In which I talk about hair again
I’m baaaack and yes, I’m talking about hair again. You see, Dear Readers, when I see a lovely pic on the interwebs I must right click and save. Since I haven’t updated in a long time they’ve been amassing on my comp, so I spent a rainy Sunday making thematic posts about what I want to say to the wuhrld.
These are not to be confused with milkmaid braids or braided halos. These are even less defined in scope than the aforementioned: basically what I’m talking about here is a bun with a braid (or two) for decoration.
Some inspiration:
Photo credits: 1. Studded Hearts 2. Frida Fahrman 3. Ditto 4. Country Fucker 5. Patterson Maker 6. Miss Moss 7. Tumblr, unknown 8. Ditto 9. Ditto 10. Wildfox
P.s. My “r” key no longer works and my “a” is sticky and it is massively slowing down my writing, Facebooking and other general time wasting (note to self: don’t pour Nyquil in an itty bitty medicine cup…over you keyboard). I’m having to write this on Word and then cutting and pasting – giving my spellcheck a run for its money.
Xoxo.
Braided Halo
Not to be confused with milkmaid braids, which are two braided pigtails wrapped up around the head like a sort of headband. Braided halos (totes my own word for them) are braided right into the hair in a sort of modified French braid and are less defined in scope than the milkmaid.
Inspiration:
Photo credits: 1. Frida Fahrman 2. Unknown source, from the Valentino show 3. Ditto 4. Ditto 5. Vanessa Jackman 6. Ditto 7. Patterson Maker 8. Ditto 9. Unknown, from Tumblr 10. Ditto 11. Sea of Shoes
Happy braiding!
Xoxo.
Milkmaid Braids
I’m kind of totally obsessed with milkmaid braids/braids of all kinds. I’ve been totally hoarding pics I’ve saved from around the internet, so time to dump them on this here blarg.
Some inspiration:
There are so many variations on this, but these are the classic two braids over the head thang.
Photo credits (wish I had the time to linky-link, but alas if you care you can Google): 1. Studded Hearts 2. Clothes, cameras and coffee 3. Wildfox 4. Wildfox 5. Lookbook 6. Lookbook 7. Snail and Cyclops 8. Snail and Cyclops 9. From me to you 10. Wish Wish Wish 11. Unknown Tumblr 12. Unknown Tumblr
Xoxo.
Hi again Babydolls
Hey Babydolls;
Well, a lot has been going on. As mentioned a few posts ago I did move on over to Tumblr, where I still am on a more frequent basis.
I’ve mostly neglected this due to lack of time (aka I have a job), but I’ve a few days off and a sunnier outlook on life (spring is in the air perhaps), so I thought I’d give a teeny tiny update.
A few things:
- I still love my job.
- I met a really, really awesome woman, and for some cray cray reason she wants to date me (like Facebook official!).
- I’m a freakin’ happy person these days (might have to do with the aforementioned love of job, the friends I live with, and the girl).
- I got my fist car (Ford Escape! Zomg adult shit!).
- I just got back from a vacay to the Southern US (Florida and Georgia).
- All this awesome has resulted in not quite enough work/working out and too much boozing, so I’ve gotta sot that a bit (and my middle…gah!).
So yes….hi again Babydolls!
Xoxo.
Gilad Shalit
I am slightly obsessed with the Gilad Shalit case right now. I just find it so fascinating that I’ve been watching and reading everything the internet has to offer on it. If you don’t know what I’m talking about Wikipedia has a very good article about him. If you’re at all interested in this you MUST read this article too. It’s an absolutely fascinating article published in the New York Times a few days ago titled “Gilad Shalit and the Rising Price of an Israeli Life”. It tracks the history of terror groups taking Israelis hostages and the rescue attempts and negotiations to get them back.
A sum up if you’re too lazy to check out the links: he’s an Israeli Defense Force soldier who, in 25 June 2006 at the age of 19, was captured by Hamas militants who had tunneled into Israel. He was released 18 Oct 2011 after over five years in captivity in an underground bunker in Gaza. The only contact he had with the outside world was three letters, an audio tape and a short film. After extensive negotiations he was exchanged for the release of 1,027 Palestinians. The majority of prisoners exchanged for him were in Israeli prisons for terror and murder related charges. He was returned malnourished, underweight and with a vitamin D deficiency.
Here is the video filmed in captivity in 2009 subtitled in English:
Below is a video of Shalit being returned to Israel in October. He is seen saluting the Israeli PM, the defense minister and reuniting with his father.
I have no particular allegiance to either the Israeli or the Palestinian causes, though I feel more towards the Israelis. I guess I consider them “the West” and feel a lot more in common with them. I understand the need for a Jewish homeland. That being said both sides have committed disgusting acts of hatred-fueled violence towards each other. Also, I find the discrepancies in living conditions between the two sides difficult to swallow. I have some working knowledge of the conflict, but I don’t feel enough to make any really intelligent statements about it.
My fascination about the case is not about allegiances or really about the politics. What completely fascinates me is the lengths that Israel will go to have their “son” returned. A lot of Israelis said they felt he was like a son or brother to them. The unity on the issue, and the popular support for his return was just amazing. This is in contrast to the total lack of a loud voice from America toward their captured in Iraq and Afghanistan. What the Taliban asked for in return for Sgt Bowe Bergdahl was pocket change (and yet unpaid) compared to what Israel paid for Shalit. I think these nation’s reactions to their respective soldiers taken hostage speaks volumes on who they are. The soldier and the nations they fight for sign a sort of “social contract” and Israel takes that very seriously (as it and all nations should). (Their efforts, and the price they eventually paid for him, has a lot to do with Jewish religion and culture too and it is well covered in the aforementioned NYT article.)
I suppose too that, as a Canadian in a nation that rarely unifies on any point, I am a little jealous for what the Israelis have on that front.
The other thing I find so intriguing about the case is the negotiations (go read the linked NYT article…really). The Palestinians viewed 1000 for one as a triumph. I actually don’t think the prisoner exchange favored them at all. I think that it was a snub on the part of the Israelis in regards to what they think an Israeli life is worth vs. a Palestinian. One to 1000 apparently.
I also find the story of Gilad – as a man, a soldier, a soul – very interesting. I feel a sort of connection to him as a “brother in arms”. He just seems to likable and such a gentle soul and the kind of guy I’d like to have a beer with. I can’t even imagine what five years felt like for him.
E.
14,057 views and I’m making a move
No, there is no relevance to posting this picture. I just like it. Photo Credit.
Dear Readers! I’ve been loved 14,057 times on the internet aka how many page views I’ve gotten here to date. Sure, sure. That’s not a lot of internet terms, but considering that I neglected this place for months at a time (work, life etc.), only gave the link to a few friends and never promoted it….well that’s pretty good. This place was mostly just for me, but a few of you let me know how you enjoyed it and that put a smile on my face.
I’ve made the move to Tumblr. It’s just a lot faster and easier to post there. You can find me here now on a more frequent basis: www.erinoffduty.tumblr.com
I’m still sorting out all the ins and outs over there, but I hope it’ll be up in full swing soon. Follow me, add me to your Google Readers etc. Right now I’ve only really posted pictures I like (a big focus over here too), I’ll be doing more life/personal stuff too.
Don’t go unfollowing me here though dahlings! I’m still loving this lovely place up and will be posting on it. I swear really! Life/work has finally gotten settled enough I can get back to hobbies. I’ve got lots to share with you an will be shortly.
Xo,
E.
I’m gay
This is not likely to come as a shock to you, Dear Readers. Anyone who’s done even a cursory browse of my little brain dump – aka this here blarg – may have noticed the large number of posts about women. Mostly of the “omg so hot” variety.
Let’s backtrack a little. I’ve been off the grid, or at least MIA from this blog, for a while. I went away for work to a place with spotty internet. That is reason enough I guess. I’m still away from my usual stomping ground, but able to get to Starbucks for free interwebs here and there. By the by I adore my job. Life is moving along well, more or less.
Back to the good stuff.
That I’m a woman who likes women is not news to me either. I’ve known something was different about me since I can remember (I’m approaching 25 now). Even though I’m a confirmed girly-girl, playing husband in games of “house” came naturally to me. My first kiss was with a girl. Since my early teens I began telling my friends. Last year I finally posted that I like women and men to my “interested in” on Faceblarg. I slept with women here and there, but through this time all my relationships of any consequence where with men. I can’t really say why this was. On one hand I just didn’t meet many women I clicked with. On another I think I didn’t necessarily look for it because it was so much easier with men. Easier in the sense that people just assume I’m straight despite my job (manly)/hobbies (boxing)/gifts (just keep reading)/seasonal affinity for plaid shirts. I don’t look or act gay, whatever that is (well, except when I do). Men paid attention and I like male attention (something about not getting enough of it from my distant WASPy Dad). I didn’t know at the time it was supposed to be any better than that.
This is not to say that when I told the men I told that I loved them that it wasn’t true. I have a large capacity to love and my feelings towards people I hold dear run deep. At times and with certain men I experienced sexual pleasure, but I didn’t realize at the time that how it made me feel in my mind during and after wasn’t supposed to feel so…off.
This year I had a relationship with a woman and experienced what it’s supposed to feel like.
I have 10,000 words on the tip of my tongue right now about how to describe what it was like, but I think for now that’s just for me.
We’re not together anymore, but I feel back to friends is quite possible. I’ll always hold her in that special place reserved for people who’ve had the good kind of irrevocable impact on my life.
Where do I go from here? Wrestling with identity I think is one of the more difficult internal struggles a person can experience. I always had this idea that I had a strong sense of self, but now I make sense to myself in a really tangible way. I’ve always called myself bisexual since I considered my sexuality at all, though I’ve always hated the term (it sounds undecided, when it’s anything but). I think still in a very technical sense I should still hold onto that identity. I don’t feel like I expressly dislike men. I don’t think I’ll lose my appreciation for an attractive man or affinity for (limited and respectful) male attention. Just don’t try to touch me, mkay? I just feel that with women it feels right and in that respect I’m a lesbian. I want to date women, have sex with women, build a house, start a family and get married to one. We’ll just settle on that non-definition of rather gay, mkay?
Just because I’ve finally clued into to how much of a lesbian I am doesn’t mean I can’t continue to post about Eddie. That wee bizarre obsession isn’t going anywhere.
Next stop on the “my life is surreal and bizarre right now” train: coming out to Mom and Dad.
This is going to go one of two ways. 1. “Thanks for finally telling us. We clued in when you asked for power tools for Christmas a few years back (yeah, really). Also, we creep your Facebook”. 2. GTFO/screaming, tears and carrying on/guilt trip about everything from “you’re going to give your Granddaddy a heart attack” to “don’t you dare bring a woman to Christmas” to “what did we do wrooonnggg *tears*?!!!!??!!”
I don’t think I’ll feel right or completely honest until I tell my parents about who I am (the rest of the family probably know – we’re all friends on FB), but I think that little episode of family drama can wait until I settle into this a little more.
Next in the life of Erinoffduty: how on earth does a femme (in a kinda butch job in a sorta remote area) meet a compatible femme?
Xo,
E.
