Random March 22, 2010

I don’t have a lot to share lately. Just a lot of “same shit, different day” around here (well, with the exception of this cold/cough that I’ve been trying to shake for over a week). But there were two moments this weekend that I wanted to make note of.

 

#1: Fanless and I were watching one of the many, MANY college basketball games, when the camera panned around and showed a few of the cheerleaders being all peppy at courtside. All of a sudden Fanless says “whoa, was that a Lulu cheerleader?” (He calls me Lulu; I think it’s completely adorable.) So I looked up and was all “what? where?”  He rewound a few seconds and pointed out a cute, blonde cheerleader and said “she looks just like you!” I just looked at him as if he’d suddenly sprouted two heads and said "that’s what I look like to you?” And he said yes (it was kind of in that “well, duh” tone of voice). I was completely dumbstruck. You see, I’d had a really difficult self-esteem day recently, so having my boyfriend offhandedly comment on my appearance (or rather, what he sees when he looks at me), and have it be something really good (for real, she was totally adorable), it really made me happy. Especially since it was so unexpected.

 

#2: While we were watching a movie in the living room, I got up to go to the restroom, which is at the end of the hall. The view into the living room as you’re walking back is obstructed by a wall so as I was coming around the corner, I was semi-distracted telling Fanless about something. When I got to the end of the hall he jumped out from behind the wall and startled me and I actually jumped back clutching my chest. Now I know it doesn’t sound that funny, and is really one of those “you had to be there” moments, but I swear we must have laughed for about 5 minutes afterwards. Even now when I think about it I giggle. Ahh… I love when we have completely random, silly moments like that.

 

Alright, that’s all I’ve got. Peace out, yo!

Hispanic Lite March 14, 2010

I’m sure by now everyone has seen that Orbitz commercial on tv where a nerdy-looking guy approaches a couple on vacation to tell them about the refund they’ll be receiving from Orbitz.com. In the original version of the commercial he addresses them as “Aah, the Hernandez-es-es.” In recent airings of the same commercial, I noticed that had been changed to just “the Hernandezes.” This sparked my curiosity. Had some outraged Latino rights group threatened legal action against Orbitz for making fun of Hispanic surnames?? A quick Google search revealed that although nothing seemed to have been made public, other television viewers had also noticed the slight change in the spokesman’s dialogue. What I found most interesting was not that some people were so insulted by the perceived insult to Hispanics the world over (seriously, people? Lighten up), but the fact that one of these same commenters snarkily referred to the couple in the ad as “Hispanic-lite,” implying that they were too light-skinned to be truly Latino. Umm… I’m sorry, but… is that the definition of irony? No, I’m serious; is it? Someone is commenting on the supposed insult to Latinos but in the same sentence implies that all Latinos have to be dark-complected? Isn’t that, I don’t know, stereotyping?

 

I guess I ask because as a pale-skinned… okay, who am I kidding… as a TRANSLUCENT-if-you-hold me-up-to-a-lightbulb-you-can-see right-through-me-skinned Latina woman, I think it’s pretty ridiculous to assume that all persons of Hispanic descent are brown. Latinos come in all colors. While I am pale as milk (my mother used to call me blanca nieve, Snow White, when I was kid), with green eyes and strawberry-blond hair (well, not since I discovered Clairol at age 13, but you get the idea), I am no less Cuban than my first cousins that are olive-skinned with jet black hair and brown eyes. Not all Latinos are brown, and not all browns are Latino.

 

Every time I see a Latino  woman cast in a movie or tv role, it’s always the same handful of actresses playing the part: Roselyn Sanchez, Penelope Cruz, Michelle Rodriguez, Jennifer Lopez, Eve Mendez, Salma Hayek, Cristina Milian. They all fit nicely into that “down and brown” category, don’t they? But what about the non-traditional Latinas? Let’s take, for example, Cameron Diaz. What, you didn’t know that the All-American, blue-eyed, blonde-next-door is half-Cuban? That’s right. Her father is Cuban. And while her resumé boasts a huge list of roles, including Irish and Italian characters, there is not a Latino one among them. Even pocket-size, bottle-blond, singer Christina Aguilera is not ever referred to as Latina, even though her father is from Ecuador. Perhaps it’s because she doesn’t look at all Latina? Or rather, she doesn’t look stereotypically Latina.

 

The thing is, for someone like me, someone NOT dark, not brunette, not endowed with enviable Latina curves, it’s really difficult to look at someone like Jennifer Lopez or Shakira and feel any kind of kinship. Instead, I find myself drawn to actresses like Jennifer Garner or Drew Barrymore because they look like me (ok, no, wait; let me clarify… I am in no way delusional enough to think I look anything like those beauties; I just mean in regards to skin color). When I look in the mirror I don’t see brown and sexy; I see plain ol’ Wonder bread white. And I wish that I could see more Hispanic women that look like me in the entertainment industry. And I wish people would stop boxing us into this little brown box. Not all Latinas are brown. Not all Anglos are white. We are a whole wide world of mixed up and that’s what I want to see when I turn on the tv or go to the movies. Is that too much to ask? It’s 2010, Hollywood. Catch up.

 

Peace out, yo!

Beard March 9, 2010

This past Sunday, Fanless and I drove up to Sawgrass Mall to meet up with Kim and Brandon and the girls. As soon as we found them, Kim told Mia to give me my present, so Mia pulled a folded up piece of paper out of her pocket. She had drawn me a picture and when I asked her to tell me about it, this what she said…

 

“That’s you, Aunt Lulu, and that’s me and that’s Uncle Christian…

 

and that’s his beard!”

 

 

Can you see why I love this child??  She’s awesome!

Scrappiness March 8, 2010

It’s been quite a long time since I’ve done a scrap-related post, so I just wanted to share my progress on my 100 Layouts challenge. Some of these were made a few weeks ago, but I’ve been lazy about photographing and posting them. I left off on #21, so here I’ll share #22-#32.

 

22-100: “I Love You Because” – Everything (except the flowers) is from Webster’s Pages Nature’s Storybook. There is hidden journaling inside the card on the lower right.

 

23-100: “Sister” – Everything is K&Company Wild Saffron (except the gray alpha, which is AC Thickers). The title was supposed to be “Sisters” but I didn’t have enough S’s in this style of Thickers. (Seriously, I could not love these girls more if they were my own. I really adore them.)

 

24-100: “G—-do Women” – I had to partially blur out the title because it’s my family’s last name, but I wanted to leave a few letters so you can see how cute that brown alpha is. Everything is from K&Company Que Sera Sera, except the brown alpha which is a different K&Company line (I can’t remember which one).

 

25-100: “In Good Company” – Everything here came from bits and pieces from my scrap (as in leftover paper scraps) drawer so I don’t know the manufacturers or collection names. The green alpha is AC Thickers.

 

26-100: “Whoo Loves Owls?” – Everything here is Sassafras.

 

27-100: “Big Sister” – Everything is Colorbok Forest Friends.

 

28-100: “The Luckiest” – Everything is K&Company Serendipity, except the yellow alpha (AC Thickers). The journaling is actually the lyrics to “The Luckiest,” by Ben Folds, printed on regular copy paper, then crumpled up and inked with Ranger Antique Linen Distress Ink.

 

29-100: “Hugs” – Everything is from a Noel Mignon kit. I used Vanessa’s Martha Stewart punch to make the doily-patterned border strip, and Barb’s Nestabilities to make the scalloped circle flower. (These pictures crack me up!)

 

30-100” “H—ES” – (Again, had to blur out part of the title because it’s their last name) These are Fanless’ maternal grandparents during Family Christmas 2008. It was their (I believe) 60th anniversary. They’re so cute; I just love them. (I really hope Fanless never breaks up with me because I will really miss his family; they’re good people!) Oh, and everything is from a Noel Mignon kit, except the brown alpha (I think it’s Cloud 9).

 

31-100: “Pretty as a Princess” – Everything (except some of the bling) is from the (GINORMOUS) goody bag that Damaris gave us during the retreat last September. I don’t really love this layout, but it’s been sitting on my desk for a month waiting to be “touched up” and I finally gave up on doing anything else to it.

 

32-100: “Cool Dad” – Everything is from a Noel Mignon kit, except the yellow Hambly rubons, which had been sitting in my stash for over a year.

 

Alright, that’s it for now. Peace out, yo!