Pro-life? Pro-choice? I'm thinking about something else...

*This isn't meant to be mean or attack anybody for their choices or beliefs, I tend to accept them all. This is more about how I feel about this topic, and I'm very much understanding to those who DON'T feel the same. I hope anybody reading this keeps an open mind.


I was driving home the other day when I saw a sign that sort of irritated me, though it shouldn't have since I've seen them all over, countless times, past and present. That sign-

Vote Pro-life.

What upset me about it wasn't the fact that I'm pro-choice. It wasn't that I think pro-life is wrong, because I don't, I get the argument and when it came down to decision time I chose to have Jack. What upset me is what happens before and after pro-life.

It's all fine and dandy to say "don't kill those precious babies!" But what about after they're born? What about the conditions of schools, foster care and orphanages these days? It just seems, and I'm sorry if I offend anybody, Pollyanna-ish to simply assume that IF a woman actually does choose to have her baby that that babies life will go on to be happy and productive, simply due to the fact that it was born.

What about the fact that so many of those babies are born into poverty? What about the ones born to resentful parents? What about ones born to addicts or abusiveness?

What pisses me off is not that people want these babies to be born, be it because of their religious beliefs or feelings. What pisses me off is that if they want these babies to be born so badly, shouldn't they take a good hard look at the system and start changing THAT first?! Shouldn't we be equipping young women with knowledgeable sex education programs so they can learn what to do to avoid having to make the decision of whether to walk into an abortion clinic or not? Shouldn't adoption be slightly easier for those who want it and can provide it, REGARDLESS of sexual orientation for the women who don't want an abortion but for whatever reason cannot raise a child? What about all the judgement for the mothers who have to get on some sort of government assistance to help feed the child she was told so feverishly not to abort?

I write this in the aftermath of Teen Mom's season finale. I watched these young girls struggle so hard to provide for their children and I feel for them because I was there too. I was 19 when I got pregnant with Jack and just a week after my birthday he came into the world, child of a 20 year old. And I consider myself lucky. Lucky to have support all around me, no matter my choice. Lucky that Jack has such adoring grandparents and a father who wanted him. Lucky that Greg is here, by choice, and lucky that he has a job that can support all of us.

But not everybody is as lucky. Certainly not everybody has that luck to help them in deciding their futures or that of their unborn children.

Until the system is changed, until the world starts thinking a little bit more about the greater good instead of just "what sounds right", I'll continue to vote pro-choice. Because not everybody has the luxury of lucky situations. I'll continue to support the women's choice, no matter what it is.



** I could go on longer about this, but I'm choosing to cut it off here. I'd like your opinions. I'd like good, productive conversation and opinions. This isn't an attack forum and all abusive comments will be deleted. I wrote this to express myself and yes, maybe start a discussion or two, but I hope all of them start and end with patience and understanding.

Now- What do you think?

For those about to frock...

we salute you.




It's coming! Time to bust out the tights!

My previous Fall and Spring Fashion looks-

Fall '09

Spring '10

Summer '10

Hope to see you all again!

Weekend Warrior-ing Episode II

Well, I survived (regarding the previous post and all the driving/running around)! There were a few minutes there where I thought otherwise, but I did it. Friday morning was the calm before the storm. I was feeling confident and ready but by 2 I was losing my steam. I really don't know how Syd managed to stay so calm and collected throughout the day arranging outfits, models, music, rehearsals, hair/makeup, etc. I was getting an ulcer just from the traffic on the way up to the show! I thought I was busy, she had to do all that PLUS everything I was doing! What a woman. I don't have any pics yet, I brought my camera but it ended up sitting in the bottom of my bag due to the mad rush of everything.

But I took pictures of the rest of the weekend-


This is my favorite shirt of his.


My hair was so filled with product from the show Friday that I just let it stay in it's 30's waves all weekend. There was just no point in fighting it. I had so many people messing with my hair all weekend (even Greg got it into his head that he wanted to braid my hair, an idea he got from Jack Donaghy on 30 Rock) that I just said "no more fingers on or around my head!" I played with hats instead and found them to be a good forcefield.

We discovered World Market was having a rug sale-

And paper laterns...

Which illuminated my "introspection corner" (which is still a work in progress).

Our house is such a hodge-podge...but then, so are we. I like too many things to settle for ONE theme. Now if I could just find a gramophone...

Here's some awesome things I found on the interwebs during my Sunday night "Online Oogling/Fantasy Drafting Of Interior, Clothing and Idea Things"-

Apartment Therapy eye candy here, here and here.

A blog I laughed at until I got all watery eyed.

Something I've started collecting. I'm going to be the "crazy music box lady"...and I don't care who knows it!

I'm ready to kick our red eye-sore of a couch (it's amazing the things you love suddenly become the things you loathe as time changes your taste)to the curb for something like this.

And a song. They're playing at The Rialto Wednesday and I'm hoping I can make it, but we'll see...

Just because...

I had planned on writing a decent post today but my mind is in the midst of the crash that accompanies excess amounts of caffeine, but at its peak I was flowering with ideas so...they're coming. I've been running all over the place in preparation for a fashion show I was asked to walk in by the lovely Mrs. Syd Divine (if you're a vintage clothing enthusiast it is imperative that you stop by and check her out. She's incredibly knowledgeable and wears things in their full vintage glory!). 95% of the things I attend or am invited to are downtown so I have to commute at least 30 mins, one way, to be there. Which means I spend a lot of time in the car when I have errands to run down there. For instance today I started out the door at
7:30 to drop Greg off- 40 mins.
9:30- Drop Jack off at in-laws so I can drive across town for a hair appointment for the show- 30 mins.
10-11- Drive to salon.- 60 mins.
12:30-1:30- Drive back up to in-laws to pick Jack up.- 60 mins.
1:30-2:00- Drive back home- 30 mins.

SO! Cumulative that is 3.6 hours of just driving. And I still have to pick up Greg in 30 minutes so that will round it out to over 4 hours of driving. And when I'm not doing that I'm taking Jack to the park, doing household chores and trying to get a leg up on preparing meals.

In essence, I need a damn nap.

Tomorrow is looking like so-
Be out the door by 10:30 for rehearsal at 11.
12-2:30- Lunch with the in-laws.
2:30-3:00- More EFFING DRIVING!
3:00-4:30- Sit in hair and makeup.
4:30-6:00- Some down time but not enough to drive back home to see the family so I'll likely be people watching downtown in full 1930's (the fashion show is inspired by Tucsonan ranch women of the 20's-40's) hair and makeup.
6:30- Get ready for showtime.
7:00- Try not to vomit due to nerves.
7:45- Sweet release! Maybe I'll mingle but it's likely that I'll be driving home (another 30 mins) to finally sleep.

Maybe it sounds like I'm bitching too much but I HATE driving. Scratch that, I hate driving with Jack in tow because I get uber defensive. My guard is always up since the cargo I have is precious and if you cut me off you'll likely see the tiny shreds of viking DNA that my grandmother claims we possess after a couple glasses of wine (she once told me we were related to Leif Ericson, I have not really explored her claims). I BERSERK! And even if Jack isn't with me all that sitting makes my sciatica flare up. I'm also-
1. Afraid to drive on the highway (I've only done it once since having my license).
2. Afraid of driving next to large trucks.
3. Paranoid of other drivers.

I wish I could take a Xanax, but I don't think that would be safe.

There you have it. An entire post revolving around traffic. And vikings.




I'm sorry. But to make it up-


Just another Tucsonan waiting for the rain. And no, that sky is not touched up or altered. It's just one of the perks of living in the desert.

They're heeeeere!

Yeah, so they might as well call them High Fructose Puffs but damnit it's Fall! And Halloween is only 26 days away. I opened my window and felt a breeze. A BREEZE! IN ARIZONA! My energy level changed significantly the second we dropped from the triple digits. So to celebrate I got these-

Ever wonder what a pumpkin spice latte would be like in cookie form? There you have 'em.

Hmmm...now that I think of it, the new renewal of energy may not have anything to do with the weather so much as the sugar content going on 'round these parts.

Then again, we're taking Jack here on the 24th for some bonafide pumpkin (and maybe some produce) picking and camera space filling, so there's that to blame as well for the energy/enthusiasm.

Consensus for unexplained happiness- October rocks.

Making a house a home

I was extremely apprehensive about moving to where we now reside. It was on the "wrong" side of town (well not "wrong" in terms of crime or violence, it's actually in a pretty decent part of town where I wouldn't be surprised if many people leave their doors unlocked) for me, it was the "wrong" style, it was just "wrong". And I made it abundantly clear. I pouted on the way up to sign the lease, I didn't smile once while talking to the apartment manager or while touring the area and when we drove back home I fought with Greg over his trying to "strip me of everything I was by moving us to the most uncultured, boring part of town." I made the dramatic scene only a girl voted "Drama Queen" (not in terms of offstage personality, mind you) in her Drama class by her peers could. But we needed to move. We needed our own space (we were living with roomates at the time), we needed to save money and Greg was growing tired of the commute from downtown to the opposite end of Tucson.
It's been over a year that we've settled here. We aren't ready to look for a house again, especially after the first experience and the fact that we just don't want to settle for something we don't like just for the title of "homeowner". And I've still approached our apartment with the same apprehension I came into it with. An unwillingness to let myself care too much for it.
"It's just a place to eat and sleep and bathe in. Why should I really love it?"

But I've noticed I have started to take some bricks out of the wall I built around myself regarding our little abode. Started chipping of pieces of myself and letting them rest where they catch the light.



















I'm still reluctant to drop roots in a place where fines are administered if artistic inclinations are carried too far. But I think I'm softening the edges a bit. Embracing as much of this place as I can instead of rejecting it to the bitter end.

It's not the downtown wooden-floored bungalow that I fantasize about every other day, but for now it's where we live. Where we color, laugh, fight, make up, make food, make music and plans and memories. It's where we find shelter from the heat and rest for the weary. It may not be forever, but for right now it's home.

Fall Fixation- Outfit Three "A Well Respected (wo)Man"

Today's outfit I based on the strong feelings I have for teachers. I've been lucky enough to have a few really amazing ones. Ones that pushed me, ones that inspired me, ones that let me just be me and still embraced who I was. I haven't had many role models growing up but some of the teachers I've had have come pretty close. I've also wanted to be a teacher in different stages of life. I'd love to be a music teacher but I have no technical music knowledge so it would be more like "gather 'round children and let's sit around the record player and talk about the meanings behind Radiohead's songs. Then we'll have a snack." So I suppose it's best left up to those who have a degree or two instead of those whose i-tunes just keep growing. BUT! If I was a teacher (or a substitute) I'd probably wear this to class one day-









If this outfit were a song-