Punk Rock Pink Lady + A Few Awards To Give

While I might have said I wanted leather pants after seeing The Runaways, I'll stick with my new pleather (go veggies) biker jacket that I found for less that $50 on South Congress yesterday.  It makes me feel like a rock star!  Or at least sort of punk rock... girlie punk rock...

I wish I could say it wasn't cool enough to wear this jacket today, but such was not the case.  At least I'm not back in Fayetteville, AR right now - they're under ten inches of snow, and tomorrow's their first day of spring break!  I couldn't handle that much snow, except for maybe two days a year. 

Despite today's chill, I'll be happy regardless because of the lovely sun and the red bud trees blooming all over the city like this one outside of my church - which was the most amazing SXSW venue - lots of pictures to come soon.

Jacket: Better B from Goodie Two Shoes
Black Cardigan: Ann Taylor
Pink Shirt: Old Navy
White Tank: Forever 21
Jeans: Citizens
Headband: Charlotte Rouse
Shoes: Target
Socks: Target
Necklace: Accessory City in Little Rock

I was tagged by the incredibly adorable (and delicate in a lovely way) Rachel at Walls Are Imagined to list ten things I love.  Narrowing down the list could be difficult...

10 things that I love, in no particular order:

1) Being a puppy owner
2) Antique books.  And new books.  And used books.  And library books...
3) Pizza, beer, and movies on the couch.  Preferably in flannel pants.
4) On the rare morning when I can get out of bed, I actually love running early. 
5) Live music.  Or music on my ipod, on the radio, holding a guitar and making my own...
6) Having a clean home.  This is SO hard having a dog, and being notorious for leaving laundry out.
7) My pink laptop.  Especially typing on it.
8) Sushi.  My favorite is the kind with mango or kiwi on it.  Where in Austin does this!?
9) Meeting nice people.  There were so many nice people at SXSW, and I sold a lot of them water and cookies.
10) Paper products - magazine pages, stationary, card stock, painted vellum...
11) Can I cheat and add an 11?  I love pushing the clocks back in the spring, because I love sunlight, especially evening sunlight, and now it's lasting later and later.

I tag:

Jennifer of First Comes Love
Starr of A Thought is the Blossom
Amy of Ha Ha Wait What
Lauralee of Martinis and String Bikinis
Prima
Sam of Simply Sam
Erica of Alabaster Cow
Michelle of Wicked Whimsy
Grant of Austin Carnivore
Tolly of Austin Eavesdropper

And since this tag didn't seem to come with a badge or anything, I decided to make my own!  So for all those tags, and Rachel for tagging me, feel free to post this up and brag about it, because I worked hard to make it and you earned it:

Valentines Weekend & Relationship Troubles

Lennon and I drove to Dallas today to visit his parents, make good on his long-standing promise to take me to the aquarium, eat at the Spaghetti Warehouse in the West End, and let me do a little indulgent vintage shopping.  I have been missing my computer time with all of the busy-ness as of late - cleaning, mountains of laundry, work, meeting lots of people with the fabulous Elizabeth at Austin's Tweet-Up, getting honey & cream lattes with Michelle, packing, unpacking, packing again, and practicing guitar (I'm playing three songs at Hangtown on the 25th this month - come see me - it's a Boys and Girls Club fundraiser night!).

This is what I wore to work on Thursday, and as much as I love those turquoise flats, my feet froze when it started pouring glacial rain!

Jeans: Citizens
Flats: Indigo via Buffalo Exchange
Black tank: Wal-Mart
Orange tank: Target
Cardigan: mall boutique in Little Rock
Necklace: Etsy

Lennon and I have been having some troubles that, while not new, are rising to alarming heads due to frequency.  As sad as this makes the cloud around Valentines Day, we are planning on him staying here in Dallas for a few days when I go back to Austin to take a mini-break from each other, (and hopefully realize how much we miss one another).

We have had lots of conversations about how to better communicate before problems become arguments, but of course behavioral changes are difficult.  While the arguments are often harsh - neither of us fight nice - they offer a chance for difficult but necessary character reflection.

What have you done to help get through rough patches in a relationship?  Our relationship tends to move in extremes: it is either intensely positive or intensely negative.  I would like to find a method for balance, not just for our relationship, but for the experience of smoother days, emotions, etc. 

The petty news about this: I'll have to invest in a tripod while he's gone, or find a shelf at a handy height, as he's my prized photographer.

The good news is: we are determined to enjoy the remainder of our weekend and follow through with our trip plans.  Luckily, when removed from the external stress of daily life, we don't fight.

More good news: it's figure skating season!  I LOVE figure skating.

Michelle Kwan: world's most beautiful lady?  Surely she's a contender, (Lennon votes Lady GaGa).

Also - Amy at Ha. Ha. Wait, What? sent me this really sweet award:

I'm going to pass this along to Lauralee, who has a shiny new blog called Martinis and String Bikinis.  I love you, cousin!

Evolution & Patriotism Do Mix, and Happiness Reins Supreme

One thing about working in after-school programming is that it's imperative to have pockets.  I carry two cell phones, a walkie-talkie, various documents, lots of keys, writing utensils, and the occasional citrus fruit when I'm on patrol.  So this outfit does double duty, having the blue jean pockets, and two giant pockets in the dress.  Several of the teachers have, what appears to be, very cute "tool belts" for dry erase markers, scissors, pens, and all the other things I wish I'd had attached to my person when I had my own classroom.

I feel like reminiscing a bit, so indulge me...

This was my classroom last year, (on the first day, before havoc was wreaked upon it by doodle and destruction happy teenagers).  I miss it... even though it didn't have windows.  Actually, I don't miss that at all.  Now I'm in an office that has windows looking out on a hallway.  It's sort of like being in a fishbowl.  And yes, that is Kurt Cobain behind my desk, the exact same poster my tenth grade English teacher, Mr. Cochran, had.  Rock on.

This is a kick-butt bulletin board I did when I was teaching ninth graders the Odyssey.  They were in teams, or "ship crews," and they "sailed their ship" from Troy to Ithaca by doing well on homework and quizzes.  The symbols in the water marked where we were in the reading.

And these are some of my kiddos from last year - sophomores - dressed up to act out scenes from Antigone.  Sometimes I came home so frustrated with various students, administration, paperwork, policies, etc, that I forgot how much I laughed in my classes on a regular basis.  They cracked me up - even if I didn't always get to show it because I was supposed to be tough :)  My first group of babies are graduating this year, and I'm going to trytrytry to get back to Arkansas to be there.

Ok - memory trip over!  I actually need to go to bed so I can wake up for my current job.  Without further hesitation:

Dress and Belt: BB Dakota
Cardigan: Gap
Shoes: BCBG Girls
Jeans: Joe's Jeans

I also want to announce how excited I am to have gotten the Happy Award from Prima!  Danke danke!  (I'm also reliving my days in German class).

This award says to list ten things that make me happy, and I really need to do this right now because I've had a terrible, emotional day with lots of arguing and pouting.  Not very lady-like.

Ten happies:

1) Music I can swim in.  Lyrics, melody... I especially like acoustic guitars.  Sorry About Dresden came on a second ago and it seems fitting for the arguments I've been having.  That's music you can swim in.

2) Cooking and baking, when things turn out well and the people you feed smile when they taste it.  I really like kneading bread dough.

3) My puppy baby, who isn't really a baby anymore, and I adore even though she has yucky dandruff and licks herself a lot.  Ew.

4) The sea.  I have a jacket my mom ordered me from Lands End in seventh grade, and it still fits.  I wore it to the shore in Turkey and there are still crushed sea shells and sand in the pocket.  I love touching them.

5) Sale shopping.  And thrift shopping.  I like getting new things but hate spending money.  

6) Rare produce.  The words "heirloom tomato" make the room a little warm.

7) My grandmother.  Sometimes we drive each other crazy but I still love her and miss her a lot, and she likes pizza, beer, and new clothes almost as much as I do.

8) Photo albums.  I browse them a lot.  Facebook has ruined my life with the plethora of photos to go through.  I like remembering things to the point that it hurts.  This makes getting over past relationships hard.  I don't think I ever really let myself.  

9) Singing with the guitar on key.  I know I'll never be Beyonce, (I'm kinda glad...) but when I know a song and sing it while playing, it makes me really really happy.  

10) Aquariums.  Cutty took me to the Boston aquarium the last time I was there and I loved it.  Then I got to spend the rest of the weekend with my girls Joanie and Julia.  I went to archeology camp at the Toltec Mounds when I was ten, and a news crew interviewed me when I was digging in the dirt,and their cut away quote was me saying I wanted to grow up to be a marine biologist.  

Just ten?  There are lots more flooding to my mind - fresh flowers at the Fayetteville Famer's Market, strawberries, coffee and cinnamon rolls, Taste of Thai with Emily and Stephanie, going to lunch with Michael on Saturdays, playing golf with my dad, reading books about religion, researching and writing lesson plans, (yes I'm weird), The Flying Saucer when it's sleeting outside, recipes in my grandmother's hand writing, live music with dancing, kissingkissingkissing, open windows in summer, my grandfather humming made up songs in his Buick, Top Chef marathons with Scott... what a wonderful rush of thoughts!!

I'm supposed to tag people for this award - but can I be unconventional?  If you're reading this then I tag you.  Please take this award, post it, and write ten things that make you happy.  See if you can stop at ten.  I bet ten bucks you can't.  (I don't really have ten bucks, but the sentiment stands).

Two New Awards + My Upcoming Birthday: SQUEAL!

Awards really do make me squeal, in the same way I gave a little squeal whenever I found out a boy I had a crush on liked me back.  Blogging is sort of like that.  Being liked makes me happy.  But on the flip side of real life, being unliked doesn't make me too terribly unhappy.  Because hey man, it's the interwebz, and serious business it is not.  Now back to business.

On the night I wore this, I was supposed to go dancing and was so disappointed when plans changed.  We ended up at the Dog and Duck Pub, though, and that is never disappointing.  Especially when the bar tender recognizes you and knows you're from Arkansas.  That's awesome.  

Dress as shirt: from SoLa during their 50% off sale
Cardigan: Ann Taylor Loft
Jeans: Joes Jeans, with stars on the butt, (this is important)
Shoes: from Dillards

Now on to share the award buttons I am still dancing around from getting.  The first is from Sam, and I could not be more honored to have this title:

Sweet action!

This certainly needs to be passed along to Erica of Alabaster Cow.

The second is from Joann of Sidewalk Chalk, and this one comes from a few stipulations: list seven random things about myself.

So here it goes:

1. I am so sleepy right this moment I can hardly keep my eyes open, let alone think.
2. Lennon and I fight a lot.  Yes, I totally just aired that out in public.  I still love him.  We are both stubborn and have completely opposite value systems in regards to vocabulary, and we moved in together way too quickly and haphazardly.  Oh well.
   
3. I have terrible stage fright.  I don't like when any group of people are looking at me - I have no idea how I was a teacher for three years.  I'm supposed to perform at a guitar recital on Monday.  I'll probably bail, (evidence of the necessity of this action to follow).
4. The only meat product I miss is pulled pork BBQ sandwiches.  But I will never, ever eat pig again.  If I ever consider it, I'll visit a slaughter house.
5. I have dreams of growing all of my own food, abandoning neighbors, and living like a lux dirt hippie, (can I claim coining that phrase?).  I like hot water and a Clorox-scrubbed clean house too much to go totally natural.  I also don't like breaking my nails, but guitar playing does that plenty for me.
6. The anxiety of not being good enough - at writing, as a girlfriend, at my job, to get into a PhD program, at life - is petrifying at times.  But I can't even define "good enough" if I try.  Maybe I'm just neurotic in general.  That's really what it is.  And possibly why I have debilitating stage fright.
7. My birthday is Saturday after next.  I'll be 26.  I really really want a red wigglers worm composting kit.  Like really.   
   

 And without doubt, this award is going to the following: Amy of Ha Ha Wait What, Grant of Austin Carnivore (hehe :), Courtney of Pastry Covered Awesome, and Sara-Jane.

Three Quick, Semi-Random Thoughts

1) I had the solution to skirts on bicycles under my nose / in my banner the entire time!  When clothes are a problem, just don't wear them!

2) Amy sent me another award - she is an awesome blogger and photographer, and I may have to make my own award to send her way to let her know!  I'll have to work on my techy graphics skills.

Thank you!!

3) I had the best day in at my after-school program today, and I have to brag and share a few pictures I took with my iphone:

We started a knitting class which swelled (mostly with boys!) after this picture was taken

Girls Rock Camp had their second day and ten super excited young ladies

We started our boys mentoring group: "G's to Gents."  I don't know what these hand signs are, but hence the name... plus they were way excited about the "passports" they got!

Four Exciting Things & One Super Exciting One: The Slam is Back!

 Exciting Thing # 1

Tieka, from the incredibly beautiful blog Selective Potential, had the brilliant idea to start a feature called "The Man Behind The Camera."  Being a night owl, I caught her post calling for submissions quite quickly, and sent in all the props I have for my lovely photographer, Lennon, who I usually turn the camera on after our photo shoots to even things out.  He made it into her first round of featured photographers, (she's going to make it a regular feature, so heads up if you have a special someone taking pictures for you).  Lennon is a tall bugger, even in high heels I barely come up to his chin - one more reason I find him adorable.  Although, his light catching ears are still my favorite feature :)

Exciting Thing # 2

Again, Amy at Ha ha.  Wait.  What? is far too kind, and shares all of the awards she racks up (and deserves) with me.  I can't tell you how much they make me smile - I may need to provide photographic evidence!

This award didn't come with any rules, but I want to pass them both along to a sampling of the blogs that post frequently and always catch my eye when they do:

Miss Vintage Vixen

Bella Vogue

Kookulai

Lauren Elizabeth

Little Reminders of Love

Sara-Jane

Texas Hearts

Is that too many?  One more!  The wild card choice - my friend, Ben - who won some type of genius-grant-type-thing to go study martial arts in Thailand.  He blogged while there and it was GREAT, but then got injured, which is not great.  I think he needs to keep writing, even state side.  As motivation for one of my favorite poets and neatest (yes, neatest) people I know, these awards also go to you, Ben:

Talking With Your Fists

Exciting Thing #3

 

I stayed up till 3AM the other night reading HTML and blog tutorials and completely revamped my page.  It is now three columns, has a nifty navigation bar, (not all of the buttons lead anywhere... yet), my favorite insect flanking all of the titles, no "blogspot" banner on top, has a pretty background, (I love orange), a centered banner, (what a headache to figure out!), and the middle column is wide enough for my pictures, (another huge headache).  But I'm done, and I'm so proud, because I am so not techy!

Also, just a reminder to some readers, if you haven't updated your links or feed readers yet, I am no longer a .blogspot address, but got a domain, so the new(ish) URL is:

www.dishevelledstars.com 

Exciting Thing #4

 

I finally joined the Flying Saucher's UFO club!  My friend JB joined the "ring of honor" not long ago, and being a frequent customer at the Saucer, it seemed high time to give myself a goal in going.  I really like craft beers, and I got Lennon a book on home brewing for Christmas, so we've cleaned out our under-stairs closet to get it ready to try our first batch.  One of our favorite places in Little Rock was Vino's Brew Pub, and we talk about the possibility of having our own brewery/pub/venue, some day in the distant future.

Tonight was trivia night at the Saucer, and I casualed-it-up by reverting back to my blue jean habits.  Team Lumberjzack totally lost - but with some polish we'll fare better next time!  The Razorback basketball team also lost to UT while I was there, so double boo.  

Jeans: Sevens from Buffalo Exchange

Shirt: Target

Cardigan: Target

Shoes: Sperry's Top Siders

I want to start documenting (for my own recollection) the beers that I try each time I go, so thus far, I've had:

1) Shiner Bock (draught) - one of my favorites, and a Texas original.

2) Deschutes Green Lakes Organic Ale (draught)

3) Spaten Franziskaner Dunkel Weisse (draught)

Exciting Thing # 5

The new season of the Austin Poetry Slam kicks off tomorrow night!  It'll be every Wednesday at 8pm, and for the kick-off, my roommate Eirik, otherwise known as Big Poppa E, will be hosting.  It's only $5 at the Independent.  I'll be there after my guitar class ends, and if you're lucky, you can see both Eirik and our other room mate - Lennon - in all of their glorious (??) antics.  See evidence below:

A Short Guest Post (Gwost?) + An Award!

The Novelista Barista posted my New Years Resolutions for 2010 over on her blog - which is both sweet and exciting!  There is lots of motivation for positive goal setting if you head her way.

Amy over at Ha Ha. Wait. What? gave me this awesome blog award - which is basically the BEST blog Christmas present ever.  Thank you, Amy!  This is especially flattering because Amy has excellent taste in her blog reader, and I've slowly been making my way to check out all of the blogs she frequents, as most of them are wonderful. 

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!  Indiana at Adored Austin recently posted this picture of the world's most awesome alligator ring, which she found at Target, and I might have to go see if they have any left... after I've swept and done my chores, of course.  Back to work on Monday after a nice holiday and stints with younger kids in community clubs - remind me why I chose older kids over elementary?  They're adorable!  (Until they throw sticks at each other).

Adored Austin's Red, White, and Blue Contest

I got an photo mention for my red-white-and-blue outfit on Adored Austin!  Indiana held a contest for some lovely necklaces, rings, and other fun accessories, and the necessary entry was a photo in our best patriotic color scheme.  I didn't win, but she did collage some of the photos on her blog, and my flag with star antennea costume won a slot - I feel famous!

My entry, the scandalous American flag ensemble:

I just made it back on to my home turf - Little Rock - and will be back in Austin on Monday.  Fingers crossed my lovely roommate doesn't wreck the kitchen while I'm gone :)  Just kidding, Eiric... I love you.

Two Exciting Things!

Hoorah - a new layout and a new banner I just put together using some of my South Congress in Austin photos... creating a look that I ACTUALLY like!   
Also - my first blog award! 

Thank you thank you Amy!  Now I need to go through my reader and decide who I want to pass it on to.