This is my rainbow scarf. It’s my favorite scarf, not only because… well, it’s a rainbow, but because it reminds me of who I was with when I found it: one of my dearest and oldest friends, Laura Howell McQueen.
For me, the sight of this scarf always evokes the mental image of Laura and her daughter Anne Parks as we giggled through the Fondren, Mississippi thrift store that summer day trying on hats and purses. That’s where I came upon this scarf. And what more could I ask for on a dreary winter day? Wearing this is like wrapping myself in a hug from one of my favorite people. All my second-hand items have extra meaning to me. I always remember exactly where I was and who I was with when each one came into my life.
there’s more...
The original equation went something like,
beer + studiomates + friday = x
Over time, the equation has morphed into something more like,
beer (bottles + growlers + kegs) + studiomates + great friends (neighbors + colleagues + clients + kids + out-of-towners) + video games (rocking + singing + dancing) + theme (costume + craft + movie) + friday = x
In both instances, x = Beer Friday, and while the equation may have, um, expanded over the past year, the heart of the matter is still very much the same. All that’s really necessary to the success of the formula is to get amazing people in a shared space with a shared motive of relaxing and having a good time. That’s really what our co-working space Studiomates is all about.
Now on to this particular, most recent, December 3rd Beer Friday…
there’s more...
Halloween is right around the corner, which means Candygrams are BACK! Candygrams are odes to candy by guest authors during the month of October on Jason Santa Maria‘s blog. I loved these posts last year, so I was thrilled when Jason asked me to participate this go ‘round, but I had trouble choosing a single candy to write about because I’m actually excessively fond of ALL candy. (Remember when I couldn’t choose a single color for my Rainbow Birthday so I decided to wear every color? It’s a lot like that.)
When I love something, I really love something. I think that’s called obsession, right? Well in this case, the thing I’m obsessed with actually has the power to make me physically ill. Hence the title of my Candygram: Love Sick. I basically challenged myself to keep a diary about my love of candy for a week and then share the results with the world. Luckily, my friends Courtney Martin and Mandy Brown were kind enough to offer constructive criticism and their crackerjack editing skills.
there’s more...
What’s my recipe for a ladies’ night out? 2 parts feminine + 2 parts trashy + 1 part cowgirl + 1 part crazy (hello, old lady sweater). Stir in a handful of show-tune lovin’ ladies and one adorable bride, and you’ve got the cocktail for a karaoke bachelorette party liable to knock you on your ass! Oh yeah, I was in a world of pain the next morning.
- silk Dior blouse - $20 Brooklyn Flea
- belt with rose buckle - $15 Zachary’s Smile on Greenwich Ave
- ruffle mini skirt - $4 Buffalo Exchange
- black fishnet tights - $10 The Sock Man on St. Marks
- black cowboy boots - hand-me-down from my mom
- short-sleeve sweater - $7 thrift store in Sarasota
- TOTAL - $49 without sweater, $56 with
there’s more...
We formed our band on Friday, wrote a song and rehearsed on Saturday, and by Sunday we were performing at the Knitting Factory. That’s the power of Ladies’ Rock Camp!
What an amazing, exhausting, exhilarating three days! I learned to play the guitar, got to hang out with fifty full-of-life women, and was consistently overwhelmed by the creativity and talent of my bandmates. The icing on the lady rock cake was that while I was on guitar, one of my best friends since eighth grade was on bass. How lucky am I to have a friend like Laura: a friend who’s willing to fly 1,300 miles to spend a weekend living out a teenage fantasy with me? Our lead singer, Courtney, and drummer, Casson, are women whose accomplishments and fearlessness make them two of my role models. The four of us together? Unstoppable. We will forevermore be Pretty Little Heads.
Here is our soon to be number one single, complete with choreography…
there’s more...
When I met Creighton, I knew he was special. One of the ways I could tell was by how much his friends care about him. I mean, they seriously go-out-in-the-rain-to-see-you, do-just-about-anything-you-ask-even-help-you-move, can’t-get-enough-of-this-guy care. The reason for this is probably how much he cares back. Maybe it’s a function of being an only child, but he truly treats his friends like family. I’m such a sucker for that.
Case in point is Creighton’s long time friend Scott. Scott is based out of Florida but travels around the globe for his job as a tennis coach. Scott never misses an opportunity to spend time with Creighton, even if it’s just in his mind. When we opened a package the other day to find this bright red 2010 FIFA World Cup hat (that Creighton looks quite fetching in, right?) and a note reading…
there’s more...
