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1.)  20 Career Tips from Entrepreneurs (via Cup of Jo) Is such a good blog post full of tips for people who are running and or starting their own business. –Farrell

2.) Frida Kahlo: The Gisèle Freund Photographs (via Miss Moss)  I’ve loved Frida Khalo ever since Selma Hayek brought her to the big screen and these photos are phenomenal; so much to take in with each one!  -Lauren

3.) Going Clear (via HBO) is a documentary film about the inside of Scientology that has left me with the creeps ever since I saw it.  –Farrell

4.) Out of Whack: 7 Keys to Resetting Your Hormones + Metabolism (via The Chalkboard) is quick and to the point.  -Lauren

5.) Machu Picchu in photos (via Mr. and Mrs. Globe Trot)  Whenever I want to be swept away to a far off land I come to this site. These images from Machu Picchu are really amazing and capture what it feels like to be at that magnificent place. -Farrell

6.) Monthly Horoscopes: April 2015 (via Astrology Zone)  Heading right over to see what’s in store.  -Lauren

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Today is our grandmother’s 98th birthday! And to celebrate this truly incredible woman, we are reposting one of our favorite posts from way back on Sister Disco, Conversation Tips from Our Grandma, Mommom.

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December 1, 2011 – Our grandmother is 94 years old. She is the queen of getting herself out of tough conversations and giving responses that say everything and nothing at all. These are her best responses that have become invaluable to us and have turned into life lessons and tips throughout the years. We wanted to share them with you:

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“Why not?”

It doesn’t matter if I am ordering an ice cream cone at 8 a.m. or trying on a ball gown just for the fun of it, her first response to me is most often, “Why not?”  On occasion, “Why not” is replaced with “Might as well.”  I could not count how many times this phrase has come to mind whenever I have nothing to say.

“Fouled up”

This is a lady’s way of using the F word. When we want to be a lady but also want to say F word, just say that the situation is “fouled up,” just sayin. This works to describe pretty much any messy situation: untangle-able jewelry, a broken kitchen disposal, or a complicated family dynamic. All of these things can be categorized as “fouled up.”

“I thought so”

This response comes in handy when, frankly, you don’t want to look like an ass. After every question you ask but feel like you should already know the answer, make sure to respond with, “I thought so.”  You will forever seem like you knew what you were talking about.

“tricky trick”

This is the favorite and most commonly replicated in our family. Usually after someone brings up a tough situation and you aren’t sure what to say, “tricky trick” is always in your back pocket. The hard part is not using it too many times in one conversation. This is why there are many variations on the phrase. For example, when a situation is too “fouled up” to talk about any more, you can say, “On to the next trick!”  This both ends the conversation and provides the wisdom that there will always be another “tricky trick” down the road, so don’t get too bogged down on the one right in front of you. “Tricky trick” can also serve as a boiler plate for similarly worded phrases such as “funny fun,” “spooky spook,” “nifty nift,” “rainy rain” and so on. You get the idea.

So those are just a few conversation tools that will help you along this holiday season filled with fouled up conversations! Feel free to give ‘em a try and let us know how they went over.

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Photograph by Alfred Eisenstaedt

 

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MAKING baked Japanese sweet potatoes with cinnamon every day.

RE-READING The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy because I remember it touched me but I have no recollection of what it is about.

AWAITING our mom’s arrival! She will be here in less than 24 hours.

 

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TRYING to keep in mind that just because things aren’t where you want them to be today doesn’t mean they won’t get there.

THINKING about so many friends and wondering how they’re doing, even though I’m not always so good at keeping in touch.

DRINKING too much coffee, all day every day.

So far 2015 has been nutso. It has had some extreme highs and extreme lows for me. But today I can’t help but think of all the lessons I have learned in just the past 3 months. I realized how much I have already learned when I was looking at all of the pictures I have taken in just 2015. There are not that many, but here are some of my favorites and what they remind me of.

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The beach always slows me down.

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Finding the moon everywhere makes me feel loved.

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Reppin’ Valley Cruise Press however and whenever I can is awesome.

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I am not afraid to looking inside (or outside) of myself for answers.

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My home really is where my heart is.

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It is important to stop and pay attention to what is right in front of you

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It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

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And it is really important to have fun and laugh a lot.

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And remind yourself how small you are and that you can’t even comprehend the other influences at play.

[posted by Farrell]

We hope you all enjoyed your first full weekend of Spring!  Here is some of what we did:

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Farrell – Los Angeles, CA

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Explored Santa Monica

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Celebrated a friend’s quinceanera

and finished it all off with this!

and finished it all off with this!

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Lauren

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Walked along some Malibu beach front with Farrell

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Spotted this place?!

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Went out to Sunday coffee and brunch

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Despite also being from Cleveland, I met sisters Annmarie and Natalie DiLillo years ago in NYC and we’ve been friends ever since.  Can I just tell you how fun these two are, and how much they love each other!  It’s the best.  (You might recognize Natalie as one of the faces of The Disco Emporium)

Since Farrell and I are now on the same coast, we’ve invited Natalie and Annmarie to do today’s Coast to Coast post.  Thanks so much, ladies!

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Annmarie

N: After 8 years of living in New York City, you have relocated back to our hometown, Cleveland, OH. How’s that going for you?

A: It is great to be back home. I love that I get to see our family a lot more often and I don’t have to use public transportation.

N: Cleveland is said to be going through a renaissance, what are your thoughts on this?

A: I think that the Cleveland I left eight years ago is definitely not the Cleveland I came home to. I returned to a lot more high quality restaurants and a better nightlife.

N: How has your dog, Franklin, adjusted to mid-West livin’?

A: He loves it and he hates it. He loves the amount of space he has inside and outside. But he hated the snow and how cold it was this winter.

N: You’re getting married, how’s wedding planning?

A: Honestly, I have done nothing for the wedding except find a venue and pick a date. The whole thing seems kind of overwhelming at the moment.

N: Do you miss me?

A: YES! EVERYDAY! MOVE HOME NOW!

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Natalie

 

A: You went to Bali in October to get your yoga teacher training, how was that?

N: It was absolutely life changing! I have been practicing yoga since 2003 and becoming a teacher has been a dream for a while. The hardest part was to stop making excuses why it was not the right time and just do it. It’s so easy to convince ourselves why something isn’t logistically perfect when in reality we are just scared of diving in and making changes in our lives. I am so happy I finally did it! Bali is the Island of the Gods, and was a perfect setting for such intensely introspective work.

A: How is it having your boyfriend live in LA when you live in NYC?

N: To be frank, I had no interest in a relationship, especially one that would be long distance but when you meet someone who just fits you know longer have a choice; it happens. Lately, I have come to see that certain things seem to be beyond our control. (Smile).  He and I live alternative lifestyles that involve occupational and leisure travel, so we have made it work through random dates in several states, extended visits, texts and phone calls. It’s pretty new so it hasn’t worn on me yet but I sure do miss him on the daily.

A: Do you have any plans to move to LA or back to Ohio in the future?

N: Sister, you know me too well to ask such a question! I can’t even tell you where I’ll be this weekend with any certainty! But I do know LA and Ohio are in my future.  As permanent homes, hard to say, we will see. (Wink)

A: Are there any major differences living with our brother compared to living with me?

N: Haha, yes! You’d be horrified with the cleanliness of the apartment. When you lived here I could eat off the floor, with brother, the five second rule is not an option!

A: I know your boyfriend loves dogs, will you ever get a pet?

N: I have both a cat/dog allergy making full-time living with an animal quite challenging. Also, I travel too much to be a good canine mother. If my lifestyle changes to where I am in one place more consistently I would consider it. Maybe a monkey one day!

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1.) How Tim Gunn of ‘Project Runway’ Spends His Sunday (via NYTimes)  My friend spent me this article earlier in the week.  What a classy guy Tim Gunn is!  I always liked him but gained a new appreciation for Gunn after listening to this Fresh Air interview he did last year.  -Lauren

2.)  The Personal Message blog is exactly the type of thing I needed to read this week. I love the little poems and thoughts. They really touched me. –Farrell

3.)  Love, Sex and Attachment (via On Being podcast) As a single person in her mid-30s, I found this conversation about modern love in America to be fascinating.  Though I think anyone, no matter their relationship status, would find it a worthwhile listen.  -Lauren

4.) How to Become Gluten Intolerant (via Devour) is hilarious! It is a great reminder that it’s always good to laugh and yourself and not take things too seriously.  –Farrell

5.)  What Is a Field (via Scientific American’s YouTube) arrived from our mom in my inbox yesterday with the simple message, “What I’m into lately.  Fascinating.”  -Lauren

6.) Built to Spill’s Living Zoo video (via Noisey by Vice) brings me back to my teenage years, when I was young and free and liked to tap my feet when I danced.  –Farrell

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Last week I mentioned how uninspired and stuck in the mud I have been. Since then I have been trying to boost my mood and focus on the good stuff. I have also been feeling a little bit more inspired lately and it has mostly been driven by music. For a while, I kind of backed off on listening to a lot of music because it really shaped my moods. It is so easy to be swayed by music so I have to be careful that it doesn’t pull me in the wrong direction.

I saw Sia on Saturday Night Live this weekend and was mesmerized by her. She keeps her faced covered in all of her live performances and has another performer interpret her songs. I can’t get enough and had to share my two favorite videos of hers with you.

Sia – Chandelier

Sia – Elastic Heart

I have also been on a Beatles streak. Who doesn’t love being in a Beatles phase?! My favorite album has always been Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.They are just so good and have SO many good hits. I had to share some of these fun videos I found too:

The Beatles – Come Together

The Beatles – I am the Walrus

In conclusion, funks really do come and go. Hang in there.

[posted by Farrell]

 

 

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(image via here)

 

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WEARING my Mexican house dress most days of the week.

ENJOYING taking morning and evening walks with Oscar the dog.

REMEMBERING very random snippets of my dreams as I go about my day.  Does this ever happen to you?

 

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LISTENING to Sia on repeat and I just can’t get enough. Her voice is amazing!

FINISHING our last season of Parenthood and I have to tell you, it is feeling like an end of an era. I love those Bravermans.

GEARING up for my birthday month. Here’s to 30 years old!

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(Peony, paint, collage on panel via Flickr)

I overheard my mom talking on the phone once when I was little.  “She lost her mother this year,” my mother said.  I didn’t know who she was talking about but the statement had a profound impact on me.  It was the first time I ever considered that someone – an adult, no less – could be affected by something for a whole year.  And I understood that my mother was trying to encourage the person on the other end of the phone to be a little softer and a little more forgiving of the other person’s behavior.

I started writing this post last October but never published it.  Then last week I remembered it and thought it worth coming back to.  It reminds me to try to be a little less judgmental of and a lot more compassionate to myself and to others.  Time moves so fast sometimes, it’s hard to keep in mind that we’re all constantly working through past sadness, suffering, grief, loss and challenge.  Healing is a process; it doesn’t happen overnight and I guess it isn’t supposed to.

[posted by Lauren]