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WhyDid Wisdom: Be Quiet.

By |March 19th, 2012|WhyDid Wisdom|

emergency alert screen

Ever have one of those days where you have nothing to say because you know that if you open your mouth there is no possible way that anything good is going to come out?  Yeah?  I’m having one of those days.  So, I’m taking a self inflicted vow of silence.

Mom wasn’t wrong when she told you, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

In the meantime, catch up on how to make sangria.  That’ll keep your mouth busy.

xx,

WhyDid

 

WhyDid Wisdom: City Girl in the Suburbs

By |March 15th, 2012|WhyDid Wisdom|

city girl in the suburbsA couple of years ago, I was itching to make my final exodus from New York City.  You see, we’ve had a fairly emotionally abusive relationship.  When it was good, it  was a twenty-four hour honeymoon, but when it was bad, I wanted a divorce.  The things I once loved became those that I loathed.  The city will beat you down and bring you to your knees and when you’re just about to give up, Spring arrives and you are reminded, once again, why it is you fell in love with this glorious city in the first place.

I never even wanted to live in New York.  As a matter of fact, I was certain that when I graduated from college I’d be on my way to sunny California.  But Dame Nature (that silly bitch) had other plans and in a twist of fate, I landed an internship at Escada my junior year of college.  One summer in the big city and I was sold.  California who?

You see, New York is the type of place that you either love of hate, sink or swim.  If you happen to be one of the ones who loves it, it gets under your skin and there is no way to shake it.  Ever.  Any other city is second rate.  While Los Angeles has the sunshine, it’ll never compare.  Sorry, San Francisco, you’re a beautiful city, but you’ll just never do.  There is one city that reigns supreme… and that’s the Big Apple- despite all its flaws.

Well, a couple of years ago, New York and I had a trial separation.  I left the bright lights, tall buildings, and bad attitudes for the other coast.  I thought I was ready for a quiet, “normal”, simple life.  I thought I was done with New York.  It was great to give Smitty a yard and a place to stretch his furry little legs.  I enjoyed living in a space larger than a walk-in closet.  I wanted to love it.  I tried to love it, but there was nothing for me to do.  I was completely unstimulated.  I had no friends and no common interests with anyone I met.  I found that I got enraged by people who had no clue what The Met is and no interest in finding out.  I couldn’t take seeing one more person wearing Patagonia and the straw that broke the camel’s back was when I realized I hadn’t worn heels in six months.  I was a square peg trying to live my life in a round hole.  I gave it a shot, but finally came to terms that I was trying to live a life that wasn’t for me.  Besides, we all have done crazy things for love.

I realized that a place that may feel scary and overwhelming to some, felt safe and familiar to me.  Another girl could be writing this same post saying that she hates the city and she finds it to be dirty, loud, and abrasive.  It isn’t about which is better: the city or the suburbs.  It’s all about finding the place that fits and feels like home.

Mama, I’m coming home.

xx,

WhyDid

Why Did You Wear That: Eye, Eye, Eye

By |March 14th, 2012|Why Did You Wear That?, WhyDid Wisdom|

evil eye turkeyYou’ve probably heard of the “evil eye” referenced in popular culture, but did you realize it dates back over five thousand years?  From Turkey to Greece to Italy and even Ethiopia, it is one of the most widely spread superstitions.

You have also probably seen people wearing jewelry with an eye and wondered, “What’s that all about?”  Well, you should certainly know what something means before you go prancing all over town wearing it, right?  I mean, what if it meant “I’m a hooker”?  Could lead to a lot of awkward conversations, no?

It is said that the “evil eye” is a look given to a person and depending on which culture you reference, the look could inflict bad luck, disease, or even death.  That is why some people wear an eye as a talisman to ward off and protect against the evil eye.

evil eye jewelry

1. Yummi Glass 24k Gold Gold Painted Murano Glass Evil Eye, $225, 2. iLuck Evil Eye Stretch Bracelet, $25, 3. Blee Inara Evil Eye Cluster Ring, $50, 4. Andrew Hamilton Crawford Evil Eye Necklace, $70, 5. House of Harlow 1960 Evil Eye Bracelet, $55, 6. Blee Inara Evil Eye Cluster Necklace, $40, 7. Brian Danielle Diamond Evil Eye Hamsa Necklace, $625

So, I guess I’m gonna go drape myself in these now.  I certainly don’t need any more bad luck.

xx,

WhyDid

WhyDid Wisdom: That’s a Fact

By |March 8th, 2012|WhyDid Wisdom|

reference booksMistakes make me mad.  We all make them and some are totally unavoidable, but when it comes to the ones that are… nothing else (except maybe leggings worn as pants) gets my blood boiling faster.  Alright, alright, that sounds awfully extreme.  The mistakes that are most offensive to me also happen to be the most avoidable.  Those mistakes are the ones that never even had to happen had someone done his or her homework.

It irks me to no end when I’m minding my own business and I hear a news correspondent or “expert”  mispronounce something that they were presumably paid to talk about and educate the general public on.  I get so mad, in fact, I flip off the TV and open up my laptop only to find writers and bloggers misspelling words and/or using the wrong ones.  Doesn’t anyone do their homework anymore?  I think spelling may be the worst of all.  I get that not everyone is a spelling bee champ and even I struggle with certain words from time to time, but you know what I do when I’m not sure?  I look it up.  It’s always so awkwardly embarrassing when I see people get onto their own little soap boxes only to spell everything wrong and negate all that they’ve just said.  The worst part about spelling mistakes?  The little red squiggly line that shows up.  Um, hello??!!  Here’s a good rule of thumb: If you can’t spell it, don’t use it.  Using a big word to make yourself sound smarter only to misspell it makes you look, well, stupid.

Have we gotten so lazy that we can’t even take a moment so as not to look like total dunces?

Instead of actually doing some research or thinking for ourselves, we just believe everything we hear spouting out of the TV or read on the internet.  It’s like a modern day game of “telephone” and it’s entirely possible that the original source wasn’t even accurate.  And while I know, a lot of us use the internet as a reference point, you’ve got to be careful.  Just because it’s on the internet doesn’t mean it’s true.  In this digital age, it’s imperative to get your facts straight.  Once you put something out there… it’s out there.

So, I guess my point is this:  if you’re going to make the effort to do something, spend a little extra time making sure that you do it right.  I do my very best to always make sure that anything I post is accurate and relevant.  Remember when I was going to buy myself a cute little hedgehog?  Well, it’s a good thing I did my homework.  Had I not, this post may have never been written due to missing digits.

xx,

WhyDid

P.S. If you can find the type-o in this post, you win!  (Just kidding… unless, of course, you find one).

WhyDid Wisdom: There Will Be Unicorns

By |February 2nd, 2012|WhyDid Wisdom|

Hamlet and Ophelia

“The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”  – Hamlet Act III, scene III

You’ve probably heard this quote before… or maybe even even (mis)quoted it yourself.  But what does it really mean?  When this phrase is uttered (incorrectly or not), it is meant to say that one is so adamantly opposed to the “charge”, that one’s objection may indicate the exact opposite.

Have you ever caught someone in the midst of a lie and when you question that person, the alibi is so airtight that it’s almost too perfect?  There is such an elaborate excuse that you can tell it’s been pre-meditated?  Right around that time is when your antennae should go up and your brow should furrow.  Talk about a red flag.  The party in question is basically giving him/herself away.

It’s like when my dog (Smitty) pees on something.  He gets all worked up and it’s a dead giveaway.  Guilty as charged… hence another popular phrase, “Guilty dog barks the loudest.”

May seem like a straightforward explanation, but protest can also take the form of boasting or bragging.  As we all know (or at least should), boastfulness most times stems from deep insecurity.  Those who paint the prettiest pictures are usually the ones with the most to hide.

When I scroll through my Facebook feed and see people leaving elaborate status updates about how great life is or how much they are “over it” or how in love they are with his/her boyfriend/girlfriend, I feel really embarrassed for those individuals.  Partly because I’ve definitely been guilty of doing it before… so I can spot it from a mile away.  Here’s the thing, people who are living really fabulous lives are out doing just that… living their fabulous lives.  Not updating their Facebook pages.  People who are deeply in love with someone don’t have to broadcast it.  People who are over it… are over it.

So, next time you’re feeling bummed cause you see that everyone is out popping bottles alongside Jay-Z at the hottest club on the planet and there are models and unicorns- UNICORNS- there, just chuckle to yourself knowing that this is really code for sitting home alone watching Golden Girls with a quart of Haagen Dazs and there’s probably a cat involved… not that there’s anything wrong with that either.

The rest is silence.

xx,

WhyDid