Jennifer Posh

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    Jennifer Posh

    Editorial Assistant at Kalmbach Publishing Co. and Marketing Assistant at VISIT Milwaukee

    Writing and Editing | Greater Milwaukee Area, US

    Summary

    A writer and recent graduate, I'm passionate about content creation in both the print and digital spheres with particular interest in publishing, blogging, social media, and marketing.

    Experience

    • Apr 2013 - Present
      Marketing Assistant / VISIT Milwaukee

      Manage content & submissions for Milwaukee365.com event calendar

    • Aug 2012 - Present
      Editorial Assistant / Kalmbach Publishing Co.

      Editorial assistant for Classic Toy Trains magazine. Manages web content, writes biweekly newsletter to promote magazine and website, proofreads magazine content, provides administrative support to magazine staff (coordinates contracts and payments to contributors), provides Customer Focused customer service to incoming calls and emails

    • Mar 2012 - Apr 2013
      Marketing Coordinator (Temporary) / Foley & Lardner LLP

      Produced custom marketing materials for prospective clients in fast-paced project environment (average turnaround under 24 hours). Managed content for external website and firm intranet.

    • Nov 2011 - Mar 2012
      Point of Sale Associate / Kohl's Department Stores

      Provide customer service to Kohl's shoppers

    • Jul 2011 - Oct 2011
      Marketing Admin (Temp) / National Funeral Directors Association

      Pursuit of Excellence award project support. Recognition for top service providers in 19,000 member association to be presented at Fall 2011 international convention. Management of submissions, copywriting for notifications, advertising and convention materials.

    • Dec 2010 - May 2011
      Front of House / Beloit College

      Customer service, ticket sales, and event management for 300 seat theater with 18 performances.

    • Jul 2010 - Jul 2010
      Counselor, University of Cyber Challenge / Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast

      24-hour supervision and care of girls (ages 12-17) on and off-site, assisted in running CyberMag course (directed girls in a classroom environment and taught the use of Adobe InDesign for magazine design)

    • Dec 2009 - May 2010
      Office Assistant, President's Office / Beloit College

      Sorting/delivering mail, office organization, copying, preparing mailings (campus-wide UNICEF mailing, student invitations, commencement information), preparing Trustee folders and setting up for Board of Trustees meetings, assisting in coordinating the inauguration of the president, general office work

    Education

    • 2007 - 2011
      Beloit College
      BA in Creative Writing in Creative Writing, Women's and Gender Studies
      Activities: SPIEL, Ballroom Club, Ceramics Club

    Additional Information

    • Websites:
      Blog
    • Honors:
      White-Howells Prize for Prose 2011, Beloit College Dean's List (7 semesters)
    • Interests:
      writing, editing, crafting, interior design, blogging, cooking, marketing, social media
• Posts

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  • my family, my people

    Aug 09, 11

    “My Family, My People” is a short piece of creative nonfiction.

    My people are the ones who bleed green and gold. The ones who would never be surprised to hear that my dog’s name is short for Lambeau (AKC registered as “J&J’s Lambeau Leap) or to see a Packers flag stuck to our mailbox every game day. On Friday nights, there’s Fish Fry at any restaurant open. My dad picks up take-out from Schwabenhof’s, two white Styrofoam containers that steam as soon as we open them. There’s a little plastic cup full of coleslaw that my sister and I both eject, leaving it on the table in case Mom comes by to grab it. The main segment of the Styrofoam tray has two long pieces of deep-fried Lake Perch lying on a bed of greasy fries. It’s all too hot to eat, but too good to wait for. Above, there’s a piece of marbled rye bread, the dark brown a swirl from the center out to the crust coated in crunchy salt crystals. The plastic packet of butter is always melted by the time I get to it, cooking in the steam, and I drizzle it over the bread while Beau demands to be rewarded for witnessing Dad come home.

    We listen to the Studio 95 Saturday Night Disco Party every week, on WRIT Oldies 95.7, Milwaukee’s Only Oldies Station. My parents open up a box of wine and my sister and I have glasses of Mountain Dew with maraschino cherries. Dad won’t dance at weddings, but he’ll dance with me, up and down the walkway of tile between the kitchen table and the counter, close to the exposed brick of the kitchen fireplace and then back towards the next room and the stereo. We wanna funk, Julie is the Dancing Queen, and Beau is reprimanded for parking on the dance floor. My mom won me tickets to Summerfest once, calling in with a song choice to compete in Disco Wars, but they don’t do that anymore. We don’t have much use for radio contests built on blind luck instead of the skill and strategy of picking which song more listeners would vote for, and all they give away these days are coupons for car washes anyway.

    My people are denizens of the library, and were long before Mom got a job there. I read five novels a week easily when I was younger, and my sister keeps up the tradition. Dad is on a crusade to save each and every ancient book in the building, since he found out that they recycle the materials that haven’t been in circulation for a certain period of time. He prowls the stacks, picking up titles like Shipping Manifests of the Great Lakes (1820-1839), and rescuing them from their arguably rightful fate. His favorite books are ones that are massive and difficult; since he stopped reading the Wall Street Journal every morning, he makes it up with 900 page accounts of woodsmen, Mark Twain, and prehistoric China.

    
    
  • fruits of our labor: mulberry

    Aug 09, 11

    A segment from “fruits of our labor,” a triptych of short fiction pieces.

    iii. mulberry

    He can hear her through the wall. It’s annoying at first; the walls in the building must be criminally thin for it to be so easy. He can hear her footsteps in heels, when she drops her keys, the persistent cheeriness of her cellphone ringing at full volume. It goes on and on, irritating and distracting, until he finds himself leaning against the wall, closing his eyes, and just listening to the muted sound of her voice. She has a lovely voice.

    And then he’s moving his table up against their shared wall, waiting with his ear pressed to the plaster to hear the soft clatter of utensils so it’s almost like they’re eating together. Her apartment was the one that he toured before he moved in; she didn’t live in it then, obviously, but he remembers the layout. It’s the mirror of his own, with a shared wall through the living room and bedroom. That makes him feel a little better; it would feel wrong, to listen to her shower. She doesn’t have a boyfriend or a girlfriend, but he wouldn’t listen in on that if she did. He’s not some kind of creep; they have boundaries.

    He’s not always on the same schedule as she is; work has been hard to come by recently, for him at least. Her alarm goes off at 5:45, waking him up too, and she’s already in heels by 6:30. She doesn’t come back until evening, so she probably has an office job. Maybe she’s CEO—probably not, living in the same building as him—or maybe a secretary. He’s sure she does a good job. She almost never misses a day, so she’s definitely dedicated.

    It would be so easy for him to open up the door, step out and see her leaving. He knows her schedule well enough. It’s so easy, it’s dangerous. He wonders sometimes if he’s seen her. It’s likely, living next door. She might be the girl he rode halfway to his floor in the elevator with last week, with the long legs and red pumps. When he saw her press for four, he got off at two. Or maybe she’s the woman always loitering at the front desk, tapping the suede toe of her boots while she waits for packages. He doesn’t really want to know.

    He goes out to the corner store to buy ice cream. When he gets home, there’s a message on his phone from his father.

    Hey Pete, you home? Guess not…you must be out getting your life together. Just kidding. I was talking to my neighbor, Jack, with the wood chipper? And I told him you weren’t really doing much of anything these days, just sitting on that expensive diploma of yours, and he– he deletes it before it finishes and goes to grab the crumble his mother brought by last time she visited from the refrigerator. The berries inside are deep purple, dark enough to stain the plate and his tongue almost black. The tree grows next to their back stoop, and he was forever in trouble as a child, sitting down on the stoop and coming back inside with the seat of his pants all stained. He spoons out a slice and zaps it in the microwave for a minute before adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream to the top.

    He leans against the wall, feeling the tiny ridges and bumps under the paint against his cheek. The MGM lion roars to announce the movie she’s watching, and he takes the first bite. Sweet and tart, hot and cold, all at once.

    
    
  • Ad Copy

    Aug 07, 11

    This piece of ad copy was produced for sample purposes.

    University of Cyber Challenge is a computer camp with a Girl Scout twist! Girls between 12 and 17 get a taste of college life, staying in the dormitories on Alverno’s beautiful Milwaukee campus and attending classes in the same computer labs that Alverno students use. The girls are divided into “sororities” of 8-10 girls, where they can get more individual attention from their counselors and form a closer bond with their fellow campers! The sororities create their own name and insignia, play games together, do crafts, and eat their meals together. But university life isn’t just about friends, in the real world or at University of Cyber Challenge; there are classes too. Each girl selects a “track” to follow based on her own unique interest in technology:  would she like to become a better digital photographer and learn to edit her images? Does she want to write and design her own magazine? Maybe she wants to set up her own webpage or learn how to make movies with digital video cameras? There is a fun and creative choice for every girl and classes are taught by Alverno faculty, with help from the counselors. Outside of their classes, the girls will also have the opportunity to do a scavenger hunt with a college theme, attend specialty workshops, and take field trips to learn about the use of technology in the surrounding Milwaukee area. University of Cyber Challenge is an opportunity for teen girls to experience their future at college while sharpening their technological savvy–and having a great time.

    
    
  • “Last Words” excerpt

    Aug 07, 11

    “Last Words” is a piece of short surrealist fiction. It won the 2011 White-Howells Prize for Prose. Excerpted below.

    The first typewriter was a chunky blue beast with underwood in neat white letters across the front. It was a strange break in the clean, white lines of the kitchen, sitting on the table like a pterodactyl perched on a bench in the middle of a modern art museum. Marlowe ran her finger over the brand name. There was no dust when she inspected her finger afterwards, so it was clean, at least. That wasn’t much of a relief. She turned to look back through the kitchen entry, into the living room where the Food Network was playing too loudly.

    “Adam, did you buy a typewriter?”

    “What?” She folded her arms and waited, and a moment later, the television was muted, cutting off an explanation of the proper sautéing technique. “What?”

    “Is this your typewriter?”

    Adam appeared in the doorway and he grinned as soon as he saw the typewriter. He was still an English major, even though he’d graduated almost six years ago. But he was almost 6’2”, which was taller than her, and he had a pretty good sense of humor, so she forgave him the shortcomings of his academic pursuits and always wore heels when they went out. He also liked to fish, which she appreciated even though it was probably a side effect of his unfortunate Hemingway fixation. He’d wanted to include a quote from A Farewell to Arms in their vows, but Marlowe didn’t believe in blessing a union with the words of a four-times married misogynist.

    He came closer and ran his fingers along the keys without a moment’s hesitation, eyes bright and soft. It was the same look he got looking at a duckling or a short story collection. “Where’d you get this?”

    “I didn’t get it anywhere.” Clearly Adam hadn’t brought the stray home, which was her only operating theory. Marlowe sighed. “Why don’t you put it on your desk?”

    “It’s so cute.” Adam stroked the smooth curve of the case, like scratching under a cat’s chin. Like he couldn’t even hear her. “And it’s blue, how adorable is that?”

    “I don’t want it in my kitchen.”

    Adam looked over at her, and for a moment Marlowe thought he was going to disagree with her. Her stomach was already tightening when he nodded, turning his attention back to the typewriter. “Wouldn’t get much use out here, would you, little guy?”

    He took it back with him to the office, and Marlowe got out the Lysol and wiped the table down. And the countertops, just for good measure.

    
    
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  • hair care update

    Apr 16, 13

    I noticed that my post about washing my hair with vinegar and baking soda has been getting popular again, so I thought I'd do a little update on what the state of my hair care is now.
    
    First, I do not do the vinegar/baking soda thing any more. I did mention in the post that I had trouble getting the right ratios, and I never was able to figure it out satisfactorily. My hair would be really lovely and soft for a while, and then steadily get drier and drier until I basically had a head full of straw. Not cute.
    
    I switched to a pretty standard Garnier Fructis for a while, which also gave me drying problems. But then, back in January I got my bangs and a new color and committed myself to finding a shampoo/conditioner that would not make my hair sad. I was very very close to resigning myself to using Aveda products; both my long-time salon back in the 'burbs and the new salon I went to in the city are Aveda concept salons, and I really have always been happy with how my hair feels (and smells!) after treatments there. The problem, of course, is that these are "salon quality" products, so their full sized bottle of their basic shampoo is $35. I don't know about you, but I do not have that much room in my budget for my hair.
    
    So I researched! I searched high and low, read dozens of testimonials, browsed online drugstores, until I finally found a product that sounded right for my hair. And so far, I'm still happy with it!
    
    

    
    
    I use Yes to Cucumbers, the color-safe shampoo/conditioner in the Yes To...  product line. It's sulfate, paraben, petroleum and SLS free and smells like cucumbers! It actually makes me think of some cleansing mask my mom (I think?) once got for me when I was young...it smelled strongly of cucumbers and was a clear goo that you rubbed on your face until it set and then you peeled it off like you were a lizard shedding skin. That is...not actually relevant to my enjoyment of this product, but there you go!
    
    One of the biggest pluses of Yes to Cucumbers (besides the fact that it leaves my hair soft and healthy) is that you can buy it at Target! It's in the organic hair product section (I had to hunt for a while in my local store) and is regularly priced at $7.99 apiece for shampoo and conditioner. When I bought it, they were each a dollar off - even better! I'm thinking about trying out their new exfoliating scrub, Yes to Grapefruits - if I do, I'll let you know!
    
    What's your hair care regimen? Are you one of those lucky souls who can grab a bottle of Suave and be good to go, or do you have picky diva hair like mine?
  • secret obsession: wigs

    Apr 13, 13

    I just started a new job this week (yay!), so what better way to celebrate movement forward in my fancy career-oriented adult life than a post exploring one of my decidedly dorky and non-adult passions?
    
    My secret obsession (which is not so secret anymore)...is wigs.
    
    
    

    
    I love this wig. I bought it at LeakyCon last year to show my Slytherin pride (I told you this was a dorky passion) after many years of poring over wigs on Ebay and drooling over cosplayers with elaborate faux-hairdos. Last weekend, for lack of anything better to do, I put on a full face of makeup and my wig and took selfies in the bathroom. Obviously, I lead an exciting life, but for real - it was a ton of fun to play dress-up, even if I didn't have anywhere to go. (Also, this was the first time I'd done a full-face of liquid foundation since my spackled and raccoon-eyed days as a high school theater nerd with no idea how to apply makeup. Hopefully I've progressed since then.)
    
    Part of the fun is the chance to be extreme without consequences. A couple people thought I'd really dyed my hair when I posted the pic on the right to Facebook, but this was the day before I started a shiny new business casual job - there's no way I could get away with green and silver hair, no matter how fabulous. But with a wig, I can pop it on and be that cool girl with the alternative hair for a while.
    
    I'd always thought wigs weren't for me because, as I've mentioned before on this blog, I have a really big head. Woe is I. But this one from Arda Wigs fits great, no adjustment needed, even without a wig-cap. If I were actually going to wear it out (which I'm working up the courage to do), I probably would secure everything a little better, but for now I just pin back my bangs and put my hair into a ponytail and tuck it inside. They're super reasonably priced too, and it seems like good quality to me - I don't know enough about wigs to make a full review/rec, but I would definitely say Arda is a great place to get your first wig if you want to experiment a bit. They also have a bunch of tutorial videos to help you care for and style your wig (I haven't done anything crazy with mine, except for adding a few braids.)
    
    The rule I've made for myself is that I can't buy another wig until I wear this one out in public OR if it's for a specific costume I'm working on. That said, I'm going to have to pluck up the courage soon, because I have my eye on a few more (you can see them on my aptly named I Want That board on Pinterest.)
    
    Have you ever worn a wig (for a play maybe, or just for fun)? Am I the only one who yearns to have pink hair one day, blue the next, and long flowing locks on alternating Thursdays?
  • giveaway: zinio digital magazines

    Apr 13, 13

    True confession: I'm a magazine hoarder. I used to keep every issue of every magazine I got in a box in my closet - and I got Entertainment Weekly for several years, so it was a LOT of magazines! When I moved out, I had to throw them all away. It was hard...I remained convinced that someday I would really need to find one of those articles again and what was I supposed to do now that I'd thrown the magazine out???
    
    Of course, I never did go back to an article in all the years I kept those magazines in my closet, because (surprise) it's really hard to find a specific article in a slipper pile of paper (mostly bent too...I wasn't very nice to my magazine stash)! Luckily, we live in a beautiful modern age where all the content you could ever want is at your fingertips!
    
    

    
    
    Zinio is the world's largest newsstand, providing digital issues of pretty much any magazine you can imagine. Seriously - I spent a while flipping through their categories and I saw pretty much every magazine I've heard of plus a ridiculous number than I never had! Everything from Smithsonian to Rolling Stone to Cosmopolitan to Taste of Home to Cigar Aficionado which I'd never heard of but apparently has Jeremy Irons on the cover this month (YUM).
    
    And all these thousands of digital magazines? You can read them on your laptop, your iPad/iPhone, or your Android-powered device! I love the idea of flipping through Dwell on my tablet - we're all addicted to home/lifestyle blogs (or is that just me?) but I'll admit that I do miss real magazines. It always feels like a treat to sit down with one at the salon, and now I can have them with me without any of the guilt of recycling!
    
    But what's really awesome about Zinio is that they're giving 9 readers a FREE subscription to the magazine of their choice! That's right - nine of you will get to choose from the thousands of titles Zinio offers to read on your computer/phone/tablet/wherever!
    
    To enter:
    
    1. Follow this blog (duh!)
    2. Comment here and tell me which magazine you'd like to get for free! (This doesn't have to be your final choice, no pressure!)
    3. Make sure you leave your e-mail so I can get in contact with you.
    
    The giveaway will be open for a week; I'll accept entries through midnight CST on Saturday (3/30). Winners will be randomly selected.
    
    THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. WINNERS WILL BE CONTACTED.
    
    Note: In order to receive your subscription, you'll need to provide me with your first and last name to pass on to Zinio. This will all be conducted privately through e-mail, and I'd never use the information to Facebook stalk you or anything weird like that!
    
    

    
    
    I'm sure all this magazine talk has you raring to go, and winning a single subscription won't be enough to quench your thirst for content. Lucky for you, you magazine fiend, Zinio is running some awesome deals right now - but you have to move quick! Through the end of the month (3/31), get $5 back for every 10 you spend on a new subscription (don't you love when that happens?) and five of their titles are available for just $5. Personally, I'm eyeing up Midwest Living (that's where I live!) and Eating Well. They're also having a 2-for-1 deal on select titles: get a 2 year subscription for the price of one. If I already got Eating Well, maybe I could try Boating - I could get into boats! This deal is good through 4/2.
    
    

    Basically, now I'm facing having a hard-drive filled up with magazines instead of a box in my closet...but these will be searchable and significantly more portable!
    
    Disclaimer: This giveaway was sponsored by Zinio. I was compensated for this post with a subscription for myself.
  • how to: start a book club

    Mar 02, 13

    When you reach a certain post-college age, it can be difficult to find people to befriend. No longer are you milling around a confined space with all people about your age. No more classes to introduce you to a new crop of people who share your interests every semester, no floating down the dorm hallways looking for open doors, no happening upon a drum circle out on the quad (or was that just my school?). Nope, you have to actually make an effort to find people you want to spend time with. There are lots of meet-ups and activities you can pursue to meet people who share your interests, like dance lessons and knitting circles and cooking classes, but my choice was one that any English major might make:  a book club!
    
    

    
    
    A book club is easy, fun, and (best of all) can be entirely free if you want it to be! Here's what you need to do:
    
    1. Find some friends! Book clubs work best with a mix of people, so encourage your friends to invite their friends along, and everybody will meet someone new!
    
    2. Pick a book Your book club might have a theme or genre, like sci-fi or travel books or books by authors whose names start with "G." Or maybe you'll just read whatever sounds fun!
    
    3. Pick a place and time to meet Rotating between members' apartments is always fun, as is meeting in a coffee shop. We've found that meeting at a book store with a cafe is optimal, because you can get your snacks and beverages and then investigate the shelves to find your next pick!
    
    4. Read!
    
    That's all there is to it! I've borrowed all the books our book club has read from either the library or a friend, so it's only cost me the occasional frappucino (mmm frappucino). We've read a wide variety of books: everything from young adult to nonfiction to modern literary novels. It's a lot of fun to try a new book every month (which seems to be the optimal schedule for our group...enough time for everyone to find and read the book without people feeling rushed or overwhelmed), particularly when it's one you might not have picked yourself.
    
    For bonus points, set up rules. In our club, if you miss a meeting or don't finish a book, your "punishment" is getting skipped when it's your turn to pick a book. It's not much of a punishment since our club has settled into a core group of four, so you're never too far away from your next pick, but it's a nice incentive to make time for reading. In your group, the punishment might be buying the rest of the club cookies.
    
    Our club is a pretty casual read + talk set-up, but it would be a lot of fun to expand the concept: you might have a book & food club where the host prepares a treat inspired by the book or a book & movie club where you watch the film adaptation after you read and discuss the book. The possibilities are endless - the point is hanging out with new friends, thinking and talking about books, and enjoying some new stories!
    
    This month's book is The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, which I just finished last night (it's on the top of the stack in the photo above). We'll be meeting up to talk about it in two weeks, and I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks!
  • dream a little dream of spring

    Feb 18, 13

    True story: the other day, I thought to myself, "Hey...isn't there a time where you can...just wear skirts and no jackets and not be cold? What is that?" Yup, I forgot what spring was. Anyone who lives in a northern clime can probably relate. So I thought I would look ahead, past the darkness of winter, and share a little bit of springtime.
    
    

    
    

    retro spring by ficklekitsch 

    
    Ahh, can't you just feel that warm breeze? Spring is all about color, of course, but I'm not married to the traditional pastels. Why say "oh, hey, here's a little color" when you can say "WOW, here's a lot of color!"? (I take the same stance on chocolate, cookies, and episodes of the greatest sitcom ever, Frasier.) I was feeling a little retro feminine flair when I made this outfit: pair the bold, fun skirt with a sweet pretty top (love that bow!). Like the rest of the fashion world, I'm obsessed with these metallic toed flats and darling little leather satchels. The earrings call back to both the chevron and geometric trend without being overly trendy and top it off with a chunky bracelet in a contrasting color. Since it's springtime, you'll obviously need an adorable pair of sunglasses too. I would pair this outfit with a classic trench, just in case you end up in some spring showers. Man, I just want to put this on right now. Why is there still snow on my stoop?
    
    I'm also excited for...
    

    
    

    
    

    Source: roadkillrescue.net via Jennifer on Pinterest

    DIY! There's a great deck off the back of our apartment that I think will be perfect for any kind of outdoor projects, like spray painting. Secret confession: I have never spray painted anything. Not even once. What have I been doing with my life??? Every DIY blogger I follow has shown me how something s simple as a can of paint can transform a piece from bland to bold. I've had this project over here waiting on my Pinterest for 6 months. 6 whole months, and look what cute stuff I could be doing with a little lace and some paint? I'm definitely hoping (as I previously mentioned) to paint our new bookcase and after that, who knows! I'm still on the hunt for a dresser for my room; if I pick one up at the thrift store, it very well could end up getting a fresh coat of paint (there's a new Habitat Re/Store that just opened up the street AND a brand new Goodwill about to open, I'm going to be second-hand heaven!).
    
    Speaking of the deck, I'm SO excited to finally make use of it! There are already some cafe lights strung through the railings, but there's so much more to be done. The deck might be half covered in snow now, but it could look like this:
    
    

    Source: shelterness.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

    
    
    

    
    

    
    

    Wow! Upholstered furniture may not be in our future, but I definitely want at least a cute cafe table and chairs. Sitting outside on the weekends, writing blog posts in the sun? Hanging out with the lights on at night, enjoying the breeze with my roommate? Sounds just about perfect.
    
    I can't wait for spring.
  • things to do: brewcity bruisers

    Feb 10, 13

    When I was in college, the movie Whip It came out. The local roller derby team sponsored a premiere with free posters and such, so I figured I would check it out. I loved the movie (female friendships! awesome music!), but more than that, I was super intrigued by the sport. I wished I was tough enough to be a roller girl (for reference, I somehow managed to scrape my hand on the couch yesterday. The couch!), but the fact remained that I still hadn't seen a live bout. Well, no longer! Last night I checked off one of my year goals: I attended a roller derby bout! And it was awesome!
    
    

    Warm-ups! Everybody was already blurry and this was the slowest part of the night!

    The Brewcity Bruisers are Milwaukee's rollergirls; the league is made up of four teams, so really, it's two bouts for the price of one. Last night, we saw Crazy 8s vs. Maiden Milwaukee and Rushin' Rollettes vs. Shevil Knevils. Each bout has two periods, so we got plenty of halftime shows too! Halftime for the first bout was a dance performance by the Beerleaders; during the second, there were Racing Beers ala Miller Park's Racing Sausages (if you aren't familiar, well...it's a quintessentially Milwaukee thing, kind of hard to explain. Basically people dressed as anthropomorphic sausages (or in this case, beer bottles) race one another in a humorous fashion). The main halftime between the two bouts featured a bout by the Micro Bruisers, the youth derby league. Man, I wish I was that awesome when I was 8-17 - maybe I would be tougher today if I'd been doing derby instead of whatever it was I was actually doing (reading, probably, or theater. Both worthy hobbies, but not lending to athletic prowess).
    
    For an $18 at the door/$15 in advance (or with a promo - K and I got a discount for bringing nonperishable items for a food drive) ticket price, you get an awful lot of bang for your buck. There was a communist lime cheering on one team, beerleaders slingshotting t-shirts into the cheap seats, and rollergirls going flying into the crowd seated around the track (K and I decided to stay off the ground level in some real seats for our first outing). If you're not familiar with the rules of the sport, don't worry! The announcers give a lot of information in their play-by-plays, and it's really not hard to pick up on the basics. Even if you aren't sure what's going on, it's always exciting to watch!
    
    K and I came home with the urge to make our way to the local roller rink to strap on some skates ourselves (for some much slower, hopefully less hip checking fun), and are definitely planning to hit the next bout on March 9th - if you're in the Milwaukee area, put it on your calendar now and prepare for some high-speed fun!
  • home improvement: writing nook

    Feb 07, 13

    
    

    This weekend, I added another room to our apartment. It didn't take any construction permits (and trust me, you don't want to see me handling power tools) or even good ol' fashioned magic - just some simple rearranging! I even did it all by myself to surprise my lovely roomie when she came home from work. The cat mostly got in the way.

     

    From the first time we saw our apartment, I was brainstorming how we could set up the slightly odd living room. The illustration below will show you what I mean! The previous tenants had their TV blocking the front nook with the couch against the back wall, leaving the entire nook empty and useless (I think they put a litter box back there? Whatever.)

    Man, how long has it been since I did an MS Paint illustration of something? ...not long enough, you say?

     

    Look at all that wasted space in question mark land! I wasn't about to let a perfectly good nook go to waste. My plan was to put the TV on the back wall and stagger the couch in the middle, leaving enough room to access the nook. I put my desk back there as a kind of console table. Which was cute, but not really functional. So the wheels in my head started turning around and around, like they do. I eyed up the desk. And I eyed up the wall. I'm not especially gifted in spatial reasoning, but I was Pretty Darn Sure that the desk would justtttt fit alongside the outside wall.

     

    In a surprise boon, I got some free furniture from my mom's newlywed boss (mazel tov!), and the new bookcase I brought home was just the motivation necessary to do a little switcheroo. Switch switch it went, and suddenly, we had a writing nook/office where naught but "behind the couch" was before!

     

    
    

     

    I have so many plans for this nook; there's a decorative craft project I'll hopefully be undertaking soon, and I'd love to brighten the space up with more art (Belle is lonely!). Once the weather gets warmer, I plan on repainting the bookcase, so I'll have to start pinning ideas for that! (Right now I'm sort of feeling ombre on the inside? Maybe a stencil? Anything goes!) Obviously we have to decide what sort of things we're going to keep on the shelf - leaning towards more decorative, since just out of sight there are three massive bookcases double-shelved with books with more books in the built-ins AND an entirely separate shelf K is keeping in her room. Maybe I can put some of my pretty coffee table books out (they were banished from the proper shelves for being non-regulation size).

    
    

    Here's a close-up of the bookcase:

    
    

    
    

    
    

    It's a cute pale blue in real life, but it has a few dings (probably from when SOMEONE was trying to haul it in and out of the back of a Nissan Versa...oops) so refinishing is on the list. Oh, and up on top is a peek at an easy and quick "project" - I framed a page from my alma mater's calendar. This one is of the old-fashioned mailboxes student receive their mail in. Old-timey, black and white, a secret personal connection, AND free? Sounds like a winner to me!

    
    

    As always, pics are from Instagram. Follow me there to see it all in real time!
  • rec: challenge accepted

    Jan 18, 13

    
    

    This is probably brand new shocking information for most of you, but I have a little bit of a procrastination problem. One only has to take a look at my history of blog posting (or dish-doing...) to realize the sad truth. I'm a procrastinator. I put stuff off, then I feel guilty for putting stuff off, and then I put stuff off more because I feel guilty about it and I don't want to face it, and et cetra et cetra the vicious cycle continues. I know a lot of folks have the same problem (especially internet folks - big ups to Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, all of you beautiful timesucks), and I'm happy to say that I can recommend a website that's helped me a lot:

     

    
    

     

    Challenge Accepted/getyedone.com is awesome. The concept: earn EXP for completing tasks and level up, just like you would do in a role-playing game. It seems simple, but for me, at least, it really works! The points don't "mean" anything, but having a tangible reward (seeing the points add up and getting to a new level) is super motivating for me. Suddenly, cleaning the bathroom doesn't just get me a clean bathroom - it gets me points! Much like an arcade, where many hours and many quarters would net you enough tickets to receive some plastic trinket that you could probably buy for a single quarter, it's not really the prize that motivates you; it's the escalating success and the feeling of accomplishment.

     

    The site is also super intuitive and easy to use. There are three nested categories: Tasks, Quests, and Odysseys. You can do a solitary task list or create a sweeping plan with multiple layers. Personally, I have a bit of a mix; I have a "Chores" Quest to which I'm constantly adding tasks. I also have a "House Snark" Odyssey with separate quests for each room/DIY projects/etc. so I can keep running track of things that I want to do. I have a quest for writing that rewards me every time I get another thousand words done (I also get points for making blog posts, which might explain the upturn...), one for fun so I can still reap the rewards of succeeding at recreational tasks like beating Super Mario for Wii, one for beauty/fashion since I get lazy and forget how much I like doing little things to stay fabulous (I got points for getting my bangs, and this week I get points for wearing makeup everyday). Basically, the possibilities are endless! You can categorize each task with a "skill" or "attribute" (most of mine fall under "Cleansing," "Adulting," "Wordsmithing," and "Drudgery") but it's optional. You also get to decide the level of difficulty of each task, and you'll be awarded points accordingly.

     

    There are still a lot of exciting things coming down the pipeline; I follow the creators' Tumblr, and I'm pumped for a lot of the upcoming changes (especially an expanded social system). It's both interesting and cool to be getting into a site that's still so new; I was one of the first 600 people to sign up, I believe, and they've already blown past 1000 and are still growing. I highly recommend checking the site out; if you're a nerd who tends to put off everyday tasks but could grind for hours to get your character levelled up, it's practically mandatory.

    
    

    Now if you excuse me, I need to go check off "write blog post"!
  • bangarang

    Jan 13, 13

    Once again, the cat was out of the bag on instagram before I came to announce it here...
    
    

    
    

    
    

    I got bangs! Also had my hair colored, but really the bangs are the big news. I've never had bangs before in my whole entire life. But I've been wanting to do something different with my hair/look, and some thick blunt bangs were always something that I'd yearned for. Call me a hipster, but there's something about a fringe of hair just brushing the tops of chunky black frames that makes me say "brava!" (The color is more of a deep red in person, and it should lighten up in the next week or so.)

    
    

    With bonus Historical Disney Belle print in the background

    I love them! It's going to be a bit of an adjustment for me, since I need to blow dry them straight and I usually just let my hair air dry with...pretty much no input from me. It does what it wants! But I'm willing to give it a go for the sake of fashion. Also on the table is the products I use in my hair. I asked my stylist about my shampoo/conditioner woes and I got a wrinkled nose in response to the brand I'm currently using. Obviously, they'd like to promote their own products, but I do think it might be time to bite the bullet and buy something salon-quality. I have notoriously uncooperative hair, which somehow is always an inch away from being dried out AND an inch away from looking slimy and weighed down fresh out of the shower. I'm also interested in trying a product without sulfates and parabens. Right now, I think I'll probably stop by the salon and pick up travel-sized versions of the products the stylist recommended to try out - but I'd love any suggestions you guys might have (especially if your hair is a ridiculous prima donna like mine).

    
    

    What do you use in your hair? What was your last big change-up?
  • boots boots boots

    Jan 09, 13

    
    Let's get some shoes! As many of you know, I've been on a quest for boots. "But Jenny," my mom says when I tell her I need to go boot shopping, "didn't you just buy boots last year?" Yeah, mom - last year! But, really, my boots from last year are still kicking...the problem is that they're heeled boots, which are fine, fresh, AND fierce, but not really suited to long days of walking on the frozen tundra. I think that my mom may be a convert though; when we went shopping, she was the one who got the fanciest pair of boots! I must be rubbing off on her...
    
    One of my Christmas gifts this year was a certificate for a pair of boots and, quelle suprise, my sister got the same thing! (In an entirely unrelated incident, Dad gifted Mom the "boots of her choice" as well! It was a Very Merry Bootmas in the Zowie household.) So off we ladies set for DSW, my current favorite source for all things footwear related.
    
    There was much trying on, not a little angsting about beauties that didn't come in my size, and even some unrealistic lusting over a pair of bright red boots (I still love them! You can't change me!) But in the end, we all ended up with what we needed. My boot shopping requirements were pretty simple - they couldn't be brown, since my other boots are brown; they needed to be easy to get on and off (zippers were a big plus); and, of course, they had to be mader for walkin'.
    
    I already shared shots of the beauties who came home with me on Instagram, but here they are:
    
    
    

    
    Why yes, I do now own a pair of shiny silver boots. Thank you for asking! I love both of my new pairs of boots, and I especially love the fact that, along with a well-timed sale and the DSW Rewards certificates I had squirreled away, I got both pairs under the limits of my Christmas gift! Merry Bootmas to me!
    
    Because it's been a long (looong) time since I made Polyvore sets, I thought I would whip up some outfit options for my boots.
    
    

    
    

    preview booties by ficklekitsch featuring a jumper sweater

    
    For my silver babies, I went with a day look which is actually pretty similar to how I actually wore them. They look great with slim fit colored pants, either for tucking in or going over the top. I totally fell in love with this owl sweater, and thought the neutral tones went really well with colored pants and a scarf. The bag was just too cute, and the whole quirky casual ensemble is topped off with some funky earrings.
    
    

    
    

    fido bootie by ficklekitsch featuring amrita singh jewelry

    
    I've always loved mixing hard and soft. My family will tell you that the Christmas I got my first pair of combat boots, I wore them to Christmas dinner with a red velvet dress. TRUE STORY. So, to pay homage to one of my first adventurous ensembles, I paired my new combat booties with a slightly more sophisticated red dress. A pair of patterned tights adds some interest and another element of soft, along with some pretty sparkly earrings and bracelet. For a last touch of "hard," I couldn't resist this brass knuckles-inspired spiked clutch. Fierce (literally)!
  • starting off right

    Jan 04, 13

    One of my general goals for the year is to be better at stuff. And blogging is stuff! So, right on the heels of my year in review post, this is what I did over the long weekend!
    
    As mentioned in the previous post, my fabulous artist friend and first-ever houseguest Claire came down from her shanty in the wild woods of Minnesota to ring in the new year Milwaukee-style. (Note: she does not actually live in a shanty. Or the woods. But she does live in Minnesota.) We had a lovely time - we took a trip to the Milwaukee Pubic Museum, which I hadn't been to in years. It was fun to see the new stuff and all the exhibits that fascinated me in my youth. We ate at the Milwaukee Public Market (always a favorite spot!) and brunched at Cafe Centraal, which is right in my new neighborhood! It wasn't all downtown treks and fine dining, though - we also spent plenty of time playing video games, watching funny videos on Youtube, making butterbeers, and just talking about everything. Basically all the stuff you need your best bros for. We rang in the new year with mimosas and thoughts and dreams for the new year. And before Claire had to go back to her shanty on New Year's Day, we helped my roomie Disdainbrook fulfill one of her 2013 wishes.
    
    

    
    We dyed her hair! It was my first time being on the begloved end of a dyeing session, and it went quite well! We only did the underside of her hair (with Atomic Turquoise from Manic Panic) and somehow managed to keep from getting dye on anything in our bathroom, including our big white tub. Great success! It definitely gave me the itch to get my hair dyed again. I'm way overdue for a coloring, but I still have to decide what I want to go with. I'm going to stick with red, but I might go with something a little deeper than before. We'll see what swatches sing to me next time I'm at the salon. Although there's something wonderful about dyeing hair in a little bathroom with a white tub, two friends with gloved hands and a tupperware to do a cold rinse in. It's hands-on, gives you a sense of shared purpose and community. But it does also make everything smell like dye, so. You can't win 'em all.
  • a year in the life

    Jan 01, 13

    Happy 2013! The time has come, the walrus said, to talk of many things. Like, for example, how a year has just ended! I really like having time to reflect back on the year behind me and to look at the year ahead.
    
    In 2012, I:
    
    

    • got out of my retail job and into a full-time temp gig
    • got a permanent (though part-time) job in my field 
    • had my face in a nationally circulated magazine
    • moved out of my parents' house (and in with my best friend)
    • attended my first convention (LeakyCon!)
    • hosted my first houseguest (who is here now! Hi Claire!)
    • read more books for pleasure than I have since before college
    • learned how to pick up a cat
    • opened a bottle of champagne with no injuries (New Year's Eve, just squeaked by!)
    • survived a suburbs-to-downtown commute (every day!)
    • bought my first piece of furniture 
    • handled a plumber
    • tried two different kinds of Butterbeer
    • ate brunch downtown
    • got a book signed in person by an author I admire

    As for 2013, I don't really believe in "resolutions." It seems like a way to set yourself up to fail, making sweeping declarations and plans that will fade when you get back to everyday life and probably be a bust within the month, which is a bummer when you have a brand spankin' new year to explore. But I do believe in goals and my goal for 2013 is...to achieve more goals. Basically, I want to do things, things that I've never done, or things that I've been afraid to do. I might make an actual list, but either way, I sort of feel like my adult life has really "begun" now (with a job, car, apartment, even a cat running around!) and with all the serious building blocks in place, it's time to enjoy some extracurriculars. I want to write more, I want to explore my new(ish) city, I want to make things and share things and accomplish things. My goal is to nurture my confidence, my creativity, and my relationships with family and friends.

    
    

    Happy New Year! May we all enjoy happiness and success in the coming year.
  • settling in

    Dec 08, 12

    It's aliiiiiiiive!
    
    Yes, it's true. Contrary to appearances, this blog is still alive! What have I been doing that's so important? Well...moving. Whoever said that moving was easy was lying to you. (I don't believe anyone has ever said that moving was easy.) Who would have thought a person could accumulate that much stuff? And yet once I was in the apartment, many trips to Target were necessary for more stuff! Mysterious...
    

    Dining room, circa moving weekend. Check out that sweet built-in!

    
    

    As of now, House Snark is still very much a work in progress, which is both fun and frustrating. Just like every shelter blog tells you, making a well-appointed home takes time. I would rather make do than run out and spend a lot of money buying things that I'll probably regret (also the running out and spending a lot of money isn't actually an option right now. Budgets!), but it's sometimes hard. Kaitlin and I both really want to have an organically created home, with lots of things that are handmade, vintage, and just plain old awesome. Sometimes that means living without a dresser (hello!) or a coffee table (hello again!). But problem solving happens - I've got clothes in my closet, obviously, as well as in storage crates on my IKEA shelf (I would show you but one of those crates is holding my underwear and...I don't really feel we've reached that level of intimacy, Internet.) and a pair of folding chairs have served admirably as places to set computers, plates, and beverages while sitting on the couch.
    
    Speaking of the couch, that's one thing that I am really pleased with. Neither Kaitlin nor I had a couch going in, and I knew that was something that would be really important to both our day to day life (where else are we supposed to watch Downtown Abbey* and play Mario?) and really difficult for us to get into the apartment on our own (we both drive compact cars and, PS, are delicate noodle-armed young maidens). So the couch needed to be set before move-in day. My mom agreed to be my shopping buddy (she drives a Ford Escape!), and we made a plan to visit a local used furniture store to check out the selection and possibly stop by to check out the clearance section at Steinhafels.
    
    But the used store turned out to be a lot less local than we thought, and I'm afraid of bedbugs, so Steinhafels became the first stop and, well:

    With cameo appearance from my mom's foot

    I even WANTED a grey couch! It was on my secret mental list (because I didn't want to want it too badly) and there she was, waiting for me in the warehouse clearance section (which is PAST the normal clearance section and is, indeed, in the warehouse) looking pretty as a picture and comfy to boot. Not to mention all clearance was an additional 15% off THAT DAY ONLY (oh sales, you do enliven my blood and bring the caps out of me). In the end, the couch B A R E L Y fit in the car (I had to ride with my knees squashed against my chest because the seat was pushed forward all the way) and was in the neighborhood of 45% off. Not too shabby! Plus, I was right about the comfy thing (I'm sitting on it right now, so I would know.)
    
    Next up on my list is to hang some art and continue to deck the halls. I'll share some more pictures once things are more to my liking. I ordered some curtains for my bedroom that I'm super in love with, so hopefully they'll look just as good in my room as they did on the internet.
    
    Until then, blogizens!
    
    

    *OMG Downton Abbey! I somehow hadn't seen it before, so K and I are working through it. All of Lady Mary's outfits are TO DIE FOR. Possible post upcoming.
  • apartment hunting: success!

    Nov 04, 12

    
    

    Not that kind of Rent...

    When I last posted about my apartment hunt, it was a wishlist for my "someday" apartment that I hoped would be coming soon. That was back in May but, happily, someday has come! The fabulous Disdainbrook and I signed have signed a lease and are now officially renting a lovely little apartment (dubbed House Snark).

    
    

    I won't lie, the searching was rough. I spent hours on Craigslist, sifting through spammers and aggressively ugly (and poorly maintained) apartments. Not even gonna lie, after the thrill of finding a place, my second thought was "I don't have to spend every night on Craigslist anymore!" Freedom is sweet. But in the end, perseverance (and a little good ol' fashioned luck) is what made it happen. We visited several places, some (one) doable and others not. We weren't overly picky, in my opinion, but we knew what we weren't willing to compromise on and, much like in the dating world, we were looking for Mr. Right, not Mr. Right Now.
    
    And Mr. Right, indeed! I didn't really remember what I'd put on the original wishlist I'd posted, so out of curiosity's sake, I went back to take a look. And, well, see for yourself!

    
    (Bolded points were top priorities)
    
    
    
  • Location - I'd like to be close enough to downtown to go back and forth easily but in a neighborhood that's relatively quiet. Not college student-land. Check! It's in our top choice neighborhood, which is close to the city but has a great mix of neighborhood-feel and funky flair