Sandy’s Aftermath

I guess I’ve been slow to write this post because I was waiting for the aha moment of why I got so anxious after the storm. I think some of it was how connected human beings are–in Brooklyn we were literally surrounded by devastation.

New Episode of the Lesbian Tea Basket: Sleep Tea

In this episode of the Lesbian Tea Basket I talk about my cat ALF’s near death experience and how this has amped up my anxieties and how I’ve been having trouble sleeping! And so I bought some Sleep Tea from my favorite tea dealer The Herb Shoppe and I do a little experiment about whether it will actually help me sleep.

I didn’t have this list of ingredients while I was filming but I just called the Shoppe and they are so helpful. Here’s what’s in it. You can totally order it from them maybe not on the website but you can call the Portland store and get them to ship it to you. I love local indie businesses!

How I Deal with Allergies and New Episode of the Lesbian Tea Basket

On this episode we get down with some allergy tea and Emma and I discuss how they became more portable, as a lifestyle and with their personal style. We discuss insinuating yourself into San Francisco Queer Life, the sanitization of Dolores Park and some of the mysteries of Brooklyn. And Emma’s gel manicure!

Lesbian Jack Kerouac Gay American Road Trip Part 7: Layover in Bay Area, CA and Tips to Survive Returning to Your Hometown

In planning my trip I had budgeted the day after Thanksgiving to hang out with my mom and Grandmother and soak up a little bit of the Bay Area. I was ready to stop driving so intensely and excited to have a “destination” for more than a couple of hours.

It’s worth noting that I was miserable growing up and thus unable to appreciate or notice much of the beauty around me. I really love visiting the Bay now. Part of the impetus for this trip was to get to spend some quality time in California.

Oh, home town discomfort you are so real.

Things That Delight Me

I’m sitting in a West Philadelphia coffee shop drinking all the cheap beverages (iced coffee, green rooibus tea, soon to be followed by CHAI probably, caffeine I’m getting crazy on you) and working on my book. So far my shitty first draft* is 30,000 words long and that is an incredible jaunt down my emotional, sexual and party roads for the last four years. Someday soon I will share it with you, dear readers, in a form you can hold in your meaty paws and will hopefully make you laugh and cry and want to go out and have hot fat sex.

In the present time, however, I have some stuff that delights me that I want to share with you.

New Episode of the Lesbian Tea Basket! The Gossip at Terminal 5 Redux!

So I went to the Gossip concert at Terminal 5 in New York City where Beth Ditto et al were celebrating the release of their new album A Joyful Noise on May 22nd.

My friend Bridget wanted to get together to gossip about the Gossip and re-watch the episode of Watch What Happens Live where Andy Cohen gives Beth Ditto a corn dog bouquet a few times (I still have this saved on my DVR). Bridge and I decided to film our gossip sesh as an episode of the Lesbian Tea Basket! We rate a Rooibus Mint iced tea by Rishi and have some cinnamon rolls, too.

Balance, Priorities, New Lesbian Tea Basket, Everyday Glitter

In the last couple of years as I’ve learned what is really important to me and learned to let go of what isn’t, how to say no to things and how to check in with myself about what I am doing and how I am doing it. Moreover, I’ve learned how to identify for myself what is important to me, how to turn off all the voices of what I “should” be doing or who I “should” become, what my body “should” look like or how much I “should” love myself even when it’s hard. I got tired of shoulding and wanted to instead be living and enjoying my life. Thus, I have created a practice whereby I check in with myself about my priorities. I try to do this every week, but basically it comes up for me when I feel off balance.

New Episode of the Lesbian Tea Basket–Hostess Gifts

There is a new episode of my web series The Lesbian Tea Basket, where I rate and review tea and reclaim tea parties for lesbians. I was heading on my Gay American Road Trip and needed a hostess gift that wasn’t too expensive and spoke to my personality. It’s great! Even if the host(ess) doesn’t drink tea, chances are if they are hosting one lesbian there will be another and we are a tea drinking people.

New Episodes of the Lesbian Tea Basket

My friend Fae stopped by today and mentioned she hadn’t seen a new Lesbian Tea Basket recently and I realized it’s because I haven’t posted them to my blog! How negligent.

Darlings, cozy up to your computers and watch two sorta bummed episodes. I have mentioned previously that my job of three years is ending (second layoff in 3 years–where are the small business bail outs, Obama!?!) and quite suddenly last week my relationship of four months ended. Ironically right after I bought a box of tea, so it’s randomly tea related.

Linkage, Buying Jeans and a New Episode of the Lesbian Tea Basket

ITEM THE FIRST: There is this really great article from National Geographic about Health at Every Size. It also includes a pretty great primer on the concepts of intuitive eating and exercising for fun and feeling good and not for culturally mandated self-worth. If only unlearning all of the self-hatred and doubting of food from decades of dieting were so easy to put into a primer…
ITEM THE SECOND: I contributed to Autostraddle’s article The Jeans Issue: Queer Fashion Guide For Various Shapes, Sizes, Styles and Gender Expressions using the help of my trusty friend Leslie Medlik from TLC’s Big Sexy. We talk about how to shop for plus size jeans and what to look for in trends, fit and style. We also recommend our favorite brands and some self-esteem guarding pieces of wisdom to bring into the fitting room with you.

New Episode of the Lesbian Tea Basket!

When I was in San Francisco in January I filmed an episode of the Lesbian Tea Basket about iced tea! This really awesome iced tea from this amazing place in the Castro. The gentleman behind the counter totally sold me on Hippie Blend. I was ready for it to be a disappointment with a name like that.

I hope you enjoy it!!

New Episode of the Lesbian Tea Basket!

I welcome my straight friend Leslie onto the Basket to talk about Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger, Burning Man, her observations of the lesbian community and her cat. Also, we’re dressed like mythical creatures. Enjoy!