December 2012 Favorites

Hey guys! I hope everyone had a great holiday- whichever you celebrate- or just an enjoyable couple days off if you had them. Now that the holiday craziness has died down a bit, it’s time for my December favorites!

It’s a pretty decent mix of crafty and beauty with some extras this month, I’ve been all over the place in terms of what’s been occupying my time lately. Here’s a preview, and read on for more details.

Exploring Charleston!

My friend Chloe and I decided that we wanted to do some Charleston exploring this week, and since we both vlog we had planned to take a bunch of footage and put up a video or two. However, since I’m still learning my new camera, I also took a whole ton of pictures too, which I wanted to share.

We visited Blue Bicycle Books, Marion Square Park, Goorin Brothers Hat Shop & Robot Candy Company- which really are a few of my favorite places in Charleston. Here's my video in which we visit all of these places:

To see my faux-artsy attempt at photography, keep reading!

DIY Christmas Ball Ornaments

One of my absolute favorite youtubers, Karen Kavett posted a video the other day as part of her 12 Days of Christmas Series where she showed off some awesome homemade ornaments she made with Christmas Balls from Target. I watched the video and was SO inspired by it, that I had to go out and buy some ornaments to decorate.

Luckily for me, Michaels is already marking down all of their holiday things, so I was able to pick up two 6 ornament sets for $2.50 each- 12 balls for 5 bucks, can’t beat that. I sat down with the ornaments and a whole array of craft stuffs: paint, ribbon, sequins, zippers, tape, pretty much everything, and here’s what I came up with!

Holiday Door Décor and Christmas Cookie FAIL

Hey guys! So, as you have probably guessed by now, I love decorating my front door. Since I had wreaths for my last two doors, I’m sure you’re expecting another one since it’s actually wreath season and all of that, but I just wasn’t feeling it this month. I went super simple with some brown butcher paper and went with a “brown paper packages tied up with strings approach.

The same afternoon, I decided I really wanted to make Christmas cookies. As I may have mentioned, I am new to this whole Christmas thing, so I’ve never actually done that? I made a journey to Target to get a rolling pin and some cookie cutters and… you guys, it was a disaster.

Keep on reading to see both the cute door décor and my awful cookie fail.

Two New Tutorial Videos

Hey guys! I have two new tutorial videos up for you at my channel, but you can also watch them linked here. Both of them are super easy and totally beginner crafts, but have the added bonus of looking impressive when you're finished with them.

[Video] Craft Supply Storage & Collection

Hey guys- just sharing a video with you guys of my craft supply collection and how I very inefficiently store it all :)

Thanks for watching, and feel free to subscribe!

November 2012 Favorites!

Hey guys, welcome to my November Favorites post! I have a bunch of favorites this month, both crafty and beauty, plus some others, so keep reading to see what they all are!

How To: Turn t-shirts into tote bags

Hey guys! Remember the t-shirt I got a few weeks ago at YALL Fest here in Charleston? Well, I knew I probably wouldn’t get much wear out of it, but I’m always looking for another cute bag, so I thought I’d turn the shirt into a bag- and film a tutorial out of it. So here is a fairly easy (Sewing 103, perhaps?) tutorial on how to turn any t-shirt into an awesome tote bag.

Make sure to like & subscribe :)

For more pictures, keep reading!

Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday Sale!

Hey guys, just a quick heads up that I'm having a huge sale over at Technicolor Moments - 30% off of anything and everything with the coupon code HOLIDAY30, so go check it out!

Influenster College Vox Box 2012

Hey guys- time for a brief break from crafterbating to take a mini-vacation to beauty and makeup :) I just got my Influenster box, the College Vox Box. I did an unboxing video, which you can see here:

For more pictures/details/reviews, keep on reading!

Setting Up a Fair the Day Of

Alright, so my craft fair went really well! Especially considering it was the first time I’ve ever done one and all of that. Anyway, I was super excited to set my table up and all of that, and I thought it would be pretty cool to have a camera there, and do a time lapse of it. So here’s my time lapse video of how I set up and put together my craft table!

For a couple more close up pictures, you can click through for more :)
If there is anything you see that you think you might be interested in, and want to see if I still have it, be sure to check out my etsy! Thanks so much for watching!

How To: Make a Ribbon Bow

Hey guys! I’m back again with another video for you! I’m definitely much happier with how this one came out (even though it’s still an iPad video- stick with me, I’ll get there.)

Anyway, I’m obsessed with making these quick and easy ribbon bows, and then putting either pins or hairclips on them.

Here's the tutorial:

New Updates to Technicolor Moments

Hey guys! So as you may have seen if you follow me around the internet, I am currently working to improve the branding across Technicolor Moments, and that includes integrating this blog with the etsy site. And because I'm in favor of business transparency and whatnot, I figured I'd make a quick post of all of the changes I made today.

The first/biggest change, is that technicolormoments.com no longer links directly to my etsy shop, but instead to a blog post here featuring the EtsyMini. From there you can click directly through to the post for items, or continue on to the next page of the shop. Other backdated posts include an about me page, and a custom orders page.

Finally, I've updated the layout of this blog to match my current etsy design, so that they both now match my business cards and logo, which you can see at the top of this post. There's also a new navigation bar through which you can follow me all across this blog, and the rest of the internet. There's also a quick email link for questions and custom orders.

I think that's it! I'm having so much fun with this overhauled redesign, and I hope that you guys like it! Let me know what you think.

PS: New video tutorial coming Friday!

Craft Fair Prep: Table Display

Craft fair is quickly approaching! I finally set up my full table for a test run in my living room, and I wanted to share it, although I’m going to share it again the actual day of the fair so you can see my whole display which includes more than just a table. Some key things: First, the great banner with my shop name comes from the etsy shop of a friend of mine, Montrose Paper Crafts. She sells handmade cards for all holidays and occasions in addition to the custom banners, and I absolutely love mine. Second, is the clothes line display in the back. 

This was my vision from the very first day that I was going to start doing craft fairs, and it sort of evolved, and I want to share it with you. My original plan was to find two hat racks and string a clothes line between them, which I still may do for future fairs, but for now I love this. If you’re interested in doing one of these for your own table, keep reading.

YALL FEST, Y’ALL.

Today was, hands down, one of the best days I’ve had since I moved to Charleston. In case you don’t know, Jenn likes books. And when it comes to books, Jenn likes her books of the Young Adult variety. So, today was YallFest, the Charleston Young Adult Book Festival, and holy crap, y’all, I was living the dream.

My First Vlog! (How To Make a Fall Wreath)

As I’m sure you guys are aware, I still feel like I need to redeem myself for that Halloween Wreath. Let’s be real, I’m better than that. So, I decided the only way to do that was with another wreath, and holy moly do I love this one! I made a brief tutorial for it, but not only that, it’s –gasp- a video?

Yeah. I filmed myself crafting. And I’m going to show it to you, internet. But first, a few quick things. 1. This is my first time vlogging, EVER. I watch a LOT of youtube, but this is my first time doing it. It’s rough, guys, but I’m hoping to improve. 2. I recorded this on my iPad. I’m planning to get a new camera on Black Friday/Cyber Monday, both for shooting pictures for Etsy and also for vlogging, but for now, iPad.

Okay, so here we go.

Craft Fair Prep–What do I do with my business cards?!

I have a craft fair coming up, and SOON. Like, in less than two weeks soon. I’ve spent the last month or so preparing stock and all of that business, but now I need to get the rest of my stuff together because this is my VERY. FIRST. CRAFT FAIR.

As it turns out, I am obsessed with my business cards. I designed them around a picture I took of my own thread collection. Really, I took the picture to tweet a complaint about not having any purple, but ended up loving the picture which I now use for promotional things. (It matches my shop banner, as well as my cards that go with sold purchases and have a return customer coupon code on them.) I bought a few things, and made a few others-tutorials to come this week- but really didn’t want to buy a business card holder. So, I took an empty box, and some duct tape and this is what I came up with:

It’s time for there to be a WINNER!

Alright so as you guys all know, I hosted a giveaway on my facebook through all of October, and as it is now October 31st, (HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!) it is time for me to announce the winner!

October Favorites!

Hey guys! So I decided that I want to start doing monthly favorite posts. I know a lot of beauty vloggers/bloggers do these, and I’m not a beauty blog by any stretch, but hey, I like stuff too! I’ll most likely have beauty stuff in here, but I also am going to include things and places and people and other noun-y things I like this month, too. So, without further ado, My October Favorites!

Tutorial: Zippered Flat Bottom Makeup Bag

So, today I’m going to teach you how to do something I’m actually GOOD AT, to redeem myself for the sub-par wreath the other day. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a fan of my wreath, but I think it could be… better? So yeah, Now I’m going to teach something I can do.

I call this a makeup bag, but it could also be a pencil case, accessory pouch, pretty much anything you could imagine. I’m also going to show you how to make the pattern, so even though mine is 8x3x3, yours doesn’t have to be! So if you’re ready to learn how to make this adorable pouch, keep going!

Tutorial: Full Moon Wreath for Halloween

Apparently, my apartment complex has a Halloween Door Decorating contest, with a judging on October 31. I just found out about this last night, so I had to act quickly. I made a quick trip to both Michaels and Target today, and this is what I came up with:

I like it. It's simple, but I like it.

The most fun part of this was definitely making the full moon wreath- I'm not going to lie, I googled for quite a bit trying to find one to go off of and there was NOTHING. So, I'm going to show you how I did it! I would probably do this a little differently if I were to do it again, so I'd love to see what YOU come up with if you do this. 

If you wanna learn how I made my full moon wreath, keep reading!

GLAAD Spirit Day & [Space]craft Studios: A Post in Two Parts

Part 1:
Yesterday was GLAAD's Spirit Day- the day where we all wear purple to show support against bullying in the LGBT community. I decided that since I've had such luck meeting people and being social this week (see part 2), I should go out and show my support to the LGBT community here in Charleston- let's be real, the south isn't really known for being overwhelmingly accepting of differences, and I plan to do my darnedest to keep my bleeding heart liberal leanings.

So around 5:00 I drove down to the beautiful Brittlebank Park, which is another one of those places that makes me almost think I could live here forever, and just sort of awkwardly stood there alone for a few minutes until another shy voice ask, "are you alone too?" My new friend Kayla and I spent the rest of the evening together, listening to the amazing performers and speakers at the rally.

This guy called himself "one of the few openly gay black preachers. He was amazing, and wants to open a safe space/hotline/open walk-in in Charleston for anyone who might need it, not just LGBT.

This woman spoke about trans* issues, and about transitioning on the job, and how a few of her coworkers reacted. Very moving. 

There were other speakers, and some really great musical performances, but that purpleish light? Yeah, that made photography almost impossible. Trust me though, there are some talented kids in Charleston. And then, the keynote speaker of the event was this guy- Tyler freaking Oakley. I'm not going to fangirl here- although in full disclosure, I will say that he is one of the main reasons I went, and that I brought him a handmade bow tie which he loved (oh my god he pulled out his own phone to take a picture of it/me and holy moly did I freak a bit)- so I'm leaving it there.

Tyler spoke about his experiences with coming out to his accepting mom and his not-so-accepting dad, and the experiences he faces being openly gay while also being an public person on the internet. I honestly just loved listening to him speak, because he's so freaking positive. 

After Tyler spoke, there was a beautiful candle light vigil for the many people in Charleston and everywhere else who have committed suicide due to bullying.

Just a beautiful sight- to see the candles glowing all across the park.

It wasn't a Philly Pride by any stretch of the imagination- everyone had pants on, and there were no painted poodles, but it was great to see that the sense of community still exists here.


PART 2:
There's this place down here called SpaceCraft Studios. Holy moly, it is the most wonderful place I've ever been. It's one part store (selling the work of handmade crafters around the country), one part craft class, and one part open craft space. I dropped by once this week just to hang out and sew somewhere that isn't my living room, and it's just amazing.

Photo from spacecraftstudios.com

The walls are lined with shelves of buttons and findings and string and everything you could ever need or want, and the owner, Allison, is definitely one of the flat out coolest people I've met in Charleston. There are a ton of cool classes there- Ductagami, anyone?- and I'll even be teaching one there in mid-December, so stay tuned for that ;)

And, I gotta be honest- here's the coolest part of Spacecraft:

Yup, those are mine. For sale at SpaceCraft Studios, only $14!

Anyway- if you're from the area, or are visiting, you should definitely stop by and check this place out. The class schedule is on the website linked above, and there's 100% something for everyone. I have a new favorite place in Charleston. Really, just go to this place. I can't say enough great stuff about it.

Oh- and if you aren't doing anything Tuesday night, there's a supply swap taking place, and I'll totally see you there :)

Technicolor Moments Giveaway!

I have some exciting news- for you! I'm hosting an October giveaway from my etsy shop via my facebook page.

I had set up the contest to be that if I hit 100 followers by Halloween, I would give one randomly drawn person any $10 item from my store, or a $10 credit for a larger item. Well, I hit 100 way earlier than I expected, so now it's a sure thing that one person will be winning a Technicolor Moments item! I've added a second incentive that I'll give a second prize- the same thing, just to a second person- if the page hits 200 likes. So take a quick minute and go like the page!

The second step is you must leave a comment on any item in the CURRENT STOCK album to tell me what you'd like to win. You can always change your mind when you win/if I add new things you like more if I pull your name, but I'm using those comments to draw the list of entrants, so make sure you've commented if you want to win!

Thanks for helping me out with this dream o' mine :)

Tarte's Carried Away Collectors Set

Okay, so I saw this on sale at Sephora.com, and I just couldn't pass it up. It was listed as a $512 value for $54, so I ordered it without really thinking about it. Then, when I had my inevitable buyers remorse, I couldn't find swatches or anything anywhere online, so I figured I'd do some. I like it overall, but I don't love love it. Details below. 

It's very beautifully packaged, even though I'm not a huge purple fan, ha. 

The case is very nice. It's pretty, and it feels like it's good quality too. I will definitely be using this when I go away for a weekend or whatever and just need to bring a few thing with me.

Open, still packed: 8 Maracuja lipglosses, a mirror hiding the 24 Amazonian Clay eyeshadows, a Blushing Beauty Domed blush brush, 1 Lights, Camera, Lashes! mascara, 1 Amazonian Clay 12 hour blush in Adventurous, and an Amazonian Clay FInishing Powder

Especially because it has this awesome mirror built into it!

Maracuja Lipglosses: Top: Jena, Mer, Ali,Nuria, Bottom: Heath, Casey, Anna, Mel

I really love the lipglosses. They smell sort of sweet, which I really like. Maybe it's the memory of Bonnie Bell or whatever, but I love sweet lip products. Jena, Nuria, and Mel are probably my favorites, but I like that Casey is a non-shimmery nude.

All of the eyeshadows with the clear cover showing the names of the colors. 

Here they are without the cover on it. 

First three quads (top 2, left of the middle row.). I swatched them as quads, but listed them top and bottom- I can clarify any if you need me to. Top: Snowfall in Paris, Golden Gate Bridge, Pearl River, Seychelles Sand, Pebble Beach, Boston Brick. Bottom: Volcanic Ash, Pyramid Gold, Touchdown in Londontown, Martha's Vineyard, Spanish Sangria, Napa Grapes

Okay so, the eyeshadows. Like, the reason I bought this. Some of them are really great, and some are not. Here are the top two, and the left one from the middle. As you can tell, there are some that just don't show up at all. I didn't swatch these onto primer, so that might change things, but you can't see the lightest colors in the second or third quad at all. I love the other colors in the third one, and the first one is really pretty too. Touchdown in Londontown looks so blue in the packet, but super purple on the skin, and as I've said- not a purple fan.

Right of middle row, and bottom two, again swatched as quads but listed top and bottom. Top: Georgia Peach, Tuscan Sun, Iceland Air, Mystic Seaport, Sunshine State, Hawaiian Palm. Bottom: Acai Jungle, Coral Reef, Concrete Jungle, Hampton Waves, Olive Grove, Sin City.

And the last few the right middle, and bottom two quads. Almost none of the lighter colors show up at all. BUT! on the bright side, all of the darker colors are super pigmented and great. I like Coral Reef best of these, I think, and also Hampton Waves. 

I'm hoping these are better with primer, but overall, I like them. If I were buying these quads individually, I'd be much more likely to buy the first three than the second. I love the lipglosses though, so no complaints there. 

It also came with the blush which is a great rose-y gold color, a finishing powder which is soooooo soft and I can't wait to use, and a mascara that I've heard great things about but haven't tried yet. Overall, even with the downfalls in the eyeshadow, these three things, the lipgloss and the case would have been worth the $54 I paid for it, so I'm calling this a worthwhile purchase.

   

I'm home! (and I went to MAC.)

I am so beyond excited that my husband and I are in Philly for two weeks! Last time we were here was more of a family emergency, so we didn't really get a chance to do fun things, but now we're actually on vacation, so we've been having a good time. We got in Friday morning, and it's only Monday, but already I have sunburn. Whoop.

Saturday we went to the Philadelphia Flugtag- which, if you've never been, and there's one near you, you should go. And bring sunblock. I didn't really get to take too may pictures, because I wasn't very close to where the crafts where flying (falling) so they didn't come out well. However, let me assure you, it's hilarious to watch the contraptions that people spend upwards of $1200 to build fall flat into the Delaware. Schadenfreude at its finest.

Sunday Chris and I took his youngest sister to the zoo because she'd never been. My membership expires at the end of October, so it seemed like time. Honestly, I enjoy the zoo, but since buying a membership this year, I've been there probably at least 5 times this year. I'm a little over it, to say the least. We still had a good time.

And finally, what most of you are here for- MAC :)
So, we've had a $50 Macy's gift card that we've been holding on to since we got married because we don't have a Macy's within 200 miles. (we also don't have an Ikea, or a good bagel place...) My husband is a seriously good cook, and has been planning to buy a ceramic cookware set, until we got there, and they started at like $200. So he was like, whatever, buy what you want with it.

MAC Pro Longwear Lip Glass in A52 Boundlessly Beige and MAC Face & Body Foundation in N1.

The Lipglass is a fantastic color that I'll probably end up wearing over lipstains because it's sheer except for the sheen/sparkle it has. It's a little tackier than I like, but it tastes good, so I'd say it's a fair trade-off. I haven't really used the Face & Body yet, except for the very nice guy who has helped me on at least one other occasion putting on me to pick the right shade, but I love the way it looks on. I just can't speak to how easy it is to apply yet. I also got my color matching done, and as I had guessed, I'm NW15. Super pale, ftw!

I guess that's it for now!

In preparation for an interview: My Biggest Weakness.

Alright, confession time, guys. I like a lot of things, but I really don't like anything a lot. Which is by far the hardest part of this blog.Part of me is like, "totally, a craft blog is what you want," while another part of me is like, "uh no, books!" And then there's this other part of me that just wants a place to rant about politics. None of those things really make a cohesive blog, but it's me, you know?

Anyway, turns out, there's another part of me I've been suppressing. Alright. Hi, my name is Jenn, and I am a makeup addict. And when I buy new things, I'm excited, and want to show it off, and talk to people about colors and formulas and lasting-ness, and. Well, I'm sorry, but I'm adding another layer to this mess of a blog. Let's talk makeup.

I went to Ulta & Walgreens this week/last week, and picked up a few things that I really like.

Ulta & Walgreens Haul!

The two NYX lipsticks are in LSS576: Frosted Flakes and LSS597: Margarita. I. LOVE. MARGARITA. It's such a great bright pink, and it's a smooth, creamy consistency, and it's just really perfect in every way, except that it doesn't stay on as well as I'd like. I have to reapply a few times when I wear it, but the color is so great, it's worth having to reapply after my coffee. The frosted flake has the same great consistency but I only sort of like the color. I was hoping for a really great nude, but it doesn't match me too well. However, with a light gloss on the top, it's pretty wonderful as well. I love these NYX lipsticks, and I intend to buy more.

Next is the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains. The orangey one is 040: Rendezvous and it is my favorite thing to ever be on my lips. It has all of the pros of the NYX colors, with some serious staying power. Yesterday, that stuff- just on a naked lip, no base or anything- lasted through breakfast, a 2 mile run, a coffee, a nap, and lunch before I took it off to play with some other colors. I am obsessed. The paler pink(001: Honey) isn't what I expected, really. I was hoping it would match the wrapping, but it ends up being closer to the nude I was looking for, so all in all, win win, right? Again, this stuff stays on forever. I want all of these. 

The last tube, despite my husband's confusion, is the Essence CoverStick in 01: Matte Sand. I heard about this through the youtuber Miss Glamarazzi, who used it in a back to school tutorial, and since she has similar coloring/dark circles to mine, I decided to give it a shot. Um, perfect. I use this right under my eyes, and then put some BB Cream or tinted moisterizer over it, and covers my terrible circles. I'm 100% satisfied with this. 

In order: Frosted Flakes, Margarita, Honey, Rendezvous, Matte Sand. 

The last thing there is the Maybelline Gel Liner which, honestly, I'm still iffy on. This, unfortunately, is more on my own incompetence than the product though. I posted in the Reddit Makeup Addiction community asking for tips on liquid eyeliner (which I suck at, holy moly) and a bunch of ladies there suggested I start with the gel liner instead of the liquid. So, I bought this one and... eh? It's a little easier than the liquid, but I've only really used it once, so I'm going to try it a few more times before I make a call. It did stay on for a really long time though, despite the fact that it didn't look great.

So yeah, there we go. Makeup, apparently. I think coming up soon will be a craft/sewing tutorial, or at least that's my plan. Until then-

And, if you by any chance need a new makeup case... jus' sayin'.

Etsy Update!

Hey guys! Just another etsy related post :)

Everything is currently up and running and can be accessed either via etsy (etsy.com/shop/technicolormoments) or directly from technicolormoments.com. Thanks for being awesome and checking it out.

Some things that are currently up:

Anyway, if there's anything you see here, or if you tend to like bright, kitchy fabrics, you should check it out!

Crafty Crafty Crafty!

I have been on a sewing BINGE lately. Like, it's literally all I've been doing. First, I made this makeup bag thing:

I've sort of started developing this new makeup obsession, and my current collection is now the cosmetic bags deep (two of which I made), and this is the newest style bag I've been working on. It's zippered and flat bottomed and super cute. Also, owls! It's fully lined and all that. If it looks familiar, it's because I had it in my post last week, but decided to delete it there and move it over to this post with more crafts.

Then, I decided I needed a new purse/every day bag because I've been using the same one for a really long time, and I get bored. So I decided I wanted to go for a messenger bag because I haven't used one in a while and it's one of my favorite bags to make. Honestly, I can churn one out in less than half an hour, so I love doing them. This fabric is amazing- I love the autumn-y colors with the red and gold and grey, and it's a home dec fabric so it has some weight to it. And, I made another one of my flat bottom zippered bags but not for makeup. I have like,hand lotion and advil in it. The bag contains my first ever in-lining pocket, which I'm disgustingly proud of, ha.

The last new craft isn't sewing, but actually just a cheap tip/great usage for some scrap fabric. So, I have this super cheap clear phone case that I bought at Radio Shack for like 5 bucks, and so far it's actually been holding up decently. I drop my phone a LOT, and it's been all good. But like. It's boring? Anyway, I was sewing up a storm, and found this teensy tiny scrap of one of my favoritest fabrics and had a lightning bolt of inspiration hit me. So I traced my phone and lined it with PACKING TAPE. and ta-da: cuteness.

Finally, I made one more thing and I'd love to share it with you. I've taken all of my sewing projects lately and opened up an Etsy shop. It's right here, and so far it just has a couple of makeup bags and wallets, plus one decently sized tote bag. I'm going to Philly in two weeks and have a TON of fabric there that I'm planning to bring back and make some more stuff out of, and if memory serves I have a whole bunch of great fabrics from when my old JoAnns was closing - including some nice silks and stuff like that- so check back and see if there isn't anything there for you now :)

etsymini

I'm Freaking Scared: Some More Politics

Guys, I gotta take a minute and be real with you. I'm scared. Like, seriously and legitimately scared. I'm really terrified that we may actually end up in a country with Romney and Ryan in charge.

I'm a woman. I am a married woman, in a very healthy, stable relationship- and we are not prepared for children yet. Therefore, it is important to me that my birth control continue to be available. Not because I'm a "slut," or because I'm sleeping around, but because my husband and I would like to be able to do married-people things, and not have a child that we can not yet afford or properly care for. My husband is currently serving in the military, supporting this country, and we do not want children until he will be home to see them grow. Romney and Ryan both support health care plans that do not cover birth control, instead wanting to teach abstinence only education. Obama wants to lower the cost of contraceptives at college clinics and for low income women, increase education to reduce unwanted pregnancies, and overall supports women making independent decisions. 

Similarly, I do not intend to have an abortion in my future- unless of course I were raped. Because as it turns out, my body is not able to distinguish "legitimate rape." According to an interview on NPR with Nick Baumann, "tens of thousands" of women who are raped become pregnant each year- and that's only about 5% of rapes resulting in pregnancies, according to statistics from Planned Parenthood and other medical sources. About half of those end in abortion. And let's not even get me started on the term "forcible rape" because... isn't that a little redundant? Romney and Ryan both, overall, voted against abortion ever chance they've gotten in recent years. Although it is interesting to note that as recently as 2011, Romney has said that while he is personally against abortion, it should be a woman's right- despite the fact that he has been voting against it since 2005.

The fact of the matter is, women get pregnant. Whether it's an uninformed child who didn't get a good health education, a woman who can't afford birth control, or a broken condom- things happen. We need to stop being "pro-birth" and start being "pro-child." An unwanted child, one that the parent(s) can't afford and aren't prepared for will not be a healthy, happy, and well-raised child, and that isn't having the best interest of the child at heart. 

I am a teacher. I am an unemployed teacher, currently, but a teacher none-the-less. Mitt Romney doesn't want to help me. He doesn't think class size matters. He supports English immersion, and not helping immigrant students learn the language. He supports NCLB, but not public education. Obama has voted to support public schools and charter schools, and has invested in all levels of schooling, from preschool through high school. He wants to reward schools that retain students, and does not support NCLB. I am public school educated, from kindergarten all the way through college, and I feel that I received a great education, and I believe that public schools need to be supported and improved. and yet...

I have $18,000 in student loan debt. $18,000 from a public school. Putting that into perspective: I come from a single-parent, low income family. I did receive a bit of state assistance, and yet I still owe $18,000 in loans. Neither Romney or Ryan mention anything about student loans on their websites, although Romney did oppose Obama's loan forgiveness plan. That plan? Tax credits for students, loan forgiveness for public service, and the ability to do public service to pay off loans. 

I am a member of the LGBTQQA community. Obama wants to allow gay marriage, there should be no federal law stopping it. He opposed Prop 8, and also wants to crack down on hate-based crimes. He believes being gay is not a choice. Romney is a supporter of the "one-man-one-woman" definition of marriage, and does not support gay marriage in any way.

Now, here's my biggest issue with all of this: remember when a president had bigger issues than civil rights? Remember when there was actually fiscal reasons to vote for someone? I'm only 23, but I remember at some point like, taxes? and things like that? They were important parts of an election. This year though, it's all about women's rights, education, gay rights... Beyond that, it's all about Obamacare versus Romneycare (which... not that different?) I wasn't afraid of a candidate when my civil rights weren't the biggest selling point, but now I am. 

I'm scared that in the next three months, I will be forced to sit back and watch all of the rights be stripped away from myself, and most of the people I care about most. And really, there's nothing I can do about it.

Oh, and one last thing. For those of you who still think that Obama hasn't actually done anything in his four years, please allow me to direct you here: What The Fuck Has Obama Done So Far

Also, let me just direct you all to this awesome post by my friend at thealmosttime: what disney taught me about politics, which you should also check out :)

Potentially Getting My Life Started?

After being here in South Carolina for what feels like forever almost three full months, I finally got my teaching certificate! I was already certified in Pennsylvania, but the processes here for everything are, let's just say very different. So, yeah, I can officially teach here.

The thing is, I don't like teaching. BUT. I really did enjoy substitute teaching when I was doing that in Philly last school year, so I'm looking to do that again. I live literally across the street from both a high school and a middle school, so subbing there would be easy. I wouldn't mind taking a 6 am phone call for a 7 am job if it's 2 minutes away. So, I called the staffing company here and inquired about the process. They have a "temporary hold" on sub hiring, but will probably be hiring in mid-September. Well, okay. So I emailed them my resume with my teaching credentials (and also the fact that I've subbed before), and now I'm just waiting.

Also, I quit Target already. Technically, I probably shouldn't have without having another job lined up, but I just- I couldn't do it anymore. Most of the people I worked with were great. I actually got a little teary telling my ETL that I was leaving, because she's such a sweet, fantastic woman, and she invited me back to work summers while teaching, so that's cool, but the job itself is just overly taxing. It's not worth the abuse from guests, or from the few less awesome co-workers. Mainly I quit because my husband will be on leave in a few weeks and we're going to Philly for two and a half weeks, and once I get back, I knew I'd never want to be in Target again. So, once I had the cert, I just quit. If I don't hear back from the sub staffing company by the time we get back from leave or if it's going not going to work out to sub this year, I'm probably going to go to a couple temping agencies- all I know is that I'm done with retail. I have five shifts left, and then I'm NEVER going to do it again.

So yeah, I'm excited to get my life started, with a real job that I enjoy, or at least don't hate. I would honestly be so happy with a regular 9-5 desk job, which I know seems so demoralizing, but is so much better than Target. I'm ready for a change!