the Upside

Get ready for a deluge of Valentine’s themed arts, crafts and food!!! I want to make up a song about crafts. Maybe I can change the words of Bad Romance to Crafty Trance.

Rah-rah ah ah ah, caught in a crafty trance. Well, it doesn’t quite work, but it’s good enough for now.

Cute Teacup Valentine’s Day card via Martha Stewart.

I could get on board with this. I wouldn’t pick out the green color, but I like the brightness. I love the art on the walls. I’d definitely feel engaged in this office. It’s almost yummy!

That desk, though…What kind of desk doesn’t have drawers? I like the color, but it could be a side table or a display table. I’m thinking too much about this, aren’t I?

Photo via

Previous offices

Um…CUTE!!!!!!!

thedailywhat:

Morning Links:

• Google airs Super Bowl ad, despite longstanding anti-TV ad philosophy. CEO Eric Schmidt excuses cop out on Google blog.

• YouTube Ad Blitz: Every SB44 ad in one place.

• “If this was the future of the Internet, then the future of the Internet obviously didn’t include me”: NYMag’s Sam Anderson on Chatroulette. Also: Kottke’s two cents.

• Keyboard Cat nominated for Nobel Peace Prize. Suck it, philanthropists!

• Who Googles The Googlers?: F.A.Tties surreptitiously slap a GPS device onto a Google Street View van.

• The Future!: Google hard at work on auto-translating phone.

• Verizon “explicitly” blocks 4chan, must not be familiar with its work.

• It’s official: A common household onion ring is now more popular than Justin Bieber. (via.)

• Getting rid of zits? There’s an app for that! …Wait, really?

• Single Serving Tumblr of the Day: Hipster Puppies. (thanks demi!)

• Morning Distraction: Starfeld. (via.)

• Morning Wood: Ashlee Jae is Registrar of the Department of Looking Hot.

• Morning List: 10 Amazing Free Fall Survivors.

[photo: randompictures.]

I’ve been reading Changing My Mind by Zadie Smith. I’m pretty sure I’ve referenced this book previously. It was a good choice at this point because I can get quick bits and entertaining stories without committing to an entire novel.

I recently read the story about the author attending the Oscars. The story was, in my opinion, really great. And the fact that the awards are a few short weeks away just made it that much more timely.

Hollywood is a strange beast. I understand the compulsion to perform. To want to be an actor. I understand the compulsion to want to write. To want to be successful at something you are passionate about. But I don’t understand the want to be famous. I mean, blech. Who wants to be followed around incessantly by amateur photographers from TMZ? Who wants to be obsessed over by strangers? Who wants to achieve this by trading in their privacy rights?

I hate that the answer is that plenty of people do. Plenty of people would love to be on the cover of US Weekly. Or in print on Page Six. Or blogged about. I just don’t get it and think it’s kind of gross. Fame, like anything else based on other people’s opinion/adoration/hatred of you, is hollow. It’s not real love. It’s not genuine emotion. Despite my affinity for Johnny Depp, there is nothing sincere about it. My lust is hollow and based on snippets in interviews and photos and a persona that may or may not be accurate.

In the essay, there is a point where Smith is on her way back home after her time in lala land. After seeing all the people that buy into the illusion, and a lot of the people who don’t (namely, other writers) and she finally runs into someone she recognizes and knows who, if I remember correctly, was Jonathan Safran Foer. But was was interesting, and sort of bitter sweet, was that Foer (who I will change if I got this wrong. I don’t have the book in front of me to reference) seemed so “Hollywood” at least in comparison to Smith. Their brief interaction had me picturing Foer giving the typical H-wood kiss-off.

“Yeah, hey what are you doing in town? Gotta go, places to go people to see. I’ll have my people call your people.”

Not the exact dialogue, but the impression I got, nonetheless. It’s certainly no secret that some writers, given a certain amount of success, will start to become characters. Or rather, caricatures. But I’m always surprised by it and interested to observe it.

Random thoughts.

Tonight the fam and I are heading to BLT Steak in Atlanta. Well, in the W Hotel downtown.

We are a family that loves food. I mean, we luuuurrrrrvvvvveeee food. I am pretty laid back when it comes to feeding myself (can of tuna and some easy mac) or even when it comes to going out with the girl’s or going on dates. It doesn’t have to be fancy, because hell…I’m poor so why would I expect someone to spend $100 on me for dinner.

But I do love going to the fancier places when it’s on the ‘rents! I’m not ashamed to admit it. BRING ME THE LOBSTER AND KEEP THE DRINKS A-COMIN’!!! Haha. It’s always great bonding and funny conversations. Well worth the bill for a little bit of family time (says the girl that never pays).

(via myownmelt)

Jesus, Mary and Joseph I can’t believe it, but I totally agree. There are some “flaws” about me that there’s just no getting rid of. It’s the finding someone who will love it, that worries me.

lalanii:

Thinking about…

I woke up at 12:30. It’s cloudy and sprinkling here and I need to be ready at 5 for a birthday dinner for my grandma, my dad and myself, who all have birthdays within 10 days of each other. We always pick a day and go out for a decadent dinner (more on that later).

I didn’t shower (I will though, don’t worry) threw on some stretchy pants, a black turtleneck and a hat. I didn’t feel like trying. I had to go pick up some last minutes items to wrap gifts with. The girl at the Hallmark store said to me upon my entrance “I love your fedora!”

I always love when people compliment something they like and have a tendency to tell them exactly where I got it. I’m not one of those people that fakes an unaffected air of awesomeness and of course you like what I’m wearing, but I’m not gonna tell you where to get it. I always scream, “THANK YOU! I GOT IT AT ANTHROPOLOGIE!” Or wherever.

Today was no different. “THANK YOU!” I said, overexcited that I was pulling off the hat. “I got it at Target!” I definitely felt my cool points go down after that. She didn’t seem quite as impressed. Hah! She’s lucky she didn’t catch me on a day when I am wearing head to toe Wal-Mart (Oh, it happens).

Oh well. Also, please excuse my no sleep, lack of shower appearance. The good people of Steinmart didn’t seem to mind.

kari-shma:

Lift Off (via segamatic)