Random Thought Thursday

A few choice pieces from my extensive collection of collage ephemera.

Who, and what roles, paths, careers do you consider professional? What is your criteria for referring to someone as a professional and why?

Some back story: A couple weeks ago Yael Rose and I were sitting in the target food court eating pretzels when the Slurpee machine service man entered. He begins the process of filling the vats with the stuff that makes your children look cyanotic or like they've recently been exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide. Yael looks on intrigued (or just in anticipation of a sugar high) and says, "Wow, he did that really fast, he's a professional". I scoffed, but quickly recanted and said, "Yes, you're right. He's really good at his job, I'm sure he trained well and had lots of practice."

This brings me to my current, long-lived plight with my first self-published project: the zine from hell. Well, maybe not hell, but somewhere deep in the underbelly. Today marks my 500th blog post, I've almost 200 followers, I know the alphabet backwards and forwards and I don't even have to sing it. Why can't I get this damn zine done?! I'll tell you why, I am not a professional zinester. What I am is a professional, thinks-she-can-do-everything-perfect-the-very-first-time-and-will-die-if-she-doesn't-er. Are you a professional too? Oh yeah...at what?!




Peace, patience and practice makes perfect-maybe not a zine, but you'll be perfect at something...

An Award

Yay!

I was beginning to think I'd lost my spark, but I delved (awkward, but grammatically sound) a bit deeper and thought mayhaps it's because I break the nominations chain by offering the award up to everyone who keeps the blogosphere fresh and interesting. Yep, that's probably it, but I'm not going to let that stop me! Without further ado, five things about me:

Many of you may be well aware of at least some of these randomosities if you've been around a while. I'm not really that interesting, I just know a lot of words and interesting combinations thereof . That's going to be number one.

2. I am texture sensitive, even witnessing the consumption of mushy, gooey, gelatinous foods invokes a visceral reaction accompanied by the five-year-old-meets-Brussels-sprouts face. I don't like those either.

3. Men like me. "Well, duh." No, really. I can fix things, I have moments of clear and rational thought, I can appreciate the beauty of a well proportioned WHR and I know beer. My men friends and their friends think I'm some kinda awesome in spite of my insistence that football and boxing is barbarism.


4. I am idiolect obsessed. My favorite people/languages to study are elderly Southerners and New Englanders. No one, and I mean no one serves up idioms like these two groups of people! What do I do with all of this studying, you ask? I incorporate their expressions into my everyday speak with particular emphasis on dirty talk.

5. Finally, dancing: I love dance, dancers and dancing. I don't care what kind of dancing it is, what kind of music is being played if any is being played at all, but the relationship between a dancer and their body, the poetry of movement is absolutely breathtaking, and everyone-like speech, does it differently.

Thanks, Dina of Causerie, for reading and nominating Tea & Honey Bread for the Kreativ Blogger award.

Peace

The Earth is Not Flat

But, this new earring design is, and that's about all they have in common with this post. Perhaps, that's my recent committment to adding a bit of color to things, yes? Sounds good, let's stick with it.

So, this weekend there was all sorts of testosterone-induced...(think "nice" words, Tameka) happenings at home. This sort of thing makes sensitive me angry and frustrated as hell. I think the only thing worse than testosterone-induced bullsh...er, uh I mean happenings are repeats of the same kind of stup...er happenings that were previously swept under the rug!

I'm a big fan of resolution, and an even bigger fan of first time/contact resolution. This is probably most apparent in my dire need for clear and concise communication. This does not happen with some...well, most of the people I come in contact with regularly. This is no fun.

See, the thing with sweeping stuff under the rug is that the rug in this spherical thing called life is at once under and above you; it's omnipresent and the stuff will swallow you if you don't get to it and through it first. Meh, so I just thought I'd share that with you all since no one else will listen!

What's under your rug this fine Tuesday? Looks on sternly. Go on, get to it!

Peace, smiles and a keen display of textbook passive-aggression

Waterfront Property

Not exactly...

Green belt/Local irrigation project; looks like a lake doesn't it?

Talk about being grateful for expert planning. Thank you, City of Goodyear!

...this is the aftermath of this week's bout with some pretty severe weather conditions in the valley. It certainly put the kibosh on my fashion show, but I can't wait to see what blooms once it dries.

Today was the first day I've actually been able to leave the house (not that I do that too often anyway). There were many young trees leveled by fierce winds, luckily none of the homes I passed during our 3-mile-walk were hit. All is calm again, back to business as usual.

Peace

Lunch Dates, Long Talks, Letters and, Loveliness

Photos by Yael Rose

I finally wore my Gypsy Jennie skirt...it was draped over the workout shorts with the holey crotch in the previous photo.

I had a lunch date yesterday with the beautiful, incredibly sweet and fun Gina of Urban Adornments and the UA Journey blog. Isn't it exciting to have a neighbor in the blogosphere who also lives in close proximity? I think it's pretty awesome.

We went out for Mexican and chatted it up about motherhood, art, love, life, love lives and the great beyond. All of the simple things that make me feel warm and complete. Our lunch date was a pleasant addition to my routine day partaking in all of the aforementioned alone.

On Tuesday, I received a letter from a wonderful woman, writer, thrift shoppin' zinester friend! A letter, written in ink on paper. Swoon. You guys know how empathic I am, so her energy was literally jumping off the page and I felt so privileged to have someone confide in me with such vulnerability and sincerity although we've never actually met in person or known each other for very long.

I think the Favorite Guy finds it odd, how people are so willing to tell me their secrets, dreams and fears. I just don't think many men have the same kind of relationships with each other that women have with other women and even some men. Okay gender police, put your whistles back in your pockets, I said many NOT all. I happen to enjoy very open and loving relationships with my pocketful of sunshine people, and that includes many of you. By the way, I'm almost up to 200 followers and then we are going to have us a partay!

So tell me, how about you, are your relationships open and loving or do you keep a safety net around your communications, online and in real life?

Peace and pleasantries

Day Three: Inner Beauty

Thunderstorms. All day thunderstorms. All day thunderstorms just after I, the irresponsible gardener watered everything. All day thunderstorms in the desert, unbelievable!

So what does one wear during torrential rains? A sloppy...er, I mean tousled bun, a faded...ahem vintage Jimi Hendrix tee and yoga pants. Where does one go? Why, to the gym, of course. I figured if I can't be pretty today I can get a head start on tomorrow, so I went to the gym, walked a few miles, climbed a few hundred feet and invested in a little inner [thighs] beauty on the weight machines!

I came home and made an incredible pot of cilantro spiced red bean and tomato soup for dinner and then it was time for hair day! We went with large braids because Yael is overdue for a trim and these will be easier to take out in a few days.

What did I want to do in my uber-comfortable ensemble? I wanted to eat cookies in bed with the cats and look at my pile of junk mail (for collage purposes only). But, I mustered up some give a shit and got in a good work out. How've you all been doing?

Peace and perserverance

Day Two: Migraine Monday

I got dressed again! Chocolate, white and rose for a rainy day in the desert. I went out browsing with the Favorite Guy. We were searching clearance bins and Goodwill for brightly colored plates. We're about to embark on a backyard redo which includes mosaic. Did I mention we don't exactly work well together, ahem...I don't work well with others. Uh, yeah, mm hmm...this is going to be an angst-filled undertaking.

Whilst clearance bin digging, I found this full-color 96 page tapas cook-book which includes these two cute little tapas plates in an awesome paprika canvas box for $3.99! Woot!

Then, I stopped for Amy's No Chicken Noodle soup and the rest of the day went kinda like this.


I think I can get used to getting dressed on the feel good days. Today felt more like a waste of laundry detergent/energy. If I had a hospital gown it would've been my ensemble of choice; with a wide belt or some Velcro to close off the back, of course.

PS~I've been reading and I'm totally psyched that some of you have thought of me and added a splash of "give a shit" to your daily routines, it makes a girl feel warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks!

Peace

Day One: Gaining Perspective

Day One: Pink, because pink is better than grey!

And now for the fine print...

I realized something this morning as I weighed my To do list against my To Wear plan-my day to day doings don't exactly loan themselves well to fashion. Take today for instance:

To Do: Water Beau's memorial garden also known as the-only-foliage-I haven't-killed, and make the house front Valentine's Day ready. Done.

Organize the garage and clean the kitchen. Laughs. Okay...okay, I did however manage to bathe the dog and get all of the laundry and vacuuming done in something other than my bleach-stained grey tee, headscarf and raggedy shorts. Not too shabby for the first day.

Total time allotted for personal appearance? Well, that depends on whether or not I count the time I spent thinking about how silly it was to comb my hair or match my clothing given my to do list. It did however feel good that I didn't have to hide from approaching neighbors since I was "presentable".

Peace

Confessions of a Fallen Fashionista

The Lady in Grey

Grey, heather grey, charcoal grey, white, denim, faded denim, ready-for-Goodwill denim, drab, drab, drab. What's become of me? Most who know me would describe me as a fashion risk-taker; one with an eclectic sense of style. Avant garde, even (which ironically is so passe).

I'm an artist; I fill my days with beauty, I live for it! So, what about me?! I've fallen in a bit of a fashion quagmire-creator of fashion jewelry that I am. I have my finger on the pulse of fashion, but my finger is the extent of it.

So, last week whilst the children and Favorite Guy were out, I replenished my supply of cosmetic bag staples and I'm going to devote an entire week- beginning tomorrow, to kick-starting my zest for fashion and overall personal appearance give-a-shit.

If you are currently in need of a personal appearance give-a-shit kick start, feel free to join me by devoting just 5 extra minutes to your Self each day this week and posting about it. In addition, post a link to your blog in the comments. It's a tough job, and that's exactly why I've gotta do it!

Peace and some personal appearance give a shit!

I Squeal For Teal!

It began with my Sedona pilgrimage

and the purchase of this skirt from Gypsy Jennie's

and, it hasn't let up yet!

Peace and inspiration

Movin'

"Art is the daughter of freedom"-Friedrich Schiller

I'm back, or as my grandmother says, "Now we're cookin' with grease!" Sometimes, I need a moment or in this case a few days to wrap my head around the fact that, "Art is nothing to wrap anything around, you must allow your Self to get wrapped up in art". Have a fabulous week!

Peace and freedom

Fixated

Have you ever gotten completely fixated on a word, image, idea or concept? Anxiously awaits and hopes I'm not alone. It seems to happen to me often, perhaps not often, but more than is comfortable or normal- whatever that is.

Most times I just work it out, doodling, writing, thinking, creating around the theme, but this time it feels much deeper and I can't get my head around it. It's taken up much of my lucid time and has been interrupting my sleep, leading to mid-day naps and feelings of irritability and exhaustion.

Shrugs. So yeah, that's the skinny on what's been going on with me for the past FOUR days, has this ever happened to you?

Peace and befuddlement

Oh, Hello...

So they tell me it's a new year, new decade too, imagine that! I have been uh...what have I been doing? Uh, not a whole lot actually. Wait, that's not exactly true, I've been doing quite a bit of thinking: some abstract, some quite concrete. Huh, what's that you ask? Resolutions? No, none of that sort of stuff, just thinking...

All of this new talk is making me anxious. Everyone is losing weight, breaking habits, changing stuff around, clearing out debt, changing career paths, hair color, blah, blah, blah. I feel left out, although almost ambivalently so. It sort of feels like growing older and perhaps wiser although at the expense of the far more attractive, blissful ignorance of youth. So, the calendar changed, but I'm gonna sit tight just a bit longer and revel, uh... I mean think about this.

Peace in the moment