Month: July 2012

A Clarification…

On By angeliquejamailIn challenge, chindogu, contest, creativity, humor, imagination, invention, unuselessLeave a comment

So this past weekend I launched a new little contest, The Chindogu Challenge.  And as I usually do with my blog posts, I referenced it on my Facebook page, since a lot of people read my blog through links there rather than subscribe.  (The majority of you, in fact.)  And while the Facebook post generated a lot of discussion, which is great, no one has transferred their ideas to the blog yet, for the official contest.

I’m just saying, it would be lovely if you’d post your comments on the original blog post, please.  🙂  The link to it is in the paragraph above.  It’s also the post just before this one.  I’m just saying.

Thanks!

P.S. — If you already have a copy of the book being offered as a prize, I’ll send you a different one you don’t have yet.

Chindogu Challenge!!

On By angeliquejamailIn challenge, chindogu, contest, creativity, fun, invention, party, Paula Billups, quirky, unuseless11 Comments

Many years ago, my rather creative social group had not yet started having children, and we were laden with free time and energy.  We threw costume parties for almost any occasion — and made our own high-quality costumes to wear to them.  We got together to make crafts.  We temporarily turned our houses into galleries and had art Continue reading “Chindogu Challenge!!” →

Open Apology in Advance to My Pregnant or Expectant Friends When I Give Them Advice About Anything

On By angeliquejamailIn acceptance, advice, children, habit, Human Condition, humor, imperfection, maternity leave, parenthood, pregnancy, respect, thoughtlessness, vulnerability6 Comments

Having grown up in a large family with dozens of younger cousins and siblings around all the time lulled me, as I plowed blindly into adulthood, into thinking that I was something of an authority on the juvenile human.  From countless hours minding my younger relatives to the slew of babysitting jobs I had in high school and college, I garnered a feeling of intelligence about children which caused my breeding friends to Continue reading “Open Apology in Advance to My Pregnant or Expectant Friends When I Give Them Advice About Anything” →

Three of the Best Books I’ve Ever Read Which Made Me Miserable While I Was Reading Them

On By angeliquejamailIn anxiety, books, Dalton Trumbo, death, grief, high school, Johnny Got His Gun, Lev Grossman, teaching, The Lovely Bones, The Magicians, war protest literature4 Comments

It seems like everyone comes out with a list of must-read books each summer.  And since I’m clearly too late to jump on that bandwagon, I thought I’d do it up a little differently and give you some suggestions of books which are very, very good but which made me rather unhappy while I was reading them.  These are books which were well written or technically astute enough to break through my misery, distaste, or other negative reaction to convince me they were still awfully good books.

And a warning: this post isn’t just a series of book reviews.  I’ve often said that one Continue reading “Three of the Best Books I’ve Ever Read Which Made Me Miserable While I Was Reading Them” →

The Sky Mall Catalog (Or, My Weird Flying Ritual Has Been Overtaken By Utterly Useless Rubbish)

On By angeliquejamailIn air travel, catalog, false eyelashes, garden statues, hair rejuvenation, holiday, humor, routine, Sky Mall, summer travel, vacation10 Comments

I despise air travel.

I appreciate the relative convenience and speed, but honestly, flying freaks me out. Someone who has lived most of her life inside her imagination should not be allowed to consider what-if scenarios, but I do, and so every minor, imagined anomaly is a catastrophe waiting to happen. It’s wearing on my nerves. Add to that the descending slope of quality in the general air travel experience, and it takes something I want really, really badly to get me on an airplane.

I traveled recently to the west coast for a little vacation with my sister to see some friends and to go to this amazing costume ball in Los Angeles.  Super fun, I love LA, I love my sister, it takes too long to drive, yadda yadda I got on an airplane.

Continue reading “The Sky Mall Catalog (Or, My Weird Flying Ritual Has Been Overtaken By Utterly Useless Rubbish)” →