enJOY it

WORD. I bought myself some wood type. Letterpress style. And not just for sitting around & gathering dust. I am going to slap this alphabet on a press. Big plans for some custom stationary adventures.

WORD. Starting a new collection. Teeny tiny buttons. Did you know I am part of the Art Army? Did you know I am a bit of a bookworm? Did you know I love the word fabulous? Did you know I am 100% behind this idea of "Raising Funny People"? (Kal, you should also own this button. I should mail you one.)

AND PS: The blue bird and design are from Lettre Sauvage. USC grads with good stuff.

Thanks for your comments to my anti-bully post. It is so alarming and comforting to know that so many people have gone through the same experiences.

I feel like I there are all sorts of "deep" cliches I could whip out at a time like this.

But I think we will just leave it at Thanks.

Maybe it is because my monkey mind was spinning. Or because work is exhausting this week.

Either way, I kept thinking about an article I saw in an old People Magazine yesterday. I am sure you heard about it somewhere – the girls (who I think are from Florida?) who video taped themselves beating up on another classmate.

I CANNOT HANDLE THAT STORY. I CANNOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT WITHOUT FEELING SICK.

Little know fact: in eight grade I was tormented by a horrible girl and her gang of horrible friends. Never to the point where they physically hurt me (although I remember waking by the girl in the hallway around Christmas time and having her hit me with some sort of jingle bell necklace) but definitely to the point where they mentally destroyed me.

My sophomore year of college, I wrote a story about it for Chicken Soup for the Girl’s Soul. It was published under a pen name to protect the horrible girl, but it was an important step for me to write it. To help other girls who might be feeling how I felt. At the time I felt like THIS WAS THE ABSOLUTE WORST SITUATION ANYONE HAD EVER BEEN IN. I felt like there was no end to it. I felt like for the rest of my life I would be scared. I never read the story once after it was printed. Too many hard memories – even in the tamed down version.

The word BULLY is my least favorite word in the English language. For some reason, we let bullies have power over us. I hate that. I hate that in eighth grade I believed the horrible girl when she said I could not tell anyone she was harassing me. I let her have control over me. I listened to her taunts on the phone.

Why did I do that? Why did I let her get to me?

I am writing this post today just in case. Just in case there are thirteen year old girls who read my blog. (Do 13 year olds read blogs?) Just in case you have a daughter in middle school. Just in case you need to know that BULLYING is BULLSHIT and you are entitled to TELL SOMEONE and that person can help you make it stop.

I am so glad that I was able to finally make it all end with the help of my parents and the school guidance counselor. I remember sitting in her office and spilling the whole terrible story. I watched as the counselor wrote down all the names I had been called and all the threats I had heard. I remember finally feeling like I did not have to be scared. Finally feeling like I was back in control.

I grew beyond that horrible girl. I grew up into someone I respect. I rarely think about it. But that magazine article yesterday brought me back for a little bit. And so I wanted to share.

Take care of you.

Please note:

There was no staging done to capture these creatures.

I wear a large amount of metallic and green.

We really should clean our carpet.

I would like to say I picked up all of these shoes after the photo shoot, but to be honest, that would be a lie.

So it is becoming a bit of a routine that before Paul and I go to sleep, he tells me about some crazy medical disease or cure. Or something related to whatever he was just studying. As I have made it my goal to know everything there is to know in the entire world, I normally listen in interest.

I also ask extremely earth shattering questions like "Yes, but why is it called Chicken Pox? Did the farmers get it first?"

To which he normally sort of sighs and changes the subject.

Last night we got on to the topic of shingles. And how shingles were really the same virus as chicken pox and that the chicken pox virus goes and waits on your spine after your chicken box outbreak. Sometimes the virus is re-activated, and then TA – DA! Itching shingles.

Of course this made my entire spine itch.

E: So what does it look like?
P: What?
E: The shingles virus on your spine.
P: Well..
E: DOES IT HAVE GOOGLY EYES? I picture it looking like a splat with googly eyes.
P: I think you are thinking of an amoeba.

Later after a bit of laugher, Paul told me what the real chicken pox spine virus looks like: a tiny tiny orange covered in popcorn.

My boy is going to be the very best doctor in the world.

I brought my paper and ink to letterpress land today.

New stuff is uploaded here.

I really love to twirl.

Other good news: Spring has sprung (and I think this time for good.)

(I figured typing would be a good way to avoid it at all costs. Forgive me if I ramble.)

Today was a good day.

A very good, work-filled, adventure of a day.

Which is very good.

I even stayed upbeat when it felt like 50 degrees outside. Which is LAME. Helllllllllllo, Spring. Come OVER. STAY A WHILE. HAVE A BOWL OR FOUR OF ICE CREAM. If this cold front continues into May aka TOMORROW, I might have to do a little more than shake my fist at Old Man Weather. I might have to change this blog to a meteorologist blog and complain all day every day.

Which, as we all know, ACTUALLY CAUSES THE WEATHER TO CHANGE. Go figure.

But anyways.

Big plans tomorrow. Dinner plans actually for a Dinner Party with Steph and Stevo. I am pumped. I decided a long time ago that when I grew up I would be a Lady who Dined. I would also very much love to be a Lady who Lunches. (Or a Lady who Crafts…or a Lady who Snaps Her Fingers And Ice Cream Is Calorie Free.) So It is quite exciting that this dream o’ mine is getting realized.

Also. About the Lunch Situation. Today I had the best burger in the world. From Rugby. Man, oh man, I gave up my cheese strike for this burger and let them load on the goat cheese. And it was sort of like a party in my mouth.

So anyways.

Enough about food. I am going back to Letterpress Land on Friday for the making of more stuff. I do not quite have a plan nailed down, but I do have paper and ink. And paper + ink = good.

Good times.

Enjoy your Tuesday Night and HAPPY MAY.

I love that I am a girl. Because after a long day at work where I have stood on my feet, I just want to sit. And nice guys will let the girl sit.

Yesterday I jumped off a counter top and I thought I fractured my heel. This morning the pain was gone. Now it hurts again.

Chicken for dinner. I hope Paul wants some beer too.

Thinking of Paul, I hope his final went well.

I finished my book today. It was fabulous. Better by Atul Gawande. I would link but I am on the bus. (Edited: LINK)

I need a new read. Something addicting that makes me forget I am on a bus.

Damn. Just remembered that I already had a blog entry written in my head about the book Better. That might drop tomorrow.

I want slash think it is my duty as a human being to get a fantastic haircut like the one on that girl in the cute black dress today.

I am still on a cheese strike.

Today is free cone day at Ben and Jerry’s. I do not know if there are Ben and Jerry’s around the apartment.

I do know we have two kinds of ice cream in the freezer.

My stop. Love.