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.

mosaic of me

photo credits go to:

1. DSC19742 - Natalie's eye, 2. Pillar of fire, 3. Hockaday Class of 98 Reunion 2008, 4. Green on Green, 5. christian bale maybe, 6. Father, Drinking Red Wine: McGregor Winery, NY, 7. Stamboul, Turkey (LOC), 8. open sesame, 9. bookshop window box wigtown scotland, 10. More on the Whole Simon Blint Fiasco, 11. Delivery Skills: How to Engage your Audience, 12. IMG_8792

i saw this little ditty over at theSCOOP and i couldn't resist making one of my own. it's a really lovely idea, and apparently, something really fun to put up at your desk (as my co-workers are also making them)... i guess you could call it a little self-expression.

want one of your very own, too? all you have to do is answer the following 12 questions (my answers are in parenthesis after each question) ...

1. what is your first name? (natalie)

2. what is your favorite food? (tepanyaki)

3. what high school did you attend? (the hockaday school)

4. what is your favorite color? (green)

5. who is your celebrity crush? (christian bale)

6. favorite drink? (dry red wine)

7. dream vacation? (instanbul, no constantinople)

8. favorite dessert? (créme brulée)

9. what do you want to be when you grow up? (a bookshop and café owner)

10. what do you love most in life? (experiencing new things)

11. one word to describe you? (spontaneous?)

12. your Flickr name? (idontliketowearshoes)

... type your answer to the above questions into Flickr's search. using only the images that appear on the first page, choose your favorite, copy and paste the URL into the Mosaic Maker (3 columns, 4 rows) and have yourself a grand ole time!!!

(random note - the first picture of the eye is, oddly, almost the exact color of my eyes. pretty nifty, huh?)

idea courtesy of theSCOOP, via Somewhere in Middle America, originally from wonderful one times one.

soap box à la natalie... and a little thank you, too.

i know that i tend to focus on political diatribes here, but i am really upset by the tactless criticism that stephenie meyer has been recieving for breaking dawn - the fourth and final book in the twilight series. i realize that i may be in an apparent minority in declaring that i absolutely loved the book and the way it concluded the series. i also realize that absolutely everyone is entitled to their own opinion... but seriously, what happened to tact? what happened to considering that when people tear down someone and their work carelessly on the internet, they are probably hurting the person they are referring to? it's not like people are talking about a machine here. so many people are being horribly cruel to a real live person who has feelings and pride in her work and ... i don't know... a heart, by not considering that what they slap up on some random internet site without thought might actually be read by the person they are referring to.

i was a little behind with getting on the twilight train, as i am not typically a fan of the fantasy genre. however, when i was in the states in june to be with my family, i happened to pick up twilight at a local bookstore. i finished it in 5 hours. i then proceeded to devour the next two books in the series - new moon and eclipse - the next day (no, i am not exaggerating... i literally could not put them down and flew through the pages faster than i have ever done before). i have probably never become so attached to fictional characters in my life... and it goes without saying - though people should say it much more often - that stephenie meyer is an absolutely brilliant author.

i just think that instead of criticizing her work without considering that there was an unbelievable amount of thought and love that went into it, we - the twilight readership - should be thanking ms. meyer for providing the world at large with an absolutely compelling story (whether you liked all of it or not, it is undeniable that the books have a real draw to them, that they are exquisitely written, and that they are incredibly easy to access). we should be thanking her for making us pick up a book instead of glazing over in front of the television again. wonderful people like stephenie meyer and j.k. rowling have made people love to read again. people like those lovely women have introduced characters that inspire such passion in readers that they found societies and thousands of websites and establish holidays specifically dedicated to them. it's really pretty incredible if you think about it.

so, even though i am absolutely no one in the grand scheme of things... i want to say 'thank you,' stephenie meyer for giving the world your stories. thank you for the care and heart that you put into your work and into your interactions with your fans. thank you for giving us edward and bella and the cullens and jacob and charlie and renessme... simply, thank you.

i think i'm in love...