Chepooka.com

I stumbled upon an old blog entry this morning, as far as I can tell it was the first ever blog entry I ever wrote, it dates back to May 28, 2002. 

Of course back then I did everything in Dreamweaver, I remember trying to figure out Blogger and then not really understanding the point.  lol So I updated this little site, probably a dozen entries or so tops, no commenting system.  I was just puttin’ it out there, I guess I needed to write.  But I wrote a lot about really random stupid stuff, nonsense.  Maybe that’s why I decided on Chepooka.com as my domain, it’s Russian for “nonsense”, which I know because it’s used in one of my favorite books/movies, A Clockwork Orange.  (Now you know, the secret’s out!  lol)

This blog really didn’t plant roots until 2004, when a pal of mine (her blog is no longer active so don’t bother clicking) and I left a graphic design forum because it was getting too politically-charged, lots of arguing about with the whole WMD thing and things got ugly.  We took the conversation to our blogs. 

I figured out Blogger and used that for a few weeks, but then quickly decided to install Movable Type because all the cool kids had that (I remember it took me the better part of a Saturday morning to get it up and running).  I began discovering other blogs, people with the same passions.  (I was delighted to learn, upon my return to blogging, that a few of them are still around.  Hi!  *waves*)

My interest in web design was sparked as well.  At the time I had only a passing familiarity with CSS and XHTML what?!  Thank God for blogging or who knows how long it would have taken me to graduate from WYSIWYG web design and to learn a thing or two about web standards. 

It was exciting to me to experience design on such a personal level (rather than commercial, where it’s all about branding and communicating to customers).  Blog design was about expressing individuality, it was more playful and fun.  It’s how I connected with some of the world’s best blog designers, some of whom I consider friends to this day.  I still love seeing a really well-done blog design, and I still love designing blogs more than anything (although I don’t get much chance to do personal sites anymore now that the corporate world has caught on to this new-fangled technology). 

I blogged a lot about the election and politics.  Then, I was disappointed.  Then, I didn’t want to indulge in expressing my emotions, beliefs and passions so much anymore.  And so for the most part, I stopped. 

Blogging has since changed a lot (note to self: don’t go on hiatus or the world will pass you by).  Social networking, oy.  Have you hoiyd of theese?

There are now a virtual TON of blogs out there that address the “strategy of blogging”—how to do it, how to make money at it, how to write better posts, how often to post, how to drive traffic, how to blog while you’re sleeping or from your car when all that’s available to you is a zippo lighter and some dental floss. 

I’m guilty of reading those blogs and writing such articles myself.  But the core of the blogging world is still about unfiltered, raw, passionate, honest, personal expression.  I love finding new blogs that fit into this category.

Anyway, here I am again.  Maybe I’m back to where I started - it’s just about nonsense that goes on in my head and my life.  Can that be a mission statement for a blog?  Heck yeah it can, IT’S MY BLOG.  It’s even ok if nobody reads this (thank you for reading this). 

I have always journaled.  I used to write letters back when I was young and had less control over my emotions.  Most of them I wouldn’t send, but looking back, I feel sorry for the recipients for those I did.  20-pages worth of angst and frustration and emotion that I didn’t know what to do with.  I haven’t written one of those in awhile. 

As for the journals I’ve written, I’ve never kept them.  I always felt that it was best to leave the past behind, that the pages were just to get things out, not to bring back in.  But we never leave the past behind anyway, we just learn to recall things differently as time passes.  Maybe it would have been better if I were able to go back and see how far I’ve come, how much I’ve grown, how much I’ve survived, and even hey—remember that it really wasn’t all that bad, in fact, it’s been quite good.

I know I’ve lost archives for Chepooka but I may go back at some point and see what I can recover.  I think it would be a good exercise for me.  Anyway.  Enough waxing nostalgic, here’s the post that started it all. 

Since I’ve been following the Volumetrics eating plan, I’ve dropped 2 inches from my waist.  *cue confetti* I just measured this morning because m’pants were beginning to fall down on me a little bit.  I can’t tell you how much I love this plan, I won’t bore you with the details unless you’re interested. 

But can I just say that I feel this humongous sense of relief that I’ve found a plan that works for me and one that I can stick to.  I know that I can stop dieting now, I can just LIVE and eat well and lose weight too.  Yay. 

During recent coffee break chat session with colleague:

He says:
I sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo want to go home or go to the park and sit in the sun
Chepooka says:
me too.  I have my curtains closed so I don’t have to see the killer day outside
He says:
I want to go to a beer garden and get slowly drunk on white wine and good company
Chepooka says:
you realize that if we were both freelance, and both in the same town, and both had laptops, we’d be doing that all day every day lol
He says:
haha! true - not sure how much work would get done
He says:
it’d be a killer agency model though
Chepooka says:
I think so.  Who needs coffee shops?  That’s so 2006.
He says:
exactly
He says:
booze is where it’s at
Chepooka says:
That could be our tagline
He says:
nice!

I am seriously in love with Stila’s Clear Color lipstick.  I only wish we had a Stila counter in Anchorage so I could try on the various shades, I might just buy them all.

It’s in between a lipstick (too high maintenance for me anymore) and a lip balm (which often supplies the correct amount of sheer color, but doesn’t last very long, I’m not a great toucher-upper).  There’s a nice amount of pigment; it’s lighter and creamier in texture than lipstick, yet still provides quite a bit of color. 

As my skin ages, I find that I look much better with less makeup.  So that means I rarely wear powder and I try to avoid lip liner, it only accentuates the wrr ... wrrrr .... wrrrrinkles.  And given that I work from home, it’s all too easy for me to just skip makeup all together.  And that’s really not a good look for me. 

So I look for products that will allow me to look better in minimal time, I’m shooting for the 60 second makeup routine.  The Stila clear color combined with the matching Color Push Up (which is an all-over color) takes about 15 seconds tops.  I love, LOVE LOVE, this product (I have berry flash, but again I’d love to try out some different combinations of these two products).  Powder blush is an essential element in any girl’s makeup bag, but this is more natural looking and easy to apply for an every-day minimalist routine. I splashed a dab on my eyelids as well just for a wee tint of color.  Blend it all with fingers and voila.

So one option for a 60 second routine (there are more) is as follows:

1) apply moisturizer and under eye cream (bobbi brown eye cream rules!)
2) apply under eye corrector, concealer and powder (bobbi brown is magic here, each individual product is in the $40 range, but I have a trio that has all three that I purchased for $20 and it’ll last me forever—might need to ask at the counter if they have it hidden under there somewhere.  Addressing the under eye area and other problem spots to blend out skin tone is the key to a great natural look, must splurge here.)
3) even out skin tone with a bit of foundation (I use Mac, their lighter formula foundation, but I’m still on the hunt for better)
3) stila clear color for lips
4) stila color push for cheeks and all over color
5) mascara (optional, usually when I’m not going out of the house I skip this) - curl lashes, apply one or two coats ala bobbi brown method (holding the wand vertically rather than horizontally, separating lashes as you go).  I am still on the hunt for the perfect mascara too, I have no brand loyalty here. 

Anybody else care to share their top tips for easy schmeezy makeup routines? 

Six months ago I moved to a neighborhood that has a reputation for being pretty ghetto.  It’s not the worst in town, but it’s right up there.  It’s the kind of place that requires an explanation to my friends and family: “I moved here because _______.”

I moved here because I lived in a swanky neighborhood downtown for the better part of a decade and I loved it.  I loved being able to walk everywhere—restaurants, shopping, events, home from a night of cocktails.  Even though I live in Alaska because I’m hopelessly in love with the idea that in 30 minutes I can “be one” with breathtaking nature, I’m also a little bit lot city.  I feel isolated living so far away from the rest of the country, I miss outdoor music festivals.  So when I look outside and see buildings and people milling about, I get the balance I need.  I’m not a suburban girl, never have been, never will be.  If I had no choice but to move to the ‘burbs, I would have rather moved out of state (which I seriously considered for most of last year). 

I spent YEARS waiting for the housing market to cool so I could afford to buy a place downtown.  It never happened, and I was SO TIRED of giving my money to my jackass landlord who inherited the 1/2 million dollar duplex after his awesome father died of cancer.  After looking at scummy old properties for a few months this place came available.  A developer bought a 6-plex and flipped all of the units to condominiums.  He typically devotes his time to building luxury condominiums (1 million plus condos downtown are all the rage right now), but he believed in this little neighborhood and took a chance here.  He stripped everything down to the studs and installed high (not top) quality materials - textured walls, granite counters, travertine tiles.  If this condo were a few blocks west, it would fetch at least double what I paid.  The changes and trends in this neighborhood even since I moved here is both encouraging and exciting.  Every month I see some improvement here or there, or see some crack house go up for sale.  The potential here is the best in town; so being, I’m crossing my fingers that my investment was wise. 

My building-neighbors are all very similar in demographics - young (20s-40s), dual income no kids, professional. We’ve all become fast friends and have the same philosophy: we’d like to see our ‘hood become a part of “the new downtown”.  Our building is a little Melrose Place without the drama; or more accurately, it’s more like it was in college—all your friends are close by, you have much in common with all of them because you’re in the same place in life, and it’s not unusual for somebody to knock at your door out of the blue (and you’re not even the slightest bit irritated that your space has been invaded):

Neighbor: “What you doin’?”
Me: “Just watching a movie, that’s why I’m crying hahaha.”
Neighbor: “Oh I love that movie, can I watch?”
Me: “Sure, get your butt in here.”
Us: *curled up on the couch watching Freedom Writers*

However, meanwhile, while we’re waiting for “the new downtown” to happen ... outside our doors?  Everyday is a new adventure. 

To be continued ...