There I Fixed It

You cannot even imagine what the human genius can come up with when there is a need to repair or to fix something. Normally it's great to be able to fix something, but sometimes it’s just stupid.

Things I Bought Thursdays -- Your Opinion Requested Edition

This week I bought the above pair of distressed, faded, “boyfriend” jeans (whew that description alone made me tired), and (no surprise here) I have some angst over the purchase...

First off, I’m 35 and wonder if I should be wearing anything that’s purposefully ripped or distressed in any way.

Then there's the fact that I had almost the exact pair of jeans in high school, and I have this general rule that if you wore something the first time around, you probably shouldn’t wear it when it comes around again.

That said, I can’t help it…I kinda like these jeans.

So I need your honest opinion. Should I keep them, or should I adhere to rules 1 & 2 and send them back from where they came? + In this particular case your opinion is especially important as:

1. I trust you Internet friends.
   
2. We’re spending the 4th of July weekend with my family, and I’m feeling pretty confident that my mother and sister are going to give the jeans a thumbs-down, so if I get a resounding nay in advance from you guys, I can avoid the therapy-inducing fashion critique of my family altogether.
   
3. And if you do (like me) happen to find the jeans oddly appealing, then I’ll have back-up to counter the inevitable familial heckling.
   

How’s that for the world’s longest set up?? I think I just exhausted myself.

So, what do you think of the jeans ;-)

Summer Cleaning (And Some Ill Advised Sneakiness)

image via d*s

Despite the fact that I live in a major city with easy access to loads of charitable organizations that will happily accept my cast-offs anytime, I get a major thrill when once a year the Goodwill truck shows up in the parking lot of my office building. I use this annual visit as an excuse to tear through my house with garbage bags throwing in anything that seems slightly irrelevant. (The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?)

This year, I filled 10! jumbo bags to bursting – actually Bryan was the major contributor (he was surprisingly on board, my sweet hoarder), as he singlehandedly filled six bags with the contents of his closet and dresser (clearly he hadn’t gotten rid of clothes in a while.) I filled two bags with my things and then (and this was the tricky part) two more bags with the girlie’s old toys.

Now for those of you with kiddos, I’m guessing you’ve experienced this, as I’ve heard it’s rather common… My girls never want to get rid of anything. It doesn’t matter if they haven’t played with a particular toy for years, once they see it again, it becomes their favorite. thing. ever. So I had to be strategic, sneaky even, and I filled a couple of bags while Bryan was giving them a bath and quickly stashed them in the trunk of my car. Catastrophe averted... Or so I thought.

Apparently, somehow utilizing her magic, all-knowing senses, Audrey figured out that I had donated a pink bunny named appropriately named, “pink bunny.” I have no idea how she figured this out, perhaps she takes inventory of her stuffed animals, which really wouldn’t surprise me all that much…apple, tree…

To say she freaked out would be a bit of an understatement. It was major. I tried my best to resolve the situation...First, I explained to her how lucky we were to have so many nice things and how important it was to share our things with people that didn’t have many toys or clothes to enjoy. She got that in theory, but was majorly pissed that I didn’t ask her what she’d like to get rid of… Touché. That kid is giving me a run for my money friends.

So, as a reward for sitting through this epic tale of purging, here are a few gorgeous and altogether minimal spaces I’ve come across of late. I’m feeling pretty confident these homeowners make frequent trips to the Goodwill. I wonder how they handle getting rid of their kid’s stuff…

image by joshua mchugh via metropolitan home

image peter murdock via metropolitan home

image via d*s

Then July

Spring was full of bounty!
So much grandeur for the eyes.
Some mysteries were answered,
others remain in Nature's keep.

Nature's secrets and clues.
I believe they're limitless.
With each answer, another layer,
pealed back, another puzzle.

Beneath the leaves,
or kneeling in the grass.
Admiring fresh wings in the skies.
This perpetual conversation.

Can you hear Nature's whisper?
Does it beckon you?
Sometimes, though, I hear her cry.
Are we hearing? Are we listening?

There is, I believe, great peace,
but also sadness in Nature's embrace.
Through all the seasons,
she still manages to carry me.

Link: Overturned

© 2009 Mike McDowell