Friday, November 30, 2007

Pat on the Back

Crossing the Finish Line

I did it! I didn't come up with a Thursday Thirteen for this week, but this is my final post of the month for NaBloPoMo. I am so proud of myself! There were a few times where I struggled, but for the most part, posting every day wasn't too bad. That being said, I think though, I may take a week off to catch up on non-blogging things like-THE HOLIDAYS!

I'm starting to feel panicked that there are only like 25 days until Christmas and we still have a lot of things to do. The fact that Jake doesn't seemed concerned that we have no idea what to get for our parents, and his brother, and we haven't bought much makes me feel even more anxious.

I did unpack all the Christmas decorations yesterday though. The majority is out and I'll finish the rest when we get our tree up. Decorating was a bit of a challenge though now that James is into the 'I'll touch everything I can get my hands on, especially if it isn't mine' phase. I couldn't put a majority of the stuff in the usual favorite places. (So some areas are a little more tightly decorated) But our home does look festive inside. We have to put the rest of our lights up outside. I love the look of homes decorated with lights!


The ice skating scene on my fridge is an advent calendar. Isn't it cute? I bought it a few years ago and just keep using it every year. Each day has a fun holiday activity like, "drink hot chocolate" or "cuddle a teddy bear". Tomorrow we can open the first day. I'm thinking when James is older, I'll make an advent calendar with compartments for treats, or activities, or something fun. Maybe we'll make it together.

Congratulations to everyone who participated in National Blog Posting Month. If you missed any of my posts for the month, you can click here: November.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

All About the Numbers

I was all set to compose a post about how you'd have to eat a whole Thanksgiving turkey yourself to feel the effects of tryptophan (for real, you can read about it here) when I realized that this is my 400th blog post. Woohoo to me!

This blog has been running for give or take 7 years-
There have been 400 posts-
34 of them are NaBloPoMo posts (counting this one)-
Tomorrow is my last NaBloPoMo entry-

Today is also Thursday 13 and I have no idea what 13 things I'm going to post about yet. Stay tuned for post 401.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Runnin'

I was so busy today, I almost forgot to post the Bad Joke of the Day. How did that happen?

Everyday Luxuries

I've had this odd pain in my left pinkie finger since July. I don't know exactly when it started but Jake hurt his knee on 07/07/07 and I noticed sometime in the week or so following that I was experiencing pain when I bent it.

Anyhow, here it is November and I still have pain. It doesn't always hurt but other times it aches. It is especially sore in the morning and I think this is because I clench my fists in my sleep. I haven't seen a doctor yet because I know the whole process is going to be a pain in the butt. First I'll set up an appointment with the doctor, she'll look at it and request an x-ray because it looks and feels normal to the touch. I'll have to set up an appointment, get the x-ray where they'll tell me nothing because they are "not trained" to read x-rays and are "not allowed to diagnose" and then I'll have to head back for another appointment with the doctor. Too much time and too many copays and my finger doesn't hurt that much. (Not to mention having to finda sitter for James each time) So I haven't bothered. Back when I didn't have health insurance I always said I'd take advantage of it when I had it. Looks like I'm taking it for granted.

Back when I was a junior in college, one night I was working on cropping photographs in my dorm room. These were black and white prints I developed from photographs of grape vines I took for a photography contest. I was just about to crop the first photograph when I noticed that the blade of my exacto knife was dull. (do you know where this is going?) So I changed the blade and laid my t-square on top of the first photo and start slicing. As the blade makes it way down it suddenly skips over the edge of the t-square and I slice into my left pointer finger. I jump up, rush to the bathroom thinking, "this isn't as bad as I think..." turn the water on, put my finger under the stream and blood starts filling the sink. I see a large portion of my skin move away from my finger and I am filled with panic. Then of course, I call my mom.

We'll skip ahead over the details of all my friends being out or without cars, my RD (resident director) calling emergency services, paramedics examining me, and my RD driving me to the emergency room. At the ER, they call me to the desk to give my information. In my mind I am so nervous because I know to be a college student you are required to have health insurance, and my dad had cancelled our insurance when I was a sophomore. So as far as the college knew, I had insurance. In reality, not-so-much. So when the woman gets to the insurance part, I tell her that I don't have my card on me. (Remember my resident director brought me to the ER, I was worried he'd find out I had no insurance and notify the college) So I tell the woman to look up my dad's name. Then I say, maybe it's under his business name. Pretty much I play dumb until she says that she's not finding anything and we'd worry about it later.

To make a long story short, I got about 4-6 stitches that night. When my dad got the bill for it, it was something ridiculous like $350 for the whole ordeal. Thank god I declined the ambulance ride to the hospital! (I knew that would be pricey) The itemized list was the best part. The prices for so many of the items were so inflated, it was crazy. So, I really should take advantage of having insurance, especially when so many people today cannot afford the luxury.

If you'd like to read my NaBloPoMo posts for this month, you can click here: November.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

SpongeBob Square Pants!!!

A friend sent this to me today. (I wonder what kind of investigators got together?) Let's see who you are...

Everyone has a personality of a cartoon character. Have you ever asked yourself what cartoon character do you most resemble?

A group of investigators got together and analyzed the personalities of well known and modern cartoon characters. The information that was gathered was made into this test.

Answer all the questions (only 10) with what describes you best, add up all your points (which are next to the answer that you choose) at the end and look for your results.

Do not cheat by looking at the end before you are done.

1. Which one of the following describes the perfect date?
a) Candlelight dinner (4 pts.)
b) Fun/Theme Park (2 pts.)
c) Painting in the park (5 pts)
d) Rock concert (1 pt.)
e) Going to the movies (3 pts.)

2. What is your favorite type of music?
a) Rock and Roll (2 pts.)
b) Alternative (1 pt.)
c) Soft Rock (4 pts.)
d) Country (5 pts )
e) Pop (3 pts.)

3. What type of movies do you prefer?
a) Comedy (2 pts.)
b) Horror (1 pt.)
c) Musical (3 pts.)
d) Romance (4 pts.)
e) Documentary (5 pts.)

4. Which one of these occupations would you choose if you only could
choose one of these?
a) Waiter (4 pts.)
b) Professional Sports Player (5 pts.)
c) Teacher (3 pts.)
d) Police (2 pts.)
e) Cashier (1 pt)

5 What do you do with your spare time?
a) Exercise (5 pts.)
b) Read (4 pts.)
c) Watch television (2 pts.)
d) Listen to music (1 pt.)
e) Sleep (3 pts.)

6. Which one of the following colors do you like best?
a) Yellow (1 pt.)
b) White (5 pts.)
c) Sky Blue (3 pts.)
d) Dark Blue(2 pts.)
e) Red (4 pts.)

7. What do you prefer to eat?
a) Snow (3 pts.)
b) Pizza (2 pts.)
c) Sushi (1 pt.)
d) Pasta (4 pts.)
e) Salad (5 pts.)

8. What is your favorite holiday ?
a) Halloween(1 pt.)
b) Christmas(3 pts.)
c) New Year (2 pts.)
d) Valentine's Day(4 pts.)
e) Thanksgiving(5 pts.)

9. If you could go to one of these places which one would it be?
a) Paris (4 pts)
b) Spain(5 pts)
c) Las Vegas(1 pt)
d) Hawaii(4 pts)
e) Hollywood (3 pt s)

10. With which of the following would you prefer to spend time with?
a) Someone Smart (5 pts.)
b) Someone attractive (2 pts.)
c) Someone who likes to Party (1 pt.)
d) Someone who always has fun (3 pts.)
e) Someone very sentimental (4 pts.)

Now add up your points and find out the answer you have been waiting
for!

(10-16 points) You are Garfield:
You are very comfortable, easy going, and you definitely know how to
have fun but sometimes you take it to an extreme. You always know what
you are doing and you are always in control of your life. Others may
not see things as you do, but that doesn't mean that you always have
to do what is right. Try to remember, your happy spirit may hurt you
or others.

(17-23 points) You are Snoopy:
You are fun; you are very cool and popular. You always know what's in
and you ' re never out of style, y ou are good at knowing how to
satisfy everyone else. You have probably disappeared for a few days
more than once but you always come home with the family values that
you learned Being married and having children are important to you,
but only after you have had your share of fun times

(24-28 points) You are Elmo:
You h ave lots of friends and you are also popular, always willing to
give advice and help out a person in need. You are very optimistic and
you always see the bright side of things. Some good advice: try not to
be too much of a dreamer. Dreaming too big could cause many conflicts
in your life.

(29-35 points) You are Sponge Bob Square Pants:
You are the classic person that everyone loves. You are the best
friend that anyone could ever have and never wants to lose. You never
cause harm to anyone and they would never not understand your
feelings. Life is a journey, it' s funny and calm for the most part.
Stay away from traitors and jealous people and you will be stress
free.

(36-43 points) You are Charlie Brown:
You are tender, you fall in love quickly but you are also very
serious about all relationships. You are a family person. You call
your Mom every Sunday. You have many friends and may occasionally
forget a few Birthdays. Don't let your passion confuse you with
reality.

(44-50 points ) You are Dexter:
You are smart and definitely a thinker... Every situation is fronted
with a plan. You have a brilliant mind. You demonstrate very strong
family principles. You maintain a stable routine but never ignore a
bad situation when it comes. Try to do less over thinking every once
in a while to spice things up a bit with spontaneity!

If you'd like to read my NaBloPoMo posts for this month, you can click here: November.

Monday, November 26, 2007

Out the Door

The other day my MIL said, "I never leave the house without earrings and lipstick". (How very June Cleaver) I never leave the house without a diaper bag, sippy cup, toys, and everything else a toddler needs. But me personally-I usually don't leave the house without a little make up, my purse, and wedding rings.

One time when I was pregnant, I left the house without my rings and as I was driving, I was mortified thinking about people's reaction: the huge, knocked up, unwed mother at the grocery store. Silly thought for this day in age, isn't it? And who cares what strangers think!

So-what don't you leave the house without?

If you'd like to read my NaBloPoMo posts thus far, you can click here: November.

Sunday, November 25, 2007

O Christmas Tree

When my siblings and I were kids, my parents used to put the Christmas tree up after we went to bed and told us that Santa brought it. When we got older, we went out as a family to a Christmas tree lot and picked one out together. We lived in the city, so there would be tree lots set up on street corners. Typically they used orange snow fence material to make a little fence around the lot and there was alwayas tree lights strung around the tops of the support beams.

When we moved out to the suburbs, we started going to tree farms. At first we picked out pre-cut trees, but one year we couldn't find one that we liked, so we trudged out in the snow to cut our own. One year when we couldn't find any we liked, we ventured out farther to another tree farm and a tradition was born.

Every year we pick a day to go. (This year we're going on the 15th) Regardless of who lives at home or not, all of my siblings go. My dad always wants to leave at like 9 in the morning. However, we all like to sleep in so typically we agree on 10 or 11 o'clock but don't show up until 12. (This irritates my dad) We drive out to the Country Pine Farms tree farm which is at the top of a hill in a neighboring town. In the parking lot we put all our heavy boots, scarves, gloves, and hats on. For some reason, every year we go, there is usually mud somewhere...under the snow or to the side of the walkway leading out to the cut your own trees. Someone always gets dirty feet. There's snowballs fights, circling the acres of trees about three times before selecting the "perfect" tree, and when we finally choose one-making jokes about sawing it down and shouting "TIMBER".

When we head up to the little craft shack to pay, we pick out a wreath for our door, sample the free popcorn and drink some of the free, weak, hot chocolate. After loading up our tree, we head to town to have lunch together.

What a great tradition! Last year we strapped Jamie's baby carrier to a sled and he came along too. Here is our tree from last year:



As a sidenote-I feel I should mention Jake and my own Christmas tradition. Each year we always end up in some nasty fight about putting the lights on the tree. I'm hoping to break that one this year. :-)

What are your holiday traditions?

If you'd like to read my NaBloPoMo contributions thus far, you can click here: November.

Saturday, November 24, 2007

The Appropriate Time

Hooray! Now that Thanksgiving is over, I am ready to jump into Christmas. It's just not right to start decorating before and even though I've indulged in some music, I waited until Friday to start festifying (is that a real word?) our house.

Ok-so I only hung up window clings, but it's a start. Friday we also partook in a little holiday shopping. No, not the crazy drag your ass out of bed at two am to get to the store by four kind of shopping, but we did hit up Wal-Mart around three o'clock in the afternoon. It wasn't bad. We knocked a few people (kids) off our shopping list and picked up a few things for James too. We also went to Lowes and then stopped at Tops for some groceries and a pumpkin pie. Would you believe that we had three stops to make on Thanksgiving, and not one place had pumpkin pie!?! I had to satisfy my craving.

On my iGoogle homepage I have a countdown until Christmas (31 days!) and I can't help but feel anxious every time I see it. Every year I say I'm going to start shopping earlier-but I never know what to buy anyone and my family makes a list of things they'd like which is so helpful, except they do not make the list until December. I do try to purchase items not off the list too. This year is incredibly difficult. I have no idea what to get my parents or inlaws. *sigh* Any ideas?

Friday, November 23, 2007

Our Body

Since Jake had Wednesday off of work, we took a mini family trip to check out the Our Body the Universe Within show. I had read and heard about this show last year and when I saw it was at a museum not too far from home, I wanted to check it out.

It was fantastic! The exhibit consists of actual human bodies and body parts which have been preserved with a technique called, "plastination". This process replaces the body’s water and fat with reactive plastics. According to their website:

The process leaves even the finest, most delicate tissue structures virtually intact, down to the microscopic level, making the process invaluable for medical study. The organs are actually IDENTICAL to their pre-preservation state. The plastic is initially pliable, enabling the bodies to be placed in many different life-like positions, and then hardens after infusion. The specimens are completely dry and odorless.

You can see everything! I wish we could have taken photos, but picture taking was prohibited. If you visit the link at the top of this post, you can view some of the bodies we saw. In school you learn about human anatomy and the different body systems, but to see how they actually look and where they sit physically in the body like is amazing! One display showed slices of the human body from the front to back of a person as if the body were cut from top to bottom. You could see all the organs, tissue, and skin.

If this show makes it to your area, I recommend you check it out. (Tickets for adults were $20) A little warning: If you are planning on taking your children, be advised that many of the full bodies on display are male with their full anatomy available for view. Yes-there were a few slighty embarrassed parents whose pre-adolescent daughters noticed and pointed out the fact that the body "must be a boy".

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Thursday Thirteen 11/22/07


13 Turkey Talk Tales


These stories are from the Butterball Turkey Hotline's most memorable calls. Hope everyone who celebrates has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

1. Home alone, a Kentucky woman was in the doghouse when she called the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. While preparing the turkey, her Chihuahua jumped into the bird's body cavity and couldn't get out. She tried pulling the dog and shaking the bird, but nothing worked. She and the dog became more and more distraught. After calming the woman down, the Talk-Line home economist suggested carefully cutting the opening in the cavity of the turkey wider. It worked and Fido was freed!

2. Taking turkey preparation an extra step, a Virginian wondered, "How do you thaw a fresh turkey?" The Talk-Line staffer explained that fresh turkeys aren't frozen and don't need to be thawed.

3. Birdie, eagle and turkey? Roasting a turkey doesn't have to interfere with the daily routine, so said a retired Floridian. He called "Turkey Central" for turkey grilling tips while waiting to tee off from the 14th hole.

4. Thanksgiving Dinner on the run. A woman called 1-800-323-4848 to find out how long it would take to roast her turkey. To answer the question, the Talk-Line home economist asked how much the bird weighed. The woman responded, "I don't know, it's still running around outside."

5. Tofu turkey? No matter how you slice it, Thanksgiving just isn't Thanksgiving without turkey. A restaurant owner in California wanted to know how to roast a turkey for a vegetarian menu.

6. White meat, anyone? A West Coast woman took turkey preparation to extremes by scrubbing her bird with bleach. Afterward, she called the Talk-Line to find out how to clean off the bleach. To her dismay, she was advised to dispose of the turkey.

7. A novice turkey-cooking chef wanted to know if the yellow netting and wrapper around the turkey should be removed before roasting. Envisioning a melted plastic turkey blob, the home economist responded, "Yes," then offered complete roasting directions.

8. There was the woman who called because she wanted to know how to get the metal pieces out of her turkey after using a steel scouring pad to clean it.

9. One woman called in because her father thought she was wrong to defrost the turkey in the sink with the dish mat on top of the bird and the drain stopper on top of that. She claimed that was the way mom had always done it, so it had to be right. From the background I heard ‘mom’ wail, ‘Honey we had a cat!’

10. A woman called to ask if she had to remove the drumsticks of the turkey to cook it correctly. She just didn't seem to believe us when we told her that it was normal to cook turkeys with the drumsticks on, because they'd always removed them in her family ‘for generations.’ She called us back to let us know that she'd discovered that her family had done it that way out of early necessity — ‘my grandmother's oven was so narrow the turkey wouldn't fit unless you removed the legs — and we've followed that technique like gospel ever since.'

11. One year a freshman Turkey Line operator received her very first Talk-Line call from a frantic consumer claiming to have placed their turkey in the pre-heated oven without removing it from its plastic wrapper. ‘Remove the turkey from the oven at once,’ our befuddled rookie immediately blurted into the phone.

12. A caller from Georgia wanted advice from the Butterball folks on cooking a turkey inside her husband's new gas grill. But her husband didn't want the grill to get dirty, so he'd filled it with kitty litter to absorb the grease. Would it be OK to grill the turkey with the litter? No, the operator didn't think so.

13. A caller from Colorado wanted to store her turkey outside, since it was below 40 degrees out. Well, there was a snowstorm and 10" of snow fell. She forgot all about her turkey and called to say she couldn't find it!

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Oh Betty!

While searching for recipes at Betty Crocker's website, I got this:















Yes, it says, "Did you mean virgin for vegan."
And how many "classic to creative" ways can you cook a virgin?

And if you're vegan, don't even bother looking there for dessert recipes.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Some NaBloPoMo Participators

Looking for some new reads? Here are some blogs that I like who are also participating in National Blog Posting Month:

Adventures in Babywearing
Aurelia Ann
Blue Yonder
The Pink Shoe Diaries
All About the Make and Takes
Wee Wonderfuls

Yes...this is one of those posts. I've posted for 20 straight days and today I feel short on material. I hope something exciting happens today or tomorrow or I'll have to resort to torturing you with adorable kid pictures.

Monday, November 19, 2007

96.1+102.5

No, this isn't a post about math. Those are the two radio stations who, starting last week, are playing Christmas music 24/7. I think it is totally crazy, and way too early. However, I listen to the radio a lot and being sick of everything else on lately, I keep tuning into those channels to hear something different.

Only drawback-by Christmas I will probably be sick of that music too.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Fashion Forward

Jamie is trying to initiate a new style trend. Twice I've gone into his room to find him looking like this:

I hope he doesn't try any fancy makeovers with his diaper.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Mail Call

Here's the mail, it never fails.
It makes me want to wag my tail.
When it comes I want to wail - Mail!

(Steve was the best on Blues Clues)

I got some awesome snail mail this week:

First I got a package from Lille Punkin' Reviews for a newsletter subscribers only giveaway winner. When you sign up for their newsletter you are entered every month for a drawing for great prizes. The package I received had prizes sponsored by Preggie Pops, Scholastic, and Gerber. Check this stuff out:

Yes-there is a mini Build-a-Bear character & books to encourage reading and teams, samples of Expecta (which I took while pregnant and breastfeeding), a Gerber infant spoon, Preggie Pops candy drops, a sample of Gerber Graduates Fruit Strips, a Gerber pin, coupons, wrapping ribbon... such an awesome array of items!

If you've never checked out Lille Punkin' Reviews, it's a website that offers unbiased reviews on the latest products. According to Kylinsmom:

All of the products that we review have been tested personally by me and my family. We do not accept payment for any kind of review, however, we are sponsored by select companies and these advertisements are clearly marked as such.


I also got my free snack from Kashi!



Notice there is no photo of the cookie? That's because I scarfed it down as soon as I got it out of the package. It was pretty good for a "healthy" snack and I would probably buy it again. The only drawback is it contains nuts which as we all know, James is allergic to. (lucky for me he was napping when I got it)

To finish off the week, Friday I got a lil' card from my friend Laurie. She was recently home for a surprise birthday party and I got to see her. The last time we got together was for her daughter's first birthday. Jake and I weren't even engaged then! She lives in Georgia and when she comes home we always miss each other somehow. It was so nice to chat face to face.

I also got the newest copy of Real Simple! (Christmas edition) It's the best magazine.

Did I mention that I love getting mail?

Friday, November 16, 2007

A Friday Funny

One of the ladies in a Mommies group I belong to posted this yesterday:

Miss Beatrice, the church organist, was in her eighties and had never been married. She was admired for her sweetness and kindness to all.

One afternoon the pastor came to call on her and she showed him into her quaint sitting room. She invited him to have a seat while she prepared tea. As he sat facing her old Hammond organ, the young minister noticed a glass bowl sitting on top of it. The bowl was filled with water, and in the water floated, of all things, a condom!

When she returned with tea and scones, they began to chat. The pastor tried to stifle his curiosity about the bowl of water and its strange floater, but soon it got the better of him and he could no longer resist.

'Miss Beatrice', he said, 'I wonder if you would tell me about this?' pointing to the bowl.

'Oh, yes,' she replied, 'Isn't it wonderful? I was walking through the Park a few months ago and I found this little package on the ground. The directions said to place it on the organ, keep it wet and that it would prevent the spread of disease. Do you know I haven't had the flu all winter.'


Ha ha ha. An oldie but a goodie.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Rotten Tomatoes

A conversation with a friend about Art got me thinking about some of my previous "masterpieces". While I was in grad school for my Art Education degree, I was fortunate enough to be able to take some Fine Arts courses including painting and printmaking. It was wonderful to be working with artistic materials again! If I could do it all again, I would have followed my gut and continued my education with Fine Arts instead of the teaching. My heart has always been in the arts...but that's another story.

Anyhow-when I was pursuing my Bachelors in Fine Arts, I only took one painting course. So I jumped at the chance to take a painting class again. It was a great class taught by a wonderful professor, Lin Xia Jiang, who besides teaching, is a painter in his professional life. What was great was that the class was structured very loosely. Most of us had minimal painting experience and he allowed us to choose our own subjects. It was fun to see how our paintings evolved.

So, here is my amazing (NOT!) body of art from that class:

This painting is called Angel. For that class we were allowed to work in the medium of our choice, but one of our paintings had to be with a different medium. I decided to choose oil because I've never worked very well with it. Can I tell you, I still hate oil? I don't remember where in the following series I did this painting.

These next paintings could be considered a series I guess although there isn't that great of a flow to them. They do have a common theme. See if you can figure it out.

This one is called "Yoga".

This one is "Waiting".

This one "Support".

"Thirty".

Lastly, "Empty".

I think I also have one more painting floating around which is unfinished. Wonder where that is? While looking at these and seeing their terribleness, they each posses a quality that I like. For example-in "Yoga" I love those posing women figures. I hate the colors and background I chose though. I really like the composition of "Thirty" but there is something about it which doesn't flow right. That's what's great about Art and making though, the growing and learning process! I really should pull out and fill my empty canvases.

Thursday Thirteen 11/15/07


13 Ways to Save Money


I read somewhere that families on average, eat out or order take out, 3 days a week. That is shocking to me. These may be no brainers or sound like common sense, but really, you can save quite a bit of cash just by making these simple changes in your spending habits. These are all things that we do or have done in our home.

1. Clip coupons and use coupon codes for online shopping.

2. Buy generic. We don't buy generic for everything but for many items, you really can't tell the difference. (for example, we buy regular Nyquil but buy generic ibuprofen)

3. Take advantage of sale items.

4. Cook! It's much cheaper than ordering out.

5. If you do eat out, take advantage of two for one meals, buffets, coupons, or kids eat free/discount nights.

6. Use your left overs. Why waste food!?! How many times is there enough left over for a lunch or another dinner? It is sickening to me when I see people throw that much out.

7. Pack a lunch. It costs much less to prepare and pack your own meal than going out.

8. Become a member of a wholesale club like BJ's, Sam's Club, or Costco.

9. Wash clothes in cold water to cut back on heating.

10. Pay bills online to save on stamps. Most banks offer online bill pay and utility companies often have bill pay on their websites.

11. Set a timer on your thermostat so that the temp drops when you are sleeping or out of the house.

12. Shop at Ebay, Craigslist or thrift/consignment stores.

13. Shop at a dollar store. While there is a lot of junk there, it is a good place to pick up items like storage containers, decorations, gift wrap, etc.

How else do you save money?

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Will You Take the Pledge?

Have you guys heard of Buyhandmade.org? It's an online website where you can pledge to buy handmade goods this holiday season. As of right now 5706 people have participated. Why buy handmade? Here are some good reasons:

Buying handmade is better for people, better for the environment, and better for giving truly special and well-crafted gifts. The ascendancy of chain store culture and global manufacturing has left us all dressing, furnishing, and decorating alike. The connection between producer and consumer has been lost. Buying handmade helps them reconnect.


I already bought some Christmas gifts this year that are handmade. One of my favorite places to shop is Etsy. I thought it might be fun to showcase some of my favorite shops. Maybe I'll do this a few times during the holiday season.


The first shop is called Sweet Traditions. And speaking of sweet, take a look at this adorable blue clown named Frenchie. You definately want to check out the shop listing to see other pictures showcasing his adorable blue and ecru calico outfit. He's one of a kind and the perfect gift for an older child (because some of his accessories are inappropriate for little ones) or an adult. Another bonus-this toy is lead free! And if you're not the cute clown type, you should check out some of Sweet Tradition's other creations like Miss Morose or Bad Az Billy. Also, just added to the shop are some adorable ornaments!


Next up is Just Kiddn. My favorite listings in the shop are the awesome and adorable booties like the ones shown here. These are called Mod Daisy design and can be ordered in 0-3 or 3-6 month size. You can also find other listings for toddler sized shoes. This Etsy seller also has cute clothes, bibs, and hats. Shipping is super cheap and the prices on the items are too. Have you ever priced baby crib shoes? You'd definately be spending more than $10.00.



On the topic of kids, another one of my favorite shops is, If Wishes Were Horses. The header describes the shop items as "One-of-a-kind outfits for kids inspired by Japanese fashions, vintage clothing and old children's books, crafted from natural fabrics such as linen and cotton. Each garment features special touches such as lined bodices, french seams and hand-sewn hems." The outfit shown here is a toddler Red Jinbei Kimono Jacket. How adorable is that? I doubt you could find something like this at Target. It's made from 100% cotton in a maroon color and constructed with french seams. A dragonfly is embroidered in white at the back seam. The shop also has smocks, aprons, footwear, and dresses.


I can't wait for James to be old enough to buy him one of these! This shop is called Lil B Designs also known as Dine & Doodles. Here you can find whimsical, fun, and functional products to entertain your kids on the go. What's shown here is the Carnival chalk cloth Placemat. One side has funky fabric and the other side is oilcloth. According to the description, "Oilcloth and laminated cotton are durable, stain-resistant and waterproof so it is super easy for parents to clean and ideal for children to use." So how cool is that? Roll this baby up, take it to a restauarant, entertain your kid, roll it up and take home. The shop also sells Roll n Go Crayons too.


Last but not least is Squid Glass. This shop has a huge assortment of fused glass and millefiori pendants which is what this one is. Called, Flowers Drifting this pendant measures about 25x38mm (1x1.5 inches) and is kiln fired and annealed. It is gorgeous! I really dig a blue one called Water Garden. I would love to work with glass! Check out the shop for other cool creations.

How about you? What are some of your favorite shops or sellers? Where do you buy handmade?

Leggie Meggie

The Meg in my mind certainly looked a lot different than the Meg in these pictures. She's kind of a cutie and I bet she'd look great with a black pair of felt shoes. We'll see if I can find some extra time to work more on her.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

I Must Be a Freakin' Genius!

(CBS) New research finds an apparent, direct correlation between women's body fat and intelligence.

As CBS News correspondent Susan McGinnis reported on The Early Show Tuesday, the study shows women with fuller, "hourglass" figures seem to be smarter, and give birth to brighter children.


I'll have to do the math, but apparently there is a formula to this new theory. To figure out your waist to hip ratio, you divide your waist circumference by hip circumference. The lower the result, the better.

According to CBS's article, "Are Curvier Women Smarter?" one possible explanation is: the curvier the hips, the higher the level of omega-3 fatty acids surrounding hips & thighs, which are important for the growth of the brain during pregnancy.

I already think James is a genius. Even though I am biased, this can help support my theory.

Mama Mia!

This was the scene after waking James from a nap. No-I don't usually wake him from naps, however, he refused an a.m. nap, and by late afternoon was a real crabcake. I put him down for an hour and a half before dinner. I couldn't just let him keep sleeping!

Holy cats was he a mess! (And I thought a nap would do him good) He was crying, carrying on, and inconsolable. He wanted a drink and since it was right before dinner, I only gave him half a cup of water. He wanted soy milk, so he was pissed off. What finally calmed him down was viewing a cell phone video of himself crying. Isn't his hair great? Don't you just want to kiss his poor face? No, mean mommy didn't give in and give him milk. He had to eat dinner first.

Monday, November 12, 2007

And Another Babe

Not sure if I like this girlie or not but she's what I worked on Sunday night. I'm not crazy about how the over all shapes are coming out and I have to figure out why. I mean, I like the shape, just not the puckering. When I cut them, they are nice and round. Maybe more stuffing? Could be my haphazard sewing. ;-)

Sunday, November 11, 2007

New Babies

One was home made on Friday night on a whim and the other was store bought on Saturday night. Ha ha and of course they both are blue.

Ok-I am sure you know which is which. The doll idea I had while Jake was having surgery for his knee. I have a few more ideas for variations. The sneakers are replacements for my current duds which are worn out.

Saturday, November 10, 2007

Quick Cupcakes that are Milk, Egg, & Nut Free

To continue on with my experimental projects-Thursday night I decided to try a new recipe I found for milk, egg, and nut free cupcakes. While reading the comments to a great article in Newsweek: Fear & Allergies in the Lunchroom, someone mentioned making a cake using only a can of pop (or SODA depending on where you are from) and boxed cake mix. The idea was intriguing so I decided to try it.

I bought a box of Duncan Hines spice cake mix. You have to check the box of the flavor you want to use to ensure that the particular mix doesn't contain the allergens you want to avoid. While the spice cake was nut, egg, and milk free it still contained wheat. The recipes I looked up online recommended using lemon lime pop for light cake mixes and colas or dark pop for chocolate cake mixes. Every recipe I read said never to use diet pop. For what I made, I used a generic brand of lemon lime pop.

In a bowl, you mix the box of cake mix with 10 oz. of the can of soda. (a few recipes said to use the entire can but others said only 10 oz.) Guess you have to experiment. I decided to make cupcakes instead of a cake. With the mixture, I was able to make 18 cupcakes filling the cups about 1/2 way.

You bake following the times in the directions on the box.

The cupcakes came out sweet enough to not need frosting. However, if you are so inclined (like I was) I was surprised to find that there are store bought frostings that are also egg & milk free. It makes sense as frosting is mostly sugar. Since I had a spice cake, I found that Pillsbury Cream cheese frosting actually is totally milk free! (Betty Crocker's isn't) However if you are against artificial flavors and coloring, you'll want to avoid the frosting. I think however the cupcakes would be delicious with a little bit of jelly or preserves on top. Or maybe next time I'll try baking with some preserves in the middle. In any case, I was happy that I was able to find something that is quick and easy to make in a pinch, and is allergy free while tasting great.

Friday, November 09, 2007

Holding Down the Fort

Jake has been out of town for a training seminar in Chicago. For some reason since he's been gone, I've been partaking in mini projects. Wednesday night I was inspired to make myself a new bag. I've been shopping around for a new purse but can't find anything I really like.

Quite awhile ago I purchased this tape measure fabric from JoAnn's:

I had no idea what I would do with it, I just liked it. The black fabric is left over from a Halloween costume I sewed for my brother. (I should post a picture of that baby! Together he and I concocted a liquor bottle out of fabric and pvc pipe) I also had some red left over from that which I decided to use for a lining.

I added a little pocket inside too. I didn't use a pattern for this project but had a similar bag I own in mind. But the one I have was a freebie that came with a jacket I bought so it's plain blue and low quality. The only thing I did differently from that bag design was box the bottom which you really can't see from the photos. I like the look of it and I feel like it has more of a shape to it with your stuff inside.

I considered running to JoAnn's on Thursday for some cording for drawstring but saw that I had a spool of ribbon that matched some of the tape measures on the fabric. It worked out perfectly! And voila-a bag.

It's the perfect size and is nice because I can wear it backpack style leaving my hands free for all the junk a one year old warrants carrying. The only thing I wish I did was make the inside pocket a little bigger. There are a few flaws sewing-wise but I am getting better. It was fun to make. (Sorry for the glass table view)

Thursday, November 08, 2007

Thursday Thirteen 11/08/07


13 Thanksgiving Excuses


Looking for ways to skip out of Thanksgiving Day dinner early? Here are 13 ways to get yourself excused.

1. Remind your 12 year old brother/sister that you left those condoms they asked for in the closet upstairs.

2. Announce that you would like to start a new family tradition, and proceed to take off your clothes at the dinner table.

3. When it's your turn to state what you are thankful for, say "latex sheets and crisco".

4. Suck your cranberry sauce loudly through a straw.

5. Sit at the "children's table" and lecture them on just why we need to increase the teenage pregnancy population.

6. Bring a date that only talks about her/his spouse at home.

7. Hold your nose while you eat.

8. When you arrive, promise that your date won't be more than an hour late, he/she just has to wait for the warden to get together all the necessary release forms, and then they are free to go.

9. Promise that the winner of the "wishbone tug" gets to sleep with your date.

10. Open the oven, shove hunks of velveeta into the turkey while it cooks. Tell mom it adds the coolest flavor.

11. As the family is being seated, shout, "Oh my Gawd, I forgot to show you all my genitalia piercing I got on Halloween!!"

12. Shoot olive pits at Grampa's glasses (just pinch them in your fingers and they FLY!!)

13. Twitch a lot and nervously tell the person next to you, "THE SAFETY IS ON", while you hold your pocket.

These excuses courtesy of Bookcase.com. Click HERE for a list of Politically Incorrect Sayings for Thanksgiving.

Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Pre-Turkey Tips

Turkey Day is quickly approaching. Just thought I'd share a few tips on "How To Liven Up Thanksgiving Dinner".

1. Load your plate up high, then take it to the kitchen, toss it all in the blender, and take your "shake" back to the table. Announce that it's the new Thanksgiving Weight Loss Shake.

2. When everyone goes around to say what they are thankful for, say, "I'm thankful I didn't get caught," and refuse to say anything more

3. Bring along old recorded football games, pop them in the VCR when Dad's not looking. Make sure it is set to the last two minutes of the game. When he comes into the room, turn off the VCR and turn on the regular TV.

4. Bring a date that only talks about the tragic and abusive conditions known to exist at turkey farms.

5. During mid-meal turn to mom and say, "See mom, I told you they wouldn't notice that the turkey was past the expiration date. You were worried for nothing."

Don't forget to check out Bad Joke Wednesday for the terrible joke of the week.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

First Snow of the Season!

It's hard to see in these pictures but when James and I got up, it was snowing today. According to my iGoogle widget, there are 49 days until Christmas. *gulp* Oh! And don't forget to vote today.

Desperate Measures

This is what you must resort to when your son is allergic to milk, eggs, and peanuts. (That's a little chocolate scarecrow I'm spreading peanut butter on) Rats! Just when there was an end to the peanut butter recall, I still can't enjoy it.


Ok-that's being dramatic. I still enjoy them, but not until after James has gone to bed. So-here I'm killing two birds with one stone.


Monday, November 05, 2007

A Few Hairy Situations

Yesterday's history of hair post reminded me of a few hair dye incidents. Around the time I discovered Clairol Natural Instincts, (semi-permanent) Midnight Black, my suite mate Laurie asked if I would help do her coloring as it is much easier to have someone else apply dye. (all the girls in my suite were on board the hair dye train) I had never dyed anyone elses hair so I read over the directions several times before donning gloves and mixing the chemicals. I wanted to make sure I didn't make any mistakes. One of the things it said in the instructions was to be careful not to get the dye mixture on the skin around your hairline as it could stain or irritate. So I was ultra, extra, careful about applying the dye on Laurie's hair around that area.

I finished applying the dye, we set the clock, and waited. At the appropriate time, Laurie washed her hair and immediately began drying it so we could see the results. Her hair is naturally blonde but she had decided to go lighter. Now she was REALLY blonde and it looked great! All except for the very thin, line of her natural hair color, right at her hair line. OMG! I felt like such a schmuck! I was so cautious about applying dye around her forehead that I hadn't completely covered the hair there. I gave her roots with her dye job! Laurie was very gracious about the whole situation and lucky for me, we are still friends today. (hey-messing up a girl's hair is a serious offense!) Thinking about it now I still can't believe I did it.

Box dyes have always been a Russian roulette for me. My hair has never come out looking like what's on the box. (with the exception of the black, of course) It always comes out some shade of red no matter what color I choose. Even the browns have a reddish tint to them. I was always ok with how my hair looked though because I'm a fan of red.

There was this one time though when I decided to try one of those kits that had dye and highlights in one. It seemed simple enough. You apply the dye and after so many minutes, you mix the highlight dye and apply it with the special wand brush. This is what I got:

That was supposed to be brown with caramel highlights. I am smiling because I can't believe how terrible it came out and had to take pictures to show my mom and Jake. (This is before we lived together) Immediately following that picture I rushed to the store (baseball cap on my head) for another box of dye.

It only took one or two more terrible dyes after that before I started having my coloring done professionally. It is so nice to have someone else do it, to not have to clean up the mess, and the results are so much better!

One thing I have always wanted to do is dye blue. Not my whole hair, but more like highlights or tips or something. I found this picture online:

Now-a-days, many salons offer colored extensions because when you dye those vibrant shades, they fade very fast and then look like crap. It's such a cool idea except the extensions cost $10 for a strand. Not so cool when you're already paying for a dye and cut.

Speaking of dye and cut-I'm over due. I'm hoping to get in this week. We'll see. For now, I need to head to bed. I've been doing my daily NaBloPoMo posting at midnight as it's free and quiet time (IE: no James interruptions) and I can revise before "publishing".

Sunday, November 04, 2007

A Hairvolution

After reading Aimee Greeblemonkey's fun post: Photo Accompaniment to Memory Lane, I spent a few days reminiscing over my own photos.

I guess it's not a bad thing but, I can honestly say that I'm pretty much the most plain, conservative, person you'll ever meet. Here's me around 2 and 8 years old:













Yup, not too dorky, not too cute. Not a clue what the hell happened to my chin. And here's a shot of me from high school:













Yuck to those bangs! Don't you dig my rocker t-shirt though? It's Axl Rose. I loved Guns N' Roses back then. (Not that I don't now-they're just not one of my favs anymore) That's about as spicy as it gets. I didn't even wear make up in high school really. And I think most people remember me as "that quiet girl with the long hair".













Then I graduated and went on to college. Now that I was a grown up, on my own, and making mature decisions, I decided to do what every responsible girl away from home does. I dyed my hair. Black.

Yikes! It was bold but I thought I could pull it off. (And if I didn't like it, the box said "28 washes") Yes, I am sure you know where this is going. To quote Type O' Negative "Yeah you wanna go out 'cause it's raining and blowing. You can't go out 'cause your roots are showing." That black lasted much longer than 28 washes and several dyes later. The roots were horrendous! I even tried some color stripping stuff which did nothing to the black. Growing that out was definately not cool. But that was the start of my hair evolution. Or maybe I should call it a revolution? I have had short hair, long hair, medium hair, bangs, layers, no bangs. I am definately not a person who has the same haircut for 20 years. Here some of the variety of styles: