Distracted Driving

I saw the following 2 videos (again) recently, and they spoke to me.

Heads up: the second clip may contain subject matter inappropriate for some audiences.

We’re all in this together. Safety first.

Strangers

The videos below, which most of us have seen separately, were made in different years by different people. They are not, to my knowledge, related in any way except subject matter.

I grouped them here because they each made me think about intimacy, isolation, and connection.

Enjoy…

Fixing the Bangs

It’s been awhile since I’ve gotten a post together, but I stumbled upon this great video and it inspired me to share.

For the ladies out there with fringes, here’s how to tame the bang in no time flat. Fool proof!

Check it out here.

 

I’ve really been enjoying Sali Hughes’ videos. Sali, if you haven’t heard of her, is a fashion guru of epic proportions with a treasure trove of accessible tutorials and product reviews. I recently subscribed to her youtube channel and it’s a gold mine…

 

Oxford Shoes

I’m fixated on finding the perfect oxford shoe.

I had a beautiful pair, but they had NO padding for the ball of the foot. The two inch stack heel was a versatile height, the capped toe looked finished, the opening was perfect… not too high, not too low… sigh. I tried 3 different insoles, but they weren’t much help and with them in, the toe box was too small. So I let them go, as life is both too short, and too long, for uncomfortable shoes.

At any rate, now I’m on the hunt. I’m seeing a lot of oxford shoes out there, it is inevitable the perfect pair will turn up. I’ve learned from previous such obsessions that it is pointless to buy anything short of my ideal. If I do, I won’t love it, I won’t wear it, and I’ll have wasted my money. Never settle!

Here’s an assortment of oxfords available online right now:

$50 to $100: Chelsea Crew Morgan Oxford Pump, Crown Vintage Alice Oxford, Steve Madden Tudor Flat, DV Marv Suede Oxfords

$100 to $200: Pikolinos Florencia, Born Crown Perrine, Clark’s Charlie Brogue, Cole Haan Tompkins Wingtip Oxfords

Over $200: Alberto Fermani Trieste Pump, Frye Maggie Perf Wingtip, Frye Courtney Slip On, Frye Carson Oxford

What’s on your shopping list?

Kauai

So I recently spent a week in Kauai.  A group of us went for a friend’s wedding, and it was wonderful!

We spent a lot of time just relaxing, but we did run around a bit, so below are my favorite Kauai highlights. We really didn’t do a lot of touring or exploring so this is definitely an incomplete list.

The basics: it is is the fourth largest of the primary Hawaiian Islands, and geologically the oldest. With an area of 562 square miles, Kauai is the 21st largest island in the United States. The Garden Isle, as it is also called,  is situated 105 miles northwest of Oahu.

Hanalei Bay is a great beach for relaxing. Not the spot for surfing as the orientation of the Bay keeps the water very calm. Perfect if you have small humans with your group. We had 3 little tykes along and of course there was an adult with each of them at all times, but it was great knowing the water was so peaceful. The bottom is sandy all the way out, the slope very gradual, and you can walk out surprisingly far and still only be waist deep. The Bay was 2 blocks from our rental house and the view from the water was just as good as the view from the shore… mountains with waterfalls. Beautiful.

We took a boat and snorkel tour of the Nepali Coast. Fantastic. They took it slow on the way out, lots of history and general information on the various beaches and waterfalls as we went. We saw Dolphins and Sea Turtles, took the boat into sea caves, super fun. Then we snorkeled for an hour or so. It was nice, but not as impressive as the Caribbean. The ride back was great– fast and against the waves. It was a pretty wild ride and we got soaked, but we’d been warned and I loved it. I did lose my hat though, so am now in the market for a new fedora.

Friends took a helicopter tour of the island (totally reminded me of T.C. from Magnum P.I.) and LOVED it. Tunnels and Ke’e beaches have fantastic snorkeling. And the wedding was held at Kahiliholo Falls. The reception was nearby at Common Ground, a local “field to table,” organic cafe.

There was so much we didn’t get around to seeing or doing, as we were busy with our group or in a blissed out state of quiet relaxation.  For more Kauai info check out Trip Advisor or Fodor’s, and Go Hawaii.

Have you taken any trips lately? What’s your best travel advice?

2 Thumbs up for Anthro!

So right before I went on vacation, I bought a pair of jeans with my Birthday Discount at Anthropologie. I asked two different staff members if the jeans would shrink, they both said “No way!” The jeans shrank. And I had no time to take them back. So, I ordered the next size up online, planning to return the originals when I got back.

AG’s Tomboy Relaxed Straight Leg – my new jeans.

Today I went in to accomplish this task. The return was a breeze, even after I told her I’d washed them. Then, figuring “What do I have to lose?” I asked if she could apply my birthday discount to the replacement jeans (I’d brought the shipping form from that purchase). She said, “I think so, let me ask my manager.” The manager, after hearing the request explanation said, “Of course!” with a big smile.

So as the sales person is punching away at her computer for this bit of awesome customer service, she told me the jeans are now 50% off on the website. I asked if she could give them to me for that price and she looked hesitant but after a bit of friendly chatting up, she went for it. To ice the cake, I asked for the birthday discount on this. She balked for a minute, but agreed to that too. So I not only got the jeans I’d wanted, I got them for a third the price I’d originally paid.

Level 99 Sailor Wide-Legs – my new trousers.

Now, if I were smart, I’d have gone home cackling in triumph. Instead I found a pair of casual-glam linen blend slacks on sale. I was super happy checking out because I’d still saved ~ $45. The parking ticket was exactly that. Sigh.

So my takeaway today is threefold:

1. Anthropologie provides FANTASTIC customer service.
2. Don’t be afraid to return things, or ask for further discounts.
3. Keep track of how much time you have left on your meter!

Anybody have any shopping triumphs they’d like to share?

SOAP BOX: How Women Talk About Other Women

I had a discussion with an acquaintance recently, that went completely pear shaped. I’ll call my companion “Sally.” She’s definitely further to the right than I both politically and socially; dressing very conservatively, eschewing makeup, talking frequently about her church. No biggie, we normally get along well together. Our chat took place a couple weeks ago, but I can’t shake it. So let’s discuss…

I was reading the following piece in The Week (my favorite news magazine):

The Big Breasts Ban

BY SAMANTHA ROLLINS | JUNE 15, 2013

A high school senior in Washington state was denied entry to her prom because her breasts are too big. Central Kitsap High School’s dress code permits strapless dresses, but Brittany Minder says school officials told her she couldn’t enter unless she covered her abundant cleavage. Minder wrapped herself in a shawl, but left the prom after an hour. “It was tough being there after all that happened,” she said. “I was self-conscious.”

I was indignant for young Brittany, and read the article aloud. The response was (paraphrasing, it’s been a couple weeks), “Of course they did. Or they’d have had to deal with her having sex in the bathroom later.”

When I picked my jaw up off the floor, I asked Sally what in the world she meant. Her paraphrased response, “If girls dress like that they’re looking for a certain kind of attention, and they’ll act on it.”

At that point I began to have trouble hearing her over the sirens going off in my head. I stated that this was one very short step from the old “well if she hadn’t dressed that way… she has no one but herself to blame…” attitude toward rape victims. This Sally denied emphatically, while restating her belief that girls who wear low cut tops or short skirts, are “looking for a certain kind of attention,” and are going to be, or cause, trouble.

My, that slope looks awfully slippery!

I told Sally that she was wrong, I was extremely disappointed in her, and I changed the subject. Well handled? NOPE. In my defense I submit again, it was hard to concentrate with the claxons and flares going off.

Brittany Minder in her prom dress.

The exchange distressed me. Are we still tearing down other women, rather than supporting them?

A few points:

1. Brittany happens to be busty. Are we now stigmatizing women for their physical attributes? (Naive question, the answer is, and always has always been, yes). Would the same dress on a less well endowed classmate have been acceptable?
2. Brittany is in high school. Research shows at this age cognitive development is not complete, there is a poor understanding of consequences. Reasoning and judgement are still being acquired through brain maturation, coupled with life experience. She’s still just growing up and trying to figure things out. Was this dress ridiculously revealing? I don’t thing so. But even if it was, she’s finding her boundaries and what’s comfortable for her. She’s a kid. No need to run out and buy her a red light.
3. In my opinion, Brittany’s dress was both adorable and appropriate. Could we see cleavage? Yep. But this young lady probably has cleavage in a crew neck t-shirt! It’s how she’s built.
4. Perhaps Sally simply lacks empathy, and is unable to understand, being smaller chested herself, how difficult it can be to dress a bodacious bod. To quote Brittany’s dad, “A girl like Brittany should not have to go to a dance in a burlap sack because she’s large busted. It’s ridiculous.”
5. Say she WAS wearing something racy. Let’s think, for just a minute, what role models the media has for this generation of female children.

Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Rihanna

This topic may have struck home for me, in part, because I’ve been listening to coverage of the trial for the attackers of a young woman who was raped on her school campus  during a homecoming dance in Richmond, California. Regardless, It is not acceptable to condemn others because they make different choices than we do. It is contemptible to dismiss a person’s rights, or even their feelings, because they don’t look or act as we do. And it is appalling to imply that a girl is undeserving of respect, solely because her cleavage is visible.

So what do you guys think? Should Brittany have been singled out and made to cover up her “natural resources?” Was I out of line for calling Sally on her comments?

Chevron Skirt

I’m crushed out on chevron (fun trend, glad it’s still hot).

And I’m (obviously) in love with Kate Spade.

So clearly I adore this skirt–even though they didn’t match the waist band pattern up with the skirt’s:

Kate Spade’s Robbie Skirt, $198 at Piperlime.

But it’s pricey. And I’m trying to budget (bummer, but I want a HOUSE, so I’m on board).

Target has a couple cute (and honestly more comfy) options:

Merona® Women’s Elastic Waist Knit Skirt, $15 at Target.

MB Refined Pencil Skirt, $20 at Target.

They’re more casual but WAY cheaper and honestly look great on.

Have you found any great designer look-alike deals lately?

Beach Bound

I can’t stop thinking about the beach. I’m obsessively planning what I’ll take with me…

Target has some really cute suits right now. I believe we all need at least one black, and one blue swim suit. And I’m convinced it’s not often worth paying more than $50 for a swim suit, as the sun, chlorine, and/or salt water will wear them out quickly regardless of the quality.

Each piece available at Target, $15 – $20.

Obviously I’ll need a bag to carry my book and lotion and sarong… I like them roomy, and casual enough I won’t worry about it getting sandy and wet.

Gap – $40, Target – $20, Kate Spade – $248, Target – $20, L.L. Bean – up to $33, Marudas – $23

Sarongs are an absolute necessity. I love the versatility: it’s a towel, it’s a ground cover, it’s a skirt/dress/etc. This is a nice sampling of styles and colors available. I usually get mine from TJ Maxx or beach shops while travelling… TJ’s is cheaper but sometimes it’s nice to have one from a trip… great memories every time you use it!

The one on the left is $55 from Piperlime (Roberta Roller Rabbit). The others are all ~ $20 from 1worldsarongs.com, rakuten.com, and sassysarongs.com.

What are your beach essentials?

Memorial Day

All gave some, some gave all.

Remembering those who served…