tim.hnkns

I was recently thinking about all the interesting people in my life.

I’ve been fortunate enough to have met some truly interesting folks. Some I’ve known for a long time, others I’ve met only recently. Thanks to the Internet, the world has gotten to be a pretty small place and people who might never have met can get to know each other from halfway across the country or even on the other side of the world.

It would just be selfish to keep all the interesting people I know to myself. So I’ve decided to present an occasional series of interviews with people I know.

The way it works is pretty simple. I ask people who I think are interesting if they’d like to participate. If they’re game, we exchange a few emails and I more or less present them uncut here. The individuals who are participating come from all sorts of backgrounds and have unique areas of interest — so each interview will have its own “flavor.” Some of the people I’ve chosen, I’ve never met face-to-face, others are lifelong friends.

I hope you enjoy reading this series of conversations as much as I enjoy presenting them here.

And with no further ado, let’s jump right into the first interview.

Ms. Cara Ballard is a writer, fashionista and incredibly sassy tweet-smith. Her blog, Here’s Looking at Shoes Kid, is a style blog aimed at showing what can be done with good fashion sense, even if you don’t have a big fashion budget. In addition to being a fashion maven, Cara is also a pop culture diva, Pete Yorn aficionado and purveyor of wit, both on her blog and on Twitter.

Here’s our conversation.

Get a move on

TH: So let’s start with what you’re up to now. I understand you’re relocating to the Big Apple. What made you decide to make the move?

CB: Well, I love Chicago — a lot, actually — but I’ve been itching for change for the past few years. I’ve just been feeling kinda stagnant — quarter-life crisis, perhaps? For a while, I’d been considering Boston. But recently, as my lease was about to end, and my friend Katy, who is attending culinary school in NYC, offered me a free place to crash while I job hunt, everything just seemed to be lining up. I’ve advanced about as far as I could at my job, where I’d been for five years, so it just seems like the right time for an adventure! I’m still in my 20s with no obligations or ties or responsibilities here, other than family in northern IL. When else in my life could I do this? If not now, when?

TH: You mention your Northern Illinois family (incidentally, my mom’s people are from the southern tip of the state, so … go Illini?) — I’ve seen a tweet or two that seemed like maybe the family wasn’t completely keen on your decision to head to NYC. Have you gotten any pushback on your decision? I remember when I decided to move to Europe for a bit in my 20s, it was hard at first, but then everybody was really supportive when it mattered. What are your thoughts?

CB: It wasn’t so much pushback as preparation, I think. My mom really wanted me to be prepared and have a plan. As soon as I really formed a clear one, she and the rest of my family were very supportive — even more supportive than I ever thought they would be actually. Of course there’s random negativity here and there, but it’s called being “realistic,” I guess. I’m definitely nervous about going, but all I can do is try. And if I fail spectacularly, at least I’ll have given it a shot!

TH: What are you working on these days? You’re a talented communicator and you have interests in pop culture and fashion — will your new venture in NYC involve writing? Editing?

CB: Well, thank you for saying so! I definitely hope my new venture — TBD — will involve writing and editing. And pop culture and fashion if I’m lucky! Or entertainment. Or social media. I’m very open. New York is absolutely the place I need to be to make any of this happen. There are so many opportunities. I’m not naive. I don’t think it will be “easy,” but I am confident that I can make it happen.

Shoes and blogs and things

TH: What’s in store for “Here’s Looking at Shoes Kid”? I really like the fashion on a shoestring sensibility of the blog. Plus, the humor and commentary on pop culture is fun. What are you planning next? How will New York change the focus of “Shoes Kid”?

CB: Honestly, I’ve been feeling kinda iffy on the blog for a while, so it’s nice to hear that. But I feel it needs more focus. I’m not really sure where it’s going. I might scrap it and start over. I’m at that point where I’m hating a lot of what I’ve done. Too self-critical at the moment.

TH: How awesome was that Missoni for Target thing? Did you pick up any pieces? My wife and I were able to snag a few items … Of course it helps that we live in a part of the south that isn’t extremely style conscious, so there was less demand. Anyway, what are your thoughts on the whole Missoni thing?

CB: Honestly, the Missoni thing did befuddle me a bit. Target has had lots of designer collaborations in the past, and none of them were this extreme, as far as demand went. I was really surprised! But I guess the difference, from my understanding, is that a lot of the previous collections were definitely much more scaled down and reinterpreted for Target and a mass retailer consumer, whereas the Missoni collection still looked pretty much… exactly like real Missoni, at least pattern-/design-wise (obviously not quality-wise). I kind of avoided the craziness and didn’t attempt to go fight the masses for anything, but I actually got lucky when I went later in the week and found just a few things left. I ended up getting a travel bag that’s sort of in between a laptop bag and a briefcase, which is something I’d been wanting for New York. Like you, I was kinda lucky to be in a less style-conscious area (at my parents’ in northern Illinois) because I don’t think I would have scored a single thing in Chicago! The zigzag makes me happy every time I look at it, so I’m pretty pleased.

Mad about TV

TH: What’s up with the fall TV season? Seems like all the new shows are awful. Anything in there worth watching?

CB: Too many remakes, that’s for sure. Charlie’s Angels? Who cares? As a diehard Buffy fan, I will probably check out “Ringer,” which features Buffy herself, Sarah Michelle Geller; Richard from “LOST” (Nestor Carbonell), and my favorite “obligatory psychotic jackass” from “Veronica Mars,” Logan Echolls, aka Jason Dorhing. But it will probably get canceled, so I’m gonna try not to get too attached. Also as a “LOST” fan, I’ve definitely been, well, interested in checking out Michael Emerson’s new project, “Person of Interest.” We’ll see. More than anything, I’m disappointed that we won’t get any “Mad Men” until 2012!

TH: Speaking of “Mad Men” … So my wife just finished catching up on all four seasons of the show, and I’ve snagged an episode here and there. I find it interesting, but, honestly, I just don’t see what all the fuss is about. So … What’s all the fuss about?

CB: I understand where you’re coming from. The thing about “Mad Men” is that it’s a slow burn. It’s really about the characters and their complicated lives, and people who watch just a few random eps probably don’t see the significance of whatever might be happening. Some things really do take entire seasons or more to develop, and it can be an annoying wait, but it’s always totally worth it, in my opinion. I feel that’s one of the things the show does best — plant these little seeds that take a long time to grow, and then suddenly you have not a flower but a stinkin’ tree that took root in the characters lives; and they’ve either gotta find a way around it or chop that thing down. Preferably with a John Deere riding mower.

(Ed. — I totally see what you did there.)

In addition to my English major in college, I was also a Women’s Studies major and absolutely consider myself a feminist, so I’m always very interested in the show’s depiction of women: those pushing the boundaries (Peggy), those working the system (Joan).

Plus “Mad Men” is just beautiful visually — love the old clothes and cars and ads. So I guess that’s “the fuss” for me!

The question with no good answer

TH: “Toddlers & Tiaras” or “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant”?

CB: Eesh. I guess T&T. They are both definitely train wrecks that are hard not to watch! But really, how many toilet babies can one take? At least there is always a crazy new spray-tanned, flipper-wearing youngster spouting catch phrases on T&T.

Ending with a softball

TH: Cage Match: Pete Yorn vs. John Mayer. Thoughts?

CB: Musically? Pete Yorn easily slays Mayer. No question. Actual fight-wise? Mayer would probably crush Yorn because he’s bigger, physically, and probably fights dirty. I can’t even listen to his new music anymore; his personality has tainted it too much. And I hate even writing that out, but he ain’t what he used to be, that’s for sure. Pete Yorn, on the other hand, has my heart forever.