1. The best surprise ever would be, my closest friends all showing up on my doorstep. I would weep for days.

2. The day Josh and I got married is my most favorite memory. Although, picking one is just not cool cause I have had a lot of really awesome moments in my life. Our engagement and the day Reza popped out would shortly follow.

3. The hardest, but most worthwhile thing I’ve ever done was go through pregnancy. Talk about a physical upheaval. Giving up your body for the sake of another person is one of the most selfless things I have ever done.

4. The best part of my day is getting in bed after a nice shower, kid asleep.

5. Something I like that most people don’t is/are hair metal bands and funny meats like tripe and tongue.

6. Something I am willing to fight for is Reza’s happiness and my marriage. Dude, you fuck with either one of them and you will regret the day you did.

7. Something you might not know about me is I studied piano as a kid and gave it up, played on the soccer team at school after my femur fracture (talk about resiliency), have only lived in 3 cities my entire life, have an innie and own a lot more socks than underwear.

******
in case you want to play along

Originally published at beans + ink. You can comment here or there.

Hey, I'm brand new to the community, and to sewing itself. Yay.
Is there a way to make curves for the chest area without making giant darts? I have checked out a lot of patterns and all seem to include darts on the chest area. I get that they create the curve shape, the problem is that it always looks more cone-like, and I end up feeling like it look's 40's style.  I have bought dresses that don't have the darts, and are completely seemless in the chest area, with curves. I've watched a tutorial that helped make them less pointy and pucker-y. But....
I am trying to make a tight fitting top without darts or seams. Is this possible. Any suggestions?

When you come to a realization that something takes up too much of your time and doesn’t contribute much to your current frame of mind, you got to accept that it is time to take a step back. You know who of which I speak… the site that sucks all of our time and in turn is taking a little of our souls with it.

While it is an easier method to stay in touch it also makes things far too accessible. I will be the first to admit that because I live somewhere where I have little to no friends and I know so many awesome people all over the world, I like the convenience of the one stop shop but how rewarding is it really? My social life is on a screen and that is really fucking sad.

I don’t like what it is doing to me and what it has done to other people. Through this medium I have really come to learn and dislike aspects of people that I thought were… better? I have seen some really ugly actions and words… too much anger and vitriol. Not just in others, but in myself as well. Despite the fact that I try to let things brush off my back, I can’t. It’s like seeing someone get hit by a car, you carry that with you for the longest time. ( For the record, I have seen someone get hit by a car, it isn’t pretty)

I have never been one to care what others think about me but the idea that people would view the way I express myself as despicable hits a little too close to home. Every day I strive to be better, to make the next day better than the next… some days I fail, some not so much.

All I DO know is that I have a lot going on over here… things I could be doing, art I could be making/selling, writing I could be doing, photos I could be taking, time I could be spending with Reza and a house that could use a little more nurturing… both houses.

In turn I am going to scale back and focus on the aforementioned. I have a phone that rarely rings, email that collects spam and there is little to no connecting with people anymore. I cannot let a “social” website dictate the quality of interaction I have with my “friends”. So if you care to follow or know more of my goings on, my musings, my daily meanderings… I am going to be making an effort to put them here, my space… in an effort to wean myself off that social media drug that many people just roll with cause it is a necessary evil. Translation: I am lowering my fb intake and focusing on more important & fulfilling things/people.

As always, if you want to reach me you can always comment here, email me @ beansandink at gmail dot com or for those of you who have my number and home address, write and call me. Use them, please. I plan on doing the same with yours if I am lucky enough to have them.

I want to know there is more there than a thumbs up on a screen.

Originally published at beans + ink. You can comment here or there.

Lately I have been going through this wave of irrationality. Hey man, you try living in New Jersey and tell me your mind won’t wander to odd places. Lack of conversation with other adults will do that to you.

For one there are the irrational fears. I have them. Prime examples…

that the garbage disposal is going to magically turn on while I have my hand in it and turn my fingers into hamburger
planes crashing on top of the neighborhood
getting in a car accident and everyone dies except me
black widow spider infestations
being forced to eat ambrosia salad

Now, I am not discounting the fact that these things could happen, they very well can but the odds are pretty great. You have any thoughts like this? Please tell me I am not alone and going cuckoo.

Then there are the conversations I think of… someone you know is really grating at your balls and instead of calling them on their crap you have the conversation in your head cause you know that talking to them is as useless as giving a fish a bicycle for christmas. I am not sure what stops me from dropping the final axe on acquaintances that contribute nothing positive.

Today I overcame a fear, I would say it is irrational but it isn’t unfounded. I put my big girl pants on and got out on my bike. I have been dreading riding it on the street. I know… then why own one!? Right? My fear: that I am going to get mowed down by some jackass. Wouldn’t be the first time… I still think of the trauma I got put through with a leg fracture cause some asshat wasn’t paying attention. Well today I got the hair up my ass and rode the damn thing for 8 flippin’ miles. Most of it was on trails but there were portions where I was sharing the road with cars.

But this was my view today. I did the Cooper River loop and despite the muggy factor, the weather was really pretty. Scenic even despite having to dodge the massive turds that the Canada geese leave everywhere. See that faint skyline in the back? That’s Philadelphia.

By the way, I promise I won’t turn into one of those people that do nothing but talk about how much they worked out for the day and shit. No one really cares about your exercise and dietary habits that much.

And on a sad note… talking about irrationality and unfairness. One of my best friends lost his mom suddenly. Not sure how life and fate choose to hand out those cards but the process of it is upsetting. You get to thinking about your own mortality and how it could always be you, close to you or happen to someone you love. I think about optimum life, what I can do to make mine more fulfilling. Lots of food for thought. Dealing with these feelings while having massive PMS isn’t the best. One thing I do know… it makes me hold on to what I have even tighter.

Originally published at beans + ink. You can comment here or there.

http://www.postsecret.com/2012/05/sunday-secrets_19.html