I write a lot about taking time for yourself, something I've had to train myself to do. One of the best ways to get used to "you time" is making sure that you have a morning and an evening health and hygiene routine, regardless of what's going on in your life that day. I am not a morning person at all, so my nighttime routine is even more important as I tend to skimp on hectic mornings. Once I know I'm settled for the night there's a set of things I do. I condition my hair, I wash my face, I drink green tea and then brush my teeth. I take any vitamin supplements that I feel I need for the day (it changes based on what I ate. I only use the Omega 3 supplement if I don't feel I had enough healthy fat, only take the multi-vitamin if I barely had food, etc.)Do what you need to do to feel beautiful and (more importantly) healthy the next morning. Some evening yoga/stretching/meditation never hurts either. Sometimes I stay up for hours afterwards, sometimes it's the last thing I do. It changes...I recently added moisturizer every other night, sometimes I snack. Sometimes I exfoliate all over.
The important thing when working on your evening regime is that you shouldn't be multi-tasking while you do it (unless 'multi-tasking' means reading for pleasure, or catching up with your favorite show, or noshing on healthy but yummy snacks with your roommate), it should be every night, and the basis of it should be on what makes YOU feel good, healthy, peaceful...in the moment and the next day.
Wishing you each peace, passion, and love.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Suburban Redux Photo Diary
In light of Suburban Redux opening TOMORROW, I am posting some of my favorite shots from the rehearsal and marketing process! Now, note that these are not all meant to be artistic gems...but if they make you laugh or develop a curiosity about the show...well then I am one happy executive director :) Enjoy, and don't forget to check us out at The Lowry Lab in St. Paul starting tomorrow, May 26th at 7:30 P.M. Wishing you each peace, passion, and love.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Opening On Thursday!
So here's the skinny: Gadfly means the world to me. When I think about my future, it is queer art, it is feminist art, it is making a comfortable living doing what I love and it is running Gadfly more or less as we are now-only with a far cushier budget.
Our latest production, Suburban Redux by Andrew Biss, opens on Thursday. It is really important to me, as per usual, that this show succeeds. We have a great cast of local talent that, in true Gadfly fashion, comes from all walks of life and experience levels. We have a director who has been working incredibly hard...and a script that is one of the wittiest works I've read in recent history. The only thing missing...is you!
But all of that has the opportunity change on Thursday, May 26th. We open the production then at the Lowry Lab in St. Paul. (350 St. Peter St. to be exact) at 7:30 P.M. Tickets are only $15 a head (and less yet if you come in a group of ten or more, possess a valid student ID, are a senior citizen, or have a Fringe button from 2010), making us one of the cheapest tickets in town for quality work.
This production runs from the 26th through the 5th, Thursday through Sunday. All performances are at 7:30 P.M. except for Sundays; those are 3:00 P.M. matinées.
If $15 is still too much for you then never fear! We feature TWO Pay-What-You-Can Nights! One is on Saturday, May 28th. Yes, you heard right. A SATURDAY PWYC. Pretty thrilling stuff, eh? We also offer a Pay-What-You-Can Opportunity on Thursday, June 2nd.
So other than a killer price tag and strong affection for me why should you come? Primarily because the show itself is truly original and great! Mrs. Pennington-South is bored with her suburban life, so she raises her son Cuthbert under the impression that he's a homosexual. He...um, turns out not to be and the results are intriguing, hilarious, and ultimately touching. The script pays respect to the homosexual coming-out experience while spinning it on it's head.
But don't take my word for it! Come see for yourself...
Our latest production, Suburban Redux by Andrew Biss, opens on Thursday. It is really important to me, as per usual, that this show succeeds. We have a great cast of local talent that, in true Gadfly fashion, comes from all walks of life and experience levels. We have a director who has been working incredibly hard...and a script that is one of the wittiest works I've read in recent history. The only thing missing...is you!
But all of that has the opportunity change on Thursday, May 26th. We open the production then at the Lowry Lab in St. Paul. (350 St. Peter St. to be exact) at 7:30 P.M. Tickets are only $15 a head (and less yet if you come in a group of ten or more, possess a valid student ID, are a senior citizen, or have a Fringe button from 2010), making us one of the cheapest tickets in town for quality work.
This production runs from the 26th through the 5th, Thursday through Sunday. All performances are at 7:30 P.M. except for Sundays; those are 3:00 P.M. matinées.
If $15 is still too much for you then never fear! We feature TWO Pay-What-You-Can Nights! One is on Saturday, May 28th. Yes, you heard right. A SATURDAY PWYC. Pretty thrilling stuff, eh? We also offer a Pay-What-You-Can Opportunity on Thursday, June 2nd.
So other than a killer price tag and strong affection for me why should you come? Primarily because the show itself is truly original and great! Mrs. Pennington-South is bored with her suburban life, so she raises her son Cuthbert under the impression that he's a homosexual. He...um, turns out not to be and the results are intriguing, hilarious, and ultimately touching. The script pays respect to the homosexual coming-out experience while spinning it on it's head.
But don't take my word for it! Come see for yourself...
Saturday, May 21, 2011
What's My Age Again?
Ah, the midtwenties. It's a strange place we find ourselves in. I really don't feel like a "grown-up" most of the time in spite of being teased for my occasional old lady tendencies. Then I started thinking; maybe being in my midtwenties makes total sense when you consider that nearly all of my quirks and actions are either that of a fifty-five year old or that of a seven year old. That probably roughly evens out to midtwenties. Here are some examples:
Ways I Am Clearly a Grown-Up
(Or 'Common Sense Things I Am Far Too Proud of Myself for Figuring Out')
*My rent, electric bill, phone bill, and internet bill have never once been late.
*I run a company.
*I use coupons and reusable bags at the grocery store.
*My sister is about to have a baby.
*I complain about arthritis and use Bengay.
*I have very, VERY few television shows that I will watch.
*I am an excellent cook, hostess, and pet owner.
*Need. Coffee. Always.
*I have finally learned to take time out for myself when I get sick/overly stressed/it's been awhile.
*Coffee and water rings make me see red.
*I'm jealous of people who can knit.
*I refuse to give in to many technologies. (What is this 'Kindle' you speak of? Is it like a blanket?)
*I really do not like making fun or speaking ill of others, and think it's a sign that you have very little else to talk about.
Ways I Am Clearly Not A Grown-Up
(Or 'Don't Blame Me, It's My Whole Generation')
*I call my mom crying from coffee shops, sometimes for no reason at all.
*I still call my dad for financial advice.
*I sit on Facebook and Twitter for waaaay too long.
*I am never dressed weather appropriately.
*I call my cat things like "pumpkin face" and "muffin butt" more than I use his actual name.
*I am the weird girl on the bus laughing at nothing.
*You don't want to know how infrequently I do laundry.
*My roommate can always make me laugh by talking like a Muppet. I kid you not.
*My friend Sam and I must test the quality of beds by jumping on them every time we're together near an untested mattress.
*Somebody says 'I'm having a party' and I still think 'Oooh, what's the theme? I need a costume!'
Where Do THESE Things Put Me?!
*I buy very thoughtful cards and gifts for people all the time...then forget to/run out of money to send them off.
*My favorite food is juice....sugary and flavorful suggests a child like innocence. Odd pulp and green tint suggests foods are in there that only health freaks would eat.
*Half of my book collection is YA fiction...but the other half boasts Anais Nin and Tolstoy.
*I have a morning and a night time health and hygiene routine. Both of which include 'just in case' time for impromptu dancing.
*I can talk for hours about politics, economics, entrepreneurship, art, culture, history...and Harry Potter, comic books, and the latest episode of Pretty Little Liars.
*I can quote Shakespeare eloquently and accurately. I also do a mean Ron Burgundy impression.
So there you guys. Woman-child in a state of grace. Running a company but not a washing machine. Where do you guys think you stand? A nice even midtwenties? Older? Younger?
Ways I Am Clearly a Grown-Up
(Or 'Common Sense Things I Am Far Too Proud of Myself for Figuring Out')
*My rent, electric bill, phone bill, and internet bill have never once been late.
*I run a company.
*I use coupons and reusable bags at the grocery store.
*My sister is about to have a baby.
*I complain about arthritis and use Bengay.
*I have very, VERY few television shows that I will watch.
*I am an excellent cook, hostess, and pet owner.
*Need. Coffee. Always.
*I have finally learned to take time out for myself when I get sick/overly stressed/it's been awhile.
*Coffee and water rings make me see red.
*I'm jealous of people who can knit.
*I refuse to give in to many technologies. (What is this 'Kindle' you speak of? Is it like a blanket?)
*I really do not like making fun or speaking ill of others, and think it's a sign that you have very little else to talk about.
Ways I Am Clearly Not A Grown-Up
(Or 'Don't Blame Me, It's My Whole Generation')
*I call my mom crying from coffee shops, sometimes for no reason at all.
*I still call my dad for financial advice.
*I sit on Facebook and Twitter for waaaay too long.
*I am never dressed weather appropriately.
*I call my cat things like "pumpkin face" and "muffin butt" more than I use his actual name.
*I am the weird girl on the bus laughing at nothing.
*You don't want to know how infrequently I do laundry.
*My roommate can always make me laugh by talking like a Muppet. I kid you not.
*My friend Sam and I must test the quality of beds by jumping on them every time we're together near an untested mattress.
*Somebody says 'I'm having a party' and I still think 'Oooh, what's the theme? I need a costume!'
Where Do THESE Things Put Me?!
*I buy very thoughtful cards and gifts for people all the time...then forget to/run out of money to send them off.
*My favorite food is juice....sugary and flavorful suggests a child like innocence. Odd pulp and green tint suggests foods are in there that only health freaks would eat.
*Half of my book collection is YA fiction...but the other half boasts Anais Nin and Tolstoy.
*I have a morning and a night time health and hygiene routine. Both of which include 'just in case' time for impromptu dancing.
*I can talk for hours about politics, economics, entrepreneurship, art, culture, history...and Harry Potter, comic books, and the latest episode of Pretty Little Liars.
*I can quote Shakespeare eloquently and accurately. I also do a mean Ron Burgundy impression.
So there you guys. Woman-child in a state of grace. Running a company but not a washing machine. Where do you guys think you stand? A nice even midtwenties? Older? Younger?
Friday, May 20, 2011
As My Friend Andrew Once Said...
"Women can be funny too"
*Disclaimer, this blog is a factual story that happened to me. It is also my first attempt at a humor blog. If it is not funny...well, whoops. All names have been changed on account of me not knowing them*
Tonight at the bus stop, I'm chatting up a very attractive girl that I was getting a vibe from. We're laughing and flirting, she tells me about her ex-fiance who she broke up with because she realized she might like girls, and how now she just wants him to die(it was around here that I started realizing I have a "type", and that "type", is batshit crazy). Still, I've already started flirting and it's hard to just turn it off. So there we are, at Warehouse and Hennepin, me and Crazy McHottie flirting up a storm. Seemingly out of nowhere (possibly the light rail) three middle-aged women came up to us. Maybe middle-aged is generous, but this is Minnesota, and I'm fairly sure that "Minnesota Nice" requires me to refer to all women past age forty-five as "middle-aged", regardless of the number of varicose veins they are proudly rocking.
One of the women softly but firmly interrupts our playful banter to inform us that she felt the calling to speak to us about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As Crazy and I stand there stammering, Veins begins to pull something out of her purse (Bibles? Pamphlets? Knitting supplies?). I never did find out what she was pulling out, because then REALLY out of nowhere, a belligerent, fairly smelly drunk man runs up to them yelling "Are you supposed to be here? Leave them alone!" over and over again. The middle-aged Jesus Warriors scampered off as quick as their walkers would allow them. So now it's me, Crazy, and Drunk Man standing there, I say "thank you" and he says "Naw, girls, you just keep doing what you do" and completely leaves us alone.
Now, obviously, the moment was gone. Whatever spark I shared with this formerly engaged cutie pie who stole my heart using words like "proselytize" fizzled out. Still, I owe my unsaved soul to Drunk Man, and I'd like to thank him for that.
*Disclaimer, this blog is a factual story that happened to me. It is also my first attempt at a humor blog. If it is not funny...well, whoops. All names have been changed on account of me not knowing them*
Tonight at the bus stop, I'm chatting up a very attractive girl that I was getting a vibe from. We're laughing and flirting, she tells me about her ex-fiance who she broke up with because she realized she might like girls, and how now she just wants him to die(it was around here that I started realizing I have a "type", and that "type", is batshit crazy). Still, I've already started flirting and it's hard to just turn it off. So there we are, at Warehouse and Hennepin, me and Crazy McHottie flirting up a storm. Seemingly out of nowhere (possibly the light rail) three middle-aged women came up to us. Maybe middle-aged is generous, but this is Minnesota, and I'm fairly sure that "Minnesota Nice" requires me to refer to all women past age forty-five as "middle-aged", regardless of the number of varicose veins they are proudly rocking.
One of the women softly but firmly interrupts our playful banter to inform us that she felt the calling to speak to us about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As Crazy and I stand there stammering, Veins begins to pull something out of her purse (Bibles? Pamphlets? Knitting supplies?). I never did find out what she was pulling out, because then REALLY out of nowhere, a belligerent, fairly smelly drunk man runs up to them yelling "Are you supposed to be here? Leave them alone!" over and over again. The middle-aged Jesus Warriors scampered off as quick as their walkers would allow them. So now it's me, Crazy, and Drunk Man standing there, I say "thank you" and he says "Naw, girls, you just keep doing what you do" and completely leaves us alone.
Now, obviously, the moment was gone. Whatever spark I shared with this formerly engaged cutie pie who stole my heart using words like "proselytize" fizzled out. Still, I owe my unsaved soul to Drunk Man, and I'd like to thank him for that.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Blogger's Block...
I've had really bad blogger's block lately! Help! What do you want to hear about? Leave it in the comments. In the meantime, here's a picture I took of St. Paul that looks really weird when Blogger compresses it:
Peace, passion, and love.
Peace, passion, and love.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Belated Thankful Thursday Post
Good evening kiddos! My life has been a whirlwind of clogged sinus cavities and arthritic whining lately, so I apologize for my tardiness. Now, here I am, bringing you things that (thankfully) brought me some peace, passion, and love this week.
Things That Inspired Peace:
This article from MinnPost.com, chronicling citizen response to the upcoming vote in November 2012 hoping to ban gay marriage (via Constitution Amendment).
This song from Cat Stevens. It's so melancholy, but it just makes me feel calm.
Getting to donate things to a silent auction for a theatre I adore and respect the hell out of.
"Minneapolis Hiking" with Sam through the stairwells and 'beaches' of the Mississippi River, because we could.
Getting my latest article posted on Jacks and Jills! (And the content of the article itself).
Things That Evoked Passion:
Actually getting o-u-t (to Lush, specifically) and seeing humans do more than work.
Well-written books! As per usual. This week I finished Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri which was evocative, a little melancholy, and consistently beautiful. I followed it up with Augusten Burrough's Magical Thinking which was hilarious.
Facebook updates from my sister on gay rights issues.
Getting some professional feedback on my Etsy shop.
Things I Just Plain Loved
The movie Easy A. I really didn't know how I'd feel about this movie as an artist or a feminist but I thought it was really freakin' funny. Oscar-fodder, no. But that's more than okay sometimes.
People who announce "You are really, really cute" within seconds of meeting me.
Chillaxin' riverside.
$1 beer. What can I say?
My boss bringing her dog to the box office!
Feeling better!
Actually making it to Suburban Redux rehearsal. I love Gadfly so hard.
How about you guys? What made or broke your week this week? Well, signing off now. Boca burgers are calling. Wishing you each peace, passion, and love. I leave you with some photos chronicling the past couple of weeks:
Things That Inspired Peace:
This article from MinnPost.com, chronicling citizen response to the upcoming vote in November 2012 hoping to ban gay marriage (via Constitution Amendment).
This song from Cat Stevens. It's so melancholy, but it just makes me feel calm.
Getting to donate things to a silent auction for a theatre I adore and respect the hell out of.
"Minneapolis Hiking" with Sam through the stairwells and 'beaches' of the Mississippi River, because we could.
Getting my latest article posted on Jacks and Jills! (And the content of the article itself).
Things That Evoked Passion:
Actually getting o-u-t (to Lush, specifically) and seeing humans do more than work.
Well-written books! As per usual. This week I finished Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri which was evocative, a little melancholy, and consistently beautiful. I followed it up with Augusten Burrough's Magical Thinking which was hilarious.
Facebook updates from my sister on gay rights issues.
Getting some professional feedback on my Etsy shop.
Things I Just Plain Loved
The movie Easy A. I really didn't know how I'd feel about this movie as an artist or a feminist but I thought it was really freakin' funny. Oscar-fodder, no. But that's more than okay sometimes.
People who announce "You are really, really cute" within seconds of meeting me.
Chillaxin' riverside.
$1 beer. What can I say?
My boss bringing her dog to the box office!
Feeling better!
Actually making it to Suburban Redux rehearsal. I love Gadfly so hard.
How about you guys? What made or broke your week this week? Well, signing off now. Boca burgers are calling. Wishing you each peace, passion, and love. I leave you with some photos chronicling the past couple of weeks:
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