Funny Ladies of Twitter: An interview with Amber E. aka @rare_basement

Posted on 30. Apr, 2012 by Princess Lasertron.

“‘Women aren’t funny,’ he said while posting his 248th rage comic as Family Guy plays in the background.” That’s a tweet from Amber E., a.k.a. @rare_basement on Twitter. Amber’s hilariously honest and witty observations touch on everything ranging from working in retail and raising her five-year-old son as a single mother to sex, politics, and feminism, and she’s part of a new wave of funny ladies on twitter commanding legions of followers and shining a light on womens’ less-talked-about experiences and observations. Many aggregate websites have done small features about the female comedians who are rising in Twitter popularity, but my favorite funny women are everyday people–moms and students, retail workers and entrepreneurs–who offer humor and wit inspired by experiences we can all relate to.

I asked Amber–I always want to call her “Rare Basement” in my mind still–if I could interview her for a blog post about her inspiration, background, and how online media has been a platform for her humor and the impact it’s had, if any. She obliged, and I’m excited to share our conversation as well as some of my favorite tweets from @rare_basement and other amazing women who are using Twitter as a platform not only to make us laugh, but to question our assumptions about feminism, gender, and politics.

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Meg: Who are you? What’s your story?

Amber: Okay haha well my name is Amber and I have always lived in southeastern Michigan. I grew up in a more rural area, took off to live with my grandma in a bigger city when I was 16, and have bounced around since then before ending up in the same neighborhood my dad grew up in. I have always loved reading and writing, I focused on fiction for the most part but eventually realized I am incredibly self-centered, and as such only feel comfortable writing about myself. I do not feel comfortable writing A LOT about myself, which is why twitter is a good forum for me as I am weak at constructing a narrative. As a kid I was involved in plays and improv and choir, I have always loved to perform. I never did very well in school. My senior year of high school I became very sick and ended up dropping out. Shortly after, I discovered drugs and had a few good years of partying before a heroin addiction made it necessary to get clean. Shortly after THAT, I found myself pregnant. So now I’m 26 with a five year old son, living with a boyfriend who is not my son’s dad and working whatever I can to support myself. So far that’s just been minimum wage part time retail as I have no real skills or education.

M: But did you always know you were funny? Was that an identity you just kind of came in to, and was it ever hard for you?

A: I never really thought I was funny. I thought everyone around me was funny. In high school I kept a notebook full of things I overheard that made me laugh, kind of a proto-twitter. I tried to figure out what kind of sentence structures were the funniest, what inflections. I found that most people were funniest when they weren’t trying, when they were just expressing their most honest emotion or reaction in a very simple way. “Jokes” weren’t my thing, I was just kind of obsessed with the way people spoke. I worked on emulating that, on eliminating self-consciousness to allow my actual dumb thoughts and ideas to come out in a way that would make myself laugh. When that doesn’t work I pay attention to the self-consciousness itself and express that. It was basically just an exercise to learn to like myself more, to put myself out there in a way where it was impossible to use my words to hurt me because I already knew how stupid they were, and I owned it.

I grew up with a great fear of sounding stupid, a fear that life was one big joke everyone was in on but me. I put myself out there to say “Hey I am a fucking idiot is anyone else a fucking idiot too” and found people to connect with. It’s an experiment in honesty and has the side effect of making people laugh, maybe because honesty is inherently funny? I don’t know. I feel pretty pretentious right now trying to explain this. The closest I’ve come to concisely stating what I mean is when I tweeted, “How To Be Funny: 1. think a dumb thing 2. say it”

M: So then how long have you had an online presence? Basically, how did you become an internet lover?

A: I’ve been online since I was 12 all over the place. I liked the internet when I was younger because it was easier to make friends with whom I had things in common since I was in a small town and no one really liked me. Plus, the internet made me laugh.

M: What are you doing right now? What’s on your plate for today?

A: Well, right now I am at my mom’s house on the computer while my son plays with her. I took him to get his shots and then to the doctor because he has a rash. Later I will go home, put him to bed, and sit on the couch until my boyfriend comes home. We will watch a couple episodes of 3rd Rock From The Sun and go to bed. EXCITING STUFF!!

M: Is your son funny?

A: My son is the funniest person I know. EVERYTHING he says is honest and unfiltered, even his lies (they’re so blatant!). It’s really amazing watching a person try to understand the world for the first time. I’m really in awe. I don’t think my twitter would be as popular without him. He is much funnier than I am, all I do is notice him.

M: So every humor writer has a favorite tweet or joke they’ve done or whatever…what’s yours?

A: This is a hard question because jokes are the hardest thing to write! I dont know, I’m just gonna go with my first instinct on this one.:

sext: i am archaeologist and u are fossil. i dig in sand and slowly reveal ur Giant Bone! i gasp and say “i’ll call u… Tyrannosaurus SEX”

M: That one is one of my favorites too–I know I favorited it. You don’t have a computer, right? I’ve seen you say that you just tweet with your phone.

A: No, I don’t have a computer because I can’t afford the internet. I tweeted through text until I received a smart phone for Christmas, which was a wonderful surprise. It sucks because I can’t do things like watch tv online or play games or write (I would really love to write) but on the other hand thanks to twitter I would probably never do that stuff anyway. I do whatever takes the least amount of effort to pass the time, and right now that’s twitter.

M: Who are your influences in humor writing and comedy?

A: Okay I need to preface this by saying that anyone who follows me probably know about my cultlike devotion to Community. It is my favorite tv show, hands down. But considering how new it is still, I can’t say it has SHAPED my sense of humor at all. As a child I think I was influenced by stuff like The Adventures of Pete and Pete, Cartoon Planet/Space Ghost, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and Far Side comics. As I got older I was mostly influenced by my friends, who I still think are the funniest people in the world. I like people who live to make themselves laugh, it gives me a lot of joy to see that. I like slightly-older sitcoms like 3rd Rock From The Sun and Newsradio that employ broad physical comedy with weird jokes and character-specific interactions. I don’t have a preference between highbrow and lowbrow. I’m really easily amused. I like puns. I like to see people get hurt, and I like it when people swear. Being insulted usually makes me laugh, especially if it’s creative. I was once told I “look like an overly cheerful cancer patient in a midgrade human hair wig” and laughed my ass off because DAMN sick burn and to be honest, they weren’t wrong!!

M: If you weren’t living your dream in retail, what would be your ideal job? Where do you want to go?

A: Oh god I don’t really have a clue. Retail is exhausting but I can’t think of anything else that would be any less exhausting. I don’t think I’d want to get paid to write because I don’t know how to write and I would have panic attacks until deadlines and then disappear from. I guess my ideal job would be winning the lottery and sitting on my ass all day, watching tv. I’m really lazy. I will do what’s necessary to survive but if work wasn’t, I wouldn’t do any. I would like to go to college someday, maybe to learn how to write, but I’m not sure student loan debt is something I would be able to deal with in the future. I’m poor enough with now with NO debt.

M: I would LOVE to see you working as a humor writer or maybe penning a column. One of the things that I think your fans love so much about you is that you’re equally good at super lowbrow butt-fart humor, but you’re also really good at bringing larger issues like politics, gender, and classism into your jokes. Talk about that…do you get generally positive responses from people?

A: Yeah the responses are generally positive because I think most people follow people who agree with them. I just post what I’m interested in and if people like that they can read it and if not, okay then. I’m not for everyone; no one is. I’ve gotten flak from conservatives for being pro-choice but it doesn’t happen often because most of them have no interest in reading what someone like me has to say. By far the thing that’s got me the most hate is making fun of Ron Paul but for the most part it’s a very funny kind of hate. “LIBERTY IS ALIVE, BITCH!” and stuff like that. The nastiest replies tend to be about really insignificant stuff like working in a record store, or admitting I recently had sex. It’s always unexpected when stuff like that happens. But in general the people I talk to have become good friends. I really truly love the friends I’ve made, and I’m very lucky that they allow me into their lives.

M: What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened to you because of your twitter account? I bet you get some weird followers.

A: I know this isn’t what you meant, but the strangest most surreal thing is being followed by and making friends with people I have been fans of for years. It’s terrifying and exciting and maybe my favorite part of twitter.

M: What five words best describe you?

“Demystifying the vagina through comedy?” “Dumb jerk never shuts up?” Maybe “Doesnt want to be lonely.”

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Amber is one of the funniest people I’ve ever “met” online, and forming a little friendship with her through Twitter has been cool. Here are some other women I love following on twitter who not only make me laugh my ass off at their funny observations and 140-character one-liners, but who also use humor to advance the conversation about women, gender roles, and stereotypes in our culture.

What happened to me after following these women for the last six months or so was not just a lot of laughter, but feeling a little bit more okay about my own thoughts about sex, or getting my period, or being asked why I’m a feminist, or running out of clean underwear, or a million other embarassing and “not socially okay to talk about” thoughts I have on a daily basis. I’m sure you have thoughts like that too, and it sounds weird but just reading tweets from women who aren’t afraid to voice those things, who don’t censor themselves, is incredibly refreshing and validating. I love to see women who don’t cut each other down, own up to the insecurities they do have, and be honest about their experiences in a public forum. Life IS funny, and following these women has made mine better.

Follow some funny ladies.
Thanks for the interview, Amber!

xo
meg

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ask a furniture designer: a conversation with peter cales

Posted on 06. Apr, 2012 by Princess Lasertron.

Peter Cales is a designer, woodworker, and friend I have known socially for a few years, but we recently became closer friends and I’ve really enjoyed learning about his craft and his process, which he shares in generous detail on his blog at Measure Cut Cut. A few weeks ago, he delivered my newest purchase–a commissioned “black and birch” striped table for CAMP Coworking. We were in need of a new conference table, and I wanted something well-designed and bold, with some feminine je ne sais quoi. He sourced reclaimed wood from the Witherspoon Mansion and hand-cut each leg with the perfect amount of detail and curve.

I interviewed Peter about his inspiration, what he’s learned, where he’s going, and his process when working with custom clients. Try working with a local independent furniture designer in your area–it’s such a cool way to go handmade.

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Q: What right now are you really excited about and inspired by, and how is it influencing your current projects?
Peter: I’m really inspired by the Kent Bellows Studio right now – especially the building and the sort of “living” sets Kent made for his paintings and drawings. I’ve been interested in exploring textures and opaque tones in the work I’ve been doing lately. I just scheduled my first solo show to take place at KBS next September. I’ve had the opportunity to work with the kids there on a weekly basis for much of the last year and I just feel a unique energy every time I walk into the space. The building – and my mentoring experience, the kids, the staff, the history – it’s all influencing the work I’m doing and pushing me to take chances and try new things with my work.

Q: Are you ever stuck on ideas? What do you do when you feel like you want to create something, but you don’t know where to begin?
Peter: I get stuck sometimes in the design process, but usually I know I only have a small window of time to effectively work with a client, so I try to push through those kinds of things. Typically, I’ll just start drawing shapes and individual elements until things start to click. I like to make things for people who are interested in the design or fabrication process, so I usually end up trying to incorporate details that directly relate to their story or life. Those tend to be pretty inspiring in terms of working through road blocks in the design process.

I’m notoriously guilty of starting projects without really knowing how they’re going to reach fruition. Usually I’ll get a mental image of a completed piece. And if I know it’s something I really feel strongly about and want to make, I’ll just work until the real things matches the picture in my mind. I’ve made some of my more interesting chairs, and developed some of my signature pieces by doing this – particularly my star tables and signature wooden hot air balloons. Sometimes I end up wasting material because I’ll get so far into something and realize the piece just isn’t working. But generally I like the freedom of doing things really intuitively.

Q: What do you love about where you live?
A: I love living in Omaha because of the opportunity here. I mean, I’m able to work and support myself (most of the time, anyway) by making stuff. Who wouldn’t want to do that? I don’t think I could do what I’m doing in many other places. Access is a big thing in my world. I’m talking access to a network of clients and supportive people, resources, affordable housing and workspace. Omaha seems unique in the sense that if you want to do something here in the arts world, you can just do it. You don’t have to jump through hoops or know the right people. You can just do stuff and have a chance to be successful. There are definitely some drawbacks, too. I think there are some cultural ceilings here and there certainly aren’t the markets here that exist on the coasts. But the opportunities far outweigh the limitations right now for me.

Q: What advice do you have for someone who wants to support a designer like you but has never ordered custom commissioned work before?
A: I have a sense that most people are nervous about inquiring about custom work. They either think it’s going to be really expensive or that I’m going to be weird or something. But custom work is sort of my bread and butter, and I’m used to working with people who have modest budgets. Most of my clients tend to be younger professionals who have a little money to spend and want something unique that they can’t get at Ikea or Nebraska Furniture Mart.

I try to approach this kind of work in a really personal way. I want my clients to feel comfortable with me, but I also want to feel comfortable with them. After all, my work – kind of a part of me, really – is going to be in their home forever. And they’re likely going to incorporate the piece into their day to day lives. So I really work hard to seek out clients who will appreciate the experience of working closely with me. I want to know peoples’ stories – what they’re like, what they’re interested in and how our aesthetics match up – before we even start talking about what kind of piece they’re interested in. But I invest a lot of time in the custom/commission process because it’s important and valuable to me. After all, this is how I’ve chosen to spend the majority of my time, so I want to really enjoy my work experience and feel fulfilled by it. Custom work is time consuming and definitely not as cost-effective as more streamlined things. I could make more money making simple cabinets or repetitive designs, but it’s more worthwhile to me to consistently enjoy my work than it is to make a little more money doing something I don’t enjoy.

Q: Is there anything that you haven’t done or learned that you’d like to try?
A: There are so many things I haven’t learned. I want to be a better craftsman. I think I have an unfounded reputation as some sort of great craftsman. I’m probably better than most people who don’t make furniture and art for a living, but I have a long way to go before I earn any sort of great title. I think everyone should continuously work toward perfecting their craft or whatever they’re passionate about doing. I also want to ride in a hot air balloon. I have a pretty terrible fear of heights, so even flying on an airplane kind of freaks me out usually, but someday I will take a balloon ride. I also want to be a guest on Fresh Air with Terri Gross someday. I want to go back to Southeast Asia too. There are loads of things I want to do. But mostly I just want to make something amazing and leave a significant legacy. That’s what it’s all about for me.

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One cool thing Peter is working on right now is a side project called Tiny Wooden Box, a limited-edition line of just that–small handcrafted wooden boxes–priced at $50 each. I think they’re adorable and you’ll have use for them for a long time. I visualize a man buying one to hold an engagement ring for his wife, his wife using it to store her favorite earrings and rings, and maybe using one to store locks of hair from a baby’s first haircut or teeth for the tooth fairy. What don’t you need a tiny wooden box for?!

Check out Peter Cales’s commissioned and gallery work on his website, Measure Cut Cut, and pick up a tiny wooden box for your treasures too.

xo
meg

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luxury vintage paradise: my tour of borsheims in omaha

Posted on 03. Apr, 2012 by Princess Lasertron.

One of Omaha’s most beloved institutions is Borsheims Fine Jewelry. Opened over 100 years ago downtown, it is now a Berkshire Hathaway company offering over 62,500 square feet of fine jewelry, watches, and gifts. It’s a exciting to visit, with glittering floors and windows and uniformed security guards, and each section of the store–contemporary pieces, beautiful china and flatware, and of course the engagement rings–offers new inspiration and beauty to behold. Borsheims famously hosts the reception for Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholders meetings, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. Warren Buffett even sells behind the counter during the event, and Bill Gates is a regular as well. It’s fun for our city.

I recently met Adrienne Fay, the Director of Marketing at Borsheims, at an Omaha Fashion Week rack check, and she invited me to visit the store for a tour of their corporate offices. As we were walking around the sales floor, she let me pore over the extensive and rare selection of vintage estate jewelry, and even try on a diamond tiara from the 1700s!

(I asked if any of it was haunted, and they weren’t sure.)

One thing I learned about SUPER vintage jewelry like this is that it often converts–for example, a tiara with small hinges on the sides that converts it into a round brooch. Or a removable ring set into a pendant. These old society ladies had some clever options for accessorizing for sure!

I also had some fun touring their corporate offices and meeting the team that cleans and adjusts all the jewelry and packages the beautiful gift boxes! I also met a few blog readers working there, so hi.

When I was little, I got a Pablo Picasso tea set for Christmas one year from Borsheims. When I noticed the signature silver package with the burgundy ribbon under the tree with my name on it, I was so excited.

If you live in Omaha, or ever come to visit, Borsheims is a great place to walk through for inspiration, and you’re crazy if you don’t find tons of stuff you want to take home with you. You all know about their famous bridal gift registry–their selection of dishes and gifts are beautiful and extensive. But ask a salesperson to show you the estate jewelry too–I’ll never forget the feeling of holding a 500-year-old diamond brooch in my hands.

Love this vintage ad from them too:

Just a fun tour and a fun thing about my city.
xo
meg

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when you can’t find a cute favor for your wedding…

Posted on 30. Mar, 2012 by Princess Lasertron.

Once I made the first big decision to get married, that’s when the thousands of little decisions began to pop up as we started planning our wedding. You’ve been there (or maybe you are now). Destination or local? Tons of guests, or a more intimate ceremony? Carnival or barn? Pizza or taco buffet? Okay, maybe not those last few necessarily…but one decision we all make, and often feel strongly about, regards the question of favors!

I’ve been to several weddings where I was happy to take home a sweet keepsake from the couple’s big day. Whether you know exactly what you want to share with your guests, or you need some ideas, the American Bridal website is full of inspiration for delightful and memorable wedding favors to share with your guests on your big day. Here are some of my favorites:

1: I love the idea of using American Bridal’s wine label stickers to add a personalized touch to each table. You’re gonna have the wine, so you might as well make it pretty! 2. I went to a fabulous barbecue wedding at a local park last year and each guest went home with a cute little matchbook like these. They’re a great value for your money, and I’m still using my match favors for the candles in my office! I love remembering that celebration every time I go to light a candle. 3. Keeping with that match theme, I love this matchstick key ring pen. I would love having a cute, hidden ballpoint pen on my keychain, and it’s pretty badass-looking too.

Often overlooked, a cute placecard holder is a really clever and practical option when you’re looking for a beautiful wedding favor that your guests will continue to enjoy. Three of my favorites from American Bridal include these Silver Love Birds, the Birdcage Tea Light/Placeholders (love that you can stick a candle in there!), and the adorable Elephant Card Holders. You know the trunk up means good luck!

7. Sometimes you already have a great favor–some candy, a little tea light, lottery tickets, bottle poppers, whatever–and you just need a cute way to package it. For that, I love these small silver picnic baskets. You can fill them up with anything. 8. One trend that I’ve noticed in eco-friendly weddings are plantable paper products–an invitation, save-the-date, or favor that you can take home and plant in your garden. Seeds within the card will germinate and wildflowers will spring up in your yard. This cherry blossom place card has wildflower seeds embedded in it. 9. Candles are an ever-practical favor, and these small travel tins from American Bridal are well-priced. I also like how neutral the top is, so if you put it on your desk or coffee table it doesn’t scream “I was just at a wedding!!”

American Bridal also stocks supplies for your ceremony and reception, jewelry and accessories, and stationery supplies, so you can lose hours browsing all of their well-priced offerings.

Are you using favors in your wedding?  What favors have you received at past weddings that you loved?

xo
meg

*Sponsored post

 

 

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what to wear to a winter wedding: my favorite looks from shabby apple!

Posted on 04. Jan, 2012 by Princess Lasertron.

For me, getting fancy in the cold months is trickier than the summer because finding something both weather-appropriate and elegant can be a challenge. Shabby Apple, one of my favorite sources for cute clothes, is having a great sale this month so I perused their current offerings to share my favorite fancy looks for a winter wedding, party, date night, or any time you want to look a little lovelier. Just add your favorite bright tights and wool coat and you’ll be stunnin’.

1: Tea and Cakes shoes ♥ 2: Tinsel Town skirt ♥ 3: Gavotte #43 dress (I love the white bow bustle!) ♥ 4: Pineapple Crush shoes ♥ 5: Hot Fudge hair comb ♥ 6: Premier dress (great sleeve length) ♥ 7: Charm School shoes ♥ 8: Roja nail polish ♥ 9: Maple dress (paging Joan Holloway…beautiful portrait neckline) ♥ 10: Pistoia dress flats ♥ Baciami striped dress

Shabby Apple also gave me the opportunity to share the code NEWYEAR with you–use it at checkout for 20% off your order! The sale lasts through the entire month of January, so bookmark your favorites and pick up some cute new stuff to put some pretty in your late winter wardrobe.

Happy Wednesday! What’s the best thing that happened to you today?
xo
meg

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