Lame, I know...

I must say, this week was infinitely better than last and I am wrapping up this Friday feeling energized and accomplished (faciliting a raucus book club at the Senior Center and paying off debt collectors with my first pay check are pretty big accomplishments if I do say so myself). However, with all of this energizing and accomplishing I have had hardly a moment for a real post and sadly that moment is yet to arrive. Instead I leave you with two images that I'm currently inspired by. Seperately they each represent two of my favorite interests: vegetarianism and taxidermy.

{thank you design sponge}

{bright bizarre, you're an angel.}

Happy Friday!
OLIT

Post Script: This Old Lady in Training does not actually perform taxidermy herself. Instead she has a strange and unshakable fascination and magnet-like attraction to anything involving stuffed once-alive animals or their mounted heads/antlers/etc. Don't judge.

Picked Me Right On Up...

Tonight my friend and I took in the Greenwood-Phinney Art Walk. It served as a good setting for some informal counseling. I am a week and a half into my first full time, career type job and while I'm fairly certain I am going to love it I am still experiencing a certain amount of anxiety, exhaustion, and general awkwardness that go along with being the new kid. These feelings of uncertainty and discomfort as I figure out what this whole work thing is all about are all well and good but it seems as if it is becomming a theme in my non work life as well. I spend my day at work trying to figure out effective work place communication and struggle to forge relationships and lately I have also been feeling this same discomfort in my personal life. As a result I have been feeling frustrated and lonely because seemingly no real connection is being made despite a true desire to understand (and of course to be understood). After walking and talking about this Alexis, said friend and counselor, found this print by Jessica Swift at Assemble Gallery and Studio that instantly cheered me up. While it might not be a connection with another person a connection was made none the less.

It gets me.

Start Expecting the Unexpected...

Two days ago I got in the car with a co-worker who, if it weren't for the noted absence of the "Seattle freeze" in her person-to-person interactions, I would have labeled as "pure Seattle". She's never without her Danksos, eats in a sustainable and organic manner, and drives a 10 year old Subaru. Seeing these cues that clearly scream "PACIFIC NORTHWEST" I had assumed she probably enjoyed the musical stylings that accompany the PNW "mystique". I enjoyed this image so much that I had even envisioned myself running into her at Tractor Tavern in Ballard while taking in an alt-country concert. At this chance meeting we would probably discuss the bluegrass players we had both seen down at Pike's Place on our respective lunch time walks. In my fantasy the only music I could see us coming into contention over was my obsessive listening to the Glee soundtrack (Volumes 1 and 2) and my love of modern country (in my imagination she has a dedication to classic country and so by focusing on that shared value I would always be able to smooth over our artistic disagreement). A few sentances ago when I used the phrase "I had assumed" I hope that you, the reader, could immediately forsee that this was going to end in a shattering of dreams and a general sense of dissillusionment for your author. When I was offerred a ride I was thrilled. I thought "Oh man... she will probably have an obscure local band playing in her car... if not I'll suggest we listen to Cat Stevens and we can ride the Peace Train all the way to the meeting." The reality of the situation was as far from my dreams as possible. Instead of The Maldives we listened to a mix comprised exclusively of Keith Sweat-esque slow jams. Shocked, but not quite appalled, it got me thinking...



You think you know a person and then you ride in their car.



With that said... I should probably go deep clean mine.

To My Imaginary Readers...

To the thousands of millions of adoring fans who do not know about, let alone read, this blog:

Please excuse my lack of updates. Besides the missing camera I am in new job acclimation mode. While my energy and inspiration may be down my optimism for a brighter blogging future is high. Give me a few more days.

Working For Retirement,
OLIT

Huzzah!

I just received the following text message from my sister's friend, "I just found your camera buried in my underwear drawer!"

I don't know how it got there and I don't care. A celebration is in order. A proper update on the way!

Search and Rescue...

This past week has been wild. A dreamy adventure to the Olympic Peninsula, Bingo-Karaoke at the Greenwood Senior Center, and Bloomsday! All of which have incredible pictures. The problem? My camera has gone missing. I had so many posts all based around these photographs. I weep for the writing that never will be.

Can we please have a moment of silence for my camera. Please if you have any information as to its whereabouts step forward. Your identity will be protected and there will be a reward (I hope you accept I O Us)

Hopefully,
OLIT

Take A Load Off...

Last Tuesday as my friends and I squeezed on my couch (with one or two of us having to sit on the cold, hard floor) watching Glee I thought "Self, you sure could use some more seating." Seemingly I am in the Universe's good graces because as if by simply thinking the thought I stumbled upon not just seating but golden brocade seating fit for a regal 85 year old woman (and let's not forget her 3 cats). What was the proverbial frosting to this cupcake? The $25 price tag!!

It was clear this was not a chance meeting. What I was experiencing was an act of fate. I had to act quickly and so I handed over the cash without considering where in the apartment it would go (or without doing a sniff test first). I so strongly believed in this match I would not allow common sense to play any part in our union.

When we arrived home (and thanks to the help of Colin and Alexis getting it up the stairs) it was time to figure out where the new addition would go. I tore the living room apart trying to figure it out. I knew that my shopping partners had a little bit of doubt about the chair. I had ignored it. But now that it was just me, the chair, and an already granny chic room I too started feel the pangs of uncertainty. But after rearranging a little bit I found a spot near a window that I thought would keep the chair happy...


It was still missing something though. Time to get creative...


A pop of color and contrasting textures in the pillow helped but the walls were too bare and I had run out of "spare art" to fill the space. Think. Think. Think.

That morning, at a 6 family rummage sale, I bought some incredible bird fabric (I'm a sucker for bird fabric). How is that useful??

Then I remembered that I had some extra frames from a Goodwill outing. So I cut up the fabric, stuck it in the frames, took the mirror my sister brought me back from Morocco off my dresser, put it all together, and then stepped back to see what had transpired...


That'll do. That'll do.

Now I just need to clean up the mess I made while tearing the living room / dining room apart trying to make space for my latest find. But as they always say, "Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow (or the day after tomorrow)?"

Good night.
OLIT