I was cooler when I was 3 than I am now.

growing up sucks.

and I don't want to do it anymore. (excuse the sad angst about to occur in this post)

my uncle and aunt came in town... no special reason, just a routine visit. but my parents started talking about that period when we lived in an apartment in downtown St. Louis. I was alive, maybe 2 years old, but still in the infant state of oblivion. when I search through the deepest memories I can find, all I can remember is the black kitchen floor. It probably wasn't even black.

But this was during that time that people say you existed but before the existence of your present human memory. I remember the kitchen floor of this apartment, unlike the condo we lived in before. for about 5 months we lived downtown, in a loft-style apartment before there was such thing as a loft-style. we were just too broke for walls. this building was attached to the building my father worked in (making toys). naturally, sister and I rode our squeaky tricycles around the office, pressed our noses on the window at dad from across the alley, sold lemonade to helpless toy makers, and played with prototypes... so I'm told.

anyway, my mom and dad were going on about this apartment: about how she managed to cook without a stove oven or toaster, about how we ate out a lot, about how he made us sell our own girl scout cookies in the office, about how they managed to keep two small children quiet in a building of hungover neighbors, about how we walked to the baseball stadium whenever, walked to the city library for story time multiple times a week, and walked to the store while the guys from work snuck over to grease the tricycle wheels.

Basically, my coolness has been quickly digressing since I was about 3.

It scares me when I think of our parents as normal people. People with a past probably more colorful than mine. It scares me because I don't want someone looking at me like that someday. I don't want someone who cannot understand that my life was an entire entity before her existence. that she is but a small pet that sits in my life, as the point that holds me down. I don't want to grow up.

but I like this photograph.

I can like girly too. If it's elf-girly.

 MIGNONNE

I've been adding quite a few etsy shops to my favorites lately. I'm thinking maybe I'll make it a monthly ritual to feature a favorite shop on the blog. We'll have to see how that goes.

But for now, I would like to share the shop Mignonne handmade. Jennifer Wood, owner and designer, creates lovely head pieces with perfectly sweet embellishments. Not only are the designs soft and peaceful, but so is the photography. Really, I just want to be a woodland fairy elf.

    

see the rest of her romantic creations here: mignonnehandmade.etsy.com

and she was featured by etsy! (those bastards always beat me to it) read the interview here.

lovely work Jennifer!

emily

in the city

while sister Maggie was in town, our parents went on a 'family outing' kick. no problems though, everything was an interest to everyone and it was actually mostly enjoyable. these trips included the st. louis art museum, very good restaurants (including the shaved duck and iron barley), and the newly renovated st. louis city library.

when we were but wee children, we lived in an apartment downtown for awhile, right across from my dad's work (which was a toy company). we spent the majority of our time riding tricycles around dad's office or in the library for story time. It's been fixed up for awhile now, but it was the first time I had been there since I was a kid. I was glad they kept it old school library and didn't get too modern.

(not actually the library, but across the street)

 we then went to the sculpture park in city garden. I enjoyed most of the sculptures, including this very large pink suit.

well, that's all. merry christmas, happy new year, and all that shit. at least I get to sleep in still.

the list

I am a private high school girl. at my school, we make lists. personally, I spend more energy making to do lists than actually doing what's on them (or I add things to the list I know will get finished - like come home, eat, go to sleep).
BUT this is not a to do list! it's more of a wish list of things I see myself doing. nope. it's just the promised bucket list. (hey- I didn't have one and I don't know what you people would like me to write about) so here she is (including things I've already accomplished):

own a cat
live in another country for some period of time
visit: Ireland, Germany, Russia, Norway, Paris, England, etc
actually punch someone
take a trans-American road trip in a van
take a nap
bleach my hair blonde for awhile
speak another language fluently (maybe German, Gaelic, French, or Russian. or all of them)
grow a beard. since this is physically improbable, I'll settle for a male with satisfactory facial hairs

Oh yes, I didn't tell you that I bleached my hair...

fare the well

gratitude is falling from the sky

so this Thanksgiving I made a bourbon pumpkin cheesecake (recipe from our favorite food website, smitten kitchen). sister Maggie made it last year for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but a certain sister decided not to come home for Thanksgiving this year... aherm. so I had to make it.

again, it was a hit and grandma approved. I forgot about it until late Wednesday, so I had to wake up at 2 to move the cake to the fridge. but all is well and there was just enough left over for lunch today. it may be making another appearance very soon.

today is Black Friday, which I hate. I need to go to Target, but cannot due to the insane crowds of people who have cleared the entire store. ba.

and yet, I will shamelessly participate in the sale ruckus. I thought (rather late in the game) it may be a good idea to offer a 20% off sale at The Second Fiddle. you're welcome darlings. simply enter TAKE20 at checkout (clever coupon code, no?).

I have also discovered that I really need to check my email more often. there are countless occasions of me arriving when the plans were canceled, wearing the wrong thing, or missing out on a wonderful opportunity. the moral to today's post: check your email, children.

and now I bid you adieu. with photos of my kitten.