Sunday Supplements (and Sunday Puppy too)

It's been a while since I did a Rustic Weekend feature. Yesterday I had a guest post over on Bonnie's A Compass Rose, titled "Why being a Brit in suburban USA isn't so bad", and writing it reminded me of some of my favorite things about living here in Nowheresville, PA.

Originally, Rustic Weekend was a quiet celebration of being able to enjoy doing nothing with my husband, something I hadn't been able to do at all for our first year of marriage. Then both our schedules filled up, even at weekends, so the feature became Sunday Supplements, a quick round-up of my favorite finds.

We didn't go anywhere or do anything particularly exciting this summer. And that was kind of wonderful. We did however, do plenty of other lovely things… (sorry vegans/vegetarians, close-ups of meat are imminent!)

So roll on Fall and all its tasty rustic bounties! And yes, that's a pumpkin beer right there. If you hold on, I'll be happy to share our recipes for honey glazed BBQ chicken and basil pasta salad later this week!

I don't think I'll manage a whole month of posts just on pumpkins this October. What would you like instead?

Sunday Supplements (and Sunday Puppy too)

Here's a lesson in the stubbornness of English Bulldogs: They are very stubborn.

You want them to turn and face the camera? Well, that's going to take a bit of cajoling sometimes…

There's no treat here. We were just fooling her. She wasn't fooled. Anyway, here's what we've been up to this week…

READING

How to make money without a job - For the first time in my life, I'm self-employed, and it's a whole new exciting world for me! This Forbes article is like a quick guide to earning money on your own terms. I'd love to hear from and meet other young professionals doing similar things.

How Philadelphia out-Portlands Portland - Haven't I been telling you for months that Philly is on the brink of becoming too cool for school? How can we compare?

Well now Yelp will do that for us! Here's Philadelphia's hipster heat map, and here's Portland's. Do you think they're accurate?

ADMIRING

The five most clever redesigns of the Stars n Stripes - I enjoyed that good dose of American patriotism this holiday weekend. Here are some smart re-interpretations of the most famous piece of sewing the haberdasher Betsy Ross probably ever did.

My own handiwork! Here's a little known fact: As a student I was President (and founder) of the Glasgow University Stitch n' Bitch group. I was also Vice President of the Student Union, which had just launched a new coffee shop, and it was a great way to combine the two. The group helped drive traffic to the new meeting place, plus I like to think that I helped to make knitting cool on campus.

It'd been a long while since I brought out my knitting needles, but I recently made a pair of booties for a family friend's little cutie:

The pattern is based on Babystovler, a Danish bootie pattern from the 1940s. You know what I want to do now? I want to make an adult version. Hello friends, you're all getting slippers for Christmas. I just need the patience to make them all.

And speaking of patience, eventually this was the best our pooch was going to give the camera this week. "You want me to face the camera? Here you go. One shot. Where's my cookie for being so cute?"

Sunday Supplements (and Sunday Puppy too)

The Sunday puppy? She knows where it's at. It's dank, muggy and gross outside, and she's lying on the cold tile floor, right where the air conditioning is. This is her business card: If you need a napping consultant, she's the one.

As for me? Well, between work for clients, writing proposals, volunteering at the soup kitchen, here's what I've been up to!

WATCHING

Wendy Davis filibuster the Texas State Senate -  Excellent journalism from the Texas Tribune, and the best piece of political theater since Aaron Sorkin wrote the words "Walk with me…"

I was one of the 150k people around the world who watched it live: US state politics at its most, er, American?

ADMIRING

Abandoned Schools in Philadelphia - Sometimes people, photographers included, question the value of urban exploration photography. Why trespass in abandoned and sometimes dangerous places for the sake of photography? These photos are different. They show what's been happening to the Philadelphia public school system, and drive a very strong point.

Dogs dressed as their owners - Slightly surreal, but I'm very tempted to do a mash-up of my husband and the Sunday puppy. Just wait until I brush up my Photoshop skills…!

Mothers' real bodies - This is truly admirable. 

Lazer is short - A really cute booklet a father made as a favor for guests to his daughter's birthday. I can already think of mine: "Sunday Puppy is lazy…"

READING

Candid thoughts on bloggers' "perfect" lives - From blogger Delightfully Tacky.

Let's be clear - blogging has many faces. We all know that right? And one part of that is marketing. It's just like magazines, which have a mixture of promotional material and solid content. The tricky thing in blogging is to get that balance right.

As I said in a comment on this piece - 'perfect' picture are common: Promotion means showing the best of something, plus it's natural to want to capture our best moments. It's the reason we hire professional photographers for weddings and not moments of sickness or sadness.

Don't let it wind you up or bog you down - there's a blog out there you'll enjoy, for sure.

AND, FINALLY…

And on that matter, here's a bit of promotion. A dear friend of mine is starting a boutique fashion company. She's really excited to get started, but she needs your help! Please take a moment to complete this Five Question Survey. It's super quick, and your input will be really appreciated! Please feel free to pass it along to any fashion-conscious friends too.

Life as an expat - one year on!

It's my one year anniversary of being a US Resident!  I'm shocked and frightened by how quickly that year went by, but also very excited about the coming year and the opportunities it'll bring for team Gladley. 

Looking back on the past twelve months, here's what I've been up to in my first year as a British expat living in the United States…

WATCHING

My first July 4th parade - and I'm looking forward to this again! As silly as it sounds, this was one of my highlights of moving here, seeing a local piece of rural Americana.

The London Olympics - Some of my most-read posts are my rundowns of watching the Olympics as my motherland was on show for the world to see. I got the chance to see the Games both on TV here in the USA, and in-person, as I flew back to London in August and saw the US pick up some gold medals.

Infomercials a-plenty - I get a lot of hits to this post due to funny keyword searches.

ADMIRING

 

Life in the country and also Life in the City - it's no secret now that I'm in love with Philadelphia. Where we live, we get the best of both worlds. It's also amusing to discover people who live in either region and never visit the other. Try it sometime - you might just like it.

EATING

 

I have eaten a lot since I moved here. It's been fantastic. Here's what I have been eating, and also what I haven't.

I've tried very hard to convince you that America has some brilliant cuisine and I hope I've encouraged you to seek out some good US eating. One of my favorite times was devoting a whole month of posts to America's favorite harvest fruit, the humble pumpkin.

You know what happens when you get married and move to America? You put on weight. Come on, that's a double whammy of excuse right there. I don't mind admitting that I've put on 6lbs in the past year…

…and it's totally been worth it.

Trust me, I have so many ideas for the next year of this humble little blog, I hope you continue to read and comment and connect with me. Let me know what you'd like to read next - more FOOD FIGHT posts? More photos of Philadelphia? More guides to life as an expat? Some of my favorite posts have been inspired by comments from my readers so don't be shy - comment or email me today!

Sunday Supplements (and Sunday Puppy too)

 

Hey look at this - a cellphone special. I don't just take photos with an old beat-up DSLR. I do take photos with my cellphone, but I haven't quite dipped my toe into the Instagram pool yet. That may well change soon as I'm excited about using Instagram (and Vine) for some social media marketing purposes, not for me exactly, but I sense that might happen too… Tell me your thoughts on photo-sharing-socialite-marketing.

EATING/DRINKING

Rittenhouse fayre  - I attended the Philadelphia Art Alliance's annual fundraiser this week, formerly the Wetherill Ball and now re-branded as Spring at the Mansion. It was a sumptuous and bright affair, but this is the only photo I took:

This is Instagram fodder, right?

WATCHING

Portlandia - I think this show appeals to that certain kind of hipster who understands the whole premise of the sketches but isn't too hip to be able to laugh at one's self. And I'm not sure how I feel about being one of those people.

ADMIRING

Never Give Up: Covers of the Postal Service - found through Mooreaseal. As per my 'watch' of this week and all the stereotypes I embody, I really enjoy the name, purpose and sound of this EP. Always love a good cover of Such Great Heights.

READING

Across the Pond: Planning ahead - Fellow expat blogger Meg captures the essence of being Gen Y as she plans to move back from the UK (Glasgow, no less) to the USA. I felt exactly the same a year ago as I quit my job and planned my move, so this post really struck me.

Postcards from Rachel: The Trouble with moving  - Expat diaries host Rachel writes a slightly unintentionally hilarious account of having a meltdown from trying too hard not to appear like an identity thief.

To talk of manufacturing - Katherine from Of Corgis and Cocktails does it again with this account of why it's good to buy Made in the USA, even if it's more expensive. This is something I struggle with as a consumer, and hence why I did a few 'fashion' posts focusing on thrift, not just 'fast-fashion'.

Tell me what you've been up to, what you've read, and especially your thoughts on what works and doesn't with photo-sharing. I'd love to hear it all.

Sunday Supplements (and Sunday Puppy too)

 It has been a good week (except for the Sunday Puppy who had to get annual shots and peed on the vet). After this bountiful and beautiful spring I'm suddenly excited about what the rest of 2013 will bring. 

I've also sneaked in an expat Q & A at the bottom of this post, it's another expat link up with some other wonderful expat bloggers, so be sure to check them all out!

EATING/DRINKING

Wings and Margaritas -  Honey Chipotle wings washed down with fruity frozen drink makes for a fun Friday evening.

Chicken Chasni - My first attempt at this authentic Glasgow curry was an overwhelming success. I'll share soon, I promise!

WATCHING

The Hour  - completely underrated noir 1950s drama set in the corridors of BBC studios. Totally overshadowed by Upstairs Downstairs and Downton Abbey.

ADMIRING

Time Capsule from 1913 - 100 year-old memories and artifacts uncovered in this wonderful series of photos. If there's only one link you follow today, make it this one.

READING

What not to do in England - I love Rhyme and Ribbon's regular expat feature 'What Not To Do' because they're all no-brainers for me and I love seeing an American's perception of British culture. This one is about pub culture.

EXPAT Q & A - Season and Culture changes!

 

1. What was your favorite season back home and is it the same now; why or why not? 
My favorite season back home (Scotland) is Summer because the sky barely gets dark. Look at Scotland on an atlas and you'll realize it's as north as Canada. During the solstice the sky goes dark blue, but never black.

Here in midatlantic USA though, it has to be Spring. The temperature is perfect, the sun is bright, and the blossoms are beautiful. All for a fleeting moment before the oppressive summer weather sets in!

2. Is there a place you would want to move to based solely on the weather?
I think I'm there! Anywhere New England/Mid-Atlantic is perfect because there are four defined seasons. It sounds nuts but I feel very in tune right now!

3. What is a piece an article of clothing that you had to buy for your new home due to the weather? i.e. galoshes, winter coat, etc
More summer garments, especially professional wear. I had no idea what people in the USA wore to work and meetings when the weather is 90F.

4. Have you found the weather stereotypes of your new home to be true?
Yes. Spring is amazing, summer is stunning, and Sandy was a little frightening.

5. Is there somewhere you would never live based solely on the weather?
I hate to say it, but the Deep South. I don't think I could handle having only one season, where my thick curly hair becomes a hot wet hostage to the humidity.

6. What are you looking forward to most this spring?
Getting stuck into my new job and spending more time outside again.

7. Where you live, what is your go to outfit for spring?
Uuuuh. I'm actually at a bit of a loss because this Spring has swung from 90F - 50F and it's been hard to keep track of what to wear. Jeans/blouse and short dresses with tights have seemed to work so far.

8. What is one thing or event that you miss that happens back home at this time of the year?
I really miss seeing newborn lambs jumping around the fields.

9. If your hubs could bring home a bouquet of any type of flower, what you pick?
I'm not picky! He's traditional though, so it'd be roses or lilies.

10. What does your perfect Saturday look like?
Coffee in my PJs and watching a show with my hubs in a late morning followed by a trip to a local Mennonite plant nursery and flower shop, and a drive through the country. Back home for bread making and curry making. That's actually how we spent yesterday, and it was lovely.  

Bonus:  Are there any special holidays in your new country in the month of May?
Cinco De Mayo (not strictly American of course), and Memorial Day Weekend, which is actually our wedding anniversary, and although it's our second one this year, it's the first we'll spend together. So that's very exciting.

Sunday Supplements (and Sunday Puppy Too & BONUS Sunday Kitty!)

Forget Spring, she says, roll on Summer.

If you're just here for the bonus Sunday kitty, scroll down. If you're here for interestingness, well here it is…

EATING/DRINKING

 

Sushi - Out here in the suburbs there are some excellent choices for Asian food. There's a decent Vietnamese just a short drive away, and several excellent Japanese Sushi and Hibachi restaurants.

Rice Beer - This stuff was surprisingly tasty.

WATCHING

 

'That' episode of Blackadder - The final episode, that is. One of the finest moments of British television.

ADMIRING

 

A Picture a Day  - Lost In Travels is one of my favorite blogs at the moment because they link to so many interesting people and posts. This couple's picture a day project is so creative and adorable!

Photo Tips - Of Corgis and Cocktails is another favorite blog. And here is her first installment of outfit photo tips. Remember when I said I'd do a series of photo tips in April? Yeah, that didn't happen for various reasons. Maybe it will one day. Until then, check out Katherine's!

READING

 

My Post Secret - The Iota Quota is a fellow expat blogger. This story on not quite loving living in rural USA at first struck a chord with me, and it's beautifully written.

Revelation - And this post from Banana Bread is a great coda to the above blog post about not quite loving your new expat home. To all new expats - this happens eventually. Trust me!

How on earth can she shop so much? - This is one of the best blog posts I've seen recently in the blogging world, from blogger Because of Jackie. She's candid about her household's financial planning. More of this please blogging world!

Useful secrets - This is like one of those "pin now read later" things you see on Pinterest that revolutionizes your life. Only it's a snarky Reddit thread by emergent service workers determined to give you a good deal.

Smart girls are less likely to do science - interesting study from University of Pittsburgh.

And because you were all very good this week, here's a bonus Sunday Kitty! Don't say I'm not good to you.

Let's call him Batman, even though that's not really his name.

Sunday Supplements (and Sunday Puppy Too)

None of my links today are particularly Easter themed, except for these terrifying pictures. Expat Edna sent them my way after I asked the Tweet machine if the Easter Bunny is trying to elbow Santa Claus out of the gift-giving scene. The past week I've been meeting all these American parents who take their kids to "see" the Easter Bunny, who then "gives" the kids toys, DVDs and video games for Easter. Is this really a thing? I guess rolling eggs just isn't cool anymore.

EATING/DRINKING

 

Not Peeps - here in the USA peeps are an Easter themed marshmallow treat. They have zero flavor, and the fact that they triple their size in the microwave is still no reason to buy them.

Not Kinder Eggs - here in the USA I could take my underage brothers to a rifle range, but wouldn't be able to buy a Kinder Egg. If I even tried to smuggle them in to the USA I could face a $2,500 fine, and frankly with that money I'd prefer something a little fancier, say Faberge.

Not Choco Treasure - The problem with Kinder Eggs in the USA is the "non-nutritive embedded objective" inside (the toy! The best bit!). Some enterprising Americans have invented packaging that gets around the US legislation. But I haven't seen any of these for sale, plus we know that Americans suck at making chocolate anyway.

WATCHING

 

Wreck-it-Ralph - Let's just all admit this movie is not for kids, but for the older millennials who grew up with 8-bit video games. Some of whom now make animation, and some of whom now take their own young kids to see movies. I am in neither camp, but there you go.

ADMIRING

 

Abandoned TastyKake Factory - TastyKake is Philly's preferred brand of commercialized cake. They were the local rival to Twinkies (when they existed).  You know how I love Urb-Ex photos, and Philly ones that at. Brilliant and eerie.

Fuck Yeah Brutalism - All the 1960s breeze block architecture you'd ever want to see.

Postcards from Google Earth - It's like those nightmares you have about being stuck in Sim City. Oh, you don't have those? Just me then?

READING

 

How the Philly accent is changing - The Philadelphia accent is really weird. It makes sense when you think about Pennsylvania's place in the USA geographically and historically. It's the keystone state, the anchor between the North East and the South, and the accent has influences from both regions.

The Skimm - If you don't read this every morning then you should, unless I know you, because then we won't have anything new to talk about with each other.

Sunday Supplements (and Sunday puppy too)

Sunday is bath day for the pooch. She hates it, but she's very patient.

Today I had the ultimate plan of not leaving the house, until Mr and the pooch insisted I take them both for a walk. It's been a busy-fantastic week, but here's what we've been up to in between all our working/volunteering/interviewing/networking/commuting and husband/dog-walking…

Eating/Drinking

 

Good Dog Bar - A grreat Philly dive with grreat food (try the burger stuffed with blue cheese), grreat beer selection, and grreat photos of dogs on the walls - no Sunday Puppy though, so we'll have to change that one day!

Watching

 

Cook's Country and America's Test Kitchen - these shows (which are essentially the same format and same presenters) capture the brilliance of American cuisine with a nerdy scientific twist. American television and American epicuriosity done good.

Admiring

 

Ghost Sign Project - You may or may not know that Philadelphia is the city of murals. The Mural Arts Program began as a positive anti-graffiti initiative, and now the city boasts 3000 beautiful public murals. But there is another kind of wall art here in Philly too: Fading painted signs and billboards, displayed on this blog.

Street Type Philly - This week I found myself in a cab to an art deco furniture dealer with four very expensive deco lamps in my possession. Afterwards, as I walked back to center city, I decided I would start a photo tumblr known as 'Corners of Philly', documenting my favorite corners of Philly's aesthetic buildings. I later discovered this beautiful tumblr which combines elements of the Ghost Sign Project and my non-existent tumblr idea. So perhaps I won't.

New York Shitty -  Take a virtual one hour Amtrak trip heading eastwards and you'll find a New York street photography blog on a similar theme. I do love this Hershey kiss, but it's a long way from home.

Reading

The Art of Having - An unexpectedly interesting story about closet space by Youth Savage.

How to Travel When Based in the USA - Leaving the UK and the Old World (Europe) behind meant leaving behind the ability to country-hop on a moment's notice. But I can state-hop! This article is a great place for me to start to think about visiting every one of the USA's eclectic 50.

Making the Decision to Move Countries - Too late for me, but if you're thinking about making the leap just like I did, take a peak at this article on Worldette first; it'll help you go through useful decision-making thought processes.

Bath-time's over, back to lazy Sunday puppying.

Sunday Supplements (and Sunday puppy too)

Short post today because I was in a freaking car crash yesterday (we're ok! Everyone is ok, but the car might not be).

Watching

 

This bizarre North Korean propaganda movie
Oh, and I introduced my US husband to Blackadder. Thank God I wore my corset, because my sides have split.

Admiring

 

This new tumblr started by a friend - I expect beautiful things.

Now I'm off to go meet Betsy FOR REALS.

Sunday Supplements (and Sunday puppy too)

Here's what the gladley house has been up to this week, other than looking at peaceful pictures of bulldogs…

Watching

 

Blue Bloods - I have a bad habit of not truly paying attention to TV dramas when they are on screen, so I call this show by its alternative title: "Tom Selleck's Authoritative Moustache".

Admiring

 

A blog devoted to Philly's basement bars - Amusing? Yes. Inspiring? Yes. Brilliant real estate marketing? Absolutely.

Cats, Bats, Shadows and Pantyhose - with Pinterest, everyone is an art curator. This board is one of mine.

Reading

Why should married women change their name? - a fellow married female friend linked to this on Facebook. I'm surprised at this writer's angle here because it already feels outdated. Perhaps that's because I spent a lot of time reading the articles of Offbeat Bride and a Practical Wedding before my marriage, and now I have a shrugging, accepting attitude towards any woman or man who wants to change their name, keep their name, combine their name, or make a new name. I don't care what you do, as long as it's what you want to do. I changed my name and love it so much I put it on my blog.

I recently won £1m on the lottery - This is a Reddit AMA (ask me anything, an organic self-proposed interview) that intrigued me and made me re-evaluate how I'd spend my future lottery winnings (girl can dream, right?). At one point the poster states his partner would like private healthcare, leading to a interesting discussion about the UK's National Health Service vs private healthcare in the UK and USA.

Starting our own little revolutions - This is a super combination of two of my favorite blogs! Erin from Predictions from the Past guest posting on Ispasiyo by Denise about how she found her way to her creative career. More of this sort of blogging please, friends!

Sunday Supplements (and Sunday puppy too)

Here's a low-budget photography tip: Anything, yes anything, can be used as a tripod or light-stand, even a yoga mat.

This week I spent a long time trying to recreate the glad blog from scratch using CSS, chatted with old friends about coding and cameras, designed some posters for my local YMCA, and got stood up by a photography client.*

While you're reading this I'll be out for birthday brunch with my friend Dave. When I moved over I was so worried about everything, including making new friends, but Dave is one of those guys I instantly clicked with over cocktails and conversations about British sit-coms. Everyone say happy (belated) birthday to Dave!

 *The rest of time, here's what I did…

Watching

 

Time Lapse Video of Philadelphia - This is quite cute, and the Penguin Cafe Orchestra soundtrack is always beautiful.

Admiring

 

A Philadelphia Row Home - This is what a Philly row home looks like in cross-section. 

Lonely photos of the BBC Television Centre - BBC TVC is a magical place to me. As a young child I knew that this was the place where television was made. It was a dream come true to get the chance to work there last year, especially since the BBC is moving out soon. It is a building so full of UK pop culture history, so perfectly designed, and yet so old and crumbling. Even in my short time there I found strange abandoned spaces, with walls that probably had a million celebrity stories to tell if only they could talk.

Jennifer Lawrence at the Oscars - Let's just all agree that it was her night. The Oscar, the dress, the finger, Jack Nicholson. Just wow.

Oscar Nominations - This is quite old now, but it's fun to revisit these literal movie posters post-Oscars.

Lunch Bags designed by the best dad in the world - This is a devoted father. A serious contender against the wave at the bus dad for best dad ever award.

Reading

Associate Animals Editor at Buzzfeed - This is a real job advert.

Expat voting rights - As a UK citizen with US Residency I don't get to vote. I don't get to vote anywhere. I'm not supposed to vote in the UK, and I can't vote in the USA. If I stay long enough to get a US Passport, then I'll be able to vote in US elections. It's strange being disenfranchised like this, but that's actually the way I think it should be.

I admit I was biased when I first stumbled upon this article - someone who does not live in the UK should not expect the right to vote in the UK. Her argument about voting in Spain, under the EU freedom of movement, is interesting.

I mentioned this to my husband, asking "if you lived abroad for 20 years, you could still vote in US elections?" to which he replied, in true American fashion "hell yeah, if I have property in the USA, I could still vote, wherever I was."

To my expat and traveller readers, what do you think about expat voting rights?

Sunday Supplements (and Sunday puppy too)

She's obviously looking at cheese. Does your dog love cheese?

Watching

 

The Hunger Games (again) - Far less political than the book(s) but I still enjoy it.

The Oscars…? - I'm not sure I'll be watching tonight, but I'm just going to leave this Tweet from July here…

Admiring

Urb-Ex photos of an abandoned Chinese theme park - One thing you should know about me is that I simply love photos of urban decay and urban exploration. I once lost a whole weekend to looking at photos of abandoned Japanese theme parks - Japan seemed to go theme park crazy during the economic boom and there are a whole host of empty parks in strange, remote places. These photos are from a place in Florida that blogger Yelle took.

Urb-Ex photos of an abandoned hospital near Philadelphia - This Philly local posts one photo a day on his Tumblr. Here's another from this week of a church mid-demolition.

Reading

Living in Harmony with your contradictions - a wonderfully honest piece by blogger Betsy, which resulted in some great comments/discussion.

With no shortcut to Green Card, gay couples leave the US - some US States may now allow gay marriage, but without federal recognition there's no immigration status for same-sex spouses. Additionally, the couple mentioned in the article moved to the UK before the new UK immigration rules came into force. Any later and they could have been stuck between the two countries.

Arianna Huffington renames Millennial generation as 'generation stressed' - As a millennial in the USA right now, I see Arianna's point, but we're not the only generation to have lived in a time of high unemployment or unrest. Arianna again makes her point about the need for good sleep, which I saw her make at the PA Women's Conference last year, and also before that in her short TED talk.

College Degree Becomes New High School Diploma - Just another article highlighting the difficulties millennials are facing. Can someone smarter than me tell me if US education loans could lead to another credit crunch?

and finally…
  
How I got my body ready for the Oscars - Ordinary person preps body for red carpet ceremony. Very interesting, very funny and very inspiring! These people look perfect because that's their full time job.

Tell me what you've been reading and looking at this week!

Sunday Supplements (and Sunday puppy too)

Sunday's sleeping puppy

Here's what we've been up to this week…

Watching

 

The State of the Union - A US democratic tradition, although to be fair, I was also paying a lot of attention to the Tweets and commentary. #nerdsuperbowl

Admiring

 

Byker in the 1970s - For Brits in my generation Byker Grove was a cheesy kids show set in Northern English neighborhood. But these photos of Byker are a phenomenal peek into working class England, and are on display in New York until May.

Cough Syrup from 100 years ago -  Yeah, that would do the trick.

Reading

 

My day in Parliament - Recently I was invited to attend a session at the UK Parliament on the new UK immigration rules. For obvious reasons, I couldn't attend. Luckily however this attendee wrote an excellent account of the meeting. I promised I'd keep you up to date on this investigation.

The Artistic Rebuttal Project - This Philadelphia-based project is full of personal accounts of why the arts are so important. Nobody needs to defend the arts to me, I'm convinced already, but I love this concept.

Louise Mensch's fashion blog - Louse Mensch is a former UK Member of Parliament, a romance novelist, and now it seems she's giving fashion blogging a go. I'm actually not quite sure what to make of Ms Mensch, or this blog. Thoughts?

An anonymous letter to Maria Popova - Maria Popova curates the popular curiosity blog Brain Pickings. This week it was revealed that her 'ad-free' blog is full of affiliate ads. If you're a blogger, big or small, this is an important conversation to follow. I'm going to talk a lot more about this, so watch this space!

What have you imbibed this week? Let me know or link to your own Sunday round-ups - I love being introduced to articles and images that I overlooked.

Sunday, er Monday Supplements!

Hello all! Last week I took a bit of a bloggy/social media break. It is the first time I've done that in a while and it was quite refreshing. Here's what I've been doing lately:

Watching

Mulan - Possibly a comletely inappropriate way to acknowledge the Chinese new year. But it did re-enforce my inkling that Disney Princesses are a tough bunch. I loved Brave, not just for its accurate mossy landscapes, but because Merida was the strongest Disney lady yet. I recently read that the Disney princesses of my era (Ariel, Jasmine, Belle) are actually just as strong-willed, contrary to popular stereotype.

I can't remember the article that I read, but instead here's a pinterest pin and a video from Disney that highlights the point. Do you agree? 

Admiring

Hillary's new website - Nice and simple design! What did you think of the hype?

Reading

Will private sales create a public menace? - To a Brit like me, Pennsylvanian liquor licensing is utterly baffling. For a capitalist country to have a governmental alcohol market struck me as very strange. Currently Liquor can only be purchased from state owned stores, but this will soon change and alcohol sales could soon be privatized.

NJ issues first distilling license since 1933 - This is similarly baffling. The State of New Jersey will soon be producing rum!

I'm a 30 year old intern! - This was such a refreshing read! Since moving continent, I've had to take a step back in my career and that's been disappointing and frustrating, even though I knew it was likely to happen. Spousal expats seem to experience this quite often.

Moving country has allowed me time to reflect on my career to date and brush up skills. I've been applying for jobs and internships as well as trying to network online and offline. This blog post and the comments on it emphasizes that if interning is the key to meet and prove to US employers that I'm the super-human they need, then I should go for it.

 

Happy Superbowl Sunday! As it's my first one in the USA, I've been instructed to watch it all, only use the bathroom during the game (and not the ads) and to eat ribs, wings, and tortillas all day. Go Ravenclaw!

Other than the Superbowl, here's what we've been enjoying in the Gladley House… 

Watching

Bones on Netflix - I don't know how it happened, but Mark sneakily got me into this show. Before I even realized it I was watching it with him almost every night. He reckons I appreciate that the protagonist is a socially awkward, overly intelligent brunette.

The OC - I found my season 1 boxset and decided to treat my mother-in-law to a marathon. I was a fresher at university when this show came out, and graduated when it ended. Again, it was one of those shows I was reluctant to watch but got sucked into it by my flatmates. It's very of its time, and I imagine a post-recession OC show would be very different. 

Admiring

Frozen Wave in Antarctica - unbelievable photos.

London Tube map makeovers - if you read my defense of public transport this week you'll enjoy this!

Reading

The all-new British citizenship test - remember when I suggested that the new test should contain questions about tea and Eurovision? Well they didn't listen to me, but it's fun to try anyway. Luckily I got 100%!

Things Brits do that annoy non-Brits - Oh dear! After the initial outrage at being culturally insulted a few times subsided, I found this Reddit discussion really interesting. I'm going to return to this a few times to defend my quirks!

Immigration: You won't like it here - The UK Government realizes that attempts to reduce student and spousal immigration won't reduce UK immigration much without a policy to reduce immigration from the EU. There's little they can do about that…except tell Europeans that Britain isn't worth moving to.

On Immigration, Obama Acts as if he has the Upper Hand - On this side of the pond however, the discussion over immigration is running in an entirely different direction.

Have a great rest of weekend everyone!

Our poochy was disappointed that there were no English bulldogs in this year's Puppy Bowl

No matter who you're rooting for, don't overdo it this Superbowl