say it in broken english

I have netflix, and much to Ryan's chagrin, I always choose chick flicks. By chick flicks I mean; Foreign, Drama,"Romance", Comedy, and Independent. Non-chick-flicks, I guess, fall under the categories of Suspense and Action.

"The Feast of Love" is a movie I would not recommend to anybody. The plot was predictable to a fault, it's cheesy one-liners were off-putting, but more so was the blatant fact that Morgan Freeman plays- GUESS WHAT? No, really, guess. I'll give you some options:

1. The wise old man friend that everyone looks to for advice, always remaining calm and thoughtful.

2. The wise old man friend that everyone looks to for advice, always remaining calm and thoughtful.

3. The wise old man friend that everyone looks to for advice, always remaining calm and thoughtful.

Did you notice all options were the same? Thats because THAT'S THE ONLY ROLE HE IS EVER IN! It is insufferable to watch at this point, in any film.


The next up was Broken English, and I loved it. I am a sucker for movies that involve romantic and spontaneous foreign men and rash decisions.

Today we are meeting with a man to check out the septic on the new hizzy. We are keeping our fingers crossed that we won't have to replace the septic, so today will be a good indication of whether that will happen.

marzipan

I have to say I am not a fan of the retro 50's look in clothing. All those high waists and the subesequent "sucking in" makes me want to barf. I know all the ladies were supposedly wicked sexy with their red, red lips and poke-y out-y boobage and tight belts, but I bet they also had a hard time breathing. Yuck.

1+1 is a blog that I've been reading lately, although it is a little confusing to navigate. It is hosted by Uber, a site that lets you sign up and create your own website/blog, and add friends, etc... check it out.

Etsy is "your place to buy and sell all things handmade" and is a good way to score one of a kind jewelry, artwork, etc ... and you can search by area, if local is your cup of tea. I haven't bought anything but am always looking through for new inspiration. I guess being an artist it would be noble of me to support fellow artists, however being an artist, I am also broke, what a surprise! Haha.

And deserving of a re-visit is Homestarrunner!!! This brings me back...

Long Live Enthusiasm!

I am envisioning a house with

Light

open space

a room of my own

a kitchen of proportion to lots of cooking

good food

a deck and friends on it, in the summer night

relaxed

efficient

lovely

And so it shall be, with planning and dedication. Good luck to us! We start on the 31st of March.

Something I am proud of.

A hand-made birthday gift for Ryan:

(from the side)




(from the front)

I would like to note that:

a.) This object looks much more warm, inviting, and lamp-like in person.

b.) Everything was made from scratch- paper cubes, paper cube template, etc...

c.) It took a lot of planning but was most certainly worth it!

Dropsies!

The following is a picture of Baby Silas (Ryan's nephew) almost being dropped by his Oma:

My heart's a hobo / loves to go out berry pickin' / hates to hear alarm clocks tickin'.....

This past weekend was sort of a bust. I got to learn many times over that in most situations, with the exception of emergencies, it is best NOT to push myself to the limit and past it.


With so many obligations to fulfill I literally had no time to myself this past week or weekend, and I know that many people with very busy lives experience this nearly all the time. But I don't necessarily think that form of lifestyle is VERY OK. I believe that if we all should have a little wiggle room to pursue whatever we want and need, individually, to make ourselves happy.


Pushing yourself to give more and more and more ALL the time, giving 110% or whatever, is not actually that healthy. In our culture, I have been pressed into the thought that success = sacrafice all the time no matter what. Money is the great god of happiness and self-respect, and if you like your job or hate your job it doesn't matter, cause you have to do it. It's all the better if you hate your job- you are an instant martyr and can feel good about all the "giving up" you have been doing. It makes "getting" feel like you definitely deserve it.


(OBVIOUSLY not to say anything degrading to all those hard-working folks and certainly every situation deserves a case-by-case review.)


As I become more self-aware I am finding that I can set my boundaries with greater ease and less confusion. The world opens up and time to do art or go exploring outside becomes just as important as time to clean the bathroom (or whatever else unfulfilling but necessary time requirement might be demanded of me.)

Speaking of exploring outside, this past weekend's high-lites included several trips to the cabin and a general feeling that I wanted to be there more. I found alot of bones in the woods which went into the bone collection, a sort of creepy undertaking that I find fascinating. At this point I have several skulls and ribs, and I don't feel at all goth about it. I just think bones are interesting.

Anyways, happy monday.

Have you ever seen a goose, kissing a moose....

(Previous paragraphs deleted...you will find them again ssoooommmeeedaayyyyy)

In other news I quit my babysitting job, which wasn't a tough decision to make. I do actually like the twins and thought they were way worth spending time with. But at this point in my life I needed to make the distinction of who I want to see myself as. A driven, successful adult or the part-time babysitter? There is no shame in child-care, but there is shame in not taking yourself seriously enough and settling for less, when there is so much more potential to be reached. SO much more.

This has been an exercise in psychological conditioning for me as well...hard to explain. I've been so used to taking whatever side jobs I could get and not really believing in my capabilities or my business. WHY? WHAT am I WAITING FOR? How many times have I proven to myself that virtually anything I want to do I can do? And why doesn't this register in my decision-making process?

To conclude, I've been making a giant push for the silhouettes and it truly is paying off. I had a day where I was just SO fed up with so many things that I had no choice but to sit down and consider my options and come up with some problem-solving moves. This memory stays with me still and guides the process by which I continue doing business.

When everything opened up and I realized that I can absolutely live by a theory no boundaries for myself it was immensely freeing. I know now that I am not stuck in a certain situation, that there is courage and opportunity enough to create a reality that I can feel uncompromised in and good about. There is the space to create my own boundaries, and the space to continue changing in whatever way is necessary.

The Best House In Hardwick

The early 90's have nothing on me

I don't know about you, but I get sick of lugging around my giant bag everywhere I go. I realized that the aching in my shoulders when I am shopping or going anywhere is not, in fact, an invisible and overweight monkey, but tension from keeping my bag hoisted onto my upper body.

I found this great, although pricey, little belt bag in the Sundance Catalog. The fact that it brings to mind a fanny pack worries me slightly, but I think it could look pretty dope. Especially combined with another slouchy, detailed belt criss-crossed over or under.


Plus, one can dance the night away without tucking their purse into a dark corner of the bar and hoping no bitches snag it.

Read it and Weep, Poland Springs!

(This one even comes in a silhouette motif! Perfect for guess who...)

http://ecofabulous.blogs.com/ reminded me today that SIGG water bottles are really phenomenal. Let me tell you why:

..*They are aluminum.

..*NO icky taste if you put something besides H2O in it, or if you forget to wash it out for awhile.

..*NO chemicals that break down and seep into your beverage with time.

..*NO more plastic water bottles, which apparently are the new evil.

..*They will last for literally your entire life.

..*They come in lovely colors and patterns

Dare to dream

"There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness"

..Mahatma Ghandi...

Sustainable Fashion Library

(Expensive, reader beware. Perhaps just for window shopping...)

http://www.shopequita.com/body.htm

http://www.alternativeapparel.com/Consumer.aspx

http://stylewillsaveus.com/

http://www.oqoqo.com/

http://www.shopbeausoleil.com/

https://www.nau.com/homepage/index.jsp#

http://www.deborahlindquist.com/us/index_us.html

http://www.stique.com/

http://www.ulurunyc.com/

http://www.she-bible.com/shop/shop_womens1.html

http://www.shopmodify.com/Apparel.html

http://www.livity.org/

http://www.lindaloudermilk.com/

http://www.simpleshoes.com/womenLanding.aspx?g=Women

http://neetmagazine.com/

Thrift store shopping also falls under the category of sustainable, and affordable. (And somewhat frustrating when you can't find anything in your size or made of 100% cotton without pilling or staining under the garment armpit.) If fact, most of my clothes used to come from thrift stores, when I could fit into more apparel.

What the crap

Every time I post, my formatting goes screwy... All the paragraphs are immediately put together into one long run-on story. Grr.

Four Wafer-Thin Apparitions

Yesterday's baby shower was a bombardment of cool, handmade gifts and baby clothes for the mom-to-be. And by handmade I meand made by the guest in question...you don't see that alot.

After the shower I was exhausted like I had run a marathon. So I napped, made dinner, and watched The Darjeeling Limited. I thought it was great.

English Breakfast Tea

Today is my best friend's baby shower and I can't believe that she is almost about to have a human bean! Woah!

Yesterday was a good day. I am doing something called "Sound therapy" and it works like nothing else. Good, good stuff.

I went to Whole Foods afterward and picked up some fresh dill pickles, Sherbetter-which is like sherbet but utterly more delicious, bagels + cream cheese, and California baby shampoo among other less exciting groceries. I am going to try out the baby shampoo because it smells good and I think will be gentler on my dry winter hair than the Paul Mitchell Shampoo One I'm using right now. I have to say that Paul Mitchell ultra hydrating condition works like a charm, though.

Since I have been on the sustainability kick, I have also been trying to live more simply. This means really watching what I purchase and being aware of the waste it will create, and the value it will or won't add to my life.

Thus, spring and summer clothing shopping is taking on a new meaning. I am SO sick of buying tons of clothing only to have in circulation several favorite pieces. The rest just sit and rot in my closet....so I am going to be extra careful of what I buy this year. That means it has to fit just right and I have to love it, and I am going for more sustainable materials. Which will also equal being conscious of what I buy not only because it will be organic cotton or bamboo or whatever, but because it will be expensive and I won't be able to afford a lot of peices anyways.

I really admire people who come up with their own style and wear it with grace, and really put themselves together well. It is certainly an art.