Self-Conscious Selfie

Back home in Seattle selfie!

Dumpster diving

I’m on a roof selfie! Mwahaha

‘shroom rock garden selfie

I’m a terrible player. Not as in “play on playa” or a “playas gotta play” or “I’m not a playa I just crush a lot.” (Sorry.) Not playa, I mean player as in a person who uses her imagination to make toys spring to life. Something about play situations makes my mind turn to mush and my eyes glaze over. I can’t think of one thing a little spotted pony would say to a polar bear or what a dragon might say to Polly Pocket beyond, “Hi. What’s your name?” And that’s lame. We already know her name is Polly. But for some reason I’ll keep asking.

Yesterday, Chloe, Sylvie and my mom were playing with baby dolls. You’d think that would be my forte. I have three children. I’ve wiped plenty of bottoms. I can change a baby’s clothes in seconds flat. And yet I’m speechless in this situation, completely unable to make small talk about the plastic baby resting in my arms.

It’s just like a mom’s group, right? It’s a legitimate play-date. Except it isn’t. If I launched into play-date talk with my 4-year old and babbling baby girl, they’d be ruined. Because at play-dates, moms try to get their fill of adult conversation before nap times or school pick-ups call, and they’re forced to hop into their carriages and return to a house without grown-ups.

As I sat rigid and awkward with a toy baby in my arms, all the things I shouldn’t say played in my mind on repeat…

Breastfeeding Mishaps: No.

Breastfeeding is lovely, but more often than not, the wacky and weird comes up when moms chat. Like for example, oh, I don’t know, the chafing and blistering and cracking and bleeding or the culmination of all of those in the woman whose nipple fell right off like a blackened umbilical cord stump. As a result of that priceless nugget (me, with the puns), I still have a linen closet stocked with enough Lansinoh nipple cream to wax a Buick.

Sex: No.

The six week postpartum check-up is over. Talk about it…but not with your daughters at a pretend play-date.

Birth Stories: No.

I feel like Chloe isn’t ready to hear about how you worked through the “ring of fire” or the extreme burning sensation when a baby’s head is pushed out of your lady parts. She’s definitely not ready to hear the obscenities that this girl you know screamed at her husband when he tried to caress her forehead. Or the story about your neighbor who labored for 26 hours. And there’s no reason to bring up the nurse who recommended nipple stimulation to get contractions going. That would be weird.

Body Changes: No.

Chloe’s already curious about the little extras moms have. Full disclosure about a woman’s post-baby, shape-shifting body isn’t necessary…unless I could spin it as a super power: Shape Shifting Mama! I like it. Now what would be the use for love handles? And vanishing breasts? Swollen feet? Leaky parts? Nevermind.

Husband Horrors: No.

I’m not into Prince Charming swooping in on his trusty stead to save the day and the girl, but talk at a mom’s group is enough to turn a lady off to men forever. From middle of the night foibles to diaper changing nightmares to “So, what’d you do all day?”, if anyone took us seriously, men look less like Prince Eric and more like the oily film that floats on the top of the stinky bay. In the end, there are always stories that trump yours, so you go home grateful for the guy you’ve got. So that’s good, but Chloe’s not ready for all of that.

Birth Control: No.

Read the following in your best auctioneer’s voice: What about condoms? Anyone for condoms? Rubbers? Anyone? Going once, going twice. Sold to the tired mama in the corner. Next up IUDs. Mirena. We’ve got a Mirena here. Next up: NuvaRing. NuvaRing. NuvaRing. There, the mom in the middle wrestling with her toddler. Let’s get serious here, folks. Vasectomy. Snip. Snip. There we’ve got one and two, and three vasectomies to the lucky ladies. In no way it this appropriate conversation for a child to have with her mother.

So there you have it. I’ve got nothing. The stand-by play-date convo, the one we have when the big kids are occupied and the littles are nodding off, is off limits, so I’m left with: “Hi, baby. What’s your name?” Gah.

Mika – “Origin Of Love” (2012) Full Album Free Download MP3 Deluxe Edition
Mika – “Origin Of Love” (2012) Full Album Free Download MP3 Deluxe Edition

——————————-
INFORMATION
——————————-

Artist : Mika
Album : Origin Of Love (Deluxe Edition)
Genre : Pop
Size : 150MB
Year : 2012
Format : MP3
Quality : VBR [CD RIP]

———————–
TRACKLIST
———————–

Disc 1/2
1. Origin Of Love 4:37
2. Lola 3:44
3. Stardust 3:18
4. Make You Happy 3:11
5. Underwater 3:11
6. Overrated 3:38
7. Kids 3:04
8. Love You When I’m Drunk 2:53
9. Step With Me 3:36
10. Popular Song 4:06
11. Emily 3:34
12. Heroes 3:16
13. Celebrate 3:07
14. Make You Happy (Miami Edit) 3:34

Disc 2/2
1. Celebrate (Acoustic) 3:32
2. Origin Of Love (Acoustic) 4:37
3. Kids (Acoustic) 3:27
4. Love You When I’m Drunk (Acoustic) 3:09
5. Overrated (Acoustic) 3:23
6. Elle Me Dit 3:38
7. Tah Dah 2:50
8. Stardust (Benny Benassi Edit) 3:04
9. Celebrate (Robbie Riviera Remix) 5:54

Download links (wait 5 seconds and click “skip ad” at the top right corner) -
http://f0da10f1.tinylinks.co

Spring has taken its good sweet time to come in New York City, but after an insultingly long winter, any glimmer of warm, sunny weather means a trip to a patio for a glass of wine and snack al fresco! Lured in by a ‘Patio Open!’ sign, I dropped in Gottino in the West Village last week and helped myself to a wonderful shaved Brussels sprout salad and glass of rose. Since it was so good and I had all the ingredients on hand (we are Brussels sprouts addicts, as you know) I of course had to go home and make my version! While we are still easing into spring up here, I think this is a lovely salad to help bridge that gap. Add nuts, substitute shaved Parmesan instead of goat cheese, and toss in a lemon vinaigrette to help welcome spring and, eventually!, summer.

Raw Brussels Sprout + Fennel Salad with Goat Cheese
1 small bunch Brussels Sprouts, shaved or pulsed in a food processor
1/2 fennel bulb, thinly sliced or pulsed in a food processor
fresh goat cheese or shaved Parmesan
lemon juice
olive oil
dash of mustard
kosher salt & pepper
walnuts, if desired

Whisk equal parts lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl. Add a dash of mustard and kosher salt and pepper to taste. Toss in Brussels sprouts and fennel to dress. Add raw walnuts and toss to coat.

Note: this is a raw salad. If you prefer, blanch vegetables and toast walnuts. Otherwise, enjoy with a glass of wine to help with digestion.

I carry a small chemist regularly – familiar supplies anyone?

Eczema. The absolute bane of my existence from pre-school age to present – a tad on the dramatic side maybe but for those out there with a similarly frustrating skin you should know what I’m talking about.

In the pre-school years I itched till I bled, in the pre-teens some got spotty, I got rashes that became infected thanks to cheap make-up and hair dye, while other girls talked about their envy of each other’s legs, height, breasts and body mass – I just wished for normal skin.

Currently I am 23 and I have suffered with eczema for 22 of those years – I get flare ups on my face, neck, arms, stomach, legs and scalp. Being a girl this makes normal beauty habits such as glitter make up, hair-dye and fake tan a difficult area and I can’t grow my nails else I rake my skin raw, bummer.

It’s taken me years and I mean YEARS to find a regime that works and sadly what works for me won’t work for everyone as we’re all individuals with different skin, but there are some basics that can most certainly help:

1. Understand your skin – sounds weird perhaps but I’d tried everything, from steroid creams and tablets to soaking in bathtubs full of oat milk (we’ll come to these later) with mixed results, but it wasn’t until I happened upon a lovely nurse who took the time to explain my skin to me that I actually got it- Your body is built to keep you healthy, as such it will protect your vital organs at all costs so if something is in your system that you react to (food allergies are a prime example) it will sweat them out to the skin where it then allows itself to have a reaction – away from your organs, this is commonly known as eczema.

The bad news is that the human body was not designed to process any of the man-made additives/preservatives we now put in food, nor is it built to withstand high levels of fat, citric acid, sodium or dairy produce, so eczema is likely to flare up when any of these are consumed in high doses, but if like me you think a diet of crackers, water and brown rice seems a tad extreme then don’t worry, there’s more tips coming! Just so long as we’re all together on the basics of skin rashes.

2. Exercise – So it might not be what you want to hear, personally I love a good run but it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but as we all know from Legally Blonde “exercise releases endorphins, endorphins make you happy” and for eczema sufferers such as myself this is two-fold, 1. Endorphins reduce stress levels and stress can be a huge contributing factor in flare-ups. 2. Sweat – As I mentioned before, toxins in your system get pushed to the skin so the act of sweating forces them to the surface, then when you inevitable shower after your work-out, they are washed away down the plughole.

3. A good skin regime – If like me you’ve never considered yourself one of “those girls” who have the time, finances or effort to invest in a good skin regime, you should. Keeping your skin clear of dead skin, of which you get an excess of with eczema, lets the healthy skin underneath breath. I personally am a fan of St Ives gentle facial scrubs (available in most high-street beauty retailers at around £3.50) but there are many sensitive skin products available, just be sure to go for something with fine grains or you’ll rub yourself raw! Use daily or every other day at minimum, I find in the shower a good time to give myself a facial exfoliate ( then you can get any grains out your hair line easily) team alongside a good cleanser in the evenings to remove your make up and let your skin refresh while you sleep, personally I find the Boots No.7 Beautiful Melting Gel Cleanser (Boots £9) is sensitive and moisturising to my skin and leaves it feeling beautifully soft – but again, find one that works for you and use it!

4. Most importantly, don’t always jump to the prescribed remedies – creams such as hydrocortisone or betnovate, steroid tablets and other such prescriptions you come across are designed to suppress the symptoms, but if the cause is your body is trying to tell you it’s struggling with something then it’s not going to go away, your just stopping your body from dealing with it and eventually it will come back worse but on the other hand do use them when it all becomes unbearable, you just have to do so in moderation and be aware of how much your using. Good natural solutions are:

Coconut oil (available from health food stores such as Holland and Barrett) which you can apply to your skin, use as a body wash in the shower or if like me you suffer on your scalp, apply oil to hair and scalp at night, leave overnight and wash in the morning, sooths a problem area no end although do put a towel over your pillow before lying on it.

Oat baths – sounds weird but it was good enough for Cleopatra. Simply half fill and old (Clean) sock with porridge oats, attach a hair band/rubber band around the top to seal the sock and then run a bath leaving the oat-filled sock in the bath, you’ll see the water turn milky as the oats release their amazing anti-oxidants. Bathe as normal and you can even use the oat filled sock as a sponge to rub on your eczema, I know it may sound like an odd one but it works and as a bonus it leaves your skin silky and smooth.

So, there are 4 basic tips for less-irritable skin and I hope they help, I live by them.
Soon I’m going to review some make-up and beauty products soon for sensitive skin types and I’d love some helpful hints or pointers on top products you’ve used if you have any, please do get in touch via the contact page here or tweet me @emilouface.

Until next time
x

It wasn’t until today that I realized I miss the suburbs. Last night I just felt confused, feeling a familiar feeling in an unfamiliar place. I love it here. Seattle has everything: art, parks, music, great clothes and food, endless walks. Bainbridge Island gives me friends and nature. But that’s the problem. I have what I need. I feel no possibility, no anger, no yearning. For 18 years I dreamed of escaping the burbs. Now I just want to walk down a street of homes, late at night, feeling safe.

I went for a run today. My best friend in Seattle moved to Alaska on Friday and I decided that whenever I feel sad and lonely, I’ll go for a run. When I left the house, the wind was strong and the sun was still so bright. I didn’t have my contacts in so the world was a blur. I kept my eyes on the road. I ran and I ran and after a while I found myself back where I started so I decided to walk and cool down before heading back inside to see if my night would go anywhere.

This is when I got lost. I thought I was just walking around the block but I kind of live in the country-ish and blocks are misshapen like bloated puddles after a rainstorm. Like the spread of spilled jam on a hot day. Like a sick amoeba. Like a crushed bug. I didn’t have my contacts in and I thought if I kept on walking in the same direction I would eventually see home. Instead, through my haze and blur I saw a million fuchsia globes. Upon closer inspection: flowers. They were so beautiful I got closer to look and smell and then I was laughing at this bright fuchsia gift and suddenly I was sobbing on the side of the road in my running clothes, sweaty hair tied back but loose too, swirling around my head in the breeze.

I don’t exactly know why I was crying. I wasn’t sad, or maybe I was a little, but mostly I was oh so aware of the beautiful things the Earth gives to us, and so lucky to get lost and find flowers, and so hopeful that all the people in my life that I love will see those flowers too. Those fat fuchsia orbs. What a world.

After a while I walked away. I turned my head every few steps, catching a glimpse of fuchsia, until one time I looked back and they were gone.

I eventually found my way home, but not before getting lost in the suburbs. There are upstate New York suburbs on Bainbridge Island! Happy houses with manicured lawns! I watched a spider stretch its legs inside an orchid. The closed flowers look like shallots. The open flowers look like tongues. I skipped and tripped in the sunshine, giddy on cloying conformity.

I left and got more lost and ended up right back on perfect pavement. Suburbia calling. What I wouldn’t give to be walking down Main Street in Williamsville right now, breathing in air full of possibility, feeling potential energy under my skin, knowing I could run for miles. Well I ran and here I am.

I can’t promise to be particularly aesthetically entertaining at all times; but I can promise you to be honest and painfully cynical too.

I am 21 years old, pregnant and I have many things to say and many stories to tell.

What were the most popular names of 2012, you ask? Well, drum-roll please, #1 on the boys side topped out with Jacob. There were 18,899 boys born last year that were named Jacob. I can’t complain. I like the name Jacob and the nickname Jake. I might be bias though. My first crush was a guy named Jake. #1 on the girls side ended up being the super popular name Sophia. Normally, I really don’t like the most popular girl’s name, but I have a soft spot for Sophia. It makes me think of the name Sophie, which I prefer over Sophia, and for some reason beyond me, I just find it adorable. 22, 158 little Sophias were born last year. Frankly, I don’t think I’ve used the name Jacob or Sophia in any of my stories. I’m sure lots of other people have though. These names are well used right now.

Now that we have the names at the very tippy top of the list all investigated, I’d like to go over the Top 50 names of 2012. I’m going to handle them in groups of ten per gender at a time. I’ll likely comment on them. I won’t be giving the exact number of births per name for each one. So, I’m going to start from the top and work my way down. That seems like fun today.

On the boys side, we already know that Jacob ranked #1.
At #2, we have Mason, which was actually just under 50 births short of being the most popular name of 2012. It had 18,856 births. Look out School Teachers, you’re going to have a lot of Jacobs and Masons to deal with soon.
#3 is the name Ethan. My ex named his baby Ethan. Like Jacob and Mason, I actually kind of like it.
#4 is the name Noah. I’m actually using this one in a story. My friend Lentay liked it when he saw it in the book, and I can’t help but agree that it’s pretty cool.
#5 is the name William.
#6 is the name Liam. That’s interesting, isn’t it? Liam is merely a diminutive of William. I wonder if it will ever surpass William on the Popular Names List. It’s actually fairly close in number of births, they were only 39 births in difference. William had 16,726 births and Liam had 16,687 births. This could be an interesting couple to keep an eye on. Maybe the masses are leaning more towards the fun, trendy Liam as opposed to the old-fashioned, proper William.
#7 is the name Jayden. This name just keeps climbing the list. My best friend really loved it, once upon a time. It’s too popular for her now. It’s a cute name though.
#8 is the ever-present name Michael.
#9 is the name Alexander. This name is everywhere, all the time, and I still really like it. It’s a classy name, in my opinion; common but classy.
#10 is the name Aiden. This is a name I really liked until I realized how popular it was. It the name of one of the characters in “Blood and Chocolate” by Annette Curtis Klause. Hopefully the 14,779 Aidens born in 2012 will be a little less weak than that Aiden though. He’s a great character, fits the story well. It’s my favorite book, so I highly recommend it.

On the girls side, I’ve already told you that Sophia hit that #1 spot.
At #2, the name Emma has the silver medal when it comes to most popular names in the United States. I’m still really not fond of this name. I’ve explained why a few times. It’s just the sound. I really just don’t like the sound of it.
#3 is the ever popular name Isabella. This name used to be in the #1 one spot. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
#4 is the name Olivia. I really like this name. I like a lot of variations to this name. I’m actually pretty happy it’s so high up on the list, because that heightens my chances of someday meeting some awesome person named Olivia. She’d probably be significantly younger than me, but it could still be really awesome.
#5 is the name Ava. … I prefer the spelling Eva, just saying.
#6 is the name Emily.
#7 is the name Abigail. When I was little, before I developed a pretty intense fear of dolls, I had a doll named Abigail. I still have her somewhere, despite the fact that she creeps me out. I love her, but she’s scary, just like all other dolls.
#8 is the name Mia. As Americans, we’re really enjoying the Italian names, aren’t we?
#9 is the name Madison. My friend Lentay’s daughter was named Madison. In 2012, 11,319 little girls were born and named Madison as well.
#10 is the name Elizabeth. With this name, the number of girls named actually dropped significantly between 9 and 10. 9,596 girls were named Elizabeth. That’s a 1,732 difference from Madison.

My favorite names of the top 10 were probably Mason, which sits at #2 on the boys side, and Olivia, which sits at #4 on the girls side. I just really like those names. It’s kind of exciting that they’re popular, so that I can see them more often. I would only use them in a literary context, but I do love that I’ll see these names around a lot in the future. Who knows, I might see them so much that I get warn out on them. My least favorite names of the top ten were Michael, at #8, and Emma, at #2. I won’t keep harping on the fact that I don’t like the name Emma. Michael was my least favorite is because its a really old name that doesn’t seem to have left the popular names list, ever.

#11 on the boys side ended up being the name Daniel. We’re going to have a lot of old men called Dan around some day. That’s going to be some generation’s “Old Man Name”. I can just see it.
#12 is the name Matthew. I’m fond of this name, but I seemed to meet mixed personalities with it. It’s one of the few that I meet a little of both sides of the good and bad spectrum with.
#13 is the name Elijah.
#14 is the name James. This name is just everywhere, always.
#15 is the name Anthony. I see this name a lot too. I’m not as worn out with it as I am the name James though.
#16 is the name Benjamin. I really like this name. I think it’s really cute. I like the nicknames. I just really like it.
#17 is the name Joshua.
#18 is the name Andrew. I have a soft spot in my creative heart for this name.
#19 is the name David. You can throw a rock in a crowded room and probably hit lots of Davids.
#20 ended up being Joseph.I always find it to be quite a treat when I meet someone that actually calls themself Joseph, as opposed to Joe or Joey. I don’t find that often.

#11 on the girls side of the list was almost a tie with number #10. It’s the name Chloe. 9,595 little girls were named Chloe and 9,596 girls were named Elizabeth. That’s one little Elizabeth that beat Chloe out of the top 10 names. I used to be so disappointed when I would come across the name Chloe. I would constantly mistake it for the name Cleo, and when I was much, much younger, I thought that one of the most awesome names someone could be called. The name Chloe has grown on me a bit more now though. I know lots of pomeranians named Chloe.
#12 is the name Ella. I dislike this name as much as the name Emma for the exact same reason.
#13 is the name Avery. I’ve always considered this to be a masculine name. I would use it for a tomboy character or a boy in my stories. Apparently parents thought it was the perfect name for 8,272 little girls.
#14 is the name Addison. I like the name Addison. It’s cute and the nickname Addie or Addy is really cute too.
#15 is one of the greatest names of all time, Aubrey. My youngest niece is an Aubrey. She’s incredible and I adore her.
#16 is the name Lily. This is a really cute name. I look forward to seeing more Lilys out there.
#17 is Natalie. Is it bad that I prefer the French spelling, Nathalie?
#18 is the name Sofia. This is pretty cute. I like it better than Sophia, and considering it’s right up there with the name Sophia, I don’t think either of these names are going to far from the top 20 names any time soon. Also, this is my preferred spelling for Sophia.
#19 is the adorable name Charlotte. I don’t know why I love this name so much. I just instantly love it every time I see it.
#20 is the name Zoey. This name has been gaining popularity for ages. Someday, we may even see it in the top 10. You never know.

My favorite names of the teens section of the top 20 has to be a tie between Benjamin, at #16, and Andrew, at #18, for the boys. I can’t decide between the too. I love the name Benjamin. It would be so cool to meet a kid/guy/man/gentleman that actually called himself Benjamin. I also really like the nicknames Benny and Ben. I yell “No Ben” quite frequently (which is a quote from the movie “Willard”) whenever something is about or has gone wrong. I just have a strong attachment to this name. I also really love the name Andrew. It’s such a strong, masculine name. It just feels so regal, yet useable. I love it. I also like the nicknames Andy and Drew. My favorite name on the girls side is Aubrey. I must admit, I’m SUPER bias. I love all my nieces (and my nephew). My niece Aubrey is amazing. I love her, I love her name. It instantly tops out at my favorite. If I had to pick a different name, if we excluded the name Aubrey, I would say Charlotte though. Aubrey was #15 and Charlotte was #19. My least favorites were the names Joshua, which ranked #17, and Ella at #12. I do know some cool people with the name Joshua. It’s my cousin Samuel’s middle name and I had a friend in Des Moines named Josh. I haven’t talked to him in ages, but we used to be friends. Unfortunately, I’ve met more guys named Josh that have wronged me than I have met good ones. There’s my ex who was extremely abusive, co-workers that seemed to hate me, guys I went to school with that were very rude people, and one guy that I considered dating but ended up being a really unpleasant individual. This name has just ended up being a big warning flag for me because of how many bad or disagreeable guys I’ve met with this name. It’s not like every guy with this name is awful, I’m just wary of it is all. I have the same complaint with the name Ella as I have with Emma. It sounds like someone forgot the alphabet or how to spell some other name, so they just decided to go with the sound they made as a name instead. Literally is sounds like, K-uh, L-UH, M-UH, N-uh, O-uh, etc.

On the boys side, #21 is the name Logan. I really like this name. I see it a lot, and I’ve known a lot of very lovely Logans.
#22 is the name Jackson. This is really close to my nephew’s name. I prefer his spelling (Jaxson).
#23 is the name Christopher. How often do you meet a guy named Christopher that actually goes by that? That is a HUGE treat for me.
#24 is the name Gabriel. I love this name. I have a Zebra Finch named Gabriel. He was named after a character in the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. I also used to know a really cute little boy named Gabriel. His father was a Gothic Elitist. He named him after the angel in hopes that he would find himself to be strong and righteous in his life.
#25 is the name Samuel. My cousin’s name is Samuel. I think it’s a cool name.
#26 is the name Ryan. I know lots of Ryans. I’m not worn out on the name though, and I have an ongoing “tv crush” on the guy from the show Oddities, who’s name is Ryan. He’s just so handsome, I can’t help but admire him and his AWESOME personality.
#27 is the name Lucas.
#28 is the name John. This is another name that is forever in the top 100.
#29 is the name Nathan. I know a few Nathans.
#30 is the name Isaac. I don’t think I’ve met an Isaac. It’s a cool name to look at. It’ll be interesting to meet someone with this name some day

On the girl’s side, #21 is the name Grace.
#22 is the name Hannah. I use this name for side characters in my stories, namely the short stories. I’m not particularly fond of the name, but I don’t hate it. I do enjoy pronouncing it HAH-nah though.
#23 is the name Amelia. When I was a little girl, Amelia Earhart was my hero. I loved that she was a strong, brave woman. I naturally gravitated towards her when we were forced to pick a historical figure to research and place on a pedestal. As such, I will always have a place in my heart for this name.
#24 is the name Harper. I like this name because of Harper Lee, the author of “To Kill a Mockingbird”.
#25 is the name Lillian. I actually prefer this name over Lily. They’re pretty high on my list of common names that I really, really love.
#26 is the name Samantha. I’ve met a lot of Samanthas. Shockingly, they’ve all had fair hair and a stalwart demeanor.
#27 is the name Evelyn. This is one of those retro names that I love. I love to use it in writing, but it’s fantastic meeting people with this name too. I’m eager for the day that I see some little girl run by and her Mom calls after her, “Evelyn, get back here!”. That will easily make me smile.
#28 is the name Victoria. I love this name. I think it would be a cute girl-girl twin name if it was pair with Elizabeth.
#29 is the name Brooklyn. This is actually the only Brook-name that I don’t internally cringe at.
#30 is the name Zoe. Zoe is the name of one of my characters in my series. I’m quite fond of her. 6,383 little girls were named Zoe last year.

My favorite names in the twenties section of the Top 30 names has to be #24 on the boys’ side, Gabriel, and #23 on the girls’ side, Amelia. My least favorites were #27 on the boys’ side, Lucas, and #21 on the girls’ side, Grace. I have nothing agains the name Lucas. I just didn’t like it as much as the other names. As for Grace, I’m just sick of hearing the name. It’s a virtue name that everyone seems to use, especially uber-christian-bible-thumping families. It’s as over-used as the name Faith.

#31 on the boys’ side was only roughly 10 births away from being #30. It’s the name Dylan, with 9,920 names, as opposed to Isaac’s 9,928 names.
#32 is the name Caleb. I love this name. One of my favorite characters in Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series was named Caleb.
#33 is the name Christian.
#34 is the name Landon. This name reminds me of an episode of Family Guy. I can’t get past that.
#35 is the name Jonathan. I know a few Jonathans.
#36 is the name Carter. That good Josh I mentioned earlier, the one I knew in Des Moines. His name Was Josh Carter. He was awesome. I love this name because of him.
#37 is the name Luke. This is a pretty decent name, in my opinion.
#38 is the name Owen. I really like this name too. The only person I’ve met with this name, that I’m aware of, was an older gentleman. He liked to travel, so he had a lot of fun stories about river rafting and adventuring through white water rapids. He was a pretty cool guy.
#39 is the name Brayden. I used to work with a lady that named her son Brayden, back in 2012. He was one of 8,451 babies with that name last year apparently.
#40 is the name Gavin. This name seems to hover around my best friend for some reason. I don’t know why. We haven’t been able to figure it out. It’s an interesting name though. Who wouldn’t like it?

#31 on the girls’ side is the name Layla.
#32 is the name Hailey. I’m not fond of this name because I haven’t met a Hailey that wasn’t rude to me right off the bat. I hope that changes.
#33 is the name Leah. I don’t like this name, but every Leah I’ve met has been incredibly nice.
#34 is the name Kaylee. This name seems to have been climbing the charts. I remember a lot of controversy about it on the baby name forums because of that poor little girl that died that is similar to this one.
#35 is the name Anna. Pretty old name.
#36 is the name Aaliyah.
#37 is the name Gabriella. This might seem crazy, but I don’t like this name as much as I like the masculine name Gabriel. I think it’s because I don’t like the nickname Gabby.
#38 is the name Allison. I’m using this in my series.
#39 is the name Nevaeh. My cousin’s half-sister has a daughter named Navaeh. She’s cute.
#40 is the name of one of my other nieces, Alexis. I adore her and her name too!

My favorite names for the thirties section of the Top 40 names were Caleb, in slot #32, and Alexis, in slot #40. I adored that character in the Anita Blake series, Caleb. He wasn’t liked by Anita at all. In fact, he constantly seemed to be on a fast track towards death or being seriously injured. I loved him for being a bit of tool and the definite underdog. I haven’t actually met a real person named Caleb yet. The one’s I’ve heard about haven’t been too wonderful to my acquintances, but I still look forward to meeting a Caleb some day. I love the name, and I can’t imagine not having some bit of care for the person that has it. As for the name Alexis, I love it. I was actually pretty indifferent to it before my niece was born. She owns it though and she’s such an awesome kid. I brag about her all the time. My least favorite names in this section were Landon, in slot #34, and Hailey, in slot #32. The name Landon makes me think of that episode in Family Guy where Peter goes undercover at Meg’s school. If I try to move past that, all that comes to mind is a bully. I just don’t like the name, sorry. As for Hailey, I’m still looking for a nice Hailey. I used to like this name, but I come across Haileys somewhat frequently, and they’ve always been rude. If they’re kids, they tend to come across as spoiled to. I know not all Haileys are rude, is the thing. That’s why I get frustrated, because I seem to meet at least one new one a year and they all seem to give off this same base impression. That’s why it’s my least favorite. I did use it in a story though. There is that.

In the last section, we have #41, the name Wyatt. I like this name. I’ve met two people this this name, and both of them have told me they were made fun of for it. I really like it though.
#42 is the name Isaiah. I have a cousin (by marriage) with this name. It’s best if that’s all I say about that.
#43 is the name Henry. My cousin Tyler’s cat’s name is Henry. I really like this name for humans, but it fits this cat like a glove. I like to be a weirdo can call him King Henrik and Heinrich for fun though.
#44 is the name Eli. This name is fairly androgenous, and that’s what I like about it.
#45 is the name Hunter. I’ve known someone close to my age named Hunter. He was nice. We had to hang out because our parents wanted to hang out. It was one of those awkward things. I also know a little boy named Hunter. I had to baby-sit him once, but I didn’t do too great of a job. He’s the first and only toddler that I ever tried to take care of. That experience is also the reason I don’t think it’d be good for me to have kids. I didn’t do well with this kid for a few hours, if I had my own, it’d be for a lifetime. I already feel bad for these hypothetical children.
#46 is the name Jack. My maternal grandfather’s name was Jack. He was very revered and very loved in my family. He’s sorely missed. I suspect that one of my cousins might use his name if they ever have children.
#47 is the name Evan. I like the name Evan for boys. I know the really pretty lady from the show Oddities is named Evan, which gives me mixed emotions about it being used for girls. That lady is pretty epic. I still prefer this name for boys though. I’m glad it’s in the Top 50 for boys.
#48 is the name Jordan. My bias here is again based on people I’ve known. I have VERY mixed feelings about this name for either gender.
#49 is the name Nicholas. I love this name. I really like the name Nick, but I LOVE when I meet a guy that actually goes by Nicholas. It is SO COOL. Maybe a few out of the 7,653 boys named Nicholas in 2012 will actually go by Nicholas. Here’s hoping!
#50 is the name Tyler. My cousin, who is only about 11 months younger than me, is a Tyler. We were once very close, like brother and sister. People actually mistook us for siblings a few times. I still love him like a brother, and I always will.

#41 on the girls’ side was probably made popular due to the retro trend and the memory of the beautiful Audrey Hepburn. Audrey is a lovely name.
#42 is the name Savannah. When I think of this name, I think of a character from Kelley Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series. Savannah was never one of my favorites, but she is an interesting character. It’s a great series, and I’m sad to see it end.
#43 is the name Sarah.
#44 is the name Alyssa. I don’t remember what spelling my mom used, but she wanted to name me Alyssa or Alisha, something like that. My dad wasn’t having it. I’m thankful for my name. I meet a lot of Alyssas. They’re lovely, but there’s a lot. Also, my childhood best friend named her daughter Alisa, that’s pretty close.
#45 is the name Claire. All I think of is Resident Evil, but that so isn’t a bad thing.
#46 is the name Taylor. I don’t like this as a girls name. I just don’t. I know it’s considered Gender Neutral, but I don’t like it.
#47 is the name Riley. A former co-worker named her baby Riley. She’s turning 1 years old soon. She was one of 4,786 baby girls born last year.
#48 is the name Camila. I haven’t come across this name in person before. I’m shocked it’s so high on the list.
#49 is the name Arianna.
#50 is the name Ashley.

In this section my favorite boys name was probably Tyler (#50). My cousin means a lot to me and that puts his name in pretty high regard. I liked a lot of the boys names though, such as Nicholas (#49), Henry (#43), Eli (#44), and Jack (#46). I would just have to say that Tyler is my favorite of those though, for family reasons. For the girls, my favorite name was Claire (#45). Yay for Resident Evil! My least favorite boys name was Isaiah (#42), for family reasons that I am choosing not to go into. For the girls, it was Arianna(#49). When I was in middle school, there were two girls that bullied me mercilessly. We hated each other. One’s name was Adrianna and the other’s name was Bethany. They were best friends and I have no idea why they hated me so much. They were huge bullies though, and they acted like they were better than everyone else. They weren’t. The name Arianna is just one letter from Adrianna. My bad history with the name Adrianna overshadows a few names that I would’ve probably liked otherwise.

 
That was the Top 50 of the updated list! What were your favorite names? Which names did you like the least? Why did you like certain names or dislike certain names over others? Are there any names you find to be over-used? Are you excited to see any of these names on the Top 50 list? Feel free to commment, I’d love to know.

References:
http://www.ssa.gov/cgi-bin/popularnames.cgi

To begin to understand “Ample make this Bed -,” first we must look at the meaning of the poem.  The first two lines establish the scene: “Ample make this bed – / Make this Bed with Awe -” (1-2).  Here, Dickinson uses simple words that give the reader a sense that the speaker is creating a comfortable place to repose.  The reason for making such a place “with Awe” is that the speaker intends to stay in the bed until “Judgment break” (3), which is an allusion to the resurrection of the dead referenced in the Bible (1 Corinthians 15: 42-44).  The last line of the first stanza, “Excellent and fair” (4), is both a reference to the “Judgment” (3), as well as the state that the bed should exist.  In short, the first stanza is about how to make a suitable place to sleep.

The second stanza gives us more simple instructions on how to make this bed.  Lines 5 and 6 detail the mattress and the pillow.  “Be its Mattress straight / Be its Pillow round” (5-6) provide details that should be obvious to the reader, but the exactness of a “straight” mattress and a “round” pillow expresses how perfect this bed should be.  Finally, the speaker sets the environment for the bed in “Let no Sunrise yellow noise / Interrupt this Ground” (7-8).  These lines give the reader a sense of darkness that is easily understood as a private place.  The “yellow noise” (7), or sunlight, is supposed to be shutout so that it does not “Interrupt” (8) those who will rest in this bed.

Throughout the poem, Dickinson uses simple, easy-to-understand words and imagery which the reader is quite familiar with.  However, these simple figures of speech are highly suggestive.  The use of the bed as the setting for the poem is particularly suggestive, especially when coupled with the word “Ample” (1) in the first line.  While the reader is likely to think of death and coffins as a bed or resting place, the use of “ample” suggests life and sexuality, making the reader uneasy with a simple literal reading of the poem as simply “death.”  The “Awe” in line 2 also easily suggests both the “awe” of life and the “awe” of death, keeping the reader aware of both death and birth.  The use of the adjectives “straight” (5) and “round” (6) to describe a “Mattress” (5) and a “Pillow” (6) also highlight the duality of life and deaths by means of contrast, but the presence of both within the bed, again, show the symbiotic nature between the two phenomena.  Thus, Dickinson never lets the reader settle on one interpretation, instead keeping the cycle of birth and rebirth at the forefront of the poem.

The beauty of Dickinson’s interplay between life and death come in the subtlety of the meter.  The author uses trochaic trimeter for the majority of the poem, but she varies the structure in lines 3 and 7 with the use of trimeter and a 2^nd spondaic foot.  The predominant use of trochees read as if the speaker is “trailing off,” beginning a sound with a strong stress and slowly fading away, which brings to mind death, simply slipping away into the nether.  However, this also can be construed as the creating of life.  In addition to a “fading away,” there is a “thrusting” and “pulling away” motion in each foot which also mimics the physical act of sex.  The initial force of the stressed syllable followed by the softness of the unstressed syllable is suggestive of two typically opposite experiences.

Meanwhile, the two spondees in “wait till” (3) and “Sunrise” (7) make the reader pause and consider the line more carefully.  “[W]ait til” (3) makes use of the spondee to create a halting motion, to make the reader pause within the bed just a little longer, which imitates the speaker’s desire to remain in the bed until “Judgment break” (3).  “Sunrise” (7) uses the spondee in a similar manner, making the reader pause, but it also illustrates the rising sun.  In each line, the extended length and pause also intimate a sense of danger.  Dickinson’s use of imperative commands, “In it wait” (3) and “Let no” (7), alert the reader to some danger, something that may bring about the next cycle of either birth or death.  Dickinson’s use of these cautionary devices implies the finality of both birth and death.

How the author best exemplifies the relationship between birth and death is through the use of the masculine ending and the rhyme scheme.  The masculine endings, the extra stressed syllable, provide a strong ending to each line.  This is particularly notable in lines 3 and 7 where, as mentioned above, there is an imperative statement and the masculine ending carries a sense of authority.  Each line is, therefore, presented as a strong, independent statement, but each ending is “reborn” with the next line’s trochee.  By beginning and ending each line with a stressed syllable, Dickinson marries each line to the next, demonstrating how stress begets stress, or death begets life.

The single use of rhyme in “Ample make this Bed –” occurs in the last stanza.  The use of this perfect rhyme between “Round” (6) and “Ground” (8), both of which are also capitalized for further emphasis, functions like a perfect cadence, giving the reader’s ear something satisfying and final with which to end.  The absence of rhyme in the first stanza further emphasizes the finality of the second stanza.   By allowing the reader to progress unhindered by any closure or symmetry, Dickinson carries him or her through the life cycle until faced with an obvious ending, the “death” of her poem.  In kind, both the masculine ending and the perfect rhyme represent the finality and relationship between birth and death.

 (I apologize for how the copy/paste translates the stress marks)

Poem 829, “Ample make this Bed -”

Trochaic Trimeter with truncated unaccented syllables in the third foot; Lines 3 and 7 Tetrameter with 2^nd foot Spondee

1. Am(/)ple(U)│ make(/) this(U)│ Bed(/) –                              A         5          Trochaic Trimeter; truncated unaccented syllable

2. Make(/) this(U) │Bed(/) with(U)│ Awe(/) –                        B         5          Trochaic Trimeter

3. In(/) it(U) │wait(/) till(/)│ Judg(/)ment(U) │break(/)             C         7          Tetrameter; 2^nd foot spondee:

4. Ex(/)cell(U)│ent(/) and(U)│ Fair(/)                                      D         5          Trochaic Trimeter

5. Be(/) its(U)│ Mat(/)tress(U) │straight(/) –                        E          5          Trochaic Trimeter

6. Be(/) its(U) │Pil(/)low(U) │Round(/) –                                F          5          Trochaic Trimeter

7. Let(/) no(U) │Sun(/)rise’(/) │yell(/)ow(U) │noise(/)              G         7          Tetrameter; 2^nd foot spondee

8. In(/)terr(U)│upt(/) this(U)│ Ground(/)                              F          5          Trochaic Trimeter

Also, close the laptop and turn off the computer. This is an exercise in handwriting poems! Instead of using bold or italic or underline in Word to emphasize words, use your creative imagination to come up with a unique style to emphasize words.

Go forth! Write like Dickinson. And see what you come up with. You might just find something that’s uniquely your own. And don’t forget to share what you’ve created in the comments!

Enquanto a maioria das pessoas tiveram um fim de semana super agitado por conta da festa da cidade (de Teixeira de Freitas, Bahia), eu enfrentei – e continuo enfrentando – um mal corriqueiro da chegada do frio: a gripe. Tirando os sintomas típicos como febre, tosse, espirro e corisa, essas “férias fora de época” me fizeram dar mais audiência aos programas de entretenimento.

Iniciante no universo de séries dramáticas, comecei a assistir à Revenge pela web. Logo no primeiro episódio da série, notei uma semelhança com o folhetim Avenida Brasil. Uma garota que é separada de seu pai por causa de uma mulher e seu amante, volta, depois de anos, rica, com outro nome e disposta a acabar com a vida de todo mundo que destruiu o seu pai. Essa é a trama da série do canal americano ABC e da novela brasileira da Rede Globo.

Entre tantas semelhanças, está a paixão da protagonista pelo filho da sua maior inimiga e da simulação de casamento na infância. Além disso, tem o detalhe de que a amiga da jovem se passa por ela – depois que ela muda de nome.

Revenge estreou em 2011, Avenida Brasil em 2012. Uma mesma história sobre vingança, contada em contextos diferentes, capaz de fazer o papa Tarantino bocejar.

Talvez o problema nem esteja sobre uma ter copiado a outra, mas como essas duas histórias tenham se inspirado em “O Conde de Monte Cristo” – será que sou a única que já leu essa obra?!

Eu nem sei quem disse primeiro, mas na Televisão rola um mantra, “Na TV nada se perde, nada se cria. Tudo se copia”, e é isso, não é?!

OK. Most people who read poetry either love or hate Emily. It’s rarely anything in between.

Emily lived during the 1800′s. While she was raised in a much more strict environment, she never married. Emily was reclusive, and rarely left her home. That didn’t stop her from writing, though. She would often include poems in her letters to family and friends. None of her poems were published during her lifetime.

After her death, her family found around 1,800 poems hand bound in her dresser. Emily’s family published her poetry.

Dickinson didn’t write like her contemporaries. She used markings in her poetry, vertical and horizontal lines, that were removed from the published versions of the poems. In the subsequent publishings, the markings were re-inserted as en dashes.

My absolute favorite of Dickinson’s poetry is “Because I could not stop for Death:”

Because I could not stop for Death –

He kindly stopped for me –

The Carriage held but just Ourselves –

And Immortality.

We slowly drove – He knew no haste

And I had put away

My labor and my leisure too,

For His Civility –

STRIPPED AGAIN (Rock Her Curves #2)

I’m SO excited for this one to come out… to finish up Gunnar and Emily’s story.  It includes sex, betrayal, music, maybe even some romance… super hot!

I dug the movie. Didn’t like the soundtrack when I listened to it en total on YouTube, but in the film it fit. Representations of race gave me a thought bubble containing a single question mark. I felt conflicted about Nick’s character as a quasi Fitzgerald. Loved the makeup and the party party party.

Right now honestly I am completely devastated. I lied; it was too sad. I am drinking wine out of the bottle. I am lighting weird shit on fire over my oven burner in hopes of transferring that flame to the wick of my candle. I am wondering if there are parties happening at this moment that I haven’t been invited to. I am telling myself: Emily, if there are parties happening right now that you haven’t been invited to, that’s the beginning and end of it. They’re happening. You’re not there. Get over it. So I press on, beating against the current, etc etc, trying to write, but not without the nagging urge to check Facebook every 30 seconds as if happiness and true soul companionship could be found within a like.

Shifting gears. Last night I danced with a man for money.

REWIND.

Last night I went out with a guy I work with. It wasn’t supposed to happen. I planned on going out dancing alone after work because I had energy to burn and dance best unencumbered. I told this to a guy I work with, and he said he hates dancing, and then somehow we exchanged numbers. I literally put him in my phone as “Guy from work” because I had no clue. And then somehow I ended up grabbing a drink with him and then he paid for my drinks all night. When he tried to put his hands on my waist I backed away, but oh so demurely and with a smile because my best defense is playing dumb and if you get mad you lose the ability to pretend you don’t know anything is happening.

This guy is sweet, don’t get me wrong. This 23-year-old boy from a town of 150 in Iowa (I learned last night). I had fun and I drank for free, and when we suddenly realized it was 15 minutes until the last ferry he sprinted through Belltown with me, weaving through crowds, around fights and cop cars. When we arrived at the ferry terminal, sweaty and out of breath, and learned that the last ferry was actually a half hour late (of course!), he hung out. Though I’m not too kind to say that the specter of my pussy and the whiskey and weed being passed around encouraged him beyond chivalrous urges.

Yeah, it’s fun to drink for free, but there’s also something beautiful about a man who doesn’t spend a dime on you. Then you know you’re there because you want to be. I am so glad to be morally against capitalism (or at least purport myself as such). I get to do awesome things like work for free. And spend time with a person because I enjoy his company. And (in the very far future) marry for love. Mo money mo problems, am I right? There’s realness when you don’t have the luxury to pretend.