March 21, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 9 Comments

Three Things Thursday (Saturday): March 21, 2015

Oh, the shame.

Once again, my weekly contribution to Ms. Fabulous Nerd in the Brain’s Three Things Thursday is dawdling into the blog arena on Saturday like a lethargic slug. (Do slugs dawdle? Hmmm. It’s time for coffee.)

Anyhow, my week was filled with stressy work stuff, and way too many events. I told my boss I was calling in “well” on Friday, and I did. So the first major “happy” of the week: much needed day off.

This is my "generic" gleeful face photo shot. David thought I should have for for whenever someone finally buys me a pony.

Insert my “generic” gleeful face photo. David thought I should practice for whenever someone finally buys me a pony.

The big happy of this week is that we are having a little dinner party tonight with some good friends, that we are calling, “Tardy to the Paddy’s Party,” because last week when it was actually St. Patrick’s Day, it was also too nutty at work to try to celebrate anything. Since photos from tonight’s event will most likely appear next ~~Thursday~~ Saturday for Three Things Thursday, I can show you some happy “getting ready for the party” shots.

Irish inspiration for the morning java

Arranging flowers (btw, Mark Bialczak, Trader Joe’s has awesomely inexpensive flowers) for the dinner table.

Daffodils, hydrangea, tulips and cala lilies

In honor of the first day of spring:

Jeeves, alligator butler and bearer of “Springtime.”

Hopefully, Spring is springing up wherever you are! Happy belated St. Patrick’s Day and Happy weekend!

March 18, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 4 Comments

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Abstract Photography

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge this week is about abstract photos.

I’m more of a “group hug!” photographer over anything cerebral (although my husband is great about capturing odd images at intriguing angles) but rummaging around in my unruly photo files, I came up with a few I felt could meet the definition she kindly offered:

Like abstract art, abstract photography concentrates on shape, form, colour, pattern and texture. The viewer is often unable to see the whole object. The subject of the photo is often only a small part of the idea of the image. Viewers may only know the essence of the image subject or understand it by what is implied.

Warning: Wildly random! Mostly I just liked them.

Thanks (as always) Cee, for inspiration to think “outside the box.”

March 15, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 2 Comments

To Sir Terry, with Love;

March may have breezed in like a lamb, but it is roaring out with the ferocity of a lion. A lion that has stalked and devoured more than its fair share of the good things of this world. March is a calendar page I’d just as soon see flipped over.

Six years ago, it snatched up my best friend, Nyk.

This year it beamed away the fabulous Mr. Spock: gifted actor, director, photographer and writer, Leonard Nimoy.

On Thursday, March 12th, it snuffed the blazing candle that was one of my favorite authors, the amazing and astounding Terry Pratchett, although no one and no thing could fully extinguish his spark.

Image source: the Guardian

“To be a star, you must shine your own light, follow your own path, and don’t worry about the darkness, for that is when the stars shine brightest.” – Terry Pratchett

To you, Sir Terry, I raise a toast to your worlds and your words.

The disease that took you can’t take away the gifts you’ve given to me and so many others.

Thank you for Binky and Greebo, Susan and the Death of Rats. For Samuel Vines, Tiffany Aching and the Wee Free Men. For Mort, Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler, Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax.

Most especially for Granny Weatherwax.

For the innate and powerful wisdom of Headology.

Thank you for your beautifully realized, but hysterically polarized Discworld; a more bizarre, yet somehow still warmer and gentler version of the warped reflection of the society that we view, skewered in the mirrored screens of our TVs and laptops and cellphones.

Thank you for sharing your light. Your grace. Your magic.

“There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who, when presented with a glass that is exactly half full, say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty.

The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What’s up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don’t think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!” – Terry Pratchett

Thank you, Sir Terry, for filling my glass.

March 14, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 9 Comments

Three Things Thursday: (Saturday) March 14, 2015

As always, a little tardy to the party with this week’s Three Things ~~Thursday~~ Saturday, a lovely challenge from Nerd in the Brain, encouraging you to post 3 things that made you smile this week, “an exercise in gratitude.”

We were in Augusta this past weekend, visiting my Mom-in-law, Linda, and had an opportunity to check out a new restaurant (for us at least) the 5 O’clock Bistro, downtown, off of Central.

My mom-in-law, enjoying dinner and the show!

Tasty food and an awesome band – the live music was fantastic! Stand up bass, guitar, and electric violin, with super talented guys: The Henry’s. It was a really lovely treat. (and there was tiramisu!)

While we were in town, we also had a chance to visit my husband’s sister and her 9 gorgeous kids. So fabulous to see my beautiful nieces and nephews!

They are all so smart, charming, talented and beautiful – I am very thrilled to be their Aunt Kim!

Wednesday morning found me enjoying a rare sunrise from the High Up, Twirley Place, with a 7 a.m. call for a corporate breakfast. The light and colors of the sunrise were truly magical.

Not magical enough to get me up every morning, but still, pretty awesome to see.

So, some lovely moments this week I’m grateful for – thank you, Nerdy for the inspiration!

March 6, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 6 Comments

Three Things Thursday: March 5, 2015

Happy to be back again for Nerd in the Brain’s Three Things Thursday (an exercise in gratitude!) with a few things that brought me joy this week.

My good friend, Colleen and her husband Gary were visiting this from San Francisco and came by for dinner on Sunday. David made his famous Cuban-style beans and rice and we had a wonderful evening hanging out by the fireplace and chatting til they had to vamoose to Hartsfield to catch their plane.

Tuesday was a sad day for me, since it marked the sixth year of the passing of one of my closest friends, Nkoyen. There was happiness, too, in a bittersweet way, as people came together on social media to share words of love and support to friends and family.

I was able to connect with our friend Beth for a little memorial dinner and we laughed through the tears telling wonderful stories of our exploits and adventures. Despite the staggering loss, there is the blessing that she was in my life for the time that we had, and that her friendship and memories are still a part of who I am.

And on a wildly trivial note, the restaurant we went to was Bone Garden Cantina, one of my favorite restaurants in the world, and there was elote, which chippered me up considerably.

Thank you, Nerd in the Brain, for the opportunity to share some happy things. Wishing you all a lovely weekend!

March 3, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 9 Comments

I Carry Your Heart with Me

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go)

– E.E. Cummings

March 3, 2009: my friend Nykoyen Ekpoudom passed away from a venous thromboembolism, a blood clot in major vein in her leg that broke loose and traveled to her lungs. It was unheralded and lightning fast – she lost consciousness and fell walking out of her office building in Manhattan. She never woke up.

I never got to say goodbye.

I can’t believe it’s been six years.

I think about her a lot.

It stuns me that she never got to meet one of the other most important people in my life; my husband, David. She would have approved and having her approval was a big deal.

She would have a lot to say about my current career ambiguity (probably unsolicited.) She would want to know about the plan I should be working on.

Were she here, she would read every single blog that I write. She would give thoughtful feedback.

She would covet my new black boots.

She was the kind of friend you just talked to. About anything. Goofy or funny or crazy or scary or serious. Good or bad. And yeah, if you were being an idiot, you could count on Nyk to gently bring that to your attention, but in a “get your *#%^ together – you’re better than that” kind of way. Friends serve so many roles in your life – each one is unique and has a different place in your heart.

Nyk was unabashedly my Partner-in-Crime. We were “sisters from another mister” – almost always up to something. Flirting with some hot boy, crashing a happenin’ party and commanding the room; shopping for completely unnecessary footwear, tossing down a Cosmopolitan or ~~two~~ three.

Off on some crazy adventure in Texas or California or New York.

Sometimes, there was karaoke. She was an brilliant business woman, strategically on-point for a stellar international career. Her goal was to always honor her family and her heritage. She wanted to bring change to her corner of the world.

She would have.

She liked to grab all her girls, weave through the crowds in whatever bar and dance like a dervish in front of the band. She had a thing for drummers.

She had a razor sharp brain, an appreciation for happiness and a deeply kind and generous nature. She saw the best in people – their true potential. She possessed a rich and rare sense of humor.

When she traveled, she always packed too many shoes.

She dazzled like a diamond in a sun beam, illuminating every room she walked into.

She would order the craziest combinations of food. Baked plantains, pickles, french fries and sweet and sour meatballs. Chili-covered “death” dogs, topped with peppers and Pepperidge Farm Goldfish crackers, drowned with diet coke.

She always had my back.

She was my friend.

My life moves on, skirting a Nkoyen-shaped hole in the world.

I miss her. I carry her in my heart.

March 1, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 18 Comments

Family Jewels

I’ve had a rather rough week emotionally, so when a friend emailed me on Tuesday and asked if I would set up a jewelry booth at a pop-up art shop she was hosting this weekend, I got a little excited.

Bless her heart, this sweet woman engages in the kind belief that I’m organized and make jewelry on a regular basis, with enough inventory on hand to do a booth with a week’s notice – her thought that my only outlay would be the time on Sunday to set up and sell my work.

Actually, I had no inventory at all when she contacted me (I gave pretty much everything I had made away as holiday gifts), but I felt a sudden need for an artistic challenge, something to get my head out of my #$$ and end my current pity party.

I said, “Sure! Absolutely!” and jumped right on Etsy and started ordering some supplies. I figured I’d get everything by Thursday and have about 3 days to put together 20-25 pieces (earrings, necklaces and bracelets) for the art shop.

I started designing jewelry about eight years ago, right after I sold my club and was looking for the next direction for my life to take. Any type of large-scale uncertainty makes me quite a bit twitchy. Crafting jewelry requires (at least for me) a tunneled focus, a channeled muse and small and somewhat soothing repetitive gestures, with the added bonus of the visual and tactile delight of gemstones and crystals.

It’s ultimately an amazing form of therapy for me and I really enjoy the act of creating. I would do it more, but I always have the excuse of working too much, spending too little time as is with husband and friends, trying to consistently write a blog…

Therefore my big ol’ box of jewelry making junk typically makes an appearance only around birthdays and holidays.

Well, maybe something for a special dress or new outfit, but I’ve learned that anything I make for myself tends to get conscripted by my Mom. How do you say no to your Mom?

Of course, my supplies didn’t come in on Thursday. They came in Saturday afternoon. As in yesterday, Saturday afternoon, the day before the Sunday pop-up shop.

David and I sat up ’til after midnight last night watching the new season of House of Cards on Netflix, while I hunched over small piles of rocks and twisted wires scrabbling them together until I had what I thought was enough of a display for a small show.

But of course, I woke up around 7 a.m. and felt guilty that I didn’t have enough stuff to give my friend variety for her event, so I made coffee, curled up in front of the fireplace and made a few more pieces.

When I realized it was time for me to get ready to leave for the show, it occurred to me that I hadn’t checked my phone all morning.

Sure enough, there was a text message from my friend.

The pop-up shop was cancelled for today, sorry for the late notice.

Oh well, vie la c’est. I feel much happier and more relaxed. My “creative” has been let out.

David and I had fun running around this morning outside in the freezing mist to take pictures of the jewelry I made (natural light tends to show color best) and I know they will reschedule the art shop in a few weeks.

In the meantime, I have new jewelry to wear.

I got to watch 3 episodes of the new House of Cards.

Should I provoke the thought, I have enough product to maybe open that Etsy shop I’ve been meaning to do for a few years now. I would love to do something where I could make a little moolah and donate part of the profits to Atlanta Lab Rescue, a group I volunteer for.

And, I had a blog topic for today.

With photos.

And bling.

A veritable treasure chest of “win” and a “jewel in my crown.”

(Aarrghh. Sorry.)

February 24, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 5 Comments

Share Your World – 2015 Week 8

This week’s questions from Cee’s weekly “Share Your World” blog prompt:

Your favorite blog post that you have written? (add link)

“We are Martial.”

There are two, and for very different reasons. I think “We Are Martial” is the funny (to me at least), quippy kind of writing I wish I could do more of.

“Missing Nkoyen” is a tribute to my best friend Nyk, who passed away five years ago. It’s far from a worthy tribute to all that she was to so many of us, but it’s just one effort, as e.e. cumming, said, to carry her heart with me, “to carry it in my heart.”

What do you feel is the most enjoyable way to spend $500? Why?

A big dinner party at home or at a restaurant with a bunch of friends. Eating and drinking while spending time with people I love is one of my favorite things in the world to do.

We host dinner parties all the time, from our big Burn’s Supper in January, to St. Paddy’s Day dinners, Easter soirees, and 4th of July barbeques to food-themed movie nights, like “The Breakfast Club,” (with pancakes and bacon) and “Dr. No” (with Dark and Stormys and Key Crab Cakes.)

Burn’s Supper

If you could know the answer to any question, besides “What is the meaning of life?”, what would it be?

I think I would ask for direction on what my dream job would be and how I would go about getting it. I love designing events and creating images and stories for brands and social media. It would be amazing to write every day as part of my job. I wish I could combine them all and get a realistic paycheck.

Where do you eat breakfast?

When I’m with my husband, who usually cooks, we will eat in front of the fireplace in the winter, or on bar stools at the kitchen island. Otherwise, I might scarf down a bagel at my desk at work.

Bonus question: What are you grateful for from last week, and what are you looking forward to in the week coming up?

For last week, I am grateful that it didn’t snow or ice over because I had so many events at work that would have been cancelled or negatively impacted. (Note: this is changing as we speak, as winter weather descends on us once again. There are events that could still be cancelled or negatively impacted. Dammit.)

This week coming up? See Question 2: I am looking forward to a big brunch with friends on Sunday, followed by dinner with other friends visiting from out of town. Yay!

February 23, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 6 Comments

Bulldawgs and Yellow Jackets: Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge

This week, Cee asks that you find photo inspiration in the chorus of the song, My Favorite Things:

When the dog bites,
When the bee stings,
When I’m feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
And then I don’t feel so bad.

Since I live in the city of Atlanta, in the Land of College Football, my immediate thought on reading these lyrics was the intense rivalry between our two state university teams, the Georgia Bulldogs (dog bites!)

image source: sports-logos-screensavers.com

and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (bee stings!).

image source: sports-logos-screensavers.com

Which brought back wonderful memories of football games at my alma mater, the University of Georgia.

Tailgating! Image source: some random dude (my camera and ticket stub, though) Photo “collage” by me.

(As you may gather by the hair styles and price of student tickets, this was quite some time ago. Look, is that a dinosaur in the background!?!)

Image source: my college roommate, Beth.

I never spent much time watching the actual game, but watching all the people and hanging out with my “besties” amidst the excitement and fervor of a game day, was a highlight of my college experience. I’m very fortunate to count quite of a few of my college buddies as friends still today, and they are definitely a source of support and joy, in good times and bad.

Recently, I acquired some new happy images to associate with the Georgia Bulldogs.

My husband, who also went to Georgia, dug out an old Bulldogs blanket to make a bed for our sweet foster pup, Beau, who is rapidly becoming part of our hearts and our family.

Beau, cuddled up on his Georgia Bulldog blanket with all of his toys.

So, when I’m feeling sad,

I can simply remember some my favorite things (old and new!) and then I don’t feel so bad!

(Gooooooooo dawgs! Sic ’em, woof, woof, woof.)

February 19, 2015 by kimicalreaction - 2 Comments

Three Things Thursday: February 19, 2015

For Nerd in the Brain’s Three Things Thursday, I’d like to share a few moments from my week for which I’m both happy and grateful.

A lovely and relaxing Valentine’s Day at home with my husband, “far from the madding crowd” at the restaurant where I work.

There was a cozy fire, pretty flowers, a nice bottle or two of wine and very importantly:

Lasagna!

A beautiful, but very crisp Atlanta night. So far, we’ve avoided any snow and ice, for which I’m actually grateful, since I have too many events and too much work this week to afford a city shutdown. ::sigh:: It’s sad, truly, when you can’t get excited about missing work for a snow day.

And the biggest chunk of happy to share with you: our awesome foster dog, Beau! He’s the sweetest baby, but has had some rough handling in his two years before ALR rescued him a from a shelter. We’ll be working with a dog therapist and trainer to hopefully help him overcome some of his socialization issues and be happy and content living with us. He’s a special guy and we’re already totally in love with him.

It’s been a very nice week (work and arctic weather aside) and I’m looking forward to a wonderful weekend. Thank you again, Nerd in the Brain, for the opportunity to remember and share my gratitude!