Monthly Archives: February 2012

February 27, 2012 · 8:39 am

Red bicycle love (for a short woman!)

I’ve never felt confident on a road bike before. The hunched over posture felt awkward, the tendency for the pedals to have stirrups freaked me out and, since I stand tall at 5’2″, all of the frames I’ve tried made me feel like I was being stretched on some torture rack from the dark ages.

But Saturday the magical combination of a Bike World Warehouse sale, some knowledgable friends and a penchant for cherry-colored-sassiness-on-wheels changed all that! Meet “Lady G,” my new-to-me Terry Prism from the dawn of the 90s:

I’m smitten. This sweet ride feels different. If you look closely, you might notice that the front and back tires are two different sizes. We’ll get to that soon!

I lucked out because my friend Jake was working the sale and he let me know I should be looking in the 50 cm sizes, due to me height. (This ruled out the hot pink Bianchi, unfortunately.) Then in walked in my friend Lauren, who’s ridden RAGBRAI and knows a thing or two about bikes. She saw me checking out the Terry and gave me a little feminist cycling history lesson. Apparently this brand is the first designed by women, for women — and particularly for us petite cyclists! Feminist bike? Yes, please.

Before I allowed myself to commit, Joe and I stopped downtown to the Des Moines Bicycle Collective to see if they had anything else my size for comparison sake. But after taking a pretty nice Cannondale for a test ride, I knew we needed to go back for the Terry. (DO check out the Collective sometime, though!)

Luckily, no other shortie had snatched up my sweet bike! Jake helped me negotiate an even better deal by paying cash and Joe popped “Lady G” in the trunk. I was able to take her for a quick first ride on the Great Western Trail that afternoon — snow patches, be damned.

As far as accessorizing my new bike, this red bicycle print dress is going on the top of my birthday wish list!

(It must be meant to be, because they even make it in petite sizes!)

Now, back to this bikes for short women business. I think the front 24″ wheel is the secret for comfort. First thing when we got home, Joe started researching Terry bicycles and found this video, in which the company founder, Georgina Terry, explains the frame design and logic behind the two wheel sizes.

I watched the video, but also gravitated toward the stylish cycling clothes and cool Terry community. They’re even on Pinterest!

Their newer bikes are easy on the eyes, too. Isn’t this Terry Commuter “Burlington” fun?

I can’t wait for a Cumming Tap Taco Ride, or to hit the High Trestle Trail again some evening. Hurry up, spring!

OH! And speaking of cycling awesomeness, my amazing cousin Kelley just started a 6-month bike tour of South America with her boyfriend. How cool is that? You can follow their adventures on their blog.

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February 25, 2012 · 9:45 am

Birdies for Education

Months before I got my new job (and months before I had any inkling I’d be joining the Des Moines “I Have a Dream” Foundation), I made a confession to my now boss. We were at a brainstorming meeting for TEDxDesMoines, and we were talking about topics that we should try to cover with our speaker selection. The conversation moved toward education.

“I didn’t vote in school board elections!” I blurted out. I felt guilty because here I was, participating in a discussion on education reform and the state of our school system, and I wasn’t really even engaged in what was going on in Des Moines.

Education, for many young professionals, is one of those issues that — unless you’re a teacher — we just sort of push out of focus until we start families. We might vaguely think about the quality of surrounding schools when we purchase a house, but it’s not a priority. Even though the quality of education in our communities directly impacts so many other elements — from crime rates to the state of the economy. (Huge shoutout to all of the teachers in my life!)

Gotta love outtakes from pictures of 6th graders!

I won’t stand on this Saturday morning soap box for too long, because I will be the first to admit that I have A LOT to learn about the education system. But I will share a link to the new Des Moines “I Have a Dream” Foundation blog I’ve been working on, so you can get a better sense of the organization I work for.

If you feel compelled, you can donate to IHAD through “Birdies for Charity” and your giving will be amplified by a 25% match. This is a fantastic way to support an organization that is transforming the lives of at-risk kids and jumping into conversations about how to lower the dropout rate in our community and break the cycle of poverty for families.

Now, back to Saturday morning cartoons!

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February 23, 2012 · 5:29 pm

What I’m into

Back when I worked at Juice, the staff would contribute to a weekly column of random stuff we were “into” that week. In the same spirit, here are a few things that have me smiling:

Insane Art Formed by Carving Books with Surgical Tools

I saw a link to this on a Facebook friend’s wall and the intricate nature of this art was jaw-droppingly awesome. Pinterest is full of crafts that involve repurposing old books, but this goes so far beyond anything I’ve seen before. Talk about a word or image popping out at you. Isn’t this neat? Read more about Brian Dettmer’s process.

***

A whopping SEVEN women I’m close to (that I know of) are pregnant right now. I will confess that baby fever is catching. I sent this Fuel/Friends “Freshly Hatched” Mix to my friend Amy whose little baby bump is super adorable. Totally excited that there was a David Wax Museum song on it!

***

My college BFF Amanda is getting married in the Dominican this May and we bridesmaids get to wear Kelly Green dresses for the occasion. I might already own a Kelly Green dress, but this Modcloth number is calling my name:

If I get it now, I could wear it for St. Patrick’s Day, too! Speaking of, have you listened to The Chieftains new album? They sing with all sorts of awesome indie bands.

True story: I orchestrated a big family gathering to go see The Chieftains a couple of years ago. I made little doo-dads for everyone’s lapel and tiny leprechaun hats. It was so much fun!

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February 20, 2012 · 5:36 pm

Post-it Power

I’m the kind of person who needs to get her thoughts down on paper as fast as possible. Otherwise, they tend to float out of my skull like tiny balloons.

My work spaces are always littered with scraps of paper. Items scribbled onto Post-it notes are like tiny task hills that make up a bigger work routine. I love conquering them and then peeling them off the desk. I also have a “wall of random ideas” that gets populated every so often with post-its when I come up with something bigger that could work later.

Maybe you’ve seen this doing the Pinterest rounds, but I like this rotating goal list idea from Cornflower Blue Studio.

I could also see making one for workouts, especially since this morning was Day 1 of half marathon training for me and Joe. After all of my indulging this weekend, the three mile run was much-needed, but it’s going to take awhile to get used to pre-dawn exercising.

I scrolled through the Cornflower Blue Studio blog and was tickled by all of the coral reef-inspired crochet. It reminds me of a TED talk I posted awhile back linking crochet with coral through hyperbolic geometry. (It’s mind-blowing.)

Back on the post-it track, though, last week we had an awesome staff meeting where the five of us wrote down all of our duties on little post-its, which we arranged into different sections of the organization (Foundation, school, board, community partners, misc.) so we could visualize where everyone is concentrated. We each used our own color so it was easy to see who did what.

It definitely wasn’t about competing to see who had the most Post-its, but it helped us see where our efforts are focused and where we might be overlapping or able to help each other out. We have a very small staff and with me new to the team and one team member recently having transitioned roles, I think it was a neat exercise. We also used those giant post-its to write down the things that excite us about the organization, the things that keep us up at night worrying, crazy long-term ideas and what services our constituents need in order to succeed. I left feeling mentally organized and energized.

Lastly, who could write a post about post-its without linking to this classic scene?

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February 19, 2012 · 7:57 pm

Weekend recap: Full stomachs, lots of friends

I didn’t nab tickets to this weekend’s beloved Des Moines Blue Ribbon Bacon Fest, but I don’t think I missed out in the full belly department at all.

Friday: Headed downtown for the Des Moines Metro Opera “Wine and Food Showcase,” which turned out to be the ultimate elegant tasting buffet.

My friend Laura corralled a group to go in on a ticket deal, making the all you can eat/drink evening benefit $35. I didn’t know what to expect (people were in everything from jeans and T-shirts to attire that would be fitting as a wedding guest), but it was actually a pretty laid back experience, with attendees milling about, sampling and running into a bunch of friends.

One of the most interesting offerings was a wine (Pink Catawba)/gelato float that and Tassel Ridge Winery and Chocolaterie Stam concocted. Splash also had a bunch of great mini offerings, and Tartine had killer cannolis. It was a good reminder of some other great local restaurants I want to get back to.

Plus, who can resist a photo booth and props? Clearly not this group:

Saturday morning was spent at a literacy event, then brunch at Americana with a group of lovely ladies. I honestly think the Americana brunch is overrated and overpriced, but I do love the loooooong benches and atmosphere. I sat on a side with two women I’ve met only a few times, and am excited to build friendships with them!

After that, I popped into Ephemera to bring lunch to Arin and Karen. It was busy, busy, busy in the shop, thanks to sunshine and lots of new brides. It felt great to spend a few hours down there, like I used to when Joe would work during the weekend.

Ephemera snapshot via Pitter Patter Clunk .(Those are her sweet candle cake toppers.)

I love the photos of Ephemera in this post, too. Marissa captures Iowa life through a truly magical lens and her designs are amazing. (I haven’t really met her yet, but we share so many friends in common, it’s extra fun to see them all pop up on her gorgeous blog.)

During my downtown adventures, Joe was with the guys at an IPA tasting hosted by a friend. His homebrew came in second place in the blind tasting, which is pretty awesome, considering all of the other options were from craft breweries!

This morning I met up with some other friends for a mini Mardi Gras parade, which was the perfect excuse to break out my beads, cheetah print gold stretch pants and pirate hat. I got to check out the newly redone Library Cafe (which is only a few blocks down the road) and was delighted how much it has been elevated from underage college kid dive to a warm little neighborhood pub. And I hear the nachos are still just as good.

Good thing I’m sporting the elastic pants, because the afternoon was spent making America’s Test Kitchen dinner rolls from scratch (which I was pretty proud of, until I realized I left out the salt!) and putting together my belated Valentine dinner for Joe.

Now, to wind down the weekend with the Downton Abbey season finale.

I am completely obsessed and will be sad to see the season end. If you also have a mad crush on Cousin Matthew, here’s a cute video of him reading Jack & the Beanstalk. I have pretty much no excuse to be watching this, but he even does character voices! (Thanks, Refinery 29!)

Oh, and my amazingly fantastic boss (who is also a huge Downton fan) sent me this link that features a bunch of pictures of the Downton Abbey characters in the 21st century! Gasp!

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February 16, 2012 · 10:07 pm

A Scrabble get-well

My wonderful Grandpa is in the hospital with pneumonia, and since I can’t be there passing the time playing Scrabble with him, I made this little picture card to post to his Facebook wall. Yes, my g-pa, who turns 90 in May, is an active Facebook user. Ha!

I think he will especially like the use of “hastily”* instead of soon. Stays true to the Scrabble form, scores more points and is generally his sense of humor. (Grandpa likes to call Sloppy Joes “Untidy Josephs,” etc. Grandparent humor!

*UPDATE* I couldn’t sleep because I just realized QUICKLY would have scored more points. Argh!

Speaking of how awesome my Grandpa is, we finally were able to rescue this cooking video we made together from the clutches of my old hard drive. I’m pretty sure we’re just one Buzzfeed link away from making him a viral video sensation ;-)

But seriously, if you enjoy older gentlemen in tuxedo aprons and bad camera work and editing, check out this video we made documenting his beef stew recipe.

 

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February 12, 2012 · 5:30 pm

My problem with non

In my year and a half of professional upheaval (which sounds dramatic, but for lack of a better phrase), I’ve adopted the term “recovering journalist” to describe myself.

I’ve used qualifiers like “well, I used to… or I just left…” in conversations because it feels strange to take ownership of a new job in a different sector, and one that I’m still figuring out. (Also, #partylikeajournalist still makes me laugh and there’s no #partylikeanonprofitpro site.)

But being an ex-fillintheblank isn’t the most fulfilling way to identify, now is it?

That’s why Seth Godin’s “The problem with non” strikes a chord. It starts out:

Non as in non-profit.

The first issue is the way you describe yourself. I know what you’re not but what are you?

Did you start or join this non-profit because of the non part? I doubt it. It’s because you want to make change. The way the world is just isn’t right or good enough for you… there’s an emergency or an injustice or an opportunity and you want to make change.

The message is about marketing, ultimately, but first it’s a call to embrace the role of change agent.

In order to truly feel like what I do matters, I need to get past this nonsense.

I’ve long loved this Thoreau quote because I always thought of myself as a girl who knew what she liked and what she wanted and committed to what it would take to make those things happen. (Vision of myself with a big hiking stick, plowing forward toward some goal or another.)

But for the past year, I’ve been looking every direction but forward. Back, toward what I was. Sideways, to compare myself to the people around me and try to assess my level of success. Down, because I’ve been ashamed at my bouts of uncertainty. Each of those directions stifles the imagination.

Never having transferred or changed my major in college, I think the thing that freaked me out was pausing. If I’m supposed to go confidently, what does it mean to stop and reevaluate? Should my original objective dictate my direction, or is the course set more by my ability to live by my values than check off achievements? I believe it’s the latter.

How do I solve this problem of non? Instead of fretting over whether or not I’m on the right path toward “what I want to do with my life,” I’m surrounding myself with people who make me smile and simply doing.

***

Then last week I went to an awesome meeting, organized by Danny Heggen. (Check out his 31 Tips for Des Moines project.) He brought together a few of his young nonprofit professional friends at Smokey Row for the kickoff of what we hope will become a kind of YP group. I met three enthusiastic people and we got started on a list of future discussion topics. The plan is to meet monthly to share ideas and best practices. It was energizing, and the first time I’ve felt like I belonged to this new-to-me world.

Camaraderie beats comparison, every time.

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February 6, 2012 · 10:09 pm

That’s more like it, Iowa winter

The snow started melting in big glops on this sunny Monday, but over the weekend I got a picture of the house laced in white.

I love our little hippo house, with its rooster weather vane, eyebrow windows and snout-like porch.

We spent the weekend overnight babysitting for our niece. I was nervous, but aside from Caroline eating a tiny corner of “Baby Make Me Breakfast,” all went well.

Speaking of devouring books: Are you reading “The Hunger Games” trilogy yet? I practically missed Downton Abbey last night because I was so engrossed in the second book. I could hardly fall asleep later, my heart was pounding so hard after finishing it!

If you look closely at my snowy stoop, you’ll probably notice the weekend also involved Netflix. We watched 50/50 and I cried (although my emotional spectrum is kind of like the one the actress Kristen Bell describes on Ellen in this hilariously adorable clip of her sloth-related meltdown), but I liked it. It’s not exactly uplifting, but I’ve had a crush on Joseph Gordon-Levitt since his Third Rock from the Sun days. Sans the long hair. The dialogue is realistically awkward and funny, which I appreciated.

I love a lounge-y weekend now and again.

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February 4, 2012 · 11:10 am

So glad I had a passport handy

When I graduated high school, my goal in life was to become a writer for National Geographic. To travel the world and write about all of the interesting people I met and places I visited. My grandpa keeps stacks and stacks of the saffron-bordered magazines in the attic (or “cold room” as we call it), and as a little girl, I would spend hours after school and in summers reading about the brain or an ancient civilization or specie of whale.

photo via

I still remember the night my freshman year at Mizzou when my college roommate and I went to see a group of National Geographic photographers (including the amazing Sam Abell) speak. I was captivated. To be in the same room with the people who achieved my dream was a rush — the intellectual high I’d hoped to get in college. After the lecture, I remember literally running through the columns on the quad and back to our dorm with hardcover photo books tucked under our arms.

Photo via

I also remember the stories the photographers told about how long their assignments were and what that meant to their families. And gradually, the dream shifted for me. I still love to travel and my nine-year-old passport is tattooed with stamps (thanks, Girl Scouts!), but I came to realize that the nomadic life wasn’t for me.

There are so many breathtaking destinations and fascinating cultures and I am interested in seeing as much of this planet as I can. But I also started to appreciate the fact that all of the world’s interesting places exist because there are people who commit to them and keep them alive.

At one time, I was convinced that the only way to uncover life’s meaning was to stand in a headwind at earth’s rugged edges. That the only way to be a writer was to get out of Dodge. I still believe that when we put ourselves in unfamiliar, uncomfortable situations — and to travel is to embrace this — we come to a better understanding of ourselves. But I don’t know if I’m convinced that essential truths are only caught after a cross-continental chase.

I’ve written a lot about Des Moines becoming home to me and choosing to be part of a community. I write about my house and the friends I’ve made here and sometimes I feel like — for the people who knew me back when I was a high school travel-writer wannabee — these moments read like I gave up, or settled. Perhaps I’ll spend the rest of my writing life trying to put into words what it feels like to make roots like these. Maybe I’ll never get it right. Or maybe I’ll write a novel instead.

Then this week I had the most exciting news. Just as I’ve felt like things are beginning to settle down (I’m convinced the water here in Iowa has some sort of baby-producing boosting agent), I got the most amazing e-mail. I will be heading to Doha, Qatar as a TEDxSummit attendee along with my friend, Alexander. I couldn’t be more excited for this unexpected adventure. It’s the perfect mix of being able to see a place I’d never even imagined in my girlhood National Geographic dreams, and taking part in a global event meant to enhance my community back at home.

I (along with a small group of talented people) helped Alexander put together the last TEDxDesMoines event (something I wasn’t going to be able to work on if I’d stayed in journalism at the paper), but I definitely don’t feel worthy of this opportunity. I’ll keep you all updated and hopefully will post from Doha this April!

This opportunity is something I feel I never would have had living in a bigger city. It’s one more reason to love Des Moines. I’m still pinching myself that it’s real!

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