Things I Have Seen On Pinterest Recently

                                                                                     Source: onlyforgirls.net via Liane on Pinterest

Candles in Mason Jars

Flowers in Mason Jars

Candles in Mason jars hanging from trees

Tiny kittens

Even tinier dogs

"How to tie a side braid"

"How to make a side ponytail"

"How to braid your side ponytail"

Twee engagement photos set in a renovated bowling alley featuring people in their mid to late thirties posted by single people in their late teens/early 20s

DIY wedding table centerpieces involving Mason jars

DIY kitchen cabinets made from pieces of driftwood

A quote by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich misattributed to Marilyn Monroe  screen printed onto a tote bag

$800 high heels labeled "Work shooz!!!"

Some water channel in Venice that everyone wants to visit, but is actually just a smelly alley with good afternoon lighting

Gluten-free raspberry lime cupcakes

Gluten-free raspberry lime cupcakes in Mason jars

EVERYTHING IN MASON JARS


*None of these apply to my Pinterest boards because they are awesome.

Mixtape Memories

I recently jumped on the Spotify bandwagon after reading this awesome article about stalking people's playlists. I then realized that I hadn't made a playlist or music mix in F-O-R-E-V-E-R. This was slightly depressing because I spent a decent chunk of my mid-teens to early 20's making mixes for myself, for friends, and for guys I wanted to bone. Of course, the irony of making a mix for someone else is that most of the time it simply screams "LOOK HOW AWESOME AND COOL I AM. I HAVE GREAT TASTE IN MUSIC. DON'T I??"more so than including anything the listener would actually like. I  got a dose of this recently because my Ipod adaptor in my car broke so I've been listening to some of the mix tapes I made and received back in high school. They are both awesome and embarrassing, as only time capsules from another era can be. I'd highly recommend it.

Somewhere along the line (roughly around the time I got my first mac) I got lazy and started letting iTunes do the mixing for me (Damn you, Shuffle and Genius!) Now, I am by no means a technophobe but part of the art of making the perfect mix has disappeared. Remember how long it used to take to make a mixtape? How you'd have to sit there and listen to every song while it recorded and then allow for the proper amount of silence in between each song pass? How you'd curse yourself if you got distracted and let the next track bleed over before scrambling to press the STOP button? Or maybe you added wrong and the last thirty seconds of Train In Vain got cut off and now your whole afternoon just went down the shitter because Tommyistotallygonnathinkyoureaposer? Ah, those were the good old days....

For the past few years I've mostly just done an End of the Year mix that catalogues all the notable songs I listened to for whatever reason. It's like an audio scrapbook of bands I discovered, songs I couldn't stop listening to, or the soundtrack to memorable moments. If a picture is worth a thousand words, a song can be worth a thousand more. 

Anyways, Spotify made me realize how small my original scope of mixes had been. I had only been doing it since about 2007, but I could totally take it further! Enter 2006 mix, College mix, and High School mix. I figured I should probably do them now, while I still remember. Maybe it took a couple of hours that I'll never get back, but it was nice to revisit my younger days and track how my musical tastes have changed (Man, I really loved The Get Up Kids for awhile) and what has remained steady favorites over the years (Peter Gabriel, I love you even more now).

My Life Via Disney Song

Who knew a Disney song could so thoroughly capture the ennui I've been experiencing as of late? Granted, I've identified with this song since 1992. I mean, come on. Belle has brown hair, reads a lot, and everyone things she's a weirdo. Story. Of. My life.

I only wish Disney proposed a more practical solution to Belle's problems. Preferably one that doesn't involve almost-bestiality.

*side note: I was recently describing the plot of the early 90s tv show Beauty and The Beast to someone. You know, the one where Linda Hamilton is a reporter or something who falls in love or is maybe just platonic with a lion man that lives in NYC's sewer system? This is an actual show that existed on tv at some point and yet we continue to live in a world without Arrested Development.

Now, the Disney song I wish captured my life right now? Well, that's easy:

Rant: In Defence of Healthy Eating

I read a really interesting article on Slate today that floated the idea that healthy eating has become tied to elitism and, even more alarmingly, that we don't eat better because we don't think we're worth it. After eating mostly organic during my two-week stay with my aunt and cousin, I can see this. In fact, even as I wrote that sentence I was tempted to add the disclaimer that my aunt is breast-feeding, hence the all-organic diet. But, why should that even matter?

In most cases, eating food that is fresh, locally-produced, and organic is better for you. Is it also more expensive? Usually, yes. Is it more expensive than the dollar menu? Absolutely. But, it's food. I know times are tough for everyone right now, but even I (a person without a job) have chosen to spend money on things rather than on making better food choices.

I'm not saying that eating healthy is easy--lord knows I don't eat well for every meal. But the thought that it's become an elitest/self-worth issue is just sad to me. We all deserve to eat wholesome food that tastes good. If that isn't always an option, that's one thing. But no one should feel ashamed or discouraged for trying to do so.

I'm reminded of the whole idea of making "small changes" to lose weight. What about making small changes to eat better? If you can't afford to buy all organic, just buy organic eggs or meat or whatever. LearnVest posted this handy sheet that outlines eating organic on a budget. And, of course, organic isn't the only way to eat better. Whole grains over white flour, seasonal fruit and veg over shit flown in from thousands of miles away, fresh over processed food--whatever your into, there's a way to make it work for you. Does it mean you can never eat another 20 piece mcnugget meal by yourself at 3 am? Of course not. It just means you're trying to do something good for you. Because you ARE worth it.