Today I had Francis Ford Coppola wine (as in the director of The Godfather). It was called Sofia and it was pink and girly and really kind of fantastic. And apparently he has a whole vineyard in California. This is an excerpt from their website:
"Fruity and refreshing, Sofia Blanc de Blancs is a rare blend of Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscat. Mellow flavors of apples and pears are topped by a hint of citrus and honeysuckle. Elegant in character, this wine is lightly textured and vibrant through the finish. "
Go to your closet.
Sift through and count how many pieces were not yours but are yours now. For example I have several shirts that my father wore in high school that he can no longer fit into or pull off. Or maybe you have a few of your grandpa's sweaters. It could be something you borrowed and never gave back (cough cough) or something that another person owned and thought you needed it more.
I have twenty two things plus a few aprons and a couple pairs of tights from others. Now some of these things were inherited because of a death, or not being able to wear it any longer. Others are stolen, lost or misplaced garments that have found a safe haven inside my closet. I cherish every one of these articles because they remind me of the other person. Make that twenty three things, I just found a sweatshirt stuck between my bed and the wall. But by all means keep your mouth shut if you wish to keep these things a secret. I let a fantastic pair of pants out out of my big mouth the other day and boy do I regret that, however one of my bestest suggested that I pattern them for us. But for those of your who don't know how to pattern and want to keep these things just do it.
I have been neglecting our baby blog, sorry, merriweather. I recently moved from Chicago to St. Louis, my hometown, and I have been so busy catching up with people that i have had no time to sit and blog. I actually should be updating my resume at the moment...
I've actually really been enjoying STL, It's home, ya know? last week I caught up with a couple of my friends from high school. We went to a couple bars one was a bicycle themed bar called Handlebar! It was nice to catch up with them. This week I went to a music showcase downtown it was from 2-2 and it featured a bunch of different bands at a bunch of different bars. I've always been into the local music scene but there were a lot of talented bands at this thing. I really like the vibe in St. Louis it's similar to the Chicago vibe but it's not as fast and it's not the attention whore that is Chi-town. I am not a day-by-day type of person, I never have been but being a recent graduate and choosing to be funemployed until I either a) run out of money or b)find a job that doesn't make me want to jump is kind of forcing me to be a free spirit. I'm all over the place right now but at least I'm having fun...
Medusa
Okay maybe fetish is the wrong word. Obsession possibly? I love scissors, a lot. I have to restrain from walking down the scissor aisle in any craft or sewing establishment. Here are a few of my lovelies
*Merriweather, I took this photo 2 weeks ago when I was moving out of 6 W.
I am still very confused why switching to digital television was better than what their was. Now that it is all digital I have this stupid converter box and a lovely pair of bunny ears to make that converter box work. Well guess what? It doesn't work some of the time and some of that time it is pixelated and cuts out and the picture is distorted. I feel like its 1992 when I have to walk over to my television and move one of the antennae to try and make the picture better. And I am sure people who have fancy cable do not have this problem but I am never home, neither are my parents so their is no need for fanciness.
That is my bitterness for the day. I sound like I am 50.
I don't know how many different beers I have tried but I still have not found the right one. But when I am in a beer "setting" or "environment" I am totally down for a shitty beer that I will most likely hate.
Last evening I attended a show in Saint Paul at this quaint little bar called The Turf Club. I went alone and entered into a very full bar, very full of attractive bearded men. So of course my anxiety set it. I stepped to the side, got out my phone, sent out a few texts and then decided I needed a beer to keep me occupied. I walked over to the bar to find 312 on tap, which is a Chicago beer that is not my cup of tea but I was totally excited to be in a bar at a show to see David Bazan who I have only seen in Chicago. It was meant to be. Shows like this are totally beer appropriate. Baseball games are my other beer "environment". I am not necessarily there to watch some men hit a a ball around a diamond field, but its the whole experience that counts. Hot dogs, baseball, beer, peanuts, yelling fans. A perfect beer day.
I always thought of weird lists such as this. These are the original brands that have just turned into the actual product i.e. Kleenex for facial tissue.
Kleenex
Hi-Liter
Coke
Jell-o
Magic Marker
Post-it
Q-tip
Teflon
Scotch tape
Super Glue
Thermos
Vaseline
Windbreaker
Xerox
X-Acto knife
Wite Out
Windbreaker
Chap Stick
Kool-aid
When I was younger, probably in middle school, I was telling my grandpa about this boy that would always be mean to me during recess. He would chase me, throw things at me, tease me; he just would not leave me alone and of course I reacted so it would just continue.
"That means he likes you" My grandpa told me
"Yeah right, that's dumb. Why would he do that?"
"That's what boys do because they don't know what to do with their feelings"
While waiting for the 29 state bus in Chicago one day minding my own business an older man started chatting me up while I was wearing my fairly large headphones. I didn't catch the first few things he said because I literally could not hear him so I took them off and listened. He went on and on about the number eleven and how people are eleven's. He said that eleven's are technical and do things a certain way. And he said that he was born on the 11th of a month making him an eleven. I let him talk and talk until the I could see the bus across the street, he noticed it too and his mouth stopped. And I turned to him and said that I was an eleven born in the 11th month. His eyes lit up and said he met three eleven's that very day. Then we both got on the bus and went out separate ways and I've been thinking about this constantly lately. I am sure there are several different theories about numbers and people but I thought this was a strange and neat little coincidence.
I am a hugger
I am a loud mouth
I am a designer
I am an observer
I am a worrier
I am a butt pincher
I am a reader
I am an adventurer
I am a canoer
I am a bicyclist
I am a lover
I am a snuggler
I am a cherry coke-aholic
My computer broke (big surprise) so I have neglected my duties for a little while now. But I have a grand old Wisconsin story to tell and it goes a little something like this:
One of my bestest and I were driving the back way home from a neighboring town when we get around this bend in the road and see a cop. And they are fucking everywhere lately EVERYWHERE. So we slow down but we are still a good ways away and we think he has only pulled someone over and we can breeze by but that is certainly not the case. We get closer and closer and c l o s e r.
"Hey what is that truck doing on the other side of the road? Why is that man standing around? Why is that fucking cop parked in our lane? Why is he moving the car so that it is fully blocking our lane? Why is he getting out of the car? What the fuck is THAT?"
This cop hops out of the car with a farely large rifle and my hands instinctively cover my eyes immediately. I hear a gun shot and squeal and she tells me to keep my eyes shut because what they were shooting was wiggling around and I would not be pleased. Then another gun shot. Boy oh boy I wish we had closed the windows. They were shooting what seemed to be a rabies infected raccoon. Blah. I am all for killing animals because it is the circle of life however I am not a hunter, nor do I want to hunt nor do I want to know anything about killing animals. I like to pretend I don't know things because I remember shit like this and I have been thinking about for the last two days since it happened. And I know it was probably in pain and it was dangerous and blah blah blah blah blah, it still freaked me out a great deal.
I went to my little brothers high school graduation Wednesday night. We both attended the same high school so I had to avoid everyone like the plague. It is a catholic high school so naturally there were some siblings i needed to avoid. The "great catholic education" we received from this high school is debatable, but it makes our parents feel better, so, whatever. Anyways, they began to announce some awards (i zoned out for awhile) THEN they casually gave an award to a boy who had PERFECT attendance all 4 years of high school!!!!!!!!!! I am still in shock, and fascinated by this. "Obviously this kid never dated, or fought with a best friend, or felt any hatred toward anyone" i thought. My parents were not as in to this as i was they said "well, he must not get sick." I mean... this kid never had a hangover? or skipped class to smoke a cigarette for the first time? he for sure never read The Perks of Being a Wallflower or stayed up all night watching The O.C. The fact that they were awarding this kid for missing out on the greatest parts of life kind of made me sick. He must be a robot.
Presentation, Presentation, Presentation. -Bruce Woods (fundamentals of fashion design)
Never make excuses for your work -Virginia Heaven (concepts)
You are your own worst enemy - Michael Paxton (figure drawing)
When everything seems to be going wrong, go back to your work- Verser Englehard (fashion styling)
You must allow yourself 7 years of struggle in your field. If you are not where you want to be, then you can do something else- John Delong (MGMT for designers)
Happy Birthday to all the lovely people in history I missed this week! But I am not going to take the time to look them up because I am on vacation laying in a rather lovely bed with the sounds of sirens, homeless men and heels running past the window. Sounds perfect right? Haha, that's Chicago for ya.
Yesterday I attended Columbia's LAUNCH Fashion Show which included the amazing workings of our Miss Medusa. It was lovely, she is lovely. And there was a lot of really well made beautiful garments and then were some that were not. Fabric choice is a huge deal, HUGE DEAL. You cannot scrimp on your fabric because that is what everyone sees first. Step it up and get the good stuff because people notice. And yes I have become a fabric snob however if you are going to make a beautiful crafted dress with crazy seams and lovely beading wouldn't you rather see it in silk than polyester? Maybe its just me. But all in all the show was really cool, there were several pieces I would have liked to take home for myself. There was even a collection made for plus sized women! And there were two men's wear looks! And hot damn that model was beautiful and so was his bum. Can we say grey riding pants?!?! YES!
It was really wonderful seeing my other half along with several other lovely ladies and gentlemen that I went to school with and their accomplishments from the last year.
Oh! I forgot to add garbage trucks to the romantic sounds outside my window.
I have become one of those people. I talk about work. I carpool. I talk about books. I talk about how exhausting it is sitting at a computer all day. I go for a bike ride when I get home. I eat. I watch T.V. I pick out my outfit for tomorrow. Sometimes I even make a lunch. I am certainly back into a routine which is comforting BUT I feel like I am in auto pilot more often than not. My goal is to produce something everyday or be outside everyday after my daily routine has ended.
Today I did just that. I stopped by the art show at my mother's school with a friend, I watched only an hour of television which I never really watch anyways, packed, cleaned, went for an extensive bike ride, and chatted with a few friends. After a really frustrating day at work I think I successfully turned the day around, not to mention the loveliness of the 8o degree weather that graced our presence today. Now for a romantical movie to help me dream happy thoughts.
When we were little my siblings and I would always interrupt my mother while she was talking on the phone. And it was always for stupid shit like being hungry, or that we couldn't find something we wanted or just had to have. And she would just get pissed and annoyed with us. So finally she told us that we were not to do this anymore. We had to wait until she was off the phone. Or we could find or call dad and ask him. I cannot remember how old we were but I was maybe seven and my sister was almost nine. It was winter and it might have been a snow day but we were playing outside in our yard. Our garage sits into a hill so the back of the garage is close to the ground, especially with all the snow we had we could climb on it without any aid. So here we are two little girls playing just playing on the roof.. And for some reason we thought going onto the front side of the roof was a good idea where the drive way is a full story drop. So of course my sister slips and FALLS OFF THE ROOF. She landed a foot away from the drive way in a fucking snowbank. And she is instantly upset and freaking out. I don't remember much besides sliding down the back the garage as fast as I could and running to the front to my screaming sibling. We came inside and low and behold mom is on the phone. So we wait and we wait and we wait until she has finished her conversation. Man oh man was she pissed that we didn't tell her right away. I distinctly remember saying "you told us to wait until you were finished" all soft and scared. And she grinned a teary grin. And then we fled to the hospital : )
My hipster transformation is complete! Grey Toms in my possession. Now I am going to go pump up my tubes, grab my chrome bag, roll up my jeans and go for a bike ride.
"Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around. You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself and not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colours seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life."
— Bob Marley
People always tell me I am so cute and innocent looking. But boy oh boy my favorite people are like that because they are so surprising. When my tattoos get a shot of sunlight or I swear or I talk about something dirty new people are usually a little taken back. It's cool but don't feel like you need to hold back because I look the way I do. I am not wearing black lace unmentionables for no damn reason. I feel like most people have a side of themselves that doesn't get shown right away and maybe my cute little curls, skirts and blouses throw people off but its more exciting this way.
Let's say someone's dad was a biker who wore leather everyday, talked smack, tattoos up the wazoo and his favorite hobby was knitting. FUCKING KNITTING! How awesome is that? Badass. So badass. So I guess the moral of this story is never judge a book by a cover which is bullshit because I do it everyday and so do you. But really I do buy my actual books by the looks of the cover and a brief scan over of the back or inside cover.
BUT, seriously people are so interesting. People watching; now that's a whole different category of greatness.
Whenever I need some information I always try to come up with a few people I could ask that would possibly know the answer or any type of answer that would help me out. And today all I could think about was how I was going to get home and fucking 'Google it'. And as mother's day approaches I thought it would be appropriate to don 'Google' the mother everyone should have had. Google gives you all the information you want and maybe even a little extra. Need to know how to spell a word? Cool because Google can tell you how. Need to know what mastication is? Sweet, ask Google. Need to know how to get to your grandparent's house? Google maps is where it's at. Google has all the factual information you were too afraid to ask your mom. Remember: Google doesn't judge, or have a temper or cry.
Hands down
I'm too proud, for love
But with eyes shut
It's you I'm thinking of
But how we move from A to B it can't be up to me
Cause I don't know
Eye to eye
Thigh to Thigh
I let go
I think I'm a little bit
Little bit
A little bit in love with you
But only if you're a little bit
Little bit
Little bit
In lalalala love with me
Oh ah
And for you I keep my legs apart
And forget about my tainted heart
And I will never ever be the first
To say it's still a, Game over
Ah ah ah
I would do it
Push a button
Pull a trigger
Climb a mountain
Jump off a cliff
Cause you know baby I love you love you
A little bit
I would do it
You'd say it
You'd mean it
I would let you do it
It was you and I and I only
Ha hm
I think I'm a little bit
Little bit
A little bit in love with you
But only if you're a little bit Little bit
Little bit
In lalalala love with me
I think I'm a little bit
Little bit
A little bit in love with you
But only if you're a little bit
Little bit
Little bit
In lalalala love with me
Ah oh
Come here
Stay with me
Stroke me
By the head
Cause I would give anything
Anything
To have you as my man
Come here
Stay with me
Stroke me, by the head
Cause I would give anything
Anything
To have you as my man
Little bit
Little bit
A little bit in love with you
But only if you're a little bit
Little bit
Little bit
In lalalala love with me
I think I'm a little bit
Little bit
A little bit in love with you
But only if you're a little bit
Little bit
Little bit
We have an electric blue Ford Ranger truck with a thin purple stripe. It has been sitting in our driveway for the entire winter and we finally got her out and put new tires on her. I learned how to drive stick in this truck with my Aunt and Uncle (both enormously tall humans) crammed into the passenger side.
It is ridiculously out of shape; it leans to one side, the windshield is broken, the wipers don't work, the seats move about and one of the tail lights is busted. But it gets us from a to b. And forget about riding in it with mom, good lord. She used to drive while talking on the phone and you would flung about like nobodies business.
It's always an adventure in this truck but I love it. It used to be my uncles and he would take me to Timberwolves games and I would bounce around in this little truck in downtown Minneapplesauce. It was great fun.
I am easily amused. I laugh a lot and frequently and at really stupid things. I also love really dry humor that nobody thinks is funny which makes me laugh even more because it makes me nervous that I am the only one laughing. And I have a loud laugh and its very distinguishable and I love it.
At work we have been joking that I was only hired to laugh at my office mate; which I do often because she is really silly, I am really silly and so is everyone else so its great fun. But think about...I would be great in awkward situations or at company parties. I could be hired just to laugh at the boss when he tells his dirty jokes that he only thinks are funny and it wouldn't even matter who I was. I would have an alias all ready: "I am Blah blah blah's sister from accounts, or I just started yesterday in the mail room or I work twice a week to fill in for that lady on the third floor that is three weeks past her due date but still insists on coming in even though she can only wear her husbands shoes because they are the only ones that will fit her swollen feet." Seriously, this is going to be my new side job to pay off my student loans. Well and to be able to buy Free People's spring collection. And maybe a cd or two. WAIT...and an actual adult bed complete with headboard and frame.
When you were little you probably thought your dad was the boss, right? I mean I knew the boss at my dad's work but I still knew he wasn't the lowest on the pay scale (or in a child's term: the cool guy at work). But I really did think my dad was the "cool guy". Now I temporarily work at this said work with my dad. My office mate Annie and were discussing this earlier and I truly believe that he is the cool guy and all of his co-workers that work closely with him are "the cool kids" too. They are also the silliest bunch of people probably ever and I think people come down to the bat cave (windowless area) just to get a little laugh (and some candy because my dad always has a large stash). Okay so maybe that is not the only reason they come down but still.
I have been wayyyyyy too emotional lately i don't know what's gotten into me but when this happens i listen to "emo" music and it makes me feel better. Sometimes you just need to put your headphones on and turn the volume up all the way...
here are some lyrics that are sappy and wonderful
"The scars of your love remind me of us, They keep me thinking that we almost had it all, The scars of your love, they leave me breathless, I can't help feeling, We could have had it all" -Adele Rolling in the deep
"Girl you're wanted like a wanted man
With your smart mouth and your killer hand
We could both share all that I have made
For a young man, it's a heck of a wage
And I feel crazy when I see your face" -kings of leon true love way
I have a youtube playlist I listen to and dance with while I get ready each morning and these are a few of them:
Fits and the Tantrums "MoneyGrabber"
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros "Home"
LCD Soundsystem "All My Friends"
She and Him "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?"
MGMT "Time To Pretend"
MGMT "Electric Feel"
It totally gets me pumped and excited about the day to come.
My mother made this for me for dinner and there it was just hanging out on the dining room table, mother nowhere to be found. I took a bite and was in love, but it needed to be warmed up a bit. So I obsessed (to myself) about how fucking wonderful that little piece of meat was. I waited patiently until the 'beep beep beeeep' went off and just ate it standing up. I got half way through and thought "maybe I should sit down, have some water and enjoy this" so of course I kept eating it as I walked over to the table still voicing how amazing it was. I must have been tuned out because my mother had been asking me who I was talking to for the whole duration of this meal (about a minute and a half) and she scared the SHIT out of me but don't worry, no meat was lost. She was reading on a couch in the neighboring room. Good lord. Then I giggled the rest of the way through that sultry piece of meat.
I may be a picky eater (not as bad I as I used to be) but I still enjoy a nice big piece of meat, as long as it is a cow.
So I still have laryngitis. And my friends have come over and made it impossible for me not to speak so here I am honking away. And they think it is hilarious when I say certain things.
So whenever I would receive a text message I would say "text message" in a high pitched noise, I mean, we are talking every time. So I figured I should just record myself saying "text message" instead. So I did and people think it is strange, and funny and it never gets old.
So here we are sitting around playing with our phones and one of the bestest wants me to record "text message" into her phone so her life can be complete. So I did and it is awful. Honk Honk. I sound like a goose and when I say goose its like a twelve year old boys voice crackling.
I have laryngitis. And I talk all of the time. One of my bestest just came over and we had a full blown conversation without me saying a damn thing. It was rough let me tell you. But I silently laughed my ass off and gave her facial expressions that easily explained my reactions. It is really irritating not being able to say what I want or what I need or how I feel. I mean writing down little notes works but uses lots of paper and I am a horrible speller. Whoever said silence is golden can suck it. But it also makes me think before I speak since I really cannot produce any sound.
To make the tampon aisle even more awkward at the Target near me, the condoms are in the same aisle. Killing two birds with one stone you ask? Yes, yes indeed.
the tampon aisle is a confusing, weird and uncomfortable place to be. I've never understood why there are so many choices available, but there are, and when they are out of my kind I feel like an alien to the world of tampons so I end up standing in the aisle for at least 10 minutes trying to figure out what brand to buy "do i need regular or light or super? should i just get the variety pack? will i know which end to tear open? do i need to be eco friendly? scented? unscented? can i really flush a flushable applicatior? why doesn't it come with a bonus dove chocolate bar? do i need 16? or 45? why don't they have a 25 pack?" it's stupid. I used to have this fear of buying tampons in public (which i think is a legit fear) but living in a huge city kind of helps you get over that. I used to go to Walgreen's at the weirdest hour when I lived at home because I would always see people I knew from high school. My best friend Julie even bought me a couple of boxes when I left for college because she knew I'd rather bleed to death(which couldn't happen) than go buy them at a random Walgreen's or CVS in the city of Chicago(I have good friends). Sometimes i think about what it would be like if men had to buy tampons and I've decided that they would either stay home for the entire week or have voluntary hysterectomies. I realize now as I'm older that you should be happy and proud when you buy those tampons because it means that you're still a freeeeee bitch, baby(no pun).
so here's to all the women that stand in the tamp isle for 10 minutes contemplating the cardboard and the plastic, even though we've tried them all...
No, not actual Ragu, but my big sister Ragu! She turns 25 today! We are having a 1920's themed party complete with beads, ferns and long fucking necklaces!
It has been brought up a few times in the last week or so that men are somewhat surprised when girls become vulgar. When a guy is talking about sex, or something dirty he does not say anything about the girl but obviously it is implied and GUESS WHAT??!?!?! We are totally telling our girls the same damn story and we are probably adding lots more details because women need to know everything. And most of the time it is kind of bragging but also we need to live vicariously through others sometimes.
My friend and I always thought it was funny to throw around the term "HEM JOB" while talking about hemming a garment for someone because one: it is hilarious two: it catches everyone off guard three: best facial reactions EVER. "I'm going to give him a hem job" Perfect. Just Perfect. Love It.
My sister just got home for Easter and she climbed into my bed and we've been chatting away the evening. We were talking about her 1920's themed party and trying to look up what to listen to during the extravaganza. Then our conversation veered toward our grandpa who was born in 1919 and how his mother, whom we never got to meet must have been a sass-a-frass-and-a-half and incredibly amazing. When my dad was little she gave him a doll just to piss off her daughter in law, his mother. My father was the youngest at the time (then came in the oops baby) with two older sisters and an older brother who was 12 years his senior. So when it came time to find some new clothes for his doll my father found his brothers dress shirt, and it was probably his only dress shirt. And he cut the arms off and said "and I didn't even have to sew anything" HAHAHA. I can just imagine my dad going into his room (shared with his big brother) and fucking looking wide eyed around for something to use. Classic papa bear, CLASSIC. I am starting to write everything down because it is too good to forget and I suggest you do the same.
Today I went to a middle aged house wife’s house and cleaned out her very large walk in closet. And when I say 'very large' I mean GIRNORMOUS. You could fit a twin sized bed inside with extra room to spare. And let me tell you she had more clothes that I have had in the last five years combined. It took three hours, 50 turtle neck sweaters and lots of polyeste to get rid of the ‘90s that was hiding in that closet. She had some really lovely things and then there were some really ridiculous things. She also had clothes that made her look 60 and others that made her look 13 which is the age that her oldest child is turning so we made some adjustments. And I told her not to be afraid of putting a mutliple colors together, especially since spring is upon us and you can get a little crazy. I had a lovely time and I think she was happy to have someone to help her with what will look good and what is definitely outdated. She was very fashionable and so adorable and had more than everything she would need to look cute for five years to come.
If I could go through every mom's closet in my hometown and got rid of the things I got rid of for this lady the world would be a better place. I do believe that everyone has almost everything they need in their closet they just need to revamp it and possibly replace a few things that probably don't fit from twenty years ago.
Do you ever feel like you and another are meant to be? That you were supposed to meet at that moment in your life and you just become connected? I have a few of these lovely people in different forms. It could be romantic, or platonic or ironic or any thing, it just is. I don't know if I believe in soul mates or if I totally understand that term but its the closet word I can use to describe Medusa and I. We are meant to be. We argue and disagree and we certainly have our own tastes but when it comes down to it we are on the same wavelength. I don't know in what part of our friendship that this came about because we were not close at the beginning but it just sort of "became". And it will remain a joining of giggles, sparkles and hilarity.
*feeling it in your bones
*being able to hear the snow falling
*hometown skyline
*someone else's heartbeat
*the moon
*dry leaves blowing across an empty parking lot
*kids who dress themselves
*when the subway doors stop right in front of you
*driving over hills
*fake accents
*cork popping noise
*when someone saves you a seat
*triangle sandwiches
*the halfway point
*napping with someone
*morning noises
*junk drawers
*drawing on steamy mirrors
*hidden compartments
*sneaking candy into the movies
*long hugs
*warm restaurant bread
*the smell of play dough
*bag fries
*the smell of rain on a hot sidewalk
*laughing in bed
let me preface this rant: I am an educated, privileged white girl. My parents are still married. i have not lost anyone close to me. I have not had my heart devastatingly broken. i have a roof over my head and i drink espresso...
That being said... why is it so fucking hard to get a goddamn job?????? I'm not even talking salary here. I decided to spend my summer at home in St. Louis to save up money to move to LA this winter. My parents just sold our house and are moving into another house we own which is being rented until June 13. my parents are going to live in my aunt and uncles furnished basement for a month and i was informed today that they "just thought you'd sleep on an air mattress." me. I NEED WALLS!!! I can't just go from living on my own to living in the open. I started freaking out. I keep considering staying in Chicago for the summer anyways. I'm afraid if I don't move to LA within 6 months of graduation I will get stuck because that's when my student loans will kick in and I was planning on struggling with those in LA and I know that if I'm not there by that time my parents will guilt me into staying at home. My parents support me but they do not and will not understand me, ever. They want me to stay in St. Louis and have babies. They don't understand art or passion or adventure. I love them dearly but sometime i picture them taking the wrong baby home from the hospital. Oh, then there's the car situation...my parents said if i was an RA(resident advisor) for 2 years they would buy me a car. Those 2 years were awful, my GPA went down, i was angry all of the time and i had no time for my fashion design. Long story short they're giving me the "if we're going to help you with your student loans, we can't buy you a car." So now i have to buy a car no matter what. I've been looking online and the thought of working in food service or retail makes me want to blow my brains out, like, literally would rather live in a basement with a piece of chalk and do cave drawings than deal with dumb people all day and act like I'm not a talented person with a college degree. People keep telling me to move to New York because "that's where all the fashion is" I WILL NOT WORK FOR FREE!!!!!! and i have not seen 1 job listing that isn't either an internship (unpaid of course) or a senior design job. I know everything with work out because it always does, but it's not my luck unless I freak out a few times before the good stuff kicks in. I just don't want to get stuck, but that is a matter of trusting myself and trusting my network to keep pushing me.
I had no idea the month before graduation would be this stressful and uncertain and bothersome.
I love screen printing. It is on my list of things to do every summer but I never end up doing anything I have written down. This time it is going to be different.
Boys are such a plethora of information sometimes. Columbia's fashion design program was made up of 95 percent women, 5 percent gay men so I wasn't around a lot of testosterone for the last couple of years. So I was hanging with a few fellas yesterday and I learned something brand new! They were saying that their friend was lame and wanted to stay home and rest and then they spoke in some strange lingo "he is probably saying hey to jill." My first thought was maybe this is the girl of his dreams and he is too chicken to say hello, hahaha. But boy oh boy was I wrong. When you hold out your right hand it spells Jill with your thumb being the J and so forth. Jill is slang for jerkin' off, hahahahaha. I had never heard that one before. I also learned 'beef stroken' off' the other day too, fucking clever. I do have a brother but we've never discussed things like this before.
Also I have always wondered what men talk about at the barber shop. Every time I took the train from my last apartment I passed one and I really just wanted to stop in and observe but I figured they would hold back because I am a lady.
I bought i-D today to read tonight since i have some down time. I turned my thesis in to be judged yesterday and won't get it back until wednesday so i'm trying to enjoy this "free" time.
Warby Parker is this amazing company that offers lenses and frames for $95 and I need some new glasses so I decided to take advantage of their free 5 day home trail of 5 frames. i'm wearing the Fillmore frames. i kind of love them and i'll probably order them after i have an eye exam. excited.
Medusa and I took a figure drawing class together and it was fan-fucking-tastic. It was hard at first to get into the mind that right in front of me was a naked person and that I shouldn't think about drawing the body but drawing shapes, shadows and lines, not the body as a whole. We had this lovely teacher from West Virginia with a sultry accent. And boy oh boy did he know his shit and he had the most fascinating stories. And he called us many silly names but mainly he stuck with Thelma and Louise and we ate it up every time. He also had these silly analogies, "would you canoe without an ore? Then don't draw like that" Hahahaha, never made any sense but we sure as shit listened to every word he said.
Back to the naked bodies. I crave naked bodies. I need naked bodies. I just want to draw everyone, seriously, it was that good. First we did quick gestural sketches and then moved into thirty minute drawings and by the end of the semester we were doing three hour long poses. It may have been my favorite class. Most days it was relaxing, some days it was irritating not to mention our room was a sauna. But he taught me that you cannot get attached to everything you produce. You need to tweek it, you need to throw it away, you need to let go because the next one is probably going to be even better and if it isn't, the one after that will be. It is a lovely art and I should have been drawing from photos until I found another willing body because I have lost the groove, but with practice I will get it back. My band teacher in middle school always said "practice makes perfect" and I hated it and I hated him because I could have cared less about playing the damn trumpet because where was that going to get me? Haha, I should have been thinking about that when I decided art was going to be my calling. But maybe you can't decide that, maybe it chooses you.
Have you ever noticed how every guy just happens to be good at volleyball? I feel like it doesn't even matter if they have played before or are athletic in any way. I played in middle school and I love it, well I loved serving because I was really terrible at controlling the ball. This may be a consistency, when I play ping pong I think its tennis and I hit that damn ball so hard it bounces every which way. But anyways volleyball and boys: they go together like sugar and spice. My goal this summer is to exercise in every way possible besides going to a gym. Volleyball, tennis, basketball, biking, hiking, canoeing, swimming and maybe even some frisbee.
Early in this movie Cady is given a drawing of the lunch room where each stereotype sits. They are hilarious:
Freshman
Preps
J.V. Jocks
Varsity Jocks
Asian Nerds
Cool Asians
Girls who eat their feelings
Girls who don't eat anything
Unfriendly black hotties
Desperate wannabes
Burnouts
Sexually active band geeks
The greatest people you will ever meet (Art Freaks)
The worst people who will ever meet (The Plastics)
Hahahaha, I am not saying that these are true but I am saying that people fall into multiple categories in high school because I certainly did.
I'm trying to get used to the fact that I will soon have to move away from people that I love dearly, in addition to the ones that have already left. When I saw this it just reminded me...
medusa
I have decided that the name Elizabeth is the most versatile name I can think of because it has so many nick names. Also I have been in a list mood and this just adds to be obsession at the moment.
Liz
Lizzie
Eliza
Liza
Beth
Betsey
Bets
Bitsy
Elle
Ellie
Also I forgot Romeo and Juliet from my soundtrack list
Garden State
The Big Chill
A Knight's Tale
Elizabethtown
Marie Antoinette
10 Things I Hate About You
A Good Year
Where The Wild Things Are
Pride and Prejudice
Almost Famous
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Just showed my papa how to use his new i-pod touch. He is quite excited and cannot believe that he can go on the internet..."even facebook???" he asks. Hahaha, so cute.
If you cannot wear strapless things everyday then why would you buy a strapless wedding dress? This is one of the most important days of your life. And you will look ridiculous trying to pull up your gown every five minutes so just save yourself the trouble and buy a beautiful dress with straps to keep your girls in place. Strapless dresses are in no way better or fancier or more elegant and not everyone can pull them off, I can't and I know this so I stay away.
Try on multiple different kinds of dresses and take someone with you that always tells you the truth.
Have I talked about birds before? Probably. And this won't be the last time because I am connected to them in a way that I cannot explain. I am a bird, my friends are birds, we are birds of a feather. There are so many lovely 'bird' sayings and they go as follows:
Birds of a feather: people that have similar interests in common Kill two birds with one stone: getting two things done in one swoop (hehe) The birds and bees: the passive aggressive approach to sex Eat like a bird: to eat a very small amount which is how I eat A little bird told me: a cute or mischievous way of sharing information
And your bird dessert is "Ducks fly together!" which is from the movie Mighty Ducks. I loved this movie when I was young along with the second and the third movies as well.
When I was younger I wanted to be a car mechanic. The idea of being a girl in a man's world really appealed to me and I loved the technicality of it. Getting dirty, being knowledgeable and providing a service that was practical. At the beginning of high school I started to really sew like a crazy person and took many art classes but I would throw in a wood shop, some welding and a general mechanics class and I loved it, I mean really loved it. It made me work hard because these were things I knew nothing about and was never around during my life that far. When I told me parents my plan my dad said "okay, kelsey" not really sure of it because I probably changed my mind quite a lot then and my mother said 'no way'. But not in a 'there is no way you can do that' or 'I will not allow you to do that' but in a "you are destined for greater things" kind of way that always bothered me because it seemed like she doubted me. She said that I was going to New York and that I would study Fashion Design. She was only half right so I only give her half the credit. But when you really get down to it the Fashion Industry is a man's world, it always has been and it always will be just like every other job in the world. But once in a while a woman gets on top and she rides it out until she can no longer open her mouth to say "that is fucking hideous". And a few of those women are the lovely Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Miuccia Prada.
And let's not forget that most of fashion designers did not start out that way, they were architects, doctors, teachers and writers. They just happened to have an idea and just went with it.
Well there is this thing called Screen Sharing and it blew my freaking mind I almost pooped my pants, but wait I gave up pants for 2011 good thing its summer cause I was cold for a while there... Okay back to the topic on hand..
WHOA Screen Share try it someday.
Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud speaking the mind ofMerriweather.
#1 People that feel the need to sprint up the escalator like their ass is on fire when there is an empty staircase beside said escalator. I understand if you like to walk up the escalator when there are no stairs available, but don't huff and puff at me when I decide to use the escalator for it's intended purpose.
#2 Women that put tennis shoes on when they get off work. Like, you've been sitting at a desk all day, do your feet hurt THAT bad? It makes you look like a pussy... I am a firm believer in being comfortable, but there are plenty of options when it comes to post work shoe choices(like a cute pair of city flats from The Gap). This topic is also a good segway into my extensive peeve of women and their relationship with high heels. If you hate and resent your heels after taking them off then you probably shouldn't be wearing them in the first place. Looking like an injured horse is NOT sexy... Medusa Motto: IF YOU CAN'T WALK IN HEELS DON'T WEAR THEM!!!!
(that's me in the corner with the sunglasses bahahaha)
My friend Chuck was in town this weekend so I decided that I needed to take him dancing. I've always wanted to go to this dance party that happens every monday night called REHAB. The theme was Luau and the maker of my favorite beer (312) was the sponsor so we got 3 free beers. I really do not drink that often so after 3 beers and a tequila shot I was dominating the dance floor like I invented it. The dj's were amazing so I got into that mode of paying attention to absolutely nothing around me but "The Beat" I honestly could not tell you what was going on at this party because I was in a dance trance. Dancing will always be my way of letting go of stress, working out, and even bonding with friends. I don't care how I look on the dance floor because I always feel so comfortable, it's my home.
Every spring I have trouble trying to remember the number combination to my bike lock. Last year I was meeting a friend for a bike around Chicago and I had an hour to try and break the code because I had locked it to the radiator in the back staircase of my apartment building. I kind of know what the numbers are and I write them down every year. Then I try them all and they never work. I give it a few minutes just staring at the lock and then it just comes to me but I never EVER write it down I just figure that I will remember it for next spring but yet again I have forgotten it. But I am in luck because I have just locked the lock to the bike and it is still ride able!
Have you seen Leonardo DiCaprio lately? Um...Hello! I have crowned him adorable man of the day! He is so lovely and has been lovely forever and he looks great with the weight he has put on. And I really think that Kate Winslet and him should get together. They would disappear for months having wild raging sex they have always wanted to have since they worked together in Titanic. I'm just saying. I know that they are good friends and I firmly believe that a guy and a gal can be great friends, and just friends. But they aren't fooling me.
In the last few days I have acquired a few odd things in my bed. They are what follows:
A few pins
Two CD's in their cases
A spool of gray thread that matches my sheets quite nicely
My lock ness monster pin cushion
Three remotes
Cell phone charger
Cherry Chapstick
A pair of socks I must of taken off in the night
A stack of yellow 3M post-its
And last but not least a little pair of pink embroidery scissors
I have this horrible habit of sticking my sewing needle into my bed while I am sewing. So of course I got into my element while sewing at a friends house during college and put the needle into this bed. I tried to keep it quiet and feel around for it but his sheets were ill fitting so it was difficult for me to find it not to mention him sitting at his desk three inches away. Let's just say he was not pleased and I quit sewing my homework and promised to never do it again. I hope that the man I share my bed with will let me sew in bed. Or! I could have a little bed in my sewing room or a sewing couch that would be nice too.
A sewing room must be yours and must be comfortable.
In Chicago I have a bench on the lake close to my old apartment that I would sit on for hours everyday for the whole summer and part of the fall. Some days I would bring a book and sweatshirt to stick under my head while I laid and read. I sat every which way I could for hours. I only got sunburned on one side of my body every time. Some days I would bring my head phones and just watch the waves and others I would sit in silence and just take in the beautiful monstrosity of lake Michigan. One time a photographer took photos of me from behind with my hair blowing in the wind and showed me after; they were sweet. I brought my friends and my mom to this bench because I claimed it and I knew it and I loved it.
And now I have found another bench to pass the time and I am quite excited about. It seems it is just what I need. This is in no way replacing my other bench but I have decided to start collecting benches. Sounds like a good thing to collect right? I can go whenever I want. I don't have to store it and it doesn't take up space in my house.
Tomorrow I am going to bring bread and feed the geese from this bench. Yeah, it is that cool.
I love painting rooms, I just love it. It is relaxing and enjoyable. It makes me feel great because I am being so productive; washing the walls, taping, trimming, rolling, repeat. While I write my book I think I should have my own house painting services because alterations are so frustrating. Sewing is soothing, but re-doing something I had not sewn in the first place just does not do it for me. When I am not passionate about something the outcome does not turn out as well as I would like it to and its hard to be happy. Painting is another step by step process like sewing, and woodworking and I like things that work when you do them a certain way.
While doing some hand sewing alterations I popped in the children's movie The Road To El Dorado. First off Elton John did the soundtrack and Hans Zimmer did the score making the music worth watching. Plus it is has some funny adult humor mixed in. But at the end one of the main characters becomes worried about what is to come next" "We don't have a map! We don't have a plan!", "That is half the adventure!" screams the girl. And by golie I enjoy this quite a bit.
I have always been the one with the plan, something a head of me, something that I am building up to and it has been great. But right now I don't have anything and I am going to do whatever I damn well please. And why not? People are like this their whole lives and I am adopting it full force. Day by day!
We were just talking about the pineapple sitting on our counter and I was all worried that it had gone bad but dad reassured me that it is fine but probably soft so we could make "penis coladas" Hahahaha.
Orion has always been my go to constellation. He is always in the sky when I look up and I usually don't have to search for him. I find constellations so fascinating and the stories behind them are quite lovely if you choose to believe them. The whole constellation reminds me of how we first started out drawing in my figure drawing class at Columbia which turned out to be one of my top five classes. He is very boxy and simple but you can tell what he is and that his body is curved. And at the beginning of the class we would do thirty second sketches and they would turn out similar to him.
Oh how I miss that class and all those naked bodies. Medusa and I took this together and our teacher called us 'Thelma and Louise'. Medusa had to watch it to understand what he really meant and we decided it could work for us minus the ending, and the bar scene but we wouldn't mind a young Brad Pitt seducing us.
Every Thursday night there is a bar in my town that has a free drawing for a pot of money that starts out at $100 and grows $25 dollars each Thursday if the person whose number is called is not there. This past week I brought an old friend with so he could see what all the hal-a-ba-loo was about and it really isn't exciting but why not go have a drink and just see if you win, eh?
Well of course none of us win so we head over to his favorite bar and my mother and mary number five (she has five mary's and six karen's) are going to meet us over there when their friends have all gone home. Well time rolls by and I am wondering what has happened to them, but they slowly saunter in pretty drunk and mary number five drove herself down town so we are a little concerned. So we come up with a plan that mom is going to drive mary back to her house and we will follow. And then mom orders a rum and coke and runs to the bathroom. My friend says "hey, isn't she going to drive?" so he asks the bartender to make a regular coke so we can trick her. The bartender even puts a little rum on the straw so it seems legit. My friend and I cannot stop laughing while she sucks down what she thinks is a rum and coke.
Sometimes mother does NOT know best, and other times she does
Last night I drew a lightning bolt on my knee. Patti Smith is one of my many idols, I think she is a true artist. Sometimes I draw the lightning bolt on my knee to keep me going because Patti Smith has the same tattoo on her knee. The book Just Kids changed my life, here is the part about her tattoo...
page 183
" I thought of something I learned from reading Crazy Horse: The Strange Man of the Oglalas by Mari Sandoz. Crazy Horse believes that he will be victorious in battle, but if he stops to take spoils from the battlefield, he will be defeated. He tattoos lightning bolts on the ears of his horses so the sight of them will remind him of this as he rides. I tried to apply this lesson to the things at hand, careful not to take spoils that were not rightfully mine."
The things at hand being all the offers she had received after her first poetry reading/open mic. She turned down a record deal because she felt it came too easy.
I texted merriweather today and without knowing any of this she responded "I was just talking about you and Patti Smith" this represents a)how we are completely connected and b)that my musing about getting the same tattoo should probably become a reality...
I have always loved tattoos and i have tons of respect for the people that get them and have no regrets about them. They are so personal, but many times very visible for the world to see and assume what they mean. I like the idea of the lighting bolt mostly because it's on Patti Smith and any connection to that has got to be good karma but she was inspired by Crazy Horse to get hers and I am inspired by her to get mine so it just represents how all artists work, we get inspired by something and put our own twist on it. It's a way for your art to live longer than you and that is what it's all about.
Medusa
100 yards of silk
100 pantone markers
100 sequins
100 dollar itunes gift card
100 pairs of vans
100 peanut butter m & m's
100 bottles of cherry coke
100 years of fashion
100 spools of thread
100 pairs of gingers
