New Etsy Shop!

Hello Bloggers and Friends,

In an attempt to be able to support my love of photography, I am selling some of my photos on Etsy! Everything has been really fun so far. So hop on, buy some prints, and tell your peeps. I am adding new stuff all the time, so check it out ...frequently!

Peace, love, and passion.

Newly Formatted Things I'm Thankful for Thursday!

In keeping with this blog, I have decided to break down my Thursday Thanks into three sections: Things that Bring Peace, Things that Evoke Passion, and Things I Just Plain Love. It's still things I had contact/have been mulling over/have infiltrated my week just broken down a little more so as to why I love them. SO without further ado...

Things that Bring Peace:
*Animals in the workplace. Distracting, but important for employee mental health*
*Tarot readings in cafes*
*Rearranging my living room. The exact Feng Shui 'science' is admittedly not for anyone, but exposing yourself to more natural light, creating more room, and bringing in proper storage facilities just seems like common sense*
*Lazy lunches on outdoor patios*
*Time spent on farms. I'm a city girl at heart, I've accepted this. I do love the outdoors though, and getting quality time with fresh air, good company, and animal friends is just wonderful*
*Brown sugar & cinnamon toast, just like Grandma makes*

Things that Evoke Passion:
*Studying other queer theatres and their work*
*Well-written novels, like A.S. Byatt's*
*Late night discussions about art, life, and love with the BFF*
*Listening to Sheryl Crow and Aqualung in a row*
*Talking to my sister about the baby ducks! (This makes sense to us, don't worry)*
*Quality films like "I <3 Huckabees*
*Gadfly's wonderful Suburban Redux cast.

Things I Just Plain Love:
*Getting like, seven bags of groceries for just over $100-and it's all organic!*
*Joshua Allen Harry's 'Inflatable Art'*
*The [title of show] soundtrack! Local company, Urban Samurai opens it this weekend and I can't wait to see the whole show!*
*Yara Sofia. She was my favorite on this season of RuPaul's Drag Race, and I'm sad to see her go*
*Sandwiches with guacamole AND hummus*


(Cast of Suburban Redux, photo courtesy of yours truly!)

How about you guys? What brought you peace, passion, and love this week?

Spring Upgrading: Because You're Too Fab to Spend Your Life Cleaning

This spring, without even realizing it I realized I'd shifted away from a 'cleaning' phase and ended up focusing on improving my living and sacred spaces. Yes, to some extent this involves 'cleaning' and purging lots and lots of extra things. We're really frickin' spoiled here. I realized one day that I don't need two couches. Yup. Two. Couches. Stupid. So I'm ditching one. I'm also ditching clothes I've shrunk out of, books I didn't love, and all of the things that generally no longer appeal/are useful/are in usable shape. Yet the focus this spring hasn't been on the purging. It's been on an apartment wide streamline and upgrade. I'm getting a bigger bed, more bookshelves, and everything I'm getting rid of is intended to improve, and not just cleanse my life. As much as I love purging (I've written entire blog entries about it), upgrading feels even better in away. You're not depriving yourself of anything as overpurging can do, you are making substantial improvements in your home.

While the things I've been thinking about and talking about are tangible material things, I think that this train of thought could apply elsewhere. As I ALWAYS tell you and firmly believe, if you are unhappy with your group of friends/job/book club/significant other/etc. then you should ditch them and move on. Instead of just ditching them though, I think you're ultimate goal should not only be to rid yourself of the dead weight but to find something that's...well, an upgrade. A more fulfilling job. A significant other who's going to love you as much as you love yourself. Friends who interest you and are there for you. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

Spring cleaning is a very important process and one I have always enjoyed. I just think it can be limiting or leave a feeling of 'what's next?' if you've cleaned and cleaned and have nothing left to clean. Instead of feeling relieved you might feel empty. It happens to the best of us, and if you've reached this point, it's time to upgrade to things that bring peace, evoke passion, and that you love.


P.S. Here's a picture that I want to get a tattoo based on. It represents the next photo challenge "Something You Want to Do In Your Life." I choose: get this tattoo, which is really personal to me...and still cute.

24 More Hours!

Blog World Call to Action Alert:

Gadfly Theatre Productions needs your help! We are having a teensy bit of trouble covering up-front costs for Suburban Redux, and you can help. We are not asking for donations (but by all means, are not turning them away) but instead asking you to shop. My friend Chelsey Gaddy has very generously agreed to donate half of her Etsy proceeds from this weekend to us! I mentioned it on my Thursday thanks, but that was a heady post-so don't feel bad if you missed it. Just go to her Etsy shop now and SHOP UP before midnight EST tomorrow night.

Thanks a bajillion for the support! Help me and my business partner see this show through; bringing peace, passion, and love into our lives.

Wish the same to you. Now ready...set...SHOP.

Sisters, Improv, and ...Jeff Daniels?

Hello Blog-World,

I have really been terrible at keeping up with this lately. I promise all 30 Days of Photo-Fun will happen, it just might be a little sporadic. I have been hella busy lately. Gadfly is at a really amazing turning point. We've streamlined our mission and vision (which streamlines the types of script submissions we'll accept), and are simultaneously putting on a show under the original scope while resculpting and preparing for next season. It's big, but I don't feel intimidated at all, just busy. I've been planning and e-mailing and taking workshops and reading and a million other things. It's going to be a really special, amazing final show and a really special, amazing second season. So get ready!

Additionally things are going crazy-good for Mixed Blood and Avenue Q. The box office phone is ringing off the hook and web orders are pouring in. AND I started a brand-new temp job with The National Theatre for Children. The link has more info on the company, whose work I've seen (at a much younger age of course) and am excited to be a part of. Basically I call Elementary Schools and get them to sign up for a show that's completely free to them. It's easy, but a substantial contribution to the company.

All of my jobs end in early summer, so I'm also trying to line up crazy amounts of photo, tarot, and other various arts gigs for the summer. I would love to Direct, Assistant Direct, or Act in one or many Fringe shows, so if you know anyone looking, send them my way yo! Obviously if you want photos, a tarot reading, etc. for this summer fly my way too. Word.

So, that's what I've been up to in my blog absence. It is indeed Thursday, so I will once again try to knock out two birds with one stone by incorporating a Photo-Adventure into my Thursday Thanks!

~The next photo entry I need to do is 'Someone You Couldn't Imagine Your Life Without'. I choose my beautiful baby sister (well, she's the second oldest of our brood but still younger than me). I am very thankful for her, always, so it's completely legitimate to put this in today's article. You can see a super cute baby picture of us the bottom of this entry. Not only can I not imagine my life without her, but I don't WANT to imagine my life without her. That chick's a rock star, and I love her.

~Social Media! I, like the rest of the world have a love/hate relationship with Facebook, Twitter, and yes, even my blog. However, they are invaluable tools for artists and businesspersons. Even more importantly, it allows you to stay in touch or get in touch once again with people who once meant the world to you. This latter reason has been hella present in my life lately, and I am so grateful to live in a time where this is possible.

~Movie nights with friends (even if it is Dumb and Dumber).

~The movie Breakfast With Pluto. Everyone should see this movie. It is touching in parts, hilarious in parts, and definitely worth your time. Cillian Murphy is surprisingly uncreepy and touching.

~Late nights spend reading Sweet Valley Confidential in one sitting. Jessica Wakefield, you harlot you.

~How well things are going for Avenue Q!

~How well rehearsals are going for Suburban Redux.

~Having lots of things to do! Monotony and routine bum me out deeply. I love everything I'm doing, and I love that (at the moment at least), I'm doing fairly well and getting to do it by incorporating variety into my life.

~SPRINGTIME. SUNSHINE. GRASS. OUTDOOR PATIOS. I have spent two of the most wonderful afternoons this week eating on outdoor patios. It has been Heavenly.

~Cheap Improv Theaters! There's a new one in Minneapolis, called Huge Theater. I saw a show for very cheap there that some friends were in on Sunday. It was wonderful.

~Gadfly's fiscal sponsor, Springboard for the Arts. This week they set up a free Marketing and Communications website with Kathy Graves and it was spectacular. I figured I'd leave with some things to think about, some new ideas, etc. Instead I left completely fired up with lots of tangible things to do. It's an amazing feeling, and I owe it all to them and Kathy Graves herself.

~Lowertown St. Paul. I don't know if it's the nearness of the river, the artistic community, or the comfort of old timeless buildings but I have concluded that it is impossible to feel rushed or stressed in Lowertown.

~AND to conclude...the Namaste Cafe. Probably my favorite restaurant in the entire Twin Cities. It's Nepalese food, and I spent my afternoon lounging in a colorful outdoor patio sipping soy chai (that they did NOT charge extra for!)and eating the most wonderful Nepalese food. One day I'm going to write a book called The Hipsters Aren't Always Wrong about the Twin Cities hangouts labeled hipster joints that people should still go too. Number One? The Namaste.

Before I go, I want to encourage/beg you to head over to my friend Chelsey's Etsy Shop. This weekend half of her proceeds go to Gadfly! Your contribution will help us break even for Suburban Redux, and you will get some wonderful goodies for yourself or a loved one in the process. So shop up!

Stay tuned, great things are happening! I wish you and yours the most peace, passion, and love possible.

The Beatles!

Today's photo challenge wants me to name my favorite band. I have a lot of favorite bands that change with my mood, and contrary to popular belief, I'm not exactly stuck in the past musically. However, I do have a weakness for rock, soul, and folk music from before my time. As I mentioned, my tastes change with the wind. The reason my Beatles obsession is so significant is because not only has it lasted twenty-six years, it is the only music I love regardless of my mood or what I'm doing.

I love this picture, and found it on Deviantart. I want to make sure I credit the artist, so check out the rest of his stuff.

The Beatles definitely inspired peace, passion, and love everywhere they went and still do it through their timeless music, speeches, and substantial activist work. It's one of the things I love most about them. They make me feel centered, remind me of what I want to be personally and artistically.

As always, I sign off by wishing you peace, passion, and love.

Farewell March!

March was a little tumultous for me, and I wasn't as adventurous or productive as usual. I don't necessarily feel that I inspired and lived a life of peace, that I devoted myself properly to my passions, or that I evoked love in myself and others. That's what these monthly checks are for though, no one is perfect. March wasn't terrible, there were some highlights. They are listed below. Enjoy, and feel free to share information about your adventures and productivity this month! I love hearing from my blog readers!

March 2011

Home Base: NE Minneapolis

What I Did:
Closed up Agnes Under the Big Top box office, Opened Avenue Q, began producing and marketing Suburban Redux, commissioned a new Manifesto for Gadfly, redid the Gadfly website and published that beast, landed a gig doing some phone marketing for the National Theatre for Children (starts in April, but hey, I landed it this month!), found my new favorite view of Minneapolis, donated to Japan, did some headshots for some cute artist-types, baby-shopped (because I’m going to be an AUNT! SO excited!), actually got some writing and personal photography projects done, thought a lot about the ever-changing role of women in society (mostly because of International Women’s Month), and got to see some long-lost close friends from out of town.

Where I went:
I traveled to Chicago, IL on a whim which was really fun! That was really my only travel for the month, but it was worth it.

Key Hangouts Around Home Base:
Baja Sol, Caribou. I stuck really close to my apt. for the bulk of this month for some inexplicable reason. Play by Play Bookstore, various Noodles & Company locations, and the Pizza Luce in Uptown where also still really important to me.

Power Music :
Robyn, Mika, Rent soundtrack, Hair soundtrack, and The Beatles ‘Help’ album which in the past has not been my favorite. This month I totally rocked it though. The Swell Season proved great for mellow moods.

Most Loved Television:
Buffy Season 6, Friends Season 6, and of course my three still on: Modern Family, Pretty Little Liars, and Drag Race (although PLL did just wrap up so you can stop hearing about it)

Best Movies I watched this month:
In theatres: The King’s Speech; Queerborn and Pervsersion
On DVD: For Your Consideration, Better Than Chocolate, Dorian Gray, Stranger than Fiction, Milk, Happy Endings (of course), and Easy Virtue all had their fair turn in the DVD player.


Best Theatrical Experiences of the Year:

Getting to see Avenue Q in it’s run through stage, Oedipus El Rey at the Lab, my occasional stints into acting that are mostly seen at 'First Reads' at Play by Play, attending the Sally Awards, and seeing the taping of America’s Got Talent.

Favorite thing I fed myself:
Mushroom not-pizzas, Japanese Pan Noodles from Noodles & Company, Baja Sol Tostado fajita bowls, Toasted almond coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts, Caribou Coffee Iced Chai Soy Lattes and my CHEAT MEALS: Chicago style deep dish pizza (I have no regrets!), Godiva chocolates

Best Books I Read:
Necessary Targets and The Good Body by Eve Ensler, Speech and Debate by Stephan Karam, Gender Outlaw by Kate Bornstein, The Summer of Our Revolution by Judith Ortiz Cofer, and the mind-blowing Transforming a Rape Culture (which I think everybody should read).

Best Websites:
Danielle LaPorte’s ‘White Hot Truth’, Joey Comeau’s blog, Snark Valley in preparation for Sweet Valley Confidential’s release!

Favorite New Unnecessary Material Items I acquired:
$10 rock-star boots; A pedometer I found; Several DVD’s


Biggest Challenge of the Month (and how I overcame it):
I have actually struggled a lot with mood swings this month, mostly likely because of my PCOS. There is only one way to overcome it though, that I have found to be successful: take a deep breathe, think about three things that make you happy, and try harder to not let it get to you next time.

I’ve also been legitimately hurt by certain situations in my life, professionally and personally, but again, you have to overcome it by knowing that you can, and reminding yourself every day that nothing is permanent.

Best Thing I Did for Myself:
Gave myself a facial. Started using leave-in conditioner. Grocery shopped instead of eating out all the time. Giving up alcohol for an indefinite period of time (Don’t worry, I don’t have a problem…I just want to see if I can get even more out of social gatherings. This excludes beer with dinner or wine over desert or something like that).

Couldn’t Be Without:
Gadfly Theatre Productions supporters. Burt’s Bees Chapstick. That’s about it. Pretty simple.

Quotes of the Month:
“The penguin would be sad because he was in handcuffs, but then he would be happy because he didn’t have hands.”
~Manny

“I hate this rest stop!”
~Carolyn Fritz

“Safety is more than the absence of danger, although this wouldn’t be such a bad thing itself. Safety is proactive, the creation of a space in which all people, women & men, gay & straight, and of all colors can experience and express the fullness of their being.”
~Michael S. Kimmel (from Transforming a Rape Culture)

“You’ve gotta go after the things you want/while you’re still in your prime”
~Kate Monster, from Avenue Q

“I’m 98% sure that I don’t know where I’m going. And that remaining 2% is just ego.”
~Andrew ‘Pickle’ Harrison


There you go. Thanks so much for reading. April is going to be a lot better, and I will be blogging about it as we chug along.

Peace, passion, and love.