sophisticated pallet

you: emily, where have you been?! i check your blog all the time, i even have it on googlereader (thanks sd), but you haven't posted anything in such a loooong time. are you done? i know you sometimes have a hard time finishing what you start, but where am i supposed to get my weekly dose of wit and insight?!

me: ugh i know, i know. i've been working a lot, putting in some overtime and sleeping when i can. i just celebrated day off number 3 of 4 that i have this month. woo hoo! in the little spare time i have i've been indulging in holiday sales, gearing up for new christmas guests, and taking advantage of my mother's pampered chef gadgets. but more importantly... making blue prints for my new head board! the inspiration:

via

free shipping pallets from scc already included!

also check out...

pallet project

SO awesome!

p.s. a very happy birthday

to a good friend who has one of the

greatest progressions of nicknames

i have ever known.

but my favorite - rockstar

...and he is :)

and the world spins madly on

this past sunday i celebrated day off number two (of four) that i have this month. i did nothing... and it was lovely. not even laundry. i slept in till 1130 and woke up in time to see the packer game (see them lose). laid on the couch all day. read npr online, wrote some emails, made some mix tapes to send to friends for finals, and thought about showering. i now take full advantage of the days i get to sleep in and the breaks between double shifts where i can lay down for 20-30 minutes. remember this? when i told you how much of a night owl i am? when i was sanding end tables at 3 in the morning. well things have changed. somewhat. ignore the fact that i'm writing this at midnight. it's a vicious caffeine cycle. i chug coffee to have the energy to sweep, mop and wipe tables only to realize i over did it and now can't fall asleep and get a decent night's rest to be awake and alert for when i have to leave the house at 530AM for my next shift. luckily i saw a pretty trendy friend use this one day when she came to visit. it doesn't make up for a full 8hrs, but i think she's on to something! i've also used it mid-day for a bright pick-me-up. plus... origins is a great brand, "powered by nature - proven by science" love it!

perky peepers

reality starz

while other teenagers were watching the real word i was watching the price is right. growing up without cable was a good thing and i have no regrets. less reality tv drama, more time drawing chalk murals on the drive way and riding bikes. sometimes i miss out on nickelodeon references, but that's about it... nothing i can't look up on hulu or youtube. there were times in college, and many times as of lately, when i feel like i'm in my own reality tv show. often throwing my hands in the air and asking fictitious producers and cameramen, "is anybody getting this?" episodes that are just too ironic that this couldn't possibly be my life. constantly searching for ashton kutcher, so he can jump out and yell "you've been punked!"

in 2002 i watched the first season of american idol and cheered while the nation voted in the vocal war between justin & kelly. with the exception of extreme makeover - home edition, i never set my clock for another reality show after that. it wasn't in protest of anything, it was out bordom. i never jumped on the reality show bandwagon. i do not consider jeopardy and wheel of fortune reality shows. they are game shows. i will admit i have been caught watching a few episodes of america's next top model and even fear factor back in the day. but today's shows like rock of love and dancing with the stars just do not grab my attention. but this does...

i will be setting my clock for the sing off, a reality tv version of glee. these 6 fine men have committed my attention for the rest of the season. ahhh.... brings me back to my boyz II men and all-4-one dayz

swoon.

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

we got out first substantial snow fall in milwaukee yesterday! snow-ball fights and sledding down lafayette hill commenced shortly after inch #4 stayed on the ground. soon enough we'll enjoy the whole gamut of flurry activities including ice fishing and the kick-you-in-the-face / hard-to-breathe bitter cold wind chill. as soon as that day comes, i'm busting this out...

trying to find one with faux fur is harder than i thought

not sure if i can even pull it off

but how leather-and-lace-like fun are these?!

totally makes me want to be a wwii bomber pilot

(...or marry one)

perfect timing - pearl harbor is on tv!

limited commercials!

drink your gin-and-tonic-ah, it's time to celebrate hanukkah

yesterday was the first day we were allowed to play holiday music at the store. decorations were kept to a minimum, as to make the ambiance "seasonal neutral". it turned out mostly winter-themed - lots of snow flakes, stockings, silver and gold, icicle lights. these suggestions to minimize more religious-based decorations were particularly taken seriously at the scc in glendale (port washington rd & good hope rd). i'm picking up a few hours there this month and just got a text from the manager "...reminding you that you can wear solid blue tops to glendale for the next 7 days for hanukkah!" the glendale store got special permission from the factory to wear blue and go easy on the christmas music because of their "diverse" customer base. aka a large jewish population.

i think that is so awesome. this time of year we often forget not everyone celebrates christmas... as in the birth of christ. some use it as a time to remember the birth of a prophet, to others it's a time to reflect on the past year and make false promises not to mess up in the next, some people take the holiday season to meditate on how fortunate they are and give back to the community while others purge their bank accounts in the name of american consumerism. however, to many communities on the north shore of milwaukee, december is a time to celebrate the festival of lights.

for some distracted reason i'm reminded of the sex & the city episode when charlotte (an episcopalian) converted to judaism for the love of her life. is it that easy? that easy to denounce your religion? after reading many books, watching countless documentaries, and asking controversial questions, i'm not sure what i'll be celebrating/reflecting/purging this holiday season...

but

if being jewish means i get to be friends with these fine boys...

i might give it a go.

...a special thanks to b.notes for finding this gem!

thanks

this past weekend was a good time to reflex on reasons to be thankful

here are just a handful of mine

a job i like

a car with working heat

the genius bar in my itunes

wireless internet

a down comforter

netflix account

parents who let me live rent-free in their house

milwaukee visitors

what are you thankful for?

tales of mere existence

these videos are my new obsession

lev yilmaz's book, sunny side down, will be bought asap

here are some of my favorites

i can't sleep

"nyquil the sniffling, sneezing, stuffy head, aches, pains, fever, so you can get drunk medicine"

god

"that's a good idea man, let's go write a bible"

subtext

i love this last one!

i am a classic over-thinker when sending emails and texts

this blog is one of the only places where i hardly think before i write

so enjoy my unedited text... and subtext

ear flair

what do you get when you take

a girl

a budget

buttons

earring posts

and

a glue gun

?

homemade earrings!

soon to come:

narcissistic pictures of me sporting the new flair

wedded to calamity

i normally don't encourage car-crash-gawkers

you know, those people who slow down to stare at an accident

...usually on the other side of the road

but sufjan's new album is just that... a collision

a collision to be gawked at

i am conflicted about my opinions on this album

it is both terrifying and beautiful

a far cry from 2003's seven swans

and thinking nothing could top the resounding tunes of illinois

i was surprisingly impressed

age of adz is an experimental piece that is crucial to his growth

his sweet voice sneaks through the haunting percussions

and the listener is still left humming some catchy harmonies

p.s. i've heard some of you aren't able to view videos when i post them. if that's the case, just youtube "sufjan steven age of adz" all 8 minutes are totally worth it.

uncensored

"put some damn pants on!"

aka leggings are not pants

via

do you have the kind of friends where you don't have to think before you speak when you're with them? you can talk about politics and make fart jokes only sentences apart? you can discuss hot button social issues and not be afraid to share controversial opinions? you can admit personal, embarrassing stories and don't care because you know they're going to love you anyways? the kind of friends that make your face hurt at the end of the day because you can't stop smiling and laughing?

i do.

i was too busy wiping away tears of joy to take any pictures this weekend,

but these two on an isthmus is as good as christmas

let the wedding paper-chain countdown begin!

imagine pictures of us

(here)

strolling down state street and along the lake(s)

we're on an isthmus after all!

(here)

splitting pitchers of spotted cow in the uw student union

that's right, in their student union.

(here)

screaming at slutty college girls across the street because they're trying to pull off leggings as regular pants in 45 degree weather

(here)

discussing ethnic wedding rituals over bottles of wine and pesto bruschetta

(here)

snooping/stealing ipod playlists and car sing-a-longs

to artists i forgot i love until i'm with people who also really appreciate them

via

papa was a rolling stone

dod's bday itinerary:

history channel on in the background

hanging out with the fam and friends

bison pot pie from the elegant farmer

leinenkugels

the big bang theory

turtle sundae frozen custard from kopps

the red green show

bedtime

happy bday dod!

vote with your fork

via

i would love

an intimate

local

organic

dinner date

with this man

while he

read to me

from his many books

and filled my head

with "did you know..."

phenomenons

unfortunately

i have to share him

with other admirers

but maybe tonight

i can pick his brain

and get a book signed

7pm

uwm

be there.

counterpart

and my head told my heart

"let love grow"

but my heart told my head

"this time no, this time no"

~ mumford & sons

tell the ones that need to know

happenstance

i am not afraid of heights or snakes or public speaking.

bloods, guts and gore do not scare me.

but this, is what frightens me to the core...

it is terrifying to think that every little decision i make at every moment of the day will effect the rest of my life. what's going to happen if i drive through starbucks instead of going in? or if i return that outfit to target tomorrow instead of today. maybe i'll meet the love of my life at brunch at the new honeypie cafe instead of the old standby hotch-a-do. or maybe he's AT hotch-a-do the ONE time i don't go. what if there's an important networking opportunity at the antique mall, but i found what i'm looking for at a rummage sale. what if, what was supposed to happen already happened but i never recognized it as happening? ...get it? neither do i.

he'll come here because i have the most sincere pumpkin patch and he respects sincerity

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

today is a good day to talk about sincerity.

1) craigslist scammers - oh man! you can't trust anyone anymore. i'm selling my brother's sofa and love seat set on craigslist. here is a common example of the responses i'm getting. (yes, it came to me as all once sentence)

"though i'll be using the services of a mover who will come for the pick up of the item on my behalf all because i'm currently away for a contracting job but i will send a cashier check through my bank to cover the cost of the items the theck will be delivered to you by a reliable courier company within 2-3 working days please do provide me with your full mailing address and also indicate your final price the name that should be on the check and finally a cell phone # kindly delete the posting because am serious in buying it when the funds clears then we can arrange for the pick up asap no po box address"

2) 16 year olds who go trick-or-treating - there's a period between middle school and college where you're not sure what do to on halloween. you're too old/too cool to go around asking strangers for candy and too young to dress up as a slutty nurse for the costume contests at the bars. my suggestion - fill your weekends with haunted houses, midnight showings of rocky horror and buy your own bag of candy.

3) 6 month olds who go trick-or-treating - if you can't walk, or chew your own food, you don't need a kitkat.

4) slutty (insert animal or occupation here) costumes - even if i had a body like some of these college girls, i still wouldn't dress up like that. not because it's demeaning to women... it's just not practical. first, we are

in milwaukee

in october

at night

it's windy near the lake

and 50 degrees out

second, where are you supposed to put your keys/id/cash? don't tell me you're sticking it in your bra, because you're not wearing one. that plunging neckline goes clear down to your bellybutton like a regular jlo. and you're wearing a skin tight concoction of spandex and lingerie... you don't. have. pockets. since you're sans keys & cash i'm guessing you plan on going home with that guy dressed as frat-boy-tiger-woods... oh wait, not a costume, just some dude you picked up at brothers.

this is what my halloween looks like

planting bulbs between trick-or-treaters

contemplating stealing babies

strangers with candy

golden ticket

today i bought a ticket to see this man speak words of wisdom in november...

via

it comes close, but does not quite compare

to the ticket i did NOT get to see these men tomorrow night...

via

sold. out.

anything unrelated to elephants is irrelephant

oh there are hurricane force winds outside?

perfect! let's do my hair and wear a dress.

today at the aveda institute

100% of the proceeds went to breast cancer awareness & research

what a perfect excuse to get my brows done and a spa pedicure!

color: dark forest plum

goes really well with my crazy new scars

the student doing my pedicure was very hesitant to ask me what happened

i told her i got into a wicked motorcycle accident

then proceeded to lecture her on the importance of helmets and sharp turns

the brisk weather was also a great excuse to buy this adorable owl mug

(to sip my aveda comfort tea from)

must be gripped with two hands

it just tastes better this way

teabagging

...a great way to spend a blustery day

bahaha all lewd puns aside... aveda comfort tea is amazing. i first got hooked a couple years ago at the aveda institute when they offered me a cup of the soothing blend of mint and licorice during my spa pedicure. with a smooth, sweet finish it's best if followed by a heavy sigh. add a special touch by heating the water in your mother's vintage copper bottom kettle. sip slowly.

scar wars

thursday night was the first night in 2 weeks that i slept without a makeshift gauze-tastic cast around my leg... from this. (it's looking a lot better, but i will defiantly have some wicked scars!) as a result i felt super productive. like a real adult. ignore the fact that i woke up in my childhood bedroom, in my parents house and i slept in till 11 because my minimum wage part-time job doesn't let/make me work on fridays) other than that, i felt like an adult.

the to did list:

buy a new case for my body pillow (ruined by the neosporin smudged out of aforementioned 'cast')

pick up dry cleaning

bring car in for emissions test (passed!)

deposit cashmoneys at the bank (a long and lonely road)

read four chapters in skinny bitch ( be afraid to eat anything for the rest of the day)

wash sheets, pillowcases, duvet cover (loooooove clean sheet day!)

vacuum seal summer clothes in space bags

unpack sweatshirts, sweaters and winter clothes :)

clean windows (use old newspaper not papertowel)

watch a special on the history of halloween (be terrified but laugh at what it's become)

beer battered friday fish fry (one of the more delicious milwaukee traditions)

... and drive through the car wash!

world peas

it gets better

in the past week i have

written

rewritten

deleted

copied

pasted

drafted

and rewritten

my thoughts on the recent bullying epidemic. some posts were as long as college essays, some only two sentences. everything was touched on from gay rights to mental health issues, from personal stories to censorship. but i'm exhausted. exhausted from talking in circles, trying to express ideas that i believe are common sense (e.g. if god is love why do people carry signs saying god hates gays... and jews) or one of my favorite internal arguments about how i think it's ridiculous that women were not able to vote till 1920 and interracial couples were not able to legally marry till 1967. seriously nineteen sixty-seven. what the fuck america? but beyond that... what are my kids going say was ridiculous? how did it take you so long to...?

i digress. so for the sake of sparing you from my continued tangents i decided to share an expert from sarah silverman and a video from dan savage.

simple and true.

dear america,

when you tell gay americans they can't serve their country openly or marry the person that they love, you're telling that to kids too. so don't be fucking shocked and wonder where all these bullies are coming from that are torchering young kids and driving them to kill themselves because they're different. they learned it from watching you.

~sarah silverman

battle scar galactica

i'd like to say the pain is worth the following views i captured, but sitting here with my leg on fire tearing up in pain every 15 minutes... it's easier to say i should have stayed off the hiking trail just this once.

i really cannot express to you how much i love autumn in wisconsin. soon enough i'll be bundling up in hats, mittens and scarves. so one has to take advantage of the crisp/sunny weather, rolling kettles, pumpkin patches, apple orchards and beautiful colors.

lapham peak has spectacular views (highest point in waukesha county) but it was not as big of a challenge as it was on my 8th grade earth science field trip. the last time i was in that part of kettle moraine was to learn about the glaciers that shaped wisconsin, identify wildlife prints in the mud, dissect owl pellets and play the name game with all the tree varieties. this time... no big yellow bus (i got to take mom's smooth ride that lets me play burned cd's), no chaperones, no worksheets, no brown bag lunch... just me and this view on all four sides...

an open letter to my itunes

attn: sufjan stevens, mason jennings, martin sexton, justin vernon, cat stevens, amos lee, colin meloy, ben folds, and ray lamontagne

cc: ben gibbard, graham colton, matt nathanson, sam beam, paul simon (you too garfunkel)

this letter is to inform you that you are all on playlist probation this fall. there is a new leading man in my life (4 of them to be exact). please give a warm welcome to mumford & sons. their invigorating addition to my music library is a long-awaited one, so please be kind. we all know what happened in the spring of 08 when mr. vernon of bon iver came to join us... i would appreciate it if you would all be patient while i play their album on repeat for the next two months. i am grateful for the memories you have all made with me and for the love and support i have found in your lyrics and melodies. however, you could all learn a lesson or two from these enlightened englishmen. their lyrics will simultaneously cut you to your core and make you want to run barefoot in a wheat field. that banjo lets you shed all inhibitions and those vest/suspenders combo will make a girl weak in the knees. even the name 'mumford & sons' is reminiscent of a mom & pop typewriter repair shop circa 1920. boat shoes, old irish folk flair, and 5 o'clock shadows are defiantly swoon worthy.

in conclusion, the competition is getting fierce so you will all need to step it up. when was the last time one of you made me use the word 'swoon'? you will all come back into regular rotations after the holidays, with the exception of sufjan's songs for christmas box set which will be played from thursday november 26th to friday december 31st.

warm regards,

emily

fall break

does anyone even read this?

i've been on a hyatius from technology lately. which isn't anything new, really. never once have i posted a status update on facebook (only the occasional video link only if it's of high importance) such as THIS message from Ellen. i don't tweet, foursquare or flickr. who needs to know what i'm doing and where i am 24/7 ? and because autumn is BY FAR my favorite season it's easy to find an excuse to get away from it all... especially in wisconsin.

kettle moraine - my october home

it's been a long time since i found a book i just couldn't put down

so as long as i have this view...

i think i flip through another chapter

the daily grind

Stone Creek Coffee Roasters

gleek

there hasn't been a show since f.r.i.e.n.d.s

that i will voluntarily rearrange my schedule for

till now...

glee + geek

=

gleek

maybe it's my secret compulsion to spontaneously brake out in song

...or maybe it's my big fatty crush on mr. schue

oh yea...

he's 60% of my motivation to tune in next week ;)

loose cannon: someone who is unpredictable and can cause damage if not kept in check

I came across this list of idioms after i had to explain to a friend from kansas that i was not literally "beating a dead horse" it made me think of my days in college trying to learn spanish and not really comprehending the grammatical sentence structures. and how hard it must be for people to learn english with all our crazy colloquialisms and dialects. going through the list there were a couple i've never heard of, and i've spoken english my entire life.

here are some of my favorites

cock and bull story

don't look a gift horse in the mouth

flash in the pan

get down to brass tacks

haste makes waste

in like flynn

long in the tooth

no room to swing a cat

pig in a poke

ring fencing

south paw

van gogh's ear for music

wild and woolly

if you go with that fella

reason #56 it's OK living with my parents...

raiding their music library

between abba and zappa

i came across this gem

i'm sure i suppressed some wonderful memory that now makes me smile whenever i hear these gorgeous harmonies. second only to the memory of my brother and i taking the bunk beds apart and jumping across the "lava river" scream singing to every beach boys song we knew