Complicating a Bath

It's amazing how much free time you have when you don't spend three hours of your day commuting to work.

On Wednesdays, we are allowed to work from home, and with the mountains of snow and freezing temperatures still lingering from last week's Snowmaggedon there was no way I was leaving the house if I didn't have to. But at 6:30 p.m., I had put in a full day of work, gone to the doctor and the gym, taken the dog out and made dinner. By the time 7 rolled around, I was at a loss for what to do next.

Lake Shore Drive shut down during the blizzard of 2011

The thing is- I've never really known what to do with free time because I've spent a lifetime filling it up. Barberree is always telling me to "just relax," but I can't help thinking of all the things I could get done whenever I have a spare moment. It's a blessing and a curse.

So I decided to take a bath because I reasoned that's what people do when they have time to "just relax." And because I couldn't decide whether to bring my computer or my book in the tub with me, I went in with nothing. By the time the water filled up, I had already washed my face, shaved my legs and exfoliated my feet. And then it dawned on me- I am the only person in the world who could complicate a bath.

I slumped back and let the water splash over me. Defeated and unable to relax.

It was at that time I realized that I was narrating these events in my head, mentally writing this exact blog post. And to be honest, it's not the first time I have done that. I have narrated what I was doing as I was doing it since I was a kid. It was how I first knew I wanted a future with words. I just have a hard time shutting my mind off.

So, maybe I can't "just relax" or just take a bath. But damn, can I multitask. And damn can I make a story out of nothing.

Maybe THIS Time

Last year, I wrote a post inspired by my favorite, new (at the time) show, Glee. I was happy to say goodbye to 2009 and hoping that 2010 would be my year. Unfortunately, it wasn't.

Last weekend, I was ecstatic to say goodbye to 2010. Granted, there were some wonderful additions to my life in last couple of months, including a job at the coolest company ever,
but I couldn't be more excited to start off this year happy, healthy and finally in control of my future.

I am confident now that all the odds are in my favor, and that THIS time, in 2011, I'll win.

And in case you need an inspirational anthem too- just ignore the Spanish translation:

Freedom from Want

HOLIDAYS are rooted in tradition. That’s what makes them unique and personal. Every Thanksgiving day, for as long as I can remember, my family completes our Norman Rockwell “Freedom from Want” puzzle before dinner is served.

Thanksgiving cerca 1987 at my Grandparents'

As a child, my cousins, sisters and I would be corralled to the back room of my grandparents’ house where the pieces would be spread out on a card table for us. We huddled around the tiny table hoping to put two pieces together before anyone else, but also secretly trying to keep warm in the drafty den. What served merely as a distraction for me as a child has recently become my favorite activity of the day.

Thanksgiving cerca 2007 at our house

Now, the crowd is usually reduced to Barberree, my only living grandparent, and I. We sit silently next to each other sipping our holiday drinks and placing the same soggy pieces that we have for decades. A couple years ago, I realized that one day I'll be the only one left at the table. But until then, I am most thankful for the moment when the last piece is placed, and she looks up, winks and says, "How about that."


*This holiday anecdote was also a contribution to Mastering the Art of Thanksgiving, a fantastically festive zine created by Miss Sarah Handelman. After you put your Thanksgiving pants on you can settle on the couch and flip through all the wonderful tidbits she brought together.


**Barberree and I started the puzzle yesterday when she came over to help my mom and I "chop things." We have the perimeter done and ready for others to join in :)

Rainy Day Activities

The first step is admitting you have a problem...

... at least there were a lot of good gift guides to get me thinking about my holiday shopping :)

I'm a Z O U now

What a weekend.

My first return to Columbia as an alumna was nothing short of epic. I hung out on the quad for College Gameday and saw the Tigers take down the number one ranked team in the country with the best company that anyone could have asked for.

Pink Glove Dance

It brought tears to my eyes to think that this many people were willing to put themselves out there and dance, foolishly or otherwise, all for breast cancer awareness. Thank you to each and every one of you.

Alternative Thanksgiving Preperation 1

Brown rice stuffed squash with sauteed kale and pine nuts (yes, we are obsessed with kale).

After the stuffed acorn squash disaster of 2010, my always-supportive mother found this MEATLESS stuffed squash option (the ladies in the video are hilarious). It was so amazing that it has automatically been added to my Alternative Thanksgiving menu. I might substitute the rice based stuffing for traditional bread stuffing on the actual day though.

I love to eat even though, to most people, my options are seriously limited. The truth is, the possibilities for lactose-intolerant vegetarians are endless these days, especially with a little creativity. AND, Thanksgiving doesn't have to be about binge eating dairy and fat and carbs. It can be about eating healthy, delicious food to a proper full feeling :) This will be my third year with an alternative Thanksgiving, and I think I have finally found some recipes that are keepers, including this stuffed squash. But don't worry, I'm not giving up my "Thanksgiving pants."

Last night's dinner: polenta triangles with tomato sauce (from the William Sonoma Vegetarian cookbook) - not for Thanksgiving but still awesome.

It's All Relative

I watched the most fascinating Oprah today.


Oprah's guest today was Kim Nobel, a woman who lives with 20 different personalities. Technically, Kim is diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID) as a result of, what her doctors believe, was childhood abuse. Kim's daughter and most dominant personality (or alter) will tell you, however, that Kim doesn't exist.

Kim's daughter was asked what it's like to be raised by a mother with multiple personalities and responded that it's normal to her, "I haven't seen any different," she said. Just another one of those things in life where it's all what you know; it's all relative.

The woman's story was fascinating, but what peaked my interest is the way that her therapist suggested the personalities express themselves- through painting. After working with an art therapist for a short time, Kim and 13 of her personalities took up painting. Each personality focuses on their own colors and themes, and their work is entirely unique to their story.

Artwork by Kim Nobel's alters

I have always been interested in art therapy. Dancing used to be a huge stress reliever for me, and now, I write to relieve stress. Art allows people to indirectly express themselves, which is therapeutic and also beautiful. I think it is an excellent form of therapy and pain management, and I hope to see the field develop further in the future- maybe even as a result of people seeing this show.

For those who don't know, it's Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct. 3-9, 2010). Here's hoping that the stigmas attached to mental illness will soon become a thing of the past!


AND I've added a new blog to my blogroll. Drum roll please....

My friends Anna and Becca are behind Supporting our Siblings: Advocating and Educating, a blog devoted to mental health issues. Both girls have a sibling who has been diagnosed with a mental illness and are taking to the blogosphere to facilitate conversation and slash the stigmas developed by not talking about mental illness. As I've said before, you're only as sick as your secrets, so way to put yourselves out there and talk about real issues!

An Important Message

Something must be done.

Rent a Green Box

This is so cool.

Rent a Green Box is a company that supplies you with repurposed plastic containers for moving, etc. and then comes to pick them up after you are done with them!



If only I could get Banana Republic to use them for shipments, we'd have a lot less waste and clean up on shipment days...

Thanks, Emily for passing on the info!

Group Sleep-overs

Last night, I celebrated my cousin Leslie's 21st birthday. It was a really fun night, but I think the best part was the group sleep-over at my cousins' apartment. Laurel and Mike just moved to Chicago and graciously hosted all five of us.

The Birthday Girl and I at Laurel's wedding

Nick, Shannon, Leslie, John and I were spread across their living room floor on various air mattresses and couches. It reminded me of the sleep-overs my sisters and I had with Nick, Laurel and Leslie at Aunt Pat's when we were kids. The six of us used to line up across her living room floor as well, only there were no air mattresses back then- only sleeping bags.

My favorite memories from my childhood are all family related, many of them including my aunt. It's hard to believe that this October will be five years since we lost her.

My cousins and I at Aunt Pat's circa 1993

But October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, which allows my family to both remember my aunt and support the cause through numerous outlets. I am happy to say that the past five years have made me incredibly optimistic about the advancements in prevention and treatment of the disease. There are so many options now- and so many ways for people to join the fight.

So, save your yogurt lids (I'm lucky Activia jumped on board this year), buy products that donate to breast cancer organizations or simply know your body so that you can detect any changes that may come your way. The future of breast cancer treatment is in your hands- literally.

...I-N-I

Oh, and we've got Benny again this weekend. Obviously, Wilke is thrilled to have him back...

You know it's fall when...

... a pumpkin shows up in your backyard...


...you get tricked into buying beautiful stuffed acorn squash only to find out with the first bite that there is Italian sausage in the stuffing (sometimes I get so focused on looking for dairy in ingredient lists that I completely forget to check for meat)...


... you are happy to see your Starbucks-obsessed dad with a steaming soy chai latte to warm you up on a chilly Saturday morning- maybe living at home through the winter won't be so bad :)

Dog Days are Not Over

This weekend, I have the pleasure of sitting for the most popular dog in the blogosphere.


For our afternoon walk today, I consulted my iTunes Genius, which happened to put together a great playlist based on my current favorite tune. It was the perfect playlist for a perfectly sunny fall day:



Dog Days are Over, Florence and the Machine
Mansard Roof, Vampire Weekend
Under the Weather, KT Tunstall
Moth's Wings, Passion Pit
You are the Best Thing, Ray LaMontagne
My Moon, My Man, Feist
You Rock my World, Michael Jackson
Revelry, Kings of Leon
Best for Last, Adele
Somebody to Love, Glee Cast
Sweetest Thing, U2
Fences, Phoenix
If it Kills Me, Jason Mraz

And now both my pups are taking an afternoon nap... not a bad idea...


but first, my stack of October mags need some attention.

In MY fight to save the environment...

One of the bonuses of living at home is access to more magazines than I could ever even want.

My ever-supportive parents subscribe to a variety of magazines that I get to sample free of charge every month. Most I only flip through during a seemingly extra long commercial break, but every once in a while I find something interesting. This weekend, I came across an article in Ladies' Home Journal written by Peg Rosen. Her average American family took on the challenge of reducing their weekly waste from three bags of garbage to one. I was really surprised by how easy it was for them and how easy it would be for anyone to take on some of the new practices that they did (one really easy but really effective idea was "creating satellite recycling stations" around their house so recycling was just convenient as throwing something in the trash- smart).

photo courtesy of Ladies' Home Journal

After I finished the article, I couldn't help but think twice about everything that I went to throw away. Those who know me well know that I'm an avid recycler, but everyone can find room to improve. I immediately went to get a paper grocery bag (we alternate cloth bags and disposable grocery bags so that we have something to put recycling in) and started filling it with papers from around the house. I picked up last Sunday's paper, an entire stack of magazines from the summer months and even a few odd receipts and grocery lists that were laying around. When I had a water spill to wipe up, I went for a paper towel, but grabbed a cloth towel instead. And when my mom asked me why I was eating the last piece of homemade zucchini bread over the sink, I told her, "I'm reducing my waste. This way, I don't use a napkin that just gets thrown away, nor do I waste water by washing a dish." (Okay, so this may have been a little overzealous and driven more by laziness than anything else, but I was reducing waste, wasn't I?)

Reducing, reusing and recycling is easy! What was Kermit thinking- it IS easy being green :)

And the best part is, a little can go a long way- although I would still like to find a way to compost ALL of our food scraps...

As Ludacris Would Say...

Roll out.

Yes, this past week was, what we in the biz call, fall roll out (did anyone get The Break Up reference?). I probably should have just set up a cot in the stock room with how much I was at the store. But I am really proud of how great everything looks and am in love with the buzz of a new collection.

Our marketing right now is also really cool- and really poignant. It's based on finding a wardrobe that "works for life," which I love. When I moved home from college I realized that all I owned were sloppy sweats or "going out clothes." Then I went through the all-I-do-is-work faze where I would only buy "work clothes" because that's all I did (what a difference a couple months makes). Now, I am hoping to buy clothes that don't make me want to change as soon as I get home from work, and that is what I am basing my new fall wardrobe on. Check out this cool commercial for the fall collection- all the people in the marketing are people taken off the streets of New York, or at least, they aren't models:



I think what I love the most about roll out though is the fresh start that fall and back to school brings. As far as new beginnings go, I definitely prefer this time of year to New Year's. Maybe it's because it accompanies a change of season, or maybe because it's not as forced, but either way, I have my goals for the month all set and am looking ahead to a lot of changes for the rest of the year.

Vogue Can Wait

Ever since my sister introduced me to Sex and the City, at arguably too young of an age, I have been hooked. We would come home from school, pop in a VHS and not move until the end of the tape. We'd be sitting in the dark with only the glow of the television when my mom would come home from work and find us mesmerized by women far beyond our age.
I'm a Carrie. I don't have as avant garde of a fashion sense, and am much more cynical, but I'm definitely led by my emotions the way she is. Most of all, I'm a writer. And I always identified with her reflective self-questioning, imagination and desire to romanticism, which is often characteristic of those in the profession.

It seems that no matter what I've been going through in my life, I can find an episode where Carrie is going through it too.


Recently, I put in the first disc of season five (because VHS is obsolete) in search of an episode I knew of where Carrie is in a rut with her career. Sitting at her computer, she reflects on her situation and says, "The worst thing about not being in a relationship, is when your job is to write about being in a relationship."

Lucky for me, I write about life's gaps and getting through them. And since I started writing two years ago, I have realized that no matter where in the world you are or how old you are, every stage of life has "gaps." I never run out of things to write about, but then again, I don't have a book of my blog posts... Oh well, even Carrie Bradshaw didn't start out at Vogue.

Seasonal Sneak Peak

The days are definitely getting shorter.

I opened the back door at 4:45 a.m. and swatted away bugs zipping around the light above the door. It was darker, which made the light brighter and more attractive. The air was still heavy with humidity, so I know summer hasn't left yet, but it's packed it bags.

I got in my mom's car and fumbled for the ignition and then the lights. Hers aren't automatic like mine. Surely one day I'll return to the parking lot to find the battery dead. As I drove the familiar route, that's when I noticed- brighter green lights. And no rabbits congregating on the corner and feasting on my neighbors plants.

I love the seasonal sneak peak that comes every few months. The air was downright cool the other morning on my run, and it felt amazing. Wind blew past my face and I breathed without the weight of the air on my lungs. As a born and raised Midwesterner, I will always love, and need, a seasonal change. A reminder that time is, in fact, passing. Life is continuing on despite how stationary I feel.

Voice Memos

I've decided that the best thing about living at home this part year has been the time that I have gotten to spend with Barberree, my grandmother, my only living grandparent. For the longest time, I have told her I want to record our conversations and later write a book based on them. We talk about everything from social and political issues to cooking and crafting. I even had the idea of a project titled "You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks" with all the things that we taugh Barberree how to do in her nineties, including make cheese and play solitare on a computer. I did sense that she probably wouldn't like the title of the project, which is why I ultimately gave it up. Unfortunately for me, she is definitely not into the idea of being recorded in any way. As she gets older, she comments on how she barely remembers the past and just tries to worry about one day at a time- a good motto, although a little morbid considering she is 94 years old.


Today, when I was having lunch with her on my day off, she actually told my mom and I that: "I'm the only one around here who knows how to use the damn thing (her dishwasher). I have to go down and run Alice's for her all the time." (Important note: Alice is 15 to 20 years younger than my grandmother.)

She may have caught on to the technology of a dishwasher, but she has very little interest in a computer and probably can't fathom the idea of my iPhone having Voice Memos... After a comment like today's, I can't pass up another opportunity to capture Barberree for all of eternity, and, lucky for both of us, she won't realize I'm doing it :)

*Since mastering solitare on the computer, Barberree has moved on and abandoned the technology all together. So, I can safely write about secretly recording her because she doesn't surf the net or read her granddaughters' blogs.

Pride in Presentation

I have one of those jobs that has a more glamorous title than the job itself. That is not to say that I don't enjoy my job, it is just A LOT of hard work. I mean, I was sweating climbing up and down a ladder in the stock room yesterday.

And then today I came across this article in my MediaJobsDaily email from MediaBistro: "Do You Need a New Job Title?" It told of big, "important" companies that were giving their employees more "fun" titles, such as the Minister of Comedy at E&Y, a 20-something consultant that was hired to bring life to their otherwise dull presentations. And the thing is, the people with these jobs (and titles) have "[a] sense of ownership of, engagement with, and excitement about their jobs..." How many of you can say that about your job title?

I was recently scoffed at trying to explain the hierarchy at my store and the difference between the Customer Experience team and the Merchandise Presentation team. This person said something along the lines of, why don't they just call everyone what they are- store managers. Well, here's why. Giving specific titles gives ownership over certain responsibilities. Not everyone in a huge corporation is a blanket VP, so why shouldn't there be distinguishing titles in the retail industry. How insulting!

I truly feel that no one is in a position to demean another person for any reason, but especially in regards to what they do for work. Different people are needed for different jobs, and these days, having any sort of job at all should make you feel good! These are trouble times, people!

PS I styled the new jewelry yesterday and am in love with some pieces (unfortunately they aren't all online so I can't show them all). Let me know if you need a 25% off coupon for this weekend- it's our Mad Men (yes, like the show) event.