Barbara Ellen Writes.

We have a new website in town...

Taken by Cass Comerford.
{Woman genius. I swear.}

Commentary. BULLY. Stand for The Silent.

Stand for the Silent.

Take a Stand.
(From Google Images.)

You're screaming. For your life. Except that your mouth is closed, & your voice, silent. The only noise you hear exerts itself from the mouth that speaks next to you, or in front of you, or behind you. Both. Everything you know--your logic, emotion, understanding, heart--implodes. Noxious gas. Life-threatening fumes. Nothing makes sense & everything tears. Rips. Destroys. Severs. Ravages. You're a carcass. Your humanity, 0. You don't matter. Nothing you say or do. Your safety. Your breath. The air you breathe. You. Do. Not. Matter.

Yahoo-w Is This News? There's No Writing ... or Talking. It's Taken from "Stupid Videos."

There's some writing.

My version of
High Speed Hammock-ing.

Comprised 50% of rhetorical questions--wherein they ask 2--which means the entire "news article" is 4 sentences long. That's not half-bad in comparison to those stories that forget to end. I think the best part of this "news article" is that it leaves you with nothing. You're just completely mesmerized, maybe laughing. But, really, it leaves you nothing.

Shop Local. Thrift & Vintage at Blessed Next-to-New Sale.

This Sale is Godly.

And, according to my Mama + one of the volunteers, it has been Godly for about 50 years. While Momsly's been coming to this Next to New Sale for 30 years, this year marks my 2nd. And already, I'm a believer. For life. Maybe even for afterlife. Only God knows. All I know is that this sale of wheres & whats & clothes & shoes & books & bobs is good. Next-to-God-Good.

Narrative. #ROCkin that Spidey-Sense.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
(Taken from Google Images.)

Rochester is, in fact, a hot spot for film. (GeorgeEastman. Eastman Theatre. Rochester International Film Fest. High Falls FilmFest. The Little Theater. The Cinema Theatre. ImageOUT: The Rochester LGBT Film& Video Festival.) And now for Spider-Man film. The Amazing Spider-Man 2, to be spidey-cific. Filming for some of the hot chase scenes takes place today, and so Momsly & I used our Spidey Senses on Monday to scout the talent.

Shop Local. Go Buy Rochester for Tasteful Additions.

Asha Waterstreet, owner of
Tasteful Additions.

This Mother's Day you need to be shopping at Tasteful Additions, a specialty oils, vinegars, & salts store located on Monroe Avenue in Pittsford that is so much more. A must-visit. Mother, brother, daughter, father, aunt, uncle, & just because, this #ShopLocal hub will satisfy all of your culinary (and body care!) needs. Read about why I cannot wait to return again & again & again and why Tasteful Additions is a Go Buy Rochester member. I dare you to enjoy it as much as I (& my mom)!!

Internal Monologue. We Are One. We ♥ Boston.

The Aftermath.

U2 - One Life

We are one. Outwardly, this means that we are rooted within the United States. It means that we bond together especially when times are uncertain, chaotic, tragic, & senseless. It means that we act as a united group with a united vision, in spite of. Inwardly, it means that we are inherently the same. It means that despite our approaches to life, different perspectives on politics, different faiths in religion, that we acknowledge the same common needs, dreams, and desires. That, yesterday, today, & tomorrow, we are all one thing. Human.

Friday 'Fessional. Themed Outfits: Pink Lemonade.

Pink Lemonade.

In my hand, I'm holding some ...
pomegranate limeade.

It started with the $.99 Wet 'n' Wild Shine in Dreamy Poppy and ended with a theme-inspired outfit. I call it: Pink Lemonade. Quite frankly, everyone love some pink lemonade. My favorite part about this outfit has to be its #ShopLocal allure. While the cardigan is J. Crew Outlet c. 2009 and the T, an oldie from Aero, the rest of the outfit & accessories are #ShopLocal tried & true.

Save v. Spend. Nail Polish on the Cheap.

Save.

All Time Fav Save.
Rimmel London in French Rose.

If you know me by now, you know that I love nail polish. We can thank Nicole Jaclyn for that. And my inner-Kindergarten-self who would have bought stock in Lee-Press-Ons had she known what stock was. Not only do I love nail polish, but I love expensive nail polish. Or varnish. Or laquer. The good stuff. And while I maintain the truth in an $8-$15 buy, and while I can vouch for the validity of a $20 lacquer (it lasted 3 weeks with negligible touch-ups!!!), my thrifty self can't help but ponder a niche for nail polish on the cheap.

Shop Local. Happy Birthday Shop Peppermint!!! & Wants v. Don't Needs.

Happy Birthday ShopPeppermint!!!

Shop Peppermint.
Emma/Model. Tanvi/Owner/Designer. Cooper/Cuddly.

I wanted earrings. Bow earrings. Anchor earrings. Stud earrings. Sunglass earrings. Not all of the above, but some combination therein. And I wanted rings. Dainty rings. Edgy rings. Rings with character. Finally, I wanted bangles. Bangles that bang. Bangles that bling. But I did not--most definitely did not--want all of these things, all at once. What am I to do with 13 new pairs of earrings?? 

Lacquer Bow Set

Faceted Pyramid Studs

Bead, Heart, &Anchor Set

Essay. Gay Rights = Human Rights.

Gay Rights = Human Rights.

An Argument.

Gay Rights are Human Rights. If you do not believe in Gay Rights, you do not believe in Human Rights. Gay Rights mean marriage rights.

For Human Rights, I do not believe there can be an opposite opinion. For Human Rights, I will look into your face and tell you that you are wrong. For Human Rights, there are no qualifiers. That's some pretty radical statement, I know. I know that according to the rules of rhetoric, it is erroneous to say: there can be [no] opposite opinion. Human Rights are worth such extremism.

Shop Local. B is for Birthdays. B is for BarbaraEllen. B is for 28th Birthday Weekend.

Brought to you by The Nicole Jaclyn.
Look at these jewels.

This post is more for me than it is for you. Only because I love making lists, & I feel overwhelmingly compelled to recap/relive/record this 28th Birthday Weekend. Also, everyone should be sick by now of hearing about my Birthday Weekend. Ergo, one final 28th Birthday Gift to me: my own blog post on my own blog. Class.

Friday 'Fessional. (Be) Lated (Birthday).

Thank you so much for

all of the Birthday Wishes & Birthday Love.

So ... I'm posting this just about 2 hrs & 30 min late. But, after this wonderful evening of some really great family & friends celebrating my 28th birthday with me, it felt necessary to disclose. I...

Birthday Outfit
& the Rooms.

How To. Spring Ahead.

Keep a regular schedule and double check your cell phones to make sure they jump ahead. …Jk. We’re talking wardrobe & make-up Spring Ahead. Which, with a transition from the darks of winter into the bolds of spring, can be much trickier then getting back in-sync with your circadian clock. My biggest concern isn’t switching over the closet. Instead, it’s squeezing in my last bits of black and gray, wool and tweed, before I put them into hibernation beneath my bed. Below are a few helpful tips to help the transish...

My (miniature) closet.
We make it work.

Shop Local. Made in America: Anthropologie Birthday Horray!

I am almost 30. Which would be a lot more accurate if we were dawning upon the eve of my 30th Birthday. Which we are not. Instead, I say the official foray into my late-20's is close enough. Not that I view 30 as enemy territory. In fact, I view 30 & all things leading up as an excuse to act more adult. Which means using my 15% off Birthday gift to Express Ship expensive blouses from Anthropologie warehouse to my doorstep, before 28 years of celebration ensues, completely guilt-free. Post Script: Express Shipping is just $10 more. #worthit

Free Membership. 15% off. Free Standard Shopping.
Happy Birthday.

Friday 'Fessional. How To. I Stole a Mani from The Beauty Department. #TBD.

Friday 'Fessional.

I am not a huge fan of nail art. Yes, I love doing my nails. True, in the 7th grade (c. 1997), when I had 0 social life aside from soccer, I dabbled in many-a-nail-art. (So, naturally, I attribute our current nail art trend to my 12 year old self.) But. I am a huge fan of this nail art. So, I unequivocally stole it from Lauren Conrad's The Beauty Department and created my own How To.

Left: The Beauty Department: Nailed It! Layer Loving
Right: BarbaraEllen: Friday 'Fessional. How To.

Internal Monologue. Instalogue.

I've had blogger's block for a while. So, I've found myself #Instagramming everything. Not all of these pics from the past 2 weeks or so have been Instyed ... & yet many more not present, have. ...If you want to know more, you should Follow Me @babsiell!... If you want me to stop typing because I really having nothing to say, you should take a looks-y.

Just wearing this cool cat's glasses
& hanging out w my lip twin at Lux. 

BarbaraEllen. Happy Valentine's Day.

Admittedly, this isn't my first (attempt at a) blog. And so this also isn't the first time I've blogged about the illustrious Valentine's Day. As you can see, I was still single back in 2011. ...No surprise. And still, I love to celebrate The Day of Love.

A Snapshot In Review

Valentine's Day 2013.



Shop Local. GoBuyRochester.

GBR.

gobuyrochester.com

What if there were a website--a 1 stop shop--where you could browse & purchase all of your hometown Rochester favs with just 1 shopping cart? ...Look no further. We have 1. From all 11 of your surrounding Rochester counties. This hidden gem is so exciting, it makes me want to GoBuyRochester.

Shop Local. Eat Local. Dolce Cupcakery.

Apparently, Rochester's a church town. Come 3, 4am Sunday morning, as the last lingering after-hours end, our streets role-up & scarcely a local shop, aside from Wegmans or your typical diner, opens its eyes (or its doors). So when my great friends (Beth & Cassie) from the great cities (Boston & Brooklyn) rolled into town over Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, we rejoiced. The pink sign with black lettering. Open. Dolce Cupcakery: a sweet name to match its sweeter delights.

Dolce Cupcakery. Lemon Blueberry.
Amazing. Along with Signature Vanilla & Coconut &...

Internal Monologue. Follow Up! New Year's Resolutions 2013.

Good news is, I have cramps. Sure, I already made the decision to forego yoga in lieu of eating cookies, snuggling up, & blogging about my decision to forego yoga, before I had cramps. But still. Pangs and micro-bursts of torture supersede the trite, all-too-every-man excuse known as the weather. Logic? Everyone has to endure 11 degree temps. Not everyone has to sit through torrents of cramps. So, somewhat pathetically, I've justified my decision to ditch the holistic practice of  Gentle/Restorative Yoga by rejoicing in my cramps. (Absurd.)

I'm dressed for yoga. And I never went.
 This phot was ripped from a notebook.

How are my News Years Resolutions coming, anyway??

How To. Straighten Crazy Curly Hair.

Mesmerized Every Time.
(Yup! New housecoat. Thanks Momsly!!)

I can get my hair pin straight. Even in the rain & the (Rochester, NY) humidity. And, I can keep it pin straight. Before ceramic irons, between blowing it dry & somehow flattening it out, straightening could take over 2 hours. These days, with a high-quality iron & my secret ingredient (must on the secret ingredient!) it only takes about 40 mins. That's between 5-10 days, touch-ups only,  of completely pin-straight hair.

Ode. To The Late Mr. Klonks (Klondike).

1.6.2013

Dear Mr. Klonks,

Klondike.
2004 - 2013

The real letter I wrote you, I penned on Dec. 26. That's when it hit me that you were going to pass much sooner than later; when it hit me that you might feel guilt, fear, or, somehow a sense of shame over this passing, and that, absolutely, I feel both pain and fear. I don't think I'll put the contents of that letter into this post, but I will capture one part of it. Because that part helped me to better understand all of these scary & complex emotions that we endure both as animals and as humans.

Toward the end of that letter, I reached a sort of realization.

Friday 'Fessional: Phones & Toilets.

End of the work day. Two hour meeting finally done. (My 3rd of the day, this spectacular Friday. Also, I get out of work at 2pm every Friday, so really, you don't have to feel bad for me.) 

This Toilet is a Mug.
(From Google Images and Home Wet Bar.)

CVS Pharmacy strung me along on hold for over 8 minutes (computer systems went down in many Rochester stores yesterday) until I realized that I wanted to use the loo before making the trek to CVS. On my 3rd attempt, I finally found an unoccupied bathroom and scrambled through the door. As I sought to remove my phone from the front-hip pocket of my blazer, it

Auld Lang Syne. Happy New Year's Resolutions 2013!!

Here's to Auld Lang Syne.

And Here's to New Year's Resolutions!

1. Practice Patience.

2. Journal Nightly.

3. Yoga & Dance Regularly.

4. Free Range Meat Only.

5. Meditate Daily.

Ronk (Rocky) & Klonk (Klondike)
patiently waiting to ring in the New Year. 2013.

To see what these all lead up to....