Waving goodbye

Today is my last day living in India. I fly back to the States at 9:10pm this evening. Not only will I be leaving behind the tough times I've had here, but I will also be leaving my heart. Brandon will be staying for another month. Although we have dated long distance and been apart for more months on end, for some reason, this will be the most difficult thing I've had to do thus far. When you completely abandon the way you live to come to the other side of the earth for another person, it really puts your life into perspective.

Living here has not been easy. There are things about myself that I missed. I missed being able to express myself with clothing, and talking and laughing with the people I saw every day back home. I missed be able to go outside without feeling like an animal in a zoo. I missed the freedom of feeling independent. Although this culture is vastly different, I can respect where the people are coming from. That is to say to an extent. I hated being spoken about as if I were not in the room, by certain men. I hated the fact that there is a false sense of cultural stability. I hated the fact that homosexuality was blocked out as if it didn't exist. All of these things made me angry. I can only hope that one day, more people here will be open to different kinds of individuals and cultures. I hope for the tolerance among the religions and yearning to learn and think outside the box. I wish this country nothing but the best and will always carry my time here with fondness, for I learned how truly lucky I am to have been born in a country that, on the whole, will accept me however I choose to live and express myself.

While I sat in our apartment, most days, surrounded by the sounds of the neighborhood, I would get lonely. But eventually, loneliness turned into ingenuity. Ingenuity turned into letters and blogs and screenplays. I wasn't afraid to sing loudly anymore and I wasn't afraid to dance like no one was looking, because, well, no one was. I will take all these things home with me. I will remember what I learned here and make sure that every day is worth living and learning and holding with you. I will take the love I get from Brandon every day and put more love out into the world. I have gotten nothing but support from him while I've been here. I think if you can survive in a developing country with no one but the one you love, well, that's pretty damn good, if you ask me. So India, to you, I say "Adieu", to Brandon I say, "See you in a month, my love", and to America, I say, "See you soon...."

The Oscars

The 81st Annual Academy Awards

This was one of the best shows that I've seen put on by the Academy. It was very subdued and elegant. Intimate, seems the best way to accurately describe it. While Slumdog Millionare was the night big winner, there was no shortage of glamour on the red carpet. Here are a few of my favorite images and moments of the evening.

Marion Cotillard, last year's winner of Best Actress was stunning. She was joined by Sophia Loren, Shirley MacLaine, Halle Berry, and Nicole Kidman in describing each of this year's nominees in a personal fashion. Kate Winslet took home the Oscar for The Reader.
Angelina Jolie, statuesque as always.
New comer to the red carpet Amanda Seyfried.

I was so happy to see that all the young actors from slumdog were able to attend.

This was by far my favorite moment of the night......

Heath LedgerTHE DARK KNIGHT

Heath Ledger portrays the Joker, a psychopathic criminal mastermind who will stop at nothing in his scheme to outwit and humiliate Batman.

ACCEPTANCE SPEACH

Kim Ledger:

First of all, I have to say this is ever so humbling. Just being amongst such wonderful people, such a wonderful industry. Firstly, I'd like to thank the Academy for recognizing our son's amazing work, Warner Bros. and Christopher Nolan in particular, for allowing Heath the creative license to develop and explore this crazy Joker character. To Steve Alexander, Heath's mentor, special friend and agent for 10 years. We love you, Steve. This award tonight would've humbly validated Heath's quiet determination to be truly accepted by you all here, his peers, within an industry he so loved. Thank you.

Sally Bell:

Heath was such a compassionate and generous soul who added so much excitement and inspiration to our lives. We have been truly overwhelmed by the honor and respect being bestowed upon him with this award. Tonight, we are choosing to celebrate and be happy for what he has achieved.

Kate Ledger:

Heath, we both knew what you had created in the Joker was extraordinarily special and had even talked about being here on this very day. We really wish you were, but we proudly accept this award on behalf of your beautiful Matilda. Thank you.

I watch this show every year. It brings me such joy. No matter where my life and career and dreams may lie, this show brings me hope reminds me why I do what I do.

Tea Tin Candles

Making Candles in Tins
Tea tins are ideal for making these simple but effective container candles. However, you can also use olive oil jugs, sardine cans, or any other tin imaginable to make beautiful and colorful displays!

Supplies:
Four 6-inch-length wire-core wicks, primed
4 wick holders
4 tin cans, approximately 4 inches deep and 2 inches wide
2.5 ounces stearin
1 disk wax dye, if desired
1.5 pounds paraffin wax

Directions:
1. Insert a length of primed wick into each wick holder and place a wick in the center of each tin.
2. In the top of a double boiler over medium heat, melt the stearin and wax dye, if using.
3. Add the wax. Melt and mix thoroughly. Heat to 190 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Anchor the wicks in the tins by pouring enough wax into each tin to cover about 1/2 inch of each wick. Allow the wax to cool for about 30 minutes.
5. Wrap the end of the wicks around tie rods and rest the rods on the tops of the containers. Take up any slack in the wicks and center them within the tins. Be careful not to dislodge the anchors.
6. Reheat the wax to 190 degrees Fahrenheit and fill the tins to within 1/2 inch of the top. Allow to cool for one hour.
7. If the wax settles, reheat the remaining wax to 190 degrees Fahrenheit and top off the candles as necessary.
8. Cool for several hours or overnight. Remove the tie rods, trim the wicks to 1/4 inch, and the candles are ready to light.

http://www.countryliving.com/crafts/projects/candles-tins-0109?src=rss

This project originally appeared in the book Country Living Homemade Candles.

Tree Houses

I always wanted a tree house as a kid. In this new greener age, people are actually trading them in for their permanent residence. Here are a few that caught my eye.

Source: www.treehugger.com

Source: www.barbarabutler.com

Source: www.freshome.com

This one comes from inside The Tree House Book by Peter and Judy Nelson.

It reminds me of the Weasley's house in Harry Potter.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0789304112/leavingamericareA

One day, when I have a big back yard, I will build one of these for my children. But, I'll probably use it for myself at any chance I get.

Repurpose Thursday

These ideas are all thanks to www.realsimple.com

Permanent Marker

Cover small bleach spots on black garments.

Save a photograph. Use a permanent marker, such as a Sharpie, to black out unsightly red-eye in prints.

Fill in scuffs and scratches on shoes, furniture, or a car’s interior.

Update a lamp shade. Apply a guide of masking tape around the bottom of a lamp shade, a half inch from the edge, then use a marker to color in a dark border. Repeat for the top edge. For the more artistically ambitious, make a design on the shade with a stencil to create a filigreed or stained-glass effect when the light shines through.







"Hello, My Name Is"



Maintain your book collection. Write your name on the tags and stick them inside book covers so borrowers know where to return your best sellers.



Keep track of coats at a party. When a guest arrives, jot the person’s name on a tag and attach it to his or her coat. Then, as people leave, you can quickly retrieve the right black wool peacoat from among the many.



Send a letter using a name tag as an address label.



Sort dishes. Label the bases of pans and Tupperware containers at a potluck dinner so each one is returned to its proper owner.







Transparent Tape



Prepare to pucker up. For a smoother finish, press the sticky side of a piece of tape to your lips to remove dry skin (that is not cracked) before applying lipstick.



Identify plants. Use clear tape to cover seed markers in the garden. You’ll be able to read the names all season long, rain or shine.



Try a new color. Find out what “Hot Tamale” nail polish will look like on you. Place a small piece of tape on your fingernail, then brush on a test coat.



Arrange flowers. Clear tape, when applied across the mouth of a vase in a grid formation, makes an invisible guide for arranging flowers.



Seal the frayed end of a shoelace.


Get hung up. Before hanging a picture on a plaster wall, put a small piece of tape where the nail will go. This will prevent the plaster from chipping when you hammer in the nail.






Corkboard




Soak it up. Cut a corkboard liner for the bottom of an umbrella stand.



Place under doormats, seat cushions, and laptops — anything on a slick surface — to keep them from sliding around.



Store hair accessories. Mount the corkboard on a wall and hang thin hair bands, elastics, and clips with thumbtacks or hooks.



Slip corkboard sheets under plates for a new take on place mats. Use letter stamps to personalize them with family members’ names or an appropriate message (“Bon appétit!”).


Cut into four-inch squares to use as minimalist coasters.

More to Do In 2009

Another thing I need to do this year is GET ORGANIZED! I know they have profeesionals now that you can hire to come into your house and fix each room for you. But, seriously, why would I want to hire someone to do something that surely I can figure out how to do on my own. (Says a very bitter young woman, who has what you would call organized chaos. )

I know where everything is, but I would love for it to look pretty in the process. I will be avidly searching for lovely ways to make sure everything is in it's place.

Images via http://lily-gonline.blogspot.com/

In these ever changing times...

I have a new rule this year: If I buy something new, I have to get rid of something old. But at the same time, why buy when you can repurpose instead?

This interesting lighting fixture is made of bic pens.

Thanks to Martha, you can make bottle cap push pins or magnets.

Old records can be turned into coasters. Image thanks to www.urbanoutfitters.com.

www.Craftybits.com has a bunch of awesome projects. Here are the intructions for t-shirt pillows.

Materials:

Old T-shirt

Filling Needle

thread or craft glue

For this project you can use old t-shirts that are in good condition that you may have out grown or accidentally shrunk in the wash. Or perhaps its a t-shirt of a loved one who is away or departed. If you are making this project in a large group you can obtain the t-shirts from your local thrift shop.

Start by laying out the shirt flat on a table. You can either sew the edges or glue them the choice is yours. Stitching will be more durable but for kids or a quick craft you can just glue the seams. Glue or stitch the bottom of the shirt and the arm holes closed. Leave the neck area open for the filling. A soft fiber fill stuffing will work well, but you can use other items such as beans, foam chunks or old rags. Gently fill the shirt until it is nice and plump looking, then either glue or sew the neck hole closed with small stitches.

For a fun effect add some badges to the t-shirt pillow.

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day

Image Via www.trekearth.com

Image vi www.flikr.com

This comes from www.FFFFound.com

This is Teddy Roosevelt's diary. On this day, his wife of four years, Alice Lee, died of Bright’s disease.

I hope you all can be with the ones you love today.

Fishs Eddy

This store is one of my absolute favorites. I discovered it by accident when some of my best friends in college got jobs here. It is filled with dishes and glasses and all sorts of goodies and for amazing prices. Not only do they have unique sets of dinnerware, but they also keep stacks of extras from around the word. You can mix and match plated however you please, some as low as $1. And they are constnatly coming out with new and exciting patterns. These are a few I'm currently crushing on.

Strip Tea Glassware

Stir up things at the bar and sip into something more comfortable with our favorite Strip Tea glass.

Memo Glassware

If you played a lot of hooky it might be a bad reminder. For the rest...this penmanship pattern wins first prize!

Alice Glassware

Four great glasses; one f*#@*-up gal! Invite Alice to dinner and toast to the entire tea party!

When I was a kid

When I was a kid, my school had a carnival every year. And every year it fell on my birthday week. Once I left high school, I didn't go to that carnival anymore. I don't know why. Maybe it was because I lived far away, or maybe because a part of me thought I was too old. I miss that carnival now. I hope this year, wherever I am, I can make the time to visit. There is just something so magical about those rides.

The Swings.

If you close your eyes, it's almost like flying.
The Ferris Wheel.
No matter how slow it goes, you can always get that funny feeling when it goes over the top. Not to mention, what a view.

The Merry-Go-Round

Whether you're 8 or 80, a painted horse is just as fun as riding a real one. You always race to get the one you want and if you're lucky, you might just grab the fated brass ring.

Today's Goal

This is my goal for the day.... thanks to http://ffffound.com/

DIY Napkin Monogramming

I had every intention on doing a long post about the people nearest and dearest to me, but alas, I am a bit under the weather today. After a few hours of hand-picking pictures, I finally had to lay down. But before I head to bed, I wanted to put up this cute idea for DIY napkin monogramming. Lots of parties and weddings these days have personalized napkins that really add that extra something to a place setting. Theses napkins are done with rubber stamps. You can get premade stamps at Michaels for only a few dollars. There are plenty of websites that will also do personalized stamps with your initials or your theme, but to be honest, they are a little pricey. Michaels has hundreds of stamps in all sorts of themes and different fonts. This is a fabulous touch on the cheap.

All You Need Is Love

These are some of the most amazing people I know. I will tell you why they are so special to me.

Hope is my neighbor and a great piano teacher. I went to high school with here sons and she is my #1 fan.

Andrew is one of my sister's best friends. He is also like another brother to me.

Scott and I went to high school together. Although we were'nt that close then, now that I am in India, he has been someone who makes me smile every day. I told him that if carved me a pumpkin for Halloween, I'd give him a dollar. He made me my very own stop-start movie.

Sean I have known for I don't even know how many years. I used to walk him to the bus stop when he was little. And when he wasn't so little anymore, we did an original musical together. We were giant bugs. His bum lit up and I was a queen bee. Fabulous.

Shannon is the miniature version of me. I miss her bunches. Rolos and Pert Plus. We love them.

Evan is one of the most genuine people I know. But don't ever try to out run him, he will catch you every time. Damnit.

John knows more about Shakespeare than anyone else in my life. He's a great writer and a great friend, even if I want to smack him some of the time.

Sam is a doll. She owns more articles of pink clothing than anyone else. She is a fanastic listener. Ashley is also my twin. We joke that someday we'll own a house together and raise very well adjusted children.

Tyler is an artist and a confidant. He is currently drawing a 3x4 picture od me. I am beyond humbled.

I met Jen while filming in VA. She is a kook in the best sense of the word. We really enjoyed making coffee, shopping for socks, and jumping on pieces of furnitures

Jaun is a beautiful dancer. He is pretentious, he admits it, and I love him all the more for it.

Daniel holds a special place in my heart. One of the most talented quadruple threats in the business. I met both of these boys in college.

Erin was the first person I met at AMDA while we were waiting to be put into our classes. Later she was roomie and I miss her voice.

Marina, Beth, and Carmen are my friends and fellow teachers. They make Beansprouts the best place in the world to work.

Lenin is one creative man. He is a force to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to blading, life documenting, and dares.
Mateo is my best friend in the city. I also met him in college and now we pride ourselves on our smart-ass behavior and one day, it making us very wealthy.

Rob and Kristina are Brandon's siblings, but I love them like my own.

Nick was my prom date and Howie was my homeroom buddy in high school. They are married now and Nick has a baby on the way in a few months.

Chris was also a homeroom buddy and a neighbor. He and I like to test eachother's smart-ass levels. He'll always argue the fact that I'm kicking his butt so far.

Carola was the first person I met when I went from private elementary school to public high school. We know all of eachother's deep dark secrets and that's a wonderful feeling.

Dave and I have known eachother since Kindergarten. We share a love for 80's music and movies.

Kristy is my other very best friend. No matter how long we go without seeing eachother, it is always like no time has passed.

My brother James. He is the second sarcastic child in the family. He one smart cookie.

Steph is a basically me reincarnated. We have a special understanding as to why the other is so weird.

Anna is the baby. Whe she was younger, she was crazy. Now she's one of the funniest people I know and I'm very proud of her.

Finally... this is my boyfriend. Brandon. He is "practically perfect in every way." Yup, he's like Mary Poppins; he cooks, cleans, is super smart, will make up impromptu songs and dances with me, and makes me laugh even when I don't want to. What more could I ask for, really.

All of these people make my life pretty darn amazing. If they didn't know before, well, they do now.