me, without me

maybe me favorite song in the whole world ever...

2009-04-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

the shins, those to come. i love the sound of it, delight in the words of it too. reminds me of a poem my sister would write...

Eyeless in the morning sun you were
Pale and mild, a modern girl
Taken with thought, still prone to care
Makin tea in your underwear
You went out in the yard to find

Something to eat and clear your mind
Something bad inside me went away

Quaking leaves and broken light
Shifting skin the coming night
The bearers of all good things arrive
Climb inside us, twist and cry
A kiss on your molten eyes

Myriad lives like blades of grass
Yet to be realized, bow as they pass

They are cold,
Still,
Waiting in the ether,
To form,
Feel,
Kill,
Propagate,
Only to die

Dissolve
Magically,
Absurdly,
They'll end,
Leave,
Dissipate,
Coldly
And strangely

Return

strange creatures

2009-04-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

(tried to post this last week from, but it didn't go up)

wandered over to the academy of natural sciences. really better suited to kids, and completely overrun with school field trips. the highlights were a couple floors of stuffed animals in painted "natural" habitats from all of the continents. it's so strange to see animals that are familiar but so different... like this auk:

it's funny too because i forgot i was in philadelphia until overhearing a man telling his group of kids that he had actually seen these animal in real life - standing in front of a display of racoons, skunks, and possums. not a kid in texas that would be impressed.

their talent makes me crazy

2009-04-21T09:32:00.000-07:00

two more favorites from the philadelphia museum of art:

Liverpool from Wapping by John Atkinson Grimshaw, 1875

A Carnival Evening by Henri Rousseau, 1886

Shiner

2009-04-20T11:13:00.000-07:00

Last week I fell, literally, on my face resulting in a tiny black eye
that has gotten darker every day. Don't ask me how- one second i was
standing the next i was face down on the concrete. The bad thing was
we had dinner with jack's colleagues every night last week, so one day
I'm fine and the next night I have a black eye and "fell on my face"
story. I can only imagine what they think about us...

Goodbye Philadelphia!

2009-04-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

the burning of the houses of lords and commons, 1835

2009-04-18T12:46:00.000-07:00

This turner painting was by far the highlight of the museum for me
today. It's so beautiful in person, it glows from within. I'm in awe
of the talent, and also the age of these works. That people have
preserved these pieces over so much time, through the ages, it's
incredible to me.

Philly on a camera phone

2009-04-18T12:26:00.000-07:00

walked over to the museum of art and all the way up the famous steps
rocky trained on in the movie. i love spending the day in a museum,
with no one to care if i spend as much time as i need on each piece.

possums at the academy of natural sciences

2009-04-17T10:47:00.000-07:00

it is very cold and wet here...

2009-04-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

and i've been sleeping since noon.

up so early this morning...

2009-04-15T04:51:00.001-07:00

the moon was just a blur in the sky.

maybe this will work after all?

2009-04-14T13:11:00.001-07:00

scene from the apartment:

packing for philly...

2009-04-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

my sister says to get twitter, but i'm not sure. i'd like to keep this blog updated, more like a diary like it used to be, but it's so time consuming... i wish i could just take a picture with my phone and send it up with a little caption, hey i bet you can...

i don't really want facebook or twitter or anything like that. i feel like for me it can be so boring or pretentious, not really any in between. only people who would care are my sister and husband and i can just tell them what i'm doing...

i have myspace but hate to check it so i don't. when i do it just makes me feel bad for not keeping up or answering people or staying in touch. what can i say, i'm a loner...

we wandered around today...

2009-03-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

it's weird to live downtown in such a touristy city. to walk past the alamo on the way to the post office. the mall within walking distance is maybe the most confusing place i've ever been, since you can enter/exit on the street, from the river and from neighboring hotels. the city is strange in itself, in little ways, it's odd and weird and sometimes creepy.

here's some random snaps from today...

inside ripley's believe-it-or-not:

part of the berlin wall:

disco cowgirl mannequin:

a pretty window, with a weird scene going on inside...

look closer, it's a precious moments astronaut-girl with a skull and rocks:

kids working on a busy street downtown. the little girl took the money, the boy made the cotton candy. you can't tell, but they were like 8 and 10:

camping...

2009-03-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

camping, during the day, was wonderful. fun, exciting, beautiful. we kept saying, i can't believe we're so good at this! we cooked everything over the camp fire (even coffee), told ghost stories under a field of stars, and hiked to the bath house to pee. it went so smoothly.

camping, during the night, was tortuous. horrible, terrible, painstaking. freezing cold, rock-hard ground under our sleeping bags, and loud music from neighboring tents kept us awake all night. it rained all night one night and slightly soaked through our tent. i was so tired i cried.

but in the morning, after the sun came up and warmed us a little, it was wonderful again. would i do it again? absolutely... but not without an air mattress and long johns.

yummy

2009-03-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

jack always makes a pot of coffee before work, but only drinks a cup or two and by the time i wake up it's cold. so, when i read this recipe [via], i filed it away to try. did you know it's hard to find ice cube trays? i found some at wal-mart last week and have been freezing a tray of coffee cubes a day since then.

i kinda followed the recipe, but it didn't seem like enough coffee (6 cubes?) so i added a bunch more to the blender, then more chocolate and sugar to balance it out. i only used about half a cup of milk and half a cup of half-and-half because that's all i had of each.

today

2009-03-12T06:53:00.000-07:00

i woke up so early this morning, way before light. jack left for the airport and i couldn't fall back asleep. the house changes when he leaves. even though it should be no different than when he leaves for work most mornings, it is different. as soon as i hear his keys locking the door it gets scary and lonely here. scary today, particularly in the early morning hours. i hear gunshots and sirens and vow to not leave my fortress.

so for today i have cookbooks and movies and camping. we're taking the boys camping this weekend. i have been so excited preparing and planning and listing and planning. just a weekend, tent camping, but i haven't done it since i was a child and jack and the boys have never done it. packed up uno and marshmellows and sleeping bags and did a trial of the tent - it's seriously huge! i don't even remember camp sites having that much room. think it will fit back into that little green bag?

it's weird to have kids sometimes. because when they're here, it's full-time. but they're here part-time. so i have periods of constant "doing", then nothing until next time. my life is like that in lots of ways. like traveling, going and going for a week or so or less, then home and not having to leave the house for a few days straight. i love the going and doing, but i couldn't do it without the in-between. i wouldn't want to anyway.

it reminds me of falling in love

2009-03-11T07:09:00.001-07:00

just got this print by john clark in the mail. it says i forgive you. it reminds me of falling in love. it looks much better in person.

i wanted this other one badly, but the original sold before i could justify the $100. i have a habit of falling in love with things and thinking maybe tomorrow i will buy it and then many tomorrows pass and i think it every day and then it's gone.

1/4 year in one post:

2009-03-03T10:39:00.000-08:00

two christmases,

a quiet new year,

san francisco!

a sweet new laptop,

mardi gras!

the most workouts ever in a row,

and the cutest car in existence!

i can't tell yet...

2008-12-18T11:37:00.000-08:00

it'll either be really cute or really ugly:

total ebay impulse buy.

the best and worst of staying in hotels

2008-12-18T08:19:00.000-08:00

the best: taking a long, hot bath is a luxury for me now that i only have a shower at home. it used to be a necessity. at least my fear of showers, a la psycho, is gone.

the worst: feeling for the hair dryer and pulling out someone else's old funky drawers shoved into the top of the closet.

the best soup ever

2008-11-12T15:54:00.000-08:00

i made up my very own recipe - and it is so good! although i have no way to tell if it's actually as good as i think it is. jack loved it, but he doesn't count. really he doesn't - once he came home and i yelled to him from the other room to try my beans. he said: this is so good, honey, but maybe it needs a little salt. when i went in, i realized he had eaten a spoonful of the soaking beans (only half fit in my pot so i left the rest on the counter in a bowl of water). seriously.

anyway. maybe someone can try this recipe and let me know? it's quick and easy. this is for a little pot (2 big, big bowls), but you could double it for more.

cajun corn and crab soup

ingredients
4 tbsp. butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 c. onion, chopped (1 small)
1/3 c. celery, chopped
1/4 tsp. garlic, minced
2 tbsp. flour
15 oz. chicken broth (1 can)
15 oz. sweet corn cream-style (1 can)
1 c. heavy whipping cream
6 oz. crab meat (1 can)
1/4 tsp. liquid crab boil
salt
pepper
thyme

directions
· Melt 2 tbsp. butter in sauce pan. Add chopped onion and celery. Cook until soft (about 10 minutes).
· Whisk in flour. Cook for 2 minutes.
· Stir in chicken broth and liquid crab boil. Sprinkle in thyme, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.
· Remove from heat. Stir in crab meat, cream and remaining butter. Let sit for 1 hour.
·Reheat gently. Do not boil.

i'm almost ashamed

2008-11-12T10:28:00.000-08:00

i'm almost ashamed to say that these pictures are from this year.

what can i say? usually i'm all it's not even thanksgiving! but this year i was all think it's too early to put up the tree? another advantage of artificial trees - i could have put it up in july if i wanted too. (the weather here actually isn't that different than july - note the pretty pink flowers outside.)

i love the holidays. i love our decorations. the little stars, and the star topper, the sparkly red garland, colored lights, shrinky-dinks, and this year's addition: mini-disco balls!

and i picked up a few candles so it smells like the holidays too!

incidentally, this is what my step-kids consider their favorite christmas cd - star wars and other galactic funk:

i have to admit i associate it with the holidays too, probably because we play it as background music during holiday parties. it's actually a really fun, energizing cd.

anyway, i'm guessing they'll love this:

today

2008-11-06T08:41:00.000-08:00

woke up this morning much earlier than usual and feeling sort of mad at everything. i realized there was absolutely nothing i had to do today. then realized this could be a very good thing.

turned up the music (afi - the accidental default since it's first on the ipod), made a cup of coffee, printed out a new recipe and my perhaps favorite to start on, and maybe will put on my favorite background movie clueless just for good measure.

*my pumpkin honey muffins were so good! perfect for the season. i used the linked recipe, but changed a lot i guess. i left out the raisins - don't like them in muffins or cookies. i didn't have whole wheat flour, used all-purpose. didn't have pumpkin pie spice, so used some cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper. (then found pumpkin pie spice in the cabinet and added it too.) accidently added 2 cups of pumpkin instead of 3/4 cup, then added 1/4 cup self-rising flour to compensate.

i love that now i'm comfortable enough cooking that i can switch things up a bit and still have good results. i particularly liked the black pepper taste to the muffins, it was unusual.

this movie tricked me

2008-10-17T13:18:00.000-07:00

it took me a while to remember that new orleans is nothing at all like this in real life.

nothing.

why i heart the internet

2008-10-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

remember this? well, not anymore. turns out you don't need cookbooks if you have the internet. really, it taught me how to cook. since i've been enjoying people's cooking adventures on blogs lately, i figured i'd update my own.

it started last thanksgiving. i was away from my family, and couldn't bear the thought of not having thanksgiving the way it used to be, so i made my own. i looked up the recipes for the things i wanted and called my mom to fill in the details. and although i was imagining disaster a la pieces of april, everthing turned out perfectly.

i couldn't believe how easy cooking is, turns out i'm really good at following directions. and everthing you need to know, for instance what blanching is and how to chop celery, is right there on the internet.

i search allrecipes, which has awesome reviews were people rate recipes and also leave comments on what to change and what to leave, and find things that i want to make, and print them for my recipe binder (yes, i'm a nerd). i usually try at most one a week, but it's something i really look forward to. (seriously, half of my christmas list is kitchen supplies.)

ok. so here's what i'm most proud of. my grandma used to make me these big pans of stuffed peppers and they were so good. i'd been craving them for, like, the last 8 years. and i couldn't find a recipe that sounded exactly like what she did, so i made my own. seriously. i took maybe 10 recipes and read them all to see what people did, and made up my own from a distant memory of my grandma's peppers. and they were just like hers. maybe better. and so easy. i think i've made them 4 or 5 times already:

classic southern stuffed bell peppers

ingredients:

4 green bell peppers
1 lb ground sirlion
1 cup chopped onion (about half of a big one.)
3/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 (8 oz!) can roasted garlic tomato sauce (or plain and some minced garlic, i suppose)
tonys (original creole seasoning - this is the secret to everything!)

what to do:

1) cut peppers in half and remove seeds and stems and stuff. blanch*.

2) brown meat and onions in a skillet.

3) in big bowl, mix the meat mixture in big bowl with 1/2 can tomato sauce, almost all the bread crumbs, worcestershire sauce, and then shake tonys all over the top. i stir it, then shake tonys all over the top again.

4) put peppers in a pan, then spoon meat mixture into it, packing well. top each with a spoonful of tomato sauce and sprinkle the remaining bread crumbs.

5) Bake for 30 minutes on 350 degrees.

*ok, to blanch them you bring to boil one cup of water, throw half the peppers in, cook them for 5 minutes, covered, moving around a little. then you take them out and put them directly into a big bowl of ice and water. then repeat with the other half. this is how i do it anyway.

things i want to do

2008-10-09T11:12:00.000-07:00

wear a costume.

celebrate every holiday with a tradition.

learn a foreign language, or several.

return my library books so i can check out stuff again. including books on above.

dress for fun, not function.

make a look-book journal from all my magazine rip-outs.

moisturize every morning, so i'll have pretty skin.

listen to music all the time.

watch the top 1001 movies, except the very scary ones. not worth it for me.

exercise almost-daily.
and lose 5 pounds.

do something to help the world.

learn photoshop, start by reading my new book.

develop all of my waiting film.
scan the rest of the old photographs.
and then print all the digital pics.
and then buy a fancy box to keep them in.

not have grubby nails. do them once a week. in pretty colors.

go to a museum in every city i visit.
and every museum in the city i live in.

six month dental cleanings!

make a quilt.

have wedding photos. maybe book an engagement session and wear the clothes we wore?

beautiful blur...

2008-09-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

there's something about blurry pictures that just speak to me. mustn't just be me, the one above by mario sorrenti was published in harper's bazaar russia last year. (via fotodecadent - love!)

clicking through my latest this morning i found myself loving some obviously blurry ones, like thes:

recently, i accidentally found an interesting article, the decisive moment may be A blur by beverly spicer) about modern technology's ability for sharp, split second views of the world vs. long shutter times on cheap digital cameras that basically capture the moments after the picture you meant to take. i think the surge of blur love may be in response to technology, much like the toy camera movement that i'm noticing. you know, we yearn for some mysteriousness, something magical.

anyway, this quote from the article sums up the question:
"But what about the other way around, where time is slowed down, where one moment melts into the next, yielding not a sharp focus of the world but a soft one where nothing stands still? What do we want but to see things as they really are, but on what terms? Do we want a microsecond snapshot or a long, contemplative view?"

there and back again

2008-08-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

i love the window seat. being able to look down on clouds. i like it when the whole world is covered by a fluffy white sea, or when one tiny puffball floats above the earth. i love how big and small it looks from up here.

links

2008-08-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

when i wander around the internet i follow links aimlessly and bookmark anything and everything that catches my eye, usually cool blogs or photographers. so i have a great collection of links, although no clue how i ended up there. thought i'd start collecting them here once in a while.

blogs:
sea of shoes (i remember where this one came from)
liebemarlene

photography:
holly andres
caryndrexl
gwendolyn kraehenfuss
macroscope
anna wolf

sexy

2008-08-23T11:34:00.000-07:00

i asked my sister and husband, separately, who they think is the sexiest actress. scarlett johansson was the first on both of their lists. i agree; i especially like her voice. i think it's interesting that she appeals to both men and women, that's hard to do!

megan fox is the only other one they agreed on.

interestingly enough, this article about lesbian scenes includes quotes from both of these actresses. coincidence? i think not.

smells like teen spirit

2008-08-22T10:48:00.000-07:00

so, i went shopping yesterday, to the mall, and i couldn't even believe my eyes. it seems the '90s are back in fashion.

i've thought before about what, exactly, was '90s style. it didn't seem definable to me in the way that '80s, or '70s, or any other decade is. seemed boring and random. but walking through the mall, like, everything looked like something i would've wore in high school. colored straight leg jeans, floral baby-dolls, plaid mini-skirts, flannel shirts, even pink doc martens. it made me deliciously happy.

happy enough to buy this cheap see-through dress and a few candles from bath and body works. just like i would've on a mall trip in the '90s (if you replace forever 21 with whatever cheap store was around then).

now, few things about this dress:
it's kind of ugly.
it's kind of young.
it's kind of see-through.
i love it.

i mean love it. i'm going to rock it with my patent cowboy boots, something that i would have never done in high school.

speaking of things that take me courage to wear, here is a necklace i bought in soho:

it makes a wonderful chiming from the disks hitting each other when i walk. and it's so long and versatile - i can wrap it three times for a choker, twice for a normal length, or not at all for a knee- length. i've worn it with simple cotton dresses and t-shirts and jeans to make them less boring.

i love being old enough to wear things that make me happy instead of being so self-conscious that i remove them before walking out the door.

tiptoes

2008-08-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

quite possibly the worst movie ever made, despite starring both kate beckinsale and matthew mcconaughey.

both random and irrelevent.

2008-08-20T09:16:00.000-07:00

our bird has a friend. can you see? there are two:

it looks like this at noon. it's not supposed to:

texas lightpoles that look like cacti. file under things i never noticed before:

and

if your looking for a good bottle of wine for around $20, these are the two that i always rely on:

it's raining again.

2008-08-18T09:24:00.000-07:00

i ordered a poster of this photo for my bathroom wall. bathroom art is a tricky thing. i see a lot of bathrooms covered in collages of photos, inspiration board style, and i just think, ick. how hard to clean would that be?

i like hanging pictures that i've taken. or that mean something to me. like the one pictured below, a gift from my sister.

she bought the photo from etsy, then collaged the glass to add typographical elements. it says: it's your life. have fun. relax. experience the unfamiliar, unexpected. redefine your comfort zone.

and for kids' rooms, it makes for good, cheap art:

i took macro shots of their star wars lego army. cheap ikea frames. $40 art display and so personal to them.

sketch book

2008-08-15T13:06:00.000-07:00

inspired by diary of a wimpy kid. he bought it with his own money.

cars, and more cars, and even more cars. the captions kill me.

wish this had one:

zoltar speaks

2008-08-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

when i was in santa monica, i spent my last dollar bill to get my fortune told by zol tar. here's what he had to say:

no wishes for me though, you have seen big?

new york

2008-08-13T07:34:00.001-07:00

in my dream last night i had a dog and was buying christmas presents.

here are some long overdue pictures from new york. this city - i want it.

subway stations are still so rare to me as to be exciting:

as are taxi rides:

don't they look happily ignorant of the surrounding world, safe inside a bubble of love in the east village? or something like that? they were so cute.

view from the hotel:

view inside the hotel:

this is my favorite ever donut. pity texas for not having dunkin donuts. (actually now that i think about it i have seen one or two. but not right next to my hotel.)

and, look, this is their k-mart. a kmart! if you lived there, people, even your kmart would be awesome.

santa monica

2008-08-12T14:30:00.001-07:00

cotton candy and crazy waves and salty lips and sand castles and people every where.

i didn't know

2008-08-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

wherever you go, you are still just you. i didn't know this would be this way. now i do.

magazine issues

2008-08-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

wow, a blog dedicated to magazines... got to love that: glossed over [via go fug yourself]

i, like others, have had serious magazine issues. i now subscribe to 2 at a time (right now domino and jpeg) and resist the urge to ever buy any at the checkout lines (which i am rarely in, that probably helps more than will power.) my one exception is airlines, where i feel completely justified in buying at least 2 for each flight. i know i travel too much when sometimes at the end of the month, there is nothing new left for me to buy.

i also rip all the things i like out and save in a pile before throwing the mag away. i need to find some way to organize them.

soho versus san antonio

2008-08-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

difference #1: everywhere we go in soho, random people comment on jack t-shirts.

he's developed a pretty awesome t-shirt collection, i take full credit as the t-shirt buyer of the family. don't believe me? witness exhibit 1, the facts about uranus shirt that i bought him yesterday from ClothMoth Clothing + Kindness on etsy:

(these pics are from their etsy shop.)

in san antonio, no one has ever once mentioned any t-shirt jack has ever worn in terms of how cool it is or where did you get that comments. not random strangers, not neighbors, not co-workers. nothing. except for ¿Habla Español? when he wears the hecho en mexico one. which is only awesome because although he was, mostly, made in mexico.

spoiled, much?

2008-07-30T14:06:00.000-07:00

on our last flight to new york, i finally let jack buy a membership to the airline's president's club. let me tell you this boy has wanted for so long to be able to go behind those closed doors. he flies so much that now he's almost always upgraded (for free) to the first class cabin and he's getting totally spoiled. i'm not really into those sorts of things, but i have to say i'm glad we did it. our second flight was delayed until 11:30 pm (from 4 pm!) and we got to go into this locked family room all to ourselves with comfy seats and two tvs with dvd players, plus all the complimentary drinks and crackers and cheese and apples and granola bars and chips we wanted. the boys spread out their toys and watched movies and i watched some top design and shear genius and read magazines.

this is only the second really big (5 different planes, two hotels, 6 days) vacation trip taken with the step-kids. it's different than traveling alone. much less selfish and luxorius. my favorite part of hotel rooms is usually the bathtub - since i adore taking baths and our apartment here only has a shower! - but there were mostly showers this trip.

it's fun to see them experience new and different things, but disappointing to see them not really appreciate it.

this is texas

2008-07-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

this, the river, is fun:

this is driving, how i spend almost every other weekend, driving.

big skies, true, and here is my tower of vultures, they are always there.

it is a long drive.

and here is the city, mostly grimy, and very hot.

i like it, mostly, it feels closer to home, but not quite.

books

2008-07-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

it's just a normal day, but i feel lonely and scared and sad.

**********

here's the top 100 books from the big read. i've read 26 out of the 100 (i'm counting on the road which i only half read because i didn't like it).

some of my favorites on the list:
tess of the d'urbervilles
alice's adventures in wonderland and through the looking glass

one hundred years of solitude

the secret garden

and, ya'll, my all-time favorite: if nobody speaks of remarkable things. i can't believe how much i loe this book.

i can read this from cover to cover, then start from the beginning again. or i can just pick it up and read my favorite pages again and again. read the first 3 pages - you'll be hooked.

dangerous angels is second.

kikkerland

2008-06-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

check out these wall hooks from saturday's shopping spree:

cool, right? i can't find them on the internets, but it turns out they are made by the same people who make my new timer. actually, i recognized a lot of stuff on their web site, including this little guy:

i bought him (from target) a few months ago to replace my giant coffee can of change.

i love

2008-06-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

i love this little spot in my kitchen, grinder, coffee maker that doesn't suck at all, and especially the photographs picked up last trip to soho.

{i wish i had asked the photographer for his name, because i can't read the signature on the back. i wanted to badly, but for some reason i felt like it would be rude or something. i knew i would regret it. why am i so weird? being scared of asking someone that you are buying something from what their name is? truly ridiculous...}

anyway, in case you can't tell this is looking up at the stairs at the apple shop. so creative.

things i want to do

2008-06-26T11:57:00.000-07:00

learn to speak spanish. so i'll be ready to live in mexico when the time comes.

make things! make a quilt. something like this - how lovely.

and this bag. already got the pattern.

maybe even a few dresses.

find an good online printer. these came in the mail today (to frame for the boys' room) and they never look as well as i expect...

months fly by

2008-06-25T10:34:00.001-07:00

it amazes me how easy it is to remember passwords sometimes. like dialing a telephone number you haven't used it forever.

look who was back last night:

jack is out of town and this is what makes it bearable:

and although you can't see them: pride and prejudice, the other boleyn girl, and love and other disasters.

i learned that cooking is pretty easy. i still don't do it much, but it's nice to know i can. and it's fun. i love allrecipes.com. you can find anything almost, and the reviews let you know whether it's good. i bought a crappy timer from target, and just replaced it with this one from anthropologie:

guilty pleasures

2008-02-05T10:38:00.001-08:00

cyndi lauper's time after time and pat benatar's love is a battlefield.

and random pictures (which still don't get me through january for 365):

why i love my husband

2008-01-30T09:09:00.001-08:00

flickr photo: pink by seetying

i called jack yesterday to let him know that i had finally decided with 100% certainty that if we ever decide to have a baby and if it turns out to be a girl we would name her [sorry - it's good enough to keep secret]. jack, who had heard me rambling on about this for a few days, simply said "that is beautiful".

he reminds me so much of benjamin barry in how to lose a guy in 10 days when they are a the chick flick marathon and she's harrassing him about what is he thinking and he says something like: if you must know, i 'm sitting here thinking about how beautiful you are...

project 365

2008-01-29T12:47:00.000-08:00

i've decided to try out project 365, and see if i can keep it up. i came across it a few times, before i was actually inspired to try it by this blog. so i will post 31 pictures for january sometime soon, then start in february. i probably won't even worry about taking a picture for each day, but just try to have seven or so by the end of the week, or 30 or so by the end of the month. hey, low expectations, right?

fallen captive

2008-01-29T12:00:00.005-08:00

annual cleansing

2008-01-29T12:00:00.003-08:00

the french texan

2008-01-29T12:00:00.001-08:00

made by raejillian

the french texan's legs

2008-01-29T11:59:00.001-08:00

winter jungle

2008-01-29T11:58:00.005-08:00

can you see through the darkness

2008-01-29T11:58:00.003-08:00

i am a baby bird

2008-01-29T11:58:00.001-08:00

tiny hair mysteriously standing up out of my pony tale.

mini sugar skulls

2008-01-29T11:57:00.001-08:00

best book of all time

2008-01-29T11:45:00.001-08:00

if nobody speaks of remarkable things. dangerous angels is next, then candy.

clarity

2008-01-29T11:44:00.001-08:00

i am not afraid

2008-01-29T11:43:00.001-08:00

show me how

2008-01-29T11:40:00.001-08:00

discovered...

2008-01-28T13:30:00.000-08:00

the apron is finished. next time i attempt an apron, i won't pick one unneedlessly complicated. gathers and lining? this should be a nightgown! and next time, i'll pick a domestic print like little rosebuds or something...

:: swap-bot. for photography swaps. i really like sharing mine.

:: sewing. my apron is finished. now my weekender can be justified. hopefully, it looks as good as this.

:: a photo a day? 5 at a time sounds more manageable. can i? should i? does that mean 29 now to catch up?

:: bloglines! i can check all hundred blogs i read for new posts in seconds!

:: it's possible to get my ipod songs back onto the computer (i deleted them because i didn't have enough hard drive space...)

watching roundup

2008-01-28T08:56:00.000-08:00

he was a quiet man. well acted, and different. downside: wasn't a comedy at all, and i just can't take jack bauer's daughter seriously after all the really stupid stuff she did on 24.

sylvia. really good, but so freaking depressing. i hate ted hughes.

trust the man. not very funny, but made me feel lucky about my love life. and i like maggie gyllenhaal.

3:10 to yuma. one of the best movies i've seen in a long time. loved russell crowe in it. not boring.

hamlet. so good, loved this. i am partial to modern shakespeare interpretations though.

gangs of new york. too sad and too long. took a while to get into it. but not too bad.

peewee's big adventure. funny i remember this being about him saving animals, and forgot all the stolen bike stuff. worth it to watch with kids for the large marge scene, which gave me nightmares as a child. hilarious.

underdog. this one surprises me that the kids get so much genuine pleasure out of it. i expected it to be too young for them - they love star wars and lord of the rings - but they laughed out loud and were on the edge of their seats.

things to make

2008-01-22T09:44:00.000-08:00

make a quilt.

learn to knit. i don;t even wear stuff like this, but she makes me want to!

make this bag (!).

learn how to make jewelry.

obviously very inspired by the blog i just found - craftaholic - and have been spending the morning reading the archives. i want her bag. i've promised myself that if i ever finish the apron i can have it...

recent movies

2008-01-16T14:02:00.000-08:00

in no particular order...

the ice storm - yawn. boring and sad and barely any katie holmes.

pans labyrinth - i've had this since july and just watched it. wasn't scary like i expected. sad, but it was too sad. so sad that instead of being really really sad, i was wondering the whole time what sadder thing will happen next? schindler's list meets alice in wonderland.

saturday night fever - life sucks, man. great movie and costumes, john t. great, but too sad and not really a love story like i expected. what did he see in her?

young guns - i rented this thinking of young guns II, which i remember being pretty awesome. this was just ok. no blaze of glory here. love baby keifer and emilio though.

a favorite quote

2008-01-16T13:55:00.001-08:00

our holiday travel lasted long enough, real life awaits. darkroom starts tomorrow and i am so excited to get back to photography. only thing is, i miss color.

2008 things

2008-01-11T10:36:00.000-08:00

wear out my sparkly orange chinese mary janes.

make a quilt.

learn to knit. join stitch n bitch.

print out two years of pictures put them in frames and albums.

love

2008-01-10T08:31:00.000-08:00

Through it all, because of it all, in spite of it all.

i read this simple line yesterday in a post that this blogger wrote to her husband for their anniversary. it almost made me cry and all night i keep thinking about it. i'm not sure why it moves me so much. it just so perfectly sums up marriage, or what i really mean is this is exactly how my love for jack is.

gifts for jack

2008-01-09T14:12:00.000-08:00

starting a list so i can remember next time a holiday comes...

starbucks thermal travel coffee press - because we inevitiably wind up in a hotel room without a coffeemaker, and this man can not function without coffee...

bustedtees shirts - funny how and so many of their tees fit with our inside jokes...

what's in a name?

2008-01-08T09:01:00.000-08:00

i did this quiz (thanks rosa) to find out what my name meant... wow - it's pretty true (can i say that without sounding conceited? ok, minus all the inflated compliments...) especially the last paragraph:

You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do.

You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person.

You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality.

You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

try it: What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

the winter blur is over...

2008-01-07T08:11:00.000-08:00

and today i can sleep. ok - winter's not really over, but it is 70s and sunny here in texas so it feels like it is.

christmas was fun: seeing old friends, spending time with both of our families, putting together a million lego star wars sets, playing in the snow, and my long-awaited present to myself - a holga.

i always end up having to do most of the building. we were rockstar parents via ebay this year - spent way too much money and bought many of the retired lego sets they wanted...

i spent time in louisiana, massachusetts, and texas this holiday and none of them really feel like home anymore. i think out of all, gloucester felt most home, which surprised me. i miss it so. the beauty and simpleness and seasons. but the gray sky all day and the dark coming at 5 pm really got me depressed last year. i felt so isolated... but that's more me and less the state i've realized.

this is as sunny as it ever gets:

and so my real resolution for this year is for life not to feel so temporary. i've felt like i'm waiting for so long now, but this is it! i want it to feel real.

and i can't resist posting this: jack almost broke his leg sledding:

one more thing i want (badly):

2008-01-04T10:04:00.000-08:00

pillowcases:

things i want (badly):

2008-01-04T09:32:00.000-08:00

bandaids:

toilet brush(!):

packing tape:

and check this out:

(a while back i looked everywhere for photobooth frames. only a few custom stained glass things showed up. so i figured out that panarama frames work beautifully for photobooth pictures - that's what i've been using...)

2008

2008-01-03T14:37:00.000-08:00

simple, personal, new year's resolutions:

get dressed every day.
put on makeup more often than not.
exercise (join the y?)
drive.
get a haircut every two months, maybe dye too.
go shopping.
cook occasionally and have food in the house.
return library books on time.

damn.

perfume

2007-12-18T11:28:00.000-08:00

i miss my perfume. it was desire for women from alfred dunhill, in a pink bottle. it was going to be my signature perfume for life. i adored it. but they stopped making it years ago... since then, i've been pretty blah about perfume. i wear amorito, a cheap body shop scent because it's the closest i can find to dunhill, but it's a little too simple, too sweet, too vanilla-y, and slightly cheap smelling to be honest.

this post has me dreaming about signature scents again. why did i not know about luckyscent? you can search by ingredients, and order sample sizes and read user reviews. i am definitely going to order the exact friction of stars - the name makes me want to cry and it is pink... even though the reviews are if-y - who wants to smell like burnt candle wax?

and if you know any perfume with a "warm and lingering amber end note" containing "orange, myrtle, rosewood, bergamot" and "tiare flower, rose and freesia bloom into a middle note and soften the amber, which is abundantly present in the end note along with sandalwood, vanilla and caramel," tell me!

the tree went up on thanksgiving day...

2007-12-13T09:31:00.001-08:00

in the tradition of my mother.

my mom always made ornaments with us when we were kids, good memories. so this year i bought some shrinky dink paper and made some star wars ornaments with the kids. traced from coloring book pages:

they really got into putting up our fake tree, so much easier too with them helping. i did leave off the glass balls, because i didn't want to bother with cleaning up broken glass this year. they are so into star wars... look what else we got:

and a few weeks ago i made these stocking for them out of old tshirts. showing off. it worked too, i believe they were impressed with these shabby little stockings... and how cute is my hot pink old navy naughty&nice stocking?

while we're on christmas, there are so many kickass holiday songs out there. some of my favorites:

twisted christmas - twisted sister

the magic of christmas - joy electric

monster ballads christmas

i think these are all on itunes... at the very least download faster pussycat's version of silent night from monster ballads... priceless.

for my birthday

2007-12-12T16:34:00.000-08:00

we went to see a showing of the 1925 silent movie version of phantom of the opera. it was incredible. so amazing. i was shocked. the music and sets were so beautiful and the acting was wonderful. i'm really glad we went. it was a huge theater on the riverwalk and there were only 8 people in the audience including us. it felt like a private screening. i adored the scenes with the corps de ballet rustling about in there ethereal tutus. also the black and white film was tinted pint in parts for the ball scene, which was gorgeous. i tried but couldn't find any pictures of those scenes on the web.

across forever

2007-11-28T13:00:00.000-08:00

rarely does such a sweet little unassuming book that turned out to be so wonderful that i can't put it down. plucked impulsively from the biography shelf because it looked so out of place there, and enchanted instantly by the subtitle: a lovestory - one word. of course they went and changed that with the most recent edition, as you can see below, why must they do stuff like this? i would not have purchased the book below, and what a shame to have missed...

dolce vida

2007-11-16T08:40:00.000-08:00

california pictures will come soon, but for now here is little zinn to say hi.

he's my prize from the santa monica pier. i love childhood fun: winning frog princes and photo booths and ferris wheels and funnel cakes for breakfast. i was a little shocked when the man we went to visit (business) lives right there and has never been to the pier! he joggs past it in the mornings! just doesn't seem possible... i could see down to it through the hotel window and i swear it called me day and night. it's sad to me that you would see that and not even be attracted enough to go once. we went about six times in two days (jack played along very nicely - he even insisted on winning zinn).

i just bought this from ebay

2007-10-24T10:10:00.001-07:00

i must be crazy... but i want to try to take some ttv photographs.

i've decided to also start a contemporary photography collection. every month i'm going to buy one photo that i love from etsy, probably only signed ones. once a month to keep my from going broke - i already have enough picked out for two years!

my own way

2007-10-23T08:25:00.000-07:00

miss potter

a sweet and sad story about following your dreams, living on your own terms, and not wasting a moment.

this that we call home

2007-10-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

arriving i am looking back, to my own past, feeling wistful and nostalgic and hopeful. and by departure all the illusions have disapated completely.

things ::

:: i love weddings. everyday i read a dozen or so blogs written by wedding stylists or photographers.

:: this weekend i bought a plaid jumper with two buttons like i wore in the 90s and i love it.

:: i found a song: love you till the end by the pogues. i'm about to buy it from itunes because i can't stop thinking it. it's wonderful.

:: today is the first day of fall here. it feels brisk and invigorating and makes me miss new england so much. i want fresh clam chowder and apple cider. instead i'm settling for oatmeal.

:: my photography class ended today. the teacher kept asking what direction i want to go into, and why i am doing this, and i kept saying i don't really know. but i do.

photography

2007-10-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

such good news: my jack is not going to die. the e.r. physician misunderstood his test results, apparently. i sort of knew nothing could happen to him, but i was scared to be sure of it.

here are slides from my first roll of film ever shot on a manual camera:

...a few of the pictures were actually perfectly exposed, and all were pretty well focused. i can't even tell you how proud of myself i was. i was expecting a disaster.

here are negatives from my second roll of film ever shot on a manual camera:

...and i processed them myself in the darkroom! this is so much fun.

i love my camera so much, it has quickly become my favorite possession. i got closer to what i wanted after one roll than after 5,000 pictures with my digital.

i don't know what to call this

2007-10-02T06:43:00.001-07:00

something is wrong with jack. we brought him to the e.r. last weekend, and today to a specialist. i have never been so scared, and at the same time my heart can't even fathom the possibility of really losing him.

life, it is one thing after another, isn't it? i am so far from where i was a few years ago - inexperienced and naive. now i feel stronger and weathered. i give jack shots... if you had asked me a year ago i wouldn't have ever imagined i could do that. the last three years have brought to my tiny life: divorce, and marriage, the worst natural disaster in u.s. history, two cross-country moves, kids and exes, and even with all that enough love and happiness to make me feel mostly incredibly lucky.

first roll

2007-09-26T13:02:00.000-07:00

wow, i have so much respect for any photographer who uses a manual camera.

i*finally* put some film in my kick-ass nikon fa and attempted to take some shots. it was pretty miserable... so hot outside, i was sweating, gross... it's hard to hold the grey card in one hand and the camera in another, i hate the grey card... my hand is barely steady enough to focus and i can't even tell when that split image has come together... then when i think it's okay and press the shutter i realize i haven't advanced the film yet... i tried pretending i was rebecca romijn in her pink trench, but it didn't help.

(have you seen the bebe ad, i love it! it wasn't on the web site, but they do have a whole series with old gear called the spy who loved it. love it!)

it'll be really interesting and really embarrassing to see what comes out...
very tempting to revert to my point and shoot...

albert einstein

2007-09-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

and here - drum roll, please - is my awesome tote bag that i sewed (!) last week out of an old favorite shirt of jack's that was much too faded and much much too big. i can't even describe how much i love this bag and the fact that i made it... the inside is lined in my favorite color purple, which coincidentally matched the writing on the back of the shirt/now totebag.

(front and back, just in case you can't tell...)

i am sick, with an infection that is driving me absolutely nuts, so it is a good time to be alone, and i am since jack is out of town until tomorrow night. i can't decide quite what to do, but i'm considering:

1- scanning the piles of pictures that i confiscated from my folks,

2 - working on my pretty skull apron, or

3 - finally watching pan's labyrinth. but i may still be too scared - scared of the scariness and scared of getting too depressed/sad. movies and books are way too capable of making me depressed. really. just last week i read marie antionette: the journey and it was so wonderful and well-written and i adore her so much now, but her life just broke my heart in two and i'm finally over it and really can't take any more heartbreak right now. maybe i feel too much?

oh! my photography class started and it's just so great. it's great just having someplace to go, so the class actually being great is a plus plus. i love my camera, almost to the point of being weird seeing as how i've still not actually put film in it, yet...

here's the piles i refer to above:

fear

2007-09-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

my niece told several stories this weekend, in conversation, such as the little boy who somebody grabbed and cut off his head in wal-mart because he went on a different aisle from his mom. her grandmother tells her these stories to keep her in line, make her listen.

as i listened to my niece this weekend, i realized why i have always been afraid.

scattered today, sorry

2007-09-05T11:34:00.000-07:00

look who was staring at me for a while outside of my "bedroom" window today:

seriously, look at that face, kind of creepy actually:

i am going crazy waiting for my new old camera to be delivered, supposedly today. it is so cool - i hope anyway. i know next to nothing about photography or cameras so i am feeling a bit scared but so excited! it's this old nikon from the 80s, like this one from kenrockwell.com - i love his articles by the way, very informative - but with chrome instead of all black.

i went to some shops around here, and they tried to talk me into buying a brand new (cheap) canon film camera for the same price, but it just didn't do it for me like the thought of that old used one. so, i chose interesting over reliable and you know, i love doing that, it is so so against the way i was raised.

looking through a magazine yesterday, i saw this shell ring (above) and remembered collecting shells with holes in them to make into jewelry last summer. i wonder where i put them? i also have a whole summer's worth of sea glass (below) that i want to do something with.

for years i've been wanting to recreate this little white shell that had been gilded and strung into a pendant that i had as a child. i think it was purchased as a vacation suviner, and i remember loving it so. the one in domino was around $300, but shell's are so delicate - wouldn't it break the first time you hit something with your hand? i need some new, fun jewelry. and there is so much out there...

the highlight of the quickie trip to new orleans:

simply heaven.

it's good to be home, although i will leave again very soon. this apartment is so peaceful. and also so, so cool. i love this bed, although it soon has to be replaced. i love the squirrels playing outside the window whenever i look up. i love being in the heart of downtown, but thinking it's a rainforest beach house. surprisingly, i really like living in texas. i don't want to ever move from this bed, this apartment, this town.

i always get so inspired on airplanes... maybe being somewhere new, having all that time to think, and loading up on magazines. i've been mulling over an art project for some time and i think i'm gonna give it a go. why not? i need something new to hang on the walls. (little by little we are getting the apartment right.)

day 26

2007-08-30T11:01:00.000-07:00

things i want to remember:

:: my two-fold strategy in life is to strive to do things that 1) make me happy and 2) keep my conscience clean (and i have usually have a powerful conscience). i never want to 1) have regrets or 2) be ashamed.

:: money is not a motivator for me. i realized that a long time ago. it doesn't affect my decisions, except as it can limit the available options.

:: as long as i know+believe in my heart something is right, it doesn't matter if anyone else agrees. of course i am not objective, but i am pretty smart, unselfish, and responsible. i am logical. and i trust myself.

:: not to judge. there is always lots that you just don't know unless you are the one involved in a situation. things can definitely appear differently than they are. what a convaluted sentence, but really. even when something is usually a certain way, it isn't always.

what a difficult, disappointing week. i am exhausted. it must be so hard to share your child with someone you don't like or trust. i can't even begin to imagine. it is lonely here without the boys. i love+care for them so much and would do anything for them, but still i don't think it is at all the same. they are not my heart. his must be breaking.

day 3

2007-08-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

i let them use my camera for staged lego photo shoots. they were impressed with the added gun blasts - i didn't know you could do that!

of me and the boys alone. (jack is in new jersey.) it's been thankfully uneventful, even though we've been stuck inside because of the storm. (i am so glad i do not have to drive on days like these...) they haven't asked for their dad (or mom) at all, which makes me proud. mostly they just play and eat. our apartment is all open which is nice because at all times we can see and hear each other.

it's weird to be a caretaker. i don't know what i'm doing at all, but it seems to be working. i think it works because i'm pretty fair and they know it. i make them pick up after themselves, and flush the toilet and wash their hands, sit at the table to eat, and not eat too many snacks, but that's about it.

i also think i'm less emotional with them than if i were not just the step-mom, and it helps. jack does his parenting from an emotional level, but i do it almost completely on a logical level. i don't get mad or take it personally when they do things like throw tantrums. i just go about my business. i also don't give in like he does, which i think is good for them.

i've always thought the most important is consistency (learned that from my parents, who weren't at all consistent), and i'm pretty good at that. i think kids like/need to know what to expect. and these kids are headstrong, so i make sure i don't ask for anything unreasonable (like giving them chores!), or too far out of line with what they get from mom and dad, it would just be asking for trouble. they call me on everything, and sometimes it feels ridiculous to be in a battle of wills with an 8 year old, but i guess that's parenting...

i do like showing them things, and teaching them things, and playing with them. i don't even mind cooking for them* and cleaning up after them. i really like when they ask for help, or will you play with me, especially when there dad is here and they ask me. it's touching. i like when they say my name. i like the thought that they are being exposed to things and learning things that they wouldn't without me - like taking them on "photo shoots" or watching my favorite movies from childhood.

i am pretty silly and can totally be myself with them. i've always liked kids because they give you a break to get on the floor and play and build and watch cartoons. plus they don't turn the radio up when i start singing. don't tell, but sometimes i pretend we're in a musical and sing everything i say to them. and they like it (as long as we're not in public - then it's apparently embarrassing).

*cooking is buying things like a fully cooked roast that you nuke for 9 minutes - since i do not touch raw meat (uck!). incidentally, i made the roast last night for dinner. they loved it, had seconds. and after i put them to bed last night and turned out the lights, the last thing i heard was a little voice ask can we have more of that roast beef tomorrow?

normal?

2007-08-10T08:15:00.000-07:00

i cried during transformers. because a character almost dies. a transformer. yeah.

city park in blue

2007-08-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

did i mention i also bought this gorgeous stuff that i don't know what i'm going to do with? purse maybe? i'm really into the brights on aqua right now i guess...

signed up for two photography classes today, darkroom included... now i have to buy a camera. i'm a little intimidated because i've never ever used a manual camera before. it feels extravagant to pay for tuition and a camera, but i'm proud of myself for doing it. the boys had to come with me to register today, they were confused and asked lots of questions... is somebody making you go to school? do we have to go with you to class? do you want to be a photographer when you grow up - wait you already are a grown up!

sometimes i wonder what the boys think of our life... they seem almost too happy almost all of the time, but still it's so different from my own traditional childhood that i think it must be weird for them. they are so obsessed with typical boy things: pirates, mummies, and above all star wars+legos. i wanted to get them star wars bedding for our new apartment, but couldn't find it big enough so i settled for just pillowcases made from this:

(no, i didn't make it... the fabric alone to make them cost more than the finished ones.)

i'm trying not to think too much about the classes so that i don't get nervous/feel like an idiot. basically, if i do not do something i will sink into a great depression so this is just depression avoidance 101...

las calaveras

2007-08-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

i learned something a while ago that revolutionized the way i deal with life: there's usually not a right or wrong, just pick something that works. made decision making while shopping much easier for one thing, and helped me feel satisfied with all of the choices i make.

for some reason i have yet to apply it to sewing. i bought a machine a long time ago and haven't really started using it at all. i bought an adorable apron pattern and just can't decide which fabric to buy make it out of. (i think my poor apron will have to live up in my mind to this...)

meanwhile, my little sister has been whipping things up not even knowing how to sew. get this, she invented her own way to pattern and cut and hand sew, which actually is quite brilliant.

so, inspired, i just picked the above fabric from reprodepot.com and i think i'll trim it in red...

barn weddings

2007-08-06T12:56:00.000-07:00

what is it about weddings? my first one took years to plan and was absolutely perfect except for the groom, my second one took 10 minutes to plan and was absolutely perfect including the groom, and even so i'm still obsessed with them... and all the gorgeous wedding photos available on the internet are making it worse - i could spend all day following links and looking.

the barn board on this post (found through this post) reminded me of an old friend's wedding. i've always loved this wedding so much, the simplicity and fun and spirit of it... and if i remember correctly the whole deal cost her less than $1000 bucks.

love invents us...

2007-08-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

great book by amy bloom, somewhere on the lines of if nobody speaks of remarkable things or pretty little dirty. (great surprises like this for $.39 remind me why i love thrift stores.)

speaking of books, i finally saw broken vessel in person and it is phenominal. a few tweaks to do and then i can buy my copy!

san antonio looks so pretty from the sky last night: christmas lights spread out like a tangled net or the tinsley blue black fabric of my sister's 8th grade dress.

sometimes i hate people

2007-07-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

the people in charge of delivering my cool-ass new sofa called an hour ago saying they couldn't find the place, then after i gave detailed directions said they were 5 minutes away and would i wait outside. after 30 minutes of waiting in front in the 90 heat, i called back to see if the driver was still lost. turns out he "still couldn't find it and moved on to other stops". i live on a major street which the stupid m***********r never even drove down - i know this because i was standing outside watching every car that passed by!

jack and i will be in new orleans this week. our first ever time there together since moving out two years ago. should be bittersweet. also reuniting with some good friends who i haven't seen in a very long time. should be interesting.

i don't think i'm going to see the sofa today...

update: the smiley sofa is here and so cutie - once the wrapping came off...

and these may not look like much, but they are cool simple (and cheap!) spotlights...

on my own

2007-07-25T08:59:00.000-07:00

(across the universe, coming september 2007)

i went to the movies yesterday and watched hairspray all by myself. this is the third time in my life i've gone by myself to the movies - the first was finding neverland in new york, second was the lake house in harvard square, and now this in san antonio.

i loved the original hairspray when i was younger, and i much prefer it to the new one. i'm still not sure why john travolta was in this movie; seeing him in drag was only funny for oh about 30 seconds. and although amanda bynes has perfected the art of looking at someone like you want to rip their clothes off, the rest of her performance was pretty blah...

the previews on the other hand were wonderful... lots of new movies i can't wait to see (in this particular order).

best of beauty - my version

2007-07-24T10:29:00.000-07:00

i used to buy nail polish like crazy, until i discovered that out of about 50 bottles i had lots of slight variations of essentially these same few colors over and over again:

fushia

really red

deep burgundy

sort of a dusty mauve (which i call granite)

sheer pinkish white

and then the occasional impulse - a bottle of bright orange or teal or something that just didn't fit in.

(incidently, these color swatches are of sephora nail polish, which i haven't tried yet.)

i also maybe finally have an essential makeup list, some of these i have been going back to since high school:

{pressed powder}
clinique super powder in matte neutral
cover girl fresh look in transcelucent light

{lengthening mascara (always in black!)}
revlon luxurious lengths mascara

{any brand matte eye shadow in creams, browns, and purples:}

{foundation}
maybelline instant age rewind in creamy natural light 5

{rosy blush}
cover girl cheekers natural rose

{eyeliner}
clinique quickliner for eyes in dark chocolate, really black and violet

{lipstick}
clinique almost lipstick in black honey
clinique different lipstick in angel red
revlon super lustrous lipgloss in glossy rose
revlon super lustrous lipstick in cherries in the snow (which i love but don't actually leave the house in)

{lip balm}
c.o. bigelow classic rose salve (do they still make this?)
neutrogena lip nutrition honey rescue balm