Pop Rocks, Take Two

The final verdict is in and the last flavor of the week was tropical punch. It was most definitely better than the strawberry but did not beat out the awesomeness of the watermelon. So seriously, get some damn watermelon pop rocks!

Merriweather

Pop Rocks

My co-workers and I often walk to Walgreen's to get some fresh air and take a break from counting the beans. We tend to get green teas, pop, candy, make-up and sometimes even a trashy magazine.On Wednesday we ventured through the gusty wind for some snacky snacks and a few gifts for a co-worker who had taken the day off. "Sprinkles" wandered through the candy isle and came across pop rocks which none of us could recall the last time we had ever had them. So of course she grabs the three pack justifying it by saying "we can open one pack a day!"

We had the strawberry flavor yesterday which was not nearly as exciting as we remembered. Today while the other three ladies and I were goofing about during our lunch hour which basically turns into a shit show of laughter and sometimes even food fights, we opened the watermelon flavored packet. We didn't have high expectations since yesterday's experience was less than par but boy oh boy did we have a grand time today. CEC told me to take a sip of my cherry coke before I licked the pop rocks off of my hand so I did just that. She said it sounded like I was chewing on a carrot because of the loud 'popping' sounds coming from the inside of my mouth. Hmm....I suppose that is why they are called pop rocks, eh?

After a little experimenting we have clearly decided that the watermelon was awesome and the strawberry was lame. So the next time you are walking down the candy isle and a little black package with florescent lettering catches your eye, get the watermelon, duh! But who knows what tomorrow will bring; that last flavor may trump the watermelon so we shall see!

Until then,

Merriweather

Teacher

I have this grey wool dress that hits me at mid-calf, its vintage and lovely. I usually wear a pair of black saddle shoes with it and I totally feel like a teacher. But not a modern teacher because my sister does not wear anything similar, but maybe a mid 60's teacher.

I suppose the slip and trouser socks also dates this outfit BUT I think it is hilarious.

Merriweather

To Go With Hugs

There are tons of studies out there that prove everyone needs a certain amount of physical interaction each and every day and I most definitely agree. But living in Chicago, especially the first year when I did not know a soul, I did not get the amount of human touch I think I really needed. This Regina Spektor song always came to mind:



"Summer in the city, I'm so lonely lonely lonely
So I went to a protest just to rub up against strangers"


Some days I think riding on the trains that whipped back and forth slamming me into complete strangers may have been the only time I had that. Maybe this is why I hug all of the time and am very affectionate with all of my friends. Even a knee slap after a funny joke counts as positive physical touch!

Merriweather

When I Grow Up

WHEN I GROW UP I WANT TO BE:
 
A WRITER
A CLOTHING DESIGNER
AN INTERIOR DESIGNER 
A LINGERIE DESIGNER
A CAR MECHANIC
A LANDSCAPER
A CONSTRUCTION WORKER
A BOUTIQUE OWNER
A LOG CABIN OWNER
A DOG OWNER

MERRIWEATHER

Hugs

I've said it before and I will forever say it; I am a great hugger. And today I was hugged by another great hugger. This hug will probably go down in my book as one of the greatest so far. One of my co-workers who my family has known for at least half of my life popped into my office just before lunch. He spun my chair around, pulled me in close and apologized for not being able to celebrate my birthday with me. It was lovely. I love love love good hugs. It is such a great feeling. These are the characteristics of a good hug:

Full body contact, not just the arms and collar bone area

At least five or six seconds of interaction

Neck nestling

Shoulder resting

Backrubbing

Maybe a little swaying

Well, those are my favorite parts of a hug. So next time you are hugging someone think about these few things that could make your hug that much better.

Merriweather

Salad Of The Day

Today I made the most amazing salad, okay so maybe I didn't make it but I concocted it at Byerly's.

Spinach
Strawberries
A little ranch dressing
A very large spoonful of cottage cheese
Blue cheese crumbles
Raw broccoli
Dried cranberries

The best part is that the cottage cheese totally works as a dressing so I just did a very small amount of ranch.


Merriweather

In or Out

Do you fill in things or do you fill out things?

Merriweather

Monochromatic

Alright so... I might sometimes wear one color in several different shades... from head to toe. I just really like purple and grey and lavender and they all kind of mess together into a new color I like to call greylavendermauvepurple, hahaha. I don't actually have a name for it other than Medusa calling me monochromatic because I commented on her over abundance of beige clothing yesterday. But I'm okay with it, I think it suits me. But I don't wear suits nor would I probably ever wear a purple one in fear of looking like a certain dinosaur that danced around and cleaned up while singing. Or maybe a famous jokester that wasn't very nice about the tricks he played. But anywho, I am still in need of a pair of very comfortable grey heels to complete my wardrobe :)

Merriweather

Eucalyptical

As a sick Medusa sits across the table from me downing herbal cold remedies, she tried to spit out eucalyptus, not literally, just the word. But it came out as Eucalyptical. So we have now created a word that should most definitely be added to the Urban Dictionary. Eucalyptical: workout equipment for Koala Bears.

Medusa and Merriweather

Music and Merriweather

My current obsessions: Arcade Fire and counting down the days until I visit Merriweather in Wisconsin for her birthday.  Merriweather will be hosting a "Flannel, Fur, Leather and Lace" party, I cannot wait. I also cannot wait to see this movie with her:

Medusa

Beautiful People Day

 I really love this tumblr; it always has lovely photos:

http://aconversationoncool.tumblr.com/tagged/Clint_Eastwood
http://aconversationoncool.tumblr.com/tagged/Marilyn_Monroe
http://aconversationoncool.tumblr.com/tagged/Paul_Newman
http://aconversationoncool.tumblr.com/tagged/Brigitte_Bardot


Merriweather 

Have You Ever Noticed?

As an observer who notices worthless unimportant things I feel that I wonder a lot.

Have you ever noticed the numbers on your keyboard are:        7 8 9
                                                                                         4 5 6
                                                                                         1 2 3
and the keys on a phone are:                                                 1 2 3
                                                                                         4 5 6
                                                                                         7 8 9
That is this week's wonderment.

Merriweather

Saltines

I was recently informed that saltines are pretty much nothing more than salted cardboard however that will not prevent me from always loving these wonderful crackers. When I was little my 'john deer loving grandpa' told me "the best way to get fat is to eat these here saltines with lots of butter." He showed me how to make a sandwich out of two crackers and informed me of all the different things you could add to them to make them even better. Was I interested in saltine sandwiches? Hell no, but that didn't matter because he was my grandpa and I don't think he really knew what to do with us grand kids so I listened. I learned about his lawnmower, his tools, his truck and I distinctly remember him explaining the mechanics of a metal slinky. But as I sit here with my saltine sandwiches made with peanut butter and jelly I can't but think about how interesting my grandpa was and how good these damn little sandwiches taste,

Merriweather

The morning after

Last year while still living in Chicago I needed something or other
from the grocery store the morning after Halloween. I'll tell ya what,
that is the best absolute BEST day to see "walk of shams" stumble out
of the lakeview apartments. For one, they only have their costume to
wear home. Secondly, they still have their weird make-up on. And
thirdly, most likely part of their costume is missing or destroyed
so it takes a minute for passerby's to really understand what they
were supposed to be dressed up as. Free entertainment.

Merriweather

Original

In fifth grade we were required to make our own valentine's day box
and I was so stoked, as was my mother. We brainstormed for days and
finally came to the conclusion that since I loved basketball (yes,
little ole me LOVED basketball when I was young) we would make a
box where you flung the valentine across the box into a hoop. It was so
cool! Red and pink with ribbon and lace and the inside was a
basketball court. Everyone had a blast trying to fling their card into
the hoop which probably didn't work all that well, however it was
still neat for a bunch of 11 year olds. At the end of the day we had an award
ceremony with all sorts of different awards for the construction of
our boxes. I was never really a competitive kid so I wasn't really
expecting anything but sometimes its nice to be acknowledged. 


They get to the "originality award" and say my name with great
enthusiasm! I walked to the front of the room and accepted my award
quite possibly with a frown on my face. When I got home and was crabby
as all hell my mother asked what was up. I began to tell her about all
the cool awards that people won and I finally got to my "originality
award" and gave her my whole schpeal about how unhappy I was. Here I am, 
an eleven year old girl thinking that "originality" meant normal,
boring like "original potato chips". I seriously could not picture
anything but the yellow lays potato chips being original flavor and them not
tasting as good as the cheddar or sour cream and onion ones. So my
mother of course laughs at me, well not at me but tells me I am
completely wrong and that my award meant my box was super awesome
cool and had never been thought of before as in it is the "original"
creation. What What? Man did I shine after that but it sure did take a
bit of convincing on my mother's side.


Merriweather

Waiting Rooms

While sitting in the waiting room at the dentist the other day dreading the fact that they were going to rip into my mouth and that every thirty seconds or so I would forget to breathe and panic for a second a lady started to chat me up. I believe she was in her early sixties and she was there for her six month check up and sitting pretty because she didn't mind the dentist at all which kind of put me at ease. We only talked for ten minutes but it's these conversations that always stick with me because chances are I am never going to see this person again in my entire life and they sometimes leave a big impression. Like most conversations ours turned to wondering if I was in college or if I worked or what have you. So I explained my job and how it is pretty much the polar opposite of what I went to school for. And this lady is sort of giggling while I am explaining my whole schpeel to her and when I am finished she sucks in a big sigh and tells me that everyone she knows does not do what they studied in college and she herself does not know what she wants to be when she "grows up". I keep finding this happening wherever I go. All I can think of lately is "Oh! The Places You'll Go" and how is perfect it is for everyone.

Merriweather

Bras

Alright so here's the thing; I hate bras with an utter passion. They are uncomfortable and annoying however I would love love love to design lingerie. And I love the history of undergarments.  I would like to think I could make it support, comfortable and sexy all in the same garment but that is somewhere down the road. So anywho back to actual bras. Recently I have discovered the racer back bra, well I didn't discover it myself nor had I never not heard of it until now BUT I have thought it about it logically and it makes the most sense. Bra straps fall down and slid around because they go across our shoulder blades which move quite frequently so this here racer back which originated for sports players because it keeps your "girls" in place, is quite extraordinary. But also this bra is much more comfortable because it comes to a v in the middle of your back avoiding the shoulder blades plus it is the most support and it lifts them up and makes they look kind of lovely. But all of this is of course just from personal observation; well and one of my bestest completely agrees. AND! Your bra straps are most likely hidden. If there were a myth about the worth of this bra I would have proved its importance.

Merriweather

"You Wear It Well"

I have heard Rod Stewart's "You Wear It Well" four times today, on the radio, in my jeep, on the same station.

Merriweather

Spoiled Brats

I may or may not have told this story before but I have thinking about it lately because I have been doing a little baking. 

So its winter break and my brother and I are home alone and we think "Hmm, let's make some cookies!" So we get out all of the ingredients, grab one of the mixing bowls, find some measuring cups and we begin. We pour in the flour, sugar, brown sugar, yadda yadda yadda. So we've got everything in the bowl and I turn to lock it into the kitchen aid mixer and its not there. I look at my brother and I look back at the counter and I look at my brother again in confusion and we say together "What do we do now?" We stare at the counter together and my brother says "stir it by hand?" HAHAHAHA, must we? Is it even worth it? Should we just not make the cookies? We end up stirring it by hand and probably complaining the whole time because we are big babies and so used to having that damn mixer do all the work for us. Needless to say I did not have a kitchen aid mixer in Chicago but my aunt did buy me a hand mixer so I could continue to make sweets. 

Merriweather