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Stitch Fixin' in December

Over the past couple months I've received several requests to do another blog post about my adventures with Stitch Fix. For those of you who didn't read my first update, Stitch Fix is a subscription box service. You can choose how often you receive the box (I get mine once a month) but when you do, you receive five pieces of stuff to wear: clothing, accessories, or sometimes jewelry. These pieces are hand selected for you based on a pretty detailed style profile you fill out (and a Pinterest you keep up to date if you want) and over the months the styling gets more specific for your tastes based on feedback you give them each month.

This is my sixth Stitch Fix box, so suffice it to say I'm a fan of the service. I like it because a) now I don't really ever have to go shopping and b) it makes me go outside my comfort zone and wear clothes that I would likely never buy on my own. This is a good thing. I look more fashionable for it.

Okay, so let's get into this month's fix, shall we?

elizabeth get a dose of fashion sense (aka Stitch Fix is awesome)

I'm a big fan of monthly box subscriptions. They're basically gifts that you give yourself every month. Want fresh veggies? Awesome! Hopefully you like the shit we send you! Want to get cool stuff for your dog? There's a box subscription for that. (It's called Barkbox and it's awesome - but that's an entirely different blog post. I did shamelessly leave my referral link for you, though!)

Last May, I decided I wanted to find myself a subscription box service to help get me some fashion sense. See, if left to my own devices I'd pretty much wear black shirts or sweaters and jeans with oxfords until the day I die. One of my best friends, Cailin, has worked tirelessly with me over the past couple years to help inject some color into my life (read: she makes me buy white or something bright for every black article I purchase) and she's also made me fall in love with dresses. But Cailin can't always be there with me and I'm a pretty stubbon shopper, so I figured getting a mystery box full of clothing once a month, stamped with fashion approval by a stylist, would be the perfect thing to help me.

Adventures with drunk drivers

Last night, my friends and I went up to Novato to play board games (we're amazing party animals. I'm glad you know this now.) We left around 11:45 at night and got onto the 101, heading south for our home in San Francisco.

Just past the Nave Drive exit, we saw a large white Audi SUV swerving in its lane (and occasionally out of its lane.) There were four of us in my car, and I was driving, and I felt this surge of ABSOLUTE HATRED for drunk drivers. Having worked in Novato for a better part of five years, I've seen quite a few distracted and likely drunk drivers on the roads, and since I had the luxury of friends in the car with me, I asked someone to call 911 and report this driver.

Race!

I am playing around with Runkeeper's Race page. I'm making a run for Cailin and myself because that's awesome (and hopefully this will make you laugh Cailin, or at least smirk a bit) and this is the official website of that race.

SUPER OFFICIAL.

[Obligatory logo that I made because I am clearly an awesome graphic artist]

On social media.

Recently, people have been talking a lot about social media and, frankly, the term has quite the bad reputation. As someone who makes a living off things that include social media, I often jump into these debates and someone on the internet asked me to write up my thoughts on the topic. I have many thoughts, so I'm keeping this one general: I could go off on emerging media, experiential and interactive marketing, or even experimental marketing - likewise, I could rant for hours about the value of community and how it's morphed and grown immensely in importance over the past few years. But today, I'm keeping it simple, and I'm talking about "social media" as a generality. Consider this my starting rant (although I hope I'm not too ranty, or worse, preachy). If you like it, let me know if you want to hear more (and what you want to hear more of).

Enjoy.

a treatise on the woes of floral centerpieces

first off: i promise, this is nothing like a treatise. well, maybe kind of, sort of. but not really. hopefully, much less pretentious at the very least.

as you may know, i'm getting married next march. i have a semi-modern view of weddings and am not keen on excess, stress, bridezillas, and traditions that are stupid.

among those traditions i deem stupid are floral centerpieces.

The Last Jejuning

If you have not read my entry "What the hell is Jejuning?" please go here: http://dahanese.com/?item=767. It explains my past year or so with Jejune (which is an ARG that has been going on in San Francisco for the past three years.) Today, I participated in the final chapter - and now, I'm going to tell you about it.

on being the opposite of an obsessive bride.

you may think, from what i'm about to tell you, that i am an obsessive bride. to that, i'll say this: first off, i'm fucking nuts, and you know that if you know me, so you have to take what i'm doing within the context of how i do everything in my life. that being said, i know my wedding isn't until march 2012, but i know my release schedule this year and i know when work is going to rear up and punch me in the face. because of this, i know i actually have very little time to plan things as i won't be doing any of it in the spring, summer, and fall - that will be all work. no play.

anyway, as much as i hate all this girl stuff, there is one aspect of it i find redeeming: beating prices and trampling estimates more people have. i think having a $1000 cake to be ridiculous. finding one for under $500? FANTASTIC. DJ? good lord, at least give me a real DJ, not a wedding one. flowers? why the fuck do you spend thousands on flowers? i'll take $400 worth, please. i don't get the point.

this is a party. which means: great atmosphere, food, booze, and dancing. this is a milestone. which means: awesome photographs. beyond that? has to look good, and be fun. i'm not in some bridal pissing contest, and i'd much rather spend my money on trips or electronics.

anyway, so far, i think i've figured out these items: dress, shoes, flowers, DJ, venue, food, cake, flowers, photographer, hotels, honeymoon, registry, save the dates, invitations. what do i have left? hair and that girly shit, transportation and/or shuttles, rehearsal dinner, boy outfits, programs and other random crap.

pretty good, eh?

well that was fun.

This morning I woke up to an email from Surpass Hosting, the place that runs this here site, informing me that my site was suspended because I hadn't paid them. Given that I'm an idiot who forgets renewing yearly payments, I was fairly certain this should be an automatic withdrawal and that someone should have emailed me before suspending my account if that were not the case.

After some investigation, it became clear that my primary email address blocks Surpass Hosting's emails because they are flagged as spam - and I didn't remember my password - and to get my password, I had to get an email from them or login.

As you can imagine, I just had a fun couple of hours.

Welcome back, dahanese.com! I'll try and not forget to pay your bill next year, but chances are, I will.

October!

October's been good. Engagement, wedding ideas, planned Christmas, moved into a new place (expect pictures early next week) and got to announce happy stuff at work which always is a bonus. Also, Halloween is coming up, which is my favorite holiday, and being in a new house I think I might actually have kids come by and I can give them CANDY which I haven't gotten to do in years and makes me REALLY FUCKING EXCITED.

I need to start planning Thanksgiving. My house is big enough to host one now, but I don't know if anyone else is stranded in this state and needs a place to eat turkey.

Turkey.

Nom.