t wear make-up when I go to work, in part because I will sweat it off and it will clog my pores, but also because what my face looks like doesn’t affect the quality of my work. I still go in every day and bust my ass, and create inspirational designs. I still learn from my coworkers, and teach them what I can. If Dove really wants to empower women, it will take this appearance thing out of the equation. If they are really all about being natural and all inclusive, they will focus on how their products get you clean, and function to get you doing what you need to do. Not pretending that everyone is beautiful when they clearly have their own standards of what fits that category, and insuring that we all think beauty is still important to being a productive, successful member of society.

linked: spring!

Monday, April 29th, 2013

It might actually be spring! I worry just a bit, however, that we may be skipping spring and heading right into summer. I will do my best to spare you my whining about heat and sunshine. However, word on the street is that it is safe to open the windows and commence all your favorite spring activities (and your not-so-favorite spring activities)!

To help you get started, here is a guide to spring cleaning from Apartment Therapy

Since spring cleaning usually means a nice purge of belongings, LifeHacker has some tips for turning that stuff into cash!

As you spruce up your surroundings, spring is a great time to take a look at those goals you’ve set for yourself. James Clear has some tips for helping you reach those goals.

Despite that its windows haven’t been cracked in years, I could still move in to this gorgeous Paris apartment that was just opened for the first time since the War. Seriously, I have been drooling over this all week.

Ever splurged on something from the hotel minibar? If you haven’t, your time to do so is running out. I did once, on our wedding night stay. It turned out that Frappuccino had taken a turn for the worse already, and I haven’t tried since. I am still a little sad to not have the option.

I know a lot of folks are trying to be more aware of where their purchases originate. While I know a lot of big corporations own most brands, this list still surprised me. You might not be shopping as small as you think.

Finally, a little humour to start your week. I will have to check for a flat packed TARDIS next time I am at the other big, blue box!

Have a wonderful week!
xoxox

sqiurrely sunday: no more sweater weather?

Sunday, April 28th, 2013

squirrel_in_sweater_part

I don’t know that I believe it any more than this guy does. However, we did have to turn on the AC around here, and I am already whining (whinging) about the heat. I guess time will tell if spring has sprung!

101 things: part 7

Wednesday, April 24th, 2013

I am so close with this! I almost didn’t do this today. Last night was spent listing things in the Etsy shop, and then today I had dentist, an airport pick-up, and getting our niece to dance class. So, no post writing last night. I was pooped tonight and knew this would barely make it in time to count as a Wednesday post. But, I know it’s a slippery slope to putting off more than one post, and the next thing I know this blog is getting cobwebs. So, even if it winds up just being for my sanity…here’s another installation. Only two more to go!!!

71) Start a compost pile. DONE! Now, this one evolved. Originally, my plan was to start a compost pile outdoors, when we lived at the condo. There were some hoops to jump through, however. Being in a condo, we would have to make sure the association would be okay with it. Also, given our ‘hood, it would have to be an attractive set up. I looked into options, but any that would function the way I would like and be attractive at the same time were out of budget, even trying to get one used. After more research, I decided to bring the composting indoors. I even decided on this bad boy. However, we were again thwarted by budget constraints. I continued to pout every time I threw away something that I knew would make wonderful compost. When we moved to our apartment, I was even more determined to get our compost on. Finally, this Christmas, my parents hooked us up with our composter! It’s pretty awesome. We can throw just about anything in it, even things like meat and dairy that are normally a composting no-no. Not that there is much meat in our house, but it’s still nice to know that just about everything organic can be composted instead of trashed. The little machine can be adjusted to how much it needs to be tumbled, and it does everything! The smell stays contained, except when the machine is opened. We try to be quick when throwing in items, and that seems to be fine. I did make the mistake of wanting to examine the contents, and it wasn’t super pleasant. Like really bad foot oder. Ick! We don’t have a lot of use for the compost that comes out, so we’ll probably toss it in the park or pack it up for friends with gardens. Now that the composting is out of the equation, I am noodling on how to further cut down on our trash creation. Next up will be cutting down on paper towels and straws. I think we will be okay using cloth rags and napkins that we have on hand. For the straws, I am gonna get some stainless straws that can go in the dishwasher. I am more than willing to take other input for cutting down on the trash!

72) Visit my dear friend LaLa in Spokane. Not done. A recurring theme with this list is dollars. Travel adds the component of time. Much of our travel time is booked visiting family out-of-state. After that, places we can drive to easily are much higher on the list than places we have to fly. I’d really hoped that we could swing a Pacific Northwestern trip, but it just wasn’t in the cards. Now, Ms. LaLa is moving to California, and we are already working out plans to visit. Not that I didn’t want to visit Spokane, it just would have been a very specific trip. In Cali, we can lump a bunch of things we want to do together, and really maximize the trip. So, it all worked out, even though I miss my pal like crazy!

73) Tour the Glensheen Mansion. DONE! If you are reading this blog, you probably know that I have a fascination with creepy stories and the places where they happen. The Glensheen definitely qualifies! Super old, fabulous architecture, and MURDER! I read a book about the murder story, and of course I had to get to this place! It is a historic site that offers guided tours. The drag for someone like me was that the guides were not allowed to speak of the murders. Boo. It was said that sometimes you could get a guide to spill outside of the “official” tour. Luckily, the ban was lifted, and then the need to go was magnified. We drove up to Duluth, and despite a major car accident (not that we were in!) causing the expressway to be closed for a bit and for us to miss our initial tour time, we were able to get the tour. I felt slightly misled, in that the murders weren’t part of the tour. Really, the only thing that changed was that the guides were allowed to answer questions about the murders. So, that part was disappointing. However, the home was still gorgeous, and if I could have taken the large hat storage unit from one of the walk-in closets, I totally would have. However, those guides really keep their eyes on you. I want to go back, especially since we were there in November and that makes the gardens less exciting. Also, we took the shorter tour that doesn’t go to the upper floors. So, we’ll pony up next time and do the whole shebang. I will also study up better so I can make my own murder fun. Huh. That didn’t come out right. I can’t think of a way to make it sound less bad, so I will just move on.

74) Purchase prescription sunglasses. Not done. I really need them, too! I have freakishly large pupils that don’t shrink as much as most people’s do. Thus, they hate the sun. My eyes water, I get whiny, it’s not fun. I usually get transition lenses for my regular glasses, and that is okay for being outside. However, I have reached the stage in my life and vision where I need to wear my glasses to drive. Transitions don’t work when you are in a car. Thus, sunny day and I am all whiny. So, prescription sunglasses are a necessity. I did the more necessary thing and got everyday glasses. I knew that my insurance limited the number of glasses or contacts one could get for a certain amount of time, so I figured regular glasses first, then sunglasses. Until I saw that my plan doesn’t cover prescription sunglasses! Dumb, huh? So, I am prepared to shell out for them on my own, I just need to find a pair that I love. Hopefully soon…since the sun looks like it might make an appearance around here after all!

75) Go out dancing 12 times in one year (not including special events). Not done. So lame! There was a time, not so long ago, when we would go out every Saturday night, and some other nights, too! We were hip! We were the cool kids! Even when we had other plans, we would still sneak away to go dancing at our favorite spot at least once a week. Many factors contributed to our going out decline. One of the biggest was my getting a big girl job. Well, not a big girl job so much as a big girl schedule. I am soooo not a morning person, and this schedule requires a 7 am start Monday through Friday. So, going out on a weeknight was out for sure. However, instead of getting used to the schedule, my night owl tendencies won out and I would just wind up sleep deprived and on the weekends, I would try to play catch up. I thought that maybe once a month would be doable, I mean, going out one Saturday a month shouldn’t be so hard! Then, I had the whole neck injury situation to deal with. Dancing was out. I even tried some painkillers, but one song would make me cry. Then, on top of that, the narcolepsy thing hit. So, not only was I a night owl, but when I was sleeping I wasn’t sleeping, so when I should be awake I just wanted to sleep more. In a nutshell? All my attempts were thwarted. I still want to get some dancing fun every now and then. So, I am still gonna work on this one!

76) Build a mens suit. Not done. This falls into my love of creating and sewing. It also falls into the goal of wanting to be on Project Runway. Menswear looks simple, but construction is super crazy important. And complicated. While most folks might not know what goes into building a suit, they definitely know when one isn’t right. I’ve made plenty of ladies items, some mens costumes, but not a standard suit. Since it is pretty much guaranteed that there will be a menswear challenge on PR, I really need to nip this in the bud. This one kept going on the back burner for a whole bunch of reasons. However, depending on what happens with this whole PR situation now, I still wanna do this. I am thinking it needs to jump up on the priority list. So, I am starting research into what all I need for the construction, then I will take G fabric shopping and build him a suit! Just trying to decide if I want to do something modern, or with some old timey elements.

77) Try snowboarding. Not done. Yeah, I know. How have I never done this? First, snowboarding didn’t become a thing until I was a bona fide adult. Not like these kids that are in the Olympics when they are teenagers and have never known a world without it. Anyhow, it took until G took me until I tried skiing! So, I already had a late start with snow covered hills. Also, I have the problem of wanting to be perfect at something when I start. I hear that there is a learning curve with snowboarding, and the odds would not be in my favor for me to do a 360 on the half pipe on my first go. This was discouraging. However, I don’t want to be the last person on earth to ever step on a board. So, this goal was formed. There were a couple of struggles, though. Namely, last winter having NO SNOW. BOO. I thought for sure I would get out this last winter, but the narcolepsy caused me to sleep away every free weekend. So, this is on the docket for next winter. There better be snow, goshdarnit.

78) Get another session of tooth whitening. Not done. The first session was free from my dentist, because I was a new client. I got custom trays, and one series of solution. It helped some, but I had a really, really, really hard time with not drinking coffee or tea while I did this. Thus, not ideal results. So I hoped to do it again and be more committed. I had some sort of deterioration or something, though. I don’t know how it works, but something about the density of my teeth, preventing cavities, dentist talk. I had to focus on using prescription toothpaste and getting my teeth squared away. Whitening doesn’t work so well with that, though. However, today at the dentist, I got a clean bill of (tooth) health! Since G has been in need of very much dental work lately, I am gonna wait until my next appointment, and pick up a new set of solution to make some tooth magic happen!

79) Paint a painting. Not done. I used to paint, back in the day. Mostly, because I was taking art classes, and when you are making art anyway, it’s much easier to make more. You are already in practice, so bam! Painting! But, once the real world takes over, it’s much harder to art it up, unless it’s your career. I did get one commission for a project several years ago, and for another task I had to complete, I decided to do it in the form of a painting. I really enjoyed doing it, and recalling it made me want to do it again. I thought that making the goal would be helpful. It kind of had the opposite effect, though. I felt pressure to create a perfect, amazing painting, instead of energizing. So, I think I just need to let this one happen when the time is right.

80) Get a custom pair of raw denim jeans made for me. Not done. This one is in part because of dollars (raw denim is expensive, custom is expensive, and combining the two are very expensive), and in part because of gaining weight from getting my neck and narcolepsy sorted out. No sense in spending an insane amount of dollars on something that I hopefully won’t be able to wear for long because that weight is going to go away. So, phase one is to get back in shape. Phase two is buy jeans! They will be amazing, and last a long time, and did I mention the part about them being amazing??

linked: get in the stair car

Monday, April 22nd, 2013

What a week. As I read from another poster, you know it’s a crazy week when an Elvis impersonator tries to poison the President, and it barely makes the news. I don’t know about you, but I was trying to keep focused on some good and some light, despite all the darkness that was descending all around. Here are some of the things that kept me distracted.

If you’re anything like me, you are on pins and needles over this Arrested Development season coming up. Refinery 29 shares some posters that make it feel even more official.

In other comedy television news, footage of the original 30 Rock pilot was released this year. I finally took a peek at it. It was a different show, for sure. I know a lot of folks were up in arms over the Rachel Dratch replacement, but I think her version of Jenna was a little too similar to Liz Lemon.
What about you?

Jessica Fletcher, fashion icon?

Jessica Fletcher, fashion icon?

You might realize that television is a good friend of mine. Fashion is probably my best friend. So, anything that combines the two is sure to get my attention. I am sort of in love with this blog dissecting the fashion of Jessica Fletcher. I might try some Murder, She Wrote fashion soon!

Somehow, I didn’t realize that Avril Lavigne was engaged to Nickelback guy. While their coupling isn’t so interesting, I am not-so-secretly hoping they do a musical collaboration. I have a suspicion it will be terrible on an epic scale.

In other tragic pop culture news, someone who really loves Radiohead got an amazing Thom Yorke tattoo. (Hey, I said it was amazing, I didn’t say it was good.)

As someone who is constantly comparing herself to anyone and everyone, I found Veronica Varlow’s tips on turning jealousy into inspiration highly useful.

These photographs of abandoned places around the world, are both haunting and beautiful. I am adding to my travel list, as we speak.

Oh Jon Hamm, making me want to watch Sesame Street again. Yeah, there are some other interesting things on that link, but I have a hard time making it past Jon Hamm.

If Jon Hamm wasn’t enough beautiful for you, here’s Tilda Swinton in a rare public appearance with her lover. I suspect the theory that she is an alien may be right. I can’t think of another possible reason someone could be so magical.

Finally, on to adorable animals. SweetFurr is making me want to take in all the smush-faced kitties. Our smush faces came to us as adults, so they are not nearly as tolerant.

Over at Buzzfeed, they’ve experienced a takeover. Colonel Meow is master now. He seems totally fair and reasonable. And fuzzy.

I will leave you with this piece on a couple of squirrel crazy folks. Now, I love squirrels. A lot. However, this couple takes it to a new and amazing level. There are no words.

Have a fabulous week, friends!!

squirrely sunday: france edition

Sunday, April 21st, 2013

I have such an itch to travel! I am realizing I haven’t been abroad in ages, and my canceled trip to Portugal didn’t help. This mosaic I found in a tiny town called Bram is a lovely reminder of travels past. Bram is a circular town in southern France. The center is an old church, and the streets run in concentric circles around it, with other streets forming spokes. If I didn’t need the hustle and bustle of a proper city, I would totally live here!
tile squirrel

101 things: part 6

Wednesday, April 17th, 2013

Update from last week: I will learn curling! I have a date in my calendar with a friend, and we are gonna learn some curling at the Saint Paul Curling Club. You may recognize it as the place where many Olympians train and have trained. I don’t know when I will be ready for the Olympics, but I will surely keep you posted. As will all new endeavors I take on, I look to be properly attired. I have started looking into curling pants, but they are pricier than I expected. I am trying to decide how much the right pants will affect my skills. I figure that at worst, if I suck at curling, at least I can look amazing, right?

On to the next chunk of the list!
61) Spend a day wearing a realistic false mustache in public. Not done—technically. This was in part inspired by an article in Glamour magazine. They used to have this feature where they would send a staffer into the streets wearing a strange trend, or with something off about her appearance and see how the public would react. One time it was a girl with terrible extensions that were falling out, once she had muscles airbrushed on (contouring and highlighting so it looked like a six-pack, ripped biceps, etc.), one was spending the day wandering around in a snuggie/slanket…you get the drift. The one that inspired this was a woman wearing a realistic false mustache. Some people stared, some people were empathetic, some offered helpful tips for places to get it waxed or bleached. One person let her know she had milk froth from her coffee drink at the edges. I thought it was fascinating! I also like to think that if I had facial hair, I would own it. I would grow the hell out of that mustache and/or goatee (well, if it were “or” technically it would be a VanDyke). So, I thought it would be fun to try. I sort of did it on Halloween since my team at work dressed as the Village People. I was “Glenn the Leatherman” aka the biker. I couldn’t find a good looking mustache that matched my hair and had all the elements of a good biker ‘stache. I thought about lacing my own, but wig lacing materials are tricky to find. So, I purchased a goatee and altered it. It looked pretty good. Unfortunately, I am a human furnace, and I kept sweating off the toupee tape. My temperature seems less high of late, so I will try again on a non-costume type day and see what happens. For fun. As you do.

62) Taxidermy a squirrel (that died of natural causes or the like). Not done. I am slightly obsessed with taxidermy. I couldn’t really explain why. It might have to do with my fascination with food that still looks like the animal. Typically seafood. If I get a food that is relatively intact, I make it talk to my tablemates. Sometimes I have it sing or dance. My husband really loves when I do this.
“Hey G, I am so excited to be here with you. Hallo my baby, hallo my honey, hallo my ragtime gyal-al!! I’ll be here all night…try the veal!”
He usually closes his eyes for a moment and takes a really deep breath. I like to think he’s pondering the meaning of life and how lucky he is to be married to me.
Anyhow, somehow dead animals are strangely appealing to me. I really want a taxidermied squirrel (go figure, right??). I keep begging G to get me one, but his response is usually the eye closing, deep breath combo I mentioned a moment ago. My true dream is to make a squirrel chess set, ideally each side with a different color fur, dressed in costumes to represent the different pieces. If push comes to shove, I could deal with dressing them in colored costumes to represent sides. The problem is that such an endeavor would be expensive.
Enter the DIY factor. A few years ago, I ran into a girl at the Zombie Pub Crawl. She had a zombie squirrel with her. I told her of my fascination with squirrels and with taxidermy, and she told me that she ordered the kit online and taxidermied her own squirrel! My mind? Blown. Thus, the goal was born. However, I got leery of the total DIY idea. I mean, great for a zombie squirrel, but less great for one that I kind of want to look like he could climb a tree at a moment’s notice. So, I figured I would take a class. I mean, people have to learn how do taxidermy somehow, right?? There’s a place near where my sister lives that apparently has all sorts of squirrels. I asked her to inquire if they offered classes, figuring I could take one the next time I visit. I guess the guy gave her a look and said it wasn’t really something you learned in a class, you just learned by doing. This didn’t seem quite right to me. Luckily, my niece tipped me off to The Detroit Academy of Taxidermy! I planned to take a course next time I was in the D-town area, but they offer classes in cities across the country. So, next month I am taking a class! The class includes a rat, or I could upgrade to a rabbit. I figured a rat would do just fine. Maybe I will find a squirrel later and take another class to hone my skill. I am super excited to make a little friend. I will definitely share a photo of my work!

63) Contribute to our Roth consistently for one year. Not done. This was part of a previous goal of nailing down our budget. I am getting in the habit of putting money aside before any bill paying or spending. I particularly want to make sure we are getting our retirements in order. I want to be able to retire young enough to enjoy it, and have enough money to live for a very long time. I have a 401K through work, to which I contribute the maximum matched amount. I do this because of the amount my employer matches…I mean, hey! Free money! However, the downside to a 401K is that it goes in before taxes. Which means I get to pay taxes on it later! Yay! (In case it wasn’t clear, that yay was sarcastic. Where’s sarcastica when you need it?) This is where the Roth IRA comes in. You put the money in after taxes, and it earns for you. It’s especially recommended for young people (a category I still belong to thank-you-very-much). Since it took longer to get the budget situation under control, then the saving situation handled…I didn’t get this far before the deadline. You can save your lectures, I already know.

64) Redesign and update the etherea page. Not done. This is my url for my accessory shop, which used to also be the url for this blog. I had the hubs help me create a simple design, but hadn’t been able to do much beyond that. Currently, I have someone working on a redesign for this blog, and the business page will be next.

65) Make an inspiration board for the office, and mini versions for work. In progress. This should be so easy! It’s cutting out pictures and pasting them onto a board! I just feel guilty when I cut pictures out of magazines and get busy with the glue sticks. You know, like I am doing something fun when I should be hard at work. Though, the purpose of the inspiration boards is to help me reach my goals, achieve my dreams. So, it is work. Sort of. Anyhow, I did finally go through all the pages I ripped out of magazines and things I cut out and start putting things that were for ideas into a scrapbook. A place to keep all the inspiration I find for designing and creating. I also thought about what I want. Material items I would like to have, places I want to travel, what I want to accomplish, and people I admire who inspire me career-wise. I found images of them. I tried to make a collage on the computer to print out, but it didn’t work so well. It looked too cluttered in the space I could conceivably print on. So, I am working on doing a physical cut-and-paste version. The mini versions might not be super mini, but I will figure out a way to make them fit the places I can hang them at work so I can constantly be reminded of where I am going.

66) Host a summer get-together. Not done. In fact, I don’t know why I left this one on the list. This one was conceived when we were living in the condo, with a patio. I did a bunch of work sprucing up our porch and garden. I was also working on getting adorable furniture for the patio, instead of the generic green resin set we had for years and years and years. It was starting to look like something, and I had visions of us having friends over and having a sort of garden party. Refreshing iced drinks, summery finger food, yard games (Jarts anyone?). The problems with this are many. First, I am not outdoorsy. In any way, shape, or form. Most people in these parts can’t wait until the weather is such that they can eat outside, bike outside, camp outside, you name it outside. Not me. I turn pink if I even think about the sun. I am allergic to every kind of bug bite. Most swell absurdly, bruising because they swell so much so fast. Fleas give me nasty blisters. Some give me gross hives. I’m already a human furnace, so there is rarely weather that I feel enjoyable in. Mostly, I’m just sunburned, swollen and pock-marked, and dripping with sweat. Not. Cute. Secondly, while I like throwing parties in theory, I am not much for actually throwing them. I don’t like to cook, and while I enjoy hanging out with friends and being the hostess with the mostest, it’s just so. Much. Work. This means I keep my entertaining to one bash a year, and that’s reserved for my birthday. I get foods from local stores, and it’s in the fall and at night, which means inside shindig. Finally, we moved from the condo, so having a party on the patio just ain’t gonna happen. Unless we just show up and hope the new owners don’t mind. So, I guess I made this goal as motivation to finish the outside projects and get out of my usual comfort zone? Either way, this one was a fail.

67) Make all the gifts I give for a year. DONE. So. Done. I put this on the list for a few reasons. I like making things, but I often procrastinate, or doubt my skills. This was a nice excuse to force me to get creative. I also hoped it would save a few dollars. I am always buying supplies because I see the potential in them, but don’t always have an exit strategy. At least, I didn’t. When we moved, the rule became no buying without a plan. It has saved me many dollars, and much space. Anyhow, this would be a good way to use some of the things I bought because they were so beautiful, but didn’t have a concrete plan for. Also, if I didn’t have something appropriate, I could plan out when I would buy the supplies to get a good price. The balance of the expense would be my time, which is worth something. I learned a lot from this whole process. In some respects, it made gift-giving more difficult. Some people are hard to buy for anyway, and adding in the homemade aspect makes it even more of a challenge.
Also, I am the type that buys gifts as they strike. If I see something perfect for someone, I buy it, wrap it, and put it away. I had to suppress that urge many times. No buying gifts. Make the presents! With some of the health issues I’ve struggled with, it made it more of a challenge, in that I didn’t have the energy for making all the time, so I had some later-than-I-would-have-liked present making sessions. Also, some of the things I was inspired to try didn’t work out the way I envisioned. Despite having looked at tutorials and talking to people who did some of the things, some things just did not work for me. Boo.
So, going forward, I will go about my gift acquiring my usual way. When something strikes me, I will go for it whether it’s store bought or homemade instead of forcing myself to do it all one way.

68) Get eight hours of sleep each night for a week. Not done. That I know of. I made this goal before the whole narcolepsy saga. I have been a night owl for as long as I can remember. My folks would put me to bed. I would climb out. They would bust me. I would try to be sneakier about it. When my bed was in the middle of the room, I would sit on the side away from the door and get out blocks or read by night light. When I was feeling bolder, I would sit in the hallway, watching Johnny Carson through the archway. It didn’t matter when they put me to bed, or how they scolded me, I would just be up. Eventually, they dispensed with the bedtime since I was going to be up no matter what I did. Fast forward to an adult me. Still a night owl. Unfortunately my current job requires being at work at seven. A.M. Ouch. I only like coming at that hour from a night out on the town. Not waking up and being functional. I thought that I would get used to the schedule, but my system is just really determined to be up after dark. (Not even kidding. Sunshine makes me sleepy.) I’ve read all the research that says how important sleep is, but it just doesn’t help. So, I thought baby steps. If I could get through a week of full nights of rest, I could then try for two weeks, then more. Ha-ha! I tried, I really did. I would get through three, four days, tops. That was only with the aid of my headache meds that also knocked me out cold. I would get through those few days, forcing myself to stop and take my meds and get into bed. However, my nocturnal tendencies would surface and next thing I knew I would be up too late. Then, the whole narcolepsy situation arose and forget it. Of course, with that it didn’t matter how much sleep I was getting, because I wasn’t actually sleeping. So, this one was a fail, but damn I tried so hard. Maybe once I am recovered, I will try again. Or maybe the getting what sleep I can and it being good quality is enough.

69) Weed out CD collection. DONE I love music. I am not talented in that area, but I love listening to it. Nay, feeling it. For bands I really love, I used to go to the music store on release day to make sure I had it the moment it came out. I loved looking at the liner notes, reading lyrics like poems, seeing what tidbits the band offered up, admiring the art. I hit a certain point (moving helped) where I realized that while the physical copy is important for some really beloved tunes, the really important part is the piece of music. I only have space for so many things, and if I can have a collection of music I love in the space of my beloved Zune, then done and done. Plus Microsoft in their smartness has made it so easy to have back-ups of the back-ups and to acquire music, I felt much more secure in letting go of some discs. I am keeping the discs of my top bands (ie. SMASHING PUMPKINS, Nine Inch Nails, Tori Amos), but don’t need every CD of every song I’ve ever liked. Also, anything signed was kept. We were able to get rid of a very large and heavy box of discs and it felt good. It also makes the collection of the ones we kept more special. Those are the really treasured ones. It will be nice when we move again to have less to haul, and it is nice to have more space to enjoy.
It was also a lot of fun to question some of the musical choices of the hubs. Natalie Merchant? Really?

70) Find out my blood type. DONE Super simple. Blood typing booth at the state fair. As I waited, I crossed my fingers for a type that would get me a button in a good color (like red or fuchsia). O+ I don’t know why I never knew what my type was, but it seems like a good thing to know. And knowing is half the battle.

linked

Monday, April 15th, 2013

I got in trouble for distracting hair as a kid, but my orangatan hair was never mohawked. Now that it is, I guess it’s lucky I’m not in kindergarten anymore. Heaven forbid kids are different!

On a more serious note, Maryland recently repealed the death penalty. I think this is a most excellent decision. However, now the governor is faced with what to do with those already facing the death sentence. I know what I think he should do, but I don’t live in Maryland.

Over on Vice, Molly Crabapple talks abouther abortion. I hope that we come to a place, as a society, where this isn’t a taboo. While it is, I commend women like Molly, who are willing to share their experience.

Now I will attempt to lighten the mood. At Into the Gloss, Courtney Love shares her skin care tips. They are a fascinating read, and I admit I want to break the bank and try some.

I have long been a fan of Sonya Winner’s work. I dream of having one of her rugs adorn my abode. Apartment Therapy gave her a shout out this week, one I think is most deserved!

This week, I discovered The Dumfries House. Prince Charles has worked very hard to restore this piece of history, and it isn’t helping to scratch that travel itch!!

In case you aren’t beauty-ed out, here’s some David Bowie to put you over the edge.

Do those pesky ten commandments just seem so old? Here’s a new batch for today.

Finally, an old gem to put a smile on your face for the week. A friend recently purchased a Blendtec in preparation for a medical procedure. As she mentioned all the things she was blending, I was forced to ask Will It Blend?

squirrely sunday: a squirrel in need is a squirrel indeed

Sunday, April 14th, 2013

With tax day looming, I originally thought today’s squirrel should commemorate that. However, finding a squirrel appropriate for that was neither easy nor fun. Besides, no one wants to be reminded about paying taxes right? (Although, since I love you all, and don’t want you to go to prison and take it up the butt in a different way, please remember to file your taxes by midnight, April 15th.)

So, I thought I would give you a different reminder! It’s spring! (Though the snow in MN would have you think differently, it is, in fact, spring.) That means all the animals are having babies! Tiny, adorable, babies. The problem is that humans are all up in these poor animals’ grills! Mamas get hit by cars, nests get knocked loose during yard work, neighborhood cats and dogs drag wee ones away from home…the list goes on and on. Luckily, there are places that are dedicated to saving these tiny creatures. Locally, we have the The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Minnesota. They saved this adorable guy recently:
baby eastern grey

Look at that face! I have longed to volunteer here, but this year is crazytown right now. If my apartment would let me, I would take some of the tiniest animals that need round-the-clock care. However, then I would be homeless and no one would be better off. So, if you have any time to spare for these tiny animals, I say you should apply to help. Directions, and applications, are on the website.

Also, if you find a displaced baby animal (or any wild animal), or notice anyone causing them harm (like the year our neighbors were trapping squirrels and letting them starve/freeze to death) please give these guys a call. If you don’t live in MN, look up your local center. I know that lots of people think of this wildlife as pests, but they were here first. We are displacing more and more of them, and without them, the world would not be the same. So, help save the adorable animals!

throwback thursday: je suis une ballerine terrible

Thursday, April 11th, 2013

Hey! Since you all were so patient with me while I was working on this whole Project Runway thing, I thought I should make it up by releasing at least one of the new weekly features I’ve been noodling on. I thought it might be fun to share stories of all the things that make me, well, me. There are a lot of them. Some of them are funny. At least now they’re funny. So, here’s to a younger me!

When I was wee, I wanted to be a dancer. Of course, I would still kill, or at least maim, to be a dancer. However, this is about the tiny me, with the hair of an young orangutan.

Where was I? Ah yes, wee me, dancing. I was four, and my mother so kindly signed me up for ballet class. I was really fortunate going in, because I had a strong background in the arts. I would sit for hours, glued to PBS watching operas and ballet. I was well versed in the classics. I just needed the leotard to prove it, and my mother hooked me up with one. Which I imagine you figured out, as it would be tricky for a four-year-old to get herself to the store and procure said leotard on her own.

So, leotard? Check. PBS education in the arts? Check. I was ready. I was going to own this ballet class. I walked into the room, full of confidence. I looked up at the other girls in the room. As I looked from face to face, I could see the love of ballet in each pair of eyes. I knew that they were yearning to learn all the elements of classical dance.

And I was going to teach it to them.

I called them to gather around me. They obediently formed a semicircle around me. I patiently explained how things would work, and began leading them in a series of pointed toes and ballet fingers. They followed along, mimicking my movements, focusing very carefully. They were so focused, in fact, that they barely seemed to notice the teacher walk in. We continued. She called the class to line up. We continued along pointing and flexing, all my years (roughly three of them) of PBS knowledge firmly behind me. She called the class again. The flock of ballerinas continued to dance.

The teacher asked my mother to remove me from class. She thought it best that I not return until I learned to listen and follow directions.

While I might be a dancer, I’m still not a ballerina.