Happy Father's Day, Daddy!

 

He's a funny dude, my daddy.  He's also not a sappy kind of guy.  So I wanted to post a little about this guy, and his, let's say, quirky personality.

1. We used to hang out on Wednesday night's to watch Dawson's Creek together on the WB.  If I missed a night, my dad would tell me what happened so that I could be caught up for the next week.  I think he secretly hated if I asked him questions while he was watching.  We also used to watch cooking shows together.  I think that's where I decided that I wanted to learn how to cook.  While I was living at home, I told my parents that I couldn't cook, that way I wouldn't have to make dinner.  I only looked like I didn't know what I was doing. 

When my dad found out I could cook, he rolled his eyes and laughed to himself. 

He got the last laugh though.  Since then, when we go home for dinner, my dad always makes me cook something.  On Thanksgiving he invited us over and said he was going to try cooking a duck. 

He meant I was going to try cooking a duck.  And I cooked it. 

My dad would say, "Come on over for a Barbecue, Steph." And when we got there he would hand us the food and say that the barbecue was outside.  He usually said he would be out to check on us later.

2. While driving home to NC for Christmas one year, we developed an inside joke.  Nickleback (or some band's) song  "Arms Wide Open" was a hit then.  I hated and still do hate this song.  However, without fail, every time we entered a new radio station's area, that song was on.  This happened like 7 times in a row.  It was maddening.  And the more annoyed I got, the funnier it was to my dad.  About a month later, my dad called my house to leave me a message.  The whole message was, "Pumpkin, listen:.." and that song played.  Not for a minute.  He LEFT THE WHOLE SONG ON MY MACHINE. 

3. Every time we take a picture together, it looks like this:

A friend said about this picture, "this person looks afraid of you."  I replied, "that's my dad."  She laughed.  He does this in pictures often. 

No, he didn't blink, he refused to open his eyes.  Just being difficult.  He hates pictures.  On my birthday, he asked "why there were so many cameras out ? Is the Pope here?" 

4. My dad is a jokester: one year, I broke my leg, and at that point my dad thought it was a good idea to get me a bike.  To motivate me to get better faster.  Yep.

So if people ever ask me where I get my weirdness from, it is without a doubt, from my father.  My mom's, she's pretty normal.  And patient.  I guess you'd have to be dealing with the two of us.

My dad's my buddy.  We have the same sense of humor, the same smile, and the same nose.  We even have the same beefy arms, and hyper-extended knees. And we both look good in afros. 

Happy Father's Day, Daddy! 

Proud of my Size Link-Up, What I wore: Date Night and 100 posts

Whoa, triple whammie post.  There is a lot to do this post, so let get right to it!

Proud of my Size Link Up:

 

This is my first link-up ever!  I'm really happy that I'm doing this link-up to help start a revolution of body acceptance!   You may have read my about my last bout with low self-esteem, (that led to the writing of the Fat Girl Army Manifesta).  Rachele at The Nearsighted Owl started this link up and I HAD to join in.  I missed the first one, but I was determined to get in on this week.

What I like best about this idea, is that its a celebration!   The Proud of My Size Link-Up is for all bodies, which is totally my jam.  The rules for joining are posted on Rachele's blog, so scamper over if you want to join in on the fun. 

 

What I Wore: Date Night

 

D and I had a little date night.  Things have been strained between us because he made me get rid of my pug (more on that to come), and I was very upset.  On the bright side, we had some great talks about where we were going and what we wanted.  It was good to reassess our goals, so we can move forward.  I'm still sad about my doggie, but I'm starting to forgive him.  I'm good like that.

Since we were tired, both physically and emotionally, from this week, we went out for dinner.  I got to pick, so we had pancakes, then we went for a walk.  Our city is built on two levels (not unlike Portland) and so we walked along the top of the escarpment, which we locals call "The Mountain."  I wore a black tank top (take THAT rude lady from last week) and struted my stuff.  It was beautiful outside.

::Head to Toe::

Black Tank Top: Addition Elle

Jeans: Winners

Silver Birkenstocks: From here

New Purse: Winners

I love my new purse.  Besides being a delicious yellow color, its strap is long enough to go across my body, and there is tons of space in it.  Its leather, so it should last me for the season at the very least.  But I have been wearing it everywhere.  I can't usually wear yellow, it makes me look so sallow, so I'm glad that I can have this bag for that pop of color.  

 

Looks Like We Made It: 100 Posts

Lastly, did you know that this was my 100th post?  I'm fairly proud of having stuck with this blog for that long.  I had an old blog for years, but then stopped for a while.  When I tried to start up again, I was always too tired, or busy, or I didn't think I had anything interesting to say.  I'm starting to see this little blog as a chronicle of my doings and interests.  As a place to make silly jokes, tell funny stories, and reference 80s music.  Now that I'm moved in and settled, I can't wait to see what the next 100 posts bring.

Tutorial: Punny Dad's Day Cards

I don't know about you, but I can never find the perfect gift.  That's why I started making things.  I can make exactly what I want to give as a gift.  And this year, I wanted to give my dad a pun.  (Stay with me here...)

I love making cards, and since I usually get my dad a coin for his collection, or a gift card, I always need a card to put it in.  My father and I have the same sense of humor, so who better to write a card that he would enjoy?

I wanted to make something that was cute, but had my personality. So I made these origami shirt cards.  They are pretty fast, and cute.  And you can personalize them with puns (if you so desire.)

So here is a tutorial, step-by-step folding to create your own pun-backdrop.

First, cut your paper to a rectangle measuring 14cm x 7cm

Fold in half lengthwise to crease the paper down the center.  Open it flat again.

Fold the edges of the rectangle in towards the center crease.

Do this for the other side.

Now you should have a thinner rectangle.  Fold in the corners of one side like in the picture:

And fold over the point.  Crease these fold well, as they help you with the valley fold coming up.

Open the folds again. If it is not creased well, fold it again so that the crease is well-folded.

This is the trickiest part; pinch the corners of each side so that  they meet.

Then flatten out that section.  These are the sleeves.

 

Turn over to the front side.  Fold up a 1 cm flap from the bottom on the right side.  Turn over to the back side again.

Fold in one corner of the bottom of the shirt and fold on a diagonal to the sleeves. 

Repeat for the other edge of the bottom.  This will be the collar, so its not important that they meet in the middle.

Next, you are going to fold it in half.   Bend the whole thing in half and adjust so that the collar is above the "shoulders" of the shirt.

Then crease it well.

Voila!  An Origami shirt!

You can do all sorts of things with these to make little gifts.  I made a little plaque using some leftover matte from a framing shop:

I turned another one into a magnet by attaching some magnetic strip to the back:

Or you can make a card with a terrific pun on it:

I love a good pun. I know what you are thinking; "But Steph, won't your dad see his card before you give it to him?  Wouldn't that spoil the surprise?"

Not really.  My dad couldn't find the internet if you drew him a map.  I asked him to shut down my computer once, and he unplugged it from the wall.

Enjoy!  If you make one, link up so I can see!

Young and Restless

I was up at five in the morning to take a picture of the sunrise.  Its not the best picture as I used my cell phone.  I didn't expect to be out on the balcony watching the sunrise, but sleep wasn't in the cards last night.

I hate losing sleep over things.  Work is very stressful as of late, and I guess that is affecting me more than I would like to admit.

Usually when I can't sleep, I try and so something useful so that I will get tired and sleep, or at worst, get something done.  I could do either last night.  Instead I sat on the balcony and watched the sun come up.

Did you know that I had never seen a sunrise?

The colors were great.  But it was slow.   Maybe that's because I'm an 80's kid, and I have no attention span.  Maybe I'm not really a romantic.  I don't know.  I just found it slow.  But scientifically fascinating.  (I was spinning 1450 kph!  The sun wasn't really going anywhere?  Doesn't that blow your mind?)

But watching the sun rise did take my mind off some of my worries.  And even though I didn't get much sleep, I felt a little better.

Was this blog post boring?  That's okay if it was, consider this my way of curing any would-be insomniacs out there.  One read through this and it will knock you out.

Sidebar Story: When I lived at home, and my Dad couldn't  sleep, he would call me into his room and ask, "Pumpkin, how was your day?"  I would tell him about something that had happened that day, and he would fall asleep.  I would fall for this EVERY TIME.  He says this was the only thing that would put him to sleep.  That and the movie Dances With Wolves.  Come to think of it, I've never seen the end of that movie either.

Listography: Things to do on a Sunday Morning

Here is list numero two in my listography.

Sunday mornings are great because its totally okay to be lazy, and it gives me time to do some of the things I've been meaning to catch up on.  I don't use Sunday mornings for work.  That way, I know that I have some time to just chill and do something relaxing.  So here it is, my favorite things to do on a Sunday Morning:

1. Sleep in.  I would say that I am pretty sleep deprived most of the time.  On Saturdays I like to get up early and go to the market, and do the groceries and any other chores that I need to do.  I'm a hit the ground running type of person, so Saturday is still part of the week to me, and the week is for getting stuff done.


2. Brunch!  My favorite meal of the day.  Not quite breakfast, not quite lunch... (Yay for Simpsons references!)  I love it because its totally okay to drink!  Mimosas anyone?

3. Coffee with a friend. It's good to catch up with people.  I like to do Skype coffee dates too.

4. Knitting.  I knit and watch Coronation Street sometimes.  So what?  Who cares!

5. Guitar Time.  This is when I practice the most.  If Donald is sleeping or busy, it gives me some time to try and song write, or practice.

6. Read my book. I usually have a book on the go, and if its really good, I will use Sunday morning to keep reading.

7.  Blog.  Prime blog time, this is.  I can recap Saturday.  Usually I think of what types of posts I should have for the week.  I like to be organized.

8. Antique market.  The best time to go to the Aberfoyle Antique Market is Sunday mornings.  The afternoons get really hot, and busy.  This is a great time if you want to browse.

9. Talk with D.  Even though we live together, we usually need time to catch up.  So sometimes we just sit and talk.

10. I do this almost everyday, but on Sunday I get to drink fancy coffee that I make in my french press.  It is so delicious, but it takes some time, so I save that ritual for Sundays.

What do you do Sunday mornings?

The Fat Girl Army Manifesta

A few days ago, I was out picking up a few things that I needed for the house.  A woman stopped me and said:

"Honey, fat girls shouldn't wear tank tops.  This is why.  It's gross."  She pointed at my roll of underarm fat.  And added, "just a tip."

She walked away, and I was left feeling humiliated and hurt.  And angry.

What does this person care what I wear?  Who are they to tell me what s appropriate for my body?

So I thought about this for a few days.  I'm not embarrassed to say there were more than a few tears as I remembered and relived that moment at least a dozen times this week.

Instead of writing a scathing open letter to her though, I decided to turn my attention and efforts inwards.  Why did I feel so bad about what she said?  The minute before I was feeling confident and happy.  One stranger says one word, and poof! all that self-assurance is gone?

So I wrote this instead: 

 

The Fat Girl Army: A Manifesta

 

There is a war on the self-esteem of all plus-size women out there.  You have seen their propaganda: a fashion industry that works to exclude us by limiting our choices in clothing, a campaign of misinformation that declares we are all unhealthy, or lazy and “anti-fitness.”  You have felt their weapons: value-laden terminology that makes us feel degraded; words like “fat” are supposed to make us feel ashamed of our bodies, and by extension ourselves. Diet programs created to starve us into an “ideal” size, weakening not only our bodies, but also our resolve for revolution.

And that’s what this is, it’s a big fat revolution.

The Fat Girl Army wants you to join its ranks.  We are looking for fabulous fat women and their awesome allies to move this rebellion against self hatred into the front-minds of the world.  We are everywhere. Think about us.  Don’t ignore, dismiss, or chide us for wanting to love ourselves.

The Dictatorship of Size has never played nice.  Neither will we. This is all out rebellion. 

We will fight using our bodies for self-love instead of self-hatred.   Wear a bikini, and get on with your bad selves.  Show those arms in skinny strapped tanks tops, and baby tees.  Short shorts?  Heck, yes!  Wear what you want, where you want.  And feel awesome about it.

This dissidence will be fought with dollars.  We must support those companies who support us.  Places who accept us, and don’t try to change us.   Those companies who make us feel fabulous.

This revolt will be fought with words.  “Fat” as a badge of pride.  “Plus-sized” as a description of clothes and beauty.  The words that have been used to shame us will liberate us.  We will work to free ourselves of the sting of these words, and associate them will positive self-images.

That’s how we will win the battle.  We will use beauty, and confidence.

We don’t need propagandistic violence and loathing to be our weapons.  We’ll leave those foolish tactics to them.  Instead, we will accept all body sizes, because bodies come in all sizes.  We will not disparage our thin sisters.  They will become our allies.  Be fat.  Be thin.  Be whatever; just be.

The skinny supremacy is over.  There is enough room on this planet for all of us.  There is enough room in the definition of beauty to include us.  We will love every curve, every roll and every bulge that is part of our solid selves.  Shame about our bodies will no longer be an option.  It is love and be loved.

Oh yes, it is a big, fat revolution.  And it starts today.

What I wore: Black and White

Everyone loves black and white.  Well, for me it wasn't until recently that I started wearing white.  I remember being told as a younger woman, that wearing white makes you look bigger-- and being bigger was the worst possible thing or a girl. 

Now, I don't have to tell you that now I think this way of thinking is stupid.  More than stupid, it is damaging to a girl's self-esteem, and her fashion sense.  (Please note that I'm not making light of the fact that these lies perpetuate a line of thinking that causes eating disorders and self hatred; that stuff is a serious epidemic and is no joke.  I am commenting on how fashion can help create a sense of individuality, and confidence that can spread a message of body acceptance and new understandings of beauty.) 

ANYWAYS, as I have mentioned before, I would only ever wear black t-shirts and jeans, aka the fat-girl army uniform.  I was under the impression that these were slimming, and that I could create the illusion of thinness, which would make me pretty.  I am so glad I changed that tune, because wearing colors and pretty clothes makes me feel pretty!  And wearing white makes me feel summery and chic.  

And I look bad ass in that tank top.

::Head to Toe::

Earrings: These from Ten Thousand Villages

Shrug: Penningtons 

Tank: MXM by Addition-Elle

Jeans: Calvin Klein from TJ Maxx

Sandals: Silver Birkenstocks from here

This outfit was great because it was so hot out.  After school, I took off the shrug and went for a walk by the lake.  A pleasant end to a pleasant day in a pleasant outfit.

Have you taken the plunge and wore something people told you you shouldn't?  (You should try it!  Its liberating!)

Crafty Moment Coasters

We needed coasters for our desk.  I wanted to do something crafty, quickly.

Have you seen this tutorial?  It is a very clever way of using felt.  I made these little coasters for our workspace in about 15 minutes (most of the time spent cutting and thinking about how clever this project is). They are cute, and cost me .33 cents to make.



Did I mention this was clever? 

My Thrifting Aesthetic

Well, it had finally happened to me!  Never before have I had the big score while thrifting.  It was usually one item here, and a couple of glasses there, but never a haul like the one I got today.  I think the thrifting gods must have smiled upon me because I found a bunch of things that I brought home:

This is my favorite find of the day!  I should have saved it for last, but I was too excited!  Its a cheese tray!  I've been really into this color lately.  AND it comes from that era I love so much.  I didn't even wait, I invited people over today and served cheese and crackers on it.  And got several compliments on my new tray.   Oooh, and I love the flowers!  When I picked it up, D said that this was definitely a Stephanie find.  And it was 4 bucks!

Since we started decorating our kitchen in red, I've been on the lookout for red accents.  I got these tea towels for 99 cents.  I love the summery fruit pictures on them, and the bright red borders.  Definitely worth the money I spent on them.

We found an afghan!  I love how heavy it is.  I can just picture someone sitting for hours on a cold night, crocheting this cozy blanket.  I loved the yellow in the pattern, so I had to get it.  It was the most expensive thing we bought, but it is a great find.  Almost makes me wish for the winter again.  ALMOST.

These little mugs were too cute to pass up.  I have a soft spot for Japanese kitchenware.  So I got them. 

As per usual, I walked out of the thrift store with a mountain of children's books.  I can never pass up cheap books to bring into my classroom.  And the kids love new book Mondays.  But this time I found some books that I want to read.  Christopher Moore is hilarious.  His stories are funny, sometimes gross, always odd reads. True be told, I'm already more than half-way through Fool, the story of King Lear told from the fools perspective.  He is so irreverent.  I'm enjoying the book a lot.  Unfortunately, I will be finished it by tomorrow.  That's why I need to buy books 2 at a time.  Or, more realistically, ten at a time.

Looking at all the items I've thrifted lately, I can see a distinct theme.  Even though I usually just grab what I love, I think I have a certain thrifting aesthetic.  I created a color pallette just to show you what I mean:

Although I often love bright colors, I've been moving towards these muted, nature tones, with that awesome dark green that was so popular in the 70s.  I still love the pinks and robin egg blues, but lately I'm drawn to these shades.  It could be my mood lately; I've been more sedate and calm as of late.  When I get busy, I tend to settle down, and try to get things done.  And having calm colors around me helps me be more productive.  My thrifting aesthetic changes with my mood; and I can't wait to see what my summer thrifting aesthetic turns out to be!

Do you have a "thrifting aesthetic?"  Or do you just grab whatever you like?

Have you ever...

...seen my hot-water bottle cozy? His name is Wator, Protector of the Hot Water Bottle.

I made him when I just starting learning how to knit.  It was a challenging first project, but I think I did quite well.   I made him out of dollar store yarn and some vintage buttons I had.  His teeth were felt, and he's removable.

I used him today because I hurt my back, and I needed some warmth.  Wator always scares away the pain.