Tag: meme

Fun fashion meme

Because you can never have enough of talking about yourself. Or clothes.

This one was sent to me by email (thanks, Lal!), but it’s frivolously good and ethically conscious, I want to put it up on the blog:

Name an item of clothing that has been with you the longest:
On my thirteenth birthday, friends of the family gave me a blue-gray bikini. The packaging said: “guaranteed to last 10 years.” It’s lasted for 11 years, so far.

What’s an article of clothing that you can’t live without (BESIDES jeans, people)?
Never underestimate the power of a great bra, I say. Preferably with sparkly straps.

Describe your perfect winter & summer footwear:
Winter: knee-high, patent leather boots on a low heel. Summer: Flip-flops with jewelled, blingy little accents.

What’s a good, ethical clothing brand you’d recommend?
Sharkah Chakra makes great eco-jeans. They don’t treat their workers like shit, and they don’t crap all over the environment either. The only drawback is that the jeans are not cheap.

And what’s a brand you wouldn’t recommend?
I don’t like PETA, but they’re right when they tell us NOT to buy fur from Burberry. The fur business in general isn’t very pleasant once you think about it, but if you’re already into fur, just stay clear of Burberry fur. I love that label, but they have really sneaky ways of getting around regulations on the fur industry and it’s really unfortunate.

What’s the ugliest trend of all time?
Like, besides shoulder-pads? Personally, I think really high-waisted pants are godawful.

And the prettiest?
I’m sorry, but as far as I’m concerned, chandelier earrings never went out of style. I LOVE them, and think they’re a great way to brighten up an otherwise basic outfit.

What colors predominate in your wardrobe?
Greys and pinks.

What are your vintage shopping strategies (if you have them)?
I think vintage is a great way to help balance out some of the bullshit that the garment industry is involved in. I don’t shop vintage a whole lot, since things in my size are usually hard to find, but I accept hand-me-downs readily. I also raid my mother’s closet every time I go home. It’s not stealing if she hasn’t worn the thing for over a year… right?

What’s the most insane piece of clothing that you have ever owned?
This pair of glossy pleather pants that I wore on many occasions. And by “occasions,” I don’t just mean Halloween.

If you could describe the majority of the clothes you own in one word, what would it be?
Figure-hugging (not short, not open, or low-cut, but not baggy – I hate baggy).

I tag Octo, Hedonistic Pleasureseeker, Ren, Renee, Daisy, Debs, Amber, and anyone else who’s reading and wants to have a go.

Two Memes: Books & Music

The first one is from No Thought Control:

It’s an old one, but fun one: Pass it on to five other bloggers, and tell them to open the nearest book to page 56. Write out the fifth sentence on that page, and also the next two to five sentences. The CLOSEST BOOK, NOT YOUR FAVORITE, OR MOST INTELLECTUAL!

Closest book: When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson:

“There was no signal on his phone and the radio had given out nothing but crackle and hiss for some time now. The CD player contained one disc accidentally left over from the previous rental and Jackson wondered in what circumstances he would feel so desperate for the sound of another voice that he would listen to Enya’s.

He should have brought his iPod, he could have been listening to songs of heartache and redemption and redneck righteousness. And it had obviously been a bad idea to leave that OS map behind, although he wasn’t convinced that the roads around here actually conformed to any map.”

Don’t you just get the feeling that something horrible is about to happen soon? Well, it does. But not in the way you would expect it too.

Oh, and I like Enya. But if I was with Jackson, Emmylou Harris would do nicely too.

Moving on, a cool, cool meme spotted at Ren’s:

Rules:- Choose a singer/band/group- Bob Dylan.

Answer the following using ONLY titles of songs by that singer/band/group
Band/Artist

1. Are you male or female? Got My Mind Made Up
2. Describe yourself: Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
3. What do people feel when they’re around you? Forever Young
4. How would you describe your previous relationship? Idiot Wind
5. Describe your current relationship. Someone’s Got a Hold of my Heart
6. Where would you want to be now? All Along the Watchtower
7. How do you feel about love? Buckets of Rain
8. What’s your life like? Tangled Up in Blue
9. What would you ask for if you had only one wish? I Shall Be Released
10. Say something wise. Tomorrow is a Long Time

For both of these, I tag anyone reading.

My work-week is upon me: time for music and memes!

Renee has tagged me back! It’s the 6 random things meme, and while I’m sure I’ve done it before, I’m not one of those bloggers who gets tired of talking about herself. *ahem*

Anyway, here are the rules:

6 Random Things About Me:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself. (See below)
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them. (See further below…)
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

1. I’m twenty-four years old at present, I still can’t cook worth a damn, and it’s rather pathetic.

2. Socks discarded on the floor drive me into a homicidal rage.

3. I put on make-up even when I nip out to Burger King. There’s an odd mix of vulnerability and feeling as though I am being rude to the people around me unless I am wearing some kind of a mask, however slight, over my features. It’s a family tradition, a war-paint and a gesture of politeness, like refraining from picking your nose in public. I’ve thought about quitting, but I have too much fun picking out eyeshadows every morning.

4. Speaking of make-up, I think few things are hotter than a man wearing eyeliner.

5. Old pictures of a smiling George W. Bush, like this the “official one,” – they always makes me very sad, and not in a malicious way at all. I want to go back in time and put my hand on his shoulder and say, “Frodo, don’t give in!”

6. “The Land Before Time” still makes me cry.

Hokay, I tag: Debi, Caroline, Antiprincess, Dw3t-Hthr, Rootie, and Gabriel.

And for good times at work, so that life never gets us down, here is “The Whole of the Moon”:

I can’t think of a better song to start this week with.

The 8 Homes Game: Where would you have yours, if you were as insanely rich as the McCains?

OK, so the fact that John and Cindy McCain have a rather large amount of properties to their name is old news.

I found it interesting that they’re all in the States, and the fact that they are has left me with certain criteria for this little bit of Fun Distraction in these End-of-World Times (awesome Mad Max future, here we come).

I have been thinking about all of this for a while, and the thinking has turned to dreaming, and with a little extra Bloody Mary-swilling on top of the dreaming, I have come up with a very simple game:

Where Would Your 8 Homes Be?

List them. You don’t have to list your reasons, but if you do at least for a few of them, it would be more fun. And remember that the only rule is: the homes must be within the borders of the United States of America or else, within the borders of the country you live in, so as to utterly emulate the McCains. When you’re done, tag 8 people, so that they may join in the self-indulgence, forgetting about the crappy property market and the equivalent of The End of Pompeii on Wall-Street. You could spend your time hammering your doors and windows shut in preparation for the apocalypse instead, but it would be much less fun.

OK, mine are as follows:

1. Charlotte, NC. I even know where exactly: preferably somewhere off of Rea Road, or else off of Carmel. Charlotte is where I lived for eight years. I love its silences and autumn drives (during which I will invariably play the “Fellowship of the Ring” soundtrack, because I’m cool like that), and the occasional freak snow-storms that shut down the city completely, and the smell of honeysuckle in the spring. I would string up a garland of lights over my back porch, and sit there with Boyfriend and a lovely, well-behaved dog (puppy class a must this time around), and read Kate Atkinson out loud.

2. Atlanta, GA. Preferably in Buckhead. Call me pretentious, whatever.

3. Somewhere in N. California. I’m thinking Palo Alto. So I can streak over to Anna’s house in the middle of the night. And Stanford’s right there. Anyway, I haven’t been out West yet, but when I’m suddenly a gajillionaire, that won’t be a problem.

4. I want a flat on the Upper East Side too. I could pretend to be cool and say that I want a flat somewhere more “chilled out” or “laid back” in New York, but I would only be lying. It would be very modern too, with those weird new sinks I absolutely love.

5. I definitely want a house in the vicinity of Lake Tahoe.

6. I want a small place on the Carolina coast. IT WILL NOT HAVE ANY TACKY BEACH PARAPHERNALIA DECORATING THE WALLS . OK, maybe a glass dolphin, or something.

7. One of those old Gothic-revival houses in Louisville, Kentucky. Definitely. I love Louisville. And Gothic revival.

8. I want a cozy place in one of those skiing destinations. I’m thinking Aspen, although that might be too obvious. I can’t ski worth a damn, but I like sitting around in a warm sweater and a hat with flappy ears, drinking spiced rum. Which is totally the same thing, right?

For this exercise in fun, I tag: Renee, Daisy, Wallace, Ren, Kim, Belle, Bint, ParallelSidewalk, and anyone else who wants to be tagged. Including anyone in the comments section.

It’s my birthday! Time for a new meme! The Happy Me Meme!

This meme is by me, and it shall be known as the Happy Me Meme for all eternity (or however long the Internet lasts).

Basically, the idea is to tell the world 8 facts about your life that you find heart-warming or facts that cheer you up on dark days or some cheesy crap like that. It’s a way to make you feel good about your life, no matter what. The facts can be as random and seemingly innocuous as you wish them to be. I chose 8, because it’s my favourite number.

1. The fact of birth was announced on a giant Soviet factory. My dad was there on business while my mom was in the hospital, and my grandmother, a doctor, called my dad’s office, which then called the factory. My dad was walking around the building, and the director decided to find him via the PA system. So they boomed: “Congratulations to Comrade Antonov on the birth of a daughter! Come to the main office now please!” My dad got there, and they had cognac set out for him.

2. Once upon the time, I had the distinct privilege of corresponding with my favourite modern author. I blubbered from happiness.

3. I know what it’s like to gallop on a horse, across a field with crackling frozen grass, as the sun is going down.

4. My mother taught me many things, but the most important thing she taught me is to love poetry. You’re never alone when you have poetry. Even the mere act of reciting it in your head is like holding someone else’s hand.

5. I have the best job ever, and no matter what, just being given the chance to do what I do right now is a great, fantabulous honour.

6. I’m glad to have had such a weird and unusual journey so far, I like being an American-Ukrainian-Russian presently living in the Middle East. I hope this feeling lasts.

7. I’m glad I was born into this family, in this city, and in this time. I am not always glad of these things (being a human being and all), but I generally am, and this gladness helps me to keep on keeping on.

8. I know what it’s like to love and be loved in return, and my love covers everything: traffic jams and bad weather patterns and soaring prices of designer underwear.

I tag Octogalore, Belledame, Rootietoot, Kim, Amber, Vanessa, Renegade, and Henry (whom I haven’t spoken to in a while, *sniff*). Oh, and d’oh, I’m tagging Sylvia too, of course (I don’t think I’ve ever tagged her before, which means she *has* to do this, hear that, Sylvia?).