Japanese Moon Viewing Parties

I don't know exactly what to think.  I'm teaching my friend to become an art model.  No, I'm not trying to convert anyone - just help.  Someone needs some spare cash and wants to feel better in her body I'm all for it!  In fact, art modeling was the important factor for my own self-image.  You see yourself in circus mirrors when you look at different renderings.  Or as a kind, wise man once said: reflections in a pond.  Only you can gaze at the moon.  You don't need the reflections.  Take them for what they are and you will know peace.  It's a full moon tonight.  If you're still up you should take a look...it's pretty.


photo via Andrew Calder

spring habit.010

It's Earth Day now.  I'm just up late thinking.  I rode the bus today for two hours.  Did I affect change?  Does it matter?  All the plastic I recycle at home, companies throw away without thinking.  To be quite honest I throw away so much at work as well.

Why do others not care?  That's not it.  As the status quo of my work area is now, we don't have the system in place.  I hardly have time to finish all the routine tasks let alone sort the plastic from aluminum...and that's basic recycling.  Systems are beautiful.  I know it seems odd, but think of ecosystems and the intricate systems of biology.  That said, we need more systems in place for the environment to make recycling easy and convenient, not a luxury for those who have time.

Tell me there is someone out there who cares, too. Enjoy your Earth Day 2010!

spring habit.009

"Do ya have a dollar, do ya have a dollar for me?"

I've been trying to keep up with the spring habit.  As you can see I'm on day 9, not the 18th by any means, but I'm still trying...and enjoying it.  Yesterday I needed it.  I needed to do laundry and generally clean.  It made me feel better.  A lady once told me that, "You can't control everything, but you can make your bed."   I know it sounds silly, but my world is very tumultuous right now, so doing laundry, washing the dishes and generally cleaning up makes me feel better.  I give myself a dollar coin every day that I clean my house/self/environment for two hours.  Lisa Mitchell will perfectly explain this.  She is soo cute!  Take care.

spring habit..easier on the eyes.

my version of beauty is kinda vague and very encompassing.  it's not just makeup and white teeth, it's everything. okay, that explains nothing. i mean simply that the bluebonnets on the highway are pretty and i want them to stay there for Lady Bird Johnson's memory. buses are amazing since using them is the best way to reduce air pollution in our city.  don't be scared of the homeless, if you know how to stare at your feet you should do fine.  plus it's fun to run into Leslie.

that said, it's easier said than done to devote 2 hours of your day to beauty. riding the bus kinda makes it easy: one hour there, one hour back = done. the day before that i sewed and finished a pretty bag, and right now i'm still working on my last hour for today.

i'll give you something prettier to look at; however, it is intricate to the deaths of those faraway sea birds. i speak of caps. #5 plastic bottle caps. "Plastic bottle caps are one of the top 10 items found during marine debris beach clean-ups and the second most littered item after cigarette butts" (Beach Environmental Awareness Campaign Hawaii).  when looking at the photos of the Midway birds that's what i saw primarily. fortunately Aveda recycles them and because of that i'm switching my skin care regimen to their products. so today i am going to promote beauty with Aveda.  how's that for pretty?  stop by their shop at Barton Creek Mall and drop yours off.  have a good night, best wishes for a beautiful day tomorrow.

spring habit.002

I'm waiting for my nails to dry.  Beauty can be annoying in that it is so time consuming.  Ah well, multi-tasking works.

About a month ago I stumbled upon a tragic slideshow of birds.  It's a bit morbid, but needs to be seen.  Chris Jordan documents dead birds in a remote island in the North Pacific.  The birds decomposed before the plastic in their stomach did.  It's scary to see how our plastic garbage can end up in the vast stretches of our globe.



I'm definitely not perfect.  I use plastic and such, but if all of us do one thing each day to help...well...the world might be a prettier place.  Start with your toothbrush.  All throughout my life I've used regular plastic toothbrushes.  About 2 years ago I found a brush that has disposable bristles.  It's less plastic being thrown away every couple of months.  If you know how to recycle toothbrushes let me know, but for the time being: fuchs toothbrushes found at Whole Foods Market.  My boyfriend and I have been using them for awhile and enjoy them as much as you can enjoy a toothbrush.  Refills are here too on Amazon as well as the aforementioned.

spring habit.001

So today is the first day.001

I did my beauty routine slowly, enjoying it more than I would when I'm rushed.  I don't have chipped nails anymore and my dreaded bathroom is clean.  Beauty is a broad subject and for me. It encompasses the home, outside environment as well as physical appearance.  No worries, I'll talk about more interesting aspects of beauty as it encompasses so many faces.  Spoiler: recycling everything will be on the agenda.  See you tomorrow.

spring habit

I love cleaning. Some of my happiest moments were cleaning First Samples of Austin, Texas. I was a girl friday among other things, but mostly a janitor. The place was beautiful and full of hope: you can become a seamstress in this beautiful school. I miss it actually.

So this cleaning business. Humble, dirty, and devoid of respect, but I think it is important in my life. And so it shall be that I will devote two hours of each day to beauty. Whether it is my bathroom tile or my hair does not matter. I'm making April a trial run of this. Let's see if I can make it. I'm a supposed model writing you with chipped nails and dirty hair.

The inspiration for this is the Dalai Lama. I'm reading the Story of Tibet by Thomas Laird. His holiness devotes four to five hours daily to meditation. I can spare two for what I feel is important spiritually.

portrait by dorje-d