Remind me…
July 1, 2009 | Filed under: Grace in Small Things, Oh what a year it was
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
I’m doing that thing that I hate.
I started a new project today. An awesome project and to be honest with you, given the year that I’ve had, this is pretty much the highlight.
I cannot wait to tell you all about. Just remind me.
Day 1,825
June 29, 2009 | Filed under: BlogHer
“Life is an endless struggle full of frustrations and challenges, but eventually you find a hair stylist you like.” ~Author Unknown
A few weeks ago a friend’s wife who happens to work at my favorite area day spa, mentioned something about a blow out. Before she could get the words fully formed from her lips I clasped her hands in mine and told her YES! YES! YES! Of course you can blow my hair out. Have at it. Just really put your back into it and don’t be surprised if it takes over two hours.
I don’t think I’ve mentioned this but because of the natural state of the mass on my head I haven’t ventured into a salon for anything other than a mani/pedi in over two years. Which means for two straight years I’ve been scrubbing at my own scalp with nary a nice deep massage. So that someone else wanted to do it? I was waiting for the heavens to open up and drop dollar bills onto me while she went at my scalp.
When it came to the blowdrying – my God – every time someone asks if I ever blow dry and straighten my own hair I ask just how high they are. It requires levels of ambidexterity fit for Zeus. And at the end there’s the popping of codeine for the pain of having contorted my arms in such a way that I can feel it down to my ass. So no, I don’t blow dry my own hair.
While blowing and straightening, Karla and I chatted about my hair and it’s boring history of relaxers and how five years ago I was like fuck this noise and decided to just go for the ‘natural’ look. No sense fighting it. Also I don’t have the will power to fight anything that is bigger and stronger than I am and could probably sprout legs and run away. So she’s asking me about my parents’ hair. My father is bald which means that now all of my brothers have receding hairlines and my mother has been gray since 17. I found myself relatively gray-less. Just one stray towards the front of my head that I barely noticed but took pride in because, awwww, I have one gray hair. Isn’t that cute?
She kept blow drying and straightening and the more she straightened the more little white hairs popped up. They formed a nice little trail from the left side of my head. Sprinkled about as if waiting for Hansel and Gretel to find their way back home. There they were, one after another with a few in the back. The more Karla straightened the more I could feel my eyes widening and the more she apologized and remarked how normally I’d never be able to see them because my hair is so curly and the more I thought about freezing my eggs because I’M AGING!
After I took my Lipitor with a shot of Ensure and came to, Karla trimmed my hair and voila! It’s no longer seven different lengths. Below is what it looks like now with nary a sight of a gray hair. This shot actually was taken on day 1,825 of growing my hair out. I tease my friend Karen who is also growing her hair out because she’s on day 70 (maybe?) and is waiting patiently for it to grow. I’d tell ehr that after day 1,700 that her hair might take a life of its own, little creatures are going to form colonies and every time she loses one hair 15 more come in its place. And the best part is that it’s like a giant magnetic field that draws hands to it like a pregnant woman’s belly.
I’d tell her all of that but it would be so much more fun for her to find out on her own.
Speaking of hair: Danielle of Foodmomiac and Susan of…well, you know Susan because sometimes I should just rename this site No Pasa Susan. Anyway, we’re holding a party in Chicago during BlogHer. It’s been so much fun to work with them on this because while I never hold parties I love to think about how they would go if I were to plan one. But that only leads to strife as I think about how many people wouldn’t show because there’s a giant L tattooed on my head. Regardless we’re holding a party at Sparrow Hair an amazing Chicago area salon where Danielle gets her hair done. Here’s where you come in, we’d like to find 15 of you lovely ladies attending BlogHer to get your very! own! hair make over! Exciting right? The rules are below and I cannot wait to see what you all come up with.
And if you have grays, we can commiserate together.
The rules:
1. If you are coming to BlogHer and want a hair makeover, post a photo or video on your site, showing us why you need one. Please be sure to include links to our three sites and to Sparrow Hair.
2. Post a link to your post in the comments of this post, or Susan or Heather’s posts once those are live.
3. All entries must be in by July 3.
3. All entries will be judged by the lovely ladies of Sparrow and by the super-talented Whoorl of Hair Thursday.
4. We will select and announce 15 finalists. These women will all be invited to attend a special party at Sparrow Hair on the Thursday afternoon before BlogHer.
5. At the party, we will announce the four winners and document the makeovers.
6. Before and after photos will be showcased on all of our sites, sending the winners lots of link love in addition to the joy they are already receiving from their new hairdos.
Posted by nopasanada @ 9:54 am | 17 Comments
“We are all from the Cosby Show”
June 23, 2009 | Filed under: Humdrum, The object of my obsession
I’ve been meaning to write about this since the election. The way people spoke and speak of the First Family like they’re some sort of anomoly. “Black people. Doing well. Going to college?! Well..I NEVER..” But it’s true. We attend private universities, skip our debut into society, we produce lawyers and lobbyists and wear pearls and “act white”. And I’m never sure how to respond to that last one. Yet there are black people that do all of these things and more! It’s crazy! I know! I’ll write more about this later but for now read this from New York Magazine. And really, where will the Obamas ’summer’:
This is particularly true among parents, who talk about the importance of introducing their children to other black upper-class families so they can know they’re not as peculiar as they might feel. “Black kids need to be around successful black families, because other blacks from humble beginnings want you to apologize for being successful,” says psychiatrist Carlotta Miles. “On the Vineyard, you don’t need excuses or self-consciousness or defensiveness.” Drew Dixon Williams grew up in Washington, D.C., where her mother, Sharon Pratt, served as mayor, and she spent summers on the island. “It’s sort of embarrassing to say this, coming from Washington,” she says, “but I used to say with a straight face—because I was too young to know better—that I would get my black experience on Martha’s Vineyard. I didn’t have to be defensive about not being black enough or being black in the first place. We were all from The Cosby Show.”
Posted by nopasanada @ 12:56 pm | 7 Comments
Pride
June 17, 2009 | Filed under: Fotografias
“Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind,
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind.”
~William Shakespeare, Mid-Summer Night’s Dream
Pride was this past weekend. There is just something about a bright blue sky full of rainbows and a belly full of beer that makes things just a little bit better. I like seeing people smitten with the weather and with each other. No matter who that other person may be.
Full Set Here
Posted by nopasanada @ 9:30 pm | 7 Comments
In Real Life
June 15, 2009 | Filed under: BlogHer, Blogology, Socially Awkward Barbie™
“Like other parties of the kind, it was first silent, then talky, then argumentative, then disputatious, then unintelligible, then altogether, then inarticulate, and then drunk. When we had reached the last step of this glorious ladder, it was difficult to get down again without stumbling. ” ~George Gordon Byron
It was during my 2006 trip to BlogHer when I made it known that if I knew you prior to flying across the country then I would attach myself to your ass for the duration of the trip. And because my dear Amy – who I was once upon a time afraid of – was attending I welcomed myself to her left shoulder and made her drag me around introducing me to people who would never remember my name. Like Tracey and Y. You know, those people who still are unaware of my existence. My favorite part, the part that I have relayed to others time and time again now because it’s funny then because I think I used the phrase “…punch a motherfucker” after this occured; is when some found out that I was Amy’s baby sitter and then requested to know why Amy would bring her baby sitter to a conference. But ‘Baby Sitter’ was said in a tone like I didn’t belong and/or had no other profession except for baby sitting and/or might have some venereal disease.
Let it be known that unless someone looks at you like you’re the help and then announces it to the world, then I promise that you will have a far better time at BlogHer than I did that year.
***
It is a truth not so universally acknowledged by anyone except for myself that I am not a people person. There is this comfort I get being in close quarters and in deep conversation with one to five people. It’s like my own version of a snuggie. When I’m tossed into a room with 156 people I carry a paper bag in my back pocket and a stash of Klonopin in my front. It’s the only way for me to stay level and not run heading for the hills or in a drunken stupor licking someone or smacking somone’s ass because I’m too drunk due to anxiety. In the immortal words of Heather Armstrong “Be ye not so stupid”.
***
1) Do not get drunk and dance on a table in front of 950 people with DSLRs would be my first and most important rule of attending BlogHer. BlogHer is not Fight Club. People will talk about that shit and next thing you know there’s a photo of you on Flickr flashing the world. Don’t be that girl.
2) It’s okay to part with your laptop. I get it. Yours is new and pretty and the battery lasts for 39 hours but I also am a fan of my shoulders and there’s really never any need for carrying one around at all times. I can tell you now exactly what I’ll be carrying: My havana hobo or wyeth bag, camera, business cards, sweater, maybe a flask depending on how my trip to Philly right before goes, my red moleskine and my Great Big Book of Ideas, my iPhone, lip gloss.
3) Dress like you would any other day of the week. There’s a lot of hand wringing and hyperventilating that goes on when a bunch of women get together. Notice how you never hear of men worrying about the state of their nails, eyebrows, hair or if their ass looks fat in a particular pair of jeans? But women. My God. And I’m counting myself in the bunch we care. Hell, I’m already worried about how much hair product I’ll be able to smuggle on the plane but if you saw my hair in its natural state and the way it walks into a room by itself, you’d want something to tame it down as well. But clothing wise – and be on the look out for a very special series on BeautyHacks on this – bring what you would normally wear. I bring 15 jersey knit dresses from JCrew because I own 15 jersey knit dresses from JCrew and that is what I wear all of the time. Bring shoes that are comfy but cute for shopping and conferencing and I strongly suggest cardigans. A lady can never have too many cardigans. Just be yourself.
4) At some point you will see someone you love/admire/have always wanted to stalk here is what you should do this based on personal experience and after a few unpleasant experiences last summer: Go up and talk to that person. Put your hand out, tap them on the shoulder, whatever but say hi. If you catch me in a good mood, I’ll probably hug you. If you catch me in a bad mood point me in the direction of the bar and then we’ll be new BFFs. People are just people. Bloggers do not possess magic, super powers that makes them holier than thou so really if you want to say hi, say hi.
a) You should have business cards. Always have business cards. Business cards should/can include the following: Name, site, URL, email (optional, twitter, other sites you write, a little about yourself).
I’ve seen pretty inventive things like condom lollipops and tampons. Have fun with it and you want it to be memorable.
5) There will be parties and there is a comprehensive list right here. As far as I know all of the parties on that list are open to all and anyone. Let’s say that there is a party that you want to attend I’m sure someone will drag you along but I’m saying this as nicely as possible: Who gives a flying fuck if you weren’t invited to a party? Really. Don’t worry about it and if you weren’t invited then start your own.
6) Some just like to party others like to learn and then there are the others who through some divine miracle can party like a rockstar and be up at 7 AM the following morning for yoga and a jog around the lake. I like to do a little bit of both; I like to mingle and I actually enjoy attending the sessions. It depends on what you feel comfortable with. Sometimes it’s just nice to relax and have a conversation on branding your blog with two people as opposed to two hundred. There is always someone or something going on to keep you from the madness if you need to get away (Example: The Shutter Suite) The agenda is here. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing just worry about making good use of your time out there participating in as much or as little as you’d like. And if you get
7) If you’re looking for me I’ll be in my room while Kelly drags me out by my hair and tells me to get my ass in gear. If I’m not in my room I’ll be standing in a little clump with Susan and Chris trying not to cry because THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE. But that’s a good thing right? It’s fun to see something grow and adapt to different groups of women. I’m not saying that because they pay me and I’m so broke that I’m contemplating prostitution but because I do believe in what BlogHer is doing. They have put on a better conference than the last year after year and I cannot wait to bogart some drink tickets and take in Chicago once again.
Though not two paragraphs ago I said not to worry about what others are doing I will say that it’s always nice to have a buddy. A go to type person who you know you can call and count on to hang out with you when you’re feeling like no one knows who you are and you will be all alone at every party but you weren’t even invited to parties and p.s. everyone hates you. No one hates you but it’s nice to have someone to reassure you that you are not crappiest person on Earth. I love having a buddy. Leah and Sarah (and Susan and Chris, duh) make excellent BlogHer buddies.9) Have fun. Really. Please, for me and the baby Jesus, have fun.
Posted by nopasanada @ 6:46 pm | 20 Comments
