#1 40 days of working out- This is going to be the hardest challenge for me, cause I HATE-HATE-HATE working out. I’ve gotten to the place where I am in a downward spiral towards lumpy-ness. I know what you’re going to say: “Kris, it’s not good for you to work out everyday, you need rest days!” Well, I will still work ‘rest days’ into my schedule, but it’s only going to mean a shorter routine at the gym, maybe just running a couple miles instead of hitting it hard. This is actually something I just need to do for myself and I’m using Lent as an excuse to kick start it.

#2 1 household chore a day- Especially with the addition of a dog in our lives, our house is always in need of a load of laundry being folded or a floor to be swept. Pushing myself to do one chore everyday will keep us on top of it.

#3 Earlier wake up time- Oh god, this one is almost as bad as working out. I like to sleep in until the last possible minute. For example: I have figured out how to get ready and eat breakfast within 15 minutes. I don’t look polished, but I would deem myself presentable. After a few months of this being my M.O. I think presentable may even be a stretch. It’s very rare that I take time to ‘do’ my hair or put on a full spread of makeup — and cute clothes? HAH! More like jeans and a t-shirt. Early wake up time = more time to get ready, or more time to spend with my little family before I head off to work. Either way, it’s a win. New wake-up time: 6:45 am totally do-able.

So that’s my 40 day plan. Let me state (just like last year) that I have no religious ties to this time of year, I just think humans should be in control of their impulses, and it’s a good way to flex your mental capabilities.

Do you have anything you’re giving up for Lent?

This is a diary passage I wrote on August 8th,2012.

“What the fuck is my purpose?”

Let’s go back, way back, to high school graduation. What a proud day that you were so over being a part of. Although you acted like you were too cool for the tassels and gown, a trickling stream of ambitions had begun and you knew somewhere deep down that your destiny and boundless potential were just waiting over the horizon (If only this fucking ceremony would end!). You spent the last summer at home as recklessly as possible and then off to college you went.

For most of us, this is where the trickle of ambition became a stream. By senior year of college you had a few internships, a portfolio of well-scored collegiate work and  you knew you would make it. The countdown begins until you can earn a great salary and start using all these years of schooling.

The dream of riding off into the sunset was in reality more like being blinded by the sun while driving, and then hitting a heard of baby animals, killing them all on impact  a lot more depressing.

When the excitment of your first “real job” and the novelty of wearing business casual clothes wears off you realize “holy shit, this is my life, like until I’m 65.” Horrified by this life sentence you consider ways of making money without having to work 40 hours a week. “Maybe I’ll be a drug dealer, or sell thing on ebay or become a teacher so I can keep my summers for myself. Was I ever good enough at any type of art to make a living from it? What about connections: do I know any single, very rich people? How can I make that work for me?”

Weeks, then months pass and the desperation settles into a cool numbness. Your angst is almost undetectable except Sunday nights and early morning rises, you develop stock work-appropriate clothing pairings and fall into the fold of complacency. “This is the next 45 years? I hope I can buy a house from this, and have some sweet stock options?”

FUCK

Pulling into work one day you put the car in park and place your head on the steering wheel for a few moments of internal pep talk. Out of the corner of your eye, something shiny pulls in next to you and you look up as the corporate wet dream a mid-level exec. parks their BMW, swiftly exiting the car and heading straight for their office.

Could you become that? The line from here, wishing you would have driven you car over the closest border into another country,  to there: koolaid guzzling champion, is not probable (and not desired).

” Is my dignity worth a corner office and a company car?”

You get out of the car and realize that as long as you keep your head down, things will work out.

End of Part One.

The week’s in depth charting:

In Summary: 

Top 3: Sleep, Work, Maketards

Bottom 3: Logging, Exercise, Boyfriend

When I entered all of this into a spread sheet and composed the graphs I thought about not posting it. I’m embarrassed that I live with my boyfriend and have spent little to no time with him, but have plenty of time to look at puppies, run errands, and work on my youtube channel.

I should note that some of this information was probably inaccurate because I knew I was logging. This week was really light in terms of Social media and Email, which is abnormal– I can spend seriously hours surfing through garbage sites looking for blogging material and ways to promote various projects I’m working on.

What I’m going to change:

GET OFF THE COMPUTER, and spend more time with my boy friend.

Pump up the exercise (I think I can commit to being active more than a 1/2 hour a week right?) I’d like to slowly amp up to 2.5 hours a week. The cool thing about this is that Brendan loves to workout so we can spend time together being active and I can be working towards both of my goals at the same time.

What this means:

After much discussion with the man friend (who is one of the editors of this blog) we have decided that Krisrael is going to slow its operations considerably, if not entirely stop posting. Sure, you could look at the graph and say,”Kris, that isn’t even one of the largest time sucks of your life!” To which I say, I know but it’s time that needs to be spent differently. Some things, like sleep, I can’t stop doing.

I want to thank everyone of our 50,000 viewers from the last 6 months. If the staff decides to take up various blogging sites I will make sure to post them in the comments below.

I wish I could go on blogging, but each day would have to be 40 hours long. For now, I say goodbye, and hope to be back with life updates soon.

–Taking it Offline–

<3 Kris Israel

Photo Cred: Carly Rae Jepsen Official Website

I know what you are probably thinking Krisrael Geek Chic readers: “Why is Mo talking about music this week?! Isn’t that Krisrael Music Contributor Derek’s specialty? What is she thinking?” Yeah, I get it. But hear me out! Krisrael Geek Chic prides itself in covering everything geeky from Star Wars to Cosplay to Math Olympics to gaming to pop culture. This summer, a cultural phenomenon occurred with the annoyingly infectious pop song hit “Call Me Maybe” by Canadian Idol’s own Carly Rae Jepsen:

Call Me Maybe  – The Original Version by Carly Rae Jepsen

Because of this cute and bubbly pop singer geekette from our neighbor to the north, hundreds of  YouTubers have created music video spoofs in honor of  what I believe is the 2012 song of the summer.

Below are highlights of the best of the best. . .

Call Me Maybe – The Star Wars Edition

Call Me Maybe – The Cookie Monster Edition

Call Me Maybe – The President Barack Obama Edition

Call Me Maybe – The Wassabi Edition

Call Me Maybe – The Death Metal Edition

Mo’s Geek Chic Take: Charles Caleb Colton once said, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” I hate to break it to you folks, but once someone or something is found to be popular, it goes VIRAL fast but in the form of parodies. In our tech-savvy age, parodies are the sincerest form of flattery instead. Carly Rae Jepsen, this is your summer.  Embrace it!

Hey, I just met you

And this is crazy

But here’s my Krisrael URL

So follow me, maybe?

(Sorry. . .I couldn’t resist! After all she IS a pop culture superstar!) 

Until next time: Stay true. Stay YOU. Stay geek chic! -Mo

Almost two years ago, I decided to get a tattoo. However the temptation to get more and more is borderline overwhelming. If I succumb to my desires, it would OBVIOUSLY result in sleeves on my arms and legs, words and vibrant pictures on my neck, ultimately screwing myself out of 80% of the careers I desire.

Ok. Ok. A tad extreme. But let’s talk about it. Tattoos are a big ‘trend’ right now, but with the right thought and goals, you can make a trend an amazing piece of art.

Regardless of why you are getting your tattoo, I feel there are some guidelines all should consider beforehand.

1) Trends: DON’T FOLLOW THEM!! JUST DO NOT DO IT!! Trends are fleeting at best. Fleeting anything should never be an option for something as permanent as a tattoo. Denim outfits, sagging pants, mullets, 80s running shorts, frosted tips are all laughable trends and do you want to put something ‘laughable’ permanently on your body? If you like the way it looks, try it on for size, then see if you still like how it looks on your body. If you still want to make them permanent, then perfect. Just proceed with caution.

It is very trendy, but looks great on her.

The quality is GREAT, but there are so many factors which could easily alter the art.

2) Artist Quality: If you are like most people, you put a lot of thought into buying anything which costs more than what you make in a month. Since tattoos will last significantly longer than your job will, take the time to research in an artist who A) a master at the trade B) understands your expectations and C) can offer creative suggestions to elevate the quality of your tattoo. And if there is a $20 special for a cookie cutter tattoo. . .well who are we to judge, but I wouldn’t make that my first. It’s like losing your virginity to a cheap escort. Not the best story to share over drinks.

My tattoo goal is to have this artist make a tattoo for me!

3) Maintenance: Tattoos are an investment and without proper care, you might as well throw the money into the toilet. Proper cleaning, moisturizing, and care right after the inking are important to the longevity of the tattoo. But just as car color fades and a lawn needs upkeep, so does your tattoo. If ink didn’t take to parts of your skin or when the color doesn’t shine like it used to, then start making an appointment. If you aren’t willing to maintain it, then I wouldn’t get one.

Now, here are some awesome tattoos that I feel will most definitely stand the test of time!

So long as the passage is equally timeless

You can click to view more of Vincent Gotti’s portfolio.

Here are some we probably will never consider . . . to be classics

I will admit. . .its cool

Get ready for some snark, because next week I will tackle the irritating insightful questions asked to people without tattoos.

Do you make every tattoo heartfelt and meaningful? Or do you seize the day and get what you want in the moment? Leave a comment and let me know about your thoughts on getting tattoos.

Until next week,
Keep it classy.

The Guy with the Red Hair.

Immediately this came to mind.

I have lost very few people that I was close to, but everyone I know who has wishes that they could have just one more day to be with people who are gone. Us foolish young people usually nod in agreement, but like most things in life, the true weight of their advice probably won’t hit until it’s too late.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am a chronic “busy” person. I am always filling my time with side projects (like this blog, my other blog, my latest youtube endeavors,  and contributing to various online publications). Plus I work a 9-5 and teach dance twice a week.

About a week ago Brendan sent me this article  from the NY times blog about the ‘Busy’ trap. They say that the people who claim to be ‘busy’ aren’t “generally people pulling back-to-back shifts in the I.C.U. or commuting by bus to three minimum-wage jobs  who tell you how busy they are; what those people are is not busy but tired. Exhausted. Dead on their feet. It’s almost always people whose lamented busyness is purely self-imposed: work and obligations they’ve taken on voluntarily, classes and activities they’ve “encouraged” their kids to participate in. They’re busy because of their own ambition or drive or anxiety, because they’re addicted to busyness and dread what they might have to face in its absence.”- NY Times

At first I was pretty offended and wrote him back some snappy comment like “I’ll try to make my meaningless life more meaningful by doing less.”

**NEWSFLASH: I’m a pain in the ass.**

But after a week of time, some reflection, and deep breathing, I’ll ask everyone: what if we are, as a society, so busy worrying about being meaningless that we’re missing what is actually meaningful? I know people that can spend days lost in a good book, or lying on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean. I’m always jealous of these people because they seem to be borderline bragging  happy.

But do I wish to be a porch-sitting, wood-whittling, laid-back person? Not really, even though I cannot think of a single day in the past 2 years where I have not been constantly checking my emails, fb, and various analytics. I’ve recently been considering hiring a maid to clean my studio. Why? Cause there is never enough time, and it will never be one of my priorities unless it is an absolute third world country pretty messy. Is this a red flag, that I can’t clean 600 sq feet on a weekly basis? Probably, but I’m going to tell myself it’s not worth my time to think about.

Like Whitney Houston in her Barbara Walters interview was convinced she wasn’t a crack fiend, I am convinced that I am not a busy freak. I can put ‘busy’ down any time, but have chosen to remain in a constant state of go. Why? ‘Cause I’m refining the art of productivity, and trying to figure out the quickest and best way to be a millionaire (so I’ll have enough money to pay off my ass load of student loans).

Now, going back: If time truly is the best gift we can give someone, who am I giving all my ‘gifts’ to? And do they deserve them?

Over the next week I am going to log my time in a journal. Just to check that I am actually being productive and making strides towards no longer having a slew of debt. Every minute I spend will be jotted down in a notebook and next Monday I will be back with some impressive graphs — possibly of the pie variety, because pie is awesome. I sugest you do the same, but hey, you may be too busy to track how busy you are — seems logical to me.

Have a great week,

I’m off to work.

Recent events have inspired me to write about skills I’ve learned over the past few months and some I am still learning. I feel several of them should be a requirement for men!

Problem: I moved into a new apartment at the beginning of June and I am getting a new roommate starting in August. We want to have a homey place that is inviting and comfortable for entertaining friends.

Solution: Home Bar and Cocktail Evenings. Saves money in the long run, changes up your social scene, and gives you the opportunity to learn more about your friends (and make new ones! Have your invitees invite one friend!) . . . BAM!! Solution found. You get the furniture you need to host and focus on group entertainment/activities.

When hosting the party, unless you are serving only wine or beer (which I would stick to one type of alcohol for your guests. It makes shopping easier), you should want to give your friends an experience they won’t forget.

Skill: How to make a cocktail perfect! Just as the rule applies to your appearance, same goes for entertaining: a little attention to detail goes a long way. Every drinking man should know how raise the bar when it comes to their drinks. It is a lost art, but one that we can easily reclaim.

1. Ice: Most drinks should have ice and if you use the right type of ice for the drink, then you will enhance the quality of the drink tenfold. Believe it or not, drinks with ice in it are meant to be enjoyed slowly. The dilution works with the flavor of the drink. Large cubes are great for keeping drinks cold without diluting the beverage too quickly. Crushed cubes melt quicker, but if packed correctly, it will melt at the perfect rate for drinking. Drinks served ‘up’ (no ice) are meant to be finished before the drink gets temperate. An Old-Fashioned is an example of a drink with large cubes. Use crushed ice for juleps or drinks with poignant flavors (bitters, lime, etc.). If you want to take it one step further, make your ice clear. To do this you use warm, filtered water and freeze it at the warmest setting. Quicker isn’t always better. The ice crystals forming too quickly is what makes ice cloudy.

Click for more info

Not that ice is capable of reciprocating feelings, but I think I love it. (photo cred: bon appetit)

I would flip my lid if my host gave me a drink with this in it!! (photo cred: tovola)

2. Muddle: muddling, or crushing your ingredients allow the flavors to jump out. This is an easy way to avoid using sugary, artificial mixes. My favorite margarita is used with lime juice from 1.5 fresh limes, tequila, and clear agave syrup (just enough to take the edge off). I like to muddle a some of the lime peel in the shaker to release the oils from the rind. You’ve most likely seen this happen if you’ve ordered a Mojito at a bar. They crush the limes and mint together.

3. Follow the recipe: Place the ingredients in order from smallest to largest. This is mostly to save your ingredients. Let’s say you mess up, you waste less that way. Easy peasy.

4. Garnish: always a must. It is the accessory of the drink. It doesn’t have to be standard either. Break some rules. What ever you choose, make sure it is in the drink or compliments the drink. Slap herbs in your palm. Bend the peel of citrus in the drink (or light it on fire before you put in the drink…that is a crowd pleaser). My favorite champagne cocktail is made with blackberries and served up in a flute. Using two spears, the blackberry garnish hangs suspended in the drink, allowing it to absorb the drink, but you can still drink the beverage.
 And it look awesome!!

Try tightly wrapping a sliver of the rind around a straw, skewer, or bar spoon.

Click the picture for a How-to Video, just take caution while performing.

The drink looks too sweet for me, but it doesn’t disregard the COOLNESS of this garnish

5. Serving: if it has a straw make sure it is near the mouth of the imbiber and the garnish on the opposite side of the glass. If there isn’t a straw, make sure the garnish is away from where their mouth will be, but try to have the garnish pass under their nose when handing it off. This preps your guest for the flavors!
And that is how you make a cocktail great. Don’t like liquor, then make some mocktails! Use the same flavor profiles, just ixnay on the alcohol. Try one of my favs: the Blueberry Ginger Bellini, but use a sparkling soda instead of the wine.

My favorite place right now in the Bay Area, which follows most, if not all of these rules is Single Barrel.

Until next week,
Keep it classy.

The Guy with the Red Hair.

Some behaviors from that time were left in the dust, but I’ve dusted off my reflective cap and wanted to take a look back at things we all did in college that as adults we try to no longer embody. Enjoy my list of behaviors that are only acceptable during college.

Not showing up cause you didn’t do an assignment.

Man, wouldn’t it be nice to just not show up to work the day of a big presentation? Sorry, I was . . . sick. Can I turn it in next week? PSYCH! When they said in college that “deadlines were everything in the real world” I rolled my eyes with the rest of the class — but shit, they’re fucking right.

Saying “bros over hos” like it’s law

Aww, do you guys share a Chapstick too? The sad part is, one of those is Marc Jacob’s arm.

This one is pretty straight forward. If your dating philosophies sound like a cheesy slogan you see on the side of the freeway like “click it or ticket” or something you heard in a 1980′s cop movie like “you commit the crime, you do the time,” you probably do deserve to date someone who still wears their retainer at night.

If you’ve been to college you should actually know that “bros over hos” actually has a really small, unseeable to the naked eye, asterisk and a huge section of fine print on the second page stating a unseemly amount of terms and conditions including: *unless she’s hot, or I’m “super wasted”, or it’s been a couple months and I’m “in need”, or you’ll never find out. Just to name a few.

The dating pool may seem a lot smaller once you’re out of college, especially since everyone you meet is either a friend of a friend, your co-worker, or someone you met online. But this should also make you more honest with yourself and maybe adopt a saying more like “if the shoe fits.”  Sure you’ll be a slut, but you’ve always been one.

Going “hard” on a weeknight

I’m 25, and the thought of taking shots sends chills down my spine, now add in a 6 am wake up and I’ll tell you a big “go fuck yourself!” Only the unemployed, future AA members, suddenly heart broken, and collegiate can afford these kind of shenanigans. And quite frankly, if I found myself suddenly heart broken I would rather be spending my FTO on a deluxe vacation to some place with sexy exotic men than nursing a hangover after a night of “fuuuck heeeeiiimmm!”‘s

Drawing on others

(now we just draw on our iphones instead.)

If anyone, and I mean anyone, drew on me, even in a cute way, I could quite possibly scratch their eyes out stop being their friend. Pen15 is for assholes, and assholes (in my book) don’t deserve to have eyes friends. The.End.

Alternative dish ware solutions

I was sooo guilty of this in college. I remember one time my friend showed me that I could eat salad out of a ziplock bag with a plastic fork. This made tossing it in dressing and clean up a snap. College-me thought this was almost as genius as eating my cereal out of a plastic “beer pong” red cup on my drive to school (What? It fit in the cup holder better than any bowl!).

This is definitely not one of the behaviors you want to carry on into adulthood. Use the measuring cups for what they’re named after, and the red cups should be recycled, unless your beer pong legacy is just too epic to let go of. In that case — you probably should stay in school, I hear getting your masters is all the rage.

Sorry that last jab was just jealousy talking.

1. In Vegas everything is HUGE. And when I say HUGE, I mean MASSIVE: incredible hotels, pools, casinos, bathrooms…. Be prepared for the land of excess. You just need a restroom?  Forget the tiny latrine in your apartment, and be ready to find the most impressively huge bathrooms you’ve EVER seen! Gold (maybe not real…..but still!) sinks, huge mirrors, hand cream for your delicate hands, wee towels on which to dry them… I must say,  the toilets there are amazing. I’d definitely have “visit the john” as one of the top items on my “First-Time-in-Vegas” to-do list.

2. Don’t be a prude: you’re gonna see boobies and male members everywhere.  So, if you’re either interested in sexy shows like Chippendales or in more popular strip-clubs, CHILL: you’ll find whatever you want. Also, don’t be surprised if at the end of the day your bag is full of sexy naked-women cards.  Without even realizing it, you’ll collect 200 of them from people on the street handing them to you with a smile, a flick of the cards, or a kissy noise. It’s okay, it’s not sin. Yet.

3. Critical point: MONEY. Either you have it or not. Don’t even think of gambling if your finances are unstable or if you struggle with self control. Aside from just gambling, be ready for some expensive nights out if you’re planning to dance or drink. In general, this isn’t as bad for women: in most places women get in free before midnight, and in some clubs they even get free drinks. If you are a woman and get there after midnight, there is likely a man willing to pay your cover if you’re willing to let him. Men, be ready for expensive nights! Usually men pay everything everywhere.  For example, an average entrance fee to a club is $25-30 for the basic pass. I kinda miss my wee local pubs and clubs in Edinburgh where entrance is usually no more than £5, same thing in Venice, Italy…Sweet old Europe, don’t change!

4. Hot stuff:  I left Edinburgh where it was a balmy 50ºF (10ºC) and went to LV where the temperature was a brain-boiling 100ºF (40ºC).  I WAS GONNA DIE!!!! For the love of your soul, be physically and psychologically prepared to MELT. Especially during summer months, I’d strictly recommend spending the day either in the swimming pool or locked up in your room with A/C on. Believe me, nightlife is not only better for partying; it’s also better for survival.

5. Do you remember all those nights asking yourself, “Soooo….what shall I do tonight?” Well, you’re not going to have to ask yourself that in Vegas. My dear small-town girls and boys, it’s time to wake up and PARTY! If one thing is certain about Vegas (apart from the evil weather), it’s that you will never be bored! Acrobatic shows (go see Cirque du Soleil! Pricey, but totally worth it!), concerts, strip-shows (it’s called Sin City for a reason), amazing nightclubs. Bye bye Saturday night in downtown with only one bar open. Embrace the fact that you’ll have to sleep during the day to truly appreciate Vegas nightlife.

So, my dearest small-town friends, if you ever visit Vegas, please don’t hesitate to contact me for a pre-trip counseling session! I totally understand.  And hey, in the same way, if you’re a Vegas native about to travel to Europe, hit me up. I’ll help you find something much different than you’ll get from a cheesy travel guide.

Facial hair. Men get it, have it, and therefore must deal with it. However, don’t fall victim to the hype of current trends. No matter how hard you try, your facial hair will only grow according to your genetics, not to social standards. Just like defying gravity, defying your genes is darn near impossible. No matter what you do, stick to what grows naturally and work with what you have.

No Hair: If you shave everyday or multiple times a week, you put your face through a lot of distress. The best way to take care of your face it to take care of your tools: Razor, Cream, and Brush. The best shave I’ve ever had was with a safety blade. If you don’t want to take that big of a step, then be sure to change your razor regularly. It keeps the blades sharp and a dull blade will cause nicks and razor burns. Don’t want to remember when to change? Then join the Dollar Shave Club! They send you a new one automatically! Shave cream: Go with a glycerin-based cream/shave soap. It helps the razor glide over the skin while keeping the face moisturized. Stay away from alcohol-based products. They burn and dry out the skin. Generally, creams in cans (think Barbasol) are lower in quality and price. High quality with a higher price come in plastic or metal tubes. Lastly, a shave brush. I can vouch from personal experience, your shaving experience will significantly improve with this purchase. I don’t know from experience if the difference in price gives a better shave, but to start out, go with a cheaper option before making that investment.

This is a Safety Razor. Consult a barber (a legit one) with questions regarding this instrument.

Only $12! It’s the one I use and it has treated my face beautifully! Click the pic to learn more.

Mustache: I’m not a fan, but if you are (or think you are) one of 2% of the world population that can rock it, then do it and own it. My recommendations are cautionary. If you have a light-colored hair (blond and/or brown), be careful as it could make you like you haven’t washed your face in weeks! If you have thin, delicate hair, or can’t grow a full ‘stache, then you run risk of looking prepubescent. Remember those years? Lastly, if you don’t have the time, energy, or patience to maintain it, then don’t. You will look haggard. If you want to grow a mustache, look here for tips on how to grow and shape your facial manhood. But…in my humble opinion, it certainly qualifies as one of the 6 Things are Cute in Theory, Not Reality.

Beard: Be proud of your beard! I am in the beginning stages of growing my beard out right now, which means I am a little biased; however, if your employer and social groups don’t forbid it, why not try it?! First, let it grow out. No shaving, trimming, or shaping. This allows for your hair to do what it does naturally. After 3-4 weeks, then shape it to suit your personality. Lastly, you must treat it like the hair on your head. You have to trim off the dead ends and clean/condition it while maintaining your face underneath. I read and recommend Esquire’s tips for maintaining your beard and keeping a moisturized face. This will keep the hair looking and feeling healthy. Here are some reference points for beard growth.

You can easily see where his facial hair won’t grow. This is well-maintained. Aim for this if you want a professional look.

Here is my beard. It is almost time to start shaping it! (Taken 6-29 in NYC). Notice my hair doesn’t grow on the sides of my lips.

Come now, Brad Pitt. Maintenance is key! You let it grow too long and now you look homeless.

For those with goatees, flavor-saver/soul patch, side burns that extend to your Adam’s apple . . . have fun. You have something specific you want to do, and my best advice is to do your own research based on your needs/goals.

Leave me a comment if you have any other tips for maintaining facial hair.

Until next week,
Keep it classy!

The Guy with the Red Hair

WHAT A MISTAKE!

This morning someone posted a Threadless design on FB and like a motorcycle accident victim coming out of a coma, it all came back to me (and I wanted some jello).

Threadless.com, to my delight, is still alive and kicking. They still have shirts that remind me of my teens, but also a more refined selection for adults that could maybe wear their shirts with a blazer and jeans on casual Friday.

Below are some of my favorites from the site that are available for purchase right now– most for $20 or less (you can’t even buy socks for under $20 at Banana Republic!).

“Solar System”

Love the design? Click on the image and it will take you directly to it.

I buy all of my shirts from the men’s section (small) because I like the full sleeve the male cut gives (the ladies version is somewhere in between a cap sleeve and normal t-shirt cut).

“Beauty or Beast”

“Good Artists Copy”

“Hairspray”

“Colorblind”

“The Ocean of Story”

“Muppet Alphabet”

If that’s not your style they have a HUGE selection — some funny, some geeky, all awesome. They’re most certainly worth a browse to say the least.

-Kris