Kudzu freaks me out

Kudzu is a phenomenon that this Minnesota girl is just not used to. As the heat of summer flares up in the Carolinas, the Kudzu flourishes and begins to take over the landscape. It's almost claustrophobic how it creeps over trees, telephone poles and power lines, choking out the light for anything in its path. Emerald green kudzu covered mounds line the sides of the highways hiding creating a creepy jungle-like atmosphere in this land of pine trees. Check out this article in the News & Observer about Kudzu creeping toward the ce-ment way down thar in downtown Raleigh.

Random overgrowth, or divine vine? - Josh Shaffer - North Raleigh News

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Mighty Life List: Take tap lessons.

This is Maggie Mason, and I have had a non-psychotic obsession with her for several years.

I first became aware of Maggie about 10 years ago (I think) when my friend Lori told me about her cousin Jason Kottke, who had become a blogger. At the time I didn't know what blogging was, but I checked out Jason's blog on the internet which was in its infant stages.

While Jason is a very insightful writer (very technical and connected to the news) some of the stuff he wrote didn't connect with me - probably because of that extra x chromosome I'm sporting. He did have a list at the side of his blog that detailed the blogs that he liked to read. That is where I discovered Mighty Girl - Maggie Mason's blog. I think when I started reading her blog, she was just meeting her now husband and had a job in some office in San Francisco. Since then she has gotten married, had a kid, become a professional free-lance writer, has a shopping blog, written some books, traveled the world and who knows what else!

Besides inspiring me to start this wee little blog, I have had a couple of dreams featuring Maggie prominently. There is one reoccurring one where I find myself using her washer and dryer secretly and then getting caught by her and her husband as they come home from some outing. Another fun one is that I run into her shopping and she tells me in a very nice way that what I am wearing is all wrong and shows me a cool way to tie a scarf around my neck. I don't dream about any other blogs that I read religiously (thank heavens I would hate for Perez Hilton to pop into my sleepy time adventures). I just admire her for the similarities I perceive that we share - a love of red lipstick, unusual fashion accessories, living in San Francisco, Kharmann Ghias, a big group of friends, and a love of travel. I also admire for the things I so greatly lack - her bravery to try new things, and what appears to be a huge sense of adventure.

One of her most recent projects on her blog has been the creation of a Mighty Life List - a list of 100 things she wants to do before she dies. It's a much more attractive name than the typical "bucket list" much more stylish with no elderly Jack Nicholson aftertaste. Since she is so cool...Intel has decided to sponsor her in her quest to achieve several of her Mighty Life list items. I think that is pretty cool indeed. The video shown illustrates one of her items - taking tap dancing lessons.

Maggie Mason, if you ever read this - I'm not a psycho, I just find you inspirational.

Warm wishes.

All the rest of you - check out her blog www.mightygirl.com

Super Make-over Machine

Ah to have the ease to change oneself the way this digitally enhanced chameleon does. If I could have these magical powers, I would save a bundle - because I wouldn't be at Sephora every few weeks looking for the magic potion that will turn me into America's Next Top Model.

Too bad chameleons aren't able to do this color switcheroo in real life - that would be awesomely awesome.

Watch out for the Emo kid with the Slo-mo Dove

Finally. Now this video makes perfect sense.

I'd like to buy a vowel....

Ahhhh, birthday cakes in Raleighwood. Today was a belated birthday celebration for our pal Jeff. Jeff is in Communications, and is quite the stickler for good grammar and spelling. In fact this morning he was carrying on about people who mix up stationery and stationary (his tip, remember that you write on stationEry with a pEn).

Imagine our joy when we picked up this humdinger of a cake in the Kroger bakery. Either they forgot the E for the play on words....or they mixed up a Z and a Y. A million dollar idea could be spell check for decorators - it appears to be a common problem (check out http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com for further evidence).

Jeff was pleasantly appalled by the misspelling on his cake, and relished in the bad grammar goodness of the creamy frosting.

Hoping you all dream of cupcakes tonight....

The Family Portrait

Ah the family photo. A brief glimpse in the style of the times, and the awkwardness of the times too. The family pictured has found their look, and as a family they are workin' it - and workin' it HARD.

The Fisher Family had a photo like this - not so much about the super hair, but working a style all the same. Our last official family photo was when I was in 6th grade, and my dad had been named the Prince of the West Wind for the St. Paul Winter Carnival. As a Prince of the West Wind, it required him to dress in a symphony of fringed western shirts, fancy boot cut pants, and some fierce cowboy boots. Since he was swept up in the cowboy style, our family decided to take a professional photo where we kids were sporting a 10 gallon hat, and my dad dressed in his princely garb. My mom was exempt from the hat, as she had a fancy hairdo that she didn't want to wreck. She did show her support in a plaid western shirt and a smile that was reminiscent of a frontier woman.

Thankfully, this photo - which still hangs in my parent's home in an infrequently traveled hallway, has not hit the internet. If it did, it would probably be on my new favorite website - www.awkwardfamilyphotos.com. Check it out, I have added the link on the left of my blog.

I wonder what the featured family's hair looks like now?

On the run from the Wild Kingdom Mafia

I'm a lover of all creatures great and small. I always root for the animal when it comes to man vs. nature, and currently run a 'catch and release' program for spiders in my humble abode. With this love comes a deep sadness when a little beastie, be it furry, slimy, or with many legs, meets with an unfortunate circumstance that ends its time on earth.

Last Autumn, my father shot a deer while deer hunting in Northern Minnesota. I am not a fan of him deer hunting or deer hunting in general, but nonetheless it continues to be a fact of life. 3 days after my father called to say he got a deer last year, I began to have an eerie situation where there would be up to 5 deer congregating in my driveway as I would return home from work each night. They would stand there staring, and then as I approached they would dart away. This happened for about 2 weeks after that fateful phone conversation with my dad.

This last weekend, my friend accidentally ran over a frog in the parking area of my townhouse development. He didn't mean to do it, it was a wee fellow, and he should have been in the grass doing froggy things rather than rockin' it on the asphalt late at night. We both felt bad, and said sorry to the little guy, and then went on with our lives.

Last night, as I was locking up my little house, checking the back door locks, testing the front door locks, something caught my eye. I looked up to the window above my front door and spied a frog - about 8 feet up off of the ground suction cupped with his little webby hands watching me from the window. Of course I squealed like any woman would, and then decided to record the incident with my camera as proof that I may be being stalked by an amphibian. If I suddenly disappear - check the local swamps and question every Raleigh-Durham frog you may see. They probably would be aware of my whereabouts.

Don't Stop Me Now!

Brian & Eileen's Wedding Music Video. from LOCKDOWN projects on Vimeo.

This could be the coolest wedding video ever. Cool song, cool bride & groom and some conclusive evidence that the British don't have sticks up their butts all the time.

I would love to have a wedding video like this, but there is the whole annoying "find a groom" step...make him worship me and buy me diamonds step...and honestly, I just don't have time for all of that.

My dogs are barking.....

I consider myself to be fashion forward...generally. On a limited budget, and with a less than super-model appearance, I try to rock it out when I can.

One way I like to express myself through fashion is to have courageous shoe choices. The small issue is that I am a total wuss about having sore feet. It may be from working for 5+ years on hard marble floors as a retail manager in my early twenties. That is where I developed my philosophy of being a wearer of fabulous flat shoes as opposed to fierce fashionista stiletto heels.

I will wear the occasional spike heel - but it has to be when I know I will be trapped in meetings all day and not marching up and down the square all over the office. Today was supposed to be one of those days - stuck in meetings for 8+ hours. I picked out my black suede booties with the super heels that look so adorable on this morning knowing about my meeting situation. Unfortunately, I didn't plan out the logistics of my meeting calendar today, because today my meetings were here there and everywhere. Upstairs, downstairs, on the west side, on the east side - and every step of the way to my meetings, my feet reminded me as to why I am much more adorable with an Audrey Hepburn sort of flat rather than a Victoria Beckham uber heel.

Tomorrow its going to be all about my Tory Burch Leopard Flats....ahhhhhhhhh.

Genius - Genius I tell you!

I heart Steve Carell. I heart "Anchorman - the legend of Ron Burgundy". I heart this clip. He should have won an award I tell you....