Rabbit Or Habit

My big hit of a halloween costume!

Shame on me. I've waited far too long to post a new blog.

It's been exactly eleven days since my last post, and boy have the events been flowing in. 

Here's the run down:

- I've officially spoken to my district visual manager, the man who makes the ultimate decision of whether I move to Brooklyn with a job or not. Sure, I can leave for Brooklyn tomorrow and easily have a place to live, but that would mean that I have to job hunt pronto. And with the feedback I've gotten from those who are looking for a legit, scratch that, any paying job right now, it's not sounding very promising. The skinny? He's going to talk to the visual manager of both downtown Brooklyn, and Herald Square. I'm terrified and don't think that I'm the least bit qualified for a responsibility like Herald Square, but apparently, he does. I'll take that and run, thank you very much.

- My birthday (October 26th), was a blast. I had no high hopes for my birthday, being that it was a monday and all and I am unfortunately acquainted with people who work (kind of), but all of my friends/family pulled through amazingly. I really did have the best birthday. I'd also like to take a moment to all of my readers/followers who wished me happy birthday. A few of you even CALLED and got all personal about it. You're all amazing. Thanks for making my day!

- I went to a halloween party last weekend, and dressed up as a Dios De Los Muertes (day of the dead) skeleton. It was a huge hit/success. Some girl even showed me that she had a tattoo of "me". Impressive. Now I want one too. I'd like to dress up as my halloween costume on a daily basis, but I fear that I might ruin my vintage lace dress. Ok, that, and it's not socially acceptable .... yet. 

- I hurt my back pretty badly at work this past tuesday. (Yes, the day after my birthday.) I was lifting a mannequin at work and whipped a couple of muscles and my rotator cuff out of place. I'm out of commission for now, and on some pretty gnarly meds to heal me up. Unfortunately, the meds aren't working so well ... the only thing they do is make me feel like I'm a little body of a girl made up of no bones at all, just mush, with a terrible sleeping habit. These things knock me out and keep me there. Hate it. I have too much that I want to do to sleep my days away. So, after too many xrays, tons of headaches because of workman's comp/insurance companies, phone calls from a lady named "Deery", and too many hardcore meds, I'm nothing but a bump on a log, aka a marshmallow on my couch. 

All in all, things have been going pretty well. I have a few fresh ideas in my head of things that I'd like to get started doing, I just need to allocate the time needed to do these things. I hate starting up projects and failing to finish. Open ended things were never my deal. And that's how I feel like things have been left, open faced, like a hot turkey sandwich.

Also, the long awaited tattoo is nearing! I'll post pictures when it happens. I can't give too may details, I always jinx myself. 

Hope you all have been having the time of your lives. Keep on kickin', kids!

Current Listen: Who Could Win A Rabbit - Animal Collective <-- Crazy, low budget video.

   

Vintage Dressed, Skeleton Faced, Flower-In-Her-Hair Wearing Dead Person

Stuff's been going wrong, but I'm determined to make it right.

With a few minor issues, I'm surprisingly not freaking out, being that they are major issues and all. Ohhh, you know, my only form of transportation to my only source of income to support my life is failing me. In fact, my Jeep died for the entire weekend. Thanks to my rad friends, I was still able to have a life. And even more so thanks to my dad, who fixed it ... for the time being, at least. I have a bad feeling about this....

As for moving to Williamsburg: I thought the dying car was a major sign that I'd be moving there sooner than I thought ... then I got news at work that "transfers to other stores are not company policy", but, if I was given a "second assignment" in Herald Square or Brooklyn, aka, a "transfer", I could go. I'm sorry, but Eagle Beak (my Visual Regional Manager), will not determine my residing place, thank you very much. He's a baller driving a beamer with a beach house ... and I live with my mom. So....who knows how much Urban Outfitters pays an hour?...

On a brighter note, I went to Fun City to make my tattoo appointment on saturday. November 7th, boys and girls. I can not wait. Every time I think about it, I get way too exicited, and want to throw up a little bit. What makes me so happy, is that my artist, is creating a base of my tattoo, and free handing the rest. I just want to see the outcome already!!!

Also, I'm waaaaay excited for halloween. I'm going to dress up as they would for El Dia De Los Muertos ... which means "day of the dead", a mexican holiday to honor and celebrate the loved ones who have passed away. I have a huge appreciation for the art of el dia de los muertos, so I thought it would be totally fun to dress up as a vintage dressed, skeleton faced, flower-in-her-hair wearing dead person. I kind of love it.

Hope all you kids are stayin' radical. 

Current Listen: Catch My Disease - Ben Lee

Notice The Resemblance

True That.

Here's a few fun things that have sneakily become weird obsessions in my current lifestyle:

- Musical Theories: Although not exactly a "weird obsession", the bands I have been finding 

  have been more on the interesting level than anything else. Anything other than mainstream 

  is more my speed, and bands that you've never heard of are my secret little treasures. (Not 

  counting my secret vintage stores. I'll never tell you those.) I'll enlighten you/let you in a 

  few:

   - BC Camplight - Recommended song: Couldn't You Tell

   - The Appleseed Cast - Recommended song: Fishing The Sky

   - Paulo Natini - Recommended Song: Last Request/Jenny Don't Be Hasty

   - Ben Lee - Recommended Song: Cigarettes Will Kill You/Catch My Disease

   - Athlete - Recommended Song: Half Light

   - The Kills - Tape Song

   - Bat For Lashes  - Daniel

   - Metric - Help I'm Alive/Gimme Sympathy/Stadium Love/Sick Muse

- Paint By Number: Yes, the little slice of cardboard you can still get from when you were 

  eleven.     

  There's something so exciting yet calming about a paint by number kit. The exciting part is 

  where you switch up the colors and get creative. Like when your typical brown horse turns 

  purple, because you said so. Freedom.

- Making Art: With paper strips that you diligently cut yourself at 11pm in your bedroom, 

  simply because you have nothing better to do/worry about. I'm actually thinking of selling 

  these in my Etsy shop, once I figure out the proper shipping way to do so.

- Lookig At Art: It's a pure, freeing feeling you get when you look at art. Art galleries are one 

  thing, but there are some secret art websites that just blow me away. I stare at them for 

  hours, literally. And I am perfectly content with my time wasted. I like to think of it as time 

  inspired, actually.

- Reinventing My Clothing: I recently fixed up one of my closets (just one of them, so far), and 

   found lots of stuff that I looked at and instantly saw differently. I am currently in the 

   process of creating an oversized collar for the long vintage tweed coat I have, and cutting the 

   bottoms on jeans into geometrical shapes and lining them with zippers. I also have a few 

   slouchy knits that can use a nice draped back that can be worn forwards or backwards. 

   I've suddenly realized the shambles my life would be in if my sewing machine ever died on 

   me...

- Birds: I have this weird obsession with birds lately. And birds' feathers. These past few 

   months, I've had the coolest bird inspiration. Speaking of birds, I am especially excited for  

   my feather tattoo. Good timing on that.

- Brilliant Ideas: Once in a while, I'll have an epiphany (or something) of something to 

   create/do. Returning to work after a day off for "mental health" reasons, I came up with the 

   idea to collect all of the artists that Rob and I have collected from Prim Suspect, and open an 

   art gallery. Of course, this is all further down the line. But regardless, an idea that I'm really 

   passionate about. Call it an excuse I made to just not want to work a corporate nine to five 

   anymore, but hey, at least my brain is working in the right direction, right?

I'm sure I'm not the first one to notice the resemblance throughout this blog, but I'm convinced that finding new music, indie bands, and a little inspiration, leads to loads of art and brain function. Maybe that's what we all need?

Current Listen: Choose any band in "Musical Theories" weird obsession category.

The Hipster Lives The Good Life.

I'm not abandoning you, I'm just never home. Ever. I swear.

The life of the Hipster Sister has been pleasantly hectic. As must as I'd like to complain about being so busy and next to never being able to sleep in my own giant marshmallow of a tempur-pedic bed, I simply refuse to complain. I've been having way too much fun. In fact, I've given up an entire month of REM mode sleep to keep up with my social schedule. I've lost almost ten pounds in the process. Due to lack of time/money to eat, and never being in a place long enough to sit down an actually eat a full meal. This is the time when you'd assume that "convenient, on the go" foods are most necessary. But I don't swing that way. I'm an all natural kind of girl. Processed foods make me cry. I'm on the "I'm too broke to eat" diet.

Typical of me, I've been spending way too much time in Williamsburg. Brooklyn officially owns my life, my sleeping and my eating schedule. And I'm ok with that. (In the two days that I've been there, I ate two small meals, that I was only able to eat multiple bites of.) Maybe it's all of the 'scary skinny' hipster girls that are sipping on their bloody's and mimosas at 1pm at Hare Field staring at you and your spring salad and side of potatoes waiting patiently in front of you to be heartily eaten that's the intimidator. I don't know what it is, but when in Williamsburg, I suddenly loose my appetite. Not in an "oh em gee, I'm so grossed out", kind of appetite loss. It's more of a, "I have more important things to focus on, other than food." That's the vibe, and it works. I guess that's why you either have a hipster beer gut, or you weigh ten and a half pounds. I'm convinced that some of these guys/girls weight hasn't gone up since birth. Jealous.

This weekend was nothing short of eventful. I hung out with hipster trust fund babies, who are the coolest kids I have ever met. It amazes me how diverse this world is. I've been to orphanages in third world countries, where kids are totally cool with living with twenty other kids who have it just as bad as them, have no family, and all they know is what they're taught. Then I know trust fund babies, who have never worked a day in their life and golf on Sundays because they "have to", but are totally humble about their upbringing and the millions of dollars they have tucked away. If only everyone was as humble as some of these kids are. 

Think about it: There's those silly guidos that max out their credit cards and ruin their credit history, just to roll up to the "jersey shore" in their leased escalade for three out of twleve months, trying to look all cool with the money they don't have, trying to impress people that don't care. And then there's the hipsters who purposely dress in vintage, already worn out 60 years ago clothing, look like they are one of the Mole People when they leave their Williamsburg apartments, and don't think twice about the two hundred thou that they can drop on a Lambo any given Monday, because their fixed gear is their biggest love.

I have a huge appreciation for hipsters. We live the simple life. Shut up your drama and complaining and just live. Life isn't meant to overanalyzed. Life's about chilling out, hanging with the kids that make you happiest, laughing about pelicans that steal babies and sell them on the streets of Willyb. for money at two in the afternoon because you have nothing better to do. It's the simple life. You have what you need and you move on. You don't care about how cool your jacket is. You found one that fits and you're ok with it. You haven't showered in two days because you don't need to. You haven't gone grocery shopping in two weeks because you're not hungry, and a tall boy at mid afternoon is really all you need. The time on the clock just doesn't matter, and you have no real agenda. That's life, my friends. We get so caught up in our nine to fives, business meetings and lunches, taking the kids to daycare and getting home in time to make the hubby dinner. Fail. I like my life. I like my friends. And I especially like where I am right now. Life is epic, and I'm doing nothing but enjoying it.

Funny thing happened, my really good friend, who I stay with in Williamsburg, is roomies with the designer of Zoo York. Raddest dude ever. We had a nice like talk about everything important ... to us at least. Another fun fact? My buddy's bro is a huge PR name for every surf/snowboarding company you've ever heard of. You can imagine the shenanigans that I've witnessed. I get a headache just thinking about it.

Things are happening kids. I'm working out the finals of getting my hands on an apartment in Willyb. (I offically had the talk with my boss today. I have a meeting with my regional next week to offically confront him on the issue ... aka beg for a transfer to the Brooklyn Macy's.) The ball is rolling, and it's rolling at the perfect speed. I've never been happier in my life. I've never been more motivated and excited. Life's good, and I'm not letting go anytime soon. 

Current Listen: Couldn't You Tell - BC Camplight

Paulo.

Mother of pearl ...

Can we say ADORABLE?

Sometimes, I wish I were a record label owner.

I 100% completely come across the most amazing underground artists that the little vibrations that your ears call music have ever heard. And always on accident. One artist, in particular, that it was a complete accident that I even came across him in the first place, has blown my mind. Nineteen years old, sings like an entire choir of angels in one body, can't mess up a note if someone paid him to, and, not to mention, he's the absolute visual of my hubby-to-be.  

His name? Paulo Nutini.  

Watch this ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffJ8xcfqOX0

And this ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpfufL_G2zs

I'm going to continue to have my mind blown. Enjoy, kids. You already know my Current Listen.

Cigarettes Will Kill You

Life has been oh-so wonderful/eventful.

Here. Let me ramble.

First things first, I have been conversing back and forth with Daredevil tattoo, who, by the way, is amazing, patient, super personal, and probably the coolest people ever. For as huge as they are (if you say Daredevil in a tattoo induced conversation, the other end of the conversation will without a doubt know who you're talking about - they're they Miami Ink of New York), the owner of the Lower East Side shop has been emailing me via his Blackberry on Saturday nights and off hours, just to set me up with the perfect artist for my piece. THAT, my friends, is unheard of customer service. I've finally settled on the perfect designer, Claire, who has done a what looks like a life sized piece of a peacock on a customers' entire right torso, including incredibly intricate detail and about a million feathers. She's perfect for the feather I'm getting on my rib cage. I'm so excited, I know it's going to be pure perfection.

I've even conjured up a second tattoo already. A tiny flock of birds' shadows on the inside of my forearm. You're probably thinking, "What's up with all the bird references?" The feather tattoo is a bible reference. Psalm 91:4 "He shall cover you with his feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge." Those who trust in the Lord, will experience His protection. Kind of like how a mother bird protects her little chicks under her wing. Being saved and loving and living for the Lord, He's been my protection, my reason, my life. I'm a better and different person because of that. The feather tattoo may be pretty, but it has tons of meaning to me. The flock of birds is on a more personal level. I plan to get one bird in the flock that's larger than the rest, symbolizing myself, and smaller birds around the larger bird, but flying in different directions, symbolizing the people I've met in my almost twenty five years of life. These birds symbolize the fact that people come and go in your life. And while everyone is going their own way, the few that I have in my life right now, are the people that I want there.

Have you ever been at a point in your life where you realize that where you are at that exact moment, is the place you've been striving for, the place where you're actually truly happy, where everything is going in the right direction? That's exactly where I'm at, and I've never, ever been happier. I've been spending lots of time with some really great people. And I'm having the time of my life. I've made new, incredible friends. I'm doing the things I've always wanted to do. And it's all formed me into the person that's taken me an entire twenty five years to form into. Some people may not agree with the person I am, some people may wonder where this person came from, but I've never been happier with where I'm at. I feel ... well ... real. 

I've been having this feeling in my bones. It's on my mind twenty four seven, it's something I've always loved with my whole being, and will probably never happen. Regardless, I've been feeling extra inclined to take on an instrument or two. Guitar and piano are what I'm feeling the strongest. I've grown up with a piano in my house since I was born, but my oldest sister took it to her and her husband's house. I miss it. I can't read music to save my life, but I can hear a song, and then sit down and learn it by ear in less than an hour. Don't call me a musical prodigy. I'm far from it. But speaking of musical prodigies ...

I was at a shin dig this weekend and this kid Brett, who, I think it's safe to say, is a musical prodigy, went wild on the drums. Travis Barker is good and all, but this kid is straight up nasty. I felt like I shouldn't have been in the room listening because it was like listening to the equivalent of a leaked Beatles song when they were bigger than sliced bread. This kid makes his own beats, then drums out to it. He blew my mind. Blew my mind up and down. And the next thing you know, it's 3am. It happens.

Although I've been spending more time in subways than in my own car, more time at venues than I am in my own bed, I wouldn't trade it for a thing. I'm having the time of my life, and I have my father in heaven and some great company to thank for it. 

Current Listen: Cigarettes Will Kill You - Ben Lee