Two Cent Thoughts: Consumers vs. Producers

The concept for this post was inspired by my own mom, who has more grit than any woman (or man) that I know. She’s handy with a toolkit, has enormous vegetable gardens, knits beautiful sweaters, and also runs marathons and triathlons on a regular basis. Yes, I have a large pair of shoes to fill. 

So this is my little nod to mother’s day, and also an explanation for why I feel so passionately about being a producer vs. a consumer. 

Our society is incredibly consumer focused. We are constantly seduced by advertising, hypnotized by media, and told that it is our patriotic duty to buy, buy, buy… and also many of us work in some sort of information business. I know that I do.

This means that many of us are not actually creating something we can see/hold, but instead shuffling around information and bytes, or if we’re lucky, maybe creating a few of our own. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good thing! I’d rather be a white collar worker than in a factory.

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by Erin Depew Posted on May 13, 2013
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The Short List for Spring

shortlist1. Fire Escape Gardening: It seems that I inherited my mother’s green thumbs. While I will never have her extensive vegetable and flower garden, I can certainly add some greenery to my little Brooklyn apartment and fire escape. That’s my fat and sassy basil plant in the photo. I am also growing mint, chives, parsley, cilantro, sweet peas, and irises this year. If you have any questions about starting your own (or would like a more thorough post) feel free to ask me in the comments!

2. Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24 Hour Foundation: Don’t you hate it when your favorite makeup product gets discontinued? My tried and true Korres Wild Rose foundation was discontinued this year and I almost had a panic attack when I had to find a new foundation. Thankfully the lady at Sephora pointed me towards Lancome Teint Idole Ultra and I think I have a new HG. It’s medium coverage, stays on all day, and after a few minutes sinks right in and makes my skin look natural but better.

3. Soft Pretzels: I’m trying to expand my cooking horizons past “stuff that goes on rice or noodles” so I decided to give pretzels a shot. While they certainly can’t compete with the local beer hall’s pretzels with beer cheese, they were fun to make and (if I do say so myself)  pretty good.

4. Parallax Scrolling: This recent trend in web design is actually a very old technique that was used in animation during the 1940′s. It’s now pretty easy to implement using JavaScript libraries such as Stellar.js , although for anything besides upward vertical motion you need to create a custom JavaScript plugin. This is my most recent personal project, and once I figure it out I’ll be sure to post a tutorial! For a great example of parallax scrolling, check out Every Last Drop.

5. Babbel: I think it’s very important to know at least one other language besides your native tongue, and while I’m far from fluent, I’m currently working on brushing up on my French and Spanish. I love Rosetta Stone but it’s much too expensive for me, but I just started using Babbel which is very similar (let’s just call it the poor man’s Rosetta Stone). It has a free app that works without cell service, which is great if you commute by subway like me, and it has more in depth lessons online for a very reasonable $7.45 a month. If you are interested in learning a language I definitely recommend checking it out.

What are your favorite things at the moment?

by Erin Depew Posted on May 10, 2013
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How to Have a Stylish and Minimalist Wardrobe Part VII

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In theory, the list you just created would act as a guide for a few things that you need to remove from your closet and a few things you should be shopping for. But sometimes life just doesn’t work that way.

If your ideal wardrobe list has little or no overlap with your current closet, it’s usually one of the following issues: your body type is not the “ideal” body shape for your style, you’re broke and can’t afford your ideal wardrobe, or your social group or dress code is radically different from your personal style.

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by Erin Depew Posted on May 4, 2013
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How to Write Python Unit Tests

If you have ever written more than a few lines of code you know how much of a pain in the a&$ debugging is. I learned how to run unit tests in Python a few weeks ago and I think it’s basically the best thing since sliced bread.

There are a lot of reasons why unit testing is a good idea, but all of these reasons also apply to testing in general:

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by Erin Depew Posted on May 1, 2013
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How to Have a Stylish and Minimalist Wardrobe Part VI

Now here’s the fun part! You want to combine your wardrobe workhorses with your statement pieces and create your ideal wardrobe. Hopefully your list will resemble what you already have in your closet, but it’s okay if it doesn’t, it just means you have some thinking to do. I’ll cover a few of the reasons why your real wardrobe might not fit your ideal wardrobe list in the next post.

So sit down, have a cup of tea, and start writing down your ideal closet. All of it. Then edit it, edit it, and edit some more. It’s a lot easier to cut down and curate when you are dealing with an “imaginary” wardrobe instead of staring into your closet or trying it on at the shops.

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by Erin Depew Posted on April 23, 2013
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How I Became a Minimalist

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Just swinging by for a bit of shameless self promotion. I have been up to my ears with work at NBC and getting used to a new work environment always throws off my schedule. Of course, I wouldn’t trade it for anything and the team at NBC is amazing. So that’s why it has been a little light around here.

However, this week I’m getting back on the horse so expect the wrap up for my minimalist wardrobe posts, new photos from the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, and a quick tutorial on unit testing your code (Oh my!).

If you have missed my dulcet tones over here at Pixel Perfect, check out my post on how I became a minimalist over at Be More with Less. I feel like it really ties into my minimalist wardrobe posts and might give you a better idea of where I’m coming from. Although I naturally fell into minimalism, my wardrobe has always been the kicker and is something I continue to work on.

And while you’re there, be sure to check out Courtney’s blog Be More with Less as well!

Have a wonderful weekend!

by Erin Depew Posted on April 20, 2013
Posted in Ranting & Raving | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Two Cent Thoughts: Women in Tech

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I probably should have posted this a while ago, but I was busy finding my new job at NBC. So it’s a few weeks late, but better late than never.

I attended the LadyCoders Seminar in New York a few weeks ago and it was such a great experience. This is my PSA: if you are a woman in tech, please attend one of their seminars or join the LadyCoders group online. 

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by Erin Depew Posted on March 31, 2013
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Style Remix: Tweed Jacket

Unfortunately, I just realized that the boucle jacket I had shown from Topshop is now completely sold out (damn you fast fashion) so I have replaced it with a similar one from Mango.

Fortunately, I think that this illustrates my point perfectly. If you find a tweed jacket that matches your style and preferences, it doesn’t need the exact one that I’m showing here (in fact, bonus points if you already own one), you can still mix and match it.

Anyway, here is an outfit for going out on a weekend. I love silky shorts as an alternative to a mini skirt. Pair it with a boucle jacket, basic white tee and a pair of low pumps or wedges for a classy night out. I love a pair of grande dame earrings and a punchy fold over clutch to finish off the look.

 

outfit

 

Zipped Boucle Jacket, Mango $90 / Pleated Waistband Crepe Shorts, Rag & Bone $255 / Perfect Fit V-neck Tee, J.Crew $24 / Heliette Ankle Strap Court Shoes, Aldo $102 / Linear Drama Chain Earrings, Carolee $65 / Fold Over Clutch, Clare Vivier $156 

For more style remix posts, check them all out here. 

by Erin Depew Posted on March 17, 2013
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How to Have a Stylish Wardrobe Part V

We now have our colors, so the next step is to define our signature styles. Obviously this has a little wiggle room for new trends that might pop up in the next year or so. Remember, fashion should be fun! But in general, pick a few silhouettes that you like and that you know look good on you.

Note: this is not the same as our statement pieces from before. Statement pieces are flashy and usually trendy. These are your true-blue basics that make you feel fantastic and that you love no matter what the trend report says.

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by Erin Depew Posted on March 8, 2013
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