Author: elemonated

Life Update

Posted on by elemonated

Things I wanted to mention about my life:

– Finally getting off my ass and applying to jobs. I feel like I’ll be able to pick up the pace soon. Revved for success and all that jazz. My current desire to use all of the buzzy idioms I know is indicative of this mindset change. Also, I finally care about school this year after like, a month and a half of being here. Maybe it’s because I’m getting closer to the balance I want. I have to set a few more boundaries, and maybe let a few more things go, but overall I’m less stressed than I was earlier this year.

– I want to start making music again, effective immediately when I have time. The last piece I finished was last year, and that’s depressing.

– I’m getting a new phone soon, thank god. I am increasingly feeling unable to deal with my phone, especially since I’m expected to constantly be connected. My boyfriend wants me to get the Moto G, and I actually really like it so I might do that.

Pretty!

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Alex Day

Posted on by elemonated

No one who cares is going to see this because I don’t have a tumblr and I’m don’t have a presence on Youtube, so I’m just going to write.

I missed Alex.

I grew up with Alex and Charlie and Brotherhood 2.0 and Phil and and Shane Dawson and Dave Days and a few other people who have since gone inactive. While I love the new vlog/show/skit deal, I miss shoddily-shot vlogs that were just random ramblings about stupid things that helped me pass the days of cringey pain and depression that was my middle school days. I had no exposure to sexuality except for Youtube until half way through high school, and I really do credit Youtube for a lot of my current values and the ones that are still changing and developing today.

So I watched the entirety of Alex’s new video.

And coming from someone who has many, many sins to repent, who has done and gone through more than I would wish on anyone, and even that is miniscule compared to some people out there, someone who’s been accused of being manipulative herself and am still questioning and going through that journey of figuring out which parts of those allegations are true and what I need to change, well.

I was appalled months ago when everything started. It just kept getting worse and no one and everyone was listening and everything was raw. And it opened up a lot of channels of discussion and completely shut other channels down. I had no idea who to listen to. There were lots of reminders of behaviors I’ve faced that made me uncomfortable, and a lot of reminders that the people I look up to are not special because I like them. What I failed to recognize back then were the behaviors that I had done. Ones that I cringe at now because I know better and ones that I forgave myself for because I was young and stupid. Ones that people around me constantly make, in fits of passion or frustration or confusion or simple ignorance that others have forgiven since.

And that’s the word I haven’t heard as often as I’d like. Alex Day is a person, maybe a stupid, inconsiderate person who happened to make the mistakes a lot of people make except he happened to be someone big in a huge community. And in an internet community, where a lot of people like to solve problems by simply making them disappear and forgetting about their existence. There’s little redemption, and little room for correction, and that’s sad. Because I know what it feels like to be a stupid, inconsiderate person, but I can’t imagine what it feels like to be taken to task about it by thousands of people whom I have never talked to me my entire life.

I can’t imagine being friends with such shitty people that would publicize their grievances to a reactive crowd, that want to make him disappear for mistakes so many people make and have to go through. To be vilified for being human.

Well fuck all that. I want to see him grow. I welcome his return.

Anyway, I don’t even know what I’m talking about anymore. My roommate’s guests have music on and I can’t concentrate so I’ll end this here. I think I got everything out? I’m sure I just sound vague and incoherent, but whatever. I’m going to bed.

Jo Malone Rain Series – White Jasmine and Mint

Posted on by elemonated

Gather quickly
Out of darkness
All the songs you know
And throw them at the sun
Before they melt
Like snow

– Bouquet, Langston Hughes

Jo Malone Rain Series
White Jasmine and Mint

Wet: strong jasmine, citrus (like a lime juice and vodka), freshly chopped peppercorns, mint
Dry: jasmine, cream, nutmeg, back hint of mint

While I expected this to be floral-heavy, it’s actually surprisingly spicy, and reminds me of a mojito, or a vodka and lime juice a fraternity brother once made for me while we were all…relaxing. The jasmine stays strong throughout, but it’s warmed by spicy notes and unexpected creaminess, and then cooled off just slightly by the mint at the end which strokes the back of the throat. My boyfriend hates mint, but enjoyed this mix, and I have to agree.  I’ve always loved a nice jasmine, and White Jasmine and Mint doesn’t disappoint.

This is a really interesting scent, fitting for both summer and winter days, and perhaps a little mismatch for the autumn. I can equally see someone wearing this while snow drifts overhead, or on a beach lightening the scents of the sea. I can’t wait for winter to start.

Jo Malone Rain Series – Wisteria and Violet

Posted on by elemonated

And then he flew as far as eye could see,
And then on tremulous wing came back to me.
I thought of questions that have no reply,
And would have turned to toss the grass to dry;
But he turned first, and led my eye to look
At a tall tuft of flowers beside a brook
– The Tuft of Flowers, Robert Frost

Jo Malone Rain Series
Wisteria and Violet

Wet: violet, magnolia
Dry: wisteria, violet, mahogany, cucumber

This is a warm rain smell. The first hit was intensely violets and really no wisteria at all, and in fact the patchouli was more present coloring the violets and making it all remind me more of violets and magnolias warmed under the sun than violets and wisteria in the rain. As it dried though, and I started to sniff up and down the place I applied, the wisteria came through softly, and the punch of violet faded into a more harmonic place along with the patchouli. And it became more aquatic, and more like rain and seems to end like Rain and Angelica.

I can see this on a taller woman whose favorite color might be dark orchid, and who aces those interviews like no one else at a law firm or something similarly high-powered career. It’s certainly feminine, but less girly than Rain and Angelica. It’s mature.

Nick Diamond making jingles and social awareness through advertising

Posted on by elemonated

Went to the Saatchi & Saatchi ‘7×7’ Seminar at BB King after my volunteering shift! It was fantastic, although I wish everyone had more time to speak. That was the point though; seven people, with seven minutes each.

I also caught the end of the previous seminar, which was about social awareness through advertising with the creators in charge of the Truth campaign and Evolve’s gun safety campaign:

Don’t Be a Dumbass:

As well as Budweiser’s love affair with puppies continuing to make people ‘aw’ and cry and this time, warn people against drinking and driving.

We narrowly missed an off-topic and harrowing discussion about gun rights (and how no one should have guns, my god, why are you even encouraging this) and it seemed that everyone working on these particular projects were passionate and truly put thought into targeting my generation. Especially though, they were aware of slacktivism and made sure to supplement the awareness with activities; creating cab and towing programs to keep drunken people off the road, getting gun owners to sign a code of gun safety and trying to bridge the gap between gun owners and non-gun owners by engaging through social media, and acknowledging that as a culture we’ve come a long way for smoking, and that all there’s left is to burn it out.