...the U.S. Botanic Garden (or your local botanic garden) is the place to be. It's warm (or hot depending on each garden) and it's free! What more could you want in the absolute dead of winter (or a cheap date idea)? I went this weekend to catch a break from the cold. It wasn't as warm as usual due to damage from the blizzards, but it was much warmer than outdoors. Check it out (to see larger images, just click on the slideshow. It will open in a new window).
At least I got something done while we were snowed in. Here's my latest collage...well half of it. I cropped the full collage and digitally altered the cropped portion. I call this "City Livin'". The title was inspired by this song:
Anyone who knows me can attest to my love of big purses. Clutches are cute but I don't think I could ever carry one (not unless I become a superstar who can have my assistant carry everything else for me). They're just so...impractical. Being the pragmatic person that I am, only a huge bag will do. So here's my bag of the moment (a gift from the sis) and everything I cram inside. Enjoy!
Prescription sunglasses
Eyeglass repair kit
Checkbook (illustrated cover by Shano)
Handmade coin purse that I actually use to carry my flash drives
iPod (and earbuds)
I'm pretty sure I purchased my artist series iPod skin at Urban Outfitters.
Alba Botanica lip gloss (passion fruit nectar flavor). This stuff is great because it's made with 70% certified organic ingredients. Found at WholeFoods
and
Black Radiance lipstick no. 5023B/Copper Glow (usually a M•A•C girl but the budget demanded some cutbacks and this shade was perfect!)
Nail maintenance (clip and file)
Breath care
To the right is a mint obviously. However, I don't like mints very much and I don't like to chew on gum very often either (citrus flavors are the exception; in which case I can blow through a pack in a day). So I also have that little gadget you see to the left which is called the Kiss Me Meter. It's basically a mini breathalyzer that alerts you if you NEED a mint or gum. Of course alkies probably would find this comes in handy too. LOL You just turn it on and blow.
Cute bunny mirror I picked up at a crafts festival. (I try not to pull it out in church though) :o)
GPS by Garmin
Pens
I ♥Dr. Grip. They're the best The bedazzled pen was a gift from a special friend. I get lots of questions about that one so I keep it close.
Hair supplies (hair pins, elastic bands, butterfly clips and a scarf) - gotta keep the 'do under control
Keys of course
Palm Centro Smartphone/PDA - I know folks are all about Blackberry and iPhone these days, but I'm not a big fan of touch-screen only devices or trackballs, so I truly ♥ my Centro. It's compact and you can do so much with it (including edit Word documents, view PowerPoint presentations etc.) Plus it's durable. It's been dropped a few times (not always by me) and it's fine. Of course I have a friend who hates hers. To each her own
Bluetooth by Jawbone
Sony Cybershot camera (great camera)
Giraffe print clutch wallet - I found this at a shop called Artini in Historic Annapolis on the waterfront.
Post-it flags (to mark magazine pages I'd like to save or cut up for use in collages.
not pictured: Wheel lock key
Oh and please take the poll below. I'm trapped by several inches of snow, people! Humor me!
I saw this t-shirt in the $5 store (5 and Below) and just had to have it. Funny, I designed a similar t-shirt idea with a friend a while back (we never had the shirts made); so this really caught my eye. My mom calls it the "angry cookie" shirt. I wore it out recently while car shopping and I'm pretty sure it gave the salesmen pause. LOL
Let me just say up front that I can't draw a lick. Nevertheless, illustrating your feelings can be quite therapeutic if I do say so myself. So I've added this little fellow to my repertoire of meeting doodles. I call him the Meeting Monster. And sometimes I call him Cancer.
I had nothing better to do this weekend, so I made this video. Actually, that's not true; it was just too HOT to do much of anything, so I got bored.
Anyway, this is my dog sitting on my lap. No biggie right? Maybe so, if he was a toy-sized breed...or a cat, but he's about 40 pounds (maybe more). He's a puggle and I adopted him from the shelter as a 4-year-old dog (no time to train puppies) so he came with quirks from his previous life; one of which is leaping into your lap. I'd actually forgotten how odd this habit was until a vet was stunned to see him do this last weekend.
The Vet (and Technician): Oh my God (giggle giggle) Me: What? The Vet: He just jumped into your lap- Me: Yeah? He does this all the time. The Vet: But he just jumped straight up in the air. Me: Yeah. Um, are you calling my dog fat? I'll have you know he's very light on his feet...err, paws. hmph
(Okay, it didn't quite go down like that, but you get the idea.)
For a long time, I couldn't figure out who on earth let this heavy dog sit in their lap or why. What's worse is, he would jump up, get comfy and look back at me when I pet him as if I were doing something wrong. So one day, I just asked him. "What do you want me to do?? I'm petting you, but that doesn't seem like enough!" He promptly jumped down to the floor, pulled his brush from under the coffee table and brought it to me. Translation: "Brush me, you fool." Yeah, scary right?
I continue to let him do this because it brings him such joy and it's far better than other "quirks" he managed to communicate quite well when he initially arrived (like a nasty habit of touching breasts and putting his paw directly in the crotch of guests who were dog-friendly enough to sit next to him). Don't worry, I nipped those bad habits in the bud. I'm sure there are acceptable things he used to do for fun that are no longer a part of his life so I try to give him comforts of home and all that. Anywho, enjoy the dysfunction!
My sister tries to get my dog to roll over...ONTO his feet *sigh* (This is long so, if you must, fast forward to about 3:10 into the thing and watch him try to shake her by playing dead.)
I love a good deal and while I was out this weekend, I stumbled upon this dress that I just fell in love with. Nevermind that my goal has been not to shop for anything I don't NEED. I'm usually good at the whole dying to self thing (as far as shopping is concerned anyway), so I don't know what happened - temporary insanity perhaps. I was walking through the mall (from the hairdresser to my car - NOT shopping) and saw this dress in the window. I think it called my name. I swear. "Teeeeee Byyyyyrd" Next thing you know, I had a bag in my hand. No worries though, it didn't put a dent in my pocket. It was only about $35 so I don't feel too bad. ha!
I've been bad lately - lots of cheese, meat, and processed food, and no fruits and veggies in too many days makes Tbyrd a grumpy gus. When I have these junk binges (it's a binge now, but when I was growing up, I ate poorly 24/7), I do what I call a "detox day". I mosey on down to the vegan kosher joint down the street and load up on veggies and/or fruit. Yum Then I usually fast for the rest of the day.
Even though I'm a big girl now, my Christmas list today would likely be longer than it was as a kid. Clothes, accessories, shoes, music, movies, books, home goods, personal safety - the list of adult wants and needs are endless it seems. So, instead of directing you to one of my many wishlists, I figured I'd just share a few of the quirkier things I would love to find under my Christmas tree. (click photos for details):
Any one (or all of) these Urban Outfitters cameras:
Here are some pix from my Miami trip. It was rather chilly the first day and I was missing my boots and heavy jacket, but by the next day, the weather improved. It was nice to get some sunshine in, if only for a short while. Enjoy (Please do not copy or distribute photos without permission of the photographers: myself and T. Brown. One of us is quite litigious.)
So I wasted precious space on the bf's camera taping a Portuguese Man o' Warfloundering on the sand. (I would share the footage, but you may be disturbed by my cries of "Die jellyfish, die!" Hey, they sting okay!?) Anyway, I returned the camera w/o mentioning the useless video I made. He then, unbeknownst to me, taped moi trying to wiggle my way out of the situation. Ah well, at least I didn't completely embarrass myself by taking the indignant approach. That would have been ugly; far more entertaining, but ugly. Fun times!
I stood in line for 2 hours and 15 minutes (in the rain and cold air) to cast my vote this morning, and all I got was this lousy sticker! Hopefully, we'll get a new and improved President out of the deal. :o)
This photo was taken with my cell phone so the little "I Voted" sticker isn't really clear. For those of you outside the States, U.S. citizens receive these little souvenirs at the polls after we cast our ballots. It is rather kindergartenish, but whatever.
In preparation for my friend Lez's gorgeous wedding last weekend, her über creative bridesmaid friend, Katy, threw a henna bachelorette party. I've been dying to try Mehndi for some time now so I couldn't wait! It was fun catching up and munching on homemade samosas (and other assorted treats) while we waited for the paste to dry. The lovely ladies of Shenna Body Art hooked us up pretty nicely don't you think?
Update: Introducing the lovely couple... (click photo for more!)
"Dr. Love said she was inspired by a colleague who told her that in World War II, aviation experts focused on planes that went down until someone said, 'Why aren't we studying the planes that stay up in the air?'"
Collage: n. an art form in which bits of objects, as newspaper, cloth, pressed flowers, etc. are pasted together on a surface in incongruous relationship for their symbolic or suggestive effect. 2. any collection of seemingly unrelated bits and parts, as in a photomontage vt. to arrange (material) in a collage
1. Fuji Instax Camera
and my mind is still there...
will update soon...
(click photo for more!)
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