california dreamin'

Oh hai!

So today i am studying up in my room -- reading more Kant and wasting away as we speak. Actually, quite the opposite, but it is kinda boring to be up here reading Kant when there is a party going on downstairs (for my brothers' graduation... a collection of his friends are here from middle school timez). But I am upstairs, wishing to get out of this tower and reach the world again someday. Hopefully by this time next week I will be completely done with my work and be able to socialize like a normal 21-year-old.

so i'm stuck in my room, and i'm daydreaming, and sometimes that turns into real dreaming. Like last night i dreamt that my brother was engaged. And that he was Mormon. or something like that. so strange.

so i thought about futures... and things to come and the reality that is going on around me. my life is changing -- my brothers' as well. i'm gonna miss him, little bugger. i mean i miss him already as it is, but this is it, really. this is the last chance i have while we're this young to be close. cuz after this, who knows when i'm coming home... who knows what he'll be like once he heads of to college. I dunno.

I guess I've gotta embrace this.

*sigh*

oh, random addendum!

i would also appreciate some suggestions on shoes--

I have a 20% off coupon for Famous Footwear so I have a nice little selection of ones that i really like. Please comment about which is your favorite to help me decide!!!

hot kiss women's rumor

natural soul by naturalizer women's haver

bc footwear women's trolley

steve madden women's stomp

ciao women's pause

Fashion and Philosophy: ooh la la!!

So today I am working a lot on two different things: Kant and Second Stitch Limited.

I am reading the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals for my Ethical Theory course -- I didn't finish up the course during the academic year so I got an extension and am finishing up the stuff now! Kant is a brick wall, basically. His stuff is extremely dense and difficult to get through. I sometimes wish he were easier to read (like Socrates or Chesterton or something), but nonetheless it is interesting and I'm sure writing the paper will be good times.

And don't get me wrong, philosophy is interesting stuff! I just would much rather read about public policy decisions in relation to philosophical structures than just the straight up normative philosophies. *sigh*

Otherwise, I am also working heavily on Second Stitch Limited - the clothing company that me and my friends started back in January. James Lomuscio came to me in January and proposed the idea for a clothing company based on a sustainable ethic: all clothing would be reconstructed from old, gently used garments that we found at Goodwill, or got through used clothing drives. It would be a green company with an edge to it -- our target demographic is the "hipster" crowd: youthful people with an eye towards preserving the planet!

I was very excited to say the least, and we jumped right in. We grabbed Grace Ginn along the way, a great artist and a good contribution to our team. Unfortunately, life took a turn for the worse for me and made things much more difficult. But we're back on our feet now -- we have a seamstress who is pushing out our "3PT"s (they are the first garment we are focused on), and I am in the process of new design for dresses, skirts, and pants. It's simple, but it has the power to make a really big impact locally and globally!

Sustainable fashion is often thought of as something out of reach: people think that sustainable needs to be 100% organic, or made of old newspapers or something. Now don't get me wrong, that stuff is fantastic, wonderful, and straight up cool. But to the average Joe or Joette, clothing can't cost bundles of money. Clothing is an everyday adventure, and for young people, fashion is not only a self-expression but a necessity for daily life. And daily life can't cost $440,000!

So here we are, humble little Second Stitch Limited, just trying to make our way into the fashion world. Our clothing is green and sustainable, because we are taking the old and making it new. We are green, hip, and affordable!

l2r: James, Grace, me

So I know this has been an episode of shameless self-promotion, but I really do think that what we're doing here is a GOOD thing. Please check us out, spread the word, and become our fan on Facebook too!

www.secondstitchlimited.com

Movie suggestion: Cracks (2009)

Outside-Inside

Outside the sun shines
like the calm before the storm
everything is in its place
or is it really?
facades can only cover
just so long what is beneath
when a picture falls
protective glass cracks
hearts will weep when broken

~Lorraine Stark

First, please watch the trailer here. The film is a beauty to behold -

the costuming is gorgeous and hearkens back to the classy days of old.

How I wish I had lived then sometimes.

"Cracks" is about Fiamma, a Spanish Catholic girl who is new to the

elite boarding school in England. Miss G is the diving coach for the

young women, and has a secret that has yet to be completely exposed.

To sum it up... as the movie tag line goes...

"Innocence isn't lost. It's taken."

I highly recommend watching the movie at the least -- the plot is simple,

yet intriguing. And to the untrained eye, at least, it is filmed beautifully.