A guy was telling me today how being there with his wife during labor really made him respect her strength so much more. He said if more men witnessed that they’d treat their women better.
He also told me that when he was doing Lamaze classes with her, out of maybe fifteen women, only three of them had partners show up consistently (including his wife). That was sad. As in pathetic.
I freelanced at an ad agency today and it just reminded me how much I don’t like doing graphics anymore. Working on layouts sucks.
I do mostly illustration jobs these days and I really enjoy it. But this? Ugh it blows. But the money’s good so I’m whoring myself out for the next five days.
Chris’s cousin works as a driver for celebrities and such (he owns the company). He was telling us tonight who was nice and who wasn’t. As a rule, he said, the smaller the celebrity the shittier they tend to be. He didn’t want to name a lot of names but he said Nikki Minaj was a real bitch. And Keisha Cole. He said the nicest celebrity he ever drove was Junior Gong.
Why don’t people read the expected shipping times? I’m not sending it from fucking Nebraska I’m in the Caribbean. It takes time. Stop flipping out and read the fucking shop policies jesus.
Home from the fete. It was good. I’ve had better times there in the past but it all has to do with the company you go with. Tonight was good though.
Chris is going on to another fete, a small one that his cousin throws every year. I could have gone but decided not to. Because of my back, I tend to measure every activity according to how much pain it is going to cost me. And while painkillers and alcohol did a good job of pain management tonight, I don’t think I can take another three hours on my feet, even if I am dancing.
He went to pick up 17 who I think is bringing a friend. We took him last year too, It was nice for him to get to spend some time with his cousins and learn to fete in a safe environment.
I’m a little too tired to explain the culture of feteing and Trinidadian culture in general. Google “fete, trinidad” and click on “images” and you’ll get an idea. You’re all gonna wish you were here right now so do so at your peril. One day I’ll try to explain how we party. Cause that’s probably the one thing we’re better at than any other culture in the world. And that is really not an exaggeration.
I got some new cushion covers. I bought them on Etsy from this shop in Thailand. They took about a month to get here but they were worth the wait, I just love them. The workmanship is superb.
Her name is Jane Elliott. She was a former schoolteacher, now she’s anti-racism activist, feminist and LGBT activist. She’s tiny, mean, and boss as fuck.
She’s known for her “blue eyes-brown eyes experiment” where she divides a group of volunteers from the blues and the browns. The minute the people walk in, the blue-eyes know they’re not welcomed. She makes them wait in a separate room, gives them shitty chairs, bad food, and shows them less respect. And (obviously) it causes all sorts of discomfort and rage, but that’s precisely her point. It doesn’t help that most blue-eyed volunteers happen to be white as well. Sometimes they get the message, sometimes they don’t and leave, sometimes crying or screaming. And Jane Elliott says that’s exactly what minorities want to do everyday of their lives, but they simply cannot do.
About a week or so ago one of my friends bought a t-shirt online that had some kind of puzzle on it and he said he was going to wear it to see if we could solve it. My confident response was, “I’m smarter than you think I am.” He kept insisting that I wouldn’t be able to and that it took HIM thirty minutes to get it. I kept repeating my response. He said we’d see.
Anyway I happened to run into him briefly tonight and noticed the print on his t-shirt was indeed the puzzle. I solved it in seconds and he commented that I was the only person who had done so. He’d clearly forgotten that he’d challenged me the week prior. I looked him straight in the eyes and said, “I told you, I’m smarter than you think I am.” Then his face lit up and he remembered and nodded in agreement.
Honestly, I’d been bluffing. I mean I’m pretty smart and I’m really good with puzzles (they’re a hobby of mine) but the truth is I’d likely never have solved it had I not have accidentally happened upon the solution a few days prior just totally by random. Like it literally crossed my dash on tumblr. But he doesn’t know that. So he’s gonna keep on believing that I’m THAT smart and I’m gonna let him. It’s the only intelligent thing to do.
I think about 75% of the time if I have to speak in Trini dialect I get anxiety.
I mean I can speak just regular day to day shit but if I have to use slang or colloquialisms I immediately second guess myself as to whether I’m using it wrong and making an ass of myself.
This is what happens when you spend your formative years outside your own country. You always feel a bit like an imposter trying to play the role of a native.
I’m gonna be working at a freelance job at an advertising agency starting Wednesday just for a week. They asked me to start tomorrow but I have a fete up in Maracas during the day. I have priorities man. We go start on Wednesday.
Why is it that just when you’re drifting to sleep that the whole world will start texting and messaging you? I was trying to take a nap and got interrupted so many times I am properly woken up now. Of course no one has anything to say to me now.
Nickname: Any variation of Natasha plus a few I can’t really mention
Star sign: Capricorn.
Height: 5′10″… and I look taller
Time right now: 10:05am. I am procrastinating going into the studio
Last thing googled: Ciabatta bread recipe… kinda need a mixer for that one though :{
Favourite music artists: Prince… and like a whole bunch I hate this question come on
Last movie watched: The African Doctor
Last TV show watched: Heartland
Last book you finished: The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper
Current book you’re reading: I’m reading a few… A Wrinkle In Time, Hidden Figures, The Bookshop On the Corner, My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry
What are you wearing now: Jeans, tie dye tee
When did you create your blog: 2011
Do you have any other blogs: A few none active though
Do you get asks regularly? No… I’d like more. Send more asks please!
Why did you choose your URL: Oh just… reasons
Gender: Cis female
Hogwarts House: Gryffindor
Jedi, Sith, or? : Jedi
Favourite color: Purple
Your favorite physical feature about yourself: Um… I guess my eyes
Average hours of sleep: Usually about 7
Which side of the bed to you sleep on: Right
How many blankets do you sleep with: Sheet and duvet. We like it freezing in our bedroom
Dream job: I’m kinda doing it!
Followers: I think about 550 or so… I’m certain only about 20% of those are active
My wife is trying to start up a bakery which would specialize in alcohol-infused pastries (up to 5% alcohol by volume) in a smaller college town. Of course she’ll also offer more traditional cakes, pastries and pies too, but she thinks alcoholic products will make her really stand out.
If I’m doing my math correctly, that puts me in 1994. Right? I was born in 1969, so that’s right, yes? Okay, so, I was probably living in Minneapolis with my boyfriend in his house by Cedar Lake. He and I went to the same college, but didn’t know each other when we were there. We met while drinking with mutual friends in DC. I was living in DC from 1991-1993/4, working at the National Women’s Political Caucus (I started there during the Clarence Thomas hearings, it was an incredible time).
Once when we were talking about why we liked each other, he told me that he liked how I went off to puke (drunkenly) by myself, how I didn’t cause a scene and just returned to the gathering as if nothing had happened. I was pleased with that reason, I liked that about myself, too. That’s a pretty good summation of what my life was like when I was 25. 🙂
Oh I wanna play too! I was 25 in 1998/99. I was kind of at loose ends at that age – it was the time between when I finished my undergrad and was debating whether or not to go to grad school. I was working a nothing kind of job at a limo company.
I remember my S.O. throwing me a surprise party for my 25th birthday – the only surprise party I have ever had. I was shocked he could get so many people to come to it (I felt like I had no friends back then as well).
I recall being kind of depressed at that age, because I did not have my life sorted out the way I had imagined I would. To me, 25 equaled “adult,” and I did not feel like an adult at all at that stage, but rather an overgrown teenager.
25 would have been 2006.
I cried the night I turned 25, I was married, living in a double wide trailer that was falling apart. 4 years earlier my husband had dug a hole for a front porch and had blocks delivered. It was still a hole with blocks piled beside it.
We were in a constant struggle for visitation of my then stepdaughter who would have been 8 and living in Washington state.
I had failed or was failing everything I had attempted up until that point. It would take me 3 to 4 additional years to get off the shitty train I was on for my own track. Turns out it’s much easier to succeed without someone dragging you down.
25 for me was the new Millennium! The year 2000! It was an exciting year!
I gave birth to my second child , he was the first baby of the millennium in the hospital where he was born.
We moved into our little house that we later purchased , we lived there 11 years.
Everything was wonderful! Our lives were just beginning! To look back now, 17 years later, I love where we are and I love our story. It all really solidified that year with us getting married.
2011. 25 was a disaster. I had just been kicked out of nursing school attempt number two for partying and lying about it basically. I made the decision to move back to Philly to be closer to my sister and the support she was willing to give because my mother was absolutely done with me. I swore I’d never move back to this awful place and was hella depressed about it. I didn’t want to start over, especially not up north. My wife and I were in a fight when I moved and didn’t speak for months. My drinking was out of control as was my benzo addiction. 25 is somewhat blurry. But what I do remember made 25 one of the hardest years of my life.
25 was 1998. I had recently moved back to Trinidad after 14 years abroad and was having an extremely difficult time adjusting to life here. I had dropped out of college in my last semester the year before due to depression that was still undiagnosed and untreated. I was trying very hard to find some direction for my life. I can’t remember what job I had because I had a string of them and they all sucked. I was suffering from culture shock and missed my friends from college deeply as I knew almost no one in Trinidad. I was in a relationship with a lovely guy who cared deeply for me but I was not in the right place to be with anyone. I was really floundering and very unhappy. Things wouldn’t get better for quite some time either.
Yesterday we went out on our land and I had a pair of pants on that didn’t completely cover my ankles. So I got scratched by some plants and bitten by insects. And now for some reason at 10:50 on Sunday night is when it’s decided to start itching. Like crazy. And I am just about ready to chop my damn ankles off.
I made us chicken pot pies tonight. I covered them with my first ever attempt at homemade pastry which came out light and flaky. I also successfully poached four eggs this morning. I feel like I should get a badge or something.
hello everybody. Bonafide Chinese person, here, raised in a Chinese household with Chinese parents born on the mainland, to talk about This Movie
First things first, GO FUCKING SEE IT. This movie is a work of art and you’ll encourage more diversity in Hollywood by supporting a Chinese director and production team. SHOW people that we want diversity by making this movie a hit.
Now I’m going to tell you why you’re going to go see it, and hopefully I won’t get arrested. I don’t remember any of the names except that Matt Damon was Williams something or other. They aren’t really important.
I’ll put your first worries at ease. Matt Damon does not save the day. The badass lady in the blue armor does. But Matt Damon does help in a major way. He is the main character, after all.
There are a total of 10 white people in the movie. Only 3 play a substantial part, and only 2 survive.
The movie states right at the beginning that it’s based off a legend. Stop being snarky about the wall keeping out the Mongols.
No romance.
Speaking of the lady in the blue, she’s commander of a squad of leaping warrior women. Holy fucking shit, am I right?
I am in no way a film critic, so I can’t comment on the movie’s general quality. But please please go see it. I can answer any questions in private you might have, just send me an ask. Also, do everybody a favor and hit reblog for me.
A small gesture of kindness can not only make someone else’s entire day, but it can also make you feel good. So why not spread the love and try a random act of kindness today?
The good stuff! Check out more pics like these here and here.
There’s a lot of negative posts going around, not intentionally negative but highlighting the issues at hand – they are doing their job, but let’s not forget the light and the good that still prevails. And it does – I promise you that – because, fundamentally, people are good.
a restaurant in my hometown got a review that said the servers should “show some skin” so the owner added a potato skin special to the menu and all the proceeds from the special go to the west virginia foundation for rape information services (x)
That’s exactly the appropriate response.
I would like to order a million potato skin specials please
Mimosa pudica. We call this plant timarie, timawi, and whatever else here in Trinidad. It grows as a weed everywhere. We went out on our land today and it was growing in abundance. I spent quite some time playing around with them.
So today I was feeling shitty but decided to go into the studio anyway to do some experimenting with enamel jewelry as I’d gotten some new supplies.
Ever since I got started I’d been trying to figure out this one technique and it was driving me crazy. And today? I FINALLY figured it out.
And you know what? Once I solved mystery I had zero interest in making another piece like it. It was so anticlimactic. But the good news is it DID lead me on the direction of the possibility of developing a new style that would be uniquely my own.
Now all I have to do is figure out the technique. Again.
I realise this sounds kind of sexy. But it was a jeweler’s apron to protect my clothes from scorching metal. And scorching metal is not a euphemism either.
I woke up this morning around 3am. There was a strange odor in the air and I lay there trying to figure out what it was. It smelt sort of like… burnt toast.
Burnt toast. I had recently read an article that said that smelling burnt toast could be a symptom of someone having a stroke. Oh my god was I having a stroke? No, I thought, I’m too young for that. But wait what about Mags, she had a stroke and she’s my age. Oh my god I’m not too old I could totally be having a stroke!
I sniffed the air. Still smelled this weird smell. Should I wake up Chris? No better wait until I know for sure. I lay there waiting for my stroke to come on. If I had a stroke would I even be able to move to wake Chris up?
I did a quick body scan. Everything felt fine. But my head hurt. Does your head hurt when you have a stroke? Do I wake him or not? I was caught between trying to be considerate and trying not to have a medical emergency.
I got tired of waiting and decided to check google. Ah there. Stroke… yes… oh also could be symptoms of a migraine. Oh well look I have a headache. I get migraines all the time. But… this never happens. And they say it’s a really rare symptom. Hmm.
I lay there for a while pondering my situation. I didn’t feel this stroke thing was happening anymore.And now the smell had also disappeared. And I decided that I had to consider the possibility. That perhaps my downstairs neighbour… had made… some burnt toast.
I had a frustrating day in the studio today so Chris took me out for drinks after work. We met up with a couple friends and had a time.
Now I’m totally regretting the promise I made to my gf two days ago that we could go have drinks on Friday. I’m 44. I know my limit. Twice in two days is too much. I think I’m going to have to come down with dengue tomorrow.
“The new public awareness campaign encourages cities and corporations to name streets, statues, buildings and other public spaces after influential female figures. Andrew Robertson, president and chief executive officer of BBDO Worldwide, unveiled the Put Her on the Map campaign at the Makers Conference, one of the leading gatherings for trailblazing women of today and tomorrow. The announcement was made in tandem with Amy Elaine Wakeland, the First Lady of Los Angeles.
The statistic that launched the movement was one that found that women make up 50% of the population, but most streets, landmarks and monuments are named after men. Put Her on the Map challenges cities and corporations with influential ecosystems to disrupt this cycle.
“Gender equality is really important to BBDO,” said Kirsten Flanik, president at BBDO New York. “We do well when it comes to parity in the agency, but we have more of a deficiency in the creative end.” She added that Robertson has committed to BBDO doubling the number of its senior female creative leaders, saying that in order to make change you have to announce an action, and that it’s not always just about the numbers but how you behave – the way you hire, show up in meetings, and the like.”
My aunt and uncle called me from Boston last night and asked me when next I’m visiting. I thought about it for a second and then I remembered that I’ve decided to stay out of the States for the next four years. So it’s gonna be a while I guess.
I reported an Instagram account as spam today and blocked them. It was one of those annoying “do you want more followers?” accounts. Within minutes I got a message saying the account had been suspended for violating their guidelines.
It was as simple as that.
I’m wondering why it’s so bloody difficult to do something about the porn blogs on this website.
The resin hasn’t completely cured yet, it takes about 24 hours, but is almost there. But they’re as good as finished. #jewelry #handmadejewelry #sterlingsilver #earrings #resin #sapphire #handmade #buylocal #trinidad #caribbean
I think I’ve learnt over time that for me personally, it’s good to hitch my wagon to hopes but expectations tend to lead to disappointment.
My expectations are realistic. That the people in my life will be loving, kind and caring people. That they will be respectful and considerate. That I will move through the world and be treated with decency by the people with whom I interact. My expectations tend to be directed to human behaviour because I truly believe that most people are good and decent and I think it’s a safe bet to have the expectation that they will demonstrate these traits. Life is so unpredictable. My own life has been such a roller coaster. But I have learnt that I attract good people into my life. So I’ll bet on that.
My hopes differ wildly. My hopes have no ceiling. I hope that the world we live in will find peace. I hope that humanity will elevate itself to a place where much of the violence we see today will become something of the past. I hope my family will remain safe and unharmed. I hope we can and will reverse the damage we have done to the planet by choosing a more holistic way of life. I hope that the greed that motivates so many of our leaders will become a quality of politicians of the past. I hope I get to travel the whole world. I hope for love and prosperity and peace of mind for all people. I hope to own my own home one day in the near-ish future that I will decorate to my heart’s content. I hope I can spend the rest of my life exploring my artistic expression in all forms and that we have the financial wherewithal to comfortably do that. I hope my husband’s passion project will soon get off the ground and bring him great joy and prosperity. I hope to live a meaningful life.
Some of these things I have some control over. Some I can contribute to and some are out of my hands. I have no expectations here. Life will do what it will. But I can always hope for a better tomorrow.
Stop blaming and start being. Everything comes by being! Be the love you seek. Be the friend you seek. Be the lover you seek. Be the honesty you seek. Be the integrity you seek. Be the patience you seek. Be the tolerance you seek. Be the compassion you seek.
I realize from reading about other people’s accounts of this site that I have a very sanitized, g-rated experience with Tumblr.
Never been sent a dick pic (I’m not asking for any thank you very much), never had any drama with anyone, never been hit on, flirted with or had a relationship here (if you’ve flirted with me I’m not good at picking up on that kinda thing anyway plus no thanks again)… I think the only thing that seems to be universal is getting followed by porn blogs.
It’s always interesting to me how we can all be on the same site and have such different experiences of it.
When I was young, women were raped on the campus of a great university and the authorities responded by telling all the women students not to go out alone after dark or not to be out at all…Some pranksters put up a poster announcing another remedy, that all men be excluded from campus after dark. It was an equally logical solution, but men were shocked at being asked to disappear, to lose their freedom to move and participate, all because of the violence of one man.
♥ The Ancient Origin of the Heart-Shaped Valentine ♥
This very rare coin is a silver hemidrachm struck in Cyrene (modern Libya) around 500 to 480 BC. Both sides of the coin show the now extinct* heart-shaped silphium fruit. The silphium plant, a large relative of the fennel plant, was abundant and a lucrative cash crop in ancient Cyrene, which is why it appears as the symbol of the city on its coinage.
Since it allegedly went extinct, silphium is a bit mysterious to us. We do know that it was greatly prized for its medicinal and culinary properties. It was used as an herbal birth control method, thus forever associating the shape of its fruit with passionate love and thus, matters of the heart. Ancient writings also help tie silphium to sexuality and love. One such reference appears in Pausanias’ Description of Greece in a story of the Dioscuri staying at a house belonging to Phormion, a Spartan: “For it so happened that his maiden daughter was living in it. By the next day this maiden and all her girlish apparel had disappeared, and in the room were found images of the Dioscuri, a table, and silphium upon it.”
Pliny reported in his Natural History that the last known stalk of silphium found in Cyrene was given to the Emperor Nero “as a curiosity,” because it was nearly extinct by then.
*There is some debate about whether or not this plant is really extinct. You can read about that on the Silphium Wikipedia page.
I was digging in my closet tonight for a dress and found a top I’d never worn with the tags still on and everything. I tried it in and it looked great. So apparently I’m a size L at Forever 21.
I had some stuff in my Etsy store that I was tired of making so I jacked up the price to discourage people from ordering them and now they’re flying off the shelves.
I saw a couple get engaged at the restaurant tonight. It made my heart turn to mush. The girl was clearly not expecting it. We all clapped after they hugged. I felt really privileged to witness such a beautiful moment in the lives of these two strangers.
soulsistrin 