Job Interview Questions

There are a host of silly reoccurring job interview questions that I have come across. I always sit there in my uncomfortable suit trying to answer them, filtering out all the answers I really want to give. So in honor of all my readers seeking employment, I am embarking on a series of posts dedicated to answering those job interview questions. So here goes my real answer unedited (ok, not totally unedited, but much less filtered than when I'm wearing panty hose):


1. If you could invite 5 guests to your dinner party who would they be and why?


a. John Irving. I have an intellectual crush on him (Does my husband know? Now he does as he happens to be a loyal Spinach blog reader)




b. Carmindy from What Not to Wear. She's cute. She's nice. She's got good makeup tips. Who can't use some makeup tips?





c. Jimi Hendrix. I just want to touch his hands. And listen to him sing. And play the guitar. And...(that's where the filtering kicks in.)




d. Audrey Hepburn (in her late 20's). I'd show her a picture of me dressed up as Holly Golightly for Halloween. And of course she would tell me that I am the spitting image of her. I'd probably spend the whole night practicing my posture and trying to make my neck as long as hers.




e. Hitler (before the Holocaust). I'd poison him in the first course foregoing the entire Holocaust. Yes, I have seen Back to the Future and boo on you for asking.


So there. It would be a lovely dinner party. I would be dressed impecably. The food would please everyone (I obviously wouldn't cook it) and it would be held somewhere other my small apartment which has no proper dining table. Everyone (with the exception of Hitler who is dead after the first course anyway) speaks English and will have something to contribute.

Measurements: A Series

These two paintings are part of a series. Overall, the two pieces represent the pressures from society on women to be beautiful. I think this pressure transcends most societies.


This work was cathartic for me. I think with each passing year, I have come to terms with my body. I have been told that this is normal. I myself have struggled with body image issues, as I think most women do at some point in their lives.


The first, Measurements: Bust, depicts the pressure women have to have perky, perfect breasts. The explosion of breast enhancement surgery is just one example of this pressure. The second piece, Measurements: Waist, emphasizes the pressures to be thin.

Check them out in my store: http://spinachNpeace.etsy.com

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

It is Memorial Day Weekend. I am working. Long hours.

I moved to New York City this past September. So I'm still getting used to culture and habits of the city. It seems that everyone leaves the city for Memorial Day weekend! The city is a ghost town. Except for Fleet Week!

My first taste of Fleet Week was when I saw that episode of Sex and the City, where Carrie Bradshaw (yes, I must use first AND last name), almost hooked up with the guy with the sexy New Orleans accent, but her loyalty to her city abruptly ended the near encounter. I wasn't sure that Fleet Week was actually a real event. I thought that it had been made-up for the purposes of the show...until...

Two Memorial Day's ago I came to the city with my friends because hotels were offering amazing deals (little did we know the weather would be miserable and the city a ghost town). The one consolation we had was Fleet Week! We were really excited about living Carrie Bradshaw's life. None of us hooked up with any sailors, but the sitings made us giddy.

I'm not a huge fan of the uniforms. I know there are many women who melt at the sight of a man in uniform, but I am not one of them. Why do they wear those uniform everywhere they go even when off-duty?

Anyway, the Sex and the City movie is here! Who's seen it? Who has plans to see it?

My Husband, the Artist

This piece was created by my husband a few years ago. We love it so much that it has been our wallpaper on our laptop for a long time. People in law school used to come up to him and ask where he got the image from and were shocked when he told them that he created it. When I look at it long enough I see a big fish. Anyone else see my fish? Can you see anything in it?

Postcards are ready!

I finally got my postcards ready for sale. I got really great envelopes that are made of 100% recycled Kraft brown bags. They look great next to the postcards! They are listed and ready for sale. Right now I am selling them in a group of 9:

3 Bride

3 Groom

3 She Yin Yang

Check out the listing at: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11953031

Photo Additions to my Etsy Store

I just added a few photographs to my Etsy stores. They are all photos that my husband took while we were in Cape Town, South Africa.

They are available in 5x7 for now.

I will be adding more daily along with my artwork. Please check them out at http://www.spinachnpeace.etsy.com/

Roof Top

Inspired by a photograph Dave took while we were in Cape Town, South Africa, this is the most popular piece in my shop. It has the most views and the most hearts.

While in Cape Town, we stayed in the neighborhood of De Waterkant, which is right on the water. The buildings are all brightly colored and likely inspired by the beautiful coastline. This is the view from our rooftop in Cape Town. I hope to revisit the beautiful country of South Africa again.

Two month anniversary

Today is my two-month wedding anniversary! Everyone keeps saying, "two months already? Doesn't it feel like just yesterday you were getting married?" I feel pressured to say yes, it's passed by so quickly, but the truth is that it seems like we've been married forever. My wedding seems so distant. It seems so long ago that we were sweating in the Miami heat while we took this picture.

Books

I just want to share some books I've read recently and really enjoyed:

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
The Road by Cormac McArthy
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende

I recommend A Thousand Splendid Suns to all women. It is a powerful novel with themes of identity that I think all women can relate to. My husband read it as well and really enjoyed it.

I recently reread Middlesex for a book club meeting and I enjoyed it as much the second time as the first. It is a complex story about a girl who becomes a man. The author somehow had me relating to the main character.

The Road. What can I say about this book except that I haven't completely digested it yet. I read it in a couple of days, but the book is still haunting me.

I read Eva Luna in Spanish, but from reading Allende's other books in English, I doubt this surreal tale gets lost in translation.

Currently reading: Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates
Next to read: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

And finally, I leave you with a picture of my favorite reading spot in my apartment. I have a date with this chair at about 1pm everyday as the sun shines on it.

Spinach N Peace Explained

Why did I name my blog and store Spinach N Peace? I guess I should have anticipated this question. The answer is as simple as "I like spinach and I like peace." Yup, that's it!

I like spinach so much that I'm going to share one of my favorite spinach recipes with you:

Spinach Drink:
1 cup of fresh spinach
1 tbsp of your favorite jam
1/4 cup of orange juice
1 apple

Mix the above ingredients in a blender and enjoy!

This drink is sooo refreshing! I know it doesn't sound good (and it doesn't look that good either which is why this post is picture-less), but it truly is delicious!

I like peace so much that I'm sharing it always with you! Peace be with you all!

My shop is open!!!

I finally got my etsy shop open. I don't know how many of you are familiar with etsy, but it is this awesome forum where people can buy and sell handmade things. This is the link to my shop: http://SpinachNPeace.etsy.com

I am currently offering buy one get one free to my first 10 buyers. So if you see something you like act quickly:)

I encourage you to browse around etsy as there are SO MANY awesome sellers there. If you have an etsy account, don't forget to add me as your favorite (heart me!). Thanks!

Dancing

This is an older piece of mine. It was perhaps the color inspiration for my most recent series (Bride, Groom and She Yin Yang). I had very little trouble painting the female, as I am apparently much more familiar with the female shape than the male, but I needed Dave to pose for the male figure. Check out those calves!

Notice the softness in the female figure as paralleled by the flowers and the stiffness and support offered by the male figure as paralleled by the tree trunk.

I think this is Dave's favorite piece. I'm sure it's because he thinks he inspired it...maybe he did.

She Yin Yang

This is the third piece in my series. As far as content, this piece does not belong in my series, but color-wise it is a match. This piece was inspired by my brother's most recent tattoo. His tattoo is of a yin yang, but a much more literal yin yang than mine. These two girls are not twins, but they are both beautiful. Which one is the good side of the yin yang and which one is the bad? Looks can be deceiving.

Groom

This is the bride's counterpart. I painted him after the bride. I was really nervous because I've never painted a man in such detail before! I modeled him after my husband, Dave, with a few changes. He is most recognizable in this piece, by his pronounced chin.

I'm sure you're wondering why he has no clothes on. Well, when I married Dave, I married him--not the material things he comes with. I thought stripping him down was a way to express that.

This piece along with the bride are hanging in my living room. I told Dave that they would face each other when we are happy (hopefully most of the time) and I would put them facing apart when we fight (hopefully rarely).

There is one more piece in this series to come...

Bride

When I got back to NYC from my wedding, I was inspired to put my experience into art. This is exactly how I felt as I was getting married--completely at peace. It was a happy time, but more than anything it was a really peaceful time. I didn't want to paint a stereotypical bride. Instead, I chose to make her less literal--no veil.

In fact, if it weren't for my mom, I probably would not have worn a veil myself at my wedding! I seriously thought my mom was going to start crying when I suggested that I wanted to omit the veil. I then suggested a bird cage veil and she told me it looked like chicken wire. I finally committed fully, and had a full-length cathedral mantilla style veil!

I guess this painting is my inner desire to eliminate the veil!