50 Shades of Regression

"If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don't write, because our culture has no use for it."   ~ Anais Nin

I am joining the conversation about the Fifty Shades series by E.L. James very late in the game.  I heard about it when it first became a hit, but I rarely read erotica or romance and have no interest in BDSM, so I didn't think much of it.  But it keeps coming up in conversation, and the conversations held online (Facebook, GoodReads, etc.) tend to get pretty tense.  I'm honestly mystified at the controversy over this and I feel a bit like I should just let the whole thing die, but I keep thinking, "What is it that makes so many people obsessed with this series and yet a whole other group of people absolutely mortified by its popularity?"  The simplest explanation would be that the latter doesn't approve of the BDSM theme, but I have not found that to be the case.   


THE GOOD

Fans of the book say that it is sexually liberating, has changed the way they view themselves for the better and is a fantastic Cinderella-type story.


I've read that some married couples feel that the book has allowed them to openly discuss sex.  I am glad that some people are benefiting like this from the book, but I'm surprised that they haven't discovered similar literature before.  Not to mention the wealth of sex books written for couples.

THE BAD

The objections range from use of the Thomas Hardy book Tess of the D'Ubervilles as a romantic device (a tragic story of a rape victim's life being ruined by everyone blaming her for the violence committed against her) to the protagonist of the story, Anastasia Steele, being a weak, not very bright character who lacks common sense and any self-respect.


There is also a lot of commentary about the writing: bad grammar, crap dialogue, clunky prose, etc.  

"...a tacky, badly written piece of erotica." ~ ShinyShiny 

"...a shallow, useless read.  It's repetitive beyond imagination."     ~ A Separate State of Mind

Then there are those in the BDSM community who don't believe the book represents a healthy BDSM relationship.  Some have even said that the relationship between the two characters is better categorized as abusive than a standard relationship involving BDSM. 

"BDSM is not domestic violence if both partners fully consent to it. ...An alpha can be an alpha without being an abuser.  Someone can assert themselves and be in control without having to control you."    ~ CoffeeAndProzac

AND THE UGLY

Only 99 cents!

And by that, I mean the ugly truth (for me, at least).  I really wanted to be able to approach this in a neutral fashion.  I tried to think of positive things to say.  I thought I'd have a better understanding of why people love this series, but I don't.


Why do people find this so appealing?  Why is this so sexually provocative?  If you want a bodice-ripper, there are any number of Regency and Harlequin romances you could pick up at your local grocery store.  Some of them even offer the same story line (which I find a bit unfortunate).


I found the characters largely unlikable, with the exception of Ana's roommate, Kate, who seems perfectly nice, though the author seems determined that the reader should despise her.  I absolutely loathed Ana's personality in Fifty Shades of Grey.  She didn't seem to like herself very much and acted as if almost every woman she encountered was competition (even before she met Mr. Grey).  As for Christian Grey, I think he has some pretty serious and scary character flaws.  He strikes me as a possessive, controlling, manipulative snob.  

After reading the first book and all the reasons why people think I should love this book, I just don't get it.  It seems regressive to me, like we're trying to undo all the hard work of the generations of women before us.  Women who fought against the idea that females should be submissive, controlled, in need of being protected (even from themselves) and easily purchased with shiny things.  


One of the reviews I read, from Huffington Post, claims that this book does no harm, but I don't agree.  Maybe there's no harm in the first generation reading these books, hopefully knowing that it's just a story and they shouldn't base how they feel about themselves, sex, relationships or marriage on it.  But what about the next generation?  The popularity of this book is going to have an impact on young girls whether we like it or not.  Will this continue the idea that as girls, if we're innocent and naive and do whatever a guy wants (even when we don't want to), we can change those bad boys into the men we think they should be?  I'm not saying this book should be burned (lordy, no) and I really have no right to judge the people who enjoy this (I've certainly read enough trashy novels to recognize my own glass house), but I do find the popularity of this series troubling.  Say all you want that it is only entertainment and is inconsequential in the grand scheme of things.  I'd rather see the generations that come after me, both girls and boys, reading something by Suzanne Collins,  Rick Riordan or J.K. Rowling instead of Fifty Shades and Twilight (yup, I said it).  Books that are well-written and send a better message.  And as much as I enjoyed Twilight for its trashy teenage story (a guilty pleasure at the time), I find it disheartening that girls would choose to read that and fantasize about being Edward's weak, clumsy little Bella instead of dreaming of becoming someone like Rowling's Hermione Granger.


As far as books for adults, there is a long list of amazing writers out there.  Though I'm not a huge fan of erotica, I've long been aware of it and have to say that there is plenty of really excellent writing in that genre.  From Anais Nin to Anne Rice, there is a wealth of erotic literature available that is hotter with lovely prose and more titillating dialogue than E.L. James has ever contributed.    

If I am going to read erotica, I would much rather read an author who obviously respects her own sex and has a strong sense of self.  I leave you with another quote from the queen of literary erotica herself:

"I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naive or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman." ~ Anais Nin

No Crafty for Kitty on Uncrafty

It's official: I can actually crochet.  Granted, I can only single crochet at this point, but a few days ago I could only manage a slipknot and a wobbly foundation chain.  Now I can make really wobbly scarves instead!

Like this!

It started off really well, though I had no idea what I was actually making, until I realized that I hadn't been counting stitches (didn't Meg warn me about this?!). [read more...]

50 Shades of Absent

My apologies for being absent the last couple of days.  I have been working on a post about the Fifty Shades series (forgive the title of this post, by the way, but I'm sure you're used to it by now), which has meant reading a lot of good and bad reviews, blog posts about the books and some excerpts from the first book.  I still haven't decided to actually read it, since I hadn't planned on it before, but there is so much controversy and angst about it, I'm wondering if I can really write a fair post without at least attempting to read Fifty Shades of Grey.  Let me be clear - I'm not thinking of writing a book review on it, I'm just baffled by the obsession a lot of people seem to have with the work of E.L. James and it honestly fascinates me...so of course I want to write about it on here!


I have written and scrapped three drafts about this series so far and am now thinking I should just read the first book and get it over with.  Do I have to read the whole thing?  Did anyone reading this post like it?  Would you recommend that I read it?  I'd love to hear what everyone thinks.  So far, most of what I've seen and heard has been negative.  I'd complain about that, except some of what I've read has been hilarious (read Jennifer Armintrout's recaps here).  Looking forward to further conversation about this, if not to the actual reading of the book.

Crochet Lab on Craftsy...on Uncrafty

I have started my first crochet class online at Craftsy: Crochet Lab with Vickie Howell (Basic Techniques and Patterns).  First impression:  I heart Vickie Howell.  She's just the right amount of quirky and perky and I love the stuff she makes.  She is now tied in my heart with Debbie Stoller of Stitch 'n Bitch. [read more...]

Embracing the Suck on Uncrafty

If you haven't already figured it out from my last post, I have a serious problem with being bad at things.  When I said that I wanted to already know how to crochet, Meg called me on it, telling me that my perfectionism was going to be the end of me (I'm paraphrasing).  She is correct.  I am a perfectionist and it is hindering my progress.  


You would think that wanting things "just so" would be a good thing, but more often than not I have the tendency to stick with the things that I know I'm already good at.  I defend myself by saying that I'm improving upon those things (which is true to some extent), but I'm doing myself the great disservice of not broadening my horizons.  If I want to learn something new, I have to be okay with the fact that I'm going to totally suck at it for a while.  [read more...]

Not Worth the Tastiness

I certainly never expected to be posting about fast food chicken and my feelings about anti-gay sentiment simultaneously.  


Let me start with noting that I had never been to a Chick-fil-A before I moved to the DC area.  Before I found out about the chain's president's comments (or even that they gave money to organizations trying to...what...defeat homosexuality?), Meg and I had a conversation about their food and I decided to try it.  And I have to say, it's tasty.  But it's not so wonderful that I can't live without it.  And as much as Dan Cathy has every right to voice his opinion, I most certainly have the right to not like it and choose not to patronize a business that is run by people who are so narrow-minded.  From the Washington Post: 

It’s not every day that the leader of a big business steps into a national debate that has the potential to offend many of its customers.But Dan Cathy, president of the popular fast food chain Chick-fil-A, has done just that, saying on a radio show that “we’re inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and say we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage. And I pray God’s mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude that thinks we have the audacity to redefine what marriage is all about.” [read more...]

Aside from thinking that he is prideful and arrogant, this was just bad business.  And the company has obviously realized that, as they are now trying to back the eff up on this issue.  Oh, hold up...from HuffPost Food:

The latest statement follows remarks Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy -- the son of company founder S. Truett Cathy -- made in a controversial Baptist Press interview. When asked about his company's reported donations to anti-gay organizations like Exodus International and the Family Research Council, Cathy told writer K. Allan Blume, "We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives." [read more...]

I'm getting the feeling that this isn't just about associating with the queer community (but, thanks, that would have been more than enough to drive me away).   Evidently my family (seeing as both of my parents are divorced and remarried, very happily, I might add) doesn't cut it with this guy's beliefs either.  You know, I have a ton of friends who are religious and none of them try to make me feel less-than for who or what I am or the type of family I come from.  Which totally reminds me of this one guy in the bible...who was that again?


I could keep going on about this, but I would honestly much rather talk about fried chicken.  If you want someone else to make it for you, you can get tips from Huff Post Food on  choosing the best chain restaurant for your fried chicken strip needs.  Or you can make your own with this recipe from Hilah Cooking: 

Make a Chick-Fil-A Fried Chicken Sandwich at home with this copycat recipe.  less sugar, less salt, and less funding for anti-human-equality organizations.

I so love her. 

Hallmark Holiday Crochet on Uncrafty

I have something to admit to you.  You already know that I am the uncraftiest of them all.  What you may not know is that there is a special place in my heart for the occasional Hallmark Channel movie.  And I love Christmas movies even more.  This is most likely because my dad celebrates Chanukah and my mom spent several years ruining Christmas by decorating our tree super-80s-Southwestern style (long live the Christmas Cactus!).    

A few days ago, I decided (after much encouragement from Mary) to spend my day learning the basics of crochet while watching Hallmark Channel Christmas movies - because they know me well enough to realize that I will totally watch cheesy Christmas movies in the middle of summer.  That's how I roll. [read more...]

Summer Beauty Lists on The Thinnest Skin

Thanks to Twitter, here are some great beauty lists for any budget: [read more...]

Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Soothing Lotion on The Thinnest Skin

The Neutrogena Original Beauty Bar has long been my mother's most trusted facial product, but I haven't had much luck with the brand.  Their cleansers dry out my combination skin (which is probably more to do with my sensitivity than anything else) and their sunscreens usually feel uncomfortable (like a creamy coating on my face - not good).  

However, the Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Soothing Lotion is one of the best face lotions I've tried on my super-sensitive skin. [read more...]

Riverside Park on Lost in DC

Riverside Park on the Mount Vernon Trail


For the 4th of July, I was invited to a low-key barbecue at my friend's house in Alexandria (about an hour drive from my house in Sterling).  When I arrived, my friends weren't back from the store yet, so I took the opportunity to explore the surrounding area.  I knew that their house was near George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate, but I didn't actually know I was headed that way until I came to the roundabout, packed with tourists.  So terribly packed that I knew I didn't have time to really look around, so I kept driving out of the roundabout and down George Washington Memorial Parkway.  The Parkway is gorgeous, first framed by tall trees full of glossy green leaves, then on the right (headed toward Theodore Roosevelt Island), suddenly the Potomac River reappears.  I pulled off the road the first chance I got, hoping to get a good view of the river, and ended parking in the lot for Riverside Park (about 1.3 miles from the Estate).  [read more...]

Potato, Egg & Pickle on Uncrafty

It's All About the Pickles


I am not a fan of onions.  Bermuda, pearl, cipollini, vidalia, red, scallions - how I loathe them.  But as I learned to cook, I realized they were sometimes required for complex flavors that I loved, so I have learned to incorporate the occasional mellow-flavored into a meal (caramelized or chopped so fine they might as well have been juiced).  I still cannot imagine eating them raw and I do try to avoid them when I can (especially if they overpower a dish) and that is why, for a long time, I avoided potato salad.  

Potato salad purchased at a store is pretty much guaranteed to have onions in it (sometimes even red ones - my least favorite).  Most potato salad recipes call for at least scallions, if not two kinds of onion, and most people I know prefer to have onions in it because it adds a lot of flavor.

I am happy to say that I recently found a recipe online that, once converted by my anti-onionness, can now be proclaimed The Ultimate Onion Haters' Potato Salad.  [read more...]

NYC In a New York Color Minute Review on The Thinnest Skin

Beauty on a Budget: NYC Nail Polish


Target is always a great place to find good, inexpensive and fun beauty products.  Meg is always a good person to listen to about style and living on a budget.  Combine the two in a conversation about me hating hot pink nail polish and you get a surprise:

MoMa

It turns out that there is a hot pink nail polish that I will actually wear (who knew?!).  And I have Meg and Target to thank for it.  But that's not all - I have completely fallen for the New York Color - In a New York Color Minute nail colors.  At $1.72 each (at Target), these seem too good to be true.  The biggest complaint about them from other reviewers seems to be that they're too thin, but I agree with one of the MakeupAlley reviewers, who said that it makes it easier to control.  [read more...]

Rude Weather

What a week this has been.  My apologies for disappearing for a few days.  I have now taken care of the multitude of little things that needed to get sorted, and am feeling like myself once again.  Having only moved to the DC area this year and having moved in with someone who had been living here a while, I made the mistake of assuming that emergency supplies (like flashlights!) would be available in our house.  I was so, so wrong.  The morning after the power went out, I went to WalMart to buy supplies, but it was so crowded and emptying so quickly that I ended up at Target and was still looking at the last available camping lanterns, flashlights, coolers, etc.  But I was truly grateful that neighboring Ashburn had power, since the entire city of Sterling had none.


As you may know, this is hurricane country and it is that season, so I realized that this was something I might have to deal with (okay, I may have been a teensy bit in denial).  I also assumed that the area I live in would be prepared for any major storm that hit, within reason.   You know, I thought they'd be used to it.  What I didn't know, having never dealt with them before, is that hurricanes are generally polite enough to give a few days warning before they hit.  What we had was a derecho (deh-REY-cho).   A word which most of us coastal folks had never heard before, but now everyone from Chicago to the East Coast has become very familiar with.  


Derechos are hella rude, you guys. 


On Friday June 29th we had a "Super Derecho," according to The Watchers (a site that covers everything from space weather to social evolution).  To be classified as a derecho, a storm has to "cause damage over 240 miles and pack wind gusts of at least 58 miles per hour."  Our very special derecho exceeded those qualifications.  


According to a post from the Washington Post blog, Capital Weather Gang, derechos are not terribly common.  Although there were weather factors that could come together to produce quite a severe storm (for one, excessive heat, which we still have),  it was also entirely possible that nothing would happen.   Here's what the storm looked like, courtesy of Our Amazing Planet, which gave the description of a derecho as: "A rare, powerful, and long-reaching windstorm that accompanies lines of thunderstorms."

All of the videos of the storm I found on YouTube were a bit shaky, but they give you an idea of how the storm seemed to come out of nowhere.  Sure, the sky seemed a bit dark, but the biggest sign was the terrible (and terribly hot) calm before it hit.

We are now being told that we can expect another one of these in four years.  Has California fallen into the ocean yet?  I might have to go back.  But not for a few years...

I've Got the...Zzzzzzzz

Before I say anything else - the power is back on at my house!  One exclamation point will have to do, I can't even begin to describe how excited, relieved and exhausted I am - the simultaneousness (not a word) of that is exhausting in and of itself.


A hell of a lot of people are not so lucky.  The Electric Outage Summary on Dominion Power's website (and Dominion is only one of three power companies attempting to restore power right now, across the Mid-Atlantic region) says that in Northern Virginia alone, there are still 212,582 people without power.  It has been almost 48 hours since Friday's storm took out the power. Which doesn't sound that long to me, but boy did it feel like a long freaking time!  And, of course, there were several deaths because of the storm and I fear there will be more because of the heat combined with no utilities.


I have more to ramble on about (my lack of disaster-preparedness for example), but right now I'm so tired from being constantly overheated or on the move that I'm about to fall asleep on my keyboard.


But before I go, a few thank yous:


Thank you to Ludka, Maria and Sari for letting me hang out in their air-conditioned apartment, feeding me, painting my arms with face paint and sending me home with lots of watermelon.


Thank you to Jessie for offering me an air-conditioned place to stay, if I needed it, and a place to go on the 4th of July no matter what.


Thank you to my family for checking up on me frequently (even in the middle of a business trip to Ireland!) and my mom and dad for giving me a bunch of great advice on how to survive the heat.


Thank you to the Youngs for keeping me entertained and sane.


And my apologies to my refrigerator.  I know you feel empty, but at least you're clean.  

To Meg, On Her Birthday

Today is our music tastemaker Megan's birthday.  I wanted to take a moment to thank Meg for all she's done for LostGirls, but most importantly for being an amazing, lovely, talented, sensitive, caring, chock full of awesome kinda gal.  Meg is the kind of friend who doesn't just accept people for who they are, but really loves them for being themselves.  She thinks the best of people in a way that is not naive, but hopeful and gracious.  Hers is the kindest of hearts and I feel protective of her in a Mama Bear way (I think we all do).  I also think she has excellent taste in music, clothes and nail polish.  Cheers, Meg.

The Potomac on Lost in DC

Seth's Notes on the Potomac River


A visit from Seth always means I will get something interesting in the mail about the area I now live in.  Seth wrote up some notes about the Potomac River (Algonkian Regional Park, a few blocks from my house, is alongside it) during his visit in March, but I got a chance to take some pictures during his most recent visit, which are now part of this post.

“Potomac” is the Europeanized spelling of the name of an Algonkian tribe. The Algonkians called the river Cohonhoroota, meaning “river of geese.” The first Europeans to explore the river were the Spaniards in the 16^th century, followed by the English in the 17^th century. [read more...]

Wet n Wild Juicy Lip Balm Review on The Thinnest Skin

Wet n Wild Juicy SPF 15 Lip Balm in Red Raspberry


I've never been a huge fan of lip gloss, but I love tinted lip balm.  When everyone else was using Kissing Potion roller lip glosses (sticky but tasty) in the 80s, I was obsessed with Maybelline Kissing Koolers.  I loved those.  I'd totally buy those now.  They stopped making Kissing Koolers a long time ago, probably around the time that we were all convinced that dark berry-colored Revlon lipstick looked really great on us (I feel sure it didn't).   
[read more...] 

Beauty Gone By on The Thinnest Skin

A Tale of Beauty Gone By


I learned a long time ago that, in the wonderful world of beauty, you have to be careful what you get attached to.  There is always the possibility that it may not last.  From my first signature scent (Victoria's Secret Raspberry Glace - we're not counting the Coty Wild Musk I wore when I was ten here) to my favorite foot cream (LUSH Pied de Pepper), I have loved and lost quite a few beauty items.  And while I do not live in fear of a new favorite being discontinued, it is always great to hear that there is sometimes hope for a sort of resurrection.  [read more...]


An extra for you LostGirls readers: To find out the composition of a Serge Lutens fragrance, go to this site.  

Not Your Mama's Swap

I remember hearing about Freecycle for the first time, a few years ago, and thinking how great an idea it is - you get to recycle (instead of toss out) perfectly usable items.  And you have another great reason to declutter (the first reason, for me, being that clutter drains my soul), knowing that someone else will be using that item you just don't need anymore.  You also get to shop for items that you need (or want) without buyer's remorse.


Clothing swaps have been around for quite a while longer than Freecycle, but I'd never been aware of them before a lovely lady I used to work with, Kristine, introduced me to them by way of her site, DewdropDC.  Dewdrop's swaps are more "fashion swap" - not what you'd get at a standard swapmeet.  They ask that you bring at least five like-new or vintage items of clothing, pairs of shoes and/or accessories to swap for items that are "new to you."  Here's a chance for you DC locals to bring in that look that no longer works for you (but might be great on someone else) and get a whole new look to take home and wear out.

Hope to see you there:

DewdropDC Tangerine Tango Swap

Saturday, June 30, 2012 from 1pm to 4pm

at Vapiano in Bethesda, MD
For more details: dewdrop.eventbrite.com

For great opportunities to freshen up your wardrobe and declutter your style if you are not in the DC area, check out Meetup's listings. 

Hot Pink, That's the Ticket!

I try to be open to new things and other people's suggestions.  I'm not saying I'm very good at it, but I do try.  Lately I've been a bit glum and my stepmom, who treated me to a mani-pedi, suggested that I try using brighter colors in my life to help combat my negativity.  So, while we were picking out nail polish for our pedicures, she rejected all my standard color choices and asked if I wouldn't consider trying something more fun and summery.  Maybe pink?  Maybe bright freaking pink?  I found one that I thought I could live with...secure in the fact that I wore closed-toe shoes to the salon, took a deep breath and went for it.  Once all my toes were painted and I got a good look at the opalescent bright pinkness of it all, I remembered why I don't like opalescent colors (explains why I have none at home), but it was fine.  Because it's good to try new things, right?


That pink polish barely lasted twenty-four hours.  I thought I could live with it, but I was wrong.  It wasn't just the wrong pink for me, I really didn't want to be wearing a bright, happy color on my toes.  What makes me happy is looking down and seeing a deep, almost-black blue or a sparkling wine red, or even a sullen stormy gray.  I am not one for pink, especially a glittery or shimmery or opalescent one.  It is decidedly not. my. thing.  But I can say that  removing it the next morning was absolute bliss.  And even though I suck at polishing my own nails, it still makes me happy to look down and see Rock Star - a shimmery midnight blue.  That is the polish color for a girl like me.


However, my stepmom wasn't wrong.  Adding a little color when things seem unusually drab or dark is always a good idea.  So a big thank you to her and to Sara Lynn Paige, who let me know about Feria Copper Shimmer hair dye a few weeks ago.  It is truly an awesome red and just the color change I needed.  


A couple of other ways to brighten your day:


Music is another great  mood-changer and Colleen from Inspired to Share has put together some great music you should listen to: Music to Motivate (you can listen to each mix on her site).  

AND

Melissa from Embody Style is an inspiration to plus-size ladies and cute as all get out.  Keep an eye out for her recommendations on Twitter - she has great shopping recommendations - or just admire her style.  Meg and I have both had a good time admiring her Tumblr.

First Blackberry Blossom on Uncrafty

First Blackberry Blossom and How I Almost Killed My Herbs

Let's start with my pride and joy, then we can get to the killing.  My dear thornless blackberry started out (in April of this year) as a stick with a few leaves on it (okay, it had roots, too - I'm just sayin').  I can't take that much credit for how well it's doing (this time of year with all the rain, humidity and sunshine, it would be hard to keep it from growing), but I am very proud that I have not killed it.  [read more...]  

An Inappropriate Time To Be Silly

I'm going to lay some advice on you right now.  Let me clarify that this is advice that I have been given numerous times, but I seem to have a difficult time actually taking it.  Okay, here it is: 

Be your own advocate and kick butt doing it.  

All that time you spend looking out for your friends and family, giving them great advice and motivating them to take care of themselves?  Apply it to yourself, dammit.  You are most definitely worth it.


Don't wait till that medicine for your migraines that you didn't want prescribed to you gives you tremors while not actually helping your migraine symptoms and the side effects scare the heck out of both you and your houseguest.  When the doc gives you a choice between a new medicine that your health insurance would prefer you take and the one that you know works, take the stuff that you know won't turn you into a wobbly wreck.  But if you do end up getting the prescription you didn't really want (because you're a sucker), do yourself a favor and don't let the pharmacy tech intimidate you into not speaking to a pharmacist about the medicine you've never taken before just because she's lazy or mean or mental - whatever the case may be.  Because that's just silly.  And if you're going to be silly, let it not be in a way that makes you feel utterly horrible for several hours while sending your blood pressure shooting through the roof.  Yes?


I speak from personal experience.  


Today was a mighty rough day and I can't change that, but I am going to do my best to take my own advice - taking care of myself, standing up for myself, knowing my own worth and being silly in an appropriate way, for a change.  I hope you'll do the same, if you aren't already.

The Scent of Change on The Thinnest Skin

The Scent of Change

Years ago, my stepmother gave me a bottle of CK Be as a Christmas present.  I remember thinking it was strange for her to give me what I thought of as a masculine scent, when I was at that time wearing a light fruity floral (I was trying to be more feminine and was wearing Victoria's Secret Raspberry Glace, which was shortly thereafter discontinued).  I also wondered if she was trying to tell me something by giving me the black-bottled CK Be while gifting the simple transparent CK One to my brother.  Was she commenting on the state of my soul?  Would she be wrong if she was?  [read more...]

357 Acres of Nature & History on Lost in DC

357 Acres of Nature and History in Sterling


When my stepmother isn't traveling for work on a hectic schedule, she gets to work from home.  After yet another short trip to China (long flight, short stay), one would assume that she would be delighted to stay home for a few weeks.  The problem is (we recently agreed on this), working from home for even a short period of time can be so comfortable that you forget to even stand up and stretch every so often.  And it is really hard to leave the house because you're so busy working...and it's so comfortable...and relaxing...and everything you need is there.  It's a trap, to be sure.


The great thing about blogging, for me, is that it forces me to get out every once in a while, even if I have not a dime to spend.  Sterling is all new to me, so even a long work or a short drive is bound to uncover something interesting [read more...]

A Personal History of Fragrance on The Thinnest Skin

A Personal History of Fragrance

Why do we wear fragrance?  How do we choose one that is right for us?  Is it based on memories of how people we love smelled?  Is it based on how we want to feel on a particular day?  Or who we are trying to attract?  Even those people who can’t wear perfume in spray form (allergies or irritation) find a way of fragrancing themselves, maybe with a solid perfume, an oil or a scented lotion.  Perfume has a long, interesting and sometimes even disturbing history (Parfum a la Guillotine, anyone?).  Mary and I have been discussing her love of perfume and its history and we have decided to share a few things with you over the next few weeks that we have discovered.
  

For this post, I used the wonderful fragrance directory from BaseNotes.net to take a look at the fragrances I associate most with my parents and if they are at all responsible for the scents I have chosen to wear over the years.  [read more...]

Garnier BB Cream Review on The Thinnest Skin

Beauty on a Budget: Garnier Skin Renew Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream

My first impression of Garnier's BB Cream was that it smelled like a grandma (which is a good smell, in a comforting way, but not one I want to be associated with quite yet), but it was very easy to apply.  Since the Clinique one I've been using (which I do like) has to be mixed with some face cream/lotion to spread over my skin easily, I thought it drew about even.  I also assumed the smell would go away.  [read more...]

New Post on The Thinnest Skin

Beauty on a Budget

Lately I've been thinking a lot about how best to take care of my skin, hair, etc. while on a rather tight budget.  One of the biggest challenges for me is to figure out what I (think I) can and can't live without.  Even after simplifying my beauty routine and deciding what type of products I always want to have on hand, I still need to figure out if I'm going to buy all of my beauty items at the drugstore, find them online at a discount, or pick and choose between the cheap side and the store that ex-significant others really wished I would stop going to.  If I decide that I cannot live without that $70 hand cream, I also have the option of giving up the $35 apiece shampoo and conditioner that I've been using.  What I need to do is find products that are inexpensive (and sometimes that's comparative), but actually work - then I can find a better balance.  [read more...]

New Post on Lost in DC

No One Goes There

I have only been to a handful of cities and towns in Northern Virginia so far, but the other day I came across a tweet from someone who was snarkily asking why one of those places is listed on signs for Route 66.  According to her, no one goes there (I got the impression that she meant no one of consequence).  As one of the few places I've ventured to since moving here, I was a bit surprised.  Then dismayed by the fact that this rather snobby comment was retweeted by a Virginia magazine (I'm still trying to figure out why).  [read more...]

New Post on The Thinnest Skin

Vote for the Unruliness


I need a haircut like nobody's business and what better opportunity will I have to involve you in life altering decisions?!  If you would like to vote on my next haircut (my hair details are below):  Follow LostGirl DCon Pinterest, then make comments on the pin or pins of your choice on The Thinnest Skin: Vote Here pinboard.  [read more...] 

"Like Scrambled Eggs...But Notes"

Don't just sit there, watch this:

Meg put this video on our LostGirls Music pinboard on Pinterest and I finally got around to watching it today...and couldn't look away or stop smiling.  Well, at first I thought it was just something a little funky, but I trust the Meg and it paid off.


Okay, now go over to the left sidebar and click play on that MP3 widget:


If you haven't checked it out already, we've replaced the last rather crappy MP3 widget with one we have more control over.  It now features clips from the music mix in our store,  so saunter on over to the left sidebar (below the blogroll) and hit the play button.  You only have to hit play once to hear the mix and the price of each MP3 will come up for you, in case you're interested in downloading the whole song for yourself (if no price is listed, click through - a few of these, like Father John Misty, are currently free on Amazon).  If you like what you hear but aren't necessarily interested in buying, you can watch the videos for all of these songs (plus extras from some musicians and songs not available on Amazon that we love) on our pinboard.


Thanks for the sharing:  Meg, Revaz, NPR All Songs Considered and Colleen from Inspired to Share

Slideshow vs Scattered Photos

Thank you, Megan, for the suggestion to try something different with photos.  Picasa has a "movie" function that is basically a slideshow (you can add music to it, as well).  I took the pictures from my first ZooFari post on Lost in DC and made them into a movie to give it a test drive.  Let me know what you guys think.

SLIDESHOW WAS HERE

=

EPIC FAIL

Another Word on Change

Dear Reader,


A couple of days ago I wrote a really lengthy post about changing up my routine (in life, in general, as well as on the blogs).  Aside from consolidating The Black Thumb and Crafts for the Uncrafty into Uncrafty, I have asked a few friends to let me know what they think could be changed about the blogs, especially LostGirls.  


I've had some really great recommendations and, I realize some of it comes down to personal preference, but I figure it can't hurt to try a few things differently and see how you, our readers, feel about it.  Admittedly, this site exists partly as an outlet for me and my collaborators, but its main purpose is to entertain and involve YOU.  We always want to know what we could be doing better.  And, since I'm new at this, I know there's a lot of room for improvement.


The first thing I'm going to try is writing shorter posts.  This may mean splitting up a long piece over a few days, so we'll see how that works.  It's been suggested that the post Home and Habit was way too long for one day.  I know I have a tremendously short attention span when it comes to reading other people's blogs sometimes, mostly just because I'm busy.  I know you all are, too.  We are also, as a team, working on some posts that will involve more than one of the LostGirls blogs.  Something to look forward to - I'm really excited about that one.


The second thing I'm going to work on is how pictures are posted.  I find Blogger limiting in that regard, but I'm going to try a few widgets to see if I can put slideshows up instead of a long post that is mostly pictures.  If you have any ideas, I would more than welcome them!


The last thing I'm going to work on for this week is to update the LostGirls Store.  I've already cleaned it up a bit (fewer categories), but I'm also going to attempt to write descriptions and/or reviews for the products listed.  I really love the items I put in our store, but I do love to shop a bit too much.  I'm still working on it, but check out the Gifts section.  I think you'll like it.


I hope you'll stop by and check out the changes and let me know what you think.  I'd love to hear from you and I really appreciate you reading our blog.

Much Love,

   LostGirls Jess

P.S.
Don't be afraid to leave a comment - we'd love to have an open discussion about improving the LostGirls world! 

The Black Thumb: A Change of Venue

After writing yesterday about getting more organized and creating a routine to keep me sane and healthy (on LostGirls), I spent some time going over my stats for all five LostGirls sites.  I kept thinking about the small amount of pageviews that The Black Thumb has (it also has a very small amount of posts and comments).  The more I thought about why I still want to write about gardening (even though I'm an absolute beginner at it), the more I realized that it is more practical for me to put my gardening posts on Uncrafty (formerly known as Crafts for the Uncrafty).  Uncrafty has always been about trying new things, learning more about crafts and various arts.  Gardening certainly fits in with that, especially at the basic level that I'm writing about.  So The Black Thumb still exists on its own URL (with posts from 4/13/12 to 5/26/12), but any new posts will be part of the Uncrafty world.  


If you are still interested in following our gardening posts (I say "our" because other people have asked to eventually contribute or collaborate), the right sidebar of Uncrafty has a variety of ways to keep track of us: on Facebook (via NetworkedBlogs), on Twitter, through an RSS subscription (posts and comments) or via email.  Thank you for reading!