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Bathroom Reader and UO Love

Friday, October 4, 2013

 Hey there! Sorry I haven't been too active with the writing. I recently discovered this great place called Independent Fashion Bloggers through an FAQ on Keiko Lynn's site and it's proved to be super valuable to me. I've spent a better part of this week just browsing the archives and learning about the techie and back end portions of how to run a blog. I've been fiddling around with SEO (search engine optimization) which I didn't even know existed before stumbling across this site. I just assumed you showed up in Google searches! Without even trying. It's been really eye-opening and a bit of a headache to bring my blog up to speed. I'm not even 10% there yet. Thank heavens I have so few entries and I discovered this when I did!

That's the great part about this blogging stuff. I doubt I will ever get to the point of being famous or making money off my blog but already, I'm learning basic photography, photo editing, modeling, make-up, HTML, graphic design (okay REALLY basic for that one) and brushing up on my writing and networking skills. I feel no matter where I end up with this, I will take something I can use in the future! And who doesn't love that? Plus, whenever I plug in the HTML code for an ad banner or change the size of a picture and it ends up being RIGHT, I feel like Homer in this video. I AM SO SMART!



Yesterday, I went shopping with my sister at Somerset Mall Stateside. It's such a beautiful mall. An expensive mall though. She was on a quest for a certain pair of Lululemon pants, a pair she sort of already has, but wanted the longer version of (she's a bit of a shopaholic like myself. It must run in the family!) I really wish I could hit this mall when I have more money than $5. They have so many lovely stores... Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Kate Spade, Ferragamo, Sephora... I could go on. Nearly every store in there is high end. It's the type of mall I don't even like to window shop at for any length of time - falling in love with things is just too painful. I saw this BCBG dress on a mannequin and seeing the price online makes me glad I didn't stop to try it on. That's all my extra spending money for a month! YIKES!

However, my sister is awesome and an enabler. In exchange for a small amount of Canadian currency (definitely not equal value. I got the better deal on this one) she purchased me a book and a purse. But I need these for blogging, right?

UO, Urban Outfitters, Kimchi, dusty pink purse, bag, satchel, chain link, scallop edge, brown tone, pretty, girly, cute

This was an extra 50% off the sale price! So I got it for $10. However, even the regular sale price is a pretty good price. It seems well made, it's a perfect pinky brown colour, so it can go with lots of outfits and I love the inside lining! Available at Urban Outfitters.

Urban Outfitters book, reading, review, Street Fashion Photography, tips for photography, picture taking tips, posing tips, camera, how to properly light photos, fashionista, streetwear, UO

I also purchased this book (or my sister did?) I bought it mostly because I'm still kind of derpy when it comes to taking photographs. There are just a lot of things that you would think would be no brainers that I just don't  know. This is my first venture into photography and I've never taken into consideration poses, backgrounds and certain editing methods. Everything is laid out nicely in this book so it's perfect if you are starting out like me! Available at Urban Outfitters

Anyways, today is supposed to be Factoid Friday, but I thought I'd bring you up to speed on what I've been doing lately (which isn't a whole lot but I did get out of the house, woot!) The book I'm pulling facts from this week is a Bathroom Reader. I'm a big fan of these books and read any copy I get my hands on. However, I've made the mistake in the past of passing on my copies of Bathroom Reader books once I've finished reading them. WHERE WILL I GET MY FACTS FROM??? I foresee a trip to the library in my future. I also need to stop buying books. I give away my Bathroom Reader books because I don't have room for them but then I keep buying new books to take their place.

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Facts I Learned From This Book

15% of American women send themselves flowers on Valentine's Day.
The phrase "tying the knot" comes from the ancient Irish tradition of handfasting, in which the bride and groom have their hands tied together by a priest during their wedding ceremony.
What are the chances that you will like the person your friend sets you up with? About 17%.
60% of American brides participate in the selection of their engagement ring.

Photo from an expired eBay auction so I can't give proper credit but I really do like it!
Pheromones are powerful things. Cockroaches will try to mate with a glass rod doused with female pheromones and human men under the "influence" of pheromones found plain women to be more attractive and beautiful but pheromone free women to be less so. Interestingly, when women were asked to smell unwashed t-shirts of different men, they preferred those of men whose immune systems were different than their own. This is likely because together, they would make a super baby with a powerful immune system. Yay for science!
The first welfare plan was actually paying for orphaned girls' dowries. It was implemented in Italy during the Renaissance.
It's said that Jerome Bonaparte (brother to Napoleon) and his American wife Elizabeth Patterson were the first honeymooners in Niagara Falls in 1803.




Bimbala Das, a 30 year old Indian woman, married a cobra in 2006. The snake couldn't be coaxed from his underground home however, so a gold snake statue stood in as a fill-in.
In 1228, Scottish women won the right to propose marriage.
Who had the longest wedding engagement ever? A couple named Octavio Guillen and Adrian Martinez. They married when they were both 82 in 1969. They first got engaged in 1902.
In 1770, Britain passed a law that anyone who wore lipstick and other make-up "to lure men or trick them into marriage" could be tried as witches!
Casanova introduced the concept of the lottery to France in 1757.
In colonial America, if a man went to visit an unmarried woman and needed to sleep over for some reason, a practice called bundling was used. A wooden partition was put in the middle of the bed to separate the two, or they sometimes were sewn into sacks or straight up tied to the bed. No funny business going to happen here!
In Victorian times, how you held your fan and the method of your fanning signaled how you feeling at the time. In front of your face with your left hand for instance meant, "Leave me alone."

Victorian lady, Victorian lady with fan, Victorian lady fanning herself, antique photograph, antique fan


When Pierre Perignon first discovered champagne, he reportedly called out to his fellow monks, "Come quickly, I am drinking the stars!"
What are the chances that a first date will telephone if it's been more than 24 hours? About 12.5%.
Next time you wonder why gay people are fighting so hard for marriage rights, take this into consideration - there are 1, 138 Federal US benefits tied directly to marriage, including Social Security, inheritance rights, child custody and immigration status to name a few. 
The average buyer spends just over $77 on Valentine's Day gifts.
35% of middle aged women would prefer to date younger men.
In the 1800s, many commoners didn't even get a day off work for their wedding!
20% of marriages around the world are between first cousins.
17% of newlyweds say they consummated their relationship on their first date.

Phew! Lots of facts about love. There were lots more funny ones about people trying to marry themselves and their car but I thought that was pretty good for now.

As for things happening today, not too much going on. I discovered that today in 1582 is when we switched to the Gregorian calendar. It's also Susan Sarandon's birthday! I've liked her ever since watching Little Women. I still watch that movie way too much. If you ever get a chance, pick up the copy of her on BUST. She's quite an intelligent and well spoken lady.

Susan Sarandon, young Susan Sarandon, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Susan Sarandon Rocky Horror Picture Show, Susan Sarandon curly hair, hot Susan Sarandon

It's also World Animal Day so hug some kitties! But not just that. It's a day to mindful of all animals, so instead of squashing that spider, put him outside.




Today is also the beginning of World Space Week. I don't know a lot about space, but it's an excuse to rent Hubble again, right? Listen to Leonardo DiCaprio's schmexy voice, muhahah.

Leonardo DiCaprio, Hubble spacecraft, Hubble 3D, space movie, Leonardo DiCaprio voice over, sexy movie actor, space week


It's funny, I was dreading writing this entry all week. Because I had fallen out of the swing of writing a little bit, it was taking awhile to get back into it. I needed this song by Metric to pump me up. Perhaps if I didn't write you know, A NOVEL each time I wrote a blog, maybe I wouldn't dread it so much. Oh well! Until next time!




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2 comments :

  1. I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who hasn't fully figured this blogging world out, hah. You're doing a wonderful job though :)

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    1. Awww, thanks so much! I really appreciate it!

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