happy halloween.

have a frightfully delightful halloween.

image via cameron ingalls, inc. - there are some beautiful photographs on this website. check it out!

an educated choice

yesterday, this post caused an uproar in the comments section between people voting for obama and people voting for mccain. the thing i was most appalled by - beside the fact that someone brought up a hatred for the name 'barack' as an apparent fault with barack obama as a person - was the fact that quite a few commenters seemed to think that those voting for barack obama for president (as i did) were 'silly' and were voting for someone like a celebrity or only because someone else vouched for them. it is extraordinarily dismissive to think that because someone chooses a candidate that they have done so without thought. i mean, really people. we are all adults, right? we make responsible choices (for the most part). so i would like to understand why a lot of people apparently think that it is an educated choice to pick mccain but somehow not to pick obama. i am confused.

i made it a serious point to educate myself about every single issue supported or disapproved by each presidential candidate. i still choose obama. proudly. i made a serious effort to educate myself about every single candidate and issue on my absentee ballot this year, as i have done every time i have voted thus far. it would be irresponsible and an abuse of my right to not make an educated choice. i do not vote strictly along party lines, but rather for or against the person or issue that i feel aligns with my values. 

please, visit project vote smart and educate yourself about your choice. it's a wonderful resource and it presents facts that will allow you to make a responsible choice instead of only paying attention to what biased media organizations feed you.

phrases like 'rabid liberal' have been used to describe those voting for obama and i personally take strong offense. yes, i am much more liberal than most, but i do not shove my views down people's throats. i have never thought of the term 'rabid' as one that would describe myself, my behavior, or my views. everyone is entitled to their opinion and if we happen to disagree, i look forward to an intelligent discussion about why exactly we disagree. it's refreshing (though admittedly, sometimes angering) to learn about other people's views. it is childish, rude and unbelievably ignorant to simply shoot down someone's opinion without consideration for how they came to have that stance on one issue or another.

i am a proud supporter of barack obama for president of the united states. i am not a silly girl. i am not morally defect. i have strong family values. i value life and freedom and realize how sacred they both are. i am also pro-choice and damn proud of it. i am educated about the economy, educational policies, foreign affairs, etc., and made it a point to be so. because of all of these things and many more, i choose barack obama. 

if you happen to disagree, then that is absolutely fine. you have your vote and i have mine and we will see what happens on november 4th.

GO VOTE!

image via ehow.com

needs and wants

i may not need it, but goodness me, i want it. this beautiful poster, entitled 'words of change,' from artist gui borchert is part of the amazing collection of wall candy from artists for obama. not only is the poster simply stunning in itself, but the words that make up the graphic are utterly inspiring. have a closer look below:

all funds from purchases serve as contributions to the obama/biden 2008 campaign. you can pick up one of your very own here.

just for good measure, here is your monday reminder from idontliketowearshoes: GO VOTE!

images via obama for america

barack the vote

i have already had the privilege of voting this year: i received my absentee ballot, filled in the appropriate circles, put my ballot back in an envelope and finally, mailed that most important piece of paper back to the county clerk of baxter county, arkansas. while i made mine barack, i think that it is incredibly important to simply vote this year (and hopefully, vote responsibly). it has always seemed shameful to me that - as a whole - so few americans actually vote. yes, if you are not an absentee, you do have to wait in extraordinarily long lines at times, but you also get to have the knowledge that you are exercising one of the most coveted rights in the world - you are getting to have a say in who your leaders are. what a gift that is... and just look at what happens when people neglect that gift.

i know so many non-americans who would give their left foot (or maybe even their right, who knows?) to actually get to vote this time around. i mean, i realize that i wasn't alive for the vietnam conflict, the cuban missile crisis, or many other important times in america's past, but this - what is happening right now: the economy in shambles, the world economy in shambles, two disastrous wars and thousands dead for greed, the housing crisis, americans losing their jobs left and right, america losing the respect of the rest of the world, etc. - this is one of those ultimately defining moments. every american over 18 needs to speak up, get to a polling station, make a decision, and hopefully bring about the change that everyone has been dying for for the last 8 years. every single voice counts and we, as a people, should make sure that every single voice is there to be accounted for.

t-minus 10 days and counting. don't just stand on the sidelines and wait for the outcome. exercise your right and be a part of this momentous occasion.

barack the vote.

image via Obama/Biden 2008 myspace page

dream vacation, here i come...

golearnto.com has to be one of the most fantastic resources i have ever heard of. ever. they offer an unbelievable assortment of 'inspirational holiday courses' - meaning that you can learn italian while traveling through italy, learn flamenco dancing (which i am going to do this spring come hell or high water) while in granada, spain... and basically everything you could possibly imagine, anywhere you could imagine it happening. and the price-tags aren't exorbitant, either. 

consider me inspired... 

image via of golearnto.com

promise of a new year to motivate me

Four Prints to Motivate, from OrangeBeautiful available here

OrangeBeautiful 2009 Calendar available for pre-order here

I mention the lovely ladies from theSCOOP here very often... basically, because they are utterly brilliant. i have ordered both of the beauties illustrated above to hang up on walls in whatever dwelling i will be inhabiting next year. i find them inspiring. 

my mother calls them my 'paint by numbers' prints, and makes fun of me for my obsession with beautiful typography... but i think that they are elegant and beautiful and i cannot wait to get them in the mail. the incredible duo from theSCOOP create the most provocative books and buttons and prints (and make them available to the public at their etsy shop) and i love them for it. not to mention that they provide links to inspiration daily... you should check them out. really, you should.

i cannot wait for 2009, and my beautiful calendar to accompany this new and hope-filled year.

getting back up

i've been going through a bit of a rough patch lately. basically, it comes down to the fact that things that i thought were just aren't. it seems as though i am in some sort of alternate reality some days... the one where apparent truths are not so apparent any more... the one where little black clouds follow people around and rain all over their pint-sized parades.

i am trying extraordinarily hard to not let it get me down... emphasis on the trying part. instead, i am focusing on the positives in my life - my unbelievable friends, my amazing family, and a promise of something better to come. i am also almost giddy with the thought of getting to go home to the farm and the fam for christmas, drink whiskey and be snarky with my best friend, and have all the pie and mexican food i can stomach (yay).

one thing that's been helping me keep a smile on my face is pushing daisies. not only is the show beautifully acted, beautifully written, beautifully quirky, but it is also simply beautiful-looking as well. when i watch it, it makes me want to paint... and bake. and there is something about the show that just makes me smile... it lifts the spirits, so to speak. so, if you are in need of a little pick me up, you should check it out.

as usual, i digress. things have been not-the-best of late but i am convinced that with a lot of work and a little extra focus (on a few well-chosen distractions), i will find my way out of my funk.

seriously. brilliant.

thanks to this lovely post over at theSCOOP, i have found the absolutely brilliant folks over at Pressa Russa. this sort of papery goodness is just my flavor! their selection of cards, cd sleeves and moleskine journals (my favorites!!!) reminds me very much of the brilliance over at someecards, and it makes me extraordinarily happy.