You Know Your A Geek When..........

1.  You only eat with a Titanium Spork.  http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/tools/8ace/


2.  Your closet consists of T-Shirts with funny sayings on them. http://www.threadless.com/


3.  Spongebob Mac and Cheese with a hot dog in it is good eatin'


4.  You have tried to learn Klingon. http://www.kli.org/


5.  Every March you look forward to a green milkshake from McDonalds. (Deborah) ;)


6.  You own ALL the Star Wars movies.


7.  You play Super Mario Brothers a lot.


8.  You wear a monkey hat. (Thanks Brooke!)


9.  Nun calendars are AWESOME! (Brooke Again)


10.  You call people Ninja a lot.

My Most Awesome Sweet Weekend

It’s spring! Well, almost.  This Indie Girl had the most awesomest, creative, weekend ever!  Maybe it was the spring air, or the unusual amounts of coffee that I consumed last weekend, but it was what I needed to kick - off some creative projects.

My first major creative project was gardening.  I love getting my hands caked in mud and feeling the dirt between my toes.  I spent two hours out in the warm sunshine helping my mom plant new spring plants.  We cleared the flower beds, put up our “garden art” AKA gnomes, and started the sprinkler system.  All signs that spring is here.  It also gave me an opportunity to take photos of our new spring plants.

                              

That wasn’t all I worked on.  In my pjs and pink bunny slippers, I indulged in my creative fever.  I knitted, worked on my blog site, and started varies mix media projects.  Along with cleaning and watching Star Wars, I was on a roll.  There is nothing you can’t do in pjs and pink bunny slippers.

                                                                                           The second creative project that I worked on was what I call Door Art.  It’s so simple it’s sad.  All you need is a door, scissors, tape and a lot of old magazines.  Simply cut out your favorite pictures or random words and tape them in a pleasing fashion on your door.  It’s a cheap way to bring a little modern art into a room.  Since I love photography, I love to save my favorite pieces and this is the perfect way to display them.

It’s like putting together a big puzzle.  It’s a great mix media project.  Below is a picture of the back of my bedroom door.  I have been working on this for a few months now.  It’s not finished yet, but in some way I never want it to end because it is so much fun putting it together.

Anyway, I thought I just might share a few creative ideas with you.  Take advantage of the spring air and coffee if you so choose; start some creative projects. 

Now this Indie Girl must go and create something! J

Oh, yeah by the way, I wouldn’t recommend doing any garden work in bunny slippers you might ruin them. ;)

A Little Bit Of Indie In The Middle Of The Week

Indie Girl's Most Sweet Indie Bands.

1. The Decemberists (Love their new album The King is Dead)

2. They Might Be Giants

3. Passion Pit

4. Monsters of Folk

5. Florence + The Machine

6. Braids

7. She & Him

8. Alice Russell

9. The Go! Team

10. Bjork

Now this Indie Girl most go and create something! J

It's Okay To Wear Your Star Trek T-Shirt

During my high school years, I was a major geek.  I miss those days.  My wardrobe consisted of a Star Trek t-shirt and a communicator.  My bedroom was covered in Star Wars poster, aliens and glow in the dark stars.  It was while watching TV one night that I noticed a trend in being geekish. 

Let me tell you as a teenager this Indie Girl was the original geek.  Being geek back then was not the in thing.  Wearing a Star Trek shirt made me a target for ridicule and bullying.  You know how it is in high school; popularity is the key to survival, so you’d better act and look like everybody else.  Despite my low popularity level, I still continued to be myself.  I am glad to look back on those days and remember how I stayed true to myself.  I didn’t follow the pack in clothing or in lifestyle.  True it hurt to be ridiculed, but then you grow up and realize that even grownups treat each other poorly.

Being a geek in high school taught me that it’s the people who are different that are the people you can learn the most from.  If even I had taken the time to get to know the different people in my school (instead of fearing what people would think) I could have experienced many awesome friendships. 

During college, traveling and even my time in Topeka, Kansas I met some amazing people who I wish had been with me during high school.  I’ve gotten to know, artists, photographers, musicians, and thinkers.  I may not have agreed with everything they believed in, but it expanded my horizons and helped me to explore my own creativity.  Oh what we miss when we don’t take the time to learn from others.

It’s the geeks who go against the grain.  It was a geek who argued that the world was not flat, a geek who invented the light bulb, and a geek who created the world of Harry Potter.  We wouldn’t have gone to the moon if it hadn’t been for geeks.

To me, being Indie is learning things from different people.  By taking the time to talk with people who are not like you, it will surprise you how much you can learn.  Being geek should not be a trend; just be you.  Don’t be afraid to think differently, and don’t be afraid to get to know others.

So today I will wear my Star Wars t-shirt (I outgrew my Star Trek one) proudly. 

Now this Indie Girl most go and create something! J



Me During My Geek Days





• Drawing Above: Indie Girl in Jeans and A T-Shirt By Shelli Bullard Trowbridge



Indie Girl Takes Her Camera For A Walk

Indie Girl with Camera by Shelli Bullard Trowbridge

In the hopes of balancing the destruction I am causing my body by eating Spongebob Mac and Cheese I went for a walk last Saturday.  It was gorgeous!  There was a light cool breeze, the sun was out, and you could tell Spring was approaching.  It was refreshing.  I wore my brand new hiking shoes and took along my brand new camera.  I needed to practice using it.   So why not combine fitness with art.

I absolutely love photography.  It is an art form that combines both my loves: art and history.  It’s like a photographer cut out a moment in the fabric of time, and now we can see what life was like.  When things or people are long gone, you still have that one photo.

I have always admired photographers.  They see art in things that most people walk by every day like an empty swing set, a bird perched on a street lamp or a flower just blooming.  It’s incredible what they can capture.  They’re an artist without a brush.

 

My love for photography started when I first went overseas to Ireland and England.  I must have snapped over a hundred photographs.  It was so much fun.  Ever since then, I have always wanted to learn photography.  With that in mind, I am embracing the Indie in me and starting my journey with a camera.  Indie is about trying new things, and embracing the art around you. So I am going to with my camera. 

On my walk, I took sixty pictures of various things I found along my path.  I practiced with the different settings on the camera, different angles, and holding the camera still.  Most of my shots did not turn out, but a few did.  What was really important to me was to learn not to be afraid of my camera.

Yes, I am afraid of my camera!  It’s big and has a bunch of settings on it and I am afraid that I won’t take a cool picture.  I can’t let that stop me.  I have to overcome my fears and not be afraid to do something I enjoy. 

This makes me wonder how many people are too afraid to pursue their artistic passions.  Maybe it’s painting, drawing, writing or even sewing.  Are we afraid of what people will say?  Is it the fear of failure?  Why do we let that stop us?  Who cares what people say or even if it turns out terrible!  Wouldn’t it be worse for you never to try and then to wonder if you could have?  I say embrace your Indie and go out there and create something!

Now this Indie Girl most go and create something! J

I took these photos on the walking trail near our home.

Lamar, Colorado

Here are a few links to that have to do with photography that I enjoy:


http://www.geekinspired.com/photography/

North American Nature Photography

 A Gallery for Fine Photography

Where I Find My Indie Clothing

As an Indie Girl I enjoy dressing slightly different from everyone else.  Mind you most of the time I am either in pjs or jeans and a t-shirt.  There are times though when I enjoy expressing myself through fashion.  With money short though, it can be difficult to shop for new clothing and being especially clothing that is different and Indie.  So save money this Indie Girl will boldly try new things.  I have happily embraced The Goodwill Store! 

The Goodwill Store!  “What?” you say, “The Goodwill Store?”  Yes, my friends I have discovered a place where one can find clothes for cheap.  Oh, sure you will run into the rather too worn t-shirt, or the occasionally MOOMOO (which by the way I wouldn’t mind wearing one, I mean its breezy covers everything and you wouldn’t have to wear underwear), but then as you search through miles of clothes racks you discover the gems.

When I first walked in, the store was basic: no manikins dressed up in the latest spring fashions, no young teenagers size 2 running around with headphones on, nor is Lady Gaga blaring from the speakers.  The floor is hard and cold, tiny typed signs tell you where to go, and you can smell the smell that only slightly used clothes have.  This is not a fancy department store this is Indie Girl shopping.



    Scary!



This is where that mug went that you bought your friend for their birthday.

Guidelines are needy to shop at a 2^nd hand store. 

·         Beware of becoming a hoarder!

·         The sizes lie!

·         Check the armpits!

·         Put down the turquoise corduroy shorts!

Yes, there are a million cute knicky knacks in bins, and shelves, but do you want to end up on that show Hoarders?  I collect knicky knacks too don’t get me wrong, but I have a smart collection of gnomes (love them!).  Remember though, if it’s a giant candle squirrel, the reason it’s there at the store is because no one knows what to do with a giant candle squirrel and neither will you.  Sure, you are not going to know exactly what you need or will find at a 2^nd hand store.  Remember though; you don’t want to be on national television crying because somebody gave away your giant candle squirrel.

Loved this cute shirt!

I was very blessed to experience my first 2^nd hand store shopping with my Aunt Kelly.  The first thing she said was; “Never trust the sizes.”  Most of the time they have mislabeled the sizes that is why it is best to carefully look over each article of clothing, try them on to if you’re not sure.  Most stores such as this are not as organized as department stores so just beware.  I think it is fun that way.

I’ll admit I found a few articles of clothing with some old arm pit stains.  Deal with it.  Just don’t buy it.  99% of the clothing that I ran into was fine.  Just remember this is slightly used clothing, so you are getting a sweet deal on the prices.  I bought four name brand shirts for under $20.00.  They were good clean shirts.

Bright colors attract me.  I’m like a moth that has to fly towards the light.  There are a lot of brightly weird colored clothing at a 2^nd hand store.  It’s fun to view these clothing and laugh.  Whatever you do put them down!  I almost bought these brightly colored turquoise corduroy shorts.  Best to bring a friend with you to tell you no.  It’s great to save money, but you can spend money foolishly, even at a 2^nd hand store.

Indie is all about doing things differently, and that can be handling your money differently too.  It’s very Indie to be thrifty and nothing wrong with spending less on your wardrobe when you can.  Most of the time you will come out of a 2^nd hand store with fashions that no one is wearing….. which is really what Indie is all about. J

This rocks!  I would have bought it but I have no more wall space.

“Creativity takes courage.” Henri Matisse
     

Now this Indie Girl most go and create something! J