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My New American Dream

I entered an essay-writing contest put on by Rent.com recently called the New American Dream Contest. It was a 250-word-or-less contest describing what the new American dream is, which is far-removed from the Gatsby-esque picket fences and 2-1/2 kids of yore. The first bout of judging was a “popularity contest” type of judging where you have to send all your friends and family to the site to vote for you (blech!). The second round was judged by a panel of third-party professionals. I was notified that I made it to the top 25 and then heard nothing more.

This might sound crazy, but I was already dreaming of the winning vacation and researching the motel. However, I think my entry got lost. Long story short, my essay does NOT show up in the top 25 (which I’m totally miffed about) and I’ve been trying to contact both Rent.com and their third-party consultants to figure out what went awry. I’m a bit disheartened, but I’ll live:) *wink*

Anyhow, I just thought I would share my entry:

My American Dream is to be able to go to bed at night without worrying about foundations failing in rainy weather or roofs leaking into moldy messes. To be surrounded by the people and things that make my heart sing. To have the resources to be able to do something that profoundly improves the life of someone else. To be able to give of my time, heart, and wealth generously. To feel relatively safe from intrusion while I’m sleeping at night. To be able to occasionally gather with a kindhearted group of friends and warm their bellies. To have a second child without fears of bankruptcy or crippling lifelong debt. To have a happy family without sacrificing time on multiple side jobs or donating body parts to survive. To enjoy cleanliness and safety throughout our home. To enjoy a cup of tea without worrying about the effects of the cost per tea bag on my family’s overall well being. To constantly be intellectually stimulated through travel and educational opportunities. To have a small stash of cash in the bank for that feeling of security. To be able to hear the words “middle class” and not hear the derogatory underlying suggestions of struggle and lack. And most of all, to one day stand in front of my family, the group of people that I had a hand in creating, and be able to relish in all their accomplishments and valuable contributions to the world.

We’re Painting the Roses Red

With inspiration from articles like this from Apartment Therapy, my husband and I decided to paint the ugly wood paneling in our upstairs hallway. Failing to take “before” pictures, I have an “after” shot and a shot of the paneling by the stairs that we have yet to finish (we’re still trying to figure out how to paint that high up).

This gives you an idea of what the wood paneling looked like before:

P8290609

And the finished hallway after:

P8290610

Yeah, that’s how dramatic it was! Our wood paneling was as ugly as is imaginable. It was old, cheap, thin and smudged. There were random nail holes probably from the previous owner’s picture montage or something. We weren’t sure whether painting wood paneling would look rather grungy-hotel cheap or not. We talked in passing about drywalling over it, but that seemed even more daunting.

So, we went for it. All we did was prime the walls with two coats and paint it. We used about two coats of low VOC white gloss paint straight from the can, since white is the furthest thing from dark deathlike wood. (Gloss is also easier to clean, and should we need to touch anything up, we obviously won’t have to worry about getting the exact shade right.) The amount of light that now penetrates the hallway is about 50-fold. I’m not even exaggerating. It was so dark and stagnant up there before. We use the same single hall light as before. Previously, you could barely see what was on the floor. Now, the timid hall light actually seems super bright.
Before, we had to open several doors so light from the windows would lighten the dark. In fact, I was sure that nothing short of carving a skylight in the ceiling would cure the darkness. Now, we can have all the doors closed and still see the sun on the walls. And it looks rather tasteful. No dingy motel vibe whatsoever.

This has got to be my favorite home project yet. And I have to say, painting is one of my least favorite things to do in life. Actually I hate it almost as much as going to the dentist. But this project likened me to it again in a big way. If feng shui has any merit, the chi is totally flowing in a tangible way through this hallway now. It looks bigger, I can breathe stronger in it, and the light of the sun is penetrating in such a healing way.

Yes, you CAN paint over wood paneling!

Writing Announcement

I have an announcement to make concerning an essay I entered into the Rent.com New American Dream essay contest: I am in the top 25! Round one consisted of a “popularity contest” where you had to get your friends to vote for your essay. They had to sign up for the site in order to do so, so I’m sure I missed some votes just because of that. I was sure that I wouldn’t make it through just based on the “vote for me” criteria. But, out of 488 entries, I indeed made it past the first stage!

Now, I’m in the top 25 for a chance at $10,000, a Caribbean trip, or a Visa gift card. There are 7 prizes total, giving me a 28% chance of winning at least something. Yes, I totally did the math. This round will be judged by a panel of expert judges based on creativity, clarity, and such. And not to sound conceited in any form of the word, but I read some of the other entries and I’m not sure others took the “essay” part of the contest very seriously. I’ve got a good shot here!

My biggest hope is to win, not so much for the prizes involved (although I’ll probably faint with excitement and gladly take a trip to the ocean or mortgage lender’s office), but for the accolades winning would give me for my writing career. Sweet!

I’ll keep you posted.

You Know You’re A Writer When…

You Know You’re A Writer When:

1. There are scraps of computer paper with scribbling littering your desk and stuck out of your purse, lunch bag and jacket pocket. True story. I just looked over at my “stuff” and there are writing ideas nesting in every available cranny.

2. You can barely talk to people without translating the subject of your conversation into potential blog posts, magazine articles, headlines, columns, marketing angles, etc. I’m sorry, I really am listening. In fact, I hope you feel honored that our talks are so interesting that they’d make great topic pieces.

3. You can barely go about your daily functions without translating your own habits and thoughts into potential blog posts, magazine articles… It’s not that our egos think our lives are so very interesting. Really, it’s not. It’s that we think we can connect to other people by admitting to our own weird quirks. Hey, there’s got to be someone else out there who can’t sleep at night until they can figure out where they’ve seen that funky spatula with the smiling face cut out of the center before.

4. Unconsciously, you begin “fixing” other people’s writing, emails and resumes in your head. I mean seriously, don’t you think you could come up with something better than “operated heavy machinery?” And “drive-thru” is just wrong. Again, this is not an indication of our arrogance or anything, just that our minds are trained that way.

The Mother of Invention

My mind has recently taken to thinking up inventions and website development ideas. Of course, I don’t have the wherewithal to carry most of them out (or maybe I do and don’t know it). I just like to think them up. I keep reading about 16-year-olds who started up their own websites and became overnight millionaires. I’m not necessarily looking at this with dollar signs in my eyes, but the concept of coming up with these ideas just fascinates and intrigues me beyond belief.

Some of the websites that I’ve been thinking about are already out there in cyberspace. And they help me tremendously once I find them, such as this online recipe organizer. I start with the basic concept that the mother of all invention is necessity (I really need a place to store all my favorite recipes online!). Such a simple adage with such profound effects in the world.

I’m working on developing a personalized notebook where you can reload or remove sheets as needed. It would also include and organize a bunch of needs in one place. Mine would have about a million tabs in it for writing ideas, sketches, gratitude lists, books to read lists, things to buy lists and about 999,995 more. Different types of papers and designs would also be required. My notebook would probably be more like something you would find on Etsy. I’ve been doing a lot of research on quality sketch and watercolor papers and bookbinding techniques to make it just right. If I get good momentum going, I could probably make some others for upcoming gifts and sell them in my own yet-unestablished Etsy store. Here is a peek at some of the designs that are inspiring me right now:

I absolutely love the three-ring laminated designs by Crown Bindery

Monika Wright’s mini notebooks and albums are just darling and absolutely perfect.
I am a big fan of repurposing old tattered old books into something new and cherished. I’ve had my eye on storybook notebooks like this one from BigLittle’s shop for awhile now.
My husband has promised to try an experiment with a drill to see if we can bring some of my ideas to fruition. I am at least hopeful that we can “invent” some kind of paper organization system that works for me. I am so tired of seeing my little piles of tattered notes and musings scattered about everywhere. I need a place to keep them all safe and sound.
Plus, I’ve been on an artsy creation streak for awhile now. I recently made some no-sew applique scarves, fridge menu boards, fabric flowers and other ephemera. I just.can’t.sit.still!!!!

Today’s Visual Inspiration

I’m really digging the cover art for JayMay’s Autumn Falling. It’s very carefree, very lighthearted and “un-stuffy.” I love how the equilibrium is juxtaposed with a little bit of unevenness. And I like the muted color combinations. It’s chunky, clunky and oh so refreshing.

I’ve been itchin’ to create again lately. And I have loads of design inspiration saved to my desktop. I am definitely going to bookmark this album cover. I’ve been playing with the idea of breaking out the watercolors with my two-year-old to see what we can accomplish. My favorite art is uncomplicated. And this parallel painting might just inspire something of my very own.

The Clarity of Glass

Studio: Perfume bottles & beakers 1 Image from IlluminatedPerfume

I think I’ve finally pinpointed my love of glass, crisp empty notebooks, air purifying plants, crisp white clothes (although I don’t own many because of a deep-seated fear of bleach), fresh air, lotus flowers, fresh real foods, water, icicles and so much more than I could list. I’ve even come to embrace the act of spring cleaning recently. The link would’ve been so blatant, had I compiled a list of some of my favorite things sooner.

These things resonate with my passion for purity and cleanliness, blank canvases and clarity, the wholesome and genuine. My most favorite people are not those with essences of mystery or muddied intentions, but those of trueness and openness. I enjoy the company of authentic people with clear intentions and clear consciences. I bask in tranquility. I have faith in a soul-cleansing God. I treasure honesty. I value sincerity. Following a pure and faultless path is grounds for clarity. And all the things I listed embody that sentiment.

Today’s Gratitude List

My inbox has been teeming with advice about daily gratitude lists from some of the health and fitness newsletters I subscribe to. Everything I’ve been reading lately stresses the importance of gratefulness on emotional, relational, and spiritual wellbeing. I’m taking it as a sign. Here’s a list of things I’m exceptionally grateful for today:

1. A hubby who went hog-wild and got everything on his to-do list done. Aside from that, he made some truly decadent cookies. He even worked on potty training all day. Who is this guy?

2. Sunshine has been out and even makes the car nice and cozy warm.

3. Preparing for a party on Saturday has got me cleaning nooks and crannies in my home that don’t get much attention. It actually feels quite refreshing.

4. Getting tickets for my mommy and me to see a play. I’m itching for a little theatrical diversion.

5. The truly uninhibited facial expressions a little two-year-old will make.

A Very Merry Un-Birthday to Me

I hosted a wine and cheese party for some of my favorite people last Saturday. I’ve mentioned this idea before, but I finally put it together and did it and enjoyed every minute. We had quite the spread of cheeses, a tub full of wine bottles, and a choice assortment of dried fruit, figs, olives, chocolates, crackers and nuts.

My grandma recently bestowed me with my great-grandmother’s china, and I couldn’t have been any giddier to showcase it and put it to good use. My great-grandma bought the set for herself while she worked outside the home for a short time. You see, my great-grandparents owned a farm and didn’t have a lot of money left over after getting the necessities for frivolity. So, it just makes me feel all tingly knowing she did this one nice thing just for herself.

We also broke out our Tiffany candle holders that have been protectively wrapped up in tissue inside the familiar blue box. These were a wedding gift from almost five years ago that I am always afraid to bring/leave out. We joke that they’re some of the only refined things we own, aside from the china now.

I put up a fun tinsel/streamer wall with a set of props and charades-like cards for picture-taking. With a little encouragement, almost everyone got their mugs captured. Even my husband tried his best Rockette’s pose. Oh boy!

We watched a comedy collection of four Independent Films and rated Best Picture, Best Performance, and Best Original Story. We chatted. We broke out the Wii. And a few of us went out to a lounge afterwards to catch a cover band, featuring a friend of one of the girls.

I am truly honored and grateful to have such wonderful friends. Sometimes, winter seems to turn us into such impersonal, stagnant beings. We only see our neighbors if we both happen to be outside shovelling at the same time. Everyone’s hibernating in their own homes, there’s not a whole lot to do, and we can start to feel quite bored and lonely. This party sure broke up some of the winter doldrums and made my heart feel all warm. I think I might start a new tradition and try this again, once every year.

Putting a Little Love in My Heart

abstract heart
Picture from Zen on Flickr

I know it’s a few days late, but my heart was peeled open on Valentine’s day by a quick scan through an old journal I kept. I found the pages where my husband and I became an item. And the date–May of 2003! The story isn’t overly interesting, there is no plot climax, no sparkling lift-off. It’s all pretty tame. But the feelings I felt after reading it tell another story.

I could practically feel the butterflies again. I was reliving some of the conversations and critical moments. I was laughing about how he always tried to surprise me with things and the uncanny ways it never worked out. I was laughing at all the people on the roster that wanted us to start “going out.” I read aloud some of the sappy and funny things to my husband and we both enjoyed the good-humored reminiscing.

The next day, I woke up feeling like someone had hit the “refresh” button. There were emotions stirred up inside me that had long been forgotten. I looked at my husband like he still had some charm left:) Ha! But anyway, I felt very different. On a small high, if you will.

This got me thinking even further into using writing as cheap therapy. Writing down five things that were great about your day or nice things people said to you is rather healthy. I found some compliments in this same journal that gave me a bit of an emotional lift even this many years later, but I know I wasn’t thinking about that when I wrote them down. Write them down today and who knows what sort of joy they’ll bring in a year or five. I know exactly where I’ll turn when I need a little boost about the feelings of my marriage.