Confession

I have a confession.

I'm terrible at this whole blogging thing.  I don't write often enough; I seem to feel I have nothing to say.  Yet I know this isn't at all true.  I'm a walking contradiction.

I have been spending a lot of time trying to design a graphic identity for myself; for my resume, portfolio, and "professional" website... Here's a preview:

Anyway, this is a post just to say:

I'm here.

I'm alive.

& I'm going to make an effort to write more.

Low Carb Beginnings & Migraine Relief

It's now been about a year since my husband and I first gave up on the Atkin's diet.  Not really gave up, even, but became too busy for it.  As students who also worked, we found it hard to balance the time it required in preparation, cooking, etc.

I've decided it's time to return to a low carb style of eating.  My body really responded well to it and I know with how my hormones work, it's what I need to do for myself.  So, starting tomorrow it will be back to a low carb life style; cutting out sweets and sodas entirely, and going to nearly no pasta, rice, breads, you name it.  I do know I need fruit in my diet, and that was a large part of why Atkin's wasn't entirely successful for me; I eat a lot of fruit and yogurt which were not allowed in the early phases of the diet (which we remained on for several months).

I'm doing this for, obviously, weight loss but also other health concerns, primarily to combat my migraines.  I get far more than are healthy and I think that if I work to better balance and control my diet, I can nearly eliminate them.  Or, I hope so, at least! 

So, today it's shopping and prepping for the week starting tomorrow! Wish me luck. :)

Russian Architecture Reading List

The internet is a big, scary place.  In one of my adventures through it's windy corridors, I came upon an article about Soviet Brutalist architecture.  Here's one of my secrets: I love Brutalism.  Those who know me might find this a little bit odd, but I find it beautifully fascinating.

Roads Ministry Building, Georgia

The architecture I saw sent my head spinning.  Sure, I'd studied Brutalist architecture, at least a little, in my history theory courses.  But, the structures built in this far corner of our globe seemed quite different.   This is what I'm left with: questions of what and why it seems so different, and a thirst to see more brutalist beauties! 

I've now got a long list of architecture reading ahead of me, included but not limited to:

1. Blueprints and Blood: The Stalinization of Soviet Architecture 1917-1937, Hugh D. Hudson

2. CCCP: Cosmic Communist Constructions Photographed, Frederic Chaubin

3. Soviet Modernism 1955-1991/Unknown History, Ritter, Shapiro-Obermair, Steiner, & Wachter
4. Reshaping Rusian Architecture: Western Technology, Utopian Dreams, William C. Brumfield 

The drawings and photographs of these works are simply phenomenal, which we could learn a lot from.

 

 

 Industrial Miniatures by Iakov Chernikhov

Social Media Hiatus

In an attempt to declutter and destress my life a bit, I'm taking a hiatus from social media; Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and trash TV.  Getting rid of all of it to refocus on my life, school, family, and hobbies (including blogging!)

image from my drawing class; playing with pastels!

I think this is something that deserves my time and focus, as opposed to mindlessly browsing the internet for no real substance.  I miss the depth of reality that comes from more intimate ventures in to life (be it relationships, studies, or hobbies) and the power it has on thinking.

I miss focus.  I miss living! So, time for a break from the electronic clutter to reorient myself.

Until next time!
~Joy

Making Home - My ?? Day Journey to an Organized Home

I've been reading a lot of blogs about organizing your home. [See: here, here, or here] Organization in general is something I have struggled with; I have gotten better in a lot of ways, but my home is still rather, well, tragic. 

[p.s. I totally already have those handled baskets in my fridge.. but mine are green! Dollar Tree score 1]

I'm going to take my time before school starts this fall [eek, only one more year! woop!] to get my home organized! I'm definitely the type of person who cannot focus when the house is out of order, which makes working on school work that much harder.  So, for my own mental health, the next 30 [or so?] days will be for organizing the home.  I don't know how many days it will truly take me, so this will be an adventure.

Today I'm going to do some prep work [scoping out the supplies at Dollar Tree, which is supposed to be excellent for this task when on a budget, and I definitely am] and perhaps starting the pantry.  Here we gooo!

"Good Enough"

I've come to realize over the years that I've adopted the attitude of "good enough".  In everything that I do, I reach the point which I've decided is good enough; efforts beyond that point would be too time consuming to be worth the outcome.

But, as of late I've come to realize this is a poor way of thinking about my work.  If I am forever pursing this good enough state, how can I ever really produce the best work I can? If I know eventually it will be enough to quit working towards, I won't ever strive for the best I can produce. In light of this, I've decided that in all that I do, when I would normally ask myself, "is this good enough?" instead I will ask, "what can I do to make this better?"  I know in the long run this will make both my work better and myself a better person.

Do: [K]nots

So, I'm contemplating the idea of wearing a tie.  As a female, this is a bit more risky than for our male counterparts: how will our friends. our peers, our society react to it?  I'm curious as to what others think about this fashion move. 

One of the sites on women wearing ties offered this advice: 

Make sure you wear your tie in an appropriate environment. Places not to wear a tie to include interviews, sales jobs, and anywhere else where you are in a subordinate position. You should also avoid wearing a tie to any event you know will be ultra-conservative.

Am I the only one bothered by the idea that only men should wear ties in an interview? A friend I asked stated that it is partially because you're trying to fit in at an interview, though simultaneously working to stand out.

I have an interview next week and I'm typically an awful interviewee; I seem bland though my resume and experiences are strong.  I often get called in for interviews but then bomb in that phase, resulting in never getting an offer.  I think it's a cyclical failure; I know I do poorly in an interview, so I'm nervous, so I bomb the interview. 

Thoughts/opinions on women in ties, interviews, and the "subordinate" nature of it all?

I'm gonna pop some tags

I had some surprise free time (!) so I decided to stop by the thrift store because, really, what can't you find there? Ours has a lot of sewing goodies; old patterns, fabric, etc.  Sometimes there's nothing interesting, other times I do something like score some original TMNT fabric (which I've yet to find a project for...).  

Anyway, I managed to score a cheap shirt & skirt which look quite nice together and are individually nice wardrobe additions.  Super stoked about this!

I was telling a good friend of mine this and she was kind enough to introduce me to Thrift Shop which, apparently, I am so out of the main stream loop that I've never heard it. So here it is for your viewing pleasure.

xoxo

Joy

Walmart Perils

Today is a good friend of our's birthday party, and I decided to actually try to make good upon my whole idea of "ZOMG I should make all our gifts home made!" (AKA what-was-I-thinking syndrome).  So, after class I went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things for it.

On the way from the fabric section to the check out, I passed through the linens.  Low and behold, I spotted a polka dot sheet for $3.00. 

                      (sorry for the yucky image quality)

I mean, seriously? And of course, I think, "I can make something super cute out of that!" Me thinking, circle skirt, dress, who knows, who cares, it will be ADORABLE. After deciding it had to happen, I also remembered I have orange ribbon left over from a never-been-finished, not-to-be-talked-about project.  

Wut.  So, now I've finish up this gift to a friend so I can possibly start working on this skirt, or one of my several other projects on the cutting mat. (Get it? Like on the chopping block? Har har..)

Can't wait! 

xoxo

Joy

P.S. Here's a preview of the gift! The stitching is not perfect by far but I love how it turned out regardless!!