On fleek. Seriously..? NO.

Ummm, but WHY!?

I would like to officially register a complaint with the creators of all things hip and slang regarding the term "on fleek". On fleek, really? What the hell does that even mean and why does it seem to apply to everything, but especially eyebrows!?

According to Urban Dictionary, "On Fleek" can be defined as the quality of being perfect, or on point. 

Now I can get behind "on point", I use it often, but fleek!? Why? How? My uncool, old lady, down-the-rabbit-hole-ness continued (because I don't think one can claim any degree of coolness when searching for the meaning and origins of current slang terms) when I found this very informative article (which also provided some comfort because turns out I'm not alone in my geekiness):

"So where exactly did fleek come from? And why are eyebrows, even now, still the things that are most often said to be on fleek? One article on PopSugar.com suggests an answer for these questions: Fleek—which is a variation of "flick," a word well known to makeup-lovers—is when eyebrows are perfectly groomed, filled, and shaped."

Who knew right!? And how did "on fleek" explode into our popular lexicon you ask? Well my friends over at VisualThesaurus were able to explain that too! They write "[On fleek] isn't recorded again until June 21, 2014, when a young black woman named Peaches Monroee (yes, with two E's) uploaded an eight-second video to Vine. In the video, she seems to be preparing to go out and have a good time, and halfway through, she asserts that her eyebrows are "on fleek." The video went viral, and it now has more than 27 million views."

The article goes on, showing proof of just how huge being "on fleek" is now adays, from musicians rapping it to Denny's tweeting it (about their hashbrowns. Seriously.) but I'm just not sure I can jump on the bandwagon... Apparently when it comes to what the cool kids are saying these days, I'm am seriously not on fleek. 

Book Club for Cool Kids

Reading is cool!

When I tell people I’m in a book club, I’m almost always met with skeptical faces. It’s like I’m being challenged to prove that book clubs aren’t just for dorks. I assure you, they aren’t, and while I’ve always thought that reading is cool, here are 5 ways to ensure your book club is a most awesome good time: 

(1) Rotate who hosts and who picks the books. One of my favorite things about my book club is that each month someone different hosts and the host gets to select the book we read. This ensures that no one has to travel to an inconvenient location all the time and that different tastes determine our monthly read.

(2) Bring thematic food (and drink!). Any time you add snacks and a glass of wine, conversation is sure to pick up a notch, but a thematic meal takes the fun even further. Try selecting a theme which matches the book somehow, whether it be culturally, seasonally or related to a character, and fill your plates potluck style - with each member committing in advance to bring something different. Doing this, I’ve enjoyed everything from Middle Eastern cuisine to “circus treats”.

(3) Try to mix genres. Maybe your book club wants to read exclusively science fiction. If so, awesome, but for many clubs, variety is going to be key.  Not only does my club rotate “book-selector”, but we’ve read everything from the classics to diatribes by comedians. We intentionally mix it up to suit moods, workloads and the time of year (a 500-page historical novel might not be the best pick for July!)

(4) Talk about the book, but not too much. Most people don’t want to feel like they’re doing homework when preparing for book club. Though you want to discuss the book you’ve read (thanks to Google, finding book club discussion questions has never been easier) make sure you aren’t so fixated on the book that people don’t have a chance to catch up and enjoy one another’s company.

(5) Pick the right people. Putting together a cool book club requires cool people, whatever your definition of “cool” may be. Throwing together people with nothing in common may make it tough to enjoy your monthly meetings or it may make discussion vibrant and interesting. Whoever you choose, make sure they fit the vibe of the book club you’re trying to create and can be counted on to attend with some regularity. Just like most other things in life, reading is always better if you can do it with friends.

Crafting = Cool?

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I've always been a craft-er. From scrapbooks to beer bottle cap tabletops, I get a super-dorky thrill out of a good creative project. Sometimes ridiculed for my LOVE of Michaels (I mean who doesn't love Michaels!?) or box of colored paper, decorative edge scissors and stickers (don't you have craft supplies?), lately I've noticed a shift... You guys, I think loving arts and crafts is finally cool!

With the emergence of sites like Pinterest and thousands of awesome blogs filled with DIYs, home decor and party inspiration, it seems like everyone out there is re-purposing, and decoupaging and chevron-painting. Is this a fad? Will I eventually feel overwhelmed by crafty to-do's and stop enjoying all my DIY projects!? I hope not, because nothing soothes me like awesomely arranged picture frames or a brightly colored wall that I painted myself!

P to the S: THIS great NY Times article wonders if maybe all our digital photo sharing (hello twitter, facebook and instagram) is to blame for our newfound compulsion to craft. It's a good read!