“There will be always something old in the New Year!”
― Mehmet Murat ildan
Was it a holiday but two days ago? Did I really take the majority of last week off? Judging by my work To Do List…yes. It’s back to the grindstone, kittens. Jeff has homestudy and I have a scary amount of projects. After which we need to do some food shopping because our leftovers have officially run out, clean the house for the first time since Christmas, etc. It’s time to be civilized again, alas! Here are your weekly links, first of the New Year, and tell me what you’re getting up to this weekend.
Elizabeth Taylor (an actress whom I really like, every time her name is said I get a craving for the Taylor/Burton Taming of the Shrew), and a letter she once wrote to her cat.
It’s pretty well documented that pregnancy, childbirth, etc. terrifies the heck out of me and I’d be happy to avoid it all by adopting a herd of orphans, but even I found Mary Helen Bowers’ pregnancy/ballet balance pretty awesome. I remember being flexible once…
Although, once she has that thing, good luck to her because it’s a minefield!
I have no trouble admitted that I am but a freelancing child and have largely only seen the good side of the industry. So much darkness to look forward to.
I know I would not be able to do what this guy did after losing his vision.
I’m not sure Rodgers is a profession. Does Woodland imply we’re going to live remotely in the forest, because I can tell you that we are NOT.
I have to admit I love the xoVain beauty site, but I think this “Smaug” inspired beauty post is a particularly nerdy favorite. I mean, Smaug is clearly the greatest character in The Hobbit – to quote Lois Long, “I will fight anyone who says differently,” – but the combination of fun makeup artistry with the story of the author’s exceptionally cool dad is a winner. My parents read The Hobbit to me as well, a vitally important childhood memory.
A great glimpse of 1970s kitchens, for the design minded amongst you.
Interesting parenting experiment, opening this one up to the minion commentary because I’m curious as to the thoughts of the parents in the readership. We always had plenty of toys growing up, but our habit of moving frequently meant that we routinely donated and reorganized the surplus and never really accumulated too much. At one point, my parents even significantly downsized Christmas (which I happened to like and plan on replicating with any hypothetical children) and while we are attached to our treasures, we’re not very attached to “stuff.” It’s what allowed me to go to university, and eventually move to London, with just two suitcases to my name each time.
Tumblr find of the week, theses boiled down to one sentence.
Small Dog Syndrome 
Those 70s kitchens are groovy! The deep blue one is still gorgeous and I love the orange one that’s moulded like a spaceship.
As for baby names, it’s SO annoying when you’re the only person (you would know!) with “your” name and suddenly every damn baby has it…Caitlin got really popular a few years ago. Sigh. Fascinating to see the top seven girls’ names are so formal and even Victorian — Emma, Olivia, Abigail…
As for client hell, I recently heard many of the same complaints from a friend who runs her own graphic design firm. I think writers and content providers have it slightly easier; we usually have quite clear contracts.
I’m irrationally annoyed that Cadence became a bit popular a couple of years ago, to be honest! And I’m also annoyed that most of the names Jeff and I can agree on for hypothetical children are popular right now. We might get stuck with the most common names we can think of and be done with it, because pleasing anybody is impossible!
Between a very lazy Christmas week at my mom’s house and being sick for basically the past week, I’m all caught up on rest, so I plan to actually be productive this weekend.
I love what that mom has done about downsizing her children’s toys. Right now it’s all still theory for me, but I really, really don’t want to have a home overrun by cheap, ugly, plastic toys everywhere. I’m constantly decluttering, but my urge to simplify always seems to be counteracted by my frugality and not wanting to have to buy something again. Could I get rid of those packages of nails?, Sure, but since I tend to move every year or two I know I’ll need them again soon, and even thought it would only cost a couple of dollars to buy a new package, little expenses are what make moving so expensive.
Oh man, frugality and clutter avoidance war within me as well! I shouldn’t save that bit of ribbon…but what if it comes in useful?!
I have to be super productive this weekend as well, after much lazing about. Fistbump of solidarity.
Things:
1. Agree with broadside that those kitchens were rad.
2. CK and I laughed for a solid five minutes at the theses page. Well named?
3. Good for that lady; throwing away stuff is a delightful past-time.
4. If the baby name dude only knew how silly the names get up in Utah. Look at mine, for hell’s sake. That being said, I think I’ll take my Category 3 classification and go wait to be pissed off at the upsurge in Ashers when The Giver movie comes out this year…
5. Did you watch Sherlock you enviable wench?!
Two episodes so far. I don’t feel sorry in the slightest!