Year of the Tiger Lady!

Well, here's a first.. I'm actually blogging in a bar. Like a champ I spent my entire Saturday working at home & then I came down with a near fatal case of CABIN FEVER! So, I slipped on a skirt, threw my computer in a bag & fled to the closest bar I could find that has wifi. I couldn't be in a better place to celebrate the awesomeness that is THE YEAR OF THE TIGER! Don't even get me started on the fact that Chinese New Year falls on Valentines Day this year! Seriously don't - I'll start speaking in tongues or something and that's never pretty. Sure, I know Chinese New Year isn't until tomorrow, but tomorrow is a mere 15 minutes away at this point.
In the eyes of the Chinese Zodiac I am not a Tiger - I am a Cock, but when I go into my cave to meet my power animal I am greeted by a friendly purring Tiger.
SO - THIS IS MY YEAR! Because I say so - astrology be damned.

I'm feeling oh so brave & while some are saying that year of the tiger + valentines doesn't necessarily call for a love fest but I feel ready to prove them WRONG!
I'm feeling lovey. I'm feeling dovey & generally optimistic on all fronts. I know what you are thinking - 'Bonnie's at the bar having drinks, of course she feels like everything is on the up & up' but you are wrong. I just got here and have only had a sip of my cocktail (which is delicious by the way Tequila + grapefruit soda & a touch of salt, Mmmm).

My world is filled with Tigers & we're all doing a very attractive little happy dance (see above). In the next few weeks you can expect to see a few new Tigerlicious T-shirts in the shop - one even includes a Tiger Shark! We here at Model Citizen do not discriminate against any kind of tiger. Also - since it is the year of the tiger Natalie Slater & I will be holding the first ever America's Next Top Tiger Contest! Where YOU my dear readers can write in and tell us all about your lovely selves for a chance to become the next Tiger Lady on a Model Citizen T! When? I'm not quite sure, I will keep you posted.

Anywho - Lets get back to lovey & dovey - Happy VD Everybody! May your day be filled with hugs & wine & duets in the shower & butterfly kisses & spankings (if that's the kind of thing you might be in to). As for me, I'm going to spend the day with my manpanion. He's got a surprise for me! Exciting! So I leave you with this - one of my favorite love songs of all time!
It has the greatest line ever: Hot n heavy, pumpkin pie, chocolate candy, Jesus Christ, ain't nothin' please me more than you....



xoxo!
Bonnie Rue

Excuse Me..

Not that this blog was ever meant to be about bad ass cartoon characters from the past but I just heard that one of my favorite shows of ALL TIME will be released on DVD on May 11th! That's right ladies MTV has finally pulled it together and decided to release Daria: The Complete Animated Series! I've missed her so! Remember when I dressed up as Daria for Halloween and everyone thought I was the nerdy chipmunk? Shame on them!



You can pre-order your box set now from DVD Empire for $49.99 - which is apparently a savings of $20. Personally - I'm going to go out and buy it the day it's released. I don't want to wait for the mailman. I just don't wanna!

Fun fact: The Daria theme song was performed by Splendora - you can still find their album "In the Grass" (whawha - get it? Splendora In the Grass?) on Amazon.


Please tell me you are as excited as I am!

xo,
Bonnie Rue

My mind on my muffins and my muffins on my mind

I grew up being entirely in love with Saturday morning cartoons & of course Strawberry Shortcake. I'll NEVER forget how my SS doll smelled. In my younger years she was an awesome cartoon I could only catch on the weekends and as I grew into a (totally insufferable) teenager she became a fashion icon with her striped tights floppy hat and over sized dress. I've seen lots of *sad faces* all over the internet about Strawberry's "make over" & I'm a little pouty too. She's all skinny and flirty - it makes me feel.. wrong.
So let's leave this unpleasantness behind us and move on to a more creative & modern version of Strawberry Shortcake & Her Berry Best Friends...
**Miss Muffy and the Muff Mob!**
They bake. They rap. They have a hooptie & a serious case of potty mouth.



Muffy & her posse were originally created in 1995 by Bullseyeart, a web animation company that did lots of work with MTV. Fun Fact: Pharcyde had a hand in creating making Miss Muffy's awesome rap songs - which are ALL about baking! I spent my Sunday baking muffins and revisiting these fabulous cartoons. I had her music video for "Lubin da hole with sco" on while my muffins were in the oven and Pharcyde was witty enough to include the sound of an oven timer into the beat, so I kept thinking my muffins were ready.. that silly Pharcyde! Bullseye has since disbanded & if you go looking for them you will find Josh Kimberg's new cartoon site Magic Butter which has some new eye candy (some of which can be offensive) and all of his old classics, including Miss Muffy & The Muff Mob.
While I was poking around doing research for this post I found Josh also created the website for the My Little Pony Project! If you are an 80's child & you happened to miss this while it was going on last year you will want to spend your lunch hour fawning over the gallery of these celebrity designed pony's!


Ok - I was serious when I said I baked muffins (I am eatting one right now) and they are so delicious and nutritious. I want to share them with you, but since it is unlikely that you will be popping over to my place later for tea and muffins I'll just give you the recipe and you can whip them up for you and yours.

*Recipe can easily be made vegan by using soy butter (I used Willow Run) & Ener G egg replacer.



Butternut Squash & Cinnamon Muffins with Bananas AND Zucchini!! This sh*t is good for you.

Ingredients
1 banana, mashed w/ a fork
1 cup cooked butternut squash - mashed up using whatever you like
1 small zucchini - grated
2 eggs
1 stick of butta
1/2 cup white sugar
3 Tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour

Optional Topping (screw the calories - go ahead & make the topping):
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions
1. First off Get your oven going at 350F.
2.You wanna mix up all your we ingredients first. Throw the banana, butternut squash, zucchini, eggs, butter (room temp), sugar, and oil into a bowl and mix until well blended.
3. In separate mixing bowl, combine salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, wheat flour and white flour.
4. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until batter forms - this is going to be a sticky one ladies and gentlemen!
5. Pour into greased baking cups or muffin tins, and sprinkle with brown sugar-cinnamon topping (if you are feeling awesome). Makes 24 regular size muffins, 48 mini muffins, or 12 regular muffins and 24 mini muffins.
6. Bake at 350. Regular muffins for 16-18 minutes. Mini muffins for 13-15 minutes.

Ok so there's your healthy dose of Animation & Muffins for the day!
Now go forth and do good things today! That's what I'm gonna do!

Model Citizen and The Sassy Minx!

Hey Kitties!
Recently UK's one & only Sassy Minx posted a little interview with me about what's going on with Model Citizen. Yay! Who's flattered? It's me! I love Lisa's blog & I just KNOW you'll love it too!


She gives great interview - if you slip over to the sassy minx to check it out you will learn what a Model Citizen soundtrack might sound like, what my motto for life is & find out who I find most inspiring these days.

Tell me - who's at the top of your role model list for 2010?

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...

The new year has just begun & I've already discovered a few NEW favorite things that I MUST share with you!

NUMBER 1 is LUSH's Cosmetic Warrior Mask. No, it's not vegan (there are eggs in it), but YES it is amazing. I don't mean amazing like that movie you saw 5 times in the theater or that new pair of boots you bought yourself for your birthday. No no, this stuff is a bona fide miracle that you rub all over your face. I've had acne for as long as I can remember & after using this lovely mask once a day for a week, my face has NEVER been clearer. My pores have NEVER been smaller. I know what you are thinking - If I love it so much why don't I marry it? Well I would! But the courts would not recognize our union and anyway we really need to focus on getting gay marriage legalized first don't ya think?
**Unfortunately you can not order it on their website. You have to pick it up at a LUSH storefront. So find a LUSH near you & run don't walk.

NUMBER 2 Speaking of gay marriage... Nicole J. Georges' 2010 Queer Animal Odyssey Calendar puts the biggest smile on my face & helps me keep track of all my goings on. It's filled with illustrations of animals who appear on the list of 1500 species that display homosexual behavior (i.e. sea lions, koalas, elephants, cows & more). I suggest you get yours today before the year starts to slip away from you.. and don't feel weird about loving this calendar, it's totally natural.

3. Nut Cheese!
Yeah, I know it sounds silly and disgusting, but trust me - it's something you want to put in your mouth. I've been a fan of "sun cheese" (yummy-ness made from sunflower seeds) but I recently made a batch of cashew cheese and it's vegan and effing tasty!
Want to try the nut cheese? I know you do!

Here's the recipe (pulled off the whole foods website)
Ingredients:

1 cup cashew butter
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

And - here's what ya do:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth and combined. Alternately, mix them in a large bowl using the back of a wooden spoon to mash them together. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

good for sandwiches, just dip veggies in it or add a little more almond milk and use it as a sauce for pasta. It's total yum!

2010 Let the fun begin!

Happy New Year Everyone! I hope you were all dancing around with sparklers & making out with a hottie when the ball dropped. 2009 was a real flaming bag of crap of a year. No, it wasn't all bad, but the boat was rocked, no doubt about it. I'm feeling pretty optimistic about 2010 though. How about you? Do you feel like a page has been turned & the bulk of the unpleasantness is over? Here's to hoping!


After my last post I ditched town for a while & went to hunker down with family in an attempt to get out of my funk. It worked! I feel Rah-Rah-Ready to take on the new year!

Resolutions? You bet!

1. Cut the crap. Sure, this sounds vague and a touch overwhelming because there is so much crap in life, but I've got a plan. I've set up a daily schedule so that I will have time for all the things I give a shit about rather than trying to fit them in around all the bs that I have to do. This schedule is my ticket getting what I want out of this life. So for 2010 the mantra playing non stop in my head is Hagrid giving Harry instructions for getting on the train for Hogwarts his first year "stick to your ticket". More time for creativity - less time running around with my head up my butt trying to make it all work.

2. In the spirit of cutting the crap, I'll be spending less time with the people who turn out to be the devil on my shoulder & much much more time with people who want to make & do things. Yay Things!

3. Less TV & more music! Hulu (like so many other things that are bad for you) is awesome. But I'm breaking up with it. Our relationship has become unmanageable & at times codependent. I've decided that I will pop into my local record store every tuesday so I can check out what has just been released and pick up some more ear candy for my collection. This is an excellent plan because every Tuesday at Waterloo Records they have a Vinyl Happy Hour - all records 10% off. Hell Yes!
* Psst! There is a vinyl revival going on! With indie labels selling records that come with a free mp3 download of the album & turntables that will digitize your record collections becoming widely available it looks like records won't just be for hipsters, geeks & dj's anymore <3

4. Juice! Yep, I got a juicer for xmas & I'm more excited than a virgin on prom night! A magical world of sweet & sour & salubrious concoctions await! Don't worry, I'll share some of my recipes with you, because sharing is caring & that's what we're all about here at Good Girls & Geeks ;)... now if only I could juice a cupcake.. nah, they're perfect the way they are.

5. TRAVEL MORE! I do not get out of Austin, TX as much as I should!

Five is more than enough - right? What are your new years resolutions? Going to lay off the sauce? Read more? Learn a new language? Do tell!

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Confession Session...

Dearest Blog Readers,
As you may have noticed - my blog entries have been few and far between over the past few months. I find myself not writing as much because as mothers have said for centuries - if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. It's been a pretty rough year & as each month passes I fear I have even fewer nice things to report. Maybe you've picked up on my malaise or maybe I've done a good job of masking it, either way I've just been having a shitty year. Forced to move out of my home of 6 years because of sky high property taxes... Problems at my day job (that are far too blah to go into) & recently me & my boyfriend of 10 years almost split up. The cherry on top? This past week I've been sick & in bed. Ugh. It's hard to "just keep swimming" sometimes. I've been creating some new stuff for Model Citizen, but I haven't had time to photograph it & blog about it & I've no energy to try & "sell it". You know what I mean? I'm just not "on" right now. I'm not complaining. I know you can't have the rainbows without the rain. I just thought I'd be honest with y'all.
The good news is - I'm going to snap out of. Soon! Dancing should help. So, without further ado... Jem performing Le Tigre's one & only DECEPTICON! Who's going to dance with me?

Black Friday? More Like Black Magic!

Finally! The holidays are here! Time to clock out & spend some time around the table with the people who drive you nuts and who you love the most. Then once we've all slept off that massive meal it's time for you know what!!

X-mas Shopping!

For all you Model Citizens out there I've got some good news!


1. There are over a dozen items in the SALE section of my shop right now! T's for $12! You'll also find some Boy Beaters, Bobby Pin sets & Earrings too!

2. In honor of Black Friday, ALL black items in the shop will ship for FREE all weekend long! That includes hoodies, yoga pants, tanks, t's, & dresses! Just enter BLACK MAGIC in the message to seller field when checking out and your shipping will be refunded to you.

3. Since the holidays are all about sharing I'm giving away a pair of custom Best Friend Necklaces! One half will say your name and the other half your best friends! How cute is that? If you'd like to enter to win all you gotta do is leave a comment telling me your favorite song with the word Black in the title.
The first one that pops into my mind is Black Out by Pavement - it's a damn good song.

I wish you all safe travels & a fantastic holiday! Eat a second helping of mashed potatoes for me!
...and of course I urge you to steer clear of the malls - handmade is where it's at! I know I am preaching to the choir, but what kind of Model Citizen would I be if I didn't say something?

xo!
Bonnie Rue

In Love and In Stitches!

Hello Lovelies!

I've got some good news!

1. Austin TX Finally cooled off. I'm blogging on my porch right now, listening to It's Blitz! sipping coffee in my hoodie & it's a crisp 47°F outside! I know that doesn't sound all that cold, but for Austin TX - that's full on winter! Just sayin.





2. The Sublime Stitching/Model Citizen Ready-To-Stitch Eco Totes are in my shop! AND - they come with floss, an embroidery needle AND How To instructions! This is a limited time offer kiddos. So don't eff around! Oh and BIG THANKS to Amy Bindle of Early Bird Special for stitching the example!




3. Tonight I'll be joining my manpanion, Austin Kalman for dinner @ Uchi in celebration of our 10 year anniversary! In 1999 we both moved to Olympia WA on a whim. We met almost immediately @ Majical Journeys where we both worked as phone psychics. Yes, phone psychics! I fell for him instantly and I'm still falling for him now. It's funny, I can't get away from musicians. On one of our first dates he told me he played guitar and I said "Oh honey - we all do.." Because I'm a jerk, BUT now he's about to embark on his first UK tour with his band and one of his songs actually appeared on Guitar Hero III... So, I was a jerk who is still pulling her foot out of her mouth. I'm so proud of him! Speaking of... I'm going to get off this computer and go give him my full attention. Nothing against y'all* of course.


xo!
Bonnie Rue

p.s. Expect East Austin Studio Tour updates next week!

*yeah, I said y'all. What you gonna do about it?

E.A.S.T. The New Frontier

Remember how I recently moved into a new place on the east side of town? Well I'm excited to announce my participation in the 2009 East Austin Studio Tour! That's right on the weekend of November 14th & November 21st you can come over and visit me in my studio. I'll have some items for sale and I'll be printing new items too! Oh and there will be drinks and snacks for visitors, you've got to keep your strength up on the tour! So much walking and so much to see! Speaking of - The Birdhouse (my amazing neighbors) will have an awesome group show up during the tour that is NOT TO BE MISSED! To learn more about who is else will be opening their doors please visit the E.A.S.T. homepage!

Praying for Plaid? Hungry for Houndstooth?

Or maybe just anxious for argyle? Me too!
Tis the season for these preppy/punky patterns - and don't worry because Model Citizen's got your back.

This fall I'm offering a small run of limited edition jewelry featuring more plaid, argyle and houndstooth than you can handle! Why - because I'm crazy obsessed with all three. Seriously - cray cray!


I sat down the other day while I had a cold and designed my own argyle (see with the unicorns!!) and then I could not stop myself. And there is more to come! You know this! Two words for you Cupcake Argyle. Oh yeah - that's in the works! Do not fret my lovely readers, I'll keep you posted.

If you see something you like, but maybe you prefer a different tartan or color scheme please feel free to message me on etsy or email me @ bonnie@modelcitizenclothing.com and I can make you a custom piece. Why? Because I want you to be happy ;)

So tell me, which is your favorite? Houndstooth, Argyle or Plaid? Which do you wear the most of? I think I probably wear plaid the most. Austin recently bought me a plaid dress - check it out!

xo!
Bonnie Rue

p.s. My $12 T-shirt sale is still in full effect... but how long will it last?

Trilogy of Awesomeness!

Hello loverly readers! Remember how I've been hinting at a Super secret collaboration for months now? I don't have to keep you in the dark any longer! Sublime Stitching approached me a few months ago *swoon* about the Model Citizen <3's Bake & Destroy design I did at the beginning of the year. You know the one - inspired by Natalie Slater & it came with her awesome Nacho Cupcake recipe? It was featured on the Bust blog & we did a huge giveaway? Yes! Now your memory has been refreshed & just in time! Well, that design is now featured on one of Sublime Stitchings Stitch-It-Yourself Eco Tote Bags!
That's Right!
Sublime Stitching + Model Citizen Clothing + Bake & Destroy!

Soon they will be available in my shop too, but here's some seriously amazing new: You've got a chance to win one of these amazing totes, a Model Citizen brooch AND 3 sets of cupcake toppers from Bake & Destory! Visit the Sublime Stitching blog, leave a comment and cross your fingers! The give away ends @ 4pm this afternoon so do not dilly dally!

*You will get a second chance to win a tote here @ Good Girls & Geeks - but not today...

Okay, What are you still doing here? Scram! Go! Win!

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Naughty and Nice Posh Punk Lace Button Set

Now that I have room to play again I have been digging out old craft supplies and playing into the wee hours of the night! These new Naughty & Nice Posh Punk Button Sets are the result of last nights free time! Inspired by my childhood love of Madonna, Pretty in Pink & my ever growing collection of girl band 7 inches, these buttons turned out better than I could have ever imagined! One set of 4 will run you only $9! So strike a pose ladies!

Massive $12 Model Citizen Clothing Sale!

Like I said in my last post - I'm in a new place now (high 5!) & the show is ready to go on! I'm setting up my new studio at the moment & it's very um, cozy, so - it's time to make some room! How to do that? Four words, ten syllables, twelve dollars...
Massive Model Citizen Clothing Sale!
Over 12 T's Earrings, Bobby Pin sets & Brooches in the shop for only $12 a piece! How long will this crazy sale last? Not forever! It's like Janis always said "Get it while you can!"
Just click on the picture below & you will be whisked away to a land of guilt free shopping!

Etsy Buy Handmade ModelCitizen

As things move along here at Model Citizen HQ I will send out another news letter with pictures of my new amazing work space and the scrappy porch cat that hangs around. We've been calling her Ms. Hissy.. but that's a story for another day isn't? Anywho..
As always - I hope you all have a good deed filled day!

xo!
Bonnie Rue

p.s. I'll be showing Melisser of Urban Housewife fame around Austin this week! Expect fantastic photos & tales of good vegan eating very soon!

Moving on up to the East side

Our move is complete!.. and so is most of the unpacking. It's been long and hard (that's what she said). I know it's not news, but moving SUCKS. It makes everything hurt. At times you want to put all your stuff on the curb and live the "simple life" but, that's not me. I'm not simple. I need this for that and can't get rid of x, y & z because they are needed for c, d & e! So we march on in our journey for order and cozy-ness. And cozy it will be! Our new place is about 1/4 the size of our old house. Eek! Time to get creative! The BIG project has been putting together Model Citizen HQ. There are no pictures yet, but I think this will be the most streamlined work space I've ever had! Super exciting! I've been visiting Apartment Therapy daily for inspiration. Thanks Apartment Therapy!

In other news - Model Citizen will be unveiling some new snazzy designs in October! More dresses ladies! Also - I've got a new super secret collaboration with one of the worlds biggest craft stars that will be released very soon! Unfortunately I can't say more than that for now. I know, boo, hiss - but patience is a virtue, right?

For now - I leave you with a drawing of some dresses I doodled from a dream I had. I hope you like them ;)

Handmade Nation Premier in Austin, TX!

On Sunday, September 6th The Alamo Drafthouse is hosting the Austin premier of Handmade Nation! A documentary about the craft movement in America by Faythe Levine. If you read my blog I'm going to go out on a limb and assume that you are crafty - or a crafty connoisseur - ergo you must go to the premier. It's mandatory.
Faythe has been traveling all over - premiering her documentary 1 city at a time & I've been eagerly awaiting it's arrival to the Lone Star State! So you can only imagine how thrilled I was to be asked to come and sell Model Citizen Clothing @ the premier! I've got some new stuff that isn't available in the shop yet! Ooh Aah! Other crafty Austinites will be there too - such as Sublime Stitching, Naughty Secretary Club, Made With Sweet Love, Ramonster, One Creative Girl, Pommes Frites & More! Come out, shop, see the film, check out some awesome demo's by Yudu, Wondercraft & Rachel Hobson! It's guaranteed to be an inspiring day! Tickets are still available through the Alamo Drafthouse!

Art of Living

As you know, I've been bunking up with friends all summer but as of September 1st Austin & I will be moving into our new abode! We are incredibly excited to announce that we will be living in the BiRDHOUSE - one of Austin's latest & greatest independent art galleries. We couldn't have asked for a more creative environment to live in. It's right down the street from Domy Books, around the corner from Okay Mountain and walking distance from downtown and Rio Rita! Plus - this fall Model Citizen Clothing & BiRDHOUSE will be a part of the East Austin Studio Tour.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Now I'm off to day dream about paint color options... I'm thinking peach, gray & cream. The wood floor is painted red, so...
What do you think?

Triumphant Return!

Hello Lovely Readers!
I'm back from Portland & in a super-duper good mood! Vacation will do that to you *wink*
My arrival to the City of Roses was a late one indeed. I rolled in around midnight on Monday and my friend Eli picked me up from the airport. What a doll! We got up fairly early on Tuesday and hit the ground running. Breakfast @ Paradox was Eli's call and a delicious call at that. I had the vegan "eggs" benedict, so filling, so yummy and totally affordable. Then we were off to visit a ton of fabric stores and to take a stroll across the St. Johns Bridge - which I was totally into and then I sort of wimped out over the height. It's a TALL ass bridge and I'll admit it - I was scaredy fraid. BUT the photo ops from that height we're uh-mazing! See? It was so beautiful it didn't feel real. How many places can you say that about? Well, sure there are others, but c'mon you know what I mean.
There are a lot of reasons to LOVE Portland. The people are friendly even when they're in traffic! On top of being friendly, they are also crafty, stylish, well read & well fed! We went to get bubble tea (the best I've EVER had) one afternoon and I picked up a the Microcosm Publishing catalog! It is filled with crafty and informative zines - TONS of them! I wish Austin's zine scene could compete, but Portlands zinesters are in a league of their own. If you love zines I suggest you give the Microcosm catalog a thorough flipping (or clicking) through.
Unfortunately I arrived JUST after Crafty Wonderland, it's just how the dates worked out, but next year I think I'm going to try and participate. Portland NEEDS some Model Citizen action AND I am happy to report that they won't have to wait until next year for that to happen! Soon - Naked City on Hawthorn will be carrying Model Citizen Clothing! I stopped by one afternoon to met the owner and we are a go! I'll keep you all posted as to when the goods get there.
I also met with Michael @ Tinymeat and got to see their awesome space in the Mississippi neighborhood. We went to lunch and talked about crafting and what is to come next in the craft scene. Enlightening and fun! Before we parted ways Michael gave me a few wallets that I had designed for them and in the coming weeks I'll be giving one of those wallets away to one very lucky reader. Stay Tuned!

A week in an amazing city leaves me with too much report, but here are some other highlights from my trip:
*Seeing Austin's band (LIONS) play a show at the East End with Red Fang! I picked up one of the coolest band t-shirts I've EVER owned!

*Visiting Voodoo Doughnuts in the middle of the night and loading up on crazy deliciousness! We got one TEX-ASS doughnut which was just a big-ass doughnut! Like the size of a dinner plate. We also got a Maple Bacon eclair kind of thing that everyone fought over due to it's extremely tasty nature. Then there was my favorite - The Old Dirty Bastard. Oreo cookies, chocolate & peanut butter. Watch out! It was incredible & edible & undeniably my favorite. This place could keep Portland dentists in business.

*Taking a lot of photo booth pictures with some of my oldest & greatest friends. See:


*The afternoon I spent with Austin @ The Portland Classical Chinese Garden. It's a living museum tucked into the middle of downtown. Once you enter you just forget where you are & it's uh-mazing! Perfect date place, if you ask me.

*And last but not least, my friend Russ from Seattle came to see me for a few days & we drove out to Multnomah Falls. Again - it was so lovely that I just couldn't believe it was real. Strange Magic indeed. I say that because I had Strange Magic stuck in my head for the entire trip. Thanks ELO.


To see more photos check out my flickr PDX 2009 set.

Where did YOU go on vacation this summer? Do I need to add it to my long list of places to see before I die? Tell me all about it!

xo!
Bonnie Rue

Leavin' On A Jet Plane!

I'm getting out of town for a bit! Headed out to lovely Portland OR to visit some old friends & catch up with my boyfriend while he's on tour playing a couple of shows with Red Fang.



I shall return in a week with lots of photos & fantastical tales of my travels. You can also look forward to the 3rd installation of Becoming a Modern Day Model Citizen. It's going to be all about making the world a lovelier place.

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu
Adieu, adieu, to yieu & yieu & yieu!

Becoming A Modern Day Model Citizen Pt. Deux

Charity for charity's sake.

I think Lily Tomlin said it best "I always wondered why somebody didn't do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody."

We are all somebody. Maybe not as funny of a somebody as Lily, but somebody none the less. Earlier this week we talked about being green and today I'd like to share some fun ways to lend a hand in your community. Occasionally I help serve dinner at a homeless shelter here in Austin, TX called the ARCH. I'm on an email list and when they need me I go. It's allowed me to meet some really neat people and see a side of my city that I used to just pass by. Since I do not have a lot of expendable income, my time is the most valuable thing I have to offer. I think the same goes for most people these days. And with the economy hurting as it is at the moment there are a lot more volunteer opportunities out there.

Here are just a few:

* If you'd like to get charitable along side your friends I suggest you throw a bake sale or YART sale and donate part of your proceeds to a local charity. Baking some cupcakes and take them directly to the homeless shelter would be a genuinely good deed as well. And perhaps, if you live in a place that is cooler than Austin TX, consider having a picnic in a your favorite park and then literally pick up some litter once you've finished dining with your friends. You could separate all the recyclables and take them to the recycling center and pat yourselves on the back.

* If you are an animal lover you could walk a dog at your local animal shelter. Lots of animals have been displaced as people have lost their jobs and our furry neighbors need some love too. If you fall in love with one of them you could offer to foster them until they find a permanent home. Shelters often do not have a lot of money and this helps them out tremendously.

* Sort donations at a food bank or goodwill. Most of these centers deliver to a plethora of different locations and truly need you help, because it's not all peas and carrots. There's so much more work to it.

* Be a Baby Cuddler! Hospitals, orphanages, group homes & nurseries need people to come in and simply hold babies. These little bundles of joy need human contact to begin developing their social interaction skills. It will literally change their lives. You could help them increase their learning abilities and build stronger self-esteem. Sometimes babies who were born prematurely will stay at the hospital for months, but their parents have to go back to work. That's where you come in, to be there when their parents simply can not.

* Do you have a green thumb? You could help teach elementary school children how to garden and what it means to eat organic! I've seen lots of schools around here put in small gardens for their students. They learn about composting and which bugs are helpful or harmful. Down the road it means healthier kids who care about what they eat and where it came from.

* Every city has a homeless shelter and they often need a lot more than someone to help them serve dinner. They need hairdressers to volunteer a haircut or two so that their clients can go out and get jobs! The ARCH is always asking me if I know anyone who can come teach the men who live there how to play chess. They even have art teachers come volunteer their time so their residents can creatively express themselves.

* Join your local Food Not Bombs chapter. You will meet some very awesome and highly progressive people while getting a lesson in vegan cooking

To find awesome opportunities in your area please visit www.volunteermatch.org - you will be glad you did.






Do you already lend a hand? I want to hear all about it! Please tell me your story in the comments.

xo!
Bonnie Rue