Viva la Feminista

I was invited to participate in Evanston's Writer's Resist event on January 15th and this is an edited version of what I read. I'm still new to the live lit scene, but will occasionally post what I read. Sometimes things are best left at the event. Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale has been shorthand for the collective backlash to women’s progress, especially in regards to reproductive autonomy for quite some time. Safe to say most know the plot without having had read the book. A tale of a post-democratic former-USA taken over by an ultra conservative Christian theocracy where fertile white women are forced to reproduce for the “worthy” ruling class. A few weeks ago I was struck by the faint memory that the book does not conclude in escape or the reestablishment of democracy, rather it ends with an academic talk pondering the veracity of the story we had just consumed. This fact hit me in the gut as I have been considering how we will document the resistance...

This is part one of the review as I have yet to do anything but squeal over my Zazzle custom fabric . As you can see it is very light purple, has the Viva la Feminista logo and my motto "Peace, Love & Feminism" printed on the fabric. I am not a pro with fabric. I know how to sew and once I get my sewing machine all set, I will be turning this fabric (I have 2 yards) into a skirt. Yup, if you see me at a blogger and/or feminist event, you might catch me in it. #NERD. But since my BFF, Cinnamon, is a fabric pro I asked her for thoughts on the fabric itself. The printing is well done. The ink did not bleed. Apparently Cinnamon has seen custom fabric where the ink did bleed. She also gave the thumbs up to making a skirt with the fabric, which is the Pima cotton . I am super excited to make my skirt and see if I can make something else from it.So stick around to see how my projects turn out! And new fabric designs I'll doodle up.

VLF is a now an affiliate of SmileBox. I will post occasional deals and project ideas. But anytime you want to support VLF and get some  cards & such things please consider using the SmileBox link in the sidebar.  A friend asked me how I stand the overly romantic Valentine's Day cards that our kids are supposed to buy and then pass around at school every year. I guess I don't think about it until Ella & I are in the store aisle looking at the super gendered cards and then when she opens the box to find overly lovey dovey cards. Then I flashback to grade school and wanting to make sure I didn't give a "I Choo-Choo-Choose You" card to the wrong boy. And at least I could put people's names on the cards. Ella is supposed to just bring enough cards for everyone. In the end my friend made cards online. Honestly that's what prompted me to finally launch my affiliation with SmileBox. I did find customizable " My Friends Trading Cards " whe...

This is a long overdue review from a product I learned about at Blogher! Yeah, I'm that behind on my to-blog list. But back to the review... NatureBox is a service that sends you new & healthy snacks monthly. My husband makes Ella's lunches, so I hear his frustration at finding 1) something new to add to her lunch box and 2) ensuring a balance between fun and healthy. If those challenges sound familiar, NatureBox could help you address them. I received a complimentary box of snacks to test out. First, the box was very sturdy, so no need to worry about your snacks arriving smashed. In the photo you can see how they are packaged. Now for taste...Let's be honest, ok? The stuff we get in the grocery store is, for the most part, full of chemicals that make us think it tastes good. Some of the snacks I needed to get use to. But I realized it was unhealthy chemical stuff that I was craving. Other snacks (like the chocolate wafers) were winners right out of the bag. A...