adios septiembre

i cannot believe september is over! it is such an overlooked month, i think. and here we are on the 30th already. it just flew right by.
there is a chill in the air and though it will be a high of 81 today...i'm wearing a sweater and no one can talk me out of it!
as for all of my goals for the month, i put forth quite some effort, but alas have been greatly derailed while housesitting.
i am beyond thrilled to go back to the funky little shack. seven more days and i will be home, yay!
i am thinking of what projects to do next. i want october to be a month filled with creativity and inspiration.
i hope your september has been lovely and i hope today is too.
adieu for now,
lu

avoidthisloser.com

what a weekend. i'm so tired and that just ain't right. i even went to bed early!
it is a beautiful morning, a little chilly (it will be 90 by 10:30 a.m.) and i am on day 10 of 17 on mission housesitting. i miss my funky little shack soooo much. what else is new? i am thisclose to becoming a hermit.
so, i saw something on the daily buzz, which i have heard rumbles of previously; it is a website called just don't wife her.com. this little stroke of brilliance is a site for men to post pictures of the women who "done them wrong" and post a description of why no one else should date/sleep with/marry her (the post for cashmere and herpes sherry are particularly disturbing). it would almost be humourous to me if i knew it were a joke; but, even in it's ridiculous glory, it appears to be real.
now, i could see why this was invented. a couple of dudes gets royally screwed over and instead of doing something productive (like maybe developing a hobby or perhaps looking for a different type of woman next time) they decide to dwell, commiserate over jaeger bombs and "get back" at her.
i've had a broken heart too. i have been royally screwed over too. on the other hand, i've done the heart-breaking and hurt people as well; and who hasn't had a good bash session about an ex in a moment of anger or sadness? but, even if this site were about loser men, i think it too closely resembles slander (was reminded by dear friend that slander is spoken and libel is the written form thereof) and could do a lot more damage than the one person's broken heart.
just like the gender discrepencies in regard to the medical world (male potency drugs have been on the market for what? 10 years now? and where is a birth control pill that all women in their reproductive years can afford?), i am interested to see what- if anything- will be done about posting slanderous material online. perhaps, they should have it done to them? nah, that would just be petty, immature, and cruel...
adieu for now,
lu

guten tag

good morning friends. hallelujah, i have the day off.
here are some of the random things on my mind today.
1. the dodgers are hosting knitting nights and yoga nights at their stadium before games to bring in more female fans. baseball does have more female fans than any other american sport (so says the daily buzz) how cool is that? i would love to go to a baseball stadium and do yoga with a hundred other ladies. that just sounds so rad.
2. i have to get new brakes and tires for jane honda and i keep putting it off but i HAVE to get it done this week...i'm going to do it. i won't procrastinate any further, right? right!
3. the guy that was on the show Californication last night. ugh. first of all, i had never seen that show before and i feel like my brain and body are turning to mush because i can't turn this bloody television off. second, the guy was drunk on scotch and stripped down to his birthday suit, saying things that made me feel sooooo uncomfortable (though it was hilarious). the kicker for me was not the disturbing monologue so much but that he was probably 50 years old or so, full beard, and cut like an olympic athelete. it was confusing (and really, really funny) to watch because it looked like his head didn't match his body. he kind of looked like zeus.
4. IT FEELS LIKE AUTUMN TODAY!!!! i was so relieved to step outside this morning and feel a delightful (if temporary) chill in the air. oh! i want sweaters and pie and lovely pair of supple, leather boots.

a plate divided...

my OCD can be comical sometimes. i don't like it when food touches, and i don't eat the edges of certain foods. i alphabatize nearly everything and cannot handle the feel of velvet. it's a texture thing.
trust me, people love to test to see if i'm serious about it. i get teased all the time (and i do think it's rather funny sometimes too after all, no one would know if i didn't tell them, right?).
well, i use to love the divided plates and trays from elementary school and cookouts. not for everday use but for days when, say, my OCD has kicked into high gear which happens sometimes when i'm stressed out...this little dinner tray fits the bill. cute ain't it? wish it came in other colours but for now, prison orange is the option of the day.

orange sing sing melamine prison tray...heehee love it! $16 http://www.shopplasticland.com/

you can't do that on television! can you?

as those of you who are aware, 99% of my time is not spent watching cable television. in most instances i have a negative physical reaction to reality tv shows, talent competitions, and crime investigation shows in general. i digress.

since i am housesitting i am admittedly a little out of sorts being away from my home and the inherent comforts therein; that measely 1% of cable time has grown to about 34% of my time being spent mindlessly staring at the magical rectangle of vapid brilliance.

items of note:

there is a commercial, i think it's for target. it begins with a mom hilariously playing tetherball with her son. then she's beatboxing while another one of her kids is break-dancing. at the end she and her family are in western wear having their family picture taken. i am obsessed with this commercial. that is the kind of mother i would want to be if the opportunity ever presented itself. i tell you, after being absent from the world of television commercial marketing, i am SOOOO much more susceptible! i think the ad agencies have stepped over into this new level that makes some of this stuff more personable. it made suave hair products, capri-suns, and oreos look so much better then i would have ever imagined.

there is another commercial for at&t about a little girl that is putting up posters of her lost dog. some dude sees it, takes a picture on his super-amazing at&t phone and sends it to everyone he knows. within the frame of, say, an hour someone is (creepy moment alert) sitting on her front steps with her dog. sufficed to say, thanks to my awkward ability to be moved by commerical advertising, i got emotional when the little girl and her pup were reunited. it made me scoop up seven suddenly and give him those mom kisses on the top of his head. he just stared at me.

i can't keep up with all the award shows that exist now but, i saw an ad for a random hip-hop award show that was a parody of a nancy grace episode. starring tracy morgan as one of the forgotten founders of def jam records (he calls himself the 5th beatle, and the 4th unkown member of tony, toni, tone...also named tony) and nancy grace. he has hammer hair with a philly fade and by the end of the ad has offended her. nancy starts getting angry and for lack of a better phrase indicates "if you mess with the bull, you get the horns."

this brought me so much joy. i derive a great deal of pleasure from people who don't take themselves too seriously. it's amusing and inspiring. leave it to me to find substance in that ad. that's why i was successful in the humanities program.

this post took me soooo long to write, it's embarrassing and i'm wired on caffiene, not that it's noticeable...

adieu for now,

lu

do ya feel luxe? well, do ya...punk?

i mentioned this morning that i am exceptionally inclined to daydreaming today. i am pretending it is about 60 degrees outside and windy and i need luxurious accessories to keep me fashionable and warm. as if i were having a relaxing afternoon strolling through boston and eating amazing food. thank you, bluefly.com , for supporting my insane habit/hobby.

portolano suede gloves $120
cole haan belt i would wear over something cashmere, $105monserat de lucca shoulder bag. yum! $194.44
patricia underwood felt hat. $87 or...



eugenia kim hat, $89.99

this one is just for fun. partially because i laughed out loud at the price and partially because i have an unnatural affinity toward bottega veneta woven bags. $3509.99 (because $3510 would just be ridiculous!)

adieu for now, friends!

lu

blessy

happy saturday friends! i am at work, and i am daydreaming. there is an afternoon football game today in my little southern town therefore there is absolutely no customers out shopping. yay. it does make it easier to daydream though and there is a lot of things to do in the store, so i'll make it short.
1. i am blessed to have rad friends and family.
2. i am blessed to have a job and a car (who needs a tune up and brakes and tires asap)
3. i am blessed to be able to take care of myself and to have the desire to grow and learn how to accept help when i need it.

how are you blessed today my lovelies?
xo
lu

victories

1. mama doesn't have H1N1!
2. think (hope) i finally got rid of that despicable customer...PLEASE let it be so! i never want her to call or email me again!
3. got myself a really cute treat for my house today. well, i ordered it months ago before i was so determined with my finances but oh well... i don't know where it will go but it's sooooo cute and it made me giggle out loud when i opened the box.
4. i've made it 3 hours at work without crying or cussing anyone out.

why, yes i am cabbage-patching for myself right now. thank you for asking!

happy friday

good morning, lovelies! i am ever so happy to have awakened in a new day today. my goodness, was yesterday a big ole steaming pile! today is beautiful in it's blank canvas-ness. yes, i just made up that word.
things on my mind this morning:
1. coffee is really awesome.
2. meningitis is really scary. we've had two young women die from it in the past week and a half in tallahassee. one was bacterial, the other was pneumococcal. you hear that? yeah, that's my hypochondria and panic kicking into full gear.
3. sometimes i wish i could take a vacation back in time instead of going somewhere in the present. for example: "hey lu, where are you going for your three-day weekend?" to which i reply: "oh, i'm going to paris, in 1923. want to come?". that would be so rad.
4. i'm really hoping for some patience today, and that this awful customer that won't leave me alone, get's taken care of for good and never ever calls, emails, or contacts me again.
adieu for now, kiddos!
lu

modcloth

so, yeah. the day is long. my head is swimming. and i'm still escaping via faux-shopping. i haven't been to modcloth.com in nearly a year. i was pleasantly surprised by the selection. enjoy, friends! fiesta flats. $59.99

tellteal wedges. $149.99

olive & twist pumps. $99.99

the goldie trench. $107.99

metroparks coat, evergreen. $122.99

dance hall blitz dress. $149.99

perfect pencil dress in klimt. $49.99

az-tech dress. $64.99

formal affair dress. $109.99

going to a happy place

because the hits just keep on a-coming; mother is super sick and now may have H1N1, an exceptionally rude customer literally belittled me for sick pleasure, and one truly insane customer has run me up a tree...when the shit hits the fan, this fan operator checks out and goes shopping.
http://www.greygardensvintage.etsy.com/ in my size and 35% of my next paycheck. burger bento box. http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/ $10 foo dogs/lions. the ones i really like don't exist anymore, sadly. but thanks to a post on a friends' blog in which she painted a thrift store kitten figurine, i am inspired to do the same for myself. perhaps i can find thrift store puppy figurines on my next thrift trip so i won't have to spend $50 on these... http://www.pearlriver.com/

calgon, take me away.

some form of therapy

well, unexpected detours aside, i am still trying to be optimistic today. although, it is becoming a greater challenge with every passing minute and my overload of caffiene this morning isn't quite helping. i went in search of some things to make me smile, i hope they make you smile too, friends...

the nesting dolls. rock on! nesting dolls. i won't tell you how much they are because it is a little outrageous but they are cute and i like cute right now. http://www.elloh.etsy.com/

nothing keeps a girl quite as warm as some ice... http://www.laurenrosedesigns.etsy.com/

fab shoes do wonders for the psyche, do they not? http://www.scottato.etsy.com/

...and because compartmentalizing is healthier when done with something like this... http://www.lucymaude.etsy.com/

now, to take a deep breath and open the shop.

scattered, smothered & covered

good morning, lovelies! 'tis thursday, day 5 of 17 on mission housesitting. i miss my funky little shack something fierce, but i think i will go over one afternoon this weekend and just chill out.
i have a million thoughts flying around my head today. buzz buzz buzz. i cannot seem to pick just one to write anything substantial about. as if i write such substantial posts as it is.
that actually made me laugh out loud. oh! the depth of fall fashion and how it applies to life! oh! ode to the mallow punkin! yep, i'm still giggling.
thank goodness i have the ability to laugh today. i stumbled across a big revelation yesterday and i think it will help me with a lot of other things that weigh on me.
i digress. back to the laughing at myself...i have my clothes stored in the bathtub at this house. it is kind of fun to go treasure hunting every morning for what to wear. i think it is really amusing too. it is one of those things that i wouldn't normally think is unusual until someone else says something.
this is my silly morning. off to the tub to get my work outfit together. perhaps that will be my catchphrase now.
off to the tub!
lu

a couple of gals & a movie

serendipity is a funny thing isn't it? i accidentally double-booked myself for this evenings' festivities. thankfully, when i remembered i had double-booked, i realized one of the booked agents had forgotten about our casually planned mani-pedi night. fortuitous! i got to go to a movie with a girlfriend i really enjoy hanging out with. we went to see julie/julia.

things i liked about this movie:
1. i can relate. i rarely finish projects and it took me a year of wishy-washiness before i began my blog (as rambling as this blog may be sometimes).
2. stanley tucci and chris messina. i have always loved the tucci (heh heh); but, chris was a delightful (and believable) surprise as julie's husband.
3. food and drink! oh, this is why the food network is like crack to me. everything looked so delicious.
4. meryl streep made julia child relateable to a new generation. both women have and had a certain aplomb that is lovely and entertaining.

off to bed now, friends!
lu

ode

ode to the mallow punkin

you are delicious

you tease me with the idea of autumn

you mix and mingle,

with all the candy corn

you sit atop my mama's birthday cake

oh, little mallow punkin

you me feel like a little kid again

more thinky thoughts

good morning friends! 'tis wednesday. i am at work. wishing i could go home to my funky little shack and read the princess bride (which senor mas lent to me this morning when i had a coffee drive-by). this is my favourite time of year and i am not able to spend it in my abode, that is rather frustrating. but, i'm on day 4 of 17 so that is good. whittling it down, it'll be over before i know it, then i will have some extra money!
i am feeling a little off today. partially because i had too many cervezas last night, and partially because i've been doing a lot of thinking lately. it boils down to soul-searching, internal inventories, some acceptances, acknowledgements, goals, wishes, etc.
so sufficed to say, here i am; simultaneously liberated and overwhelmed. colour me surprised, once again!
today i have had to admit to myself that procrastination never solves anything. sometimes it works out in my favour but rarely and i just need to bite the bullet and stop worrying (and bitching) about stuff all the time! sometimes it is really challenging for me to just be happy without thinking of things to worry about. i can throw a silver lining on just about anything yet i still find myself struggling with that one.
*sigh*
life is good.
adieu for now!
lu

he is sam

i have a fondness for sam rockwell. i think i may be too emotionally unstable to go see Moon yet, but i do really want to (and i will).
why do i like him? he plays everything so painfully human. there is always a darkness. there is always a sadness. there is always humour and a little danger thrown in there too.
somehow, he makes it challenging to dislike a character of his too much.
choke. matchstick men. hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy. the assassination of jesse james by the coward robert ford. now, gentlemen broncos.
i cannot wait for this film to come out. 1. for sam rockwell 2. for jemaine clement 3. for jennifer coolidge.
enjoy if you have a little extra time.
http://www.foxsearchlight.com/gentlemenbroncos/
adieu for now!
lu

surprise! a list!

g'mornin' kids. 'tis tuesday and i am feeling pretty darn good. i actually got a little sleep last night; perhaps because i went to a meeting, it is pleasant weather out, and i am at working makin' that money.
i have been thinking lately that i should make a list of all of the things i want to do that are inherently "tallahassee" or "pandhandley" before i move away.
what would some of those things be?
1. attend a few more RR square first fridays. it used to be THE thing i did on fridays and i haven't been in ten months or so!
2. the lighting of downtown at christmas. i don't think i have done that in fifteen years.
3. brunch at broken egg. miss a, we've discussed this...
4. a trip to the junior museum is a must. i refuse to call it by whatever the name changed to ten years ago. it will always be the junior museum.
5. a morning spent on campus people-watching, for old times' sake.
6. a movie at miracle theatre. that's not so hard considering it's my favourite theatre.
7. the apalachicola seafood festival. even just a trip to apalach in general would be good for the ole psyche.
8. some kind of art show at lemoyne. i used to go at christmas, then i did this hilarious fashion show in 110 degree weather summer before last. funny, fond memories.
9. a stroll around goodwood.
10. play frisbee at the greenway.
11. take a walk at tom brown park.
12. take the mission san luis tour. again.

aw! i'm getting so sentimental. i guess i should get going on checking some of those thing off the list eh? not like i have any concrete plans to leave, but doing these silly things will help me reserve some umph for the eventual move...
add some suggestions!
xo
lu

twitch

do you ever wonder, friends, if you are viewing the world through some skewed handheld slideshow thingie we used to have when we were kids (what were those called? viewmasters?)?

sometimes i feel completely insane.

now, in theory if one can question their sanity, then generally it means they aren't crazy. is that really true? there are or have been a lot of nutjobs that have high mental capacities...

i digress. me and my viewmaster are going to keep working and attempting to be nice to people who won't buy anything in the store.

*insert half-hearted smile here*

cinematic gypsies

this morning i was reading the newspaper, and got the funniest wild hair. i think it would be fun to attend a film festival.
the toronto film festival has gotten a lot of press this year, more so than i remember ever. apparantly is was a rather great festival this year.
a friend of mine used to frequent the sundance film festival; and given the opportunity, i think it would be really rad to attend some cinematic festivities. plus, she got to hang out with rory cochran (empire records, dazed and confused), and saw steve buscemi too (not-so-secret favourite of mine).
what other north american film festivals are there to make a vacation out of? i want to run into paul giamatti, and a gyllenhaal or two! ...and eat some popcorn.
later, lu

viente y uno

good morning lovelies...autumn is in the air this morning. it isn't noticeably much cooler yet, but there is just the faintest whisper of the change of season that has me surprisingly grounded this morning despite the molehills of chaos everywhere else in my world.
i began housesitting yesterday afternoon and despite my best efforts to be very organized about it (which were relative successes), it still has thrown me for a little bit of a loop. i left my wallet at the house this morning, didn't pack the right shoes for my outfit, i cannot find my journal (which unnerves me to no end), i miss my coffee maker, and i burned my breakfast. twice.
money has been on the forefront of my mind as i have mentioned several times, and today even more so. as i mentioned a couple of days ago (or was it yesterday?) that i wanted to plan a trip; well, senor mas made an excellent point about our separate but similar financial situations.
it was accurate for his sake, and i understand logically that i shouldn't spend a lot of money on a trip right now, but i also don't have another opportunity to take this time off until after christmas. ...and i always try to take a trip in the fall. it's just the perfect trip-taking time of year.
i guess this just means i will have to be more creative in my trip-planning. i can do that! right?
more later friends,
lu

hot tin roof

so the hunt continues...
since my search was a little ungratifying yesterday, i kept looking. here's what caught my eye.

i think these shoes are such a cool take on zebra print. they are Promiscuous Are You Ready Zebra Pumps/Heels on sale for $57.95. the name is cheesy as all-get out but the heels are sa-weet!

i am seriously considering this cardigan. not that i wear them often but the few that i love i wear all the time. there is something fabulously understated and classic about it. Philosophy 3/4 Sleeve Cardigan $31.99.

adieu for now,

lu

where to go

i have picked a weekend for my oft-mentioned and desired vacation, now all i have to do is pick the locale. i have two choices at the top of the list.
1. austin, texas.
2. carrboro/chapel hill/raleigh-durham, north carolina.

austin: i would have to fly to, then rent a car. that would end up being close to $600-$700 for a 4-day trip. ouch.
north carolina: would require me to get new brakes & tires (which i already have to do anyway), get jane super-lubed, pay for gas for the drive from tallahassee to north carolina and then back down through georgia, including hotel stays.
they end up being about the same money-wise. so which one?

if anyone has any thoughts or suggestions let me know!
adieu for now,
lu

you're gonna be turnin' right, darlin'.

there are some voices that hit a register in my gut and comfort me or send me off on some mental voyage. ray lamontagne has a voice like that.

just like i would like matthew mcconaughey to narrate my navigational system (if i were to have one), i would like ray lamontagne to sing into my ear every night before i go to bed. i would be whistling stars and have the milky way laced up in my eyelashes. *sigh*

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAsmvFjqVwo

meowr.

as many of you know, i enjoy a good animal print. i think it is important to have a little in every wardrobe. personally, i am on the hunt for another print to add to my collection for my fall/winter staples. so far i haven't found anything that screams "lulu!" quite like my taupe/chocolate zebra print cardigan i have worn until nearly threadbare, but here are a few options i am stalking.

deena & ozzy essential heels $48 www.urbanoutfitters.com byCorpus circle dress $58. www.urbanoutfitters.com (with a burnout turtleneck, tights, and boots...maybe).now, i know this isn't animal print, but something about it is so akin to what i'm looking for (plus i love graphics), that i had to add it to the potential arsenal. kimchi blue sheer pullover $48. www.urbanoutfitters.com

guten tag

i am in the silliest mood this morning. it may be because after returning home from a visit with two girlfriends of mine last night, i made it as far as the dining room where i proceeded to fall asleep playing on the floor with seven. that is how pitiful i am now.
my sleep migrated slightly from there with a small break to walk seven. i then moved half-clothed to my room and slept partially on my bed until 2 o'clock in the morning when i woke up giggling and proceeded then to actually get ready for bed.
silly dreams all night. silly behaviour apparantly.
i woke up this morning and giggled more, this time at my friend's link on facebook. http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=134320539087&h=uIrXF&u=ad0Ub&ref=nf it reminded me of howard the duck which in turns frightens me the way garbage pail kids (used to) frighten me. by "used to", by the way, i mean still does.
then i found a great band called great lake swimmers, which i am sure you all have heard of but i hadn't; and i really like them a lot. particularly the song "your rocky spine". Great Lake Swimmers - Your Rocky Spine all of this before coffee too!
good morning friends! i hope you have a day full of silliness, unexpected chortles and belly laughs too!
i'm heading toward the coffee pot now. more later!
lu

colours

so, every season i pick a few colours that i would like to add to my wardrobe in some manner or form. this year it is amethyst/plum, mustard yellow, grey/taupe, and coral/apricot peachy pinks. here are a few examples of what i am thinking of that i have found in my research. xo

now, i cannot wear sweater jackets, as much as i dream that i can. i am not built for it. too many curves, not enough torso. a girl can dream though, right?

these, i would probably get. i love cords. i haven't had cords in probably 5 or 6 years. there is something so comforting and innately fall/winter about them and these are cute as pie.

aren't the buttons fabulous? i need to find another word to use because i say it too much, but fabulous just fits!

not that this top is that interesting, it isn't. but it possesses several characteristics i look for in wardrobe goodies. 1. layering capabilities 2. two of my other favourite colours chartreuse, and pumpkin orange 3. saying something funny. for no good reason STONES is printed down the front. that's funny to me.

adieu for now, friends!

lu

morning boys & money people

good morning readers! i hope this friday has greeted you warmly. me? i am doing quite alright. had a bit of a bumpy road yesterday with a person dear to me and and am startled to find myself capable of breathing today.
yesterday was a very "people" day. i had intense words with one, which was a long time coming. i spent quality face time with my parents (even an hour longer than usual for our family dinners), and carried on a lengthy text conversation with someone who used to be a close friend but we had grown apart over nearly a year.
my horoscope says that today will be a "money" day. i doubt i will be earning much more than any other day but i already know that i have moolah on the brain. who doesn't?
i do have to say i am so very grateful i have had the fortnuate finances i have had this year. while some people have struggled much more than i, i have managed to get my own place and completely support myself independently. after all the garbage i went through and have put myself through, it is very empowering to see the home i have made for myself and seven.
well, this is where my noggin is first thing this lovely september morning. here are a couple of songs that are speaking to me today...who doesn't love a soundtrack?

ehren ebbage, not the same
andy white, long time coming
augustana, meet you there
willie nile, on some rainy day
squatters, through the sparks
adieu for now, friends!
lu

love to watch you leave...

me wants it, my precioussss.

so, basically i am on the hunt for clothes for the fall/winter that do not make me look matronly in the front and have sexy detailing in the back.

now, i can't say this sweater won't make the puppies...ahem...take over, but the back is fabulous. i dig it. Dolman Top, freepeople.com, on sale $59.95.

enjoy this beautiful rain, friends!

lu

p.s. i think this model is gorgeous. i guess that's the point.

raising yourself right

judge of your natural character by what you do in your dreams. -ralph waldo emerson

if you judge people, you have no time to love them. -mother theresa

when you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself. -wayne dyer

judge a man by his questions, not his answers. -voltaire

i ask you to judge me by the enemies i have made. -franklin d. roosevelt

we are made kind by being kind. -eric hoffer

don't you be my neighbour!

be careful what you wish for! i have had these horrid neighbours for 6 months. they are loud, door-slamming, barely legal snide little boogerheads... and they just got evicted.

part of me is rejoicing. the other part is terrified at who will be taking their place. my complex apparantly is not very discriminating during a recession.

what i would really love is that apartment to stay empty, at least until after christmas. it was so lovely and peaceful when no one lived in that apartment. but no one is asking what i would want.
what's that old saying? good fences make good neighbours? how does that apply to crappy apartment complexes?
more later!
lu

chatty bads

1. is it bad that i love the group en vogue? because i really do.
2. is it bad that i think some people should get licenses to be allowed to speak? even me?
3. is it bad that i would love there to be a "get out of awkward free" card? because i would totally use it all the time even when my speaking license came through!
4. is it bad that i don't want to dress up for halloween this year? i kind of want to hidey-hole away and watch Are You Afraid Of The Dark and eat candy corn at home with seven.
5. is it bad that i want someone to fix my hair for me every day so that i don't have to do it?
6. is it bad that i repeat some of my stories over and over?
7. is it bad that i think "the are they bads?" is a good band name?

later,
lu

stubborn little thing, ain't she?

there are many factors that contribute to breakdowns of any kind. whether it be a plain & simple emotional/physical/psychological hiccup breakdown; or a complete and utter capsizing.
in theory, the contributing factors are still many. it really is not just one straw that breaks the camel's back, so to speak.
one gnat is annoying. but a swarm is downright torture, right?
all that babble aside, i am being tested i think. my tracks are being tested for the possibilitiy of derailment; and i am steadily chugging forth. whoot. whoot.
thankfully i was in an excellent place this morning. optimistic, feeling cute, motivated, and ready to take on the day. and that's without coffee! in previous instances, my soul, body, and mind were not in such a clean place and i was derailed; for about three years in fact!
but, let me tell you friends, i am being tested again. i honestly feel like i am being rammed into the bolted door of a castle.
send me your positive energies and silver thread if at all possible; because i am stitching this lining whether these little gnatty storm clouds like it or not.
vague enough for you? i know.
much love to you my lovelies!
lu









p.s. photo by http://www.ondangoarts.com/

tortillas & crepes

now, how is it i get more done when i am home sick than i do when i am perfectly healthy at home? riddle me that, er batman?!
now i am back at work cleaning up a truly magnificent mountain of disorganization. plenty of post-it notes to guide me and A LOT to sift through. bitterness does not suit me.
i digress, once again. it struck me this morning that i need to master spanish and french. i can't really say why. i just feel like i should be able to speak those two languages, in particular, fluently. perhaps they will lead me to my new career...hmmmm.
i have been dreaming in spanish lately. i have not done that in a long time. maybe a year or so. and of course, since i am not fluent in it, my dreams are in spanglish. i wake up saying "donde esta su madre?", "que es su numero de telefono?". i think i only know how to ask questions (poorly) in spanish. i wish my keyboard had the upside-down question and exclamation marks.
that is my weird world, this morning.
adios for now, friends.
lu

frenchie

i love foreign films. always have. something about the eccentricity that speaks to me. like water for chocolate, volver, antonia's line etc. this morning i found a preview for another film that, had i known french, i would have understood the plot (in theory). but it looks rather amusing and there is something very familiar about the lead actor. anyway, check this preview out. it's called Micmac A Tire-Liragot by jean-pierre jeunet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE62W6DawQc

adieu,
lu

lazarus basil

*sniff* homegirl is fighting some kind of bug with vibrant fury. well, more shuffling about pitifully and consuming ungodly amounts of garlic, emergen-C, rest, and chicken broth; but in my mind there is indeed a vibrant fury attacking this bug. she wears a cape (the fury, not the bug).
ridiculous guilt for not being at work aside, i am happy to be in my home today. it is a lovely overcast day with intermittent plays of dappling sunlight through the blinds; and happy, albeit damp birds chattering away like old biddies at a church function.
i have tended to my garden which i haven't take the time to do in several days. i have a notorious reputation as a plant-ignorer/killer and i am determined to have a garden full of live plants instead of the horticultural cemetary i currently am maintaining.
there are poor little spindles and brown leaves everywhere. my basil, however has made a triumphant return. it is the little victories, right?
my wonderful friends, i do so love you. i hope your tuesday is lovely and filled with dappling sunlight and lazarus basil too!
adieu for now,
lu

captain steuben of the s.s. lethargy

good morning friends! 'tis monday and i actually have the day off. it is very exciting. while, i know i should be getting a lot done, and perhaps i still will...i am loving the idea of absolutely vegetating.
perhaps i can manage both? i still have not cleaned out the gigantic body bag's worth of stuff from when jane honda got hit (and i had to clean her out in the middle of a busy traffic-laden road). and yes, i know that is a little pathetic. it was in june and it is now september. i know already! broken record...
i do so wish that there was a pill for motivation. of course, then i would probably never go pick it up from the pharmacist.
happiest day, lovelies! more intereting things to come later, wish me luck!
lu

dootaloot

on my mind today:

1. kirsten dunst irritates me. i have fought this for years because she was in little women, one of me and my mother's favourite movies when i was coming up. but, it's true and the film marie antoinette (though pretty to watch), was the final nail in that coffin.

2. this pandora station, laura veirs, found out about her from facebook. it is very canadian. canadians seem like the girl in high school that you know is awesome and artistic, but she's a little hard to get to know. off-center, mysterious and intimidating. like a more melancholy version of robin sparkles.

3. the guy that changed his name to include his favourite action/sci-fi characters. his picture is the best part. i am glad people like this are around. there is a child-like zeal mixed with crazy that makes it endearing. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/11/julius-andreas-gimli-arn_n_284276.html?alacarte=1

4. delicious dreams made possible by mid-morning naps. i never go back to sleep after the little man and i take our walk. but today, it was fabulous and decadent. crazy, weirdly lit, fun, dark, sexy dreams. it makes this canadian pandora station make even more sense today.

5. christmas. there is a major budget this year and it has a some folks down. i am doing probably 75% of my shopping on etsy, trying to make some stuff, recatagorizing what "giving" means, and then doing a few fun things for stocking stuffers. it's been on my mind for weeks and now i have to get down to it. i kind of just want to go back to bed like wayne campbell in the naked indian dreams. dootaloot dootaloot dootaloot.

adieu for now, friends.

lu

top o' the noggin to ya

as many of you know, homegirl loves a nice chapeau. no rhyme intended. etsy is like a crack den for those of us so inclined to the crafts of the milliner. browsing for halloween goodies this morning, i came across three exceptionally fun toppers for my little ole noggin. and yes, i would wear all of these. enjoy this morning! black raffia hat from the 50's. $36. http://www.vintagestarrbeads.etsy.com/ vintage flax fedora hat from the 60's. $26. http://www.revivalhouse.etsy.com/ bunny feather hat. $90. http://www.prettygoodthings.etsy.com/

learned.

things i don't like about the bar scene anymore:
1. i feel old.
2. cigarrettes. smoke, wanting to smoke, feeling like there is an invisible chinchilla in my mouth the rest of the night.
3. seeing people i am particularly not fond of but have known for a decade and have to be cordial to.
4. spending money that i couldn't afford to spend (and now wishing i still had so i could buy myself bacon for my breakfast).
5. usually being tired by 11:00 then getting wired and staying up too late; hence being tired the entire following day.

things i still like about the bar scene:
1. seeing live music.
2. dancing.
3. people watching.

woohoo!

yay! i started one of my big projects whilst simultaneously checking off step two of a smaller project. i am rather proud of myself.

it is still a work in progress. i have a ton of organizing to do but, i got such a tremendous amount done in three hours that i cannot stop patting myself on the back. these little tiny accomplishments have done wonders for my psyche and homegirl needed some assistance in that area.

so, this morning i am sitting at my desk (instead of slumped on the couch) looking at jars filled with watercolour markers and crayons and alphabet stamps. the delight! outside on my balcony is a table i found while dumpster diving one brunch morning about 9 months ago. i decided to sand, prime, and paint said table and maybe sell it at the shop, or on etsy. while my procrastination got the better of me, a friend of mine successfully refurbished a similar table for her house. i hung my head in shame while my table sat outside half-sanded for about two months.

last night i finished getting her primed. now i get to go through my paint fans and pick out a groovy colour. yes, i do get excited over paint fans, i have three.

anyway, friends, here are some pictures of my exciting progress. happy friday!

put me in the game coach!

i have been a real dick at work over the past few weeks. today is better, but lord help me if i become cross again. i don't even recognize myself when i get this way but sufficed to say, i become filled with loathing and it feels incredibly toxic. if i were working anywhere else, i would have probably been fired for my attitude problem.
the issue i am coming across is that i want change but have absolutely no idea where to begin to manifest it.
part of me thinks i need to focus on my smaller projects and get my mind off of the bigger ones so that the bigger projects will have room and time to sprout. another part thinks that i have wasted so much time and am continuing to waste it by not being proactive.
it's like i have to walk 700 miles to get where i want to be, but it has to be on a road made of broken glass and i cannot find my shoes.
i am about to enter my third holiday season with my job. i have worked every holiday season for about six years. last year i was so exhausted i told everyone i didn't want to go through it again, and yet here i am.
what to do? if i could afford a life coach, my tushie would be making an appointment right this second. i feel like i need someone to point me in the right direction and give me concrete steps to take.
if anyone knows any life coaches that will do some pro bono work, let me know!
xo
lu

happy campers

good morning lovelies! there is a delightful chill in the air this morning. not a lot, and by noon it will be 90 degrees, but right now it's breezy and marvelous. little man and i are playing tug-o-war, fetch, with intermittent bouts of chillin' on the couch so mama can write her post. there are happy little campers in the carpenter house today.

as for my big plan for last night, it pretty much happened just like i hoped. i didn't get the entire house clean though because there is a giant pile of clothes i am mad at because they aren't new and don't fit me properly sitting on the floor that need to be put away. i could not bring myself to do it last night. instead i watched three (or four) more episodes of wonderfalls.

i feel i need to be more productive in my home and with my projects. so, i am going to make a list. things i must do to get my big creative rearrangement project underway.

1. finish putting away all of the clothes i am upset with.

2. go through the two bins i have pulled out of my storage closet.

3. go through my wire shelves and organize those things.

if i can do those three things over the next week, i will have more space and fewer obstacles toward my goal.

wish me luck, friends!

i hope y'all have a fabulous thursday!

lu

hobbity hopings

today is thankfully lowkey. i am in a super musical and relaxation state of mind. in four and a half hours, i am going to go home and enjoy it. i will be loving on a sweet pup, listening to great music, laughing at wonderfalls, and cleaning. i am looking forward to it so much! it is going to be fabulous. i feel like i haven't been in my own home in weeks. i need my hobbit hole!
after housesitting again and dogsitting last week, i've come home and absolutely trashed my apartment. what is more embarrassing: people have seen it that way. ugh.
hence the voice of my sick gratification of tidying up is teasing me from the future. "you know you're going to enjoy this...why don't you leave work early and get a good start on it..." it says to me. and believe me, i am tempted to turn that sign around at the shop and head for the hills this very moment.
hope your day and evening are even more fabulous and gratifying!
lu

tour

once in a blue moon i get to missing being on the road with a bunch of musicians. there is something very comforting about lugging a duffle bag around strange new cities and venues, eating truck stop food, vast expanses of road, steady supplies of ear plugs and sharpies (and groupies), coils of wires, that dank bus and van smell, hilarious stories, weird sleeping arrangements, and awesome hole-in-the-wall restaurants.
the other day, i was recanting to a friend, some stories of my childhood on tour buses, in studios, and playing backstage at the grand ole opry. i miss the anonymity, the excitement, the awkwardness, but most specifically, i miss my life of live music sometimes. it has always been a part of who i am.
i am not sure if those days, like the recipe for my grandmother's jiblet gravy, are gone for good. i reckon, we shall see...

wonderfalls

in the same delightful fashion as shows like pete & pete, northern exposure, and the gilmore girls is a show called wonderfalls. it originally aired in the mid-2000's and was introduced to me by my dear friend k.
it is about a snarky retail shop worker in niagra falls (really? they made a show about me?!) who suddenly finds herself being told things by inanimate objects; such as a red wax lion, a monkey statue, and a stuffed bass. these objects tell her to perform vague tasks that end up setting things into motion for others' lives.
if you know me, then you know my philosophy that "everything happens for a reason". i say it far too many times not to annoy my audiences, but i do believe it. also, if you know me, then you know i frequently talk to animals and inanimate objects as well.
in wonderfalls, everything is serendipitious. had she not listened to the objects, people's lives would not have been enriched the way the do throughout every episode. it's a beautiful thing.
try to find it, it's funny and totally worth it.
adieu for now,
lu

w.w.i.d.?

i dislike having my feathers ruffled. i cannot imagine that anyone does enjoy it unless i am giving that particular description more weight than it merits.

i somewhat digress though because i need to work on coping mechanisms. there is something about the inherent snobbery of the demographic upon which my paycheck depends that sends splinters under my fingernails.

it seems i place a great deal of "me" into my work (to a bloody fault) and when people are rude and condescending (which they most certainly have a proclivity toward) it places an anvil on one shoulder and a poisonous snake on the other.

regardless of what limited coping devices i have, i end up aching, sick to my stomach, and tending to the ever open sores of my prevailing dysfunction.

in situations like this, i cannot help but wonder, what would idgie do?