New Shoes, New Addiction

This weekend was a good weekend. And I stress good. It was full of great company, warm sunshine, and a wonderful purchase...I got new shoes.

This past Saturday I got my first pair of Christian Louboutin's; red sole and all, they are simply beautiful. Bloody expensive, yet boldly beautiful.

Not only do they make me 4-something inches taller but they frame my foot perfectly. I'm in love. I think Christian, the designer, does this on purpose. I bet he knows that all is takes is one pair, and you're hooked. In Toronto, Christian Louboutin's are available at David's and at Holt Renfrew. Shop with caution or else you may just become addicted and or broke. I may be on the verge of both.

Room Magazine - Writer's Wanted

If you are an aspiring writer or poet, perhaps check out the Room Magazine Annual 2009 Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Non-fiction Contest. Although this particular contest is fast approaching, Room Magazine has many publishing opportunities that are worth checking out.

I'm submitting my short story Driftwood, which I've probably edited and re-edited a trillion times over.

Here are the details..

Contest Details:
Deadline: Entries must be postmarked no later than June 15, 2009.
Entry Fee: $27 per entry (includes a complimentary one-year subscription to Room). Payment by cheque or money order made out to Room.
Non-Canadian entries: $39 Canadian dollars

Prizes: 1st prize in each category – $500, 2nd prize – $250. Winners will be published in a 2010 issue of Room. Other manuscripts may be published.
Judges:
Creative Non-Fiction: Deborah Campbell
Fiction: Mary Borsky
Poetry: Sachiko Murakami

Rules & Details:
Send entries to:
Room Contest 2009
P.O. Box 46160, Station D
Vancouver, BC V6J 5G5
Canada

More than one entry will be accepted as long as fee is paid for each entry. No manuscripts will be returned. Only winners will be notified.

Poetry: max. 3 poems or 150 lines | Fiction: max. 4,000 words

There will be blind judging, therefore, do not put your name or address on entry submission, but enclose a cover sheet with your name, address, phone number and title(s) of entry. Entries must be typed on 8.5 X 11 white paper. Prose must be double-spaced. Each entry must be original, unpublished, not submitted or accepted elsewhere for publication and not entered simultaneously in any other contest or competition.

Good luck with both your writing and submissions! Let me know how it goes,

J

Twitter Troubleshooting

On a seemingly typical afternoon, I heard the ice cream truck go by. The familiar jingle made me smile, crave ice cream, and then remember, it is bikini season, there is no time for such indulgence. This humorous thought, naturally, made me want to Tweet. I tend to Tweet 6-sometimes 12 or more times a day. Yes, I am addicted. What else is new.

Anyway, as I logged onto my Twitter account - jessgemini - I was sideswiped with something bewildering and downright unfair. I was suspended from Twitter.

huh?

You look confused. Well, so am I. How could such a thing possibly happen?! Suspended?! Me, jessgemini? My seemingly typical afternoon of happily Twittering was ruined crushed with a nasty and unexpected "suspension". I've never been suspended before. Until now.

After a few panicky-OMG-what will I do-attacks and oh-woe-is-me complaints, I decided to solve my dooms day of a problem. I began to investigate Twitter forums to see if others had experienced the out-of-the-blue suspension. Turns out, I was not the only one. A number of other Twitter addicts were suspended, randomly, for an unknown reason. Some believe it to be hackers, spammers, or a techy flaw in the Twitter system. Sigh. All I know is that I want my Twitter back. Now!

I then proceeded to send a "help request" to the Twitter Support team. I marked it as urgent. Thankfully, the Twitter team has finally gotten to my request and it's currently being "investigated". Here is an outline of my request:

And now, I wait (I've never been much of a waiter. Patience is not my forte).

In the mean time, I long to Tweet, I crave to Tweet, I dream of Tweeting..while my boyfriend happily Tweets off his precious iphone. It's no fair!

Frustrating.

Summer Salsa

I love salsa. Because there are so many different versions it's fun to play around with different flavors and ingredients. Salsa is a perfect match for chips, chicken, veggies, fish, and more. It can be really spicy, with oodles of jalapeno peppers, or delightfully sweet, with mango and mint. I particularly like making salsas in the summer for nothing beats relaxing outdoors with a big bowl of dip and chips.

Here is a rather unique yet delicious salsa recipe, that is both refreshing and satisfying in the summer heat. Inspired by watermelon, this salsa is both healthy while leaving your tummy extremely satisfied.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup diced seedless watermelon
• 1 cup cored diced tomatoes
• 2 table spoons thinly diced shallots
• 1 table spoon of hot sauce
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 table spoon of honey
• salt to taste
• 2 table spoons chopped basil leaves
• 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese

Combine watermelon, tomatoes, and shallots in a bowl. Crush the tomatoes a bit with your hands to provide a little extra lovin. Add hot sauce, lemon juice, and honey. Season with salt, and garnish with basil and feta. Serve with blue corn tortilla chips.
HINT: This salsa is excellent over grilled chicken.

Be bold, and experiment with watermelon this summer :)

Enjoy,
Jess

Eco Beauty Buzz - Green Envy

It doesn't take an expert to see that “green” is becoming the new beautiful. Environmentally friendly beauty products have flooded both into the market place and our beauty cabinets. Ranging from makeup, skincare, and tampons – yes, tampons – hundreds of beauty lines are repacking and retargeting their products to be more eco-friendly.

As a result, many brand name products are promoting a better environment as well as delivering beautiful, comfortable, and beneficial results that we all love and expect for our hygiene regime. Whether it be plant-based or organic ingredients, biodegradable or recyclable packaging, or any pro-green involvement - companies are becoming more and more eco-conscious. Both Sephora and Mother Nature herself are smiling. Some of my personal eco-friendly favorites include O.B Tampons, Smashbox Blush, and Burt’s Bee’s Lip balm.

Unlike Tampax Pearl and other leading brands, O.B truly cares for our environment. These little suckers are simply fantastic; small, portable, and discrete, just the way a tampon should be. Dancing in a mini dress is no longer risky and or problematic (but, seriously). And aside from that too-much-info tidbit, O.B tampons are extremely environmentally friendly with a zero applicator design and minimal cardboard packaging. One box per month could make all the difference.

Every woman likes a natural rosy glow, that’s why I love the “Green Room” line by Smashbox. Just for the record, "greening" your makeup bag doesn't mean giving up all the glam at glitz; thankfully, Smashbox eco-friendly blush comes in an array of natural yet sparkling shades. With organic ingredients and biodegradable packaging, Smashbox blush is perfect for a fresh sun kissed glow.

Baby soft lips are always a beauty essential and Burt’s Bee’s does just the trick to maintain healthy lips while favoring the environment. At affordable prices, Burt’s Bee’s uses natural ingredients for the greater good by celebrating Earth day and many other worthy causes.

Now, you can recycle and look good in order to better our environment. The daily swipe of blush, coat of lip balm, and even the use of friendly tampons keep us ladies looking fabulous while supporting both a positive and much needed environmental change. It's about time.

MacBook Accessories - Cases

Yesterday I received my new hard shell cover case for my MacBook Pro. Previously I was using a soft canvas case cover, which was great, expect it didn't protect my precious Macbook at all times. Once out of the case, my laptop was exposed to finger smudges, nicks, and marks. Thankfully, the smudges are easy-breezy to remove but after I got my first "ding" of a mark, I went straight online to Speck. I had read online that Speck produced great, affordable, and colourful cases for Mac computers...and so it was true.

The array of colours ranged from bright lime green to a simple clear; there were so many choices! I had a tricky time deciding between pink and red. Conveniently, Speck was having an online sale which worked in my favor since, being in Canada, I had to pay for shipping and handling. In total my purchase came to $42 and something cents.

After much deliberation, I went with the red. I think I am on a red accessory frenzy, my blackberry case is red too ;) Within 3 business days, my case had arrived!

I am happy I went with the hard cover case, and here's why:
(this applies for all MacBook hard cover cases, by Speck)

• Great hard shell protection
• Vented for safe heat disbursement
• Totally removable, easy to put on and take off
• Custom-fit for the new 15" MacBook Pro (aluminum unibody/black keyboard)
• Built-in rubberized feet keep your notebook secure
• Design lets you open/close your MacBook all the way
• Includes cleaning cloth
• Access to all ports, battery check button, CD/DVD drive

Not to mention the apple logo seems to glow vibrantly under my new red case. Awesome. I love it!

Check out Speck before the Sale ends! And let me know which color you choose ;)

Productivity

In light of my "career path", my father always tells me "Jess, it's ultimately up to you kiddo"; and although I am a University graduate and am currently in fact working, I can't help but expect his annual lecture on productivity. Alas, I know it by heart, appreciate his motivation, and still smile when he calls me "pumpkin" or "kiddo".

It's ironic because a few years ago I dreaded his "okay buddy, time to send out those resumes" speech. It irritated me; poked and irked me in such a way that I dismayed the "career path" process all together. However, now, his words are light, energetic, and calmly familiar. I think maybe because he knows that I am OK with or without his motivational speech of productiveness. I have grown and gained so much from my University degree; completed various paid and unpaid internships; and have accomplished and surpassed my goals. I've even set new goals for myself that appear in arms length. Yet I can't help but wonder, what was at the very heart of my Fathers speech? Moreover, what does it really mean to be productive?

Productivity. Productive. Production.
having the power of producing; generative; creative: a productive effort

A while back, a fitness trainer of mine told me that the mind, body, and soul work together as one. Well, ya, most of us have heard this before. But she also told me that when one is imbalance, the others have to work extra hard to compensate; as a result, you are left feeling tired, agitated, and unsatisfied. I have a strong suspicion that she may be 100% right. If I don't challenge my mind or actively work my body, my soul stirs and moods tends to fluctuate. I, like many people, need to have a steady and happy balance of all three: mind, body, and soul. You too may find that you feel your absolute best when your productivity is evenly dispersed amongst all three. For instance, if I just go to the gym, I still tend to feel sluggish and even unsatisfied as the day goes on. I need to satisfy my mind with intellectual conversation, work, or writing...thus, productivity comes into play.

To quote my Dad "It's ultimately up to you". His words couldn't be more true. Earlier today I was feeling bored, dull; without an errand to run or goal to fulfill. Thankfully, I quickly snapped out of it and put myself to good use with some much-needed-household cleaning. Surprisingly, a task and goal as simple as this helped me to bounce back, because I was doing something productive.

I think applying yourself is the key to productivity; giving yourself that push in order to re-balance yourself. Whether it be finding a new job, earning a raise, getting into University, or simply snapping out of a dull mood, productivity is key. Production lies at the heart of creation; you have to build each step to get to the top and to achieve your goal.

In light of anything, I'd say, it's ultimately up to you kiddo ;)

J

A Moment of Poetry

As I lie, fire ants bite my ankles.
Inferior to the heartburn,
whose duty it is to beat up my entire body.
I inhale and feel my large intestines strangle my heart
and push against my rib cage.
So I continue to lie, reflect, wait, and think of

broken glass, cheesy Polaroids,
cinnamon hearts, leather interior,
Eskimo kisses, blue Gatorade stains,

of myself.
You.

I inhale, penetrating your bruises deeper,
and remember what my mother had said to me,
sweetheart, you will meet a nice boy and fall in love.
She was right. I fell, madly, and experienced

bloody murder, intangible truths,
generous experiments, yellow roses,
Hallmark apologies, tear streaks,

And love.
Hate.

And in the instant of my profusion, my stomach growled.
Reluctant, I decide to move on, brush away the grass stains,
and attempt to make homemade spaghetti for dinner.

- JM

PS I'm submitting several pieces of poetry and CNF to Room magazine next month. Cross your fingers for me :)