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Archive for May, 2013

Monday, May 27th, 2013

Happy Memorial Day! I’m spending the day at work, alas. However, I hope you get to spend the day with good food and friends, and remembering those who have gone before.

Over at Apartment Therapy this week, I found this write up on a Wall Street Journal piece on teen luxury rooms. It’s apparently an effort to keep kids close to home. However, these kids’ rooms are larger than any home I’ve ever lived in! I think there has got to be a better way to keep tabs on your kid.

100 Abandoned Houses hits a little close to home for me. It’s a beautiful and haunting series, and I imagine all these homes have amazing stories within their walls. It’s mind boggling how such a great city has taken such a turn.

A glimpse into the past was recently released! Some of the first footage to be filmed in color was restored and enhanced, and provides a look into 1927 London. It’s eerily similar to modern day London, outside of the transportation and fashion.

I came across some shots of one of my favorites from the UK. Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston were stunning at the premier of Only Lovers Left Alive. I think this just hopped to the top of my must see list.

Finally, it’s no secret I’m mourning the departure of Bill Hader from SNL. I know they are on summer hiatus, but my heart is darkened by knowing there will be no more possibility of Stefon showing up on Weekend Update in the fall. However, this supercut of all of his impersonations will ease the pain.

squirrely sunday: so sleepy

Sunday, May 26th, 2013

This sleepy guy pretty much sums up my week! So sleepy, I slept in on this post!
We had a full, full, full week since last Sunday. The problem is, that when one is narcoleptic and not as young as one used to be, it catches up!
This week will be much more wide awake, though!
seepy squirrel

linked: new york’s hottest club is

Monday, May 20th, 2013

This article made me literally weep for the future.

Luckily, George Takei was there to make me feel better.

Owning this bikini would also make me feel better. I would even be willing to wait until my birthday to receive it.

I don’t know about you, but I am tired of seeing tables and shelves full of books geared towards women with well heeled feet on the cover. This call to take on book cover stereotypes is fascinating.

As someone who lives with depression (technically Bipolar II, but I will be honest, it’s the depressive part of the cycles that are harder for me to manage), panic and anxiety, and OCD, it’s heartening to read of others who are managing similar struggles. Her blog on The Huffington Post is superb, and she expresses the feelings of living with OCD better than I.

Jackie Sanders is a woman after my own heart. Sometimes success is more about the life experience and less about the material things.

These double exposures of London and New York are stunning.

Finally, Saturday marked Bill Hader’s final episode as a cast member of Saturday Night Live. I am a huge fan of his, and especially love his character Stefon. I am so thrilled someone at Entertainment Weekly cataloged all of New York’s hottest clubs. If you have been itching to see some of these colorful folks he mentions, Stefon’s farewell is just the thing.

squirrely sunday: all painted up

Sunday, May 19th, 2013
Photo From The Black Apple Etsy Shop.

Photo From The Black Apple Etsy Shop.

This right here, is my first original art purchase. I have long been an admire of Emily Martin’s, of The Black Apple, for years. She creates original pieces, and sells both the originals and prints of them in various forms. I’ve had a hard time of hitting the trifecta of having a piece I wanted, the original being available, and having the funds. This squirrel was it! He’s from her Out of the Woods series. There were a couple of others I also loved, but they were outside of my budget. Besides, this guy is perfect. It’s a fat squirrel, wearing a red ribbon! He came framed in the lovely gilt frame, and ready to hang. However, despite ordering him at the end of March and getting him not long after, I only just got him up on the wall. I felt like I shouldn’t share until he was properly displayed.

Technically, I did purchase an “original” oil painting at the Starving Artist sale a while back, but I don’t count that. This squirrel is the official start of an original art collection! I just have to come up with a proper name for him.

101 things part the end

Wednesday, May 15th, 2013

91) Attend Glamorama. Not done. This is something I have wanted to do since I was wee. Since it was a Dayton-Hudson thing and was called Fash Bash. I love fashion, I always have, I probably always will. So, this was a dream of mine to do. Hence, I put it on this list. However, once it went on the list, it seemed to be scheduled on a day we were out of town. Except one year. However, the reason we were not out of town was because we had zero dollars. Tickets cost money, so having zero dollars is a problem. One day, though, one day I will get to Glamorama, and I will look amazing, and I will have a grand time. I promise.

92) Buy something from the art vending machine at Chamber’s. Not done. Chamber’s is a super hip hotel with an art theme. They have an old cigarette vending machine that has been coverted to dispense mini pieces of art, instead. You put in money, it spits out a piece of art. Sah. Weet. However, I have somehow not made it to Chambers for any reason, much less getting a wee piece of art. However, I have to do this! I mean, it’s one of the coolest ideas I’ve ever heard of. So, it will still happen.

93) Go to the Spam museum. Not done. Yup, the weird meat in the can, not the annoying e-mails from Nigerian royalty. Mostly, because I imagine it is weird and entertaining and would make me laugh. However, I did not get there. It is still on my grand list, because I like doing things that are weird and entertaining and make me laugh.

94) Put $10 in my savings account for each item completed. Done. This one was easy-ish, because I only got a third of the way done.

95) Run a marathon. Not done. I tried. I entered a marathon. However, right around the time my mileage hit 17 or 20 miles for my long run, I got bronchitis. The thing is, when I get bronchitis, it’s a big deal. It will not leave. I have to take antibiotics and steroids, and hope that one day I will stop trying to cough my lungs out of my chest. I tried three or four times to get that particular long run in, but I could barely get one mile. I just couldn’t breathe. It took around a month to get rid of it. That was my last month of training and the day of the race. I picked up my packet, and technically, I could have started running. However, I didn’t really want to get swept and have to have the hubs sort out getting me and getting me home. We were still living along the race course at the time, and I couldn’t even bring myself to walk down the street to watch. Herds of finishers were traipsing around our ‘hood with their medals, and it just caused my eyes to tear up. I felt pretty crummy about that one. I will still do it, I just got a little sidetracked with injuries and narcolepsy.

96) Patch and touch up paint in entryway. Done. This was at the condo. When we re-did our kitchen, we re-painted the entryway, put a new door on the coat closet, it was cute. However, the trim was white. Despite doing my usual trick for keeping the paint from bleeding, it still bled a bit, and thus we had white paint bleed onto the red. Also, I re-arranged some things hanging on the walls, and had some holes to clear up. So, I picked up some fancy Frog tape, I spackled, I taped, I painted. The Frog tape didn’t live up to its name, though, and I still had some bleed. Not as much, but some bleed. So, I pulled out a quarter-inch flat artist brush, and carefully painted over the bleed. It was gorgeous. The sad thing is that the tools that bought our condo ripped out our adorable kitchen and put in boring, ugly cherry cabinets, and the same granite countertops that everyone has that I am so over. I guess, at least we don’t have to look at them ever, but I would have ripped out the adorable kitchen we put in and sold it to someone who would appreciate it. IJS.

97) Put together $10 for each thing not done, and donate it to charity. Not done. I just need to decide on the charity.

You might notice there are a few things missing. When we moved, I took off all the things that were things that needed to be done at the condo. I thought it was silly to keep things on the list that I could not do. I thought I replaced them all, but it seems I missed a few. Four, to be exact. Oh well. Forty more dollars for charity.

So, I did about a third. Some I am still conquering, some I realized I just don’t want to do. Of course, I thought I wanted to when I put them on the list. Having them there helped me figure out what I really wanted to do, and what I didn’t. As I tick off something from the list, I will post about it. I mean, I’m going curling next week, and that is sure to be an adventure! I did try taxidermy, and I will do a squirrel soon. That oughtta be good, right? So, I might not have met the deadline, but I at least have my goals, my to-dos, etc. sorted out. Over the next week, I might even make a new 101 in 1001, just to see if I get any better at it. Check me out next Wednesday to see what the plan is.

linked:

Monday, May 13th, 2013

I found this article on DNA fascinating. With how much DNA evidence is used in criminal law, I wonder if this will impact any findings.

I already knew of the intelligence of crows and ravens. However, the idea of using them to study adaptation to urban life is new to me. The city of the future could be different than imagined!

I’ll be honest. I don’t think I could go a year without internet. Fortunately, Paul Miller did, so I don’t have to.

Whatever happened to the kids from Kids? Twenty years later, Caroline Rothstein tells the tale.

What would historical figures look like today? Over at the Telegraph, digital artists worked with history experts to find out.

I love going to a good concert. Anna over at Door Sixteen offers some advice for enjoying the show, and I totally agree!

The Pink Castle in Atlana is for sale, for a song. Well, a song relative to what you get! It’s stunning, and if I weren’t a human furnace, I would figure out a way to make it happen.

The SSA released the top baby names of 2012. There are a couple of fun tools to see if a name you like is popular or trending. Apparently, Arya (from Game of Thrones) is rising.

squirrely sunday: happy mother’s day

Sunday, May 12th, 2013

two squirrels

Since I wouldn’t be posting this blog if it weren’t for a mother who put up with me until I left the nest, I figured a shout out was in order.

So, happy mother’s day to my mother. A pretty good mom, especially when I hear about some of the other moms out there. Thanks for putting up with me and my shenanigans all these years. Happy mother’s day also to my sister (mother to my super rad niece and nephews), my mother-in-law (who gave me the hubs), and my sister-in-law (mother to our wee niece). Hope it is swell!

linked: song of ass and fire

Monday, May 6th, 2013

This headline sure piqued my interest. Given the salacious details, it’s amazing it just faded into history.

I don’t know if my love of books and libraries comes purely from being the daughter of a librarian. However, looking at these photos of librarians throughout the past, I think it may be likely.

Speaking of my love of books, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is a favorite. I was saddened by the death of the author recently. This article hits upon many of my favorite points, and now I am thinking about my days of youth trying to figure out how I could get to the Detroit Institute of Arts and set up house without anyone noticing.

I so wish I could see some of these posters around my workplace! I really love old ads and things. They did not try to sugarcoat anything.

The designer in me loves better design–in everything! I love the idea of making everyday prosthetics things of beauty! The folks at Haute Macabre agree. Make sure to click the links within the post I linked–there are so many uplifting and beautiful things there!

I know, I know, you came for The Game of Thrones! You will be horrified to know you’ve been mispronouncing Khaleesi. Don’t feel too bad though. The guy who invented the language will help you out!

Now that you can pronounce khaleesi correctly, it’s time to test your GoT knowledge! Have you been keeping track of which butts have been seen? Here’s a little test for you!

Now, the best was saved for last. Go ahead and watch the magic that is Tilda Swinton leading a dance along. I will be over here building a time machine so I can go to there.

Ebertfest 2013 Dance Along from Ebertfest on Vimeo.

squirrely sunday: happy cinco de mayo

Sunday, May 5th, 2013

5.1.13 cinco de mayo squirrel
I think this guy may have partied too hard! If you are out celebrating, make sure to hydrate and have a designated driver. I know I will be enjoying a margarita or two, myself! Cheers!!

101 things: Part 8

Wednesday, May 1st, 2013

I’m just gonna cut out some words here at the beginning, as none of these are done. Lame, I know. But, there it is. Let’s look at why!

81) Go see Mount Rushmore & 82) Go to Wall Drug I am putting these together, since they would be part of the same trip. They are American classics, and I have never been. I even live 700 miles closer to them than I did growing up, so there is no excuse! Well, except there is. I totally thought this would be a doable road trip for a weekend. I nice spring or fall weekend, specifically. Then, the reasons we couldn’t do it racked up. Weekends became the time I tried to catch up on sleep. I just never felt like going. However, that is fixed now, so there is one excuse out of the way. I will see if we can cram it in this year, though we have several trips and long weekends happening already, so the options are slim. I am eager to do this, though. Especially because it also knocks a bit off my long term goal of seeing all 50 states.

83) Get a professional facial. I have tricky skin. I inherited my mother’s large pores, which is good since it gives me a place to keep spare change, and my keys. Not so good, since a lot of other much collects in them. Plus, no matter how old I get, I continue to break out. Birth control has helped, but I still have icky skin. I really want someone to get in there and really clean out those pores and purge everything, so I could have a clean slate, if only for a few moments. The issues I ran into were dollars, first. However, then my struggle was to find a place I was willing to go. It only takes a few nightmare stories of facials gone awry to have me totally paranoid. I mean, the whole purpose of going is to help my skin, not to wind up with scars or disfigurement. I have a couple of folks in mind now, at least, and some dollars set aside. I have a friend getting a laser treatment, and I want to hear about it before deciding how I shall proceed. I will probably still go to the place she gets her face done, since she has given it good marks so far, and has some of the same skin issues I do. I know I can’t get perfect baby skin (which is the only time I had perfect skin…my pores started freaking out in grade school!), but I would like to not have creases and huge pimples at the same time.

84) Get a past life regression done. Yes. I believe in reincarnation. I believe that our actions in this life determine where we wind up next, and so on and so forth. I believe that those that leave us wind up being around somehow, just in different forms. I really want to get a regression done, but just haven’t done it. I had one recommendation for a place, but it was super pricey and we didn’t have the dollars at the time. So, I am on the lookout for someone who is reputable, and also not insanely priced. I realize that it is a gift that can’t be given away, but I also don’t want to go broke having this done. I will take any input from you, dear readers!!! Feel free to leave a tip in the comments!!

85) Eat at Chino Latino. This place opened not so long after I moved here, and is a hip, happening spot. It should have been so easy to cross off, yet it wasn’t. I mean, I ate in places surrounding this one, just never managed to get in the door. I mostly feel like I just need to go there once, since I may be the last person to not have gone in, but in doing this list, I realized it isn’t a huge priority.
However, one crazy thing they do here, is serve guinea pig. When I first heard this, I thought it was outrageous! You can’t eat adorable pig-pigs! Except, that in other countries, particularly in South America, you totally do. It’s pretty common street food, and you go up, they fry one for you, done and done. At Chino Latino, however, they do need advance notice. I don’t imagine people flock there for this, but it is something they can offer to be authentic to South American cuisine. I imagine that guinea pig would make me just as ill as every other type of meat, so I won’t be trying it. However, don’t let that stop you!
So, I may or may not make it out to Chino Latino. I just realized it isn’t as important to me as I thought it was.

86) Do an in-line marathon. G proposed this one. There is an amazing local one where you get to skate on an Interstate for a bit overlooking Lake Superior. The problem is that it’s hard to train for one of these while also training for a regular marathon. I thought that once I completed the regular marathon, I would totally get on the inline one. However, I was thwarted on the regular one, hence this one didn’t happen. I still want to conquer it, though. I have to see if the hubs is still game for it, and maybe we will tackle this one first, then go for a running one. We live by a fantastic trail to train on, so we really don’t have an excuse. Well, I do need new bearings and probably new wheels for my skates…but otherwise, no excuses!

87) Get my ring re-appraised for insurance. Such a silly one to not have done. I just need to take my papers into the jeweler, get my ring looked at, have them write some things down, and copy the info for my insurance. Not hard. Yet, not done. In the meantime, I just panic every so often that something has happened to my ring and I will be SOL. Fine jewelry isn’t covered by your general homeowners/renters/whatever policy, so you need to prove to them what you have and have a rider on the policy. Mostly to prevent people from saying all their diamonds were stolen and get reimbursed. I get it, it’s just an extra hassle. One I really need to get on. Like yesterday.

88) Learn Millinery (specifically how to block hats) As with making any other clothing, I would love to make some hats! I mean, so far, I have been limited by what hats I can find and alter. There are some that can be made without knowing how to block, but it’s pretty limiting. Like shoes, I figured that I was stuck with this limitation. However, a fashion blog I read (Fashion for Nerds) informed me that one could learn hat blocking! Audi, the writer of the blog, creates hats, and learned to do so by taking some local courses. I could take local courses! The problem is that local for her is San Fransisco and local for me is the Twin Cities. Apparently hat blocking is not a thing around here. I am trying to cobble together some knowledge from you tube and such, but it’s slow going. I guess the bright side with that is that I can say I’m self taught? Bah. I just wanna know how to do it and be done.
The other problem is getting the supplies. Hat blocks and such. I will do this, though. With my hat collection as my witness, I will learn to block hats!!

89) Learn and practice meditation. This should be easy. Not for me, though. I’ve tried doing it on my own, but my brain just can’t shut down. My plan is to go for some guided meditation. This is another one that I thought I would do because it was on the list, but I realized it isn’t as important to me as I thought it was. I’m sure I will do it if the opportunity presents itself, but I am not gonna stress over sorting it out, either.

90) Get a martini at Bradstreet Crafthouse. So, if you know me, you know I love gin. If you don’t know that I love gin, then you don’t really know me. There are others out there that claim they love gin, and I know they think they do, but they don’t. If you love Hendrick’s, you don’t really love gin. Hendrick’s is fine if you are gonna mix a cocktail and the flavor isn’t so important. In the gin world, it’s a fine starter gin. Gin for the non-gin drinker, if you will. Now, some do love a fine gin, but then they ruin it. Olives should not touch gin. Don’t go shaking your gin (I blame James Bond movies for this one, though I’m told the books have it right. If you shake your gin, go read a James Bond novel and get back to me). You bruise it, and that’s just sad. Vermouth should be but a whisper over your martini. If you taste VERMOUTH, you’ve gone and mucked it up.
In a nutshell, I am very serious about my gin. Very. Serious. When I learned about the Crafthouse, I finally found a place that loved gin the way I love gin! You don’t call drinks there. You order your cocktail, and they make it in the most perfect, ideal way possible. They use top quality ingredients and use exacting methods. A place for me!
Have I been there yet? No. Wah-Wahhhhh. Part of the thing here is that I really want to go with two dear friends of ours who also adore cocktails and classy places. We just don’t seem to be able to coordinate. So, this year, the four of us will coordinate, and make cocktail magic happen.
Then, G will have to order me the magic vermouth they use, and I will surely be upgrading my gin in the liquor cabinet. I mean, Bombay Sapphire is fine and all, but if I am going to be truly fabulous, it’s gotta be top shelf all the way.

One more installment, then a wrap up of what I learned, where I’m at, and what I will still do (along with those that I am just crossing off.)

If you have any tips, recommendations, or the like to help me with anything on my list, please let me know!