Well, we didn't make it home as we'd hoped; instead, we had to spend another night in Chicago waiting for the weather to clear. We had waited all day to get word on the last uncanceled flight out of Midway, and after about nine hours of waiting in the terminal, it was announced that the flight was indeed cancelled. So, we dragged our weary selves and all of our bags back down through the terminal. After finding a hotel room, which way incredibly pricey because all the hotels in the area were almost full, we requested a shuttle from the hotel desk. We were told that the shuttle was on its way and it would be there ...continue reading

Yesterday afternoon I went for a hike with my dog. Sadie had been giving me Sad Eyes all day while I worked, so in addition to my normal dog walking duties I decided to take her, the only one of our dogs who actually enjoys the outdoors, for a swim. (I've tried taking the other two dogs to the river, and they both look at me like, Are you kidding? Take me back home and feed me on my nice, soft bed.) There's a trail near our house that's easier than I'd like, but I like to go there with Sadie because the trail sidles up to the river in several places. Sadie lives to swim, and I felt like enjoying some fresh forest air, ...continue reading

Ted and I have been taking our vacation in New England, where many things are different than in our native California: argyle socks and canvas belts printed with little sea bass are in abundance, denim jeans are virtually non-existent, and there's a blazer for every occasion. Beaded sandals and pink cable-knit sweaters abound, offering a stark (yet welcome) change of uniform than in our home state, where summer style consists of faded jeans and old college sweatshirts. I find myself drawn to some of this Eastern style, assimilating a lobster belt and a beaded necklace or two into my own California wardrobe. The one ...continue reading

I am a Benetint-a-holic. For those of you who are unaware of Benetint's magic powers, it's a cheek stain from Benefit Cosmetics. This company makes more "traditional" cosmetics than the ones I normally review here, by which I mean that they're choc full of nasty chemicals. Normally I would have tossed a product like Benetint out of my regimen years ago, but... Benetint? It's AWESOME. Ah, Benetint, such a guilty little pleasure This lovely little cheek stain has been my secret weapon for many years. I can leave the house wearing not a stitch of makeup except for Benetint and face powder, and I look polished enough ...continue reading

I've told you all about our trip to Costa Rica, but what I haven't mentioned was how sick I've been ever since. I think I picked something up on the plane on the way down, because during the trip I couldn't figure out why I felt so tired, and on the plane ride home I realized I had been coming down with something the entire time. I'm sure the constant changes in altitude didn't help, either. So I've spent the last couple of weeks trying to beat this thing, and it still hasn't gone completely. It's like a respiratory hell, where I can't breathe and then I spend all night coughing. The first few nights home I coughed ...continue reading

I feel like I've been talking a lot lately about my hair, so I figured I'd cap it off with my sixth Conventional Confession: today I'm going to write about my love for Kiehl's Creme with Silk Groom. After all, I have a driving desire to be completely honest about my quest for sustainability, so I'd be dishonest if I let you all think that the only things I use to tame my mop are minty-fresh organic shampoo, with some cider vinegar and coconut oil thrown in for good measure. Those things are good, even excellent. But I have always struggled with what to do with my hair after I shower. In the summer, I'm more prone ...continue reading

I feel like I've been talking a lot lately about my hair, so I figured I'd cap it off with my sixth Conventional Confession: today I'm going to write about my love for Kiehl's Creme with Silk Groom. After all, I have a driving desire to be completely honest about my quest for sustainability, so I'd be dishonest if I let you all think that the only things I use to tame my mop are minty-fresh organic shampoo, with some cider vinegar and coconut oil thrown in for good measure. Those things are good, even excellent. But I have always struggled with what to do with my hair after I shower. In the summer, I'm more prone to ...continue reading

I am a graphic designer. This is what I do. So it's understandable that I love all things related to good design. However, I get frustrated at how few examples there are of really great design that's environmentally sound. It's true that there are some companies I've written about before whose packaging or product design is as visually pleasing as it is good for the environment (Pangea, Loomstate, and Ecover, for example). So it's been proven that it can be done. But for a design junkie like me, what's to be done about all the great design out there that just doesn't seem to care about saving the whales? Try as ...continue reading

Today's confession is less about a conventional choice than just a simple opportunity to rant about something very personal to me. You see, I hate yoga. I am no yogi. I am a swimmer. I am not flexible, I do not have patience. The only thing I've got is discipline, but even this sometimes can't get me through a series of difficult poses. Despite this lack of enthusiasm, I still practice yoga. Because I'm a swimmer, I do yoga to ward off the painful joint issues I experienced in my youth. It does help quite a bit, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Sometimes, when I'm twisted into a pose my body does not like, I ...continue reading

Photo by Chris Robb, August 2006 And we're back! Our trip to the East Coast was lovely, thank you. We relaxed by the beach with family, and on the last couple of days we stayed in Boston, attending a Red Sox game in the evening. Sadly, the Sox lost. But do you know who really emerged as the winner of the night? The Fenway Franks. Yes, I ate the famous hot dog. Yes, I know it probably contained hormones, nitrates, the whole lot. But you know what? I was at Fenway, and I certainly wasn't going to whip out a salad. That would have had me kicked out of the stadium for life. And you know what else? IT WAS GOOD. There, I ...continue reading

YOU try 110º heat in a fur suit. This summer, we held out as long as we could. We tried to avoid using air conditioning for two reasons. One, we are cheap. And two, there are many environmental disadvantages, including the release of chloro-fluoro-carbons (CFC's) into the air, which are suspected of causing damage to the ozone layer. But this past Saturday, it was about 110º outside, and our house had no air conditioning. Ted and I sat around the house, trying to get our work done, but around midafternoon we realized that resistance was futile. I learned something about my husband that day. It's true that when ...continue reading

Let's be real here: Smelling like B.O. is not cute. I know there are some people for whom alternative deodorants work really well. My husband, for example. Ted is one of those rare people who could sit in a rubber bodysuit in 100º weather for an hour and emerge smelling like a rose. He can wake up in the morning, spray a little lavender-scented water under his arms, and he's good to go. I, however, am not one of those people. I sweat when it's hot, and I've even been known to stink on occasion. This is not something I enjoy. I like smelling pretty, and that's OK. I consider myself to be an environmentally-conscious ...continue reading