Boredom Beater: A book and a banana

Being unemployed has caused me to closely reevaluate my spending habits. I noticed one of my biggest habits from my former working life was spending money when I was bored. For example, I'm chronically early, so when I had fifteen minutes to kill I'd go into a boutique and buy a little fancy soap or desk trinket. Or I'd hop into a cafe and grab a latte and a cookie just to pass the time. A lot of times I didn't even really want the food or the trinket-it was just a habit. 

Now that I'm unemployed, I am much stricter about eating only when I'm actually hungry and buying things that I actually need or at least genuinely want. As such, I've had to find new creative ways to kill fifteen minutes. 

The best way I've found is to always pack a banana and a good book in my purse. That way, wherever I am, I can find a bench and enjoy fifteen minutes of page-turning potassium boosting:) This new habit works really well and I almost always feel infinitely better after this new little respite. In fact, I plan to continue this habit even after I get a new job. 

Other good options include going for a little walk, calling a friend, or taking a picture or two. What's your favorite boredom-beater? Do tell in the comments below! 

Sexy Swimsuit Season-It's all in the Attitude Ladies!

I came across these pictures over at the grand blog  "Cup of Joe." They are pictures of blogger Joana Goddard's granny, who moved from England to Chicago to marry her sweetheart (adoring man pictured below.) Anyway, these pictures really struck me because as swimsuit reason rolls in, it just reminds you that sexy really is all in the attitude. 

These women are wearing ultra-conservative retro one pieces and, let's face it, these ladies look hot. As bikini season sets in, remember that a playful attitude and confidence go a long way to taking an awesome swimsuit shot. As you can see from the picture below, Grandpa Goddard sure seems to agree with me:) 

In conclusion, next time you turn on your radio and hear another soul-sucking lyposuction commercial encouraging you to become an oompa loompa orange, zepra hair striped fembot with mal-aligned melon breasts drooping out of a porn-star bikini, think of dewy English rose Granny Goddard and shut that sucker off! 

Five Ways to Have a Lite, Lovely Memorial Day

If you want to keep your Memorial Day lite and lovely, here are five tips for cutting the fat out of your BBQ celebration! Remember, technically Memorial Day is about memories, not meat, so have a memorable time laughing and lounging with your friends WITHOUT sacrificing your metabolism.

1) Skip the hamburger bun. A hamburger bun contains 120 calories full of white flour that will not fill you up! Skip the bun and opt for a slice of yummy protein-full American cheese for 80 calories instead.

2) Do not put butter on your corn on the cob. I absolutely love crispy, yummy corn on the cob at BBQ's, but the taste is so sweet, you really don't need to add extra butter to the mix. By skipping butter, you spare yourself and additional 36 calories. If you must add flavoring, try lemon pepper spice instead. 

3) Easy on the booze. Limit yourself to one alcoholic beverage then stick to sparkling water for the rest of the BBQ. One nice glass of sangria or keg beer is really all you need to get in the celebratory mood, and as I said, Memorial Day is about creating memories, not blacking out. 

4) Have a lighter dessert. I adore festive foods, and would never suggest skipping a burger on Memorial Day. However, there's no need to top things off with a brownie or cookies that really don't relate to this celebratory day. If you want to get in the spirit with some festive main fare, go light on dessert. I am bringing a delicious low-cal sour cream strawberry shortcake to all my BBQ's to treat my friends to a liter dessert option. Fresh fruit kebabs are another great low-fat Memorial Day treat. 

5) Add an exercise component to your Memorial Day BBQ. A neighborhood walk or game of backyard volleyball or croquet helps keep the festivities going and burns calories at the same time. 

Most of all, have a wonderful safe three-day weekend! Happy Memorial Day! 

The Four Things You Need to Start Your Dream Job (And the one thing you don't)

It's official: there's no more hierarchy. There are no more titles. There's definitely no ladder with endless ambiguous rungs to be climbed. Whatever you want to do, do it. It's the 21st century, and there's absolutely no reason not to. 

If you have a couch, a coffeemaker, a laptop, and a couple kindred like-minded souls whose talents complement yours, congratulations, you've got a company. With the multitude of how-to's and tutorials on the web, the amazing software available, and the ease with which you can now create business cards and websites, there is absolutely nothing standing in the way of you doing exactly what you want to do, exactly the way you want to do it. 

For example, I want to make viral interactive experiences. Taking something static and making it in to a three-dimensional, dancing, singing, cursing, wriggling rich interactive experience is the thing that makes my heart pound, my eyes glaze, and time streak away in dripping technicolor, like a butterfly made of toast and butter in a Lewis Caroll movie. And that conviction, that spasm of glee, is the only foundation, the only certification (I am recasting this word to now mean steeped in certitude) I need to begin.  But it took me a while to realize this. 

For months I've been waiting for a Creative Director position. I figure if I can just get someone to look at my portfolio, affirm my awards, make little nodding sounds of approval as I discuss synergy and metrics, I can then finally, finally make viral interactive experiences. But then it hit me: I could just go ahead and start making viral interactive experiences now. So I am. 

I am writing a novel, which will eventually become a screenplay, which will eventually be promoted via a viral marketing campaign including posters, videos, websites, blogs, whisper campaigns, mullets, cherries, the number 5, baby rattles, and much, much more. 

Now that I know this, I am working in leaps and bounds to make it happen. I have already become proficient in Pages and Iweb, which is riveting in this freaky, giddy, Faustus, unearthing creative fashion. Next up is photoshop and Imovie, and maybe a little Garage Band, who knows? Knowing that creativity is my core gift, I will apprentice myself to each and every tool that will allow me to flow in my natural-born talents. 

Most importantly, I won't wait for some arbitrary nod of approval to begin my heart-pounding, insomniac-inducing, giddy-glee career pursuits. I want to begin my dream job now. I have all the kindling to ignite my creative destiny, and I'm going to go from apathetic lighter-flicker to full-on passionate pyro. Permission granted, Self. Let the flames of creativity begin.

The moral of the story is,  don't wait for a job offer, a shiny office, a fancy title, 401k, or whatever else you think you need to reassure you that you are what you already know deep down you are. Act first, and the fancy titles and 401k will come naturally. I promise. Or if they don't, your life will be so awesome you won't care. 

Discovered-On Demand Workouts

A litegeister by any other name may easily be called a sloth, a slug, a lazy bohemian. All true, I freely admit. That said, I am making a valiant effort to stay in shape this season, which is why I've discovered a genius workout alternative for those litegeisters like myself-too lazy to even drag themselves to their 5 minutes-away gym. While flipping through the channels, I discovered a revelation: a trove of fitness workouts available on On Demand.

I know what you're thinking. On Demand? The cesspool "free movie" abyss where they the banish the likes of Mighty Ducks 3 and The Lakehouse? Yes indeed! On Demand is in fact a hidden source of loads of fun, funky and best of all, free workouts for the lazy bohemian set. Just go to "Sports and Fitness" and then filter to "Exercise TV." Viola, exercise segments galore!  So what are you waiting for litegeisters? It's time to lay on the floor and plank like no one's looking (because luckily, unlike your local gym, they aren't!) 

So far I have been focusing on ab workouts, since I am a bit more  blessed than I'd like to be in the belly region:) I am not one of those people that gains wait all over. I have always said I have a "chihauhau" body type. At a petite five one, my arms and legs stays skinny while my stomach bulges out like a balloon the second I eat a delicious Alki Bakery chocolate chip cookie. But since this is a POSITIVITY blog, I will take a moment to point out how cute chihauhaus, with their plump warm bellies, actually are. Awww....

Anyway, so far I have sampled two delightful On-Demand workouts. The first was "Rock Solid Abs" with Kendall Hogan (a porn star name if I've ever heard one). But I suppose that's what I get for clicking on the "Sexy for Summer" section which included such gems as "Baywatch Abs" (ab workouts with a side of Hepatitis C, maybe?), Chair Dance, Bootylicious Buns, and more. Anyway, Kendall turned out to be a kindly black man who offered his abs instruction with just the right dose of tough love. This workout requires more equipment, including hand weights and medicinal balls. This is a quick ten-minute ab blaster, but I have to say I definitely worked hard. It was a nice satisfying workout that was just hard enough, and had enough variety that I learned a few new moves. If you want a quick ab-tightener in the morning or before you go out on a date, I'd totally recommend "Rock Solid Abs" for a quick blast to your belly.

The second one I did was "Incredible Abs" with Cindy Whitmarsh. Cindy was a perky blonde whose abs definitely lived up to the hype. In true perky fashion, we dove right in to the exercises, this time in a standing position. I enjoyed this workout as I don't think it contained one conventional crunch or sit-up, and instead mixed it up with a ton of oblique work, plank variations, and standing exercises. For someone who is most likely in for a lifetime of ab workouts, I appreciated how this exercise routine mixed it up. Another bonus was that Cindy, a skillful instructor, varied the movements so you never worked one ab muscle group for too unbearably long like some teachers do. The plank finale at the end is a killer, but overall this segment is completely doable and a nice comprehensive ab workout. 

I have stuck to stummy exercises so far but am revving up for a Carmen Elektra striptease or 70's Temptation Walk (what is this?) next week, so stay tuned. For a guaranteed laugh, check out the "80's Roger Rabbit" in the "Get up and Dance" section. Oh man. I am laughing just typing the words "Roger Rabbit." Bonus ab workout, hahahah. Ok, I can't breathe. Litegeister, out. 

Lite Treats-Spring Coffee Drinks at Hotwire

In addition to trading in the pea coat for the cardigan and watching the Avalon Glassworks display turn from pumpkins to sunflowers, there is one more seasonal treat a litegeister loves: new spring coffee drinks. 

In this economically-conscious age, coffee drinks are the perfect elegant, fancy under $5 treat. So I was delighted to see Hotwire Coffee's new roll-out of seasonal spring drinks. And we aren't talking your average iced mocha. The green siren's got nothin' on Hotwire's luscious caffeine bouquet including lavender mochas, marigold lattes, and violet chai. Violet chai. Just sounds sexy to say, doesn't it? Not to mention a lot more low-key than your usual working girl hardcore half caf, non fat, triple grande, sugar free vanilla latte, am I right? 

Those were just three of the great options I saw today at Hotwire, but there was a veritable laundry list of fragrant flower flavors, so you must go see for yourself. Today, I sampled the Marigold Latte, a blend of vanilla, honey, and real orange peel, and it was heavenly, a true sip of spring. Walking down California Ave in the typical standard Seattle sporadic sun and rain, I had a moment of blissful urban bohemianism as I sipped my glorious garden-inspired drink, and I encourage you to go and do the same. Now I confess I am usually a sugar-free syrup girl myself, but I plan to indulge in at least three of these decadent drinks over the season as a personal toast to spring, and will be reporting back on my findings. Are there yummy spring coffee drinks in your area? Post your favorite one in the comments below! 

Little Shoots of Spring

Zulu Loves...The Library!

Ok, maybe it's not a total revelation. But for a hardcore card-carrying Barnes & Noble city girl like me, the library is a fascinating attempt at a liter, more simple lifestyle that doesn't include books that pile over the side of the shelf and take big bites out of my bank account. So for the other library neophytes out there, here is an account of a first-time library goer.

First of all, even as a litehearted gal, this sensitive soul is pretty picky about the environments she puts herself in. If it's too crowded, not clean, or has unkind people, forget it. But the quaint little neighborhood library met all my loftiest expectations. The clerk was this cool dreadlock guy with an English accent who was super helpful assisting me in finding books. And the checkout man was the hoped-for twinkly white haired man. When I approached the desk, he was busy telling a little neighborhood boy a riddle. A riddle, I tell you! How adorable is that? Best of all when you check out, you get none of the mega bookstore hardcore credit card sale that you have to suffer through in traditional book-buying. You know, the sales spiel you've heard so many times you have to fight the urge to recite it along with them after a while. 

The cool thing about going to the library is that it is guilt-free shopping. You still get the tingle of getting something new, without the stress of how much it cost. As a reformed shopaholic, I've been hitting my new "store" at least twice a week, back to my old beloved habits of cocking my head, judging, appraising, chortling with glee when I find something I like, and dismissively tossing back thin

gs I don't. 

Now, in my experience, it is better to just browse the library shelves rather than go in on a mission for one specific thing. This is not the place to find the latest bestseller or the book for your book club. Every book I specifically looked up had at least 4 people holding it. If you're patient or a plan-ahead type, this might work for you. If you're an "in the moment" kind of girl like me, just roam the shelves with no expectations and you'll be surprised what you might find. From what I can see, the library is perfect for those "oh yeah" books, the bestseller from f

our years ago you kept meaning to buy but completely forgot about. It's also good for picking up books in new genres you want to try, how-to books, language books, and even DVDs and cassettes. Overall, I feel the library is a can't-lose situation. More on this below...

For example, sometimes you'll pick up something excruciatingly bad, like Blueberry Nights starring Norah Jones. You meant to see it in the theater but something in your soul told you this sub-par arthouse flick had serious suck potential. And you were right! But since you got to view it in your house sans the twenty-dollar sting of a movie ticket and a giant tub of heart-attack popcorn, or even the minor downer of a 2.00 Itunes rental gone bad, it's terribleness is merely laughable instead of embittering. Winner, you.

To be fair, this movie was beautiful to look at and if the acting wasn't so incredibly overwrought (five scrunchy stares for every one line of dialogue) it might have been ok. The premise of a girl who shares a piece of blueberry pie in a diner one night and then writes letters to the shop-owner during a road trip is charming. But the symbolism was sooo over 

the top, it really just became ludicrous after a while. This might be a nice movie to have on mute at a tea party or when having wine with a friend, just to take in the beautiful cinematography. There is even some solid acting, such as Natalie Portman's off-the-charts poker player. But even that cannot atone for the horror that is Norah Jones' acting debut, or the hideously strained love affair between Norah Jones character and Jude Law's character. Whatever the opposite of chemistry is (biology?) they have it. Ewww. Also I know the pie affect was meant to be artistic but I preferred this 

method in the movie Waitress. This felt a little more like food porn.

On the other hand, you might pick up something brilliantly good that absolutely surprises you, like Dandelion by Catherine James. I picked this book the same way I pick wine: solely by the enchantment factor in the cover. Intrigued by the cheerful blue and yellow motif and the whimsical image of a woman's face appearing in a dandelion, and the lines "Memoir: Of a Free Spirit," I decided to give it a try. Wow. That's all I can say. This unheralded treasure is a much-needed Go Ask Alice for the older set. What a page turner! I read it until well after midnight then woke up at 6 a.m. and read again. From the intro where her father becomes a woman to her affair with Mick Jagger to her stint at Wilhemena modeling agency, James's incredible life is offset by such a frank, friendly writing style, it's the writing that pulls you in as much as the incredible plot. It's amazing that someone with such a topsy-turvy life could write with such levity, which makes James a litegeister after my own heart. I wholly encourage you to pick it up. Or, check out the first page, here.

The moral of the story is, as long as the story is free, you really can't lose. Libraries offer a peaceful, cheerful sanctuary that you can't find in bustling mega-bookstores, a unique sense of community, and they really need our support as the library industry is another one being hit hard by pink slips. Why not check out your local library this weekend? 

The Dream Duel

My fellow Lady of Leisure gets back from Hawaii today, and we are foresworn to engage in a "dream duel." For the past week we were both supposed to ponder and articulate our life's dream. Then we were going to count to three, turn and utter them aloud, hence the dueling part. 

What I have figured out is not that much different than what I had before, but I've tried to turn it from vague to articulated. While it's true I left my last job to write a novel, the overarching reason was to live a more creative life in general.  Yet it seems like even though I am committed to cranking out a clever opus, my fickle eye keeps straying to the unemployment crack that is Craigslist. Is it just "cold hands"? Or should I try and get a job?  The goal of living a more creative life leaves plenty of room for interpretation, and therein lies the trouble. 

The biggest thing I've been asking myself as we prepare to draw a line in the sand is: do I want to get a job out of fear, or out of desire? The answer to that is, depends. I've told myself all along that if I got a really good yummy creative job offer, I should definitely take it. On the other hand, I should not take any sub-par job just to be employed.

So here's what I'm going to change: I'm going to stop living my life in "but what if I get a job?" mode. I am going to start embracing creativity, commitments, and life in general now, and stop turning down opportunities because I'm worried about what the future holds. 

So, I'm going to start volunteering. I am going to learn Photoshop, and eventually screenplay writing and videography. I am going to write and maintain this blog. I am going to continue trying to take a picture everyday to ensure life is not passing me by. I am going to work on my novel full speed ahead and treat it with the respect and reverence it deserves. And I am going to do everything I can to help make Ladies of Leisure a thriving LLC, or whatever business-y thing it can be.

There only remans one thing I'm not sure of. My lingering question is: Should I get a leetle part time job? I am the most working class person you'll ever meet, which at times clashes with my bohemian instincts. I'm always tempted to take a little job, although the happiest times of my life were when I was living on less and not working. Still, I think the answer is the same: if it is creatively fulfilling, yes. If it is just a soul-sucker to pay the bills, no.

Whew! Thanks my silent shareholders. I feel a million times better now that I have that established. Now all I have to do is make sure to do it! En garde! 

Welcome! Ole!

Hey everyone! See this girl on the left of me? Basically, she is an example of exactly how I want to live my life from here on out. A little more color. A little more flair. A little more zest in the daily routine. That is why I walked away from my secure little cubicle nest in one of our country's greatest recessions and stepped out to become an unemployed writer attempting her first novel. 

This blog is my stab at adding a little more structure to my lady of leisure life while still letting my creativity flow. The "lite" part reflects my desire to make this blog a happy, positive place. I hope to put a light-hearted spin on my posts that will inspire myself and others. That's not to say I intend to write some artificial super perky beauty-queen pageant type nonsense. But I believe there is a pearl of positivity in every experience, and I think the key to finding it is processing appropriately.  "Memory reflected in tranquility" as Wordsworth would say, which is why I've taken the daffodil as my talisman. Anyway, I hope this colorful offering of culture, cooking, nature and life's lighter moments makes your life a little zestier too. Happy Guacamole Day!