I Yam What I Yam

This post is about being comfortable in your own skin. Recognizing what you are - and what you are not- and taking pride in the unique combination of attributes that make you unique and special. And undeniably "YOU"!

It's really hard to have a conversation with another person nowadays if you haven't seen any recent movies or watched a popular TV show in over a year. I was sitting at a crop the other night, chatting with my friend, and we got on to the topic of Glee. And the lady sitting across from us, overhearing our conversation, chimes in "I love Glee". And then Nadine, who happened to enter the crop room just as this came up, chimes in as well. And then the three of them start talking about the recent episodes, and why they love it, etc. And I am left sitting there thinking about that awesome Burt Lancaster movie I watched the other night.

Y'know. The one that came out in 1964.

And today I am thinking about how beautiful and vivacious and clever and wonderful and amazing Greer Garson & Deborah Kerr were, and how they just don't make them like they used to.

I prefer to listen to the radio - CKUA & 20th Century Radio streaming on the internet - or read a book in my spare time. My favourite movie stars are long dead. I don't understand "celebrity", and TV shows hold absolutely no interest for me.

That being said, I love listening to new independent music! You know the bands that no one has heard of yet, that only get played on the indie stations? Or the artists that have been around for seemingly forever, but still haven't been "main-streamed"? Those are my faves! And I buy new music like it's going out of style.

I am a contradiction in terms. I am an old lady & a curmudgeon. I love it when technology brings me my favourite old things, but I hate new gadgets & gizmos. I am the odd (wo)man out in most conversations.

But I am completely okay with all of this. And I have zero desire to change any of that for anybody, or hide it from anyone. Because, to be honest, people seem to like me just fine the way I am! And while I may not be able to chat about the recent episodes of Glee or Dexter with most of my close friends, I have found one person who shares my love of old movies, and independent music, and shares my dislike of television. Hi BFF...

So in addition to being an old soul curmudgeon, and a dork, I am apparently a geek as well. And a Twi-lek...

I dunno...I think her figure is slightly better than mine, but at least I've always got a smile on my face!

later loves

p.s. More on my Star Wars Identities visit later, including a cute pic of "Li'ssa" and "Russ" side by side!

Tag, I'm It?! Ah, crap...

Dear Nicole,

Here are those answers you were looking for. I hope they live up to your lively expectations for this game of tag you forced me in to. I don't think I'm going to tag anyone in return. All of the people I play with on the school ground have full-time jobs/full-time kids and can't be bothered with such things....meaning I asked them all before and none of them played along then, so the chances of them playing along now are slim to none (aka zero).

Enjoy!

When you were in high school, who was your celebrity crush? Probably some musician. I liked bassists. And the Coreys.
How has your taste changed since then? (As in, who are you drooling over now and how are they different?) I like dorks, bowties, accents/Brits & hipster beards, but I don't have a celebrity crush. I don't understand "celebrity". I guess if I had to pick someone I would say David Tennant of Doctor Who fame sort of counts. He's handsome, in a dorky-cute sort of way. No beard though...hmmm. Oooh! And Benedict Cumberbatch!
When do you feel most at home? When I'm at home. In my house.
What's your favourite hot beverage? Coffee. Coffee. Coffee. Coffee.
If you could punch someone in the face without repercussions, who would it be? You have no idea how much I love this question. No. Fricken. Idea. That being said, I would totally punch "Party Pooper" in the face. I would be the hero of the office. Nope, make that "The Hero of the Office". Yep. That.
What's your favourite camping food? My twelve year old self would say Hamburger Helper, the beef stroganoff one. But my organic-kale-loving adult self would say a giant bag of Smarties, and anything made in a Pie Iron. Ermagherd...burritos in a pie iron.....drool......
What's one skill you'd like to learn this year? I want to get back into cross-country skiing. But I used to do it quite often when I was younger, so I guess that's not a new skill. Oooh ooh! I want to go on an overnight hike. That's a skill right?
If I were to visit, how would you entertain me for a day? (I look forward to this answer!!) Value Village is the easy answer, because that is how I entertain you while you're here! But to change it up a little bit, I might take you to a Farmer's Market on a Saturday morning, ride the trolley across the High Level Bridge, grab a beer & meal at the Sugarbowl, and head over to the Garneau theatre for a show.
What's your favourite cheesy pick-up line? Don't have one. But I do enjoy it when the liquor store employees flirt with me by asking for ID. Does that count? "Can I see some ID?" That's my favourite pick-up line.
If you were to have a solo dance party right now, what song would you put on? Dude's playlist on my iPad. It's got One Direction - as sung by the Mini Pops - and some k-os, and Miike Snow & is generally just awesome. But to be honest, I can dance to anything. I gots skillz.
What's the best thing that has arrived in your mailbox lately? THE TOQUE!! And don't worry Nicole, it's very big. I also just got my dresses from the Mod Cloth sale, a Christmas present that I sort of had to fight for, and I'm waiting on my Studio Calico month kit. I do enjoy being part of a monthly kit club, if only for the fact that I am guaranteed some fun mail once a month. I've got to pay for this privilege, but oh well!


And that is all I've got to say about that....

later loves

Over Sharing?

Last week I got a lovely comment from Pen Pal/ Blog Buddy Nicole saying she would have a "surprise" for me on her blog the next day! Whee!! Turns out, she nominated me for something, and I have some questions to answer?!....I'm not sure, there was a lot of reading involved....but I saw my name and that's what counts! So here are my answers...

Nicole's Questions
Who let the dogs out? For serious, tell me. Who did it?
I found a meme about this the other day but I can't find it now. It gave me a hearty chuckle. Going looking for it has taught me a valuable lesson...don't go searching the Internet for random memes. There are gross things out there people....Gross. Things. Although, if you are looking for a funny one, check out my friend Sarah. She's amaze-balls.

What was your favourite song in grade nine?
Ha! Grade nine?! I can barely remember my favourite song from last year! Grade nine for me was Nirvana, and Snow, and discovering Much Music and videos and new music. And buying my own music! Probably still on cassette tape. Oh dear...

What blog post did you read this week that made you go, "Hear Hear, Right on Sista!"
I really like Nadine's "Lift Me Up Thursday" posts. This one made me smile. Otherwise, I haven't been keeping up with my blogs lately, like at all. But I don't feel bad, and I don't really feel like I'm "missing" anything. Hmm....

What's your favourite thing about winter?
Making snow forts, and snow men, and snow bunnies, and snow dinosaurs, and snow giraffes in the front with Dude. The clear, crisp air at night affording the perfect view of my winter constellations (the other day I saw a full Orion for the first time this season and I did a little dance....)

When you go to Starbucks, or some other fancy coffee shop, what's your go-to beverage?
At Starbucks I usually just order a grande quad Americano, no room. When BFF & I go to Transcend, we tend to try a different Clover each time. That's like a fancy french press, and they use a squeegee! It is simple, but quite delicious!

Also, I guess I was supposed to post FIVE FACTS about myself...um...okay...
#1. I talk to myself all the time. Lucas learned how to speak very early because of this fact. In the car, in the kitchen, as I'm getting ready in the morning or before bed, in the grocery store. I'm one of those old crazy ladies...but I hit my stride 50 years early.
#2. I love running up stairs, taking them two at a time.
#3. I freak out when meeting new people for the first time, especially if there are lots of them. Not unlike zombies. One at a time is much easier to deal with, but still panic-inducing.
#4. My best friend is a boy. The little girls in Lucas' class think this is hilarious! Dude's first "best friend" was a girl, and I have a feeling the next one will be as well. And somebody tell me what's wrong with that! No wait...don't.
#5. I can't think of a good one...I thought of about five other things, but none of them were very appropriate, or interesting. So.....I wish I had a guinea pig, I hate "the Christmas Season", I think everyone should donate blood, I love being alone, I love politics, I have a weakness for shopping online, I am so sarcastic and dorky in real life it is hard to believe I am not actually just a caricature of myself, etc. etc. etc.

And now I am supposed to "nominate" five suckers lovely bloggers to do the same! M'kay... Jen, Candace, Nadine, mumble mumble...If you want to play along, feel free! But I'm not going to make a big deal out of it. Except, for Nadine & Jen I will need to see something promptly and much better than this train wreck of a post. Cause it's not like either of you have anything else on your plate right now. I've seen you goofing off on Instagram. Geeze......wink!

later loves

UPDATED I just realized that I never posted any questions for my suckers to answer, if they choose to. So let's keep it simple stupid...
1. Favourite colour
2. Favourite song/band/artist/music
3. Favourite Book (or magazine, if you're not a book-reader)
4. Favourite Blog
5. What are you most looking forward to this season?

Dear Self:

At the Calgary Science Centre, aka Spark, they have some very inspiring exhibits. The one that the kids wanted to spend the least amount of time in, and the one that the adults enjoyed the most was called "Being Human". It centers around all the science and creativity that makes us unique. And most of the displays were interactive, and user-generated. There was a recording booth where you could answer prompts about love, there was a whole wall - with graphics - on fetal development. And there was this area, where you could write a note to your past and/or future self.

I wanted to hang out here.

And it got me thinking. What kinds of things would I tell Past-Lisa and Future-Lisa? Would I give advice? Would I give encouragement? Would I ask for a favour?

I spent a little bit of time during my lunch break yesterday thinking about those questions, and writing myself a note. Nothing too fancy or formal. Just some writing practice. And I thought it would be fun to share here...so here goes nothing.

before we begin: For a really long time, my fall was defined by school. It is a strong habit/tradition to break, and since this has been on my mind lately, this is the focus of my first letter. Also, I kind of focused on my early University self. The self that was just figuring out what it meant to be an adult, and what it meant to try and find her own way in the world.

Dear Past Self: University has the strange distinction of being just the place for you, and yet also completely not the place for you. You are wondering now if you made the right choice, and I'll let you in on a little secret: 10 years on, and you're still wondering. You may feel very isolated while being completely surrounded by people, and even though you think nobody actually wants to spend time with you, you eventually find new ways, and new people that are just like you! But you still hang out with the high school crowd, so you made a good choice there. You will always feel a little lost, but it becomes less of an immediate stress, and more of a learning experience. You amaze yourself every year with how much you have grown as a person. And how much of yourself you found.

Your writing still stinks! And you still use non-words all the DOODLE time! You're not as hilarious as you think you are, but don't let that ever hold you back. In fact, some of your new friends actually enjoy your sense of humour (what is wrong with them?!), so keep up the good work. Oh, and you are still full of shit your self!

Dear Future Self: Whatever happens, whatever decisions I make or fail to make, I think about you all the time. And I am not worried.  To see how far I have come in the past couple of years, I can only attempt to imagine the awesomeness that is Future-Lisa, in her flying car, carrying her iPlacard protesting the use of cyborgs in the home. The friendships that I am making now are more important to me than anything, and I hope that they have only grown and flourished. I also hope that you finally started hugging people! You might not remember this, but sometimes you used to feel like a bad mom, and a bad partner, and there were some crippling moments of self-doubt that were only remedied with a little blog & buddy time. I'm hoping that everything works out and "used to feel like" is a great descriptor of times to come! I am full of hope and anticipation for you, but I'm also not keen on rushing your arrival! I want you to know that whatever you are, whoever you have become, I am proud of you. Because from what I've seen, I just keep getting better and better with age!

I hope turning 40 isn't as bad as turning 31 was! And I hope that you look amazing, and kept up with all the working out, and the gluten-free nonsense that I am embracing right now. Or whatever new food-nonsense comes up in the new world...maybe even grow your own food, or get a damn chicken! Also, amaze-balls is this word I use, and you should bring it back into style. Or I guess, in to style in the first place....it's not really catching on. I really hope you wear a bikini sometimes, and are still thrifting like a crazy lady...but not the bikini. That would just be actual crazy. Keep being crazy.

I also hope that you said "I love you" when the time was right.

Have you ever written a letter to your future self?

Wouldn't this be a cool thing to add to a Time Capsule?!

DUDE!!

later loves

Hello September

Hello September. Time for the leaves to start changing colour with the cool nip in the air. Last days of sandals and short skirts and leaving the windows open. 

Time for birthdays, and school, and sweaters. Time for star-gazing and coffee dates.

Hi September. I missed you.

New Favourite...

I have been so busy lately, doing a whole lot of nothing, that all of those little things have grown giant in my mind.

*****

I found this post in the "Drafts" section of blogger the other day and I have no idea what I was thinking of writing about! But I am going to go with it, and see what happens!

Podcast: Thrilling Adventure Hour. Heck, just the fact that I am now listening to podcasts is some kind of miracle. It's a new school podcast in the style of old-timey radio, with guest stars such as Paget Brewster & Nathan Fillion. It is my go-to "tunes" to get to and fro work.

Album: I am in lurve with the new Fiona Apple album with the crazy long name, and am wondering why it took me so long to get it. Honestly! Also, iTunes has started this new thing called...I don't remember, cause I don't really pay all that much attention to that kind of stuff. At any rate, "they" recommend a new album. And I bought it. And it's really great. Shovels & Rope is the name of the band. They are very old-time-country-y. And rock 'n' roll. And the harmony!? Amazing. Yes. Definite summer favourite.

Movie: Would it surprise you to hear I have less-than-zero interest in going to a movie theatre? Even if it is air-conditioned and it's hot out. Even if I could spend extra $$ and get served at my giant seat. New movies just don't interest me. Old movies however... The Caretakers with a young and handsome Robert Stack and sufficiently creepy Joan Crawford.

Shoes: My Saltwater Sandals (from Modcloth) are making me very happy.

Outfit: Green skirt + tank top + sandals. My summer costume.

Coffee shop: Transcend. Dan & I tried Remedy and Credo as well, but we just keep coming back to Transcend Garneau. It's now our "usual place". And while we remember the baristas, I don't think we go often enough for them remember us quite yet! *Update: they totally remember us...the gorgeous, tattooed barista told us: "I love it when you come in because you smell so good." That's me, and my patchouli hippie stinking up the place. Even Dan thought it was weird that she remembers me for that, and that she keeps bringing it up!

Dude Moment: The other morning (27th) he was saying "wasabi" over and over and over again. In different tempos and tenors and voices. When I asked him what he was saying he said: "Wasabi, cause I like the way it sounds when I say it different ways!"

Summer Memory: All the new babies! And how Lucas is loving his new cousins! He is also getting to be very patient with Jacob, and excited to see him and play with him.

Book: I have read a lot of awesome books this year. Top Two Three Four Summer Reads have got to be War of the Worlds and Abe Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Payback: The Shadow Side of Debt

Inspiration: Coffee dates! Whenever I come home from a coffee date with BFF I scrapbook, or paint, or clean, or organize, or something. I feel refreshed and happy and energized!

Workout: With my Wednesday night Zumba classes on hiatus for the summer, and my desire to stay far far away from the crowded classes at Spa Lady right now, I had to find something else that would kick my ass. And in steps the bestest Kirsten. We finally arranged to meet up at the gym together, I found her on a machine that I had never tried. Some sort of elliptical-type arrangement. And I love it! 25 minutes on there, and I've got fat crying all over the place!

And that is New Favourites Summer 2012 Edition.

Now what do I think I was headed towards with the first sentence of this post that was left to languish in the Drafts section of my blogger account? I think I wanted to put it out there that when you have so little time to devote to and think about the big things in life, the little things become larger than life. Including the commute, and the gym time (if I'm lucky to make it there in the afternoon), I'm gone during the day for about 10 hours. Then when I get home, I have a dinner to make and clean up after. And a little Dude to play with and put to bed. And by then it's 9pm and I'm in bed by 10:30! That doesn't leave much time for much of anything else!

And so these small "New Favourites" fall in to a giant place of importance and gratitude.

later loves

Life is Pretty Awesome

Life is full of awesomeness! It sucks the big one that we tend to get so bogged down when some crappy happens. Ultimately, it's the moments of light within the fog and the "daily grind" that make all of this worth every minute.

Jill's wedding. Kara, me & Chantel pictured. Good times had.

 I am NOT going to let the negative shit that other people do effect my day and my mood and my life. Even if these people be family, yo!

Sarah & Charlie's Baby Shower. Charlie and Cheryl pictured.

I AM going to invite people over (stress!) and play games and drink drinks and enjoy the company. I am going to accept every invitation out for drinks, or shows, or games, or whatever!

I want to be a good friend, and I want my friends to know I love them. (I LOVE YOU!)

109 Street. Transcend "patio". Coffee date with BFF.

I am going to take photos, lots of them, even if the lighting is bad and there is a proverbial "white speedo" in the background. These are where my memories are grounded. These are the pictures that are going to keep me warm when I am old and (more) grey.

At Queen Elizabeth Pool. July 20, 2012

I am going to savour every moment with my Moms and Dads. And nephews and niece. And brothers and sisters. These people are my past and my future, and my future's future. I want to be able to tell these boys (and Griffin & Londyn) stories about the "good old days", and hug them, and give them all the love & Auntie-specific guidance they need to make their own way in this world.

Dude, Grandma, Evan & Captain. Still undecided on Evan's nickname. Good thing he's too young to notice!

I am going to do what it takes to make my life fit my idea of what my life should look like. I have come to realize in this stage of said life, that sometimes this is going to rub people the wrong way. What the heck is that all about!? I don't have time for that, so back off and let me walk my own path.

I am grateful for all of these moments...and more.

Churchill Square. Taste of Edmonton. Wide Mouth Mason FREE outdoor concert. Beer Gardens...need I say more.

Outtake!

later loves

Award - Reward

I won an award! And it's even more special due to the fab lady that rewarded me with said award.

The Liebster award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome. 

Rules for receiving this award:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions that the tagger set for you, plus create 11 questions for the people you've tagged to answer.
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. No tag backs.

Lordy...eleven things about myself...
1. I am a paper addict. I'm taking a course to correct this.
2. I have a "salt tooth" (as opposed to a sweet tooth...)
3. I am a night owl, but I also hate sleeping in. It will come as no surprise to hear that I love naps.
4. I love living in a big-ish city, and would love to be more centrally-located in said city. Close to the action, as it were. But I would also love to own some chickens. Go figure!
5. I love to garden, but will be the first to admit I have no idea what's going on. I put things in the ground and they live or die depending on the rules of Darwinism & Thunderdome.
6. I love riding my bike! Sometimes I wish I had a cooler-looking one...but I'm okay with my "on-sale at Costco" model for now!
7. I'm a huge beer drinker. Not that I am large, I just really like beer. I should learn some beer lingo to use here on the blog. Hops! Gravity!
8. Science is awesome! Complicated science is even better...oh man. I was so excited to hear about the discovery of Higgs Boson. Magnets are magic!
9. Science is sometimes not awesome when it tries to improve on something nature does just fine. Like with artificial sweeteners, and robots. Robots freak the shit right out of me!
10. So do zombies.
11. I donate blood, every 56 days. You should too!

Nicole's Questions for me:
1. Why do you blog? Cause I'm awesome and want everyone with an internet connection and basic understanding of the web to know this.

2. What was your first post about? "This blog will serve as a journal documenting my return to vegetarianism and to a pre-pregnancy weight." Yeah. Like that happened...also, yawners!

3. How has your blog evolved since then? I quickly realized that that wasn't all that fun, and kind of pigeon-holed me in a way I was not cool with. So I took a break from this blog, and mostly focused on my other, now kept private-cause-I-don't-post-there-anymore blog. Which was full of sarcasm and rants and the occasional recipe. And then all of a sudden in July of 2007 I changed the focus to scrapbooking, and it has evolved from there! I include lots of "lifestyle" stuff now, fashion, food, and family life, in addition to all my scrapbooking and artistic endeavours. I still have a rant every now and again, but now I call them "Editorials"! HA! I guess I am ever-changing myself, and my blog reflects that.

4. Who inspires you in the blog world? Writers who keep things real. I would prefer to read only original stories, and original fashion posts, and see photos taken by the blogger (or reasonable facsimiles). I don't need to be "entertained", but if you can put a smile on my face more than twice a week you are WINNING!

5. Who inspires you in your day-to-day life? My friends Nadine, Kara, Jill & Kirsten. They are all going to cry when they read that.

6. When you sit down to write, are there certain things you need to have with you? A coffee.

7. Where are you when you're the most inspired? Anywhere and everywhere. I keep notebooks and pens on my person at all times, so when inspiration strikes I can at least make a note to try and decipher later! After I go out with my buddy, I am always super inspired to scrapbook and open up my art journal.

8. What's your passion in life? Is it sad that this is super hard for me to answer. I would have to say art + the environment.

9. When the shit hits the fan, who's the one person you always call? Probably my husband cause he's smarter than me regarding things that might hit fans. Just don't tell him I said that.

10. Who's your best friend, and how would you describe them? I met this awesome dude thanks to a destination wedding last December, and I knew I couldn't let him get away! He has an old soul, with new-fangled sensibilities. He likes trying new things, building stuff, listening to the radio, and drinking coffee!

11. What kind of friend are you? Now that I have a texting plan, I can actually keep in touch much more consistently with friends, so this is a bonus. But I have a bad memory, terrible conversation skills and am socially awkward, so friendship comes super hard for me. But I'm working on it!

Now for my ELEVEN questions:
1. What/who inspires you to blog?
2. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
3. What do you always have to have on your person at all times?
4. Favourite place to eat out?
5. What's your greatest personal attribute?
6. Do you have any blogging rituals? Like, you always have to sit at the table, or blog right before bed, etc.
7. Name something you do, wear, say, to make yourself feel powerful and confident.
8. Name something that always gets you really excited. Example: going out for coffee with your BFF, "the new phone books are here! the new phone books are here!!"
9. What is something special/new you really want to do this summer?
10. What's your biggest goal for 2012?
11. Can you whistle?


Dear lord...I have finally reached the end of this post! Right!? No? I still have to name ELEVEN BLOGGERS to receive this award!? Um...


1. The Beautiful Ordinary
2. Ginger's Life of Spice
3. Wishin I Knew How To Blog
4. Word Under
5. Thinkin' Outloud
6. Tangible

Now I'm at the end. Yes, I realize there are only six bloggers listed here, but I don't feel comfortable giving this award to people I don't know and these lovely ladies are all friends of mine with sweet blogs! If I didn't name you, but you still want to play along and answer some questions, please let me know. I would love to read more responses to my ridiculousness above!

And now I'm off to donate blood...
later loves

Talky Talker

So, I have this thing wherein I talk during movies. Is that annoying? I never can tell.

I like to talk to the characters, tell them what they're doing wrong, and when they're being an idiot.

I like to cheer them on, and pump my fist in the air when they do something awesome, or figure out who the bad guy really is, and when good triumphs over evil, etc.

And the people off screen are fair game as well. I laugh at the editors when I notice a film-grammar mistake. And I tell the cinematographer what a beautiful vista he/she has captured.

And sometimes I clap. And sometimes I slow clap.

And I say "Dude!" a lot. Too much probably.

Lately I have been kind of obsessing over westerns. The celebrities of today have nothing on John Wayne and Dean Martin. Mmmm....Dean Martin...

I watched a borrowed copy of Rio Bravo just the other night and was so so very happy during and afterwards.

There were no explosions.

There were no boobies.

There were no f-bombs.

There was no gratuitous violence, sex or some sort of scary sexy-violence combination.

So very happy.

Also, Dean Martin...

He plays a guy named Dude...does it get any better than this?

later loves

Lisa Tidbits

I own about three dozen records, but no record player.

I collect records for their kitsch factor and/or their nostalgic factor. And sometimes I even buy them for the music!

I love opera. I really love German opera. Something about all those umlauts in song. Yum.

I have lost my sweet tooth. Except for some reason this week I am craving Twizzlers...

I love going to the gym. I have planned a post dedicated to my newly found obsession. Watch for it in the next week or so!

If I could live anywhere in the world it would be Portland, Oregon. A big enough city so there's lots to do, but still small enough to feel cozy. Lots of great places to eat, food trucks, quirky restaurants, fancy and cutting edge! The arts culture there is so fabulous and inclusive! Close to the beach and the forests, but not right in them...I needs my Starbucks people (or Stumptown I guess...I would have to convert!).

I am a pretty snappy dresser and love getting dressed up. But I also love being plain...no earrings, no makeup, no fuss. Just shorts and a tee and my Toms. Boring, but comfy!

later loves

Yes...I'm still wearing clothes

I know I haven't posted a Fashion Un-Able here in awhile, but I have been feeling sort of uninspired in my wardrobe lately. Or rather, my outfit choices have been okay, I just want to share them in a less "look at me and what I'm wearing on a daily basis" shallow kind of way!

So here are some of my thoughts on life as you check out my January Fashion!

 It was cold out this month. But there were some nice days as well. It made me thankful for cute boots and new tights. Want to know the best way to find a sharp fingernail? C'mon ladies, you know the answer...put on a pair of nylons!

I've been thinking a lot lately about being "useful". Or rather, doing things that are useful or helpful to others. Things that make sense, and that help you contribute to things.

I was feeling very useless last week. Like, I had nothing to offer to anyone. Like nothing I did mattered, or made a difference.

And just when I was at my lowest of lows, S* at the dentist's asked me if everything comes easily to me. What!?!?!

She was referring, of course, to how easily I seem to fit in the office. How everything she sees me do seems to come so easily to me.

I absolutely couldn't believe what I was hearing. And I respect this woman enough to give her an honest answer, as best as I could articulate. Which was actually completely frightening, and difficult!

 I told her that something I find very difficult is meeting new people, making friends, talking with people. All that jazz.

She was surprised. She told me exactly that. I told her that in my experience people who meet me for the first time see me as something of a snob.

I'm not sure if that's the right word.

People find me quiet, standoffish, moody, weird, bitchy, angry, cynical and sarcastic (both very true) at first glance. I am not good with new people.

Maybe that's the understatement of the year.

Of the decade...

I hope that my friends can see me in a different way. I hope that once I get my bearings and once I get comfortable, I become less of all those things, and more like myself.

How stupid is it that this simple task is so impossible for me...?

There aren't many things I would change about myself, but this is definitely at the top of my list.

And I don't have many friends. Which means there aren't loads of people in my corner, rooting for me and sticking up for me.

For those of you who know you do this for me, I appreciate more than you could ever know. More than I could ever express in words or in actions.

S* has been very busy at work lately. Overwhelmed really. She told me how much she appreciated my help, and how she just wouldn't be able to get it all done without me.

That was the sunshine to my day.

Clothes may not make a person who they are, but they reflect out to the world, who they want to be and how they see themselves.

I try so hard every day, to make sure I choose things to wear that show off who I truly am.

Mostly cause I have such a crap time showing people the truth in any other way.

And that's what Fashion Un-Able is all about...this week at least!

Hope I didn't scare any of you off...

Outfit details:

Joe Fresh + Value Village + Atmosphere + Splurge

I'm a simple gal...

Lisa Tidbits

Whenever I walk into the stairwell at work (downtown) I think of the Zombie apocalypse. I think any closed-in, concrete stairwell would have the same effect.

I save receipts. Wishful thinking that I will keep track of my spending and transfer all of these figures into an Excel spreadsheet that I have for just such an occasion filled with one year's worth of data from two years ago. I have two drawers full at home. *Updated: I emptied those drawers out! Yay me!

I love my computer, and I can type really fast, but I still prefer to use a pen and paper when I want to write something out.

I wash my face with a castor oil/EVOO blend and I wash my hair with a bar of soap and an apple cider vinegar rinse. But I also die my hair and wear makeup almost everyday...I'm only part hippie! Maybe a quarter. Or an eighth.

I'm a paper hoarder. I have a new rule that I am not allowed to bring home any more envelopes from work, or keep any that come here no matter how good of shape they are in!

I want to live in an 80s movie. With a good soundtrack. Silly Lisa...they all have good soundtracks!

I love oatmeal. I love a simple breakfast of bacon and eggs. And I love breakfast for dinner!

I drink far too much coffee.

My craft room and the files on my part of R's laptop are terrible cluttered. It's just my style, I guess.

I hate being late for things. Often I am so early, it defies reason.

I can't make decisions easily. And I change my mind a lot. Home decor is a difficult thing for me. As is purchasing a bottle of nail polish.

I love doing manual labour chores. Like shoveling snow and raking leaves. My father is the king of snow shoveling, so I come by this naturally.

I can't bake. Perhaps this has something to do with the point directly above...

Up-and-coming on the blog:
- The final mini album for my Month of Minis
- Some sort of clever Fashion Un-Able post
- More layouts!
- And a fabulous mixed media art project!