slyculture

A few weeks back everyone and their mom was being tagged in a facebook phenomenon known as “twenty-five things”. If you are unfamiliar with the madness that is facebook, congrats - now get with the aughts. But seriously, I made this list of twenty-five things about myself, all things that some people knew, and then of course I had no idea who to tag. Then I thought, maybe I should just post the list and not tag anyone, but that seemed like an affront to all the people who had tagged me. So, my list has sat around collecting dust for awhile, and I have finally decided to share some of my list with the few people who may actually read slyculture.com. Ladies and gentlemen, a brief rendition of my twenty-five things:

1. i think one hit wonders are fantastic. ESPECIALLY one hit wonders from the 90s. my favorite being white town’s your woman, although i wish by skee-lo is a close second.
2. someone once gave me a dollar at shattered to do the running man.
3. my sister and i have matching freckles on our faces.
4. i hate wearing socks. they’re completely impossible to keep track of. i am convinced that all the dryers in the world are in on a conspiracy to steal one of each pair of socks on the planet.
5. i am allergic to pretty much every metal ever except some gold. for this reason i wear very little bling, and frequently refer to my skin as “pretentious”.
6. i am also allergic to dust, mold, and most trees. medically speaking, i should never go inside or outside, under any circumstances.
7. i do not currently own a single item of white clothing. well, unless you count socks, which i pretend to not own.
8. 80% of my immediate family can recite the alphabet backwards.
9. i used to own mace created by the brand “american defender“. my mace defended america for several years until the mace exploded while i was starting the car.

20. i do not like to capitalize letters.

21. i never read the books on my shelves because i have approximately fifty library books checked out at all times.

23. i would really like to live somewhere without cold weather or natural disasters, but with public transportation. i am fairly certain this place i would like to live in is called utopia.
24. i put makeup on almost every day because its fun, not because i think anyone needs it to look good.
25. after at least ten years of loyalty to pc’s i became a mac person.

This is a tag i stole from http://pgbeauty.wordpress.com/ . It is all about beauty products. If you are not interested in beauty products, you are about to be very bored. If you are, feel free to post this list for yourself and let me know where your list is.

Hair

Shampoo: I think i have about ten bottles in my shower right now. Sad but true. CocoaPink Squeaky in Black Chocolate, Alterna Caviar Moisture Shampoo, John Frieda Brilliant Brunette Shine Release Moisture Shampoo, Paul Mitchell Clarifying Shampoo Two, Neutrogena Shampoo Anti-Residue Formula, BioInfusion Organics Curls n Waves Shampoo

Conditioner: Sunsilk Hydra TLC. Thats it! I swear.

Styling products: Things I actually use… Bumble and Bumble Spray de Mode Hairspray, Batiste Dry Shampoo, Garnier Fructis Style Wonder Waves Wave-Enhancing Spray, Garnier Fructis Style Curl Shaping Spray Gel, Mark Curl Goddess Curling Mist
Hair mask: Aussie Deeeeeeep 3 Minute Miracle

Body

Shower gel: Philosophy Candy Cane, Savor Soap Peppermint Creme Fraiche, Savor Soap Marshmallow Fudge Creme Fraiche, Savor Soap Dulce De Leche Sugar Scrub Creme Fraiche, Savor Soap Cookie Dough bar soap, Lush Cosmetics Yummy Yummy Yummy, Philosophy Toasted Coconut Marshmallows

Body moisturiser: I don’t use them that often, I usually go for the Creme Fraiche soap!
Deodarant -I go back and forth all the time between secret and ban usually

Fake tan: Nah

Face

Cleanser: Boscia Clear Complexion Cleanser with Botanical Blast, Loreal SkinGenesis Pore Minimizing Cleanser, Olay Hydrate and Cleanse Night Nourising Cream Cleanser, Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser

Eye makeup remover: Clinique Take the Day Off

Exfoliator - Kiehl’s Ultra Moisturing Buffing Cream with Scrub Particles

Makeup

Primer: Dr. Denise New York SPF 30 Defense Day Cream

Foundation: Clinique Almost Powder Makeup SPF 15 03 Light

Foundation brush: Sugar Cosmetics

Concealer: Stila Perfecting Foundation Stick Shade G, NYX Concealer in a Jar Light, Clinique All About Eyes Concealer, Revlon Age Defying Spa Concealer in 002

Powder: Clinique Almost Powder Makeup SPF 15 03 Light

Blusher: Clinique 101 Aglow Blushing Blush Powder Blush, Jane Be Pure Mineral Blush 02 Rose Satin, Mark Just Pinched Instant Cheek Stain in Nude … lots more but those are the usuals

Bronzer: Hard Candy SoCal Glow

Highlighter: Clinique 03 Snowflake Blushing Blush Powder Blush, La Bella Donna Compact Colour Folio Luminere, Smashbox Soft Lights Quad in Aglow

Eyeshadow base: Too Faced Shadow Insurance

Eyeshadows: um, it would take me three years to name them all. Various Clinique, Tarte, Urban Decay, Mark, NYX, Hard Candy mostly

Eyeliner: A bunch, mostly Urban Decay and NYX

Eyelash curler: I have a Clinique one and never use it

Eyelash base: Don’t have and don’t use

Mascara: Switch it up all the time, currently Bare Escentuals Buxom Lash

Lipstick: I have about eight zillion NYX ones, also many Clinique and other random things, love Tarte’s too

Lipgloss: Currently NYX Lipgloss with MegaShine in Chandalier, Mark Juice Gems in Snow Peach, Stila Lip Glaze in Vanilla, Stila Lip Glaze Stick in Peach, Fruit Punch, and Blackberry

Nail colour: various… lots of Eyeko, NYX, Sally Hansen, Deborah Lippman Vinyl, Revlon, Hard Candy, etc.

Cover via Amazon

I realize that the purpose of having a blog is to write in in more than twice a month. I’m going to get on that, I swear. Just as soon as I feel more comfortable reciting “The Little Mermaid” for my storytelling class, which is next Saturday.

It had been a long time since I had read the original (well, English version) of the story, and it hasn’t gotten any less depressing, I assure you. The Little Mermaid was always my favorite Disney movie, but I can’t watch it without thinking, lies, all lies! When all is said and done, I suppose no one is going to think of sea foam as a happy ending.

Other things I have read lately of note:

The Sandman Vol. 1, Preludes & Noctournes by Neil Gaiman - It took me awhile to get into this, but I was glad I read it, and plan on continuing the series. Its gorgeous.

Watchmen by Alan Moore - I”ve been meaning to read this for ages, and finally got around to it. My brain doesn’t really appreciate the graphic novel format, but its starting to adapt.

Undead and Unpopular, Queen Betsy, Book 5 by MaryJanice Davidson - If you judge this series by the covers, it is terrible. But seriously, its worth reading when you need something comical and fun.

Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan - I read this one for my teen literature class. This book is super creepy, mostly because of how plausible it is.

And as usual I have about nine thousand things on my bookshelf and no time to read them.

And now… time to get ready to go bowling with librarians!

I am going to start this out by saying that the decision to live alone, as in, without roommates, was one of the smartest things I have done in the last few years. Not living with roommates is fantastic. At first I was worried I would be lonely, but that’s the beauty of the thing - you invite people over, and then later, they leave. A novel concept, right?

That being said, I used to have these roommates who were really awesome. Of course, then we lived together for awhile and fought all the time, because that’s what happens when three people share a small space that is vaguely reminiscent of the Bluth model home. Eventually we went our separate ways, and in doing so became friends again.

But here’s the thing - I live in a college town, and when you live in a college town, you have to get used to the fact that most of the people you meet while attending college will inevitably move somewhere else. For the last few years my friends have been slowly but surely relocating to other places. So, one of my old roommates recently moved back to her hometown, which is luckily not too far from here, and she is close enough to come back for visits. Now the other roommate is moving to Chicago with another friend, his current roomie. And hey, awesome, right, because who doesn’t want someone to visit in Chicago? These particular friends, I think, will be happy there, so I’m happy for them.

I’m glad they’re moving, because it will be good for them. The other day, while browsing the highly addictive facebook, I came across a video of these two friends in a bar obnoxiously singing along to “Wonderwall”. And just for a minute, I let myself be a little sad that they were leaving. Just for a minute. But really, life is too short to be sad about things that are ultimately happy, and I have so many things to be happy about right here.

I recently tried to revive my old Dell from college only to find that the hard drive was completely shot. That’s approximately five years of digital life that I will probably never get back. I could dwell on all those lost pictures and school papers and mixes and saved AIM conversations, or I could recognize that the future is so bright that Kanye glasses won’t cut it.

So seriously, have a blast, guys. I’m sure I’ll see you soon.

lovelockdown

So I found these excellent shades at Target yesterday while browsing the accessory isles with a friend. They are, as you can see, quite useful, managing to block out 50% of the sun and 100% of your vision. Now that is fashion.

Why yes, I did just recycle my twitter status as a title. Thanks for noticing.

This is sort of commentary on the weather, and on other things. Earlier today a topic of conversation came up that made me think of this quote, which I do so love:

” ‘they kill themselves, you mean? does it work? are they happier dead?’
’sometimes. mostly, no. it’s like the people who believe they’ll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn’t work that way. wherever you go, you take yourself with you.’ ”
- neil gaiman, the graveyard book

I have never believed in reincarnation, but I always thought it sounded appealing. The idea of moving somewhere and reinventing yourself sounds similarly pleasant. If I have learned anything since 2000-and-teen-angst, and I like to think I have, it is that you make your own happiness, wherever you are. It is nice to have reached a place where I have learned that. In a somewhat related train of thought, as a child I remember my aunt playing a song involving the lyrics “why do I live in misery?” and for the longest time I thought the artist lived in Missouri and was perhaps making a play on words. In the last few years I have come to realize I am happy where I am, which was a pretty fantastic discovery. Still, if Missouri wanted to trade the snow for say, an ocean, I wouldn’t complain.

Incidentally, if you haven’t yet read The Graveyard Book, I highly recommend it.

On the left is the subscriber version of the January 2009 Elle. On the right is the newsstand cover:

Personally, I would much rather have found version b in my mailbox.

Image via Wikipedia

I am going to preface this by saying I know absolutely nothing about the band Vampire Weekend. That said, I dubbed this past weekend “vampire weekend” due to the opening of Twilight and the season finale of True Blood. Incidentally, I came home Friday night and turned on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and who was their musical guest? Vampire Weekend.

I went to an opening night showing of Twilight with a group of Library Science students, most of whom had read the books by Stephenie Meyer. While the movie was overly dramatic, I really appreciated that because the books are written the same way. It was a movie produced specifically for fans of the books, which means I am not entirely sure if everything would make sense to someone who had never read Twilight. That being said, the opening night experience was pretty awesome. Teenage girls cheered when Robert Pattinson, portraying Edward Cullen, appeared on the screen. They cheered for Cam Gigandet, who portrays James, the main villain. They cheered for Peter Facinelli, playing Dr. Carlistle Cullen, who I still think of as Jennifer Love Hewitt’s ex-boyfriend in Can’t Hardly Wait. There were some really fantastic overly dramatic moments, such as Edward’s reaction to the fan blowing Bella’s hair, that only fans of the novels could appreciate. So, by all means, read at least the first book, and then go see the movie. I may actually go see it again this week, so apparently I liked it. Be on the lookout for a very brief appearance by Stephenie Meyer in the diner.

Tonight was the twelveth and final episode of the first season of Alan Ball’s True Blood, which is based on the Sookie Stackhouse or Southern Vampire series by Charlaine Harris. I am a huge fan of these books, so sometimes I am not a fan of the deviations from the books. Season one is based on the first book, Dead Until Dark. I definitely felt that this episode was great and tied things together nicely - and very dramatically. I knew who the killer was, and I was still on the edge of my seat. Something I wasn’t expecting at all was that they went ahead and started the series of events that happens in the second book, Living Dead in Dallas. This provided for a very interesting cliffhanger, and now we have to wait until next summer for more True Blood. Luckily the ninth book in the series, Dead and Gone, will be out to entertain us at the beginning of May.

Image via Wikipedia

This is something I get asked often enough, so I figure I may as well address it here. People who like vampire stories generally love them. People who don’t like vampire stories have no idea what all the fuss is about. Here are some of the reasons why I find them entertaining.

I don’t really like fantasy. When I read something about mages, wizards, and elves, I mentally check out. I am not saying I believe vampires exist, because quite honestly, I don’t. What I am saying is for some reason they seem more plausible to me than a lot of other fantasy creatures.There are always exceptions to this rule and of course Harry Potter is one of them.

I think a great many people can identify with wanting to stay young and beautiful forever. I think a great many people can identify with wanting to never worry about aging or dying. And most vampire characters just happen to look young and beautiful. No one seems to make vampires late in life.

My brain is at its most active late at night. I have always been like this. If I was in charge of the world, we would all wake up around noon and stay up all night.

Maybe not everyone feels this way, but I think some women like the idea of chivalry to an extint, which is something you are likely to find in a guy thats been around a few hundred years.

I am sure there are other reasons, but these are the big ones I can think of. As a rule, I don’t want to read or watch anything that is going to be particularly scary. I typically avoid Stephen King novels for this reason. The most terrifying thing I have read lately is the Dexter series, which I would not recommend reading if you have a weak stomach. I don’t like ghost stories or monster stories. For some reason or other, vampires are the supernatural idea that does not bother me.

Someday I really will read Anne Rice, but strangely enough it hasn’t happened yet. Apparently what I have been reading as of late, specifically modern vampire stories, is part of a genre known as urban fantasy. I only recently became aware of this genre, but evidently I’m a fan.

Book cover via Amazon

I am constantly reminded that I don’t blog enough, so to appease the lack of masses i’m going to discuss my latest reading material. I recently began Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series. I wasn’t as immediately hooked as I was with the Sookie Stackhouse series, but I have read the first two books and am quite ready to read the third. The first in the series, Guilty Pleasures, sets the stage for a sixteen book series, so it will most likely take me awhile to get through these.

I also finally got around to reading Fight Club, which was both my first Chuck Palahniuk and my second audiobook experience. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about reading the book after seeing the movie at least ten times, but it was defiitely worth reading and provided some closure to the story that I had been craving. I will definitely be reading more Palahniuk in the future, and will probably be looking for Choke next.

Since I brought up Sookie Stackhouse, I should mention that I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series, Dead and Gone, which will be released on May 5. In the meantime I’m catching up on some of the books that include short stories featuring Sookie. I am currently reading Many Bloody Returns, which I think will be quite entertaining.