People I Want To Be For a Day


A member of the Anasazi Tribe
Southwestern climates, beautiful nightly sunsets, neat-o cliff side dwellings and all that pretty pottery? I may have been here in a former life. I am similtaneously and equally uneducated and fascinated by these people.

My Mom
My mom is sort of awesome and indeciperable. My entire life we've known each other and she still says things sometimes that feel like they come from an absolute stranger. I know she and I are alike in many ways, but we're also so different. Imagine having the opportunity to get inside the head of one of two people most like you in the entire world. What would that mean; how many things would you learn about yourself?

Elvis Presley
Like, not now, but when he was alive. Was he just zapped out on drugs, or in control of the machine? How aware of his cultural impact was he or did he just care about the next female conquest? Was he really a prudish weirdo in bed? What does it feel like to be host to such an incredible talent, to be craved by so many people?

A Contemporary Amish Housewife
Really. In the town where my grampa lives and the surrounding area, there are a lot of Amish farms. All my life, driving through the countryside we'd see the small, black, horse drawn carriages driven by people in similar clothes to one another. Boys in blue shirts and black pants; girls in blue dresses, aprons and bonnets. We would drive by their tidy farms and I'd think about the people inside, knowing how they lived without cars or electricity, grew all their own food, made their own clothes and went to church all. the. time. This deliberate life seems so liberating, every action a purpose.

A Nun or Monk
Now, this is sort of in the same vein as the Amish Housewife thing, but I imagine the impossibly simple lifestyle of someone so devoted to their faith and I find it unbelieveable and astonishing. Sequestered away from men and modernity and progress in an abbey in the mountains, silent except for my internal prayers? Being married to God? Or beekeeping, brewing mead and growing crops for distribution to the poor in my brown robe and funny bowl cut. Spending my pious life chanting and draped in saffron robes, devoted entirely to giving myself for my beliefs. Amazing! I wish I could.

Clara Bow/Edie Sedgewick/Paris Hilton/Any other "It Girl"
We haven't seen the entire story yet for Paris, but the demise of an It Girl is unendingly fascinating to me. Put yourself in those shoes. Everybody wants you, you're at the top of it all: money, lovers, fame, beautiful clothes, living an enviable life. But there's something seedy going on below, psychological undoing, drugs and debauchery, or in Hilton's case, maybe just being sort of a box of rocks. Can't say I wouldn't like to know what it's like to have whatever I wanted when I wanted it and to be surrounded by All the Beautiful People...

Who would you like to be for a day?

Posted by Darcie

Things I Find Funny (That I Probably Shouldn't)

(The Naked Redhead is the latest addition to the List Addicts family. She'll be filling our regular Thursday slot, so be sure to stop back and see if she is, in fact, au naturale!)

1. Cheerleaders falling
Seriously, search it on YouTube. It’s hours and hours of endless entertainment.

2. Nephews “sassing”
As I watch my nephews grow up, I love watching how their little minds work, especially in situations where they are giving a little lip to my sister. One memorable occasion, my nephew (who apparently had been watching soap operas?) turned to my sister, hands on his hips and said, “Don’t you tell me ‘no’! Don’t you EVER tell me ‘no’!” with the most diva-ish flair. To this day, that phrase is one of our family favorites.

3. Unintentional inappropriate comments
In the workplace, or at an important function, there’s nothing better than to hear someone crossing the line verbally, especially when it’s done unintentionally. For instance, at a formal Christmas party for my workplace, I happened to see my dentist. I walked up to him and said hello, and he didn’t recognize me at first. So, I explained that I normally came to his office during work hours and usually wasn’t so fancy. He said, “Ohhhhh, Sarah! You look so different standing up with your clothes on!” I died. Right there. Dead.

4. Glass doors
Sorry, co-workers, but I think it’s really funny when you run into a super clean glass door. I know you thought the door was open, and I’ll ask if you’re ok, but on the inside—oh yes—I’m laughing.

5. Dirty old ladies (or men)
Need I say more? Really, there is nothing funnier than hearing a Senior Citizen speak frankly about awful things. Hello, Dr. Ruth, anyone?

What do you find funny that you probably shouldn’t?

My Dream Holidays


After being back home for a few months I already have itchy feet! To make myself feel better I've been planning some dream holidays:
  • Exploring ancient ruins in Greece, Italy, Egypt and Libya
  • Trek to Everest Base Camp
  • A three month train tour through Europe
  • Studying dolphins in Kenya
  • Island hopping in Croatia and/or Greece
  • Bicycle tour of the Netherlands
  • Or maybe just buying a round the world ticket and going everywhere I can fit in...
What are your dream holidays? And have you got any suggestions? I'm always open to adding to my list!

Posted by Bridey

Indignities I Have Subjected My Pet To

If you have a pet, there's a pretty good chance that you have occasionally engaged in behavior that would make your pet blush and yell "Mommmmmm! Godddddd!" if they were capable. A few of the things that I may, or may not, do:
  1. Call him 'Bunny' when his real name is 'Rasputin'
  2. Put him in a bee costume, including a hood with antennas
  3. Rattle the food container at him and saying "Is this what you're talking about? Is this what you want? Because I don't know" while he meows his head off
  4. Hold him like a baby, on his back
  5. Put pink Soft Paws on him.

    Please tell me I'm not the only one who's giving my pet a complex!

    Posted by Sarah Von

The Scariest Musicians I Can Think Of


GG Allin
(aka. "Jesus Christ" Allin or Kevin) Fair warning: this guy is the most terrifying person you haven't heard of. Luckily, he died. Google at your own risk.

Charlie Manson
Noted murderer, Helter Skelter and all of that. Did you know he made (or makes) recordings in prison? It's said he believes he could be a famous musician upon his release... yikes! Also, AS IF!

Marilyn Manson
It's all for show, I'm sure, but this guy creeps me the eff out! Too much crazy makeup, probably too many crazy drugs. Just, ew.

Courtney Love
Some people believe she killed her late husband, Kurt Cobain. Now, who knows if that's true, but the speculation and all of that plastic surgery are enough to scare me off. Dear Courtney, please stop with the botox and nose jobs! Love, Darcie

Yoko Ono
Famous for marrying John Lennon. Infamous for naming Everything As Art and ruining my life's aspirations. The love and peace thing is cute, but her recordings sound not unlike kittens in a dryer. SCARY!

What musicians give you the heebie jeebies?
Posted by Darcie

My Favourite Card/Board Games


It's the middle of winter down here in the Southern Hemisphere, and one of my favourite ways to pass a rainy Sunday afternoon is playing cards or a board game. Here are my current favourites:
  • Spoons One of the reasons I love playing Spoons is becuase I've never lost, but the main reason is because it is awesome!
  • Cranium It's like all the best board games rolled into one.
  • 500 Even though I usually get a bit carried away with the bidding and lose terribly
  • Rummikub It's a bit quieter than most of the games I like, but is good when you're in the right mood
  • Backgammon Mostly becuase of the sound of the dice being shaken in a wooden cup. It's just not the same without it!
  • Monopoly Especially when playing with people who appreciate "creative" deals and exchanges
What are your favourite card or board games?

Posted by Bridey

Things I Do When I Think No One is Watching


One of the great things about living alone is giving yourself over to complete, Miss Havisham caliber eccentricities. Nobody cares what you do in your apartment all by your lonesome! Here are a few of the things that I like to do when I'm (pretty sure) no one is watching.

  1. Engage in complex and involved fake ballet routines, complete with alert dancing face
  2. Lecture the cat about his attitude
  3. Talk to myself. All.the.time.
  4. Pick
  5. Flirt with myself in the mirror. "Look at yoooouuuu, cutie!"
  6. Come up with witty retorts to real (or imagined) slights. Practice them out loud.
  7. Fanny around in my underwear

    What eccentricities do you engage in when you think no one is watching?

    Posted by Sarah Von

Things I Like About My Job

Photo Credit
We all complain about our jobs from time to time, however every job has it's up-sides. I probably whine about mine more than most, but there are certain features that I really appreciate, such as:
  1. The relaxed atmosphere, nobody breathing down my neck and relatively little work to do means I have lots of time to blog and read blogs! (I'm writing this at work)
  2. Practically un-monitored fast Internet access, we're not allowed to download anything, but playing flash games when the boss isn't looking is perfectly acceptable!
  3. The money, although not great, of course needs to be mentioned.
  4. Unlimited cups of tea! I'd prefer coffee, but the instant stuff they have here is vile, but being able to make a cup of tea whenever I want one is certainly a plus.
  5. The people - although some of them drive me utterly crazy, I've met quite a few great ones here too.
  6. Birthdays, charity events, etc. Any excuse to share large amounts of sweet, unhealthy food around the office, we'll take it!

What do you like about your job?

Songs I Must Have Heard A THOUSAND Times

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Heart of Gold by Neil Young. This might be my mom's favorite song, I'm not sure. And I might have known the lyrics to this song before any other.

Ice, Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice. This was my favorite song at age 11. I wore out the tape and carried the liner notes with the lyrics on it in my pocket. You know, for reference.

Open by The Cure. This is the first song on the Wish album. From age 15 to 17 I listened to at least half of this album EVERY DAY while I fell asleep. Open is the first song on side one of the tape. I wore through three of these bad boys.

Half a Person by The Smiths. C'mon! "Sixteen, Clumsy and Shy. This is the story of my life?!" Honestly, no better lyrics ever written.

Baby I Love Your Way by Big Mountain. Let us be honest with one another; I love this song because I love making out.

(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding. Yes, there are parenthasis at the beginning of that song title. For almost a year and a half, when I worked five or six days a week in a blues club down south, this song played no less than three times a day. That means, of any song ever, I just might have heard this one the most. It holds a really soft spot in my heart.

What songs have you been hearing forever?

Posted by Darcie

Spectacular - and Perhaps Unknown - Children's Books



Bonnie is a teacher-in-training. She is a big fan of Google reader, Nutella, and sending letters through snail mail. You can read more about her at This Child Left Behind.

Picture books:
1. Flotsam by David Wiesner
- a Caldecott Medal winner, this story has not text, but the gorgeous illustrations make up for it.
2. Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert - A man. Made of leaves. As is everything else that the leaf man meets. Very pretty.
3. Zzzng! Zzzng! Zzzng!: A Yoruba Tale retold by Phillis Gershator. Illustrated by Teresa Smith. - The title is a little annoying (just like a mosquito), but the stay with it until the end, it’s really cute.
4. Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey - A classic, also a Caldecott Medalist. Open Court curriculum uses this, but that doesn’t make this sepia toned picture book any less sweet.
5. My Friend Rabbit by Eric Rohmann - Hilarity ensues. Every kid would want a friend like Rabbit.

Chapter books:
1. The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony Diterlizzi
- I was skeptical of this series at first, but it is actually creepily well spun.
2. The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman - Rocked my literary world. The movie is nothing like this forceful adventure.
3. Black Hearts in Battersea by Joan Aiken - British authors are so much more intriguing than American authors for many reasons. This is one of them.
4. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones - British authors >> American authors, reason #2.
5. Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery - The third in the Annie of Green Gables series, and my personal favorite. Probably because I identify with her character development here more than I do from the other books.

What's your favorite children's book?

My Favourite Fairy Tales


I've always loved fairytales and mythology, which makes it hard to narrow the list of my favourite stories. But my commitment to list-making helped me to pick my top choices:
  • Baba Yaga When I was at primary school this story was so popular that everyone would hide the only copy of the book so they could read it at story time
  • The Little Mermaid Living under the sea sounded like a lot of fun when I was 5, now not so much
  • Rumpelstiltskin Maybe because I could identify with his temper tantrums...
  • Rapunzel I always wanted super-long hair (but wasn't sold on the idea of letting people climb it)
  • The Princess & the Pea Because it was quite likely that I was actually a princess without realising it, and one simple test could reveal it!
  • Sleeping Beauty I'm not really sure why this story appealed so much. I suspect it may have been something to do with the longest sleep-in ever.
What were your favourite fairy tales when you were growing up? What about now?

Posted by Bridey

Things That Are Annoying (Unless You're The One Doing It)

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Come now, you know exactly what I'm talking about. That stuff that you see that makes you strain your eyeballs with all the rolling, but when you yourself are in the midst of it? Best. thing. ever.

Those mass bike rides
Witnessed: You're stuck in traffic as you watch a bunch of hippies glide by on their painfully hip and meticulously maintained vintage bikes. And you're stuck in traffic specifically because of them!
Experienced: You're gliding by all those suckers in cars, for once not afraid of being run over by an SUV driver who's occupied by her cell phone/Starbucks/nail polish.

Bachelorette parties
Witnessed: The screaming! The penis whistles! The huge group of drunk girls in themed outfits! It's all a bit too much.
Experienced: The screaming! The penis whistles! Being drunk with all of your girlfriends! While wearing your old prom dress! Too awesome.

Being (by far) the tallest person in the crowd
Witnessed:
Dude, I am going to punch you in your selfish face for blocking my view of the stage.
Experienced: "Wow, I can see everything. This is awesome."

Driving around with the bass turned way up
Witnessed: Exactly what are you trying to prove by making your trunk vibrate, sir? I can't hear my tender singer-songwriters over all that thumping.
Experienced: "I love this song so hard! And the only way to truly experience it is to turn is up as loud as I can, roll my windows down and nod my head emphatically to the beat!"

Wearing a band's t-shirt to their concert, then yelling all the lyrics and jabbing your finger in the air
Witnessed:
Are you into this band? Because I wasn't really sure. Maybe if you got a tattoo of one of their album covers you could get the point across more thoroughly.
Experienced: "I have been looking forward to this for. ever. I must communicate my love for this music in every way I know how."

What things annoy you when witnessed but float your boat when you're doing them?

Posted by Sarah Von

Dudes I Totally Love


Okay, okay. It's apparent that I do have a "type." Let's call it Brooding, Sultry, Tortured Genius Guy With Good Hair. Now this isn't my standard list style, because I'm not going to explain why I love each of these guys, but I will write their names in list form and why they could be considered awesome. (top to bottom, left to right)

1) Steven Morrissey: Crooner Extraordinaire of The Smiths fame.

2) Johnny Depp: Sexiest Man Alive like 100 times.

3) Elvis Presley: King of Rock and Roll.

4) James Dean: Lived Fast, Died Young, Left a Good Looking Corpse.

5) Jim Morrisson: Wore leather pants, Self-proclaimed Lizard King.

6) Edward Cullen: Fictional Vampire, Early 21st Century Phenomenon.

7) My Husband: (not pictured) Totally Real, 100% Attainable Rock Star of My Life!
What dudes do you totally love?


Posted by Darcie

Attributes I Want to Work On


I've recently decided that I'm going to make more of an effort to cultivate the following skills and/or attributes:
  • Über-organisation I'm not a Virgo but I may as well be with my love of colour-coding, excessive planning and of course list-making. If only I could keep up this level of organisation all the time...
  • Assertiveness I hate it when people are angry with me, and have a tendency to agree to keep the peace. But I would much rather learn to speak my mind a lot more!
  • Being unapologetically individual I love it when people are so comfortable with themselves that they never feel the need to make excuses to others about what they do/what they like/how they look etc
  • Impeccable manners I like to think that I have pretty good manners, but I guess there's always room for improvement!

What personality traits do you really admire?

Posted by Bridey

Rules I Had As A Child


As the child of two teachers, there was absolutely no getting away with, ummm, anything in my house growing up. A few childhood rules from the House of Yes and Yes?

No white bread/sugary cereal/full cans of soda
Sugary cereals were to be mixed half and half with a healthier counterpart - Kix plus Trix, Honey Nut Cheerios plus normal Cheerios. I would quickly lose my mind at sleepovers where I was exposed to unaltered bowls of Lucky Charms. Good lord, I had to be pried off the ceiling. Of course, now that I'm an adult, I realize what a hugely beneficial and healthy rule this was. Good job, 'rents.

Saying "shut up" is unacceptable
And it still is, isn't it?

Only one hour of non-educational television per day
I got around this one by watching hours upon hours of PBS. "I'll show them! I'm going to watch Ghostwriter till my eyes fall out!" I would ferret away that one hour for delicious viewings of Ducktales or Scooby Doo. Tales of daring, do bad and good, indeed.

You only get the special spoon every other day
In our kitchen drawer of tastefully simple silverware there lurked one rogue spoon, all full of curlicues and baroque detailing. Obviously, being the princesses that we were, my sister and I both had eyes for this fancy piece of spoonery and much fighting ensued. Thus, the spoon rule was born and we begrudgingly shared it between us every other day. Until we got old enough to fight over computers and bathroom usage.

What rules did you have as a child?

Posted by Sarah Von

Things I Do When I'm Bored!


I think we all have slightly bizarre things we only do when we're really bored (or procrastinating). I know I do!
  1. Watching the BBC News channel for such a long time I see the same reports about 8 times.
  2. Playing Spider Solitaire whilst listening to music.
  3. Organising my footwear in height order.
  4. Experimenting with make-up far too ridiculous to ever wear outside the house, wiping it off, and starting again with different colours!
  5. Tidying my room - I must admit, it's way down my list of priorities, so I have to be pretty bored to do it unless it's a really desperately bad mess!
  6. If I'm alone, I sing at the top of my voice!
What do you do to entertain yourself when you're bored?

Products I Refuse to Live Without



Tom's of Maine Peppermint Bakingsoda Toothpaste.
I would rather not brush than use anything else. No sweeteners added, just minty freshness. mmm.

High-speed Internetz (wireless!).
Because, like, without it I would die? Am I wrong here?

Blankets.
Chalk it up to living in a place that is literally frozen the majority of the year, but I horde blankets. I even keep some in my car. You never know when you'll wanna snuggle.

This Here Laptop.
Dear Laptop, how did we survive so many years without surfing the net in bed together? I for one, cannot believe we didn't find each other sooner.

Mini-microwave Popcorn
Orville, great job on the tiny bags of popcorn! What I love most about them is the fact that there is almost ne'er an unpopped kernel at the bottom on that bag. The inner perfectionist is pleased.

The $2.50 Black Foam Flipflops from Wal-mart
Yes, yes. Wal-mart is bad. But honestly, I buy maybe three things a year there, two of them are the flipflops. One for the left foot one for the right. The other thing is like a pack of gum or something. These shoes are The Best. I wear them all summer. When they're new, I totally wear them to work. Because I am classy.

What products do you refuse to live without?

Posted by Darcie

Reasons I Should Have Stayed in Bed Today

Hillary, 30, lives in Boston. She works in a library by day and is a maker of things by night. She is married and has a cat named Daisyboo.
1. Coworker was nasty to me via email and I was the rude one for calling him on it.
2. Friend bailed on summer plans I knew would never happen but had gotten my hope up for.
3. I discovered today I am no longer able to eat peanut butter without wanting to vomit.
4. My cute "comfortable" red shoes are KILLING my pinky toe.
5. My fingernail chipped a mere 12 hours after I painted them (last night)
6. I accidentally dumped my lunch down the drain when I was pouring the water out.
7. I spilled iced tea down the front of my kid leather jacket.
8. I didn't get all the applesauce that exploded in my $300 purse out yesterday and now the inside is all sticky and so is everything in it.

Should you have stayed in bed today?

Thing's You Might Find in my Handbag

Guest post by Jezzabellegiggles.


Have you ever wondered why it take us 10 minutes just to find the car keys or 20 minutes to find the receipt at the return counter? Well it's because we have all this "stuff" in our handbag! There are no bricks in my bag, only stuff, important stuff like:
  1. ipod: can't leave home with out it
  2. Pink Umbrella: for all those rainy days
  3. Organiser: cant live without my filofax, I wouldn't know what to do next!
  4. Bottle of water: a busy woman needs to hydrate to keep that glowing look on her face
  5. Purse: umm.. I think this one is a must!
  6. LIPPY: you dont want to walk around with dry lips do you?
  7. Cell phone: to keep in touch with the girlfreinds
  8. A BOOK: to keep my mind busy on the way to Collage
  9. Keys: it usually takes me 10 minutes to find them before I leave home, and another 10 minutes to find them before I get home ;)
  10. Dried fruits: I always carry a small tub of dried fruit with me everywhere to avoid junk food when I'm a lil bit hungry!!
  11. PENS: all sorts of pens, in all sorts of colour! You never know when you might need them!
  12. Panadols: there is always a strip of panadol in my bag. ALWAYS!
  13. Tampons: in the case of an emergency, c'mon, we've all been there...
  14. Sunnies: just in case the sun decides to come out that day...
    AND
  15. Orange Tic Tac's: I love them.. low in calories, high in taste!

Yup, I've got all this in my bag right now! What's in yours? You might surprise yourself!

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