Erma Bombeck on Christmas

Posted by: gretchen on December 30, 2007 | 1 Comment |

Originally published January 1, 1987…

No one loves a Christmas tree on Jan. 1. The wonderful soft branches that the family couldn’t wait to get inside to smell have turned into rapiers that jab you. The wonderful blinking lights that Daddy arranged by branch and color have knotted themselves hopelessly around crumbling brownery and have to be severed with a bread knife. The stockings that hung by the chimney with care are hanging out of sofa cushions, and they smell like clam dip. And the angel that everyone fought to put on top of the tree can only be removed with an extension ladder that is in the garage, and no one can remember how to fit it through the door. Next to the presidency, detrimming a tree has to be the loneliest job in the world. It has fallen to women for centuries and is considered a skill only they can do, like replacing the roll on the toilet tissue spindle, painting baseboards, holding a wet washcloth for a child who is throwing up or taking out a splinter with a needle.

In Memory of Benazir

Posted by: gretchen on December 28, 2007 | 2 Comments |

Benazir Bhutto PhotoIt is a sad week in women’s history. Yesterday, Benazir Bhutto, a well-respected Pakistani politician and the first woman elected to lead a Muslim state, was assassinated by a suicide bomber as she waved to supporters at a political rally. During her career, Benazir endured false accusations and previous assassination attempts, always bouncing back with a strong spirit and determination to bring democracy to her nation. Read more

Make a Girls Can’t WHAT?™ Design Request for 2008

Posted by: gretchen on December 20, 2007 | 32 Comments |

Girls Can't WHAT? shirtReviewing orders for 2007, I can attest that every single design has been sold in one form or another, with the most popular being the Police Officer, the CSI Detective, Hunter, Martial Artist, Drummer. Orders have quadrupled since December of last year and continue to rise every single month! I can’t thank you enough or supporting Girls Can’t WHAT?™ You’re not just buying a t-shirt for someone, you’re encouraging her dream by showing your support of her hobby, sport or career.

I’ve been working hard this week on clearing my project list so that I can actually take a holiday without anything hanging over my head but the mistletoe. This morning I opted to do a little preliminary planning for 2008. One of my goals for this coming year is to continue to crank out new Girls Can’t WHAT?™ designs as often as possible. I’m shooting for once a week minus some vacation time and the occasional glitch, so roughly another 45 or so characters will be added, but I’d like your help in determining which ones I will have the pleasure of creating this year. :) Read more

Turtle Feet, Surfer’s Beat

Posted by: gretchen on December 19, 2007 | Leave a Comment |

Turtle Feet, Surfer’s BeatIf you’re looking for a good digital stocking stuffer (did I just invent a new Christmas phrase?), there’s a great book called Turtle Feet, Surfer’s Beat by Marina Kuperman. It’s available in e-book format for those “youngin’s with them new-fangled gadgets”.

Turtle Feet, Surfer’s Beat is a great read!  Marina sent me a copy several weeks ago and although I am not much of a novel reader, this was an enjoyable story designed for the young adult crowd. The story revolves around Penelope who is uprooted form her home in the USA to Costa Rica as a result of her father’s job transfer. Through a series of events, Penelope and her little brother end up spending a couple weeks at a biological station, where she becomes intensely interested in saving the Leatherback turtles. Vowing to do all she can to preserve their habitat, she begins patrolling the beaches late at night in an attempt to catch poachers. There’s so much more, but I don’t want to post spoilers. ;) Read more

Girls Can’t Ride Bulls

Posted by: gretchen on December 13, 2007 | 5 Comments |

As the topic of girls riding bulls grew hotter and hotter, I decided to buckle down and get this design done. Just in time for Christmas, too, if you order within the next couple of days!

Mac Miller was the first girl I interviewed that sparked interest on the topic of girls bull riding. Since then, bull riding for women has continued to be one of the most popular topics here. The Bull Rider design is now available in the Girls Can’t WHAT?™ shop. It comes on tote bags, hoodies, t-shirts, stickers, magnets, posters and more.

Open the gate and bring it on! Who says cowgirls can’t ride bulls? Show ‘em you can rope and ride with the Girls Can’t WHAT?™ Bull Rider. Eight seconds? No problem. Rodeo Queens can ride, too, and that’s no bull.

Bull Rider Design

Read more

Girls Can’t Take a Bullet

Posted by: gretchen on December 13, 2007 | 6 Comments |

Alexis GogginsDang. Major hero worship to this 7 year old girl who jumped in front of a gunman to shield her mother from a spray of deadly bullets. I’ve featured and interviewed a lot of brave women on Girls Can’t WHAT?™, but Alexis Goggins takes the cake. No fear. I want to meet this girl! I think she has inspired a new super hero design. Wow!

For those of you holding your breath on the outcome of this story and afraid to click the link to read the full story, Alexis is currently in stable condition with 6 gunshot wounds to her head and torso. She is recovering well, although she has a long way to go… Read more

Girls Can’t WHAT?™ in Top 10 at Feminist Focus

Posted by: gretchen on December 13, 2007 | Leave a Comment |

Received this in my inbox this morning…

Congrats! Your blog has made it into the TOP 10 of the Feminist Focus blog community, powered by SocialRank!!!

Which means you are one of the leaders in the community!

Actually, when I checked it had dropped to #11, but it’s still cool. Thanks to all of you who support this site and contribute to the discussion. :)

Christmas Wisdom from Grace Noll Crowell

Posted by: gretchen on December 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment |

Continuing with Christmas wisdom from women of the past, Grace Noll Crowell (1877-1969) writes:

Whatever else be lost among the years,
Let us keep Christmas still a shining thing;
Whatever doubts assail us, or what fears,
Let us hold close one day, remembering
It’s poignant meaning for the hearts of men.
Let us get back our childlike faith again.

Encouraging our Daughters to be Ladylike

Posted by: gretchen on December 10, 2007 | 8 Comments |

I ran across a great comment on our current culture in Newsweek magazine:

“It used to be that moms would control the way their daughters dressed. But now we have this Desperate Housewives culture, and the moms are as influenced by the media as the kids. They’ve lost the sense of encouraging their daughters to be ladylike.” ~Wendy Shalit, author of A Return To Modesty

I am in the process of getting a copy of this book to review soon, since this seems to be such a hot topic on this site. ;)

Girls Can’t Be Helicopter Pilots

Posted by: gretchen on December 7, 2007 | 6 Comments |

A special request came in a couple weeks ago for a helicopter pilot design and I thought it would be a fantastic addition to the shop. What do you think?

Helicopter Pilot Design

 

Read more

Christmas Quotes by Women

Posted by: gretchen on December 7, 2007 | Leave a Comment |

My obsession with quotations has recently found me surfing through Google while pondering what women of the past might have had to say about Christmas.  Today I ran across an interesting quote by Erma Bombeck:

There’s nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child…. Time, self-pity, apathy, bitterness, and exhaustion can take the Christmas out of the child, but you cannot take the child out of Christmas.

How true.

Goddess Spotlight

Posted by: gretchen on December 4, 2007 | 3 Comments |

A few months ago I had the tables turned on me. I am usually the one doing the interviewing, but the Paisley Goddess invited me to answer some questions about how I started this site and what kinds of things inspire me. There’s also a shocking confession on who really came up with the name for Girls Can’t WHAT? Check out my interview and say hello to the Paisley Goddess for me. ;)

Half Empty is Optimistic

Posted by: gretchen on December 4, 2007 | 1 Comment |

GlassThe “half empty” means you’re pessimistic analogy has always been a mystery to me. Yeah, I get the analogy, but I think we’re looking at the wrong side of the glass sometimes. Why focus on what’s already in the container when there is so much empty space to fill? The empty space is the exciting part. It means that there is freedom to create and do and be. It’s space. It’s room to breathe. I like the empty part of the glass. To me the glass will always be half-empty. In fact, I’m usually looking for things to pour out of it to make MORE room. Less is More. Empty is the New Full.

Comments