Polka Facts

 It's my last day of work for 16 days! Hooray!And I wore pants for five days in a row, which must be some sort of record for me!

Glasses - Prada

Blouse - thrifted Kenneth Cole
Sweater - thrifted Boundary Waters
Pin - thrifted
Jeans - GAP
Shoes - eBay (brand is worn off)

I was so pumped when I found these shoes on eBay for $10... I needed a pair of lighter brown closed toe, not insane heeled shoes and these are amazing! I'll have to bring them to my cobbler to get the heel taps replaced, but oh well! Still a fabulous bargain!

I got tagged by D'Andra from Sable & Sage to share seven facts about myself and it's been a while since I threw some random factoids at you so here we go:

1. When I was about six, I really wanted to go on a motorcycle ride. My dad agreed to let me sit on his lap and we'd ride his dirt bike slowly down our little street. After a few feet I decided we were going too slow and pushed my hand against his thumb that was on the accelerator. We took off so fast that we did a wheelie down the street and that was the end of the motorcycle rides for me.

2. I hate the feeling of static more than anything, which is why I'll never have a cat. When they do that thing where they come by and rub their side on your leg and it transfers static onto you I get soooo annoyed. But I do like cats so I'd like one of those hairless Sphynx ones, but that will never happen since they are so expensive!

3. I'm one of those odd people who will always pick vanilla over chocolate (be it cupcakes, ice cream, or whatever.) 

4. My dad taught me to shoot archery, handguns and rifles. It was pretty much what I did every weekend from 3rd-7th grade, I'd hang out in the huge field next to our house and shoot targets. I was a very fashionable tomboy. (Don't worry, I've never shot an animal, nor will I.)

5. I hate movies. I do. I cannot watch a movie in a theater. I can watch them on DVD at home, where I can stop them every half hour or so and do other things for a while, but even when a movie is super good and I like it, I get bored. There are so many classic movies I feel like I should watch, but I just can't bring myself to try and do it (It's a Wonderful Life, Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Citizen Kane, etc)

6. My handwriting changes drastically depending on what kind of pen I'm using and whether or not the paper has lines.

7. I am always aware of when there are other redheads around. I don't know what it is but I always notice (only if they are real redheads not from a bottle). It's weird cause I feel awkward talking to other natural redheads or sitting near them in public. I don't know why.

My posting will be irregular the next two weeks as I won't be working, will be going home for a few days, and seeing some old friends. I'll be sure to at least post my awesome vintage Christmas dress and whatever I wind up wearing on New Year's Eve for the "Fancy Pants Cocktail Party" at Matt and Jim's house. Toodles!

Questions Tag

from La Fille D'or

1.What shoe size are you?

7.5

2.Where do you work?

In the nurse's office of a K-12 public arts school... it pretty much rules.

3.Favorite piece of clothing you own

I would have to pick my Alexander McQueen skirt, he was my favorite designer, and I totally cried when he died. :(

4.Your favorite blog?

All the blogs on my blog roll... I read all of them every day.

5.Do you have any pets?

Nope, unless you count the spiders that live in my car?

6.How many siblings do you have?

Two - an older sister, Kim, and a younger brother, Tory. I totally have middle child syndrome.

7.If you could live anywhere where would it be?

The Dominican Republic - the time I spent there volunteering in an orphanage there was so awesome. The people were amazing, the weather was perfect (although it wasn't hurricane season when I was there), the country is beautiful and I love speaking Spanish!

8.What were you doing before this?

Watching 30 Rock while sewing a skirt.

9.Your favorite food?

Good bread. I'm carb crazy.

10.Do you have a middle name?

Lee

11.Your favorite websites?

http://chairwhore.blogspot.com

I just really like chairs. I'm constantly dragging thrifted ones over to the boys house.

12.Who do you tag?

Your mom.

Ummm, if you guys have any other pressing questions, feel free to add them in the comments and I'll reply!

Tagged like a dumpster

Over the past week I got tagged by Jane,  EvaNadine, La Fille D'Or, jesse.anne.o, and Erin

So here are my 10 things (cause I'm not doing 50!) Although, if you're that curious, you can click here to see all my previous tags.

1. I love sour things... I regularly eat slices of lemons and limes and kumquats are awesome!

2. When I was in 2nd grade I got my ears pierced at the mall with 14k gold studs. I was whining about them hurting all day and my mom was all "you wanted them done, get over it." The next morning when she went to wake me up there was blood all over my pillow. Turns out, I am allergic to gold and my body rejected the earrings (because the studs they pierce with "lock" in place, the WHOLE EARRING pushed itself out of both of my ears). I got them redone a few years later in stainless steel.

3. I have found well over 100 four leaf clovers in my life (I used to laminate them in clear contact paper when I was a kid). I don't go out of my way to look for them, I just tend to count things in threes, so when I look down they just pop out at me!

4.I eat the same thing for lunch every weekday - chunky organic peanut butter mixed with organic almond butter on wheat bread with a granny smith apple and a liter of water.

5. When I was around 2 years old, I was sitting on the floor in front of our big 1970s TV and our dog Hershey saw a squirrel outside and leaped up on the TV to bark at it outside the window. The whole TV fell on me. My mom freaked out, pulled the TV off me, and I came out unscathed, without so much as a scratch or bruise (the dog went to go live with my aunt after that though!)

6. This fall I read an advanced copy of a book called Returning to Denver. I have a blurb! I'm a blurb-ologist! I thought it was hilarious that another one of the blurbs was written by Gillette Penn (of Penn & Teller!)

7. I'm really allergic to certain kinds of mosquito bites (there are like 170 different species in North America). So a few times a summer I'll get one that is really huge and GREEN. It's super gross!

8. I was super duper tiny as a child. The doctors told my parents I'd never make it to five feet tall and was checked for thyroid cancer several times. Turns out I was just a REALLY late bloomer! I didn't get my erm, special lady time, until a few weeks before I graduated high school! I went off to college, suddenly got boobs and grew five inches in height!

9. I lived in Chicago until I was 8, then southern Wisconsin until I was 18, now I've lived in Minneapolis since then! I keep migrating north, I think I'll be ready to head to Canada soon (ok, not really, MPLS for life!)

10. Before dating "the boy", I had dumped every guy I had ever dated within three months. The boy and I have now been together for almost three years. We were acquaintances for a few years before that. One day we had a few too many cocktails at the Gay Pride Block Party and kissed! The rest is history!

Since so many people have already been tagged, I won't list anyone! But do it if you want and let me know, or add something about yourself in the comments!

fourteen

Ok so I got tagged by Sher and Martina, and they are both for 7 things... so here are 14 things!


1. I have four jobs #1 = school nurse #2 = waitress and bartender on weekends and in the summer #3 = dan the man, my special needs buddy who will be in my life forever #4 my etsy, which isn't really a job, but it is a lot of work and pays well.

2. I love my job and none of it really grosses me out (the puke, the blood, the snot, the lice) EXCEPT when kids wiggle their bloody loose teeth in front of me. Ickers.

3. The single proudest I've ever been of myself was when I ran down the guy who mugged me, wearing wedge platform sandals and a skirt, and got my purse back.

4. I'm a bit of a fainter. It doesn't happen often but thank you and sorry to all my friends that have caught me on the way down. The last time it happened I was in Chicago on the El train platform, luckily I know right before it happens and was able to warn my friends so they caught me and prevented me from being hit by the approaching train.

6. 90% of my friends are boys. I've been issued an honorary penis.

7. I'm right handed. My mom is left handed. As a result of her teaching me things as a child, I do a LOT of things with my left hand and am often told I do things "wrong" like tying my shoes - cause I do it lefty!

8. I read a LOT of books. Probably 3-4 a month. A lot of them are read at work. It's awesome.

9. Yes my hair is naturally red and curly. No, I'm not Irish.

10. I've had surgery on my ears five times... my right ear has been acting up and being crazy for the last month... I've been putting off going to the doctor because I know something is wrong and I don't want to deal with it again. I know, I need to man up and just go and accept the facts.

11. If I had to pick only one album to listen to for the rest of my life it would be In the Aeroplane over the Sea by Neutral Milk hotel.

12. One author? Kurt Vonnegut (sorry, I CAN'T narrow it down to one book)

13. I don't have the attention span for movies. Even if they're really good and I like them, it's just hard to sit there for so long.

14. I've been wearing the same necklace every day for about five years. It's a cut coin of a seahorse from Singapore. I've only taken it off once or twice (like for my sisters wedding... although I did put it back on at the reception.)

There you go kids, and I tag EVERYONE (cheating I know!) Tell me when you do it and I'll read it, I love learning about everyone's little quirks!

Oh goodness!

I don't know how I managed to get on the good graces of Winona (aka Daddy Likey) but she has tagged me!!!!! With a tag she made herself! Yay!!!! Exclamation points!!!!! (remember that episode of Seinfeld when Elaine got really mad about exclamation points? no?)

ANYWAY, here goes!
Show Us Your Blog Spot!

The rules:

1. Once you are tagged, post a picture of where you blog. This might mean a picture of your cozy bed, or your office at work (you naughty employee, you!), or a boring ol' desk like me. Feel free to be creative, but be honest--if your desk is usually covered in Ritz crackers and love letters to Rahm Emanuel, then show us!
2. Feel free to tell us a little about your space, or explain certain items in more detail. Or not.
3. Link back to this post. (I want to see how far this goes!)
4. Tag five other bloggers to show their blog spots.
5. If you are tagged and do not participate, you will become allergic to cabbage.

Ok, here is my desk. I blog here most of the time. I also sew here sometimes. Sometimes I pile and pile things onto that chair so that the desk is no longer visible. This is when I know it is time to attack the sewing pile. This is also when I subsequently have cute outfits to wear for two weeks straight.

Those pictures above the desk were taken by me and developed old skool, you know, involving heinous chemicals and dark, dark rooms. The two strips on the left are from when I used the money my parents put in my "senior year of college spring break fund" and volunteered in an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. I also forced local businesses to give me clothes and shoes for them. I then went to the DR with two maximum sized suitcases full of stuff for them and nothing for myself. I had a hard time coming back into the US with two giant empty suitcases. I know, my bleeding heart. The strip on the right are photos taken under a bridge by some abandoned railroad tracks. While there I came upon a pile of medical waste that was dumped in the snow. While taking the picture, I was yelled at and then chased by a crazy homeless woman. Apparently she thought I worked for the government and came to bust her for stealing the garbage, looking for needles and pills. The picture did not turn out. I am still bummed.

I sometimes blog at work. Perhaps I will take a picture of it tomorrow... in the mean time picture a PC, circa 1999 on a generic desk. Picture two vinyl cots in the background and every other stereotype about a school nurse's office. I'm there, blogging about my cute outfit from that morning, with puke on my boots.

Speaking of which, here is an outfit preview for you! I had to figure out how to wear this amazing thrifted jacket. It's just cuts me at an odd point and had to try on like eight skirts, and three pairs of pants, at which point I decided to wear my big wool shorts. I will freeze a bit when I am outside, but whatevs. I'm done with this below zero nonsense. I'm just gonna act like it's bearable outside. So here is what I will look like tomorrow, but with better hair tomorrow... then more puke on my boots.

Jacket - thrifted
T-shirt - Target
Shorts - thrifted at Fake Target
Tights - TJ Maxx
Boots - Diba (DSW clearance)

P.S. oops... I tag
Laura from tagtraeumerin
Megan from See Meg Shop
Keiko Lynn
Erin from Work With What You've Got
Eleh from Come thrifting with me

The letter "s"

Here's the deal:

If you want to play, leave a comment on this post letting me know, and I'll assign you a letter. You write about ten things you love that begin with your assigned letter, and post it at your place. When people comment on your list, you give them a letter, and the chain continues on and on..

Yay, the lovely Stephanie @ My Answered Prayer gave me the letter S:

1. Soup! Ok, it's mostly a winter thing but I eat soup like every day. Yeah, once in a while I'm lazy and go for the can, but mostly I make them myself and then freeze them in individual glass bowls. Last week Ryan and I made crab bisque (it's his specialty). It is SO delicious but not very healthy (what with all the butter and half and half). So I only eat tiny bowls of it with a salad.

2. Sandals – Ok, mostly a summer thing but here's a secret - I HATE SHOES! Er, I HATE SOCKS! I'm SO excited when I get home to take off my socks. I wish I could wear sandals year round, but don't want to live somewhere warm, so that's never gonna happen.

3. School – Well, my school. It is the most progressive, interesting, and successful school I have ever worked at or attended. I am so proud to work there and happy that I have a job that I look forward to every day.

4. Sewing! I haven't had too much time this year to do it but once I start, it's hard to stop until I'm done so I wind up staying up till like 4am. Once of these days I'll stop having like four jobs and have time to sew.

5. Staying busy! Ok, tying this on to the last one… I have four jobs. Job #1 I'm a school nurse. Job #2 I waitress and bartend on weekends and in the summer. I could quit, but I've been there for almost eight years! My boss is like my second mother, I love all the chefs, and I would just miss it. I

can't quit (until my boss retires, which will probably be within a year or two). Job #3 I have a "client" on Thursday nights. He is a 21 year old boy with a rare chromosomal dislocation. I've known and worked with him and his family for six+ years. He's my favorite person in the world and I'll probably have him in my life until I die. Job #4 Ok, and it's not really a "job" but my etsy store keeps me busy - screenprinting t-shirts, finding, photographing and measuring vintage clothes.

6. Screenprinting – I'm seriously amazed at how awesome screenprinting is. I love that it's crafty, but with professional looking results. Seriously, so fun!

7. Sailing – the boy has a sailboat. It's so fun to just be out in the middle of a lake, no engine, no exhaust, just the wind. I'm even starting to know what I'm doing!

8. Singing – provided no one can hear me. Seriously, I have a TERRIBLE voice. I don't even have a nice speaking voice. Go watch a Scarlett Johannson movie. I have her voice. Exactly. I've been told it many times. It's deep and it's awful. However, I will sing at the top of my lungs in the car, in the shower, and you may get me to do some karaoke, provided I've had a few cocktails and I get to sing the boy parts.

9. Straws. I love drinking out of straws, all drinks should have them.

10. Sunglasses – I love vintage sunglasses. I have like 20 pairs (cause they were all like a dollar and I tend to lose them).

I could throw down like a million more, but it only said ten, so there you go! Everyone comment to play! It's fun!

A shortie

The lovely E has tagged me with Eleven Little Things. Here they are...

1. Clothing Shop: I pretty much only shop at thrift stores and Target (or both - the glory that is Fake Target!)
2. Furniture Shop: Um, I don't really shop for furniture. My couch is from my aunt, my mom bought me two chairs at IKEA (which I reupholstered), my kitchen chairs are mismatched thrifted chairs that I painted (a la Friends), my bedroom set is from my grandma from Norway in the '50s, my bookshelf was found on the side of the road... you get the picture. If/when I get money to pick out my own furniture, I will buy it from my sister, an interior designer at the very fancy schmancy Gabberts.
3. Sweet: Not big on sweets - eating sugar gives me a stomach ache, but I do eat Haribo Gold Bears from time to time.
4. City: Minneapolis obviously
5. Drink: If we're talking day to day it's water, coffee and hot green tea. If we're talking cocktails, it's red wine or Absolut Mandarin and soda water.
6. Music: Um, I own over a thousand CDs... the four concerts I am going to this month are Beck (w/MGMT), Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, TV on the Radio, and The Hold Steady.
7. TV Series: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 30 Rock, and Project Runway (Good thing Ryan has cable!)
8. Film: Wes Anderson is my hero. I'm still a sucker for '90s movies like Empire Records and Reality Bites.
9. Workout: I try to run 10-15 miles a week.
10. Pastries: odd question, but ok... I like croissants on Saturday mornings (with cheese and fruit and Ryan).
11. Coffee: No cream, no sugar and very cheap.

Here are two outfits for you! Are they boring? YES! Do I care? NO! I spent most of the day yesterday at a boring work training (man oh man, most school nurses are decidedly unhip! Spending the day with a bunch of finicky middle-aged ladies who don't know how to work computers sucks!) I don't know why, this little sweater vest reminds me of Sesame Street. I guess cause it's kinda '70s and a little Ernie and Bert-ish.

T-Shirt - Target

Sweater vest - thrifted

Pants - thrifted Express

Shoes - Rampage

and I have today (and tomorrow!) off! Today will be spent making soups to freeze and eat for lunch all winter! Tomorrow is etsy update day! Laterz! I'm off to enjoy my days off!

Scarf - thrifted

Jean jacket - Target

T-Shirt - Target

Pants - thrifted Express

Shoes - DSW