Okay, so technically the math of this doesn’t quite work, because Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century came out when I was six, but I believe the Magic School Bus Gets Lost in Space was released before this, so I’m counting it. My first dream life plan, before fashion design became my dream, was to become an astronaut and live in a space station like Zenon. Her space station was in orbit above the Earth, so easily accessible that they were a shuttle flight away. The space station was a cool futuristic community with hologram teachers, neon and metallic clothing, interesting interior design, a cafeteria with windows that displayed the glory of outer space, and a view of the Earth below. They had zap pads that were a precursor to our modern-day smartphones. Zenon was resourceful, dumpster diving and DIY-ing jewelry, clothing, and art. It was so inspiring!
This dream was quickly brought to reality in 2003 when I watched the Columbia space shuttle explode. Space was not the perfect playground I imagined as a kid; it was dangerous, not glamorous, and certainly not as simple as a plane ride upwards. The Magic School Bus originally sparked this interest in space. Ms. Frizzle’s adventure across the galaxy made it seem easy! The bus transformed into a space shuttle and quickly travelled from the Earth through the inner planets of Venus and Mercury, passing the sun and moving beyond to the Moon, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus, and don’t fight me, Pluto. I will not comply. Pluto should be a planet. They easily landed on planets with ready-to-go pressurized air packs for exploration. How fun would that be? All in one day of school, it was the length of a field trip, not a 100+ years of travel. Wild.
It was not the scary vacuum of Gravity nor the challenge of Apollo 13. It seemed like a safe and wonderful place to exist. But as the star burns up in an explosion, so does the dream of life as a Super Nova girl at Protazoa’s concert in space. Before Aespa’s Supernova, this song was my only y2k-inspired Supernova jam. I hope you enjoy it. Have you ever watched Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century?
I’m modifying this prompt slightly to focus on one aspect of my life – sewing. These are the three tools I can’t imagine working without. After four to five years of sewing clothes and trying out various tools and techniques, these are the cream of the crop for me. This is my just opinion. Depending on your sewing style and personality, this list would probably change. I’m sure if I was a sewist who went to design school, I would also have a different list.
Fabric Clips –
When I started sewing, I had no idea fabric clips were an option. I bought a Dritz tin of straight pins and a pin cushion. This is where things began to get uncomfortable. No matter how careful I am when I use pins, I stick myself. When I use pins for a fitting, the pins slip out of the fabric and scratch my skin. I find the pin tins spill easily which is terrifying if you don’t notice it because you are then surrounded by pins in a spill around your feet. When I found fabric clips, my sewing experience improved 180 degrees. I don’t get stuck and the clips stay in place. I can try things on my body and the dress form, without the discomfort of pins sticking or the annoyance of the pins slipping out of place.
Sashiko Adjustable Ring Thimble –
I’ve tried two kinds of thimbles. The first was the cylindrical metal thimble, which I found hard to use. It fell off my finger or I simply struggled to find the correct finger to place it on for my sewing. I tried another metal thimble that looks like a fencing mask, with an adjustable back. It stayed on my finger just fine. I could make it tighter or looser or move it to a different finger but it still felt odd. I noticed the thimble wasn’t providing the support I needed to push the needle through the tough fabric and in turn, was putting stress on my finger joints.
I was introduced to the Sashiko-style ring plate thimble through the account Geri In Stitches and was hooked. The idea of pushing the needle through dense layers by the palm of your hand instead of your fingertip made more logical sense. This has transformed my hand-sewing experience! I can sew longer without hand fatigue. The ring is comfortable. I hardly notice I’m wearing it until I’ve walked into another room with the thimble still in my hand. This is a Japanese thimble, for the sashiko technique, I am using it for general sewing, but the thimble and sashiko have a rich history of their own that you should check out.
Hand Sewing Needles –
I started my sewing journey by hand sewing before I purchased a Singer Heavy Duty Sewing Machine in 2022. It was my preferred method until my hands started showing stress and my mind was fed with how long garments were taking on a deadline. The switch to a machine was fantastic! I quality garments quickly. The only wrinkle was sewing machine maintenance and gremlins in the machine. Sometimes machines have attitudes. Sometimes you can’t get in sync without your equipment. Sometimes you drop the small screws into the machine and you are in a panic. It’s a wonderful asset but also a source of great frustration for me. For that reason, hand-sewing needles will always be by my side because they are easier to manage, and sometimes you and your machine need some therapy. Also, some projects call for the delicacy of hand sewing. It’s an art form that cannot be fully eclipsed by the machine. For example, how can you attach a button or hook and eye closure without a hand-sewing needle? It’s best to keep them handy.
A Jack Russell Terrier that is one part family dog and one part incredible thespian. Wishbone is the most versatile performer jumping through classic literature as the hero of many classics like Robin Hood, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Romeo Montague, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Sherlock Holmes, Don Quixote, etc. It was my first introduction to these stories as a child and it made reading exciting. It also brought a smile to my face when in high school these stories came alive once again in class from my memories of these episodes.
Zoom
Zoom sparked my imagination for science, especially the online games from the Zoom section of PBS Kids. They did interesting experiments, and it was an educational variety show featuring skits, arts, letters, language lessons, and more. My favorite part of the website games was the ones that featured chemistry. They had a sandbox-style game with baking soda and vinegar ratios that propelled a rocket based on the ratio you mixed. Another one I enjoyed was the pH level game where you could tweak the acidity or base pH of a solution. This is how I remember why my Mom’s hydrangeas are blue, the soil has a higher base pH.
Mr. Rodgers’ Neighborhood
I’ve mentioned my love for Mr. Rodgers’ Neighborhood before in Fred Rodgers: The Call to Create and this show gives me all the feels. It was just so cozy and created a safe space for kids to exist where Fred ministered to kids through the TV screen. He helped me feel less scared of my big emotions and I will forever be grateful to him for wanting to bless kids through the show.
Zoboomafu
This show was my first encounter with lemurs, before Madagascar was made, there was Zoboomafu of Animal Junction and his zoologist friends the Kratt Brothers. As a child, I was fascinated by animals and this show was a wonderland of animals that were more than what you would learn about in a normal class or zoo trip. Such as the lemur, the binturong, the capybara, and the coati or coatimundi. Whenever I visit Keystone Safari or Living Treasures I feel like I’m transported back to those moments after school watching an episode of Zoboomafu.
Liberty’s Kids
This show may have helped me decide my major in college? It definitely sparked a love of history at an early age and helped me engage in American history class because, for the most part, I hated learning about American history in school except when we talked about the American Revolution and Early America.
I realize now it was because this was when there was most the opportunity to learn about Native nations that lived on the East Coast which I wanted to learn more about as I grew up in Pennsylvania and there were a lot of references to the Iroquois or Five Nations, and places like Aliquippa and Beaver and Mohawk were references to a culture we didn’t learn much about in school. I understand now that this was due to a genocide that is part of America’s formation and that’s why, culture and history were not allowed to be preserved.
What I liked most about Liberty’s Kids was the pacing and story style of the kids being reporters for Ben Franklin’s newspaper. I also liked that Moses, a freed former slave, ran the print shop and was a key character in the show. Moses and Henri were my favorite characters in the show. This show did not shy away from highlighting the hypocrisy of the founding fathers in their treatment of black and indigenous people and I think that is why the show is so good. It tells the story, the good and the bad.
Cyberchase
Christopher Lloyd as Hacker, the villain against Motherboard, and three kids who defeat him with math. It’s brilliant and Lloyd’s voice acting is spectacular. The world is imaginative and adventure-filled and sometimes there is even time travel back to the time of the pyramids or Archimedes. I have actually watched this again as an adult and while the subject matter is a bit elementary now, the show holds up and that’s not easy to do when you are making an educational kids cartoon about defeating a bad guy with math. It’s clever. Terms like motherboard and hacker were concepts in this show before computers became the backbone of modern life where the plot makes so much sense, why a hacker is a bad guy and motherboard would need to be protected and math is integral in code and binary language. Tis peak, my lord.
Sagwa: The Chinese Siamese Cat
Amy Tan’s children’s book ‘Sagwa: The Chinese Siamese’ cat was adapted to television and quickly became one of my favorite shows. It was my first introduction to Asian culture, Chinese culture particularly, and has been a lifelong love for me to want to know more about China and beyond like my K-pop and K-drama obsession and my current Korean and Japanese language learning quest. This show was such a delight. Sagwa and her family are calligraphers to the foolish magistrate, their paws, faces and tails are stained by ink from their calligraphy – how cute is that? This show along with Mulan has to be why I’ve had a dream, even pursued studying abroad in China although it fell through, my whole life to see China, and now Korea and Japan. It’s interesting how the stories we are introduced to as children can spark lifelong interests.
There’s been this WhatsApp advertisement that has been popping up everywhere on my radar that just irks me a bit, well it’s starting to a lot the more I see it. On the surface, it seems like a harmless payday for the former stars of Modern Family to reprise their roles for a quick ad about a family group chat. But the more I watch the more I dissect in my mind and the story has a wild thesis that reflects life.
If you haven’t seen this ad, it has two stories one follows Phil Dunphy switching to an Android phone which destroys the Dunphy family group chat, the one lifeline they have to keep the relationship with adult kids alive, and as a result, everything is ruined until, they discover WhatsApp and the kids magically start talking to their parents again.
The second story features Mitch switching to an Android phone which causes Cam, Phil, and Claire to create a group chat without Mitch because his non-Apple phone is turning the chat green and not allowing them to use all the in-messaging features of their iPhones. Mitch is hurt and it is clearly played off as no big deal. WhatsApp saves the day as Mitch is brought back into the group before getting a new phone to communicate with his family.
Isn’t this wild? Like who would do that to their family members? Wait, this reminds me of being added to so many WhatsApp group chats instead of texting because I was one of the two Android phone people on my Dad’s side of the family. I thought it was so weird that we couldn’t just text…and that my brother with the Android was the only one who texted back. Oh my, it is like life.
Now weird family baggage aside, isn’t this a bizarre concept for an ad? Like in these days of hyper-division and our individualist culture, why are we creating a justification, even in jest, that it is okay to exclude a loved one from a group chat because a person chose one phone developer over another? That’s super weird. Especially for a communication app, it’s a bit crap to be honest.
Consumerism rearing its ugly head once again, is not a surprise, but can it leave our already lonely, friendship recession American culture alone? I get Meta wants to push their product and that Apple likes to promote exclusivity in their marketing but dang, this ad just bugs me. Especially with the addition of the characters of Modern Family, like, I’m sure the marketing team wasn’t thinking this deeply, but it feels like an unintentional commentary on society. Like is this the actual “modern family” in 2024 and if so can we turn this car around?
I sure hope not, but there are a lot of lonely people out there who are not being loved and cared for the way that they should be and as a culture, I think we need more connection, more ways to be a part of something. I know this is just a silly advertisement that will be done and forgotten in a few months, but what about the sentiment of division in the US? It’s not getting any better here, the events of July 13, 2024, certainly show that. And in Butler, PA, no less, not too far from here. That was eye-opening to see how the hate that is steeping under the surface is in all communities, even mine. It’s a problem we all need to take seriously.
People are getting less connected all the time, and I believe it is leaving us vulnerable to hurt, feelings of bitterness, and going through life not being able to live with purpose and love. We were created to be part of a community. We need friends, loved ones, and unconditional love. All this technology and consumerism is just creating more barriers to true connection and feelings of belonging than the ways that they improve our lives. Technology does make life easier, but it’s a toss-up for me if my life is truly that much better because I have a Samsung phone, and a Chromebook, and AI exists. You know what I mean?
I’m grateful for those moments with real people that happen offline. Like laughing so hard at a TV show with Kyle that our stomachs actually hurt. Sitting around a fire at a family friend’s house, watching a sunset and making smores and mountain pies in the fire, where time feels like it literally is standing still and I could be in 2024 or 2004. I think that’s what we need more of.
We need more people. More moments that bring joy, warmth, and memories. More core memories with people, connecting points, it doesn’t have to be special or expensive, just meaningful to you and your people.
If you were forced to wear one outfit over and over again, what would it be?
At the moment I would choose this combo because it makes me feel like I’m Elizabeth Swann in Pirates of the Caribbean. I love the way the vest turned out so it looks like a 17th-century men’s waistcoat but over this mini dress, it transforms and has a shift and stays kind of vibe. I feel like I am ready for an adventure!
This vest was inspired by Dani’s costume from Hocus Pocus. It is made from a cotton print with a buttoned bodice and flared-out waist. The dress was made from cotton vintage deadstock fabric that I was gifted from my Grandma Schlachter’s fabric stash.
What strategies do you use to cope with negative feelings?
It’s taken a while for me to find healthy coping mechanisms when negative feelings wash over me. Before I used to push the feelings down and grow numb, I’d clam up, or I’d get angry and stay angry. I’d shop for the heck of it or engage in self-destructive behavior like drinking or fighting with people I cared about until they didn’t want to talk to me anymore. I’d punish my body with exercise or restrictive eating. After a certain point the negative feelings and my destructive solutions, came to run my life and the anxiety and depression I had been allowing to take root in my life were in the driver’s seat and I was not even a passenger looking out the windshield, but was all the way in the backseat and had no concept of where the car was going.
Three years ago, I decided to take charge of my responses to stress and negative feelings. I stopped using alcohol as a crutch when I was overwhelmed by stressful and painful life situations and decided to look my pain in the eye and face it down. Now, I’m not doing this alone, when I made this decision I surrendered it to God, and chose to let Him be my driver of the car instead of myself or my anxiety and depression. It wasn’t any easy choice. It was scary but also an unknown to be explored. It was a new beginning.
Prayer
Prayer became the immediate lifeline between me and the negative emotions in my mind in combination with spending time in God’s word. Consciously shifting my perspective from, I’m alone and I’m scared to I’m scared but I’m never alone truly helped me feel sure footed when negative emotions clouded over my mind. Was it an instantaneous fix? Yes sometimes and other times it was a slow burn, it’s been a process of sanctification.
Focusing on God can pull me out of panic attacks and remind me that I am loved when dysfunctional people in my life make me question that. But I’ve found that when I’m really dialed into my relationship with God that is where I see the most results because prayer is about preparation. Being consistent so when those big, scary emotions come I can remember God’s promises. Being present keeps my eyes fixed on Him and helps me feel His presence even though I cannot see Him in front of me.
Has it taken away the negative emotions completely? No, they still happen and I still get anxious and depressed but I don’t remain there. Like a rain storm there is a clear sky on the other side, the morning always follows the night.
Poetry
I started writing poetry again back in December after a long hiatus, like maybe five years of turning away from it because of a friendship that I didn’t want to have creative competition in. That was a mistake because poetry, like journaling is an incredible way to walk your mind through your negative thoughts and process them through creating a work of art in words. Whenever my head feels too full with emotions and negative thoughts I pour them on to the page. I have specific notebook for this purpose and I say what I am feeling to my notebook.
I’ve done this as a way to get out of a loop of insomnia I was stuck in because of grief and it helped me digest the pain that was hovering in my mind so that I could move to the other side and back to a more balanced mind. Some poems I share and some are just kept for my own creative expression. It’s like Dumbledore’s Pensieve in Harry Potter. The memories, emotions, and negative thoughts are extracted on to the page where they can live and my mind can have some rest. Which is oh so nice for an over thinker like myself, who will continue to think until the wee hours of the night on problems there is no clear answer to.
Music
Since I received my iPod nano in 2008, I have been a music escapist. I need my headphones and my music at the ready for trips, errands, social situations, etc. I crave that escape when the world feels like too much. I need music to carry me through what I’m feeling and get my emotions out.
I usually run to music when I’m feeling angry, fed up, or in pain. I will play it loud and let the beat and the bass overwhelm me in its world until the anger feels less explosive. I’ll run to music when I’m feeling scared and uncomfortable to distract and get my mind out of the loop its in. Music is motivating. My favorite go to songs when I feel like I’m going to explode from all the emotion inside and I’m feeling anger rise in me are LALALALA Rock Version by Stray Kids, Cover Me by Stray Kids, Bouncy (K-Hot Chili Peppers) by Ateez, Guerilla by Ateez, Haegeum by Suga, Kill this Love by Blackpink, or Drama by Aespa.
Exercise
The other day I felt some unsolvable pain due to an increasingly dysfunctional relationship I have with a parent and I wanted to give into the temptation of destructive behavior. I wanted to drain my bank account with a shopping spree and get very drunk because I felt so helpless from this relationship ever getting better here on Earth. I was frustrated and wanted to feel pain because I was feeling angry and numb. Instead of doing something destructive, I decided to work out, and push my body though exercise to embrace the burn to feel something instead of hurting myself and my future. It worked!
I was motivated to lift weights longer, hold wall sits and planks longer, to push my leg muscles, my core, and my arms to higher reps. It was awesome and constructive instead of destructive but with the release of anger in a healthy way. I remember my Papa telling me that he would channel all the anger he had from his own dysfunctional parents on the football field and get the emotions out through the physicality of the game. It truly made a difference and I was able to no longer feel explosive after my workout because although the pain and negative thoughts were still hovering in the background, I felt like I was no longer trapped in my mind.
Art
When I don’t know what to do with my mind, I make art. I get creative and let myself escape into a world of my own creation in order to get out of my own head and my swirling negative thoughts. Getting creative reminds me of what my purpose is and my calling and helps me to remember that there is more to life than the bad times. There is so much beauty beyond what I am currently stuck in, when I’m feeling low, that I need to carry on and make something beautiful. Get out of my own head and remember that I have worth, I have the ability to create beauty in this world, and I can do better than those around me who hurt me. Art is uplifting. Creating is nourishing. It channels the pain into something more than it started as, it becomes a touch point of connection with others and the world around us.
My favorite way to escape into art is to draw landscapes, flowers, animals, and the sky in the majesty of a sunset.
Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc.
My name Margaret, and middle name Elizabeth were chosen by my mom for her maternal grandmother, Margaret Elizabeth.
As a kid, I truly didn’t enjoy my name. Especially at roll call or meeting a new teacher, there was the Margaret haze that hungover the introduction. My classmates found it to be a funny, old lady name and in response I refused to go by it for years.
It was Maggie or Magz. I couldn’t see the beauty of the gift of the name. It wasn’t a curse, it was a connection to the past.
With maturity, I’ve grown to truly appreciate this name. I’m honored to carry both Margaret and Elizabeth of my great-grandma and grandma. I’ve discovered since those school days that I like being unique. I don’t meet a lot of Margarets. I’ve also had the opportunity to learn that I am a lot like Margaret Elizabeth I and Elizabeth. They both had a passion for sewing, and that has carried down to me.
I researched that Margaret traces back to Old Iranian and means pearl, and Elizabeth derives from the Hebrew Elisheva which means God is my oath.
In Business 101, we had to develop a product, write a business plan, marketing strategy, and ways to expand. My group developed plan for an innovative athleisure brand – Kanga Shoes.
Like Nike or Adidas, it started with the Kanga shoe. A sneaker with streamlined design for activity, like the mighty kangaroo, it also had a pocket – like a kangaroo. We developed bags and hoodies, because obviously the kangaroo details of the pouch. It was a fun project. One of my favorite memories of freshman year!
A lot can change in a year, but this past year thankfully had not been one of those big, earth-shaking years. Things have been consistent and I am grateful because that is not a guarantee from life.
When I was younger I used to think a year was boring if nothing huge happened. But my past self was overlooking the little moments of life that once it changes you yearn for in memory. Overlooking the small choices that make a good, consistent year happen.
It’s important to value each day and look for the good, the pleasant, the fulfilling in each day no matter how minor it may feel in comparison to others.
Looking back on who I was a year ago to now, I’m pleased with the emotional and relational intelligence I gleaned. It wasn’t something I set out as a goal, life happened that way but looking back I’m thankful that in the moments that would end up being meaningful, I showed up.
I could have phoned in those little moments and not built stronger foundations in relationships new and old. I’m glad I didn’t because in the past I have not been as present in my friendships and relationships with family. I would have regretted that.
Because of that, life is a little different than I pictured a year ago – it’s better and joyful instead of being listless and empty.
Life is also a lot sweeter because of you all who take the time to read my blog. It’s made my whole year!
Ironically a year ago I had no intention of starting this blog, I was going to start a podcast with a college acquaintance Errona Lee but that didn’t happen and it is probably for the best. Our schedules were never going to make it easy on us. I wasn’t ready to be on a YouTube-based podcast so that may have been a disaster for my confidence.
Blogging has helped me face some of my fears, like sharing my designs with others. It’s taught me discipline and reminded me that hard work is rewarding. I’ve been challenged to manage my time better and honestly shake off the cobwebs of my creativity and expression. It’s been an unexpected gift and I just wanted to say thank you for making this year a superb one. 💓
That I told the truth, with respect and dignity toward others. That I told the hard truth in love with good motivation. I hope they could say that I was not swayed from the truth when outside pressures were vying for supremacy in my mind. And when I failed I didn’t hide from the truth of my failure to make it right, instead, I humbled myself for the sake of truth.
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
One Rabbit Riot 