links for the wkend.

28 Jan
Here are some of my favorite finds from the week —
This made me so excited.  Now I can make my own scratch-off cards!  (I will admit that I found this tutorial over my lunch today.  I went snowshoeing and then had the supplies – under the Joanne Fabrics clause of my no-buy January – in my possession by 5pm.  I have attempted.  And it works.  Gloriously.  The wheels of creativity in Lindsay’s head are spinning.)
Do you like Nutella?  I think I first experienced Nutella while in Greece and since then, cannot purchase a jar because I eat it.  (I realize that’s the purpose.)  How easy and delicious does this homemade version look?  And how pretty packaged in mason jars.
The St.Paul Winter Carnival begins this weekend.  Who doesn’t want to sit in a chair made of ice?
Are you cleaning at all this weekend?  Maybe the bathroom?  Just grab your Kool-Aid!
Happy weekend-ing!

Project Etsy.

28 Jan
Jennifer Parker: It’s like Doc’s always saying –
Marty McFly: I know, I know.  If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.
Jennifer Parker: That’s good advice, Marty.
I want to put my mind to something.  There’s something I want to accomplish.
But I’m fearful.  I’m fearful of failure.  And let’s face it – no one wants to fail.

I especially don’t want to end up riding in this boat.  No Regretsy, please.  (Thanks to jD for the link to that one.  Chicken poncho?  Really?  There’s a Regretsy blog too – go at your own risk and prepare to be thoroughly disturbed.)

By writing it here, by telling you what’s up, I feel like it’s real and there is no way to go but forward.  And maybe I need that push.
Next week – the week after J-term has ended but before second semester begins – will be the launching of Project: Etsy.  [What’s Etsy?  A homemade marketplace online.  Everything from wonderful to creepy.]  I’ll need a name, some sort of product, a dream of what is to come.  Ideas have been floating around in my head for the last couple weeks; it’s time to bring them to fruition. 
So I’m putting my mind to it and jumping [into a frozen lake, yes – see previous post – and into what will now be referred to as Project Etsy].  To land flat on my face?  Maybe.  But here’s hoping not.

Plunge.

26 Jan
I made the jump to commit myself to a plunge.  
[What?]
Today I registered for the Polar Bear Plunge.
I am volunteering to jump into a frigid Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis on March 5 while wearing some absurd outfit (which is tbd).  I’m joining my friend, Sara’s, team and I think it’s going to be fun.  She’s the seasoned expert, taking the plunge last year too.  Sara and I do a lot of crazy stuff together, so really, this is just par for the course.

Crazy stuff.  Exhibit A.

The plunge is a fundraiser for the Special Olympics in Minnesota so it’s all for a good cause.  Feeling moved to support me with my jump into a frozen lake in the middle of winter in Minnesota?  You can click here to find information about donating to the organization!

Mr.Darcy.

26 Jan
Lead male role in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.  
A misunderstood man for whom Elizabeth eventually realizes she is crazy.  
Immortalized by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of the classic novel.  
[A version which I watched in college with my friend, Carolyn, who muttered things like, “Oh!  Sexy waistcoat!” throughout.  She speaks the truth.]
I saw The King’s Speech yesterday afternoon, taking advantage of a $5 matinee showing.  Oscar nominations were announced that morning and it was this motion picture that came out ahead of the rest with twelve nods, including best picture and a best actor for Mr. Firth.
Colin Firth plays the role of King George VI, one who comes to the throne of England on the brink of World War II and with a verbal stutter.  Historically intriguing, humorous at times, and heartwarming, I enjoyed the film.  Well done, Mr. Darcy, well done.  (Helena Bonham Carter plays his wife and I will admit, I had a really hard time with her in the sweet, supporting role.  All I could see in her was Bellatrix Lastrange.  “I killed Sirius Black!  I killed Sirius Black.”  She’s a meanie in Harry Potter.)
So naturally, later that evening, as I continued to prep 45 small draw-string bags as part of a for-hire sewing gig I scored, I watched P&P.  [I cheated with the most recent version; the BBC version I own not.]  Sexy waistcoat.  

new blog.

24 Jan
I’ve added another new blog to my blog roll on the right – stolen fotos.  You should probably check it out.
It’s my elder brother’s second blog.  And, as the title admits, he is stealing beautiful photos from the web and claiming them as his own!  gasp.
Just kidding.  [The name puns do, in fact, get old but I still engage them.]
[Sidenote: The best name story involving my older brother?  He loses his wallet while in college.  Calls campus security or police or something.  “I’d like to report a stolen wallet.”  “Okay, sir.  What is your last name?”  “Stolen.”  “Sir, what is your last name?”  “Stolen.”  “Sir, I know it’s been stolen but I need to know your last name.”  We often joke that how great would it have been if it was my younger brother – not if he lost his wallet – that would be unfortunate – but the story would have been good.  “Can I have your name?”  “It’s Ben Stolen.”  “Yes, sir, I know it’s been stolen but I need to have your name.” oh har har]
Right.  My brother’s blog.  He travels a lot for work [lucky] and for fun, and his camera is his travel buddy.  This new site is a collection of his photos, often edited in an awesome fashion.  We’ve never got along too well in the past as we live on opposite ends of every spectrum (politics, religion … you know, the big ones, plus the fact that he speaks fluent sarcasm) but I’ll do him this advertisement.  Plus, we like each other more now that he lives in CO and I in MN.  
Moral of the story: new blog.  go there.

[late addition – Matt [the elder brother] brought this video to my attention again.  Obviously, no direct relation to my younger brother.  Except that is his name …]

450.

22 Jan
Feeling overwhelmingly productive and domestic today, and having already accomplished the feat of adhering fabric to my walls (see previous post), I decided to bake a cake.  I have plans for said cake, plans to form them into balls and share in a fun way.  To begin and before we go there, the cake must be baked.
And apparently stirred 450 times.  I bought a store-brand cake mix and found the back of the box to be a bit puzzling.  First, add only water and eggs.  (Isn’t there normally oil in cake mixes too?)  Then, stir 450 times.  

If the cake does not turn out, I guess I will be blamed for not completely following directions.
I stopped counting at four.

liquid starch is my friend.

22 Jan
My new best friend.  One quarter cup of corn starch, added to one half cup cold water, then combined with four cups boiling water.  It’s crazy how in love I have fallen with this mixture and what it can do.
Because I only recently discovered that, using this liquid starch, one can attach fabric to walls and remove it later to leave no residue or anything.  Rejoice much does the renter upon finding sites like this and this.
So this morning I woke up, put on my Saturday sweat pants (I don’t really have Saturday sweat pants – that would be far too pathetic and spinster-like – but Saturdays in the apartment do call for comfort.), and decided to adhere the fabric I bought last night to my wall.  Good plan, right?  
(Quilt courtesy of my quilting friends at Grace!)
Excellent plan.  It worked so much easier and swifter than I ever expected.  Now I have a panel of green/yellow paisley on my wall and it only makes me want to return to the fabric warehouse to buy more so the whole wall can be covered in it!  Left-over starch also led to the adhering of polka-dotted fabric polka dots around the bathroom mirror.  I’m on some sort of starch high – where else can I stick fabric to the wall?

a fabric friday.

22 Jan

A few weeks ago I heard of a mysterious place in a northern ‘burb of the cities.  A place where bolts of fabric are stacked high and cheap.  A place that will capture you in its aisles and only let you leave wanting more.  A fabric warehouse – 30,000 square feet of fabric warehouse.

Fake fur.  
Cotton.  
Ribbon.  
Barrels of buttons.  Vinyl.  
Paisley.  
Knits.  
Everything possible.  So wonderfully overwhelming.

Oh the joy of SR Harris.

We ventured.
We dreamed.
We lost Jenna.  (Only temporarily.)
We all made small but lovely purchases.
And we all picked out our ideal apparel fabric.  How hot are we?

got milk?

20 Jan
In a country that was actually designed to remain anti-partisan, it was the election of 1800 that really ruined that dream.  I sat down with a mug of coffee and began (again) one of the books on my Jterm shelf – A Magnificent Catastrophe: The Tumultuous Election of 1800, America’s First Presidential Campaign.  (My AP US History teacher, Mr. Papendieck, would be proud.)  The book is engaging, brings back much of that Revolutionary history that’s been pushed to the back of my brain, and actually connects in many ways to my current modern church history course; I hesitated to put it down and move on to other necessities of my day. If we were to talk favorite ‘characters’ as if this non-fiction was not, Alexander Hamilton is my man.  That guy was CRAZY. Pushing for an American monarchy [seriously.  who thinks that’s a good idea after fleeing from the tyranny of Britain?], a federal bank, and secretly his own election to office [sneaky.] – not to mention agreeing to a duel – A.H. seemed a bit off his rocker.  Do you know anything about Alexander Hamilton?  If they know one thing, many people remember who killed him.  [Oh.  Did I catch you at a bad time?  Too much peanut butter and not enough milk?]

gnome love.

18 Jan

Looking for a date or two to go see this movie.  Let me know if you’re available opening night.

[I’m so serious.]

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