The Bird Girl Of Aus-catraz

I have never purchased a black and white striped shirt before, not because I don't think French film noir isn't cool, because it certainly is, but because it reminds me more of classic prison films.  But when you walk in to Buffalo Exchange, see a striped Michael Kors shirt with fluttery sleeves just hanging there, and it happens to be black and white, how can you tell it no?

You can't.  You cough up the ten bucks and take it home.  And then figure out how to not look like a prisoner or a soccer ref. 

Success?  Perhaps.

Shirt: Michael Kors via Buffalo Exchange
Jeans: Citizens
Belt: from Little Rock boutique
Necklace: SoLa
Shoes: BCBG
Earrings: another Little Rock boutique (Kristen Todd)
Ring: from my ex-fiance.  After we called off the wedding and I gave him back my engagement ring, he had this pink ring made for me as a graduation present.  That was so sweet and I love it.

I thought the gun shooting a flower and the prison stripes carried out a theme.  I'm not sure what that theme is.  Peaceful prison uprising?

At work, Keep Austin Beautiful brought in an awesome project: recycled bird cakes and bird feeders.  I know I'm supposed to only supervise these things, but sometimes I want in on the fun, too!

Bird Cake Supplies:

Orange

Peanut Butter

Bird Seed and oats

Bird Cake Instructions:

1) Cut orange in half and eat the guts.

2) Roll birdseed and a ball of peanut butter together

3) Stuff into orange peel shell

4) Put outside or string up in a tree - do not try to drill into one with fresh peanut butter in it!

Elizabeth making her bird feeder.  We probably shouldn't be allowed to handle power tools with children around...

Recycled Bird Feeder Supplies

Plastic soda bottles

Sticks

Bird Seed

Paint

Something to poke holes with: nail, drill bit, etc

Recycled Bird Feeder Instructions

1) Poke a ton of holes in a plastic bottle

2) Shove sticks into some of the holes for the birds to sit on

3) Paint pretty colors

4) Put peanut butter on holes that don't have sticks on them 

5) Fill with bird seed

6) Hang up outside

Mine has way more seating.  It's the luxury model.  Elizabeth's is a compact.

I hung them up right away.  By morning, my bird cake orange was gone.  I have my suspicions, considering the empty 40's I often find scattered on the ground, and the absence of gorilla squirrels that could actually carry it away.  I keep looking over my shoulder now to see if there are any birds on my surviving feeder, but alas, none have discovered my gift to them yet.  I think an ornithology manual should be next on my shopping list.

***
Also related to the awesome things I do at work and people I meet - I got to go to a Texas Roller Derby Hell Cats practice and take lots of video and interview a few of the skaters.  Jonny Stranger (team manager who doubles as the Austin Film Society rep in our after school program) is supposed to help me fix it up all awesome-like next week, so check back for that!

Oh, and Emily of Girls Rock Camp, another awesome program we host, invited Elizabeth and I to a press screening of The Runaways tomorrow. 

This week may just win the award for best week over.  I'll let you know Sunday night after rugby, Alice in Wonderland, costumes, and Taco Bueno.