It's Wednesday, Let's feel inferior →

llbeanpr:

I’m taking up #archery to keep fit.

Rethinking my run this evening. Might just set up a target on the Common instead. Who’s in?

The harmful nature of a documentary addiction…

… when combined with a Netflix account and an overactive imagination, it leads to brainstorms dedicated to hypothetical Roller Derby alteregos. 

So far, “Doll-faced Killa” is the front-runner. Clearly I’ll keep you updated if anything changes. 

If you haven’t watched this gem, you should.

Insight of the day from my mother

“No, you don’t make mistakes. I don’t either.”

Apparently, Grove women don’t make mistakes. Ever. It’s just not possible. 

I can’t believe I’ve gone my entire life not knowing this.

Caviar Wishes and Scrapbook Dreams

Sometimes when I’m in a craft store I like to pretend I’m the kind of person who scrapbooks.

This happened today.

I was all:

“OOOOOOOoooouuuuu, look - little llamas! I could embellish my photos of Machu Picchu using tiny paper llamas with tassels. HOW CUTE WOULD THAT BE.”

Then I remember I’m impatient, not at all gifted in the realm of “crafting,” and haven’t printed a picture in over 6 years. 

Hopefully my hypothetical future children don’t feel unloved when their lives go undocumented in hardcopy form.  

This week in, things I said I’d never do for a reason…

…moving in New England during winter time. Because chances are, it would blizzard on the day I was supposed to move. And doesn’t that just sound miserable? No means No.

In this case, apparently, to quote a fantastic friend, “No just means try harder.”

Because actually, it turns out that moving the week after a blizzard is pretty damn miserable. No thank you, I’ll take 115 degrees - like it was in May in DC. I melted, but there wasn’t treacherous ice, or feet of frozen snow piled up on the curbs making direct transport of belongings from parking spot to sidewalk impossible. 

But this is the last time I move. Ever. People can just come to me. I hear the life of a recluse is pretty glam.

Fossil do it yourself project

Not “fossil” as in dinosaur or ancient egypt. But “Fossil” as in clothing.

They’ve got this pretty lovely Fossil.Life.Style. section going on right now. 

They also have a DIY section on their blog.

And instead of making want to buy jeans or a watch or something, they’ve made me want to make this:

Anywho. How fun is that? If only I made things, my version of do it yourself is more html code than glue gun, but I have a feeling the lovely ladies involved in Things to do and Make and Dishin’ with Edna would both be good candidates to do this. Or probably something way better. But hey, Fossil, I’m feeling your web marketing these days.   

Twinkle lights and a view - every female’s dream dinner party

Incredible dinner party pictures found over at oh happy day. 

If I tried to do this y’all would be eating cold soup  with sporks sitting on beach chairs.

There would also most likely also be tiki torches involved.

But my guess is it would still be fun.

An open letter to the male residents of Strafford County,

Dear sirs,

The purpose of this letter is to kindly request that you modify the behavior to which I have recently been a witness re: your interactions with ladyfolk. The following actions are not considered attractive:

1. Referring to me, my mother, or any other female as “Shawty.” Look around you, there are more livestock than humans, something about this just doesn’t fit. 

2. Attempting to sell me steak out of the back of your pickup in a RiteAid parking lot.

2a. Telling me that not eating red meat is “freakin’ retAHded,” but that you would like to take me out for a burger anyway

3. Wearing a Nickelback t-shirt, hat or any other apparel

4. Knowingly blocking two lanes of traffic with your John Deere, when it will fit into one just fine.  

5. Flying a Confederate flag out of the back of your truck. Need I remind you of your heritage?

6. Tattooing any of the states comprising northern New England ANYWHERE on your body. 

I hope we can put the above incidents behind us. I would like to start over. It is no secret that I generally love men from New England…but I may never forgive you for the Nickelback T-shirt.

Best Regards,

Sara Pollock

On Blogging…slowly…?

I’ve recently come across a few mentions of the concept of Slow Blogging. You may have heard of it - it’s far from new, just new to me.  

Quick summary: there are bloggers out there  who believe that sites like Gawker are the verbose equivalent of McD’s. They are taking a page from the Slow Food Movement’s book. Read the (two year old) article in the New York Times here. You can also find the Slow Blog Manifesto here.

Imagine that. Taking TIME to formulate thoughts that are made available to anyone with internet and interest? But here’s the issue - in some cases take that time and you’re scooped. Take that time and your story is no longer relevant, or new, or that other witty, self-deprecating commentator from down the block has written about it in a tone suspiciously similar to yours.

Dare I say the key is balance? Timeliness mixed with old fashioned good writing and common sense?

To me it seems slow blogging is one traditional journalism, two parts self-editing and one part strategic communication. Combine the three and one would hope to end up with well written, researched and targeted insights.

I particularly like number 4 from Sieling’s Manifesto:

“Slow Blogging is a willingness to remain silent amid the daily outrages and ecstasies that fill nothing more than single moments in time, switching between banality, crushing heartbreak and end-of-the-world psychotic glee in the mere space between headlines. The thing you wished you said in the moment last week can be said next month, or next year, and you’ll only look all the smarter.” 

 Simplified: remember your filter (I’m looking at you, Hollywood). Really though, we would all benefit from applying the above to our greater lives. You know the ones that don’t involve staring at some form of glowing screen?

By the way, for for the purposes of THIS blog we are going to define “Slow Blogging” as regularly going weeks without posting. The New York Times says it’s ok.