Cold enough for ya?

With a wind chill of 35 below today, many of us find ourselves asking "Why do I live here?!" I thought I'd make a list of reasons I love living in Minneapolis as a reminder not to hire a realtor and move to Florida tomorrow.

1. In the Land of 10,000 Lakes you gotta love the water even if it is frozen over 2/3 of the year! The Chain of Lakes are so lovely for running, walks, biking, kayaking, picnics. And, it's just a hop and a skip to Prior for boating and wakeboarding!

2. Lots of tasty restaurants - from cheap eats like Broders Cucina & Punch (yes, I like pizza) to a nice dinner out at Chino Latino, Cafe 28 or JP American Bistro.

3. We're no NYC, but I think there is some pretty good shopping to be had in Minneapolis. I think it goes without saying that we have the largest mall in the country. And, if that doesn't have what I'm looking for (it usually doesn't) there are lots of cute boutiques to help spend my money: Ensemble, Patina, Lava Lounge, Heavenly Soles, Rick Rack, Design Collective... I could go on, but I'm depleting my bank account just thinking about it!

4. Minneapolis is often recognized as a home to the arts. Walker, MIA, Weisman, MCAD, Guthrie, Pantages, Ordway, Orpheum, The Children's Theater, etc.

5. People from out of town often comment on how clean it is here. I've started to notice it more the more I travel.

6. The Twin Cities are just the right size - not too big, not too small. Lots to do, easy to navigate, tall buildings and lots of nature.

7. Seasons. Much as 35 below sucks butt, it's really nice to have four distinct seasons. We have snow for Christmas (usually), we are SO excited when spring has sprung, the summer is gorgeous, and the fall is a welcome transition back to deep freeze.

8. Minnesota nice. Yes, Ms. I-hate-people here! Really, though, people tend to be fairly friendly in this town, I must admit.

9. Music to my ears. First Ave has provided some of the best times of my life. And, Mpls is home to a ton of respected musicians, including Prince, Bob Dylan, Paul Westerberg/The Replacements, Bob Mould/Husker Du and my faves Soul Asylum.

10. Obviously, this list would not be complete without my guy - Josh Hartnett.

The End (of course, there are a bazillion other great things about this city, but that's the end of this list).

It's pay back time!

I haven't posted in a week. DOH! I'm going to make up for it tonight with Post-o-rama 2008. Here goes...

Since I last posted, I skipped out of work early on Friday to see the movie "How She Move." What they say it's about: A smart girl from a rough part of town who needs to raise money to get back into private school after her sister spends the family's money, then dies from an overdose. What it's really about: Steppin' to tha funky beats, yo! Picture 85% dance, 15% plot... the perfect ratio. Good stuff.

Stopped in at Rick Rack on my way to see "27 Dresses" (cute chick flick) on Saturday and they asked me to make them a dozen Valentine's Day cards! Wha?! Where did that come from? Awesome! They just wanted a simple card with a heart. I decided it was time to learn to use my Gocco Printer. After a few flubs, I figured it out and whipped out 20 Valentines. Rick Rack is now selling them! Stop in and buy one for your sweetie! It looks like this.

Talk Dirty To Me.

Today's blog entry is brought to you by Vantagio.com...

I got a flyer on my front door last week for "dry cleaning with a conscience." It's a Chanhassen-based eco-friendly, online dry cleaning service called Vantagio.com.

Vantagio is the SimonDelivers of dry cleaning - they will pick up and drop off at your house and you do not have to be home.

Vantagio claims that 98% of existing dry cleaners are possibly the biggest source of pollution and health risk in your nieghborhood. They use perchloroethylene, which is being phased out (banned) in California, is considered a "probable carcinogen" by the EPA, and is responsible for polluting 75% of nationwide Superfund sites.

Vantagio pioneers the use of an eco, and skin-friendly cleaning process.

Prices are competitive with other non-eco-cleaners and offer unlimited $20 referral credits so try it out and, if you are happy with the service, recommend it to friends!

Sample pricing:

Laundered dress shirts - $2.55
Hand pressed shirts & blouses - $6.50
Pants - $6.50
Sport coats - $7.00
Pick up & delivery - FREE!

I haven't tried it yet, but plan to give it a whirl. If you're interested in trying it or learning more, check 'em out at www.vantagio.com. Let me know how it works out!

10 Things We Loved About You, Heath :(

1. Real name is Heathcliff, like the cat and Dr. Huxtable
2. Was from Australia
3. Sweet accent
4. Was a total hotty
5. Was engaged to Jen of Dawson's Creek
6. Named their daughter Matilda (so cute!)
7. Matilda's godparents are Jake Gyllenhaal (my lunch buddy) and Busy Philips (Audrey - Joey's roommate at Worthington College in Dawson's Creek)!
8. Love interest in A Knight's Tale is Shannyn Sossamon, who is Josh Hartnett's love interest in "40 Days and 40 Nights"
9. Wasn't afraid to kiss Jake in "Brokeback Mountain" & tell an important story
10. Song & dance scene in "10 Things I Hate About You"


We will miss you, Heath.

I said "BRR! It's Cold in here!"

"...There must be some Toros in the atmosphere!"

That is my tribute to:

a) Yesterday's Bring It On marathon
b) The frigid weekend we had and an even more frigid week ahead of us

It is so cold in my office there are little penguins running around wearing berets in the art department. Chilly Willy indeed!!

I decided over the weekend that I'm becoming a real pessimist and it has got to stop. I used to be super perky and positive about life, but now I'm becoming old and jaded and I really just spend way too much of my energy bitching about people and situations. I've decided to try to turn that frown upside-down (*gag*). For starters, here's another cheer Bring It On style...

I'm sexy, I'm cute! I'm popular to boot!
I'm bitchin'. Great hair! The boys all love to stare!

Sexy? Hmmm... never been one to feel sexy.
Cute? I guess so. I mean, I dress like a 5-year old a lot of the time and 5-year olds are cute, right?
Popular? Somewhat. I'm not the most popular girl in my dept at work, but I do have a lot of friends in life.
Bitchin'? DEFINITELY!!
Great hair? Yes, I do like my hair. And, I got a lovely hair cut on Saturday.
As far as the staring boys go... how could they not?! ;)

Okay, seriously, I think I will start a list of things I'm thankful for. My friend, Ryan, does this and I think it's a pretty sweet idea. Since this is my first, I'll have to start with the big ones...

1. I think it goes without saying, but I'm very thankful for Brian. He understands me and knows me better than anybody. He really cares about me and our dog. He's dedicated and successful in his career. He's pretty laid back in life, but is so silly. I just love him!

2. I'm thankful for my dog, Ernie. He is the cutest and sweetest, squishy-faced little guy. Nobody is ever as excited to see me each and every day as Ernie is. He is a total wiggle worm when I come home at the end of the day and just wants me to hold him like a baby if I've been gone several days. He adores me (in particular, my arm - got a little Mississippi Leg Hound in him) and I adore him.

3. While families tend to be on the crazy side (and mine is no exception), I am grateful for my family and Brian's. They all mean well and really care about us. I don't make an effort to see them often enough, but they really do mean the world to me.

4. What with being so popular and all, of course my friends are a super important part of my life. There are certain things that I share with my girl friends that Brian just can't appreciate. A lot of my friends have been around me for half of my life or more, so they must be pretty amazing!

5. Finally, while I hate SO many things about working here, I really do love my job. I feel so lucky that I get to work in a super creative environment researching trends, sifting through stacks of cute art, communicating with tons of talented artists, making decisions, drawing pictures, and seeing my ideas become actual products and selling in stores across the country. How cool is that?!

Okay, so that should help me kick off my day with a positive spin. Here's to being a smiley-faced girl!!

Curses!

The Daily 3 numbers are 666 tonight. WHA?! Reminds me of the guy who cut his hand off with a circular saw, then microwaved it last week because he bore the "mark of the beast". Yikes.

So, my company can't afford toilet paper. On Monday, half the stalls had "No T.P." signs on the doors. By the end of the day, one stall had TP. Tuesday, someone had picked up a few rolls at the grocery store (or wherever). I was trend shopping yesterday so I never made it in to the office, but I did hear that the TP was out and that HR was "aware of the situation and [was] working on it". Again... WHA?! So, I'd forgotten about it today when I walked in, sat down, reached for a strip o'papier only to find my stall was reduced to nothing but a scrumpled up paper towel sitting on the tank. DAMMIT! I didn't know where that pile of crust had been! Beggers can't be choosers, so I tore off a small piece and went about my business. I checked on the status of the rest of the room - there were 3 squares left on 1 roll in the last stall. Honestly! Does this seem like a bad sign? Should I be updating my portfolio and resume?! I should think so. If only my work weren't so enjoyable (management, salary, benefits, and long hours aside) I would be much more motivated to start pounding the pavement. Poo.

Speaking of poo... Biodegradable doggy doo-doo bags are available at Pet Smart. They're called Pooch Pick-up Biodegradable Cornstarch Pet Waste Clean-up Bags. They cost $6.99 for 100 bags (1 per day would last for 2 years). We just started using them.


Ernie wanted to make sure he was doing his part. ;)

Buy them at Pet Smart or here -
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752869&cp=2767032.2767115&fbx=0&fbn=Taxonomy%7CScoopers+%26+Bags&f=Taxonomy%2FPET%2F2767115&fbc=1&parentPage=family&keepsr=1

Angry Girl

I was doing a bit o' shopping at Patina over my lunch break and came across these bags that are really me in a nutshell. When did I become so pissed off?! ARG!! <--Me as a crabby pirate.

I've been slacking on my eco tips. I hardly think the one tip I posted counts as regular postings. So, here is a bunch of info on bottled water...

Save some plastic: drink tap water, versus bottled. 40 to 60 million plastic water bottles are thrown in the trash EVERY DAY! Just like plastic bags, they will sit in a landfill for up to 1000 years before they've decomposed. Additionally, 1.5 million barrels of crude oil are burned annually producing those plastic bottles. That is enough oil to keep 100,000 cars running for a year! Recycling definitely lowers the impact, but only about 12-15% of water bottles are being recycled. Most end up in the trash - largely due to the lack of plastic recycling containers found in places where bottled water is commonly consumed: the office, the car, the gym, parks, etc.

What to do?

One option... Cargill Dow has developed a corn-based plastic (PLA or polylactic acid) that is used to make the biodegradable water bottles used for BIOTA Spring Water, based in Colorado. Unlike the oil used to make PET water bottles (the standard plastic used to make water bottles), corn is a 100% renewable resource! The PLA plastic bottle will biodegrade in just 80 days in composting conditions (high heat, micro-organisms and high humidity). There is a listing, by state, of stores that carry BIOTA water on their web site. Here in Minnesota, it can be purchased at Surdyk's in NE Mpls, the Wedge Co-op in SW Mpls, Lakewinds Co-ops in Anoka, Chanhassen & Minnetonka, and Fresh Season's Market in Minnetonka.
(See note below regarding recycling/composting of PLA plastic.)

Alternatively... Using a dishwasher-safe, stainless steel bottle refilled with tap water and washed between uses is a great idea! Added benefits: bottled water costs about 500 times more than tap water and tap water has more fluoride than bottled, so it is better for your pearly whites!

(Sources: Yahoo! News, MSNBC.com, BIOTAspringwater.com)

There is some concern about mixing PET and PLA plastic when recycling, as explained here by the BIOTA web site:

"Studies have shown that there is no effect on the quality of recycled product when PLA makes up to 1% of the plastic mix. That's a lot of bottles! BIOTA is dedicated to working with municipalities to explore options for separating, recycling and composting PLA bottles. BIOTA is working with Recycle America/Waste Management to create and promote recycling infrastructures that will accept PLA products. The technology already exists to separate PLA from PET. This exciting development will create strong markets for recycled PLA products. BIOTA supports increasing community composting efforts throughout the US as an additional method of creating a resource from a waste!"

Screw bottled water! Go tap, yo!!

Atlanta Anthill

I returned from Atlanta last night.

There are these creepy ant sculptures on the ceiling in baggage claim at the Atlanta airport. I was curious as to why they would settle on such yucky "art" so I Googled and I Googled and I Googled... and then I discovered the ants are a metaphor for the anthill-like flurry of airport activity. Curious. I felt like my entire three-day trip was filled with anthill-like flurry.

Hotla...err...The Dirty South

According to the Urban Dictionary...

Hotlanta

The name that idiots who don't even live in Georgia call the city of Atlanta.

Nobody that actually lives in Atlanta says this. Ever.

JohnO: So yea, I live in Norcross, right outside of Atlanta.
Idiot: Dam fool! You live in Hotlanta?!
JohnO: Please go die. Right away.

I'm headed to ATL for work at the crack tomorrow morning. I have to get up at 4:00 in the mornin'. BARF! I guess I know to steer clear of the Hotlanta refs while I'm there if I don't want to be labeled a jackass. I'll stick with The Dirty South, yo.

I did discover that Hotlanta is in reference to Atlanta's sexy night life. Didn't know about that. Maybe I should repack.

That's all for tonight. Can't waste precious sleep and Coyote Ugly viewing hours blogging my night away.

I'm out, bitches. Werd.

Blog Schmog

Not into it today.

Lots to do before 3 days in Hotlanta.

Tanya need sleepy. Zzzzzzzzzzzz....

In lieu of some fascinating story about my day, I am posting this news story. It can't be beat.

Boy glue hand to bed to avoid school

MEXICO CITY - A 10-year-old Mexican boy dreaded returning to school after Christmas break so much that he glued his hand to his bed. Sandra Palacios spent nearly two hours Monday morning trying to free her son Diego's hand with water, oil and nail polish remover before calling authorities, police chief Jorge Camacho told The Associated Press from outside the northern city of Monterrey.

"I didn't want to go to school because vacation was so much fun," Reforma newspaper quoted the boy as saying.

Palacios said Diego sneaked into the kitchen in the early morning to get the industrial glue, which he then slathered on his right hand. She didn't hear him get up, but later awoke and found him watching TV with his hand stuck to the bed, she told Mexican newspaper El Universal.

"I don't know why he did it," she told Reforma. "He's a good boy, but mischievous like all kids."

Diego's hand was fine, and paramedics managed to unstick him in time for class.

SOURCE http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080108/ap_on_fe_st/mexico_hand_glued;_ylt=AjHZ_YBifcGE9V9GlT6qtrGs0NUE"

Snoop Bloggy Blogg

Chooch.

Been watching Snoop Dogg's Father Hood tonight. He's in Munich. How bizarre to be out to dinner in Germany and run into Snoop Dogg and fam! Anyway, "chooch" was Snoop's word of the day. It's some sort of a gangsta greeting.

Didn't do much today...

Missed out on the last day of Pompeii at the Science Museum today because the tickets were sold out for the day. DAMMIT!

Brian, Ernie and I ended up taking a giant nap and going sledding in the neighborhood instead. It was wicked awesome. Brian took this huge jump and flew like a rag doll. I held my breath and peaked out of one eye to ask if he was okay after he hit the ground with a giant thud. He came a laughing. Phew! We're too old for this, but it was great fun anyway!

Ernie's an old man. I think his hip displasia has begun. RATS! He's limping around when he gets up from naps and looks all sad and pathetic like Tiny Tim. MY POOR BABY!!! :( I'll try to track down some dog dietary supplements tomorrow to help him out.

Went on my online quest for degradable freezer bags for Sociale Gourmet last night. You can get them in the UK, but they don't seem to sell them here. The best I could find was bags free of PVCs and Plasticizers that are packaged in 100% recycled material. I am unsure as to what the PVCs and Plasticizers relation is to the degradability or if it is unrelated. I am going to have to continue researching.

Maybe I will start an eco fact/tip a day in my blog. I've really been getting into that. It's amazing how easy it is for one person to impact our world. Here's a starting place...

Plastic bags take up to 1000 years to decompose. If you spend one week or even one day tracking the number of plastic bags you receive from the stores, it's sickening to think about that number times 6 billion people in the world (obviously, this is going to be a little high as not everyone is getting plastic bags at stores regularly or at all). That is the number of plastic bags that will be piling up on Earth EVERY WEEK and sitting there for 1000 years. I've discovered that paper bags are not a great alternative, either. Plastic bags consume 40% less energy to produce and generate 80% less solid waste than paper bags.

More info here on paper bags...
http://www.cleangreenbags.com/
http://www.reusablebags.com/facts.php?id=7

We have made the switch to reusable/recyclable grocery bags and try to remember them whenever we're headed to the store (I usually keep them in the car as I'm kind of forgetful). I also use 3 nylon shopping bags that fold up into a tiny carrier (smaller than a deck of cards) that I carry in my purse and use as shopping bags whenever I make a purchase. We stopped at 3 stores tonight and saved 5 bags using our reusable bags/totes! Hooray! It's a tiny step, but it feels like the right thing to do. I encourage anyone who is not using reusable totes to give them a try!

I'll research and share these facts and tips to be informative, not to be preachy. Hopefully, it will be fun and interesting!

The Big Blogger

We just watched The Buddy Holly Story. A couple of notes...

Gary Busy is a crazy dude! It is hard for me to get past the Gary Busey who was on Celebrity Fit Club, although he did a lovely job as Holly.

Buddy Holly was only 22 years old when he died! After some Googling, I discovered that Richie Valens was only 17 and the Big Bopper was 28. Damn. I could barely tie my shoes by the time I was 22.

The musicians had just performed in Duluth, MN two nights before they died. Their last show was in Clear Lake, Iowa (which I knew) and they were headed up to the Fargo, ND airport for a show in Moorhead, MN. I did NOT know about all the ties to the Land of 10,000 Lakes.

Nor did I know that American Airlines flight 320 had crashed the same day, killing 65 people and initially overshadowing the news that the music had died.

Aside from hours of Buddy Holly, my Saturday consisted of wedding invite design for a friend, baby shower designs for another friend, napping, and preparing 9 meals at Sociale Gourment for some "make & take" dinners we got from Brian's dad and his wife for Christmas. It's a pretty sweet deal, although I kept cringing at the amount of plastic bags and containers used for each meal. "Instructions: This meal will require a plastic container, 2 large and 2 small Ziploc freezer bags." Well, what are you going to do? Maybe I'll research some alternatives and email suggestions to the company. It can't hurt to try, right? Right. Okay then.

Hungry. Must. Eat. Snack. G'night.

I (PROBABLY) HATE YOU!

If you're reading this, you're likely a friend of mine so that's not actually true. I have pretty carefully selected who I surround myself with and truly do love my friends. HOWEVER, I tend to have a distaste for the general population. My patience is so easily worn thin! If everyone would just take responsibility for themselves and their roles - both in the work place and in their community - my life would be much more tolerable. Whatever you do, just show a little pride and do it well. It's really not that hard!

Okay, so speaking of responsible. WTF, Britney?! In many ways I feel super sorry for her. It seemed like she'd hit rock bottom months ago but, apparently, she was able to drill a Britney-sized hole through the Earth and hit even lower. Zoinks! When will she bounce back?! Now, I fully believe she's F-ing herself, her career and her children in every possible way. But, she obviously needs help and I don't mean the kind of help that includes shoving 50 million cameras in the window of her ambulance as she has a meltdown inside. How'd you like to be the a-hole whose purpose in life is to hop into a helicopter in the middle of the night and hover above Britney Spears' house amongst a half dozen other hovering a-holes shining a spotlight down on an onslaught of emergency vehicles hoping to get some crappy footage of a strung out mother losing custody of her children? Thank God she's got that sweet house to sell to pay for all the therapy those two are going to need. Yeah! Anyway... Sadly, I will be surprised if Britney lives to see this summer.

I watched a few minutes of Conan before bed on Wednesday night when he first came back on the air after an 8 week break due to the writers strike. He had a beard. I watched an online video of Ellen Page's interview on Letterman today and he also had a beard. I Googled "bearded late night talk show hosts" and, it turns out, they are growing beards in recognition of the WGA strike. They will continue to grow their beards until the strike ends, which is kind of fun, so I will follow along with periodic beard progress shots. Here's the first...



Obviously, my Friday night has been action-packed as I've spent it napping and reading celebrity gossip online. WOO! TGIF, yo. Have a good one.

2:30

Time to go to the dentist! Actually, my appointment was at 11:00. Whatever... As I lay in bed this morning I had a moment of clarity - with the 35W bridge out it's going to take me forever to get to my dentist all the way down in Burnsville. Since I am far from the first to arrive at the office each fine morning, I'd only be at work for an hour before shoving off again, so I opted for catching another 5 or 10 winks instead. A well thought out decision, in my opinion. Ernie agreed. And great news, folks! No cavities. WOO HOO! I do think a third resolution should be added for 08 - Operation: Oral Health. I am the worst when it comes to flossing.


Operation: Healthy Eating is going well. The best parts, so far, are sweet potatoes and Luna bars. Both are jam packed with vitamins and are delicious to boot!

Caught the first episode of Celebrity Apprentice tonight. Gene Simmons is a fun dude to have on there. And, I realize Omarosa is there because she makes for good TV but give me a break. 1) It's lame that she's considered a celebrity and, 2) She is such a B she makes me feel violent. I'd like to challenge her to a Grudge Match, yo!

I think blogging is making me feel inadequate. I mean seriously... 24 hours in a day and all I've got to talk about is my dentist appointment, sweet potatoes, and Omarosa? Weak. Well, what're you gonna do? Maybe I'll start making some things up one of these days. Or, maybe I'll have to get some more interesting hobbies.

Mushaboom

Why in the hell does anyone live here?! It was around 4 degrees most of today (4 degrees fehrenheit, not celcius! BALLS!!), with a windchill of 10 to 20 below! WTF?! BRRR!

Onward... I'm sort of obsessed with Feist's "Mushaboom" and "Holiday Road", which I recently discovered was covered by Matt Pond PA, thus prompting a swift iTunes download. I've been alternating playing both tunes in my head all day every day for the past week. I want to keep listening to them on ye ol' Pod, but I'm going to shove a piece of rebar in my ear if I repeat "Holiday Rooo-oooo-o-ooo-oooo-o-ooo-oooo-o-oooad, Holiday Rooo-oooo-o-ooo-oooo-o-ooo-ooad" too many more times. Arrrrg!

The return to work this morning sucked the big one. I'm back into the swing now, I think, but I was a total B the majority of the work day. Stupid job!

My second 2008 resolution (after blogging my day away) is to eat healthier and drop some of the extra pounds I've been packing on. Very original, right? Whatever. It needs to happen, so I'll just have to deal with being cliche. Fat December, as it came to be known, basically consisted of Christmas cookies and Diet Coke as I sat sedentary at my desk for 12 hours a day. As a result, my pants don't fit and my belly is brushing past my knees when I walk (okay, maybe it's not THAT bad). Anyway, I kicked off the resolve by stocking up on lots of fresh foods at Kowalski's last night. I ate very well today. Yay me! Spent much of the evening chopping fruits and veggies and prepping fajitas for the week. Delish.

Dentist tomorrow. Gee, I wonder if they'll find out about Fat December?!

Good night, sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I've had this blog for over a year now and have only posted to it 16 times prior to right now. A few posts chronicled my trip to Europe last March and the rest are a few of the designs I've worked on over the past couple years. I really enjoyed blogging from Europe so I made it my 2008 resolution to keep up my blog daily (or, perhaps more realistically, I'll update it "regularly"). I aspire to pump out more designs in 2008, as well, so I will continue to post some of them here.

NYE was fun! A dozen of us rocked the FUN-due at The Melting Pot in downtown Minneapolis. It was my first time there, although I'm sort of a fondue queen generally speaking. Brian and I were living on the edge last night and sampled the seafood - not normally our cup o' tea. We were surprised that the cajun swordfish was decent. The shrimp and lobster tail, however, were not for us.

Started 2008 with a viewing of Sweeney Todd with Andrea and Chris. It was great! So dark, my eyes were watering about halfway through the film. And, I don't know why I wasn't prepared for the gore considering the story is about a pissed off, homicidal barber who lends his "patrons" to the street level shop owner below to grind into meat pies. Still, I was shocked at the amount of blood. Anyway, I heart Tim Burton!! He never lets me down. Andrea pretty much read my mind when she leaned over about 10 minutes in and asked if I'm going to be Mrs. Lovett for Halloween this year. :) I have a Halloween love affair with Tim Burton's leading ladies. Since Mrs. Lovett's hair and make-up were so lovely in this version of ST, I'm not sure how I could pass up the opportunity to attempt replicating her in '08.



Back to work tomorrow, so I guess it's past my bed time. Good night! Sleep tight!