Click-Clack Couch

In the midst of bookshelf mania here on the Superpowered blog I forgot to mention that my couch was delivered on Saturday and I love it. I'd managed to get the living room completely clean and vacuumed and empty waiting on Saturday and they delivered it in the morning just as my sister Ashley was leaving after offering her consulting services! Ahhh yes, my apartment has seen a whirlwind of helpers peddling advice that I have been desperately seeking.

Marci talked me into keeping a $19.00 Walmart end table and I think that was a good decision. It looks lovely.

In the past I've tossed a blanket/comforter over the back of the couch for quick cozy access... but I decided that didn't go with the look of this couch... even Lucy noticed. When she saw it, she remarked, "How modern!" I solved this problem by repurposing a black metal magazine rack to hold the blanket beside the couch. These are the most significant changes to my living room, other than me moving the record player to the book nook and moving in my exercise gear from the craft room.

And here are the two more possible configurations... I can lower one half on either side to form an L shaped seating area. Or I can lower both sides to make a spare bed!

Reading, Watching, Listening ... March in Review

March was a slow month for me in this regard. Too many distractions, I guess.

What I Read in March

Black and White by Paul Volponi
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Volponi's book came recommended by other English teachers as a book that students liked. I felt it was decent, but it didn't blow me away. In fact, I was more than a little annoyed by both protagonists and felt that their crime was so unjustified that I felt little sympathy for their predicaments. The book is written in alternating first person narrative.

In the story, "Black and White" are the nicknames of the two main characters, Marcus and Eddie. They've been friends for all of high school, inseparable on and off the basketball court despite racial tensions that seem to loom close to the surface in their school and community. Their nicknames relate to their respective races. Neither boy has the same economic means as some of their fellow teammates and when the entire team decides they need a certain expensive shoe rather than get a job at McDonald's (which both boys seem to believe is "beneath them," after all they ARE the stars of the basketball team), they decide to rob people at gun point in broad daylight. What a surprise when they get caught! Sheesh. The level of stupidity is a bit amazing to me.

What follows is a breakdown of who gets blamed and how each boy handles the situation, how it affects their friendship, how it affects their future prospects. Their struggle even spills over into other problems in the school that reflect back to an ugly incident a few years earlier when a student was killed at a basketball game.

I guess if students are interested in any of these topics this may be a book to recommend. In our book club, several students expressed a distaste for the ending and found much of the book rather ridiculous. However, we'd just read Sherman Alexie's "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian" and this book suffered by comparison.

Reading in progress:
Errors in the Script by Greg Williamson
Luna by Julie Anne Peters
Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto by Chuck Klosterman
Eat This Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide by David Zinczenko
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink


What I Watched in March
Righteous Kill

The Family Stone (rewatched -- When Meredith inadvertently gives them all that perfect Christmas present, I just break down... funny film with touching moments.)

What I Was Listening to in March
Neko Case Middle Cyclone

I'm loving this CD. It's been my apartment overhaul soundtrack. She has such evocative lyrics.

"I love your long shadows and your gun powder eyes..."

Fetch me an Ark.

And while I've been consumed by cleanliness and order or the lack thereof in my apartment I've been worrying about my brother in his ground level apartment in Fargo, ND. The city was all over the national media for it's record breaking high waters. It was starting to look like the flood of 1997 all over again.

Photo by Shawna Noel Photography posted 3/26/09
of submerged obelisk marking the height of the '97 flood

I was surprised to discover I was feeling anxiety over the whole thing every time I heard updates or saw pictures of our own river rising. As bridge after bridge closed in Grand Forks I began to wonder if our flood walls would truly work if they were needed.

the dry side of the flood wall,
two blocks from my apartment

Last Thursday and Friday some students chose to volunteer at Sandbag Central making bags for families in the Burke addition or north of town. I buried myself deeper in my projects and tried to pretend it wasn't happening.

In Fargo, my brother who lost all his worldly possessions in Grand Forks in 1997 seemed rather unconcerned and hadn't packed a thing. Despite the fact that he was living just blocks from the river. He claimed that the whole town would have to be flooded for the water to reach him. The dike would have to break or the crest would have to exceed the 53 feet they'd built up the dike to. The good news is that the National Guard came in and took over. The city was shut down in many ways and people were home preparing and some evacuating... My brother was watching Smallville. Sigh.


Here are some stats on sandbags in ND found here as of April 6th (see, I'm ahead of myself here... this back posting is hard to do):


The North Dakota National Guard says volunteers have filled more than 4 million sandbags around the state for flood protection.

To get an idea of the numbers, Guard officials came up with some comparisons.

They say: _ The 4.3 million sandbags would equal the height of 1,720 Empire State Buildings if the bags were stacked one on top of the other.

_ Placed end-to-end, the bags would stretch from Bismarck to Oklahoma City, Okla.

_ The weight would be equivalent to about 360 Boeing 747s.

The Guard also says the 10,920 miles of dike patrols equal almost half the distance around the world.

My Studio Takes Shape

I had planned to work on the books all day organizing them all until all four bookish areas in my place (including the new-found book nook) were utterly perfect. However, after a few more errands I brought Sophie, age 11, over to work on the craft room. Thank goodness for that. Without her help I am sure I would have spread the bookshelf project out for a few more days and probably not truly started on the craft room until the following weekend.

Instead, subscribing to the philosophy, "sometimes you have to make things messier to get things in order" we dragged nearly everything out of the craft room/sewing room/computer room which will hereby be known as "my studio." We put all "containers" in the living room and called it "the container store" and we put all the STUFF of my studio into the hallway so we had piles of ribbons and stacks of yarn and fabric, cotton batting, clothes that needed mending, sea shells, baby jars, felt, markers, paints and so forth.

I'd already set up the layout of the room the way I wanted it. That was decided. The three blonde bookshelves previously from the book nook area were moved in. I bought two small tables. My computer and printer were set up. I'd already sorted the shoe bag organizer that hangs on the back of the door.

I'd tentatively chosen some magazine holders for my Real Simple magazines and Sophie helped me make the decision between black and white on that one.

The sewing machine was set up in the closet and I had some dowels to put the ribbons on and so she helped me do that too and even figured out a way to do TWO dowels so I could hang them all. The crates from my previous office space were now stacked one on top of another in the closet to create shelving on either side of the sewing machine. Our job now was to slowly return all the crafty items to the room in an orderly fashion. The following images are after it was completed a few days later.

the closet

the closet -- sewing work space

Of course, I only had Sophie for a few hours and then she went home to bed and I kept on working. The sheer mess was motivating. It wasn't all done by bedtime, but I was much much closer. Thank goodness for Sophie.

The Dewey Decimal System

The other book-related problem was with my picture book shelves which were leaning dangerously away from the wall. I didn't want to anchor them because they were modular and can be moved into different formats and I don't want to mess that up for future configurations. Happily, the shims I purchased work under the bookshelves to make them level and having removed nearly half the former weight (photo albums, baby) they were like new. So, I started to reshelve all my picture books. I started this on Saturday night, but had to stop mid-project because I was aching and exhausted. Sunday I anticipated finishing in less than an hour, but it took me three because I wanted to "decorate" the shelves too.

No, I did not use the Dewey Decimal system to catalog my goodies, but I can't just put those up willy nilly. My system goes a bit like this.

Top of Shelf -- Winnie the Pooh memorabilia
Shelf one -- Little Golden books, Little House on the Prairie, Vintage readers, Little Golden Books
Shelf two -- all my old picture books from childhood, or replacement copies of books I once had in my childhood.
Shelf three -- Story book collections/Mother Goose books, nonfiction picture books, fairy tale related picture books
Shelf four -- Christmas books, and finally all the most recent picture books (approx. 1990-present)

Later in my day I picked up some book ends and also sorted out the books for my classics bookshelf in the entryway and to set aside a collection of books to go on the shelf that was still in my bedroom... a "to read" shelf. Sorting books is a science of its own. Though, I doubt anyone is rushing out to emulate my format and rationale.

I Look Like a Dalmation.

On Friday I did it. I bit the bullet. Took the plunge. Pulled out the plastic and bought six Walmart bookshelves. I had to involve multiple neighbors at different times to help me lug the shelves up three flights of stairs. Each box was a 70 lb box and I have the bruises on my arms and legs to show for it. Countless little black spots from wrist to shoulder from knee to hip. Amazing.

The new plan was to create a U shape rather than an L. Two on each wall, with them touching, all lined up as if they were one unit. Except there would be some space in the middle on the back wall. Couldn't be helped.

So, Friday after school my mom came over and together we assembled the first bookshelf. It only took us three hours!!! I can scarcely believe that is accurate, but I guess it must be. At any rate, it was torturous and I kept thinking... I have FIVE more to do. The trouble was the horrible directions. Here's a sample:

It was like they combined about 5 steps in each "numbered step." Of course, once we'd finally completed one bookshelf the rest were easy and obvious and if mom wouldn't have had to leave we would have been done in half the time. Instead I made the rest by myself, one after another. And I HATE building furniture. It's a blooming miracle. Clearly I was driven by some otherworldly force.

Earlier today, my pals Marci and Anna came over to check out the progress and though Anna had to leave almost immediately, Marci stayed a bit and offered her wisdom in a way that created MORE work, wouldn't you know? :) She suggested I make the back wall have three bookshelves rather than the two with the gap and then overlap the two side wall ones. She had a point. It did look better. So, that meant getting one more bookshelf and so off we went to Walmart.

After helping me lug it in I brought Marci home and retrieved her daughter Lucy, age 9, to help me put the remaining bookshelf together while I anchored the other ones to the wall. When we were done we put my books on the shelves just to see what we were dealing with as far as space goes. I still needed to find some of those little metal book ends in order to try to arrange the shelves properly.

I'm including some images of the finished product even though the books on the shelves weren't truly organized or decorated. Steps involving multiple lamp purchases, stereo extension wire, extension cords that plugged flat to the wall were all involved in creating this lovely book nook.

Bricks, Boards, Bookshelves

After really digging into the idea of boards and bricks, discouragement hit. I was going to end up spending a ton of money on what amounts to a fairly unattractive bookshelf system and in order to be as tall as I wanted there was the risk of it being unstable. And I'd need to have a lot of small bricks or some cinder block bricks all of which are pretty heavy. There were almost too MANY options for all of it and I decided to look at "ready made" shelves once again.

IKEA was a natural place to start. Here are a few of the ones on that site that seemed like possibilities:





The problem with the IKEA shelves is that I would have to drive 5 hours to Minneapolis to shop and then figure out how to get them home and then assemble them and also pay a lot of money which I was starting to think I just had to do to get what I wanted. Sigh. Then a friend pointed out the Walmart $29.00 bookshelf. At that price, I could possibly afford to buy enough to fill the space. I added that to my to do list--no decisions until I could see this one in person.

In Which, I Pretend I have a Clue about Bookshelves

This was one of the four or five "mock ups" I did envisioning boards and bricks. I knew I wanted some taller shelves at least 14 inches high. I didn't need every shelf that way and so I sort of dreamt of having some shorter shelves to allow me to get an "extra" one in there for the same height. My idea here was to use pretty red brick paving stones and the cinder blocks that were 8" tall and long but 4" wide (not sure if that's right)--the ones with the sort of flower-like design on them. the combination of those stones could provide attractive color and proper height.

I checked on these supplies at Menards, Lowes, Hebron Brick Company, and Lumber Mart. Menards had the best prices on the oak finish press boards ($7.49 for the 6 foot board), but I wasn't sure on the bricks. I just really needed to SEE the board and the bricks together to get an idea if I really wanted to buy 16 6' boards (approx $120.00 before tax) and about a million bricks (price???) to haul up three flights of stairs. I estimated that I couldn't do this for less than $150.00 and that made me very sad. Still, I kept trying believing this was the only affordable option to provide enough shelves for the plan in my mind.

Snow Day -- a Personal Day for FREE!

This past week has been rather nutso. I attended a funeral on Monday and had the rest of the day free. I ended up just spending some time with family after and wasn't really on fire to work on my fix-up-my-home project.

Tuesday I was caught up in the bookshelf frenzy, trying to research prices on boards and bricks since nothing else seemed to be affordable. Bookshelves were either tall and narrow which meant I needed a lot of them to do the space I had in mind or they were short and well, I already have a bunch like that. I estimated that I'd spend between $500 and $1000 to make full use of the space by buying bookshelves (many of which I'd still have to put together myself!).

The trouble with the boards and bricks option is that they are STILL expensive. The boards were either 4', 6' or 8' and they were the proper depth but I would need to brace even a 6' board in the middle too and my wall was 7 1/2 feet so I would have an extra bit of space even if I matched up a side wall shelf with it using up 12 inches of that space. I was estimating needing a lot of everything boards and bricks to make things work.

In the midst of all the bookshelf mania I was really trying to deal with my stuff... I was swimming in stuff. And I considered taking a personal day to just try to get things done, errands run etc. Then God decided to bless us with a blizzard and so today I got my wish... a snow day.

I got tons and tons and tons of things done. I bet I cleared out enough recycling (boxes and magazines and paper etc) to fill all four containers out by our dumpster. I threw nearly as much away sadly and donated an entire backseat full of randomness: clothing, VHS media shelf and so forth. I sorted my VHS, my cassette tapes, I moved my record player to the landing, put away my winter stuff despite the storm, stashed my video tapes in clear tubs and moved them to the closet. I sorted my entire storage area and managed to create a nice laundry set up that is MUCH more user friendly than before. (sorry no before pics) but here is a sampling of that space in its "done" form and you can see my bedding and my VHS tapes have found new homes. Yikes. no one person should have this much stuff. :(




My to do list pictured in for Wordless Wednesday is for tomorrow! Whew. It never ends.

Wordless Wednesday -- To Do List for 3/26/09

Organization --Step Five to Five Hundred!

As I write this it's actually April 7th & I have been out of the blogosphere for nearly two weeks. This includes my beloved Google Reader now listing at 884 unread posts and which normally never has more than 25 unread posts despite my current subscription list of 109 subscriptions!

It's not that I've had nothing to say, as I sometimes feel. I've just started using every waking second to plot and plan when I wasn't organizing, buying supplies, returning supplies, investigating, pricing options, sorting, cleaning, and actually DREAMING about all of this too. I didn't quit even in my sleep.

I am the sort of nut job who moved into her dorm at college and couldn't sleep the first night until every last thing was in its place and it took me awhile to compress a life into a tiny space in a way I could live with. And that was a tiny space. It turns out that it's actually a bit more difficult the more stuff you have. I will say, If I didn't have this pesky thing called a job, I could have been done ages ago. It's been the task of juggling my relationships with my work with my obsession over getting this apartment back in shape.

I had to make a mess to get things right and once the place was torn apart I couldn't suddenly quit. Not if I wanted to remain sane!

In order to recapture some of the "fun" I'm going to fill in some posts I was mentally writing all along and bring things up to date here in Superpower land.

Enjoy!

Of Couches and Bookshelves and Messes, Oh My!

The Mess
Emma asked for "before pictures." Well, this is from 2004 when I first moved in. Before the week is out it will look like this and worse. And this is just ONE room. Try a mess like this that spans the apartment. Sheesh.

The Couch
Since my couch is being delivered on Saturday, I made the call to have my current one picked up by the thrift store. I was really doubting ANYONE would want it and yet the furniture store was pretty sure that this was the best way to deal with it and that St. Vincent's could just make that call. It turns out they only pick up on Mondays and Wednesdays. I didn't really want to wait until next Monday so I set the wheels in motion to get it picked up tomorrow. Only I had to figure out how to let them in to our security building when I am at work and I mentioned the words, "third floor" to the thrift store lady and she said... "Oh, we don't haul from upper floors. You'd need to be able to get that down the stairs for us." Hmmmmm... Well, there's just me. So I tried. At 5 pm today. I managed to get the couch out of my apartment and to the top of the stairs alone and rather than risk my life I decided the loud neighbors below me might be useful and I went a-knocking.

A few minutes later they were helping me haul the couch down three flights and into the entryway where the mailboxes were. I had a sign printed out to explain to other tenants WHY there was a couch sitting in our entry. You see, I had to work at 6 pm tonight until 9 pm. I couldn't very well be hauling furniture at 9 pm, plus it might be harder to find a helper. I have to work on Wednesday at 8 am and I frequently leave at 5:30 am for the gym and so I couldn't move it then. I did not put all that on the note, but you get the idea.

As my neighbor and his friend were helping me they asked me a few questions that amounted to expressing an interest in owning this couch that I was ready to throw in the bin. I guess, Mr. Plays His Music Loudly's friend who was helping was without couch and figured this was better than the floor and it was the right price. FREE. So I told him take it, take it... I would call the thrift store and so it worked out well for everyone. I think. Now I regret that I didn't take the extra time to try to vacuum the cushions a little better. How embarrassing. For the next four days I have an empty space of carpet on which to sit in front of the TV, if I manage to sit at all in my spare time here at home.

The Bookshelves
I am currently embroiled in a quest for the mother of all bookshelves for the back wall in my little (former) office nook. I am slowly working out the details (most likely bricks and boards) and hopefully by this time next week it will all be complete.

This is the view from the living room before walking up three steps and turning left, thus entering the "office nook" area--soon to be all-out book haven. Not sure if I am going to dismantle this blonde bookshelf completely; it mainly holds my picture books. The photo is from several years ago and now the shelves are a little heavier and the entire thing is leaning precariously away from the wall.

On the landing, entering the office nook. The trio of bookshelves hold my precious books from my childhood and young adult years. I keep accumulating and now I have at least two more shelves worth sort of stacked here and there on and around the shelves

The back wall is where I was planning to fashion a bookshelf. The office space has very recently been moved to the craft room. That computer is long gone and I have a laptop now (old picture). In these pictures, you can see only some of my many bookshelves.

The measurement for that wall is 90 inches and my ceilings are a little more than 10 feet high. So I would have to use a 6 foot board (72") for my shelving and build as high as I dare (6 feet for sure, 7 if I can). My idea is to do an L shaped bookshelf using 6 foot boards and bricks. One shelf system for the back wall and another for the wall on the right. I am such a visual and tactile person lacking in spatial understanding I think I will need to actually set up the wood and bricks to figure out if my idea will even work. THIS is the task at hand.

Organization --Step Four

Today I made some real progress on the craft room disaster. However, I've discovered that to move one thing necessitates I move another thing. My apartment is like a giant puzzle. I've decided I cannot have the bedding in the hallway anymore so I started making a space in the storage closet behind my kitchen. Much of the space I'm carving out involves crafty stuff like my stamping supplies (haven't done that in a million years), my scrapbook supplies (ditto), my writing portfolio and filled journals, blank journals, a tub of gift bags, tissue paper, and packing materials, gifts I've got at the ready, and everything else from sea shells to jingle bells. All of those things can go into the new craft space when I have a clue where to put it or how it will be arranged. For now I'm just moving those items to the hallway.

I bought a couple rectangular card tables and I'm hoping these will work. I'm still undecided. I've got them in place and I'm trying to figure out the big furniture layout. It just doesn't look right, but I think part of that is the lack of shelves and pictures on the walls. I also need to come up with some better lighting options. There is some real potential here. I'm just trying to find it without breaking the bank.

I'll update with pictures as soon as I've committed to a layout. This is exciting.

Is it a sign of nerdish when I am this pumped about an organized home?

The Sofa Situation.

Today I managed to accomplish 31 things on my "to done" list. It was a productive day. In addition to trying a blueberry oatmeal bake recipe, washing six loads of laundry, picking up prescriptions, and rain check items, and changing the filter in my Pur water pitcher, I also started my search for a red couch.

32. Obsessed about couch. Now massively confused.

I actually don't like very many couches or sofas. Usually it's the pattern. Sometimes it's the pillowy back. I've very picky. My current couch has been with me for 14 years and it was used when I got it. It's not on its last leg, it's beyond that. Anyway, I lost those in the last move. I've put off getting living room furniture until I had a living room of my own to furnish. I figured as long as I was an apartment dweller I could get by with my odds and ends and mostly I have but the time has come for a new couch.

I decided on red because I have a lot of red accents all over my house. Anywhere I live in the future is likely to be the same and so this couch could be a nice piece for another room later on if I buy a full living room set that doesn't coordinate.

One concern is that neither of my current chairs is likely to look good next to a red couch--good thing that is where the elliptical sits. And I'm pretty sure I'd have to ditch the thrift store coffee table in favor of something that would coordinate better. (See, it always STARTS with one piece and then everything must be updated!)

So here's the situation:

I've been to all but one furniture store in my town and I've found only two items I'd even consider. One I ruled out immediately based on price. Yet, after seeing what is out there I am starting to rethink that. It's really QUITE a bit more than what I was thinking, because it's leather.This is the Natuzzi leather sofa I saw at Conlin's Furniture. It's the right size (slightly bigger than my current one in width and pretty much the same in depth), the right color (though it looks a bit different on the website and I'm not sure I like this shade as well as the one in my memory), it's just not the "right price" (on sale for $1279 with all those financing deals too, pay later yadda yadda). Right now they are offering 20% off everything in the store but the sale ends today and the price jumps back up to $1549 or whatever it is. They are also offering a deal of "up to $500 on groceries or gas." So, I guess they think that might appeal to the customer who wants savings on the essentials, but is willing to spring for a leather sofa. Hmmmm....


The other little red number I liked is probably the one I should not even consider for other reasons. The cost, on the other hand, is great -- $298.00. It's a click clack sofa (fancy name for a futon). So, it is versatile considering I often have house guests and don't have a guest room. I like the look of it a lot. It's a brighter red than the other, and in the pictures I prefer this shade, though it's a bit shiny. (not sure if it's leather or leather like) My biggest reservations? It has no arms. I fear it will sit too close to the ground and seem awkward as a main sofa in my living room, whereas it might be nice in a dorm or bedroom.


The game plan is this. At noon when the shops open I am going to the other furniture store in town to see what they have. I am going BACK to the first one I visited to look for the Natuzzi couch because their official website claims that Zimmerman's has one so I will do a price comparison.

Then I am going to go to Slumberland and measure the width, height and depth of the click clack sofa (that's fun to say, click-clack).

Finally I am going to return to Conlins to find out what they offer in terms of groceries and gas! Actually I need to sit in that again and make sure I really do like the color. Then, I think if I want that one unless their grocery deal is REALLY really good, I might wait for a better sale? Is that possible? One would hope. That would also buy me some time to maybe go to Fargo or somewhere else to look around.

Part of me wants to just spring for the $298 sofa and be done with it. No need to finance. But I am hesitating. Mom thinks I will regret it. No arms? What the heck, right?

I think I need to chill. After all this was "day one" of shopping. Sheesh. I just hate how they try to "get you" with their "sale ends Sunday" crap. I refuse to be pressured, says the girl who might just come home with a sofa tomorrow.

I've decided I sort of like this blue one too. It is a Best Home Furnishings brand couch and apparently there are a few stores in town that carry this brand, though I don't recall seeing this one.

I am not in love with the powder blue, though I don't hate it either. I guess this couch can be done in choice of fabrics so maybe they have the right red? I have no clue on price. No clue on comfort. I may hate it after I sit on it. I just like the look.


Anyway, please offer up any suggestions or thoughts you have in the comments I am in desperate need. In the end, I may not follow your advice, but it will help me think through this consumer confusion.

--UPDATE --

Well, I decided against the expensive one without even looking at it again. Checked out the other furniture store in town, saw nothing I liked, and then I went back to Slumberland today to check on the click-clack couch--to measure it and to "rule it out" more or less. Except... when it came to measurements it was the exact size and dimensions as my current couch only it was longer (which is what I wanted). I left more confused than ever. I'd expected it to be more "futon-esque."

As I drove away, I called Marci to see if she would be willing to offer an opinion. We trekked back over to the furniture store, and when she saw the couch, she gave her stamp of approval. And before I knew what hit me, I was pulling out the plastic and making the big purchase. It will be delivered on Saturday. Yikes. That is quite possibly the most spontaneous I've EVER been with a purchase. I guess that just goes to show how very ready I am to get rid of my current couch.

Stopping my Overthinking with some Linking

Today was a rotten day. The most rotten of rotten days. Not the "I overslept" or "my car wouldn't start" kind of day. Not even an "I ate half a pan of shortbread and didn't even care" kind of day (even though I DID and don't really care). My day's drama started yesterday afternoon and it seems to be never ending and the sadness it engenders is pooling up like flood waters at my feet. And my heart feels like a it's tight in the grasp of some unseen, unknown cruelty. Yeah, I can't even really talk about it. I will. I think I need to write about this, but not today. Today's only real remedy will be closing the door on it and starting again tomorrow, with the same shadow, sure, but maybe a bit more light. We'll see.

What has been making my evening tolerable...

Candice Stringham's photography blog, Aperture 1.4 is quickly becoming a favorite. This post is what clinched it for me. She speaka my language.

Things like this Red Riding Hood keyhook at the Three Potato Four shop. Actually everything at Three Potato Four. Especially these finger puppets and this typewriter. And they have a blog too.
I've been seduced. It's crazy costly. I have a horrible habit of subscribing to magazines and then not reading them. But this is only FOUR issues a year... it's basically like buying a beautiful book. I would love to just get one issue and see what I think. The Spring 2009, due out in April, is their first issue. Here's a link to a promo video about it. See if it seduces you too....

I love this paper doll tee shirt sweater. I could never make it and I probably don't have the bod for that style anyway.... but it's soooooo cute. Needled is my new knitting blog love. It's written by Kate Davies and her recent "Jubilee Bees" post made me think of my long-lost friend Emma... I wondered if she'd ever indulged in such adorableness in the name of the Queen.

Now, folks who read me more than once have probably figured out that I've been on a cuckoo clock craze this year and I think I'm not the only one. You can buy one here. Wow.


This is a crazy concept and one I hope starts to catch on. It's an anti-social social, specifically in an event in March in Montreal, but still. Holy crap. This is completely what I would love to do. Go somewhere with my knitting, book, sketchbook, laptop, and simply "be" in the presence of others while doing my own thing... you know being social and anti-social all at the same time. I learned about this event via this Drawn post.

I love this sort of thing and this is just the sort of thing I need to quit buying because then I collect things I really ought to just toss. Right now my ticket stubs from beloved concerts and the like are hanging on a little ribbon styled bulletin board that my Gram made me years ago. Maybe it's time to move them into a more permanent storage via Chronicle Books own Ticket Stub Diary. It's on my universal wish list!

I just discovered the Winnipeg Folk Festival (which I love but haven't been to in AGES) artists' line up includes Neko Case... I may have to make it this year... now if they only had First Aid Kit it would be kismet!

A Sweet Treat

I love getting "real mail" the kind with words handwritten on a page--cards, letters, things like that. And packages, well, they are the best! So imagine my surprise and delight when yesterday I received this in the mail. It may be my first "St. Patrick's Day" gift. Thank you, Jennifer. I can't wait to try the chocolate.

Top O' the Morning to You!

These images were created by Ashley and Dre just for me. I was hoping I could make sweet little shrinky dink ornaments for my tree but the shrinky dink paper I bought was NOT cooperative. It was white and seemed to be shiny on both sides. In the past when I've printed to overheads they've had one side that was grainy so the color would stick to it. I am sad to say that not only could my fingers accidentally wipe the color from the sheet prior to baking, once it was in the over shrinking the colors just pooled up and lost all semblance of anything. Very sad. I pretty much had to toss it all. But I still had these cheerful images. I particularly love the happy little shamrocks and the slightly mesmerizing kitty with the top hat. Actually the anamorphic coins make me laugh too.

I compromised and simply cut these out on cardstock and used needle and thread to create a way to hang them on my little tree, now decked out for St. Patrick's Day. I'm sure this holiday tree thing is starting to become a little "dorky" but I have to say, it cracks me up. I'm only sad I missed President's Day, but it was just too close to Valentine's Day.