All-American Manufacturing, Not So All-American Style

Today my Aunt was very happy to see that I was wearing a previous Christmas gift she gave me a few years ago. I wore it because it is one of the few long-sleeved t-shirts I own. She loves it more than I do and in fact would’ve bought it for herself at the Metropolitan Opera House Gift Shop if they had one in her size. It has a fun screen print design, rather Art Nouveau. I enjoy Art Nouveau & Art Deco… I guess I prefer each one depending on if I’m in a more organic or a more geometric mood. It is rather comfortable and American Apparel. I find American Apparel rather interesting, I do admit that I did not know much about the brand until I moved to Miami. You can pull American Apparel in Miami. For being called American Apparel, it definitely has more of a specific urban international following than American.

I can’t imagine….. Hmm…

Well, I can imagine walking down my sweet little southern town decked in tight /short American Apparel.

In fact, I’ve almost been there, done that

When I decided to go shopping

In Spandex leggings

I mean they weren’t even liquid Spandex

I was getting all kinds of stares

Old ladies talking about me behind my back

I know they were jealous

I gathered bits & pieces

I wasn’t even in heels or anything

I just came from the gym

I was in tennis shoes

Maybe that’s the reason for the stares

People don’t go downtown without makeup

In Miami, people love leggings

And wear them all the time

Whatever shows off your butt better

Hahaha…. I remember a few talks we girls got

From a Georgia Peach from Buckhead

She tried to convince us that leggings are not pants

She wore them under skirts & dresses

Like you do tights

We were all shocked

What!

One of my classmates worked in the South Beach location

She wore American Apparel everyday

Must’ve got a discount

I think they are a bit pricey

Especially for starving artists

Unless the starving artist lives off his or her parents

In Miami, you also see American Apparel ads everywhere.

Great photography & composition

A little racy

But whatever

Grabs your attention

It’s interesting that they manufacture everything in L.A.

Good to have a company setting an example in textiles

No little kids working in sweat shops in Thailand

Loved their website too,

Very clean

Very descriptive

Very open about everything

Well, I guess I’d consider them pretty open anyway

In almost every sense of the word

Levi's from unbuttoned to fixing bony butt

I happen to be wearing Levi Strauss Jeans today

I also wore them yesterday

They are practical

They are still holding up

Even though my sister gave them to me

After she tired of years of wearing them

Or maybe her butt got even bigger

They've been practical since.. 1873 or something

Now days they are trying really hard to be sexy

They have the whole risqué "Unbuttoned" thing going on

I have a few of their ads on my Youtube playlist

I like Levi's "Dangerous Liaison"

History is sexy

Well, maybe I'm just nerdy enough to think history is sexy

Also, they never actually are able to to take off the pants

The mystery and frustration are sexy

But then there is Levi's 501 "Secrets and Lies"

I was kinda surprised that this came on T.V.

But then again it was 10:00 at night

"Secrets and Lies" I guess makes a good fantasy

Plenty of people have these types of fantasies

I suggest they don't attempt to fulfill them in real life

Being lied to and manipulated in real life isn't very sexy

Not a good example... not that you would follow it.

Mental and physical health are at risk... not a good idea.

I read that since Levi's has decided to take on sexy

That they've decided to try to make even make my flat butt sexy

Yes, I inherited my sister's jeans, because I have a bony butt

No junk is in my trunk. None.

She got the dance moves

And the butt

So Levi's has three different butt cuts

Called "Curve id"

For the flat, the curvy and the pear shaped.

Great idea... I'm tired of the saggin' flat back.

I'm sure someone else is tired of bustin' seams.

Well anyway, here is all 3 videos, Enjoy!

Hitchhiking with Art Supplies

Last night, the manager of Utrecht stopped by one of our art classes to talk about some of their products and I started thinking about my relationship with Utrecht. I am sorry to say that while I have mostly positive feelings for Utrecht, our relationship has been entirely based on location. Hahaha... memories are starting to flow over me like an ink wash, swept across the page with a medium bamboo brush!

Two years ago

I had a hard time

Finding Warehouse 10

I asked for directions

Even university employees

Didn't have a clue

It's the back side of Campus

Where you don't want to be

Especially at night

Even if you have the code

Especially when you have

To carry a 30lb pad of newsprint

Along with a giant folder

And a giant bag of supplies

Especially when

You don't have a car

I was given a list

A list

That is too long

A list

That is too expensive

A list

That is too confusing

A list

That requires a trip

I planned

Every outing

Down to every

Detail

You have to

When you take

Terrible transit

9:15 - Leave apartment

9:30 - Catch bus #24

If that bus doesn't come...

10:30- Catch bus #24

10:25- Arrive at Metrorail station

10:28 - Metrorail Leaves

If you miss the train...

10:40- Metrorail Leaves

Then walk

Walk underneath

The train tracks

Listen to rush, rumble, tumble above you

It won't last long

Mind Your Own business

Ignore the homeless

Ignore the cat-callers

Ignore the old men

Wait for bright light up sign

Look for cars

Hope the cars stop

Hope the cars stop

With right on red

Long enough to cross

One, two, three, four, five, six

It might be lunch time by now

Luckily, McDonald's is on this corner

Finally, Utrecht

Pearls was further away

Find everything I need

Nice store

Helpful staff

Student Discount

Now the hard part

Getting Back!

Sailing down

A1A

In the sun

Big drawing board

Sways in the breeze

I sway under the weight

Drop it

Pick it up

Drop it

Pick it up

Zooming Zooming Past

Truck!

Move out of the way

"Hey, girl"

Stare

"Hey, You look like you need a ride"

Stare

"Look"

"Here is my license"

"See my name"

"It's the same name on my truck"

Stare at the truck

"See it's also on my shirt"

Stare at the shirt

"This is my business"

Penetrating Stare into face

"Well, Ok"

"You can take me to the Metrorail station"

Next Year

Bus #8

One bus

Bus #8

Jerry's Artorama

Cheaper

Can't find anything

No one to help

No one knows

Oooohh! So is it like a magic wand?

I moved into a historic Victorian apartment recently, that was previously inhabited by a smoking auto mechanic. I'm all about affordable! The previous renter left a trail of oil up the stairs and into the living room. I can tell exactly where the Lazy Boy sat. Therefore the place required a thorough cleaning. Also, the place smelled like smoke until I doused it with Pine Sol. Now it smells like the woods! Since I had to watch the kids (my sisters are "the kids") I decided to occupy them by putting them to work. All was going well, until I realized that I needed my favorite cleaning product the Magic Eraser. Forget paint, my walls could be salvaged by Mr. Clean. I wish Mr. Clean was a real person. I definitely wouldn't mind having a fit, trustworthy man around to change my light bulbs, take out the trash, clean the bathroom, do the heavy lifting, ect. And it would be soooo convenient to just pick him up at Walmart whenever I needed him. So that day, before heading out to Walmart I explained to the kids that I needed to get a Magic Eraser. They looked up at me with wide eyes and said "Oh a maaagic eraser!! Is it really magic?! Is it like a maaaagic wand?!!" I responded, "Well sorta" it'll get the scuffs off the wall. So we headed out to pick up the cleaning tool that's straight out of Harry Potter and came back to remove scuffs... and I put them back to work.

Lolita Lempicka & Feeling Sexy

I use only one perfume

I traveled down quite a road to find it

I think it describes me

Not very many people use it

It's gotten much more popular though

It makes me feel sexy

I'm not even sure why

I guess it's because I found it

At the same time I found myself

As a woman

And not some kid

Around the same time I found Lolita Lempicka

I found out that I'm sexy

Before that I never thought I was ugly

But I never would've described myself as sexy

Cute maybe,

But not sexy

I smelled it in a magazine

Years before I ran into Lolita in person

I don't remember what magazine

I looked for it in other magazines

And never found it

I was living a pretty good year

Driving a little red Cavalier

Singing at the top of my lungs

All around town

I had my friends

Good friends

Recent friends

That I found by myself

They were all over the place

Just like I was all over the place

Two went to different schools

Two were in different grades

None of them knew each other

YET!

I went to high school

During the day

I took just the classes I wanted

AP European History, AP English, and AP Art Portfolio

I then took community college classes at night

My classes all tied together

I was happy to skip high school

To write my college papers

And then write my high school papers

On topics I learned in college

I worked

Almost every night

I loved working

I loved paying for myself

I felt grown

And I got a 2nd job

A dream job

House sitting in paradise

After work I drove up all these back roads

To end up on a dirt road

On the edge of the Ocala National Forest

To be greeted by bloodhounds at the gate

And the Umatilla Villa

Vacation by another's vacation!

Swimming pool

NASA designed mattress

Satellite TV

Fridge full of Yoo-hoos

Hammock in the shade

Jacuzzi tub with candles

And I was getting PAID to stay there!

Well I sat around drinking Yoo-hoos

And watching CMT

And I'd look at all the female singer-songwriters

And wish I was that pretty

And that sexy

I found Lolita Lempicka again

On the shelf in that amazing bathroom

with the Jacuzzi tub

And I decided to try some

Even though it wasn't mine

And I smelled beautiful

I stepped out of that Jacuzzi tub

Onto the cold white floor

In front of that bathroom's

enormous wall length mirror

And I saw myself as sexy

And it had nothing to do with anyone else

So I wear Lolita Lempicka

It's French

The French have a reputation

For being sexy

I love that Lolita Lempicka is not endorsed by any celebrity

I think that people care too much about celebrities

Celebrities are just people who have a job that puts them in the public eye

Celebrities have reputations that come with them

Some positive reputations easily turn negative

But 1st and foremost, celebrity endorsement doesn't celebrate the sexiness of the individual buyer.

Women need to embrace their own sexiness

And that sexiness has lots of varieties

I think that women with body issues should take figure drawing

Nothing makes you appreciate the human form like drawing nude models of all shapes and sizes

I didn't realize it at the time, but Lolita Lempicka's brand image also fits me very well.

Romantic hand drawn illustrations fill the website and packaging

It has a creative fairytale apple shaped bottle, image and designer to match.

Lolita Lempicka is named after it's designer Lolita Lempicka

I think that his woman really is a great role model for what I strive to be.

She is a creative individual who is open to many different ventures

She designs dresses inspired by the '30s and '40s lace and silk negligees and XVIIth century Baroque period.

She designed a luxury Nissan Micra

And a Samsung Mobile Phone

And luggage

As a person with many different ideas and varied interests it is inspiring to hear about someone who refuses to limit her repertoire

Not only empowering, but pretty darn sexy.

See the website

http://www.parfumslolitalempicka.com/en-EN

Lady Speed Stick Prevents Cut-Offs & Tie-Dyes

After eight years of using Dove deodorant, I have switched to Lady Speed Stick... Honestly, I never previously considered Lady Speed Stick. The package design and logo could definitely use some work, along with the name. Honestly it reminds me of female high school sports from the '70s... you know "Lady Jackets" or "Lady Eagles" stitched across now deteriorating uniforms or found on faded vintage t-shirts. "Lady" is a throwback to the days of a newly passed Title XI and the door opening for women athletes. You rarely hear "Lady" now unless it's a team trying to be cute... gosh we are all past that now... We are all bona fide Eagles, Jackets, ect. What does gender have to do with it?

But anyway,
Lady Speed Stick now has bumped it up a notch with some new technology thrown in their antiquated stick. They should seriously at least go '60s space ship vintage with this amazing new breakthrough... I think refillable stainless steel would be cool, with some curves on it.

Ta Da!! Lady Speed Stick Stainguard now prevents yellow stains and to think I've been intensely researching laundry stain removers for years with no results. You know that old wise phrase, "An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure", well that is especially true if there is no cure and your favorite white shirt is starting to embarrass. In fact I even went as far as tie-dying all my old white shirts..."well if it's multicolored who's going to notice a little yellow."

I know I've probably over shared and I hope you all don't think I'm gross.
I really am not a smelly person. I promise.
At least you know I wear deodorant and all my new white shirts will stay white in the pits.
No more tie-dye and cut-off sleeves! I suwannee! Unless it's the look I'm goin' for :)

Express & Limited Too... interesting/unlimited connections

Today

I'm going to limit myself

To Just talk about

Express

And Limited Too

Today

I washed myself

With "Berry Cool Sparklicious"

Body wash from Limited Too...

Hahaha.... How old am I?

Breaking into the soap stash

With all the Bath & Body Works

I like to be Sparklicious

Glitter is girly

And unexpected

In fact I've gotten

"What the hell are you... a f***ing Pixie!"

"Now I have glitter on me!"

"The herpes of the craft department"

That's what we called it

At my old job... RA's are crafty

Well anyway,

Limited Too

Is for cool kids

Trendy kids

But it is limited

To about 9 - 13.

Preteens who are small

Too small for adult sizes

Today

My sparkled self

Went to the dry cleaners

To pick up Edited Editors

Hemmed to Perfection

From Express

The Express is limited

To people with a good job

I used to not go in there

I didn't have a real job

Now I love the place

So many colors of pants

Cut just right

Perfect for work

I just wish that the pants

Were shorter

I don't wear stilettos

To work

I don't wear stilettos

Period

Express should offer Hemming.

I'm 5' 5" after all.

Express had Express Men next door

Looks like where I should go

To pick up men

Who have a good job

And who look good

At their good job

Men: looking good + having a good job = chick magnet

Interesting trivia & history connecting all the dots... thanks Wikipedia

1912 - Bella Cabakoff emigrated w/ family to U.S. from Russia

Gotta love that 1st generation work ethic

Age 21 - She became the youngest buyer for Lazarus Department Store Chain

I used to shop at Lazarus Department Store in Moultrie

Not sure if this Lazarus is related

1951- Bella & husband, Harry Wexner open women's clothing store, Leslie's

Named for her son, Leslie Wexner

Leslie then started The Limited, for younger women

1964 - Parent's close their store to join Leslie at The Limited

Sure he loved that!

The Limited took off and became public in 1969

It's listed as LTD on NYSE

1980 - Express opens as Limited Express

1982 -Acquires Victoria Secret

1982 - Lane Bryant

1985 - Henri Bendel

Lerner (now New York & Company)

1988 - Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F became publicly traded in 1996)

1989 - Structure opens, now Express Men

1990's - developed Limited Too, Bath & Body Works, Structure, & Victoria Secret Beauty

1998 - The White Barn Candle Company starts out of Bath & Body Work store conversions.

1999 - Limited Too, now part of Tween Brands, Inc

2007 - Limited Brands sold majority stake to Golden Gate Capital Partners

Limited Brands currently operates

Victoria's Secret

Victoria's Secret's Pink

Bath & Body Works

Henri Bendel

C.O.Bigelow

The White Barn Candle Company

La Senza

Obviously, Limited Brands, hasn't been limited.

Shh... the Secret Medicine Cabinet

The medicine cabinet
I guess some people actually keep medicine in there
I don't

I don't know what other people keep in their cabinets
Because I was taught for a young age to never, ever
look into someone's medicine cabinet
It's rude
The medicine cabinet is private
It's like digging through someone's closet
But worse, because it's located in the bathroom
The most private room in the house
In fact my dad designed our old house
Without bathroom windows
In any of our 4 bathrooms
Because the bathroom is THAT private

But, I admit...
Well... I mean what are you going to do
When you've ran out of toilet paper
Or shampoo
Or a feminine product
While visiting.

Well...
You look around the bathroom
And then pray for forgiveness

So... this is what I have.
St. Ives
Maybelline
Colgate
Mary Kay
Neutrogena
L'oreal
Lancomé
Estée Lauder
Physicans Formula
Oral B
The Body Shop
Swan
Revlon
Dove

All my most hidden secrets!
As you can see, I have absolutely no brand loyalty towards makeup products.
I try to keep things that are easy on my skin, but it looks that I haven't pursued that mission to the fullest. The only thing that keeps me frantically grooming is my acne. It will never go away... to think it is a teenage thing is ridiculous. My mother still gets acne. I started prescriptions in the 7th grade. I tried Retin-a, doxicycline, something else, something else. I don't take any right now, my last prescription made me throw up. I was afraid I'd throw up everyday for the sake of good skin. I don't want to make the Accutane commitment, it's a big commitment, my sister used it. So I use lots of foundation.

I started using Mary Kay foundation after I was confronted about my skin by my two grandmothers. One said "What's wrong with your skin! You need to see a doctor! Have you been taking your medication!" The other said, "Well, I see you have a few blemishes. I get those too, here come to my room and I'll give you some makeup to use." Well Mary Neil gave me Mary Kay and it covers well, without looking too thick, so I use it. I know Mary Kay takes pride in their customer service, but I never think about getting makeup until I'm out of it, so for me I would love it if it was sold at the nearest gas station, because I think calling a sales rep. is too much of a hassle. I'm sure though that I am not their typical customer and the fact is I only buy the foundation, so I'm sure their sales tactics have been working well with most of their clients.

Canoe Choices

Last Weekend 9/5/10 I went on a 7 mile canoe run. I never quite caught the brand of the canoe I rented or the brand of life jackets, but it doesn't matter, cause it was a rental. I didn't have a choice.

Here is what I did bring along.

Sperry Top Sider

Hellmans

Nalgene

Airlok

Nature's Own

French's

Great Value

Neutrogena

Cutter

Xhilaration

Old Navy

Mighty Fine

When I mentioned this post, jokingly my buddy suggested that I fill this blog with erotic fiction. This is what I have to say to him.

Hey, thanks for spreading Neutrogena on my back... but anyway... I know you think I'm Mighty Fine and you'd love some French's down the river, and eventually an Airlok on your Oscar Mayer, but uh...you know I find your friendship of Great Value and well....

WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING!! ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME! IF YOU WANTED TO STEER, QUIT ROWING LIKE YOU'RE DRIVING Hellmann's CANOE!

Well, anyway... I do enjoy spending time with you here in Nature's Own, but I'm gonna have to break it to you... Ick... I don't want to make you a Cutter or anything... but you know how I still miss the Old Navy guy.

WOW! THOSE RAPIDS! Talk about some Xhilaration!

So... uh... I'm thirsty, where is my Nalgene bottle?

OH MY GOSH! WATCH THAT TREE! ARE YOU TRYING TO Sperry Top Sider US OVER!

More on the Body... Bath and Body Works

8/31/10

St. Ives

F.A.N.G

O'Malley

Gateway

Born

St. Johns Bay

Yummy Express

Chevrolet

Hewitt Packard

Facebook

Google

The Bookshelf

Bath and Body Works

... and more.

So out of all my brands I'm going to stick with the ones with "Body" in the name! Just kidding!

Really I was just wondering how I am using Bath and Body Works when...

I haven't been in a store in several years

When I do it's for a gift

A gift for when I have no idea

What do I get?

I have to get something nice

Well, everyone bathes!

Or...

What do we do?

There isn't much to do around here

Our town is lame

This mall is lame

I can't afford much anyway

OOOOoooo!! :) LOOK!!

WOW!

FUN!!

SMELLY!

I am using Bath and Body Works because I have an excess

Hordes of colorful bottles

Left over from teen birthday parties

Fruity scents call me back

To innocent Mall Rat days

Giggles and Glitter

Nail polish

When a bunch of girls

With nothing better to do

Danced out

Of Bath and Body Works

Every weekend

Whether we bought something

Or not

Very smelly

Overwhelmingly so

Wearing 15 different scents

My favorite is Cucumber Melon

I also like Lavender Vanilla sheet spray

Buy some for me... when you can't think of anything else...

And you are bored.

The body who wears Gap Body

I have decided to become more conscious of the brands I use. We don’t really think much about what companies I support and why, but I wonder maybe I should. I admit, that I really do not shop new much, most things I have were gifts, second hand, or from discount retailers, but still they came to me. I’m curious, with all of these brands competing to gain my attention, why did some win out? What does that say about me?

8/30/10

Tru Flor

iPod

iCraig

Verizon

Gap Body

Maidenform

Fossil

Grass Collection

St. John’s Bay

Born

Nine West

Abercrombie and Fitch

Gateway

Vera Bradley

Wall Street Journal

Dairy Queen

Chevrolet

So many names. So little time.

The surprise is the fact that my current outfit is entirely Gap Body.

Why Gap?

I remember my first time.

I was seven.

I love shopping with Dad.

He believes in quality.

Shopping with him makes me feel special.

He cares about looks.

More than most men.

He critiques his girls’ outfits as we walk out the door.

All 4 of us.

And his wife.

He believes in: First impressions. Strong handshakes. Reputations.

He believes that women should wear makeup in public.

And that the gas station is in public.

He believes that most important thing a woman should own

Is a good bra.

He lectured me about that.

Wet or frizzy hair, ashy legs and panty lines = unacceptable.

He believes in shoe repair and alterations.

Quality trumps quantity and quality comes at a price.

That day at age seven I remember my sister and I trying on three dusty pink outfits. All of the clothes could be switched into different combinations of dusty pink. The bright white childrens’ manikins wore the same dusty pink. Daddy believes if it looks good on the manikin, it will look good on you. The quality is apparent. The cotton was softer, yet sturdier. Gap has quality. I rediscovered Gap around middle school. I couldn’t fit into regular adult sizes, and I wanted desperately to stop wearing kid’s clothes. I could fit into a Gap zero and their kids clothes didn’t look too kiddy. I still wear some Gap Kids size 16 clothes from nine years ago and they don’t look dated or worn out. That’s what I like about Gap, longevity.

Also, Gap Body, seems more my style than Victoria Secret. Victoria Secret many times seems too sexy or girly for me. I’m a laid-back kind of chick. Gap Body’s biggest competitor I think is Aerie. AE is cheaper than Gap, but still has decent quality and timeless appeal. Also, Gap can get a little too plain or middle-aged, but American Eagle is young with the right amount of details. Push comes to shove, I might have the money for AE, but not for Gap. Also, the fun music and comfy couches are less intimidating than the simplicity of Gap. The art gallery look screams, “go hit the outlet store!”