Author: Jennifer Heller

Tina Tamale – a woman after my own heart

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

I love (loooove) parties, and once in awhile I meet a party that makes me envious. I met one last November and another one this past Saturday.

Tina Tamale throws herself a big ass birthday party every year. Now, if that wasn’t enough to make us automatically bff (Jenfest anyone?), the name Tina Tamale is actually her alter ego/brand.  I’ve always wanted an alter ego, but never had the inspiration to enact one.  (Though perhaps my nom de plume Susiejster worked for awhile…)

This year, Tina’s birthday party was held at the gorgeous Disco Volante, and–the part that makes me the most envious–the party was planned by someone who wasn’t her! She just said, I want to dress up and dance to good music. Continue Reading

Question: How you sneak booze into Oakland’s Oracle Arena?

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

Answer: In your pants!! They check your bag but they don’t pat you down.

Tip: Put the alcohol you are smuggling into Oracle Arena in a thin plastic bottle. Don’t risk losing a flask. I heard that a Korbel Brandy one works pretty well.

You won’t miss the show while waiting to refresh your beverage, and you won’t have to pay for more than one $13 Sierra Nevada. If you’re sitting in the front row, head to the Oracle Arena bathroom to refill or risk getting yourself kicked out.

One girl got some brandy in under skinny jeans. I was so jealous.

I hate routines

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

I want to live life by the seat of my pants. I want to do whatever it is I want to do every day.

And at the same time I want to be fairly fit and run an awesome blog (or two) and two businesses and one day have a baby. Those things take a routine.

My opposing desires are glaring at each other from across a cavernous divde. The sky is red, their eyes yellow. Who will win? Continue Reading

The World Trade Center dot com

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

The phone over at Artsy Geek Designs rang today.  It was a surprise to me because our office line (which I get through Comcast) is often unavailable when I need it.  I’m always surprised when it’s working. (Btw, I hate Comcast–did you know?)

The nice fellow on the other end had some questions about our web development, and I was, of course, happy to fill him in.  They’re looking for someone who can recreate the look and feel of www.wtc.com, the site devoted to the new World Trade Center.

While we spoke I checked out the site. I noted the clean lines, simple navigation, and it’s true–the front page movie was inspiring.  Look what they’re going to do to Ground Zero! It will be gorgeous again!

The movie uses Flash.  These people want Flash.

I have a love-hate relationship with Flash.  I first fell in love with web design when I got my hands on the first version of Flash in 1995.  I created some god awful stuff with it, and had a damn good time doing it. Continue Reading

This Valentine's Day Let's Practice Some Self Love

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

Have you ever stopped and noticed what’s happening in your head only to realize that you’re beating yourself up?  Criticizing yourself for–I don’t know–not accomplishing enough last month, drinking too much last night, burning the chili, or forgetting your lunch at home again??

I’ve realized lately that I do this.  A lot. There’s a word for this: Self Abuse.  And it’s the opposite of Self Love, or the practice of loving oneself.

Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics made a huge impression on me in college.  When he starts down the road of discussing friendship (and other relationships involving love), he begins with an inquiry into “Self Love.”

Aristotle suggests that love from other people stems from love from oneself. We should treat others the way we would want to be treated and the way we treat ourselves. Continue Reading

No Me Gusta McDonalds

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

I spotted this billboard for McD’s breakfast deal. Just $2.99!! But what is it?

It looks to me like it’s a big pile of mush. If I liked McDonalds food, I might have been interested in it. As it is, I can hardly tell the sausage (is that even sausage?) from the hashbrowns from the biscuits from the eggs.

I don't think it's my mediocre photo that makes this look like a heap of mush instead of an appetizing breakfast.

My great friend Molly taught me a lot about food in college. A rule of thumb, she says, is that you have a balanced meal when you have a colorful plate. Look for all the colors of the rainbow; find red in kidney beans, beets or red chard, green in, well, greens, throw in some orange carrots or squash…it makes me hungry just thinking about it! Continue Reading

Behind the Brand: Koala Care

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

One of my favorite pastimes is noticing brands and imagining the boardroom scene that led up to it.  In my mind it’s always a lot like the meetings in MadMen…the advertising guys and gals pitching ideas back and forth before presenting them to moody or otherwise delicate clients.

The branding of Koala Care–those shelves you find in bathrooms for changing babies–strikes me as half brilliant and half preposterous.  The alliteration is fantastic, and it makes an adorable if not necessarily accurate logo: Continue Reading

Gus and Shawn

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

The best part of my day yesterday was how adorable our two cats, Shawn and Gus were.

Shawn moved in last summer and gave the Guster a hell of a run for his money. At one point I resorted to consulting a pet psychic (old family secret for dealing with pet woes) to know how to deal with their frequent disagreements and the ensuing cat mess on my bed.

It turned out that Guster didn’t feel safe using the litter box because Shawn would attack him. What a little rascal! Gus resorted to my bed because my bed is shaped like a litter box and it smelled like me and the smell of me makes him feel safe. What a compliment!

Well, we’ve come a long way since that house divided, and these photos are proof:

Continue Reading

Tom Waits Love Songs

Posted on by Jennifer Heller

I’ve been working on my mix tape of Tom Waits love songs this week.

I have the goal of finishing it by Valentine’s Day, which is a tall order given that I have been working on this mix for over three years.

I first mentioned it back in January 2008 as I bemoaned the lack of love in my life…

“Tom, I believe, is a man unlike the typical man, with a thorough respect and understanding of that incomprehensible mental state called love.” read the rest of the post

In the post I reference his song San Diego Serenade, but neglect to include it. It’s a great song.

This song is definitely making it onto the mix.

Do you have a favorite Tom Waits love song I should make sure to consider?