Organic Attitude

Oi Boots
Originally uploaded by Eclectic Circle

Transitional times in our lives are so funny.

We don’t know what to expect and sometimes that can be so overwhelming it puts you in a standstill then you get going with something and it just naturally falls into place. It is those times I live for. The unexpected alliances that together create amazing opportunities are priceless. It is hard to see that you are a part of this alliance sometimes until you have already started down the road together and then all of a sudden you look around and it is amazing. And other times you can see with such clarity the opportunities as they present themselves that the excitement and potential is exhilarating.

I like to think of this as letting things happen organically. Not that I am completely passive or lazy but that forced relationships with those around you (family, friends, customers, coworkers or even your projects) just seem to fall flat. When relationships form naturally there is an ease that exists and while that relationship might be short term for a customer or long term for a family member it is the times that we let go of everything and make the best of what we have that make our lives and the lives of those around us so much better. Whether it is just letting a project naturally evolve or letting a connection with a cashier produce a chuckle and good engagement our lives can be enriched and in turn we can enrich others.

So that is what I have been practicing this week. Letting things come and go naturally whether it was chores or interactions with people I took them for what they were. This is not to say I haven’t made an effort to plan out things that need done or to keep organized and as always everything I do I do with purpose and good intentions. Things have been accomplished. Additional things have been created. Long term things have been finished…and it is only Thursday evening!

There is still a lot of prepping and work to be done for our trip next week but for now I am a lot less stressed and looking forward to a chance to really relax and share with those around us.

Lots of things to-do...

So I made a To-Do dry erase board!

To print off my version go HERE.

While doodling/warming up for my projects today I made a to-do list and decided to print it out and laminate it (for reusing). You could print it out on the back of scrap paper and use it without a laminating sheet but I love dry erase! Now my day is neatly planned out in pretty green marker instead of on 5 different pieces of scrap paper. Consolidation is key when organizing your thoughts without making it overwhelming.

You could make one of your own, some other categories I considered were:

• Groceries/Shopping List
• Upcoming Birthdays
• Temperature (to go with my forecast symbols)

What categories would you use? If you make one of your own I would love to see it please post in comments.

"Goldstein, I Need a Phat Beat"

Following that statement DJ AM then indulges Tony (who is drunk and in his Iron Man suit) with a mashup of “Another One Bites the Dust” with “It Takes Two”. The dedication of the film is to him and Favreau agonized whether to keep his scenes in the film. The Vancouver Sun review of the film said “Everyone asked said he should have one more chance to entertain a crowd – his biggest ever.” The film had a top 5 opening weekend of any film ever and I hope that Adam rests in peace while living on in infamy on film.

Check out this Atom Tatted Necklace in YarnPlayer's shop on Etsy.

On Saturday, Z & I went to see the film in the theater. We don’t go to the theater a lot because we are homebodies and digital technology is just as rewarding in the home (not to mention cheaper – as we are always on a budget) as it is in the theater minus some good emerging 3D technologies. We are totally digging the Iron Man of Favreau’s creation so we had to get out and see it opening weekend to show our support. I was impressed with a lot of things, the strong women aspect, the silent but scary Ivan Vanko, the underlying libertarian sentiment, and of course robots! One of my favorite actors voices Tony’s computer system Jarvis, Paul Bettany, and I love the little robot that is always *trying* to help but just can’t get it right.

The portrayal of the women in Tony’s life is great. We have the powerful and pert Pepper who basically runs the show for Tony whilst he gallivants around making a fool of himself in the midst of finding himself. But introduced in this movie was the Black Widow played by Scarlett Johannson. She had slimmed down for the kick ass role and played the double-agent/triple-threat sexy Shield liason phenomenally. He is surrounded by women who are strong and able to handle everything he throws at them, which is a lot, and who protect him from himself when necessary. It made me think of the saying “Behind every great man, there is a greater woman” in a truer sense than I had seen it portrayed in a while. These women were not weak or told to “stay here” and went to get themselves in trouble, they handle the situations with their personal strengths and at one point Favreau’s character is told to “stay here” by the Black Widow which he doesn’t and winds up almost screwing up the whole situation. It was a cute gender role reversal in what one would normally consider a male oriented film.

Loved the costumes and could totally see myself rockin some Black Widow style in these:

Need some palladium eye shadow? ConcreteMetals has you covered with their Deathly Sexy Collection:

Sexy accessories for any catsuit!

Gotta have a place to put the essentials, UtilityWear has it covered. Sturdy and fashionable...let's bring back the fanny pack with their Urban Holster!

I own this version of their hip bag and love it. Perfect for hands free maneuvering in the pocketless land of womens’ clothing.

Speaking of craftiness, what should I do with my XL Iron Man shirt? I need to narrow down my ideas and get stitching, any suggestions?

Alright, alright, back to the movie...

The middle of the film is a bit of soul searching while Tony figures out how to fix his arc reactor and I got to thinking, is there anyone out there who makes a teeny arc reactor necklace? Either one that glows or has LEDs. I totally want one!

RCTees has a shirt that would make Tony proud.

I leave you with the trailer so you can get a glimpse of the beginning of the film at the end of my review, had to save the best for last even if the film didn’t. Tony is subpoenaed to appear in a Senate hearing and makes a speech that would make a beauty queen blush. It is full of quotes that made the libertarian in me giddy but you will have to see the movie for the whole thing... Enjoy!

Charlotte Pet Expo

On Saturday Zack, Etienne & I headed out on what turned out to be quite the drive to the Expo. He exclaimed at one point “You’d think the Charlotte Pet Expo would be in Charlotte!” Etty just slept. There were too many vendors to name in my post but you can find out more information on the event here: http://charlottepetexpo.com

We registered for everything you could win & wandered around for a bit looking at the adoptable pets, interesting gadgets and talking to trainers for a bit. It was smaller than I had imagined but the turnout seemed fair & the people were *mostly* friendly. Check out all my pictures HERE.

CLT Pet Expo Roundup

Million Dollar Dog

We entered a drawing and they gave Etty a cute red gingham bandana. They took her picture probably for their Facebook page.

The Great Dane Rescue of the Carolinas

A stolen moment with a sweet girl looking for her forever home.

Bowzer Buddy

Marlies showed us her amazing invention that I hope to get my hands on soon. She uses 100% biogradable materials for her tissue dispenser style cleanup bags and they have a cute wallet dispenser to boot. It is designed to have a clip for your keys inside the wallet for anything you need to bring with you, and if clipped to your belt it only takes one hand to open plus the baggies are super easy to use (not to mention 100% biodegradable). Marlies does an engaging presentation (you can watch her video on YouTube) and I can’t wait to share with others its greatness.

Trainers

Crazy Daisy Dog Training

K9 Boot Camp

Doris had great cards with mini doggie bandanas stapled to them and was dressed to the hilt in boot camp gear. Overall her impression was great and I love the dedication to her marketing campaign.

*edit - I won the free training session with Doris. We go tonight and I can't wait! That is so rare that I win anything, I am so excited.*

Highland Canine Training

Portrait Artist

Sketching quietly in the back row of booths was artist Kristin Lozoya. She has some cute stuff and watching her progress on the portrait she was working on was neat!

See her online portfolio here: http://kristinlozoya.com

Waggin Train

Jerky for dogs! They are located out by us in Anderson, SC. The jerky is free-range, no preservatives, all natural and we got some today at Target (plus - they were on SALE)! Check out their cool truck/wagon:

New Friends for Etty

Sleepy Roxanne is looking for her furever home. If you are interested in learning more about her you can contact: http://carolinapoodlerescue.org

This cool pup was stylin in her goggles and had such a great smile!

A few more links to check out:

Flickr Photo Stream for the Expo

Neat Water Bottles for Pets

Animal Job Hunter Website

S.A.F.E.

All in all it was a good day. Came home and had vodka tonics and some yummy pork chops with greens. Hubs is a great cook and I will miss the heck outta him this week while he is gone on a business trip.

-G

Wordless Wednesday

Etienne & Birki April 2010

I heart TotusMel!

One of my favorite blogs included me in a roundup of gears this week. She is so talented. Most well known for her tatting. The maker and crafter community loves her, as do I. Thanks for the love!

The set of gears featured is one of my personal favorites. They hang just right and make a statement on your neck (cuz they are big!) . Great for any gearhead, steampunk or just a fan of all things cog!

Meet Etienne

After many years of begging and searching and pleading my dear husband has allowed me to bring a dog into our life. The past few weeks have been a chaotic whirlwind of change in both the weather, our lives and our home.

We started by visiting Animal Control and the Humane Society shelters (we are so fortunate to have an operational shelter for HS of CLT!). Xaq was hesitant but soon found the sweet ones were hard not to fall in love with.

On a side note, I applied to visit with dogs at several rescue groups in the area and either never heard back from them or was told I didn’t have a fenced in yard so I couldn’t visit that dog. It was frustrating to work with the private groups and I was saddened to see them so unresponsive or unwilling to even meet or talk to me on the phone before denying my application.

After meeting Kylie, Kana, Ruby, Coco, Mylie, Cameron and Chelsea we decided on Chelsea. Funny thing was I had left work early to go meet another Chelsea at the HS who in a span of 2 hours was adopted. Then saddened I went to Animal Control to see if there were any new candidates. There I met their Chelsea. She was sweet, timid and oh so pretty.

After spending about an hour with her Xaq showed up to also visit. We spent another hour, hour and half with her before just at closing we decided we were going to do it.

She is doing well. We couldn’t have asked for a better dog. She is good with the cats, playful but not overly so, stays off the furniture, housetrained. The only backstory we know is that she was surrendered due to the owner not having enough time for a dog. L

I couldn’t imagine ever having to give her up. We have named her Etienne (or my version “EttyAnn” for us southern folks) after Etienne de la Boetie.

Ceci n'est pas un treasury...um PIPE!

Ceci n'est pas un pipe Treasury

Found myself in a treasury today. It is ever so lovely. Check it out before it expires!

Let the Wild Rumpus Begin!

rawr max
Originally uploaded by Eclectic Circle

Meant to pick up Where the Wild Things Are from Blockbuster today. At leas

t there was super-awesome-dramatic-show (LOST) to keep me semi occupied this evening.

Modeling his Max costume is Austin, our roomate.

Etsy Seller SweetPoppyCat's "Which Way to the Wild Rumpus" Softie

Garland's Giant Umbrella

umbrellagarland
Originally uploaded by Eclectic Circle

This is my namesake. Yep, my grandfather was a goofy man. I must come by it legally. This is my first post of many that will include my ramblings, tutorials and just plain silliness. I hope you will join me under my giant umbrella of the interwebs. Thanks always for your support!

Check out my new landing site: http://avantgarland.com where you can read my blog, Twitter, Facebook, Google Reader Shared Items and visit my Etsy shop. Enjoy!