It’s pretty picked over at this point- most of my favs are gone anyway, but there are still a couple cute handbags available at Rue La La’s online sample sale. All bags are marked down to $99! You’ll want to hurry though because it closes tomorrow at 11 am.
Responding to criticism from Ingrid Newkirk, Kelis justifies her decision to wear fur in this letter to PETA. Now that we know where she stands on this issue, perhaps she will give us some insight into the decision making process that led her to choose this atrocious ensemble in the first place:
Even her friend looks mortified.
Now, I don’t agree with everything PETA does or says, but the fur industry is nasty, brutal and cruel. There is no reason why anyone should buy or wear fur. Period.
Also, it gets my hackles up when people attempt to condone animal cruelty by pointing out the myriad ways in which living beings as a whole are made to suffer on this planet. “I may be wearing fur but people are starving/being exploited/contracting HIV!” Yes, and it’s all the fault of animal rights activists because they clearly don’t have the capacity to care about human life as well.
I’m not at leisure this moment to pick apart Kelis’ letter, but that’s okay because, typos aside, Simone Reyes does a pretty good job of it here and reminds us of this gem from Alice Walker:
“The animals of the world exist for their own reasons. They were not made for humans any more than black people were made for white, or women created for men.”
i’ve read that it’s important to insert pictures into your blogs to keep the reader interested. i kind of think that’s lame. i mean… do you stop reading books because they don’t have pictures? i hope not. still, i would like it if people read what i have to say, being totally convinced that my opinion is IMPORTANT, so… here’s a picture for yous that like the pictures more than the lengthy chunks of text; hopefully this gets us off to a delightful start:
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so, a while back, a friend posted this video on facebook. it’s really, really hard to watch – i can’t imagine anyone with any kind of feeling not getting a little verklempt after watching a video in which calves are horribly abused at a slaughterhouse. still, though it is really difficult to watch stuff like this, and it’s much, much easier just to put it out of your mind since we are so far removed from what we eat so much of the time… i think it’s important to keep in mind what, exactly, goes on behind the scenes – where, exactly, is it that what we let into our lives, what we consume, comes from? – and i’m glad i watched it. it got me thinking. and eventually, to writing.
i first cut meat out of my diet when i was 14. my step-father was an officer with fort bend county animal control in rosenberg, texas… or maybe it was richmond, texas… it was one of those little suburban communities on the outskirts of houston. i volunteered with my step-father at the animal control office. i cleaned kennels. i rehabilitated baby squirrels and baby raccoons and baby birds and baby iguanas. we fostered those cats and dogs that were out of time at the shelter so that they wouldn’t be euthanized. sometimes, i went on calls with him over the weekend – once, this resulted in our having a young alligator in our bathtub for a couple of days, because my step-father was insane and hoarded animals. no joke. i don’t remember, when, exactly, i made the decision, or what really got me set on being vegetarian. i just have a jumble of memories… not only all the ‘good’ stuff, like rehabilitating and cleaning and feeding and playing with puppies, but also stuff that still kind of makes me uncomfortable or sad, like watching my step-father euthanize dogs in between cleaning kennels, or cutting the heads off of wild animals to send to the rabies lab, or killing rats by swinging them by their tails against the fire place to break their necks and feed them to our snakes. i feel like i just didn’t see any difference between eating pork chops and eating one of our chows, and i eventually just got really turned off by all the violence behind eating meat. it definitely wasn’t a ‘political’ move on my part – i knew very, very little at that time about what went on in slaughterhouses, or how dairy cows were treated… none of that stuff. it just kind of felt weird and hurt-y to my tender young heart-and-brains (i am so, so very emotional, folks, and PROUD OF IT!) and i didn’t want to eat something if it made me feel bad to do so.
i don’t remember eating meat again for a really, really long time… i do remember, during either my junior or senior year of high school, deciding to become vegan, and being really militant about it for three months or so. i was a member of my high school’s thespian troupe, and during this time, we went to corpus christi for a thespian convention. apparently, every year prior to that year, the troupe would head out to corpus, and about half way there, would stop at this restaurant that sold home-made beef jerky. so, the tradition continued… and we stopped at the restaurant… and there were taxidermied animals EVERYWHERE. and i was disgusted. at the time, i was really pretty much of the opinion that people shouldn’t eat meat, period, and i stood outside insulting the people entering and exiting the restaurant, in front of my theater teacher, ms. hibbert. those shenanigans actually inspired the personal essay i wrote when i applied to the university of houston (so i suppose this all must have been during my senior year), and i very distinctly remember writing something about being just as appalled by the scene at the restaurant as i would have been had all the dead animals actually been stuffed dead people. which i now feel is a little over-zealous, but it was a pretty accurate description of my feelings at the time – like i said, i didn’t think anyone should eat meat.
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my god, the MONOTONY! will she ever get to the point??? just hang in there, folks. here’s another picture – one of my favorite vegan cook books:
now that we’ve all rested our eyes…
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since starting college in 2001, maybe even before that, i have eaten meat, on and off, throughout certain periods in my life. i still call myself a vegetarian, mostly because it’s easier than telling people i sometimes can’t stop thinking about hamburgers and i eventually have to eat one or i might DIE. and that’s really where the problem is, for me, i suppose… this is really what watching that video made me think about – why did i chose to stop eating meat, to become vegan, in the first place? why do i eat meat now? do i want to eat meat? i have this very, very strong urge to become vegan, and at the same time, i don’t take any steps toward cutting dairy out of my diet completely. or, i’ll go to the grocery store and not buy anything with any animal products in it, but a week later i’m buying wool yarn and i figure, what the hell? might as well eat some cheese… and then i’m secretly stuffing beef jerky in my mouth at four in the morning, wondering just where the hell i stand on all of this and when the hell i’m going to make up my mind… i’m living all by myself for the first time (and loving it, people, loving it), and this means, basically, i no longer have roommates who pity me for my inability to cook for myself or grocery shop in some sort of sensical fashion and thus provide for me dietarily. no, i have to learn how to cook for myself, outside all of the baking… so i suppose now’s the time to decide.
so, what’s the deal? why is anyone vegan in the first place? or vegetarian, for that matter? gina sent me an email containing a link to a book review of jonathan safran foer’s eating animals…
am i going too far with this? then quit complaining and read the damn blog.
i think this sums up one perspective pretty nicely – a lot of people are vegan/vegetarian because they think it’s wrong to kill and eat animals, period, the end:
From the outset, Foer’s perspective seems as one-sided as PETA’s; readers have little doubt that he has not only decided on vegetarianism, but wants to proselytize about it. That can make the book a tough read for someone like me, and I’m probably Foer’s target audience: an animal lover who also happens to find carnivory deeply satisfying, perhaps even on a primal level. Reading it on my couch while eating pork tacos as my 90-pound Doberman rested his head in my lap, I wanted to drop the book when I got to Foer’s Swiftian argument that what I really should’ve been eating was my dog. His point is to set up dogs as no more intelligent — and therefore no more deserving of affection and protection — than livestock. “Can the familiarity of the animals we have come to know as companions be a guide to us as we think about the animals we eat?” he writes.
(just so everyone knows… i hate PETA. they support breed-specific legislation, and they use sexist advertising, and they SUCK. you should write them and tell them you hate them and will not support anything they do ever. here’s a link, so you can go on and do that. do it.)
this way of thinking about ‘carnivory’ certainly sounds familiar to me… but it’s not necessarily how i feel about it anymore. there’s still a big part of me that is turned off by the violence behind killing an animal, no matter how well it’s treated before and during the act. that’s not to say that killing plants to eat them isn’t just as violent – i think it is. but plants don’t look like us the way animals do. they don’t bleed like us, they don’t have vocal chords or eyeballs or muscles… so there’s a certain sort of emotional, knee-jerk reaction i have to the killing of an animal that is completely different to the reaction i have to the killing of a plant. right? i mean, you rip a plant out of the ground, and it doesn’t scream or twitch or shit itself. so, yeah, i get what foer’s talking about. but at the same time, i don’t believe in proselytizing about it. it’s a personal choice, whether or not you eat meat, and if you’re doing it with compassion (because, believe it or not, the way you treat other beings totally effects your life, even if you aren’t directly responsible for their suffering), i’m good with that. animals eat other animals, and we’re animals. it’s not moral or immoral. it’s just the way the world is.
i can thus comfortably say i’m not morally opposed to the act of eating meat in theory… but that i am perhaps slightly opposed to doing it myself because it feels like an act of violence to me. check. but there’s another side to this, too. would i feel as though the act of killing and eating an animal were as violent as i do if i weren’t aware of what happens in slaughterhouses, weren’t aware of how we treat our livestock, weren’t aware of how we treat the people who work in slaughterhouses? that’s another perspective – i think there are plenty of people in the world who chose to be either vegan or vegetarian because the industry itself sucks a big one, and i am DEFINITELY in that camp. even if i decided to stop calling myself a vegetarian and embrace omnivory, i would definitely be very careful about what i ate. none of this eating shit from taco bell, you know… definitely only humanely-raised cows and chickens and such for me, thank you.
but wait a second… in our country, consumers aren’t really provided a lot of information, are they? take the term ‘cage-free’ – what does that mean, exactly? what am i buying when i buy cage-free eggs?
in doing a google search of the term ‘cage-free,’ this image popped up… this isn’t necessarily the image i personally have in my head of what it means for hens to be kept cage-free. i mean, this seems like it could potentially be better, but there’s no natural light, they’re probably still pooping all over each other and fighting all the time… i have a pretty strong concept of personal space. what i mean by this is that i value, highly, my personal space, and i am relatively conscious of allowing people into my personal space. i want to maintain the ability to control my surroundings. i want to have a spot where i feel comfortable sitting around in my underwear and being a total slob if i want to be. maintaining my personal space, the bubble i keep up between myself and others, though it may vary depending on who i’m interacting with, and what the interaction looks like, allows me to feel safe, it allows me to feel comfortable, and it allows me to recharge, to replenish myself. i don’t know a lot about what personal space means to a chicken, but i have a hard time imagining any living thing being happy in a situation such as the one pictured above. plants won’t grow if they’re packed in too tightly, right? there’s no where to go. there’s no where to get away. the boundaries between yourself and the things, or people, around you start to blur and you can’t thrive because you’re lost. maybe i’m getting too deep into all of this. i understand that people have a tendency to project a lot of their psychological stuff onto animals, and i understand that i do this. so maybe i’m putting too much onto these little chickens, and they’re totally happy living like this. but i have a really hard time believing that this is the case…
according to the humane society of the united states:
… Because of public opposition to battery cage confinement, many egg producers are switching to cage-free systems. While these systems generally offer hens a higher level of animal welfare than do battery cage systems, the mere absence of cages doesn’t necessarily ensure a high level of welfare.
… Cage-free hens are spared several cruelties that are inherent to battery cage systems. But it would nevertheless be a mistake to consider cage-free facilities to necessarily be “cruelty-free.” Here are some of the more typical sources of animal suffering associated with cage-free egg production:
- Cage-free farms typically buy their hens from the same hatcheries that supply battery-cage farms. These hatcheries kill the male chicks upon hatching—more than 200 million each year in the United States alone.
- Most cage-free hens have part of their beaks burned off, a painful mutilation.
- Hens are typically slaughtered at less than two years old, far less than half their normal lifespan. They are often transported long distances to slaughter plants with no food or water.
- While the vast majority of the battery and cage-free egg industry no longer uses starvation to force molt the birds, there are battery and cage-free producers alike who still use this practice.
so… phrases like ‘cage-free’ and ‘humanely-raised…’ they’re kind of bullshit, right? i think they’re designed to make us think we’re actually purchasing animal products that are produced in this way that lines up with the lofty ideals in our heads around how they should be produced, or to make us feel better when we aren’t actually really doing a damn thing. ‘look at me! i purchase cage-free eggs! i’m a good person and i care about things other than myself!’ but really, they’re not that much better. they’re a step up, these practices, for sure. but they still suck a lot. (i sound a lot like i’m judging all of this pretty harshly. and i am judging it harshly. still… i’m stating, for the record, that i do not judge people who eat meat or don’t buy cage-free eggs harshly… unless you’re an ignorant asshole. then i’m judging you harshly. if you’re a decent person who puts a modicum of thought behind the actions you take, then i have a lot of respect for you, and i might sometimes tell you i think you should buy cage-free eggs instead of those awful regular ones, but i won’t get up on my soap-box too often, and i’ll love you just as much as i would if you were the most compassionate person on earth. i mean, the fact of the matter is… our ability to be compassionate in making purchases is regulated by our economic status, and we aren’t all bill gates, right? our ability to make compassionate choices is also determined by the information our government deigns worthy of us, as the robotic masses that we are… so, hey, i get it – it’s not all always within our reach, and sometimes we have to work hard at getting by instead of working hard at finding ways to live compassionately on the cheap and pressuring our government to be vaguely moral. i’m poor and uneducated, too.)
so, as i was saying… the conclusion i inevitably come to in all of this, no matter how much time i take to deliberate back and forth and run myself in circles, is this:
1. it’s not cool not to care about the welfare of the world around you. you can totally dislike animals all you want, but they are living things, and they should be treated with as much respect and care as we can give them, even if we’re going to kill and eat them;
2. i don’t put a lot of faith in these labels that seem to indicate that something is more compassionate than it is… and i think maybe i just don’t feel comfortable buying shit from the grocery store that comes from an animal because i don’t actually really know what went into getting it to my shopping cart. WHAT AM I EATING!?!?! if i could afford to sign up for the CSA and buy eggs that were produced by a local farmer… i would. maybe now, though, since i can’t do that, i should stick to eat non-processed foods as much as humanly possible. fruits and veggies and beans and the like. and i think, despite the fact that i have these insane cravings and i go berserk all over a steak and whatever on occasion, i can get myself to stick to that;
and
3. i don’t really, deep down, feel good about contributing in anyway to any business that hurts living things. even though this means i have to keep my cheese cravings in check, and even though it means i might just have to wait until i have my own little herds of alpaca and goats and sheep to knit again with wool… i’m willing to make that sacrifice, because… well, if we can’t treat the things we use with care, how is it that we can treat each other with care? maybe this sounds like new age bullshit to a lot of people, but i just don’t want that energy in my life. i want the energy in my life to be as positive as it possibly can be.
yup, that’s right. starting yesterday – i’m totally vegan, bitches.
Many have heard the tragic story of Oreo the dog who survived being thrown off of a building by her owner and who was recently euthanized by the ASPCA. The ASPCA has been criticized for putting her down. The following is a response to some of the criticism from someone who loves animals and works with shelter dogs everyday…
First of all, euthanasia is defined as “easy death” and occurring in a “relatively painless way as an act of mercy”. The accusation that the man neglectfully, cruelly, and dishonestly, chose instead to kill Oreo using a drug called “Fatal Plus” (the brand name, not the actual drug name of Sodium Pentobarbital) is misleading and manipulative. You can be upset that the dog was euthanized rather than transferred to a no kill facility, but please, make your argument solid by representing facts instead of bias.
I take personal offense at the statement that large shelters are in reality staffed by those who would rather “perpetuate the violence and betrayal by killing”. As a staff member responsible for performing euthanasia, I can tell you that euthanasia is never easy, far from enjoyable and an unfortunate reality for many of these shelters. We are an open admission shelter (unlike no-kill facilities). Which means, we never turn an animal away. Because we choose (and yes, it is a choice) to evaluate animals and not rehome -or allow the animal to spend the rest of its life in a kennel as can happen at no-kill facilities- for aggression, we are able to take in on average 65 healthy, behaviorally sound dogs and puppies per week. Dogs and puppies that were facing euthanasia at other shelters due to lack of space and resources. I agree that everyone has a right to their own opinion, but starting a smear campaign against an animal welfare organization due to a difference in philosophy only leads to a further lack of public support, ultimately resulting in more euthanasia decisions. Until there is not an animal shelter left in the country who daily faces euthanasia of perfectly easy and rehomeable animals, I will defend the decision to euthanize aggression rather than transfer to another facility. Once every behaviorally sound dog/cat/ferret/parrot/rat/rabbit has a home, then the animal welfare community should begin making those great strides in behavior modification and rehabilitation.
This is old news for geeks and gamers already flocking to DigitalSoaps to procure clever hand-crafted soaps, but you should definitely check them out if you haven’t already. These gaming inspired soaps have become so popular that the creator had to cut back on working her “real” job-it’s no wonder with fun items such as Mountain Dew scented Nintendo NES soap and coconut lime verbena scented Space Invader soaps. Even more exciting is the fact that these products are made with no animal ingredients:
“The soap bases I use are natural and vegan – No animal products, animal testing, detergents, sulfates or sugar solutions. I’ve been obsessed with finding quality, great ingredient soaps. I found a high quality source of soap base and combined two interests: A love of all things geeky and a love of being clean.”
Awesome. In case you are thinking of giving these as gifts, order by December 5th if you want them in time for Christmas.
Looking for a fun holiday gift project? Even if you’re not a DDR fan, this handbag is pretty cool (it even says so right on it!) and not to difficult to make.
The creator of this bag, Liz McLean Knight, also makes cute jewelry out of computer hardware-not sure if she recycling old, used parts, but the point is that a person could if they wanted to-as far as I know anyway.
Just came across this book and I am so very, very excited! Excited enough that I had to share right away.
Even though I don’t have as much time for this kind of thing as I would like, I really do enjoy making stuff and typically when I get down to sewing something, it starts out as a purse. It may not end up as a purse, but hopefully this book will remedy that -once I get my hands on a copy, that is. Until then, I will continue to be inspired by other creative folks who are making awesome bags out of some interesting materials:
Sailcloth bags-said to be incredibly sturdy. I love their summery look. This skull bag is my favorite.
Construction netting- cute, structured bags available at maliadesigns.com. Bonus: proceeds go to fight human trafficking and increase economic opportunities for women.
Juice packets- colorful and fun, these items are constructed of 100% recycled materials and assembled by workers who earn a fair wage.
Vintage fabric- not too surprising in terms of the materials used, but I threw these Kim White bags in because they are adorable and reversible.
Finally, here’s a video on how to repurpose old books into cute purses. Enjoy!
So of all the starlets Disney has churned out of its factory, I dislike Hilary Duff (and Raven Symone) the least. I’m not even sure why that is, but suffice it to say I’m not here to bag on her-in fact I quite like what she and/or her stylist have done here. I’m just going to inject a little compassion into this fun People Style Watch spread. After all, proclaiming leather pants to be her go-to item for looking edgy is practically a cry for help. Someone with Hil’s fashion budget and creativity can easily integrate sustainable and cruelty-free purchases into their wardrobe. Behold!
Starting with the ensemble on the far left- I was able to find an organic cotton dress from SUST that works great for this look. Since it lacks the sparkly embellishment that makes HD’s dress, let’s add this fun vintage brooch from Michelle’s Vintage for a little bling. (Did I just type the word “bling”?) Moving on…for HD’s croc print clutch, I decided to go a little smaller, and chose this pleated, snake print clutch by Shiraleah available at Alternative Outfitters.
The shoes are somewhat more problematic-not because I couldn’t find a non-leather equivalent, because I did find a perfect imitation. The fact that this dead ringer is only $8 is trouble because I’m guessing that the workers who assemble cheap knock-offs of Jimmy Choos for online strip club wear outlets probably don’t earn a living wage. Just a hunch. So I had to depart slightly from the silver snake print gladiator and go for these gorgeous silver shoes from Beyond Skin.Beyond Skin’s shoe line is completely vegan and they are known for their ethical business practices as well.
Moving on to the bottom right of the page-Adorable crocheted bag by Autonomie Project available at Nimli, wide black belt with faux croc print buckle- these are pretty easy to find just about everywhere. Had a little difficulty finding a slip with long fringe like HD’s but I couldn’t resist this vintage fringe dress, which could be done with or without the belt, from Robin Clayton Vintage. Add these patent peeptoes from Neauaura available at Shop Humanitaire and we’re set!
Finally, top right- HD’s edgy denim look made more animal and eco friendly with these almost booties available at Ragazzi Vegan, and fair trade, organic cotton jeans from Equa -find a sharp object and distress ‘em yourself if you must. As far as her top goes, it’s hard for me to tell what’s going on in the photo, so I’m going to let Hil really make a statement here and put her in this “Live Green or Die” tank from Alternative Outfitters.
Rounding out the accessories, I think HD would love this Black Kogan clutch by Matt and Nat. The black Azuri scarf from Nimli is organic cotton and comes in an amazing variety of colors.
And with that I must wrap up our little virtual shopping extravaganza. Hope you enjoyed it- I know I had a great time. Let’s do it again soon.
Cheers!
i’m currently sort of going through this whole Existential Crisis Thing. it’s something i’ve been trying to write about for a while, and i’ve had a bit of difficulty putting everything into words in a way that is linear and also perhaps interesting to read. today may very well be the day that i accomplish this. today may also fail to be that day, but… i’m pissed off, and i need to write, so whatever comes out here is what you get, and i think i’m okay with that.
this all kind of goes back to something i was thinking about a week or two ago, when i was shopping for yarn. i’m kind of a curmudgeon, and i have a tendency to dislike most people on sight for absolutely no reason. as i was browsing sale yarn at michael’s, i started thinking about how this attitude of mine might be affecting the decisions i make around being compassionate, or how making compassionate choices can be something i do if i kind of really hate everyone. this, in turn, got me thinking about what it might mean to be a compassionate person, what might actually go in to making compassionate choices. is compassion simply a trait one exhibits? is it an action one takes? is it a choice? is it a state of mind, or a state of being? how does one become compassionate, why would one choose to be compassionate, and how can one really devote oneself to being compassionate? when is a person being too compassionate? here i am, writing for a blog about making compassionate choices, and i don’t even know what this word means to me or what place it has in how i feel about the world. thinking about all of this, what compassion means… well, i could brush it off pretty easily. i could view it as a pretty meaningless semantic argument, and i could shrug it off – when it comes down to it, we can define any word any way we want to, and we do, because different words have different connotations for each of us depending upon what our experience has been. so, i could just go on doing what i’m doing and making whatever choices i’m making without giving it anymore thought. though i’ve done some pretty stupid shit in my life, i feel pretty confident that i’m a decent human being. what’s the use in dwelling on it? still, i have been dwelling on it, a bit, in between freaking out a lot and calling or emailing people obsessively and throwing things around my room and being really angry and fantasizing about beating someone up. it doesn’t feel like a meaningless argument i suddenly had with myself in my head one afternoon – it feels pretty significant. it feels like there’s something out there in the aether i’m trying to grasp, but i can’t quite pin it down. i don’t even know if ‘aether’ is the right word to use – i’ve spent most of my life being an atheist, and that, along with everything else in my life, is starting to shift (thank you, christopher hitchens, for being such a pompous ass), so, really, most everything i do lately reminds me a little bit of the one time my dog chewed up my glasses and i drove to the optometrist without them on my face (and i’m pretty much as nearsighted as they come, so i really can’t see shit without my glasses, and, obviously, driving without them on my face is probably the most ridiculous thing i’ve ever done, and please don’t tell my ex, because i really don’t want to have that conversation with him).
my life is changing. i am changing. not into someone completely different… i’m still me, but i’m shifting. like i said, everything is shifting. even though i think i have tried to be open to and accepting of this fact, i’ve also been pretty resistant to it. i have held on to a lot of things, things i need to let go of, or at least come to terms with, if i really want to be open to and accepting of whatever changes i might be undergoing. in the last week or two, it’s become pretty apparent to me that i’ve been carrying a lot around with me without even realizing it, and it seems maybe i’ve been preventing myself from being able to deal with change, or grieve for whatever it is i’m losing in the process of changing, because i’ve been so intent on being okay with everything. but i haven’t really been okay lately, and whether i’ve been bottling up all the Not Okay intentionally or not, it’s having some detrimental effects. i’m not really being the person i was, nor am i being the person i want to be – i’m not treating myself as compassionately as i probably should, and it’s impacting my ability to treat other people compassionately. i’ve had a lot of difficulty, lately, being around other people without being in my head. this is a bad place to be because, generally speaking, when i’m in my head, i’m doing more Thinking About Being than i am Being, which ultimately results in my being a neurotic, anxious mess. being a neurotic, anxious mess is okay, sometimes – frankly, this is a part of my life. no matter what steps i take to be less neurotic and anxious, i will always be a little neurotic and anxious. always. and i’m okay with the fact that, right now, i might need a little more than i’m able to give, because, well, everyone’s in that place at some point in their life. but i feel like i’m slipping. i feel like i’m at a point where i can really get a hold of whatever it is i’m trying to grasp at and make some fucking progress, i have that ability, and i might even be close to doing it… but it’s easier to slip back into that anxious, neurotic mess, and so i’m doing that every time i get close to getting a firm grip on anything because it’s familiar and comfortable to be a mess, to be slipping, even though it’s not really what i want.
and this, friends, is why i am not moving back to houston. ever. i am never, ever moving back to houston. never say never… i know, i know… but, really. Never. Ever. if i ever tell you i am moving to houston, do not believe me under any circumstances. history has taught us that i always change my mind at the last possible minute, but also… i don’t want to move back to houston. and it’s not about whether or not houston allows me to be the little pinko commie hippie i truly am, or whether houston has cool vintage shops, or whether houston provides appropriate space for me to be a silly little vegan, or if i can sign up for a goddamn CSA if i live in the heights. it’s about the fact that this feeling that i’m slipping… this isn’t new to me.
i was bound to slip in houston. i was set up to slip in houston. you don’t spend your childhood living in fear of being beaten by your mother and also possibly molested by your step-father without slipping at some point. and i remember being downtown, back when i was enrolled at the university of houston, and looking up into the sky, and thinking that those buildings, that skyline, that smog, those clouds, they looked just like a giant, gaping maw ready to crash down on me and swallow me whole. yes, i was on hallucinogenic drugs at the time, but that’s not the point. the point is, that city was a physical manifestation of everything in my life i hated. the only way i was able to get myself to a place where i liked myself and felt positive about my life was to get the fuck out of houston. getting the fuck out of houston is absolutely one hundred percent directly responsible for my being able to maintain any small semblance of mental stability or normality or health in the last five years. while it’s possible i could go back there and have this life i want… and while there are people in houston i love endlessly and without reserve, whom i miss more than i could possibly put into words… none of that changes the fact that houston was bad for me then, and it would be bad for me now. moving back to houston is something i want when my twisted little fucked-up brain gets into being sad and depressed, because i do love and miss people in houston, and i, in my unstable state, sometimes think everything would just be easier there because… why wouldn’t it be? it’s not Here. it’s There. so it must be better. it must be fucking delightful, and everyone there must love me, and i would never, ever be lonely, and no one would up and stop talking to me for what i understand to be ridiculous reasons and we would all hold hands and run through brilliant fields of marigolds and give out free hugs and snuggle and i would just be so fucking happy. but that thing i want when i feel that way is a fantasy – clearly. There does not exist. the only place that exists is Here. the reality is, if i can slip Here, in boulder, where the emotional baggage of being dropped by all of my friends is nothing, nothing, nothing to the emotional baggage of being abused and abandoned and made to feel like a piece of complete shit, then there’s no way in hell i can go back to houston and not slip. i wouldn’t suddenly feel Right and Okay if i moved away because i still have to cope with everything that’s been happening, and coping with everything that’s been happening also means coping with everything that did happen, and, eventually, i would have to deal with the fact that houston is not this magical fantasy land where i would be happy but is in fact a real place where i’m still me and my life still happened just the way it did… and, after i moved home and the honeymoon wore off, all of this would hit me, and i would slip. the way i’m slipping now would pale in comparison to the way in which i would slip once i moved back. i am not willing to do that to myself.
whether boulder is the place for me… whether i end up being happy in denver after i move… it doesn’t matter. i’m here. i’m here, and i’m a hell of a lot better off being here than i am being in houston. i want to be the compassionate person i think i am. i want to be okay with myself, and i want to be okay with my life, and i want to be kind to myself, and i want to be kind to other people, and i want to get up out of my twisted little head and back out into the world, and i want to go about the business of Being, and i want to stop disliking people on sight for no apparent reason. if i want these things, if i really want to drag myself up out of that mess i am falling back into… i think i need to seize that thing, whatever it is, i feel flickering just at the edge of my perception, and that means i can’t go back. i have to go forward.
The following is a guest post by a wonderful friend and New Yorker who agreed to check out Ecouterre’s launch party for us:
When Gina asked me to attend and write up the launch party for the website Ecouterre at Kaight, a Manhattan boutique specializing in eco-friendly clothing, I was hesitant. I am woefully ignorant about matters of sustainability and eco-consciousness, having decided a while back that my personal share of environmental activism has been covered by the fact that I haven’t driven a car in fourteen years. In fact, the only thing I know less about than eco-consciousness is fashion. Recently a friend described my wardrobe as, “A mish-mash of men’s shoes, H&M blouses, Rachel Zoe-esque cocktail rings, and therapist shawls. But not in a good way.” Thanks, friend! Nevertheless I agreed to attend, lured by the promise of free vegan cookies and Gina’s pledge to call me “scoop” for an indefinite period of time.
Ecouterre is a website devoted to “the future of clothing and textile design,” dedicated to “showcasing and supporting designers who not only contemplate cut, form, and drape, but also a garment’s social and environmental impact, from the cultivation of its fibers to its use and disposal.” Their launch party was held at the Lower East Side shop Kaight, which showcases “emerging and independent designers” who utilize organic, sustainable and recycled materials. Here are some of my personal highlights from the shop’s wares:
Yuka Yoneda, Ecouterre’s lovely New York editor, is modeling the Circle Cascade Necklace, which was being raffled off during the launch party. Sadly, I did not win this beautiful piece from The Andean Collection, makers of environmentally friendly and socially conscious fashion who employ fair trade principles with their artisans. The jewelry is made is from unique materials like acai seeds and tagua, and is available for sale through their website (www.theandeancollection.com).
In the background of this shot you can see stacked candles by A Scent of Scandal, a line of hand-poured, 100% soy-wax candles made by a Californian brother and sister team. I tried to get a photo of the disturbingly named “DILF” scented candle, but it didn’t come out, so you’ll just have to take my word for it.
It felt a bit stalkery to follow Ms. Yoneda around all night asking her to model things, so I had to awkwardly take a of picture myself in order to showcase this adorable hat by Stewart and Brown, makers of eco-friendly knit-wear (www.stewartbrown.com).
These vegan shoes are by Calico Napa and are sadly too rich for my blood at $345. Which is perhaps just as well, because I’m not certain how to wear them. With socks? With jeans? Something tells me that if I lived in Williamsburg, I would know the answer.
I wouldn’t wear these $99 dollar Melissa Joy Flocado shoes, but I’m happy that they exist in the world.
This $280 dollar Ashley Watson vegan bag would be my new work bag, in a world where magic fairies paid my cable bill.
These raspberry cookies by green caterers Rabbit Mafia were delish. I was sampling them when I overheard this conversation:
Boy Fashionista: “Did you hear Marc Jacobs is coming?”
Girl Fashionista: “Really?!?!!”
Boy Fashionista: “Well, his assistant.”
When the PAs of New York’s fashion elite start showing up at a party, it’s time for the Bevins of the world to skedaddle. If you happen to visit Kaight, I recommend you do as I did and head a few doors down to An Choi for an awesome Banh Mi sandwich (vegan toppings available). After dinner I walked past Kaight again to head towards the subway. The store had indeed filled with the beautiful and the eco-conscious, who were drinking organic cocktails and spilling out onto Orchard street.
I bid farewell to Kaight and gave one last, long, loving glance to these Joan Holloway-esque necklaces on display in shop. If eco-conscious fashion is wrong, baby, I don’t want to be right.
quick note: i’m tired of looking at this, because i’ve edited it seventeen times… i’m also an impatient person, and i hate editing for grammar and spelling… so, while i’m sure i’ll read this a few months from now and cringe when i see the mistakes i’ve inevitably overlooked, i’m going to hope the mistakes are minimal and submit this thing… RIGHT NOW. i hope you can forgive me…
being a TOTAL FLAKE, i really, really love to tell everyone i know that i’m moving back to houston (from which my mother frequently calls, even when i ask her not to, and tries to guilt-trip me into living with her, and does so successfully, i suppose… to a point), only to change my mind a week or so before i’m actually supposed to leave colorado. it’s really a great deal of fun, disappointing your loved ones and building a rock-solid reputation as the most unreliable person on the planet (or, as a friend recently said, ‘a whirlwind of contradictions. or just a whirlwind.’). and it builds character! but i won’t go into that in detail.
in an attempt to persuade myself to be a little more decisive, and also to have an excuse to be a smart-ass, i’ve decided to use this blog as a vehicle through which to deliberate the pros and cons of moving back to houston – as far as the questions of being semi-sometimes-vegan-but-not-really-since-i-ate-free-bacon-last-week and living sustainably go, anyway. like, which location is better for what? and, in answering this question, does an obvious preference for one location over another emerge? or, am i simply so mercurial that it just depends on my mood on a particular day? good times should be had by all, though some of this may result in my weeping dramatically over my keyboard, as i am overly sentimental on a regular basis, and am prone to get a little Overcome By Emotion now and again. or, all the time. even better – perhaps some of my rambling will also result in us folk here at le compassioniste generating a little more traffic and building a trusty resources page… perhaps to be updated to include Cities From Around The World! at a later date. but, you know, that may all depend on whether or not anyone actually thinks i’m interesting, or can manage to read through this entire thing. i totally think i’m interesting, but, do you? only time will tell.
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so… let’s get down to business. i’ve put on my thinking cap…
thinkin' real, real hard, y'all.
… and, without further ado, present to you, Dear Reader, in long-winded fashion…
Round One – Vintage Shops
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who doesn’t love thrift shops?!?!?
really. i’m actually curious to know.
me on the left, looking freakishly large. i purchased the corset second-hand - it's vintage!!! the yellow dress, modeled here for us by 'kevin mcdonald,' is also a thrift-store find.
maybe i’m wrong in my assumption that one would have to be crazy not to want to buy used clothing, because i do enjoy dressing quite a bit like either a bag lady, a twelve year old boy, or some kind of circus clown (or, a combination of the three), but… there’s so much AWESOME shit to be found at second-hand shops. nearly everything i own at this point in my life is second-hand (excluding underwear, for obvious reasons – i hope). many of my books are also ‘gently’ used… or stolen from the library (which, you know, i don’t recommend as a sustainable practice… we should probably support our local libraries rather than constantly forgetting to ever turn in our books, spending hundreds of dollars on late fees, and then being banned from ever visiting again… not that this has happened to me – it’s a hypothetical scenario). i even ‘technically’ got my fuzzy friends ’second-hand’ at the humane society. the point is, though i’m clearly not really writing about used books or used animals, i love to buy things second hand.
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buying second-hand definitely has its down sides. it might just be me, but it seems that used clothing has a bit of difficulty holding on to its buttons – i can’t even begin to count the number of times i’ve put on a pair of pants i bought at a resale shop and the button has like, shot off across the room, or somehow popped me in the forehead. this is not because my pants are too tight, by the way… there’s also the fact that used clothing typically has holes in it, or needs some stitching around the seams because the thread is worn. but…
this is definitely a situation in which i think the benefits outweigh the disadvantages, especially if you’re even the slightest bit handy with a sewing needle. i definitely feel like buying things used is one of the most sustainable practices a person can undertake without drastically changing his/her lifestyle. i mean, i’m not opposed to drastically altering my lifestyle so as to live more compassionately, but it’s not easy to do when you’re accustomed to certain things, or when you don’t necessarily have the money, or the means, or the know-how. and, it’s all about taking those first, tiny little baby steps… you’ll see – start shopping at resale stores, and soon you’ll be well on your way to becoming a communist freak like myself… and you’ll look good doing it.
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so, buying used… totally sustainable. i’ve got several well-reasoned arguments to support this thesis:
first – used clothing is typically cheaper than new clothing. that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s inexpensive, but it seems to me that buying the same thing new is typically a lot more pricey. obviously, being thrifty is a sustainable practice; i don’t need to explain that, do i? also, since used clothing is cheaper than new clothing, you totally get to buy Lots of Stuff when you shop thrift.
second – i’m not sure how this one works, but, in my experience, second-hand pants don’t seem to fall apart as quickly. this might be because i wear the same pair of pants for like, 2 weeks straight, and i beat the hell out of my clothing, but i think it might also be indicative of the fact that business like to make cheap-ass shit that’s totally worthless, and then sell it to you for an extraordinarily high price because it’s trendy and you’ll pay for it because you so desperately want to fit in with what everyone else is doing. so, not only does your dollar stretch a bit further because you don’t have to buy new pants as frequently, but buying used is kind of like giving these businesses the finger when you’re wearing mittens – they don’t actually see it, or know that you’re giving them the finger, but you know, and it makes you really happy. being happy is sustainable, as is giving shitty businesses the finger, because…
third – buying things used often means you are supporting local business and your community, which is obviously a sustainable practice, because you are helping the area in which you live thrive, potentially creating jobs, contributing to city taxes, which, theoretically, are used to better your city, and etcetera, etcetera…
fourth – at the very least, if you’re shopping at a store like value village that has locations all over the country, you aren’t spending money on brand-spankin’-new stuff that’s horribly over-priced, nor are you using your hard-earned dough to encourage companies to produce more and more useless crap when there’s plenty of perfectly good and already-produced stuff lying around that’s probably cooler than anything you can buy new, because it’s one of a kind and sometimes bright orange.
now we know: Buying Stuff Used Is Better Than Buying Brand New Crap, Not Only For The Environment, But Also For You And Your Pocketbook. now that we feel relatively confident that we actually do want to know where thrift shops are and which ones are the coolest, since we are just so commited to living sustainably, we can try to figure out whether or not houston is a better location for buying tons of used stuff all of the time, or if boulder has the upper hand.
Part One: Vintage Shops in Houston, Texas – Do they suck, or am I biased because I’ve been living in The Bubble for so long?
houston is probably literally eight thousand times bigger than boulder, which means there are probably three hundred thousand more thrift shops. literally. but, it’s all about quality, not quantity! what’s in houston, and is what’s there any good? it’s been too long since i’ve been shopping back home, so i really don’t have a clue. i’m going to focus specifically on places that offer ‘vintage’ styles, rather than browsing every search result that looks like it might have a similar set-up to savers (which is the same thing as value village… fancy that!) or the salvation army or buffalo exchange (because places like these are everywhere; it totally doesn’t matter where you live, buffalo exchange is always around the corner somewhere)… also, for those of you who read this and live in houston and wonder why i didn’t mention taxi taxi (which will be none of you, because i don’t think anyone actually reads anything i write, which is great, because i get to boost my ego whilst also remaining anonymous), taxi taxi is the exact same store as buffalo exchange. in fact, i remember it being almost directly across the street from buffalo exchange. the only differences that stand out between the two, in my mind, are that, a) taxi taxi only has one location in all the world, as far as i know, and, b) that one time i went there, there was a really hot guy working the racks… at least, i thought he was hot at the time, though i’m not sure why, because he was rather disgustingly skinny, and had hair that swept over his eyes… in sort of an obnoxious, ‘i’m way too hip to talk to you, nerd,’ kind of way.
onward and upward!
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the way we wore is a shop located on waugh in the montrose area, from which, i am relatively certain, i stole a pair of denim bell bottoms when i was 15. oh, to be young and delinquent again! my memory of this place is that a large proportion of what they offer is available for rent only, which makes me CRAZY. i cannot rent clothing. i spill things, or i set things on fire, or i lose things. this is not a viable option. i also remember their merchandise being overpriced, but i was 15 at the time, so, not so sure i really had a valid opinion at that point…
the website seems to indicate that the shop offers an assortment of cheaply-made costume wigs, such as the 1970s men’s feathered, as pictured… frankly, i’m a big fan of this guy. he’s really mastered the cocky, come-hither look, and i’d be willing to bet he’s a great conversationalist over cocktails. but, i doubt he actually works in the shop, which is a huge disappointment. so… what else have they got to offer?
if the website is in fact an honest indication of what’s available in the store itself… they’ve got a collection referred to as the “Disco Room,” the cheapest item of the bunch being some sort of glittery, collared shirt for $48 dollars… some invisible swim suits… a handlebar moustache complete with afro wig… and a bunch of really expensive evening gowns from the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s. personally, i’m not thrilled by the selection on the website, nor am i thrilled by their prices. some of the stuff they offer is cute, but i feel like it would be cheaper for me to make it myself, or to find it somewhere else… and they don’t, from the looks of the website, seem to offer anything all that unique, so i probably could find similar clothing somewhere else relatively easily.
Boulder – 0; Houston – (-1).
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twice new, which i don’t believe i’ve ever visited, is located on west gray… which sounds vaguely familiar, but, really… i have no idea where this is off the top of my head.
the website describes the shop as follows:
Open the doors and open your eyes to a vast variety of designer wear of the high-class collection at Twice New. This fabulous boutique in the middle of the River Oaks Shopping Center in Houston, Texas is filled with business suits, pants, blouses, skirts, and evening wear ranging from such designers as Gianni Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani and Prada, to Ellen Tracy, Dana Buchman, and Anne Klein.
Under the new ownership since 1999, Twice New has been transformed from a regular resale shop to a boutique of high elegance and grace.
This rather large space offers a mixture of taste that will satisfy any shopper. The selection of Twice New appreciates the variety of style, design, and appearance. Much of the selection at Twice New has come directly from the boutiques of Western Europe and other countries.
The glamorous assortment and prices of this boutique come together to form a balance between classiness and sophistication at a low cost. Come on in and enjoy the feeling of an elegant and smart shopper!
i’m now certain i have never been here. this really doesn’t sound like my kind of thrift shop, and i’m lazy, so i’m not going to look into it any further.
Boulder – 0; Houston – (-2).
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‘retropolis,’ which does not have a website, is located on 19th and rutland. i also have no idea where this is… the heights? eh? maybe? seems kinda heights-y… but the heights isn’t really actually a place i remember so much as an idea of a place i remember, a place where hipsters in their early thirties buy their first home and have claw-footed bathtubs and quaint hardwood floors, so… really, i’m probably totally off the mark (only i’m totally not, because the internet totally just confirmed that the shop is, in fact, in the heights…this makes me a total badass… being right and all, i mean… hell yeah).
retropolis is, according to customers, ‘like stepping into another world,’ and is huge with something for everyone. based on what i was able to find out about the shop from cityvoter, i would probably feel a little out of place in this area of town, given the fact that i am a filthy, filthy hippie, and frequently smell as though i’ve crawled out of a sewer and/or have things like spinach in my teeth, but would probably really like the shop itself and their selection.
this may not be the case at all; there’s little information about the shop online, and there are only a few pictures, so i don’t get a very distinct impression of what the shop is really like, or of what it is they have to offer. but, i’m going to assume my first instinct about the shop is accurate.
Boulder – 0; Houston – (-1).
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this concludes part one… not because i’ve by any means explored every single vintage shop in the houston area, but because my google search is becoming unpredictable and boring. let’s give a round of applause to houston… we’re very proud that houston was able to crawl the tiniest bit out of the hole it seems houston was digging for itself.
and, since i definitely know boulder a lot better than houston at this point, having not been to any of the establishments listed above in the last 12 years or more, or ever, i’m going to gift houston two points for effort. just so’s you know you don’t totally suck, h-town.
Boulder – 0; Houston – 1
Part Two: Vintage Shops in Boulder, Colorado… Not just for the ridiculously well-off yuppie freaks that live here?
boulder may be much smaller than houston, but it’s also home to a huge number of college kids about 8 or 9 months of the year, most of whom are incredibly entitled and have tons of money to spend. and it’s really, really close to a hoarde of other cities, like denver. and, well, we all know denver is Totally The Shit. much like houston, boulder and the surrounding areas are home to a whole host of consignment shops, like crazy amy’s. but, again, these places are so similar to buffalo exchange that i really don’t think it’s necessary to spend much time discussing them. consignment shops like this are a part of our lives, and we love them, but they aren’t the most interesting places to shop in the world.
it’s not really looking too good for houston right now, who’s only at 1, while boulder hasn’t even gotten started yet. pretty sure houston’s going down in this department… i’ve got all the insider information on boulder, and that’s the word on the street, anyway.
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first and foremost… a former coworker’s mother used to own a little shop out in longmont (about 20 minutes from where i live) called ‘rose buds.’ rose buds was the Best Place Ever. while i was frequently unable to find things that fit, as is the norm due to the fact that i am freakishly large, i was always able to find something that was either really weird, really cute, or really fun that did actually fit rather well and was reasonably priced. and, almost every time i went to rose buds, something was on sale. makes me drool just thinking about it. of course, the flip-side to all of this is that i would find something i totally loved that wouldn’t zip up in the back… inevitably, this particular piece of clothing would fit someone just a bit smaller than me just right, and i would be forced to watch them parade around in it for the rest of my life. well… i’m kind of making that up, but it was a distinct possibility, and it was very, very emotionally difficult for me to imagine this happening. still, though i am a little scarred, there are quite a few items in my closet from rose buds, and i totally got a freakin’ 50’s corset there ON SALE for like, $30 bucks (i am, of course, referring to the corset pictured above).
i loved rose buds unconditionally and with all of my heart.
Boulder – 1; Houston – 1.
you’ll have noticed, i’m sure, that i am referring to the shop in the past tense. that’s because rose buds closed down not too long after it opened. i’ve heard from my former coworker that her mother still sells vintage stuff from her home, or at least that she had plans to do so… but, the fact remains that i will never again be able to browse rose buds’ racks… and, for this, i’m going to have to rip that point from your cold, dead hands, boulder, you unforgiving little tease.
Boulder – 0; Houston – 1.
then again… there is the whole 50’s corset for $30 bucks score…
i take it back, boulder. i’m sorry we fought. it’s probably all longmont’s fault, anyway.
Boulder – 1; Houston – 1.
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goldmine vintage… i really just totally love this store. but we’ll start with the cons, shall we? first and foremost, goldmine is on the freakin’ pearl street walking mall.
i kind of totally loathe the mall, at least occasionally, like when it’s snowing outside and that one drunk bum tries to steal my money and lies like a filthy, filthy liar (side note – i do not hate the homeless – just this one guy), or when there are a bunch of drunk frat boys walking across the street without the right-of-way, and i have to honk at them and scream profanities out of the window, even though i am not driving. but, there are some shops on the mall that i’m totally into, like the boulder bookstore, or, clearly, goldmine. so, sometimes i suck it up and brave the crowd.
second, goldmine is definitely one of those places in which i don’t feel all that comfortable. despite the fact that a number of people have referred to me as a hipster in the past, i really don’t think i fit the profile… i’m really more of a nerd, and i don’t have the fashion sense of a hipster… or the same taste in music. goldmine is kind of crawling with hipsters. all of the employees are hipsters… a lot of the people that shop there are hipsters… looking at the storefront, you start to be overwhelmed with a strange, sickening deisre to become a hipster. being sort of anti-hipster, or, at the very least, non-hipster, i really… don’t get it, and feel sort of odd walking in wearing my flannel and my seven-sizes-too-big jeans and asking to try on the flapper costume, because those people just… look too put together. i mean, i’m definitely a fan of dressing up and wearing weird outfits and brightly colored clothing, but i never really feel like i look unnatural, in the sense that I’m Trying Really Hard to pull off A Look, and hipsters generally tend to look unnatural to me in this exact way. as if they have a stylist living in their closets who shops for them and dresses and grooms them in the morning. it freaks me out.
finally… while goldmine is not frequently a busy shop, it is hella-packed with annoying people this time of year, what with halloween being right around the corner and all. goldmine is a relatively small shop, and it’s literally overflowing with racks of clothing and jewelry and scarves, etcetera, so this is not only vaguely annoying for people like me who sort of tend to hate being around groups (being a bit of a curmudgeon, i don’t necessarily get on very well with most people), but it also sort of creates a really, really disasterously claustrophobic shopping experience, because you just. can’t. get. where. you. want. to. go. without running into everything or knocking racks to the ground in a sort of awkward and explosive fashion.
so, goldmine definitely has a few marks against it, in my book. however, typically speaking, the pros outweigh the cons. in reading the reviews online (provided by the link above), you’ll see that some people feel a little cheated by the fact that goldmine doesn’t really provide a shopping experience in which one gets to boast about finding a really awesome t-shirt for three dollars after digging through piles of crap for several hours. but… this isn’t really a con, in my opinion. while it’s true that goldmine is more expensively priced that the salvation army, or other thrift stores of that ilk, i’m kind of an in-an-out kind of gal, so i like the fact that i don’t have to rummage through every god-awful prom dress from the eighties when i shop at goldmine, nor do i mind paying $15 or $20 for something i really like, because that’s actually really cheap. it’s not so cheap it’s practically free, but it seems to me that anything i might purchase new would be a bit pricier. also, my attention span is so similar to that of a gold fish that i’m never the person to find something really, really badass at the salvation army, anyway, so i don’t really have this memory of a successful hunt to hang on to. so, essentially, what i love about goldmine is that they have an extensive offering of interesting and unique clothing for sale, most of which is not at all expensive. they also sell relatively inexpensive fingerless gloves, which i am vaguely obsessed with, as well as a wide variety of interesting jewelry (like octopi necklaces! we love cephalopods, so we are endlessly thrilled by this), and even some new stuff, a lot of which is from a retailer called gama-go, and they aren’t too shabby. there’s also the fact that i never, ever, ever have any trouble finding something i really like that fits really well… and, one of the clerks totally gave me a blown-glass necklace for free one afternoon. i really can’t argue with free stuff, especially when it’s free stuff that would have sold for something like a hundred bucks.
Boulder – 2; Houston – 1.
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rather than continuing to review shops in the area, only to deduct points from boulder for being the home team, i think i’ll just wrap up here and call it even… though i would like to mention that there’s also a shop on north broadway i’m rather fond of called candy’s… and that, despite frequently frustrating me by the fact that all of her clothes are too small for me, candy’s is a pretty quality establishment all around. hurray for candy’s! now, let’s get to the Results of the match…
Dénouement- Boulder is Clearly Superior to Houston in Being Home to Way More Awesome Vintage Shops… or is it?
picture, if you will, a large, oiled, muscular man prancing around a ring, or a mat, or a whatever, carrying a sign of some kind… it’s probably advertising skin cream. not really all that interesting, but maybe he’s not so hard on the eyes… am i right, ladies? though… are those implants in his pecks? weird.
i digress.
if you’ve managed to read this far, you are well aware of the fact that boulder has indeed walked away from the fight our sweaty, bloody, and bruised victor. and boulder deserves it, because boulder stayed scrappy till the very end. let’s keep in mind, though, that i don’t know houston all that well anymore. i’ve been distant, a little cold, even. we don’t really speak very often, and i don’t spend nearly as much time as i used to wandering it’s streets. while it would be easy for me to assume that, after spending a good six years with houston, i would know it fairly well, and would be able to recall with ease the places i visited… i don’t actually remember a lot of what i did in houston – every time i visit, i run in to someone i don’t remember, even when they greet me warmly, or a friend recounts an event in which i took part that i have no recollection of. that definitely has something to do with my having the memory of a goldfish, but, also, let’s be honest… when i lived in houston, i kind of did a lot of drugs (let that be a lesson to you all – if you don’t want to forget every little thing about the city you grew up in, or about the people you hung out with, you probably shouldn’t do a lot of drugs). there’s also the fact that i didn’t spend anywhere near as much time shopping back then as i do now. i didn’t have the money, and i don’t think i was as interested in dressing then the way i do now. so, though i am going to consider boulder the winner of this particular round, i suppose i’m going to have to investigate the matter a bit further next time i’m in texas.
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next time… food food foody food food. food.
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