Brilliant, Bah, and Confessions

Brilliant

• I finished The Time Traveler’s Wife over the weekend in a fit of insomnia (I’m an insomniac reader and kind of enjoy reading at 4am when the rest of the apartment is quietly snoozing). It was such an incredible, gorgeous story. I didn’t want it to end. When I first started reading it, I was uncertain about whether I’d really get into it. But boy, did I ever. What a piece of magic. It made me cry and cry and cuddle my sleeping Monkey when I finished.
  
• I am loving The Killers’ Hot Fuss. A lot. I think they’re interesting storytellers, I love their 80s synth touches, their really great guitar riffs. I think the singer dude has a very sexy skinny-boy swagger in his voice (though, I think he’s not a skinny boy, but whatever). Lizzie was such a dear to have given me my copy of this fab disc.
  
• I’m going to hang out with Lizzie in her new digs this week. I am terribly excited about going back to Chicago, hanging with my sis and her Bru, eating at places that I’ve been craving since I’ve been here….just being back. Excited!!!
  
• I received my great Snail Mail Swap gifts from my partner Michele today. Check out my stash (the goodies I sent out to my sendee are here):

  

Scrapbook paper, rosemary packet, pretty fat quarters, summer dream tea, fun flower push pins, a Christopher Radko bee ornament, and a barbecure rub. The other two pics are close-ups of the bee (I love her!) and the push pins in action. Thanks, Michele!

• I went on a bit of an Amazon binge a few weekends ago. They’re coming in like Christmas gifts. Yay! (when you buy your books used, which I do when I can, you actually buy from indie booksellers. I like that!)

• My Monkey brought me home a lovely bouquet of orchids the other day. Just because. I am so glad I’ve got such a keeper.

• We received this from Amazon this past weekend. It is brilliant. Really funny and so well done. If you love The League of Gentlemen, you will love this (Monkey had this on pre-order and was really happy when it finally arrived).
  
• My local post-office subcontractor is awesome. The regular post office a few blocks away is really abysmal. Lines go on for about a half hour, and the automated postal machine is often down, and it’s just yuck all around. This subcontracting shop rocks. 2 friendly older fellas breeze through your packages in no time flat, and they are just sweet as can be.

Bah

• We don’t have a regular mail carrier. Things have gone missing that I’ve been expecting, so I am really glad that all the goodies above actually arrived. I’d never had issues with the US Postal Service before (my mail man in Chicagoland is the tops).
  
• It has been hellaciously hot the past few days. 100+ temps. Muggy, stagnant air with little breeze. I really feel for the folks who have to work outdoors in it. The temps are supposed to drop to the 80s this week (nice!), but I’ll not be here to enjoy it.
  
• Flying with laptops is not fun. I hate the pull-it-all-out business at the security checkpoint while trying to ferry the rest of your carry-ons onto the belt at the same time.
  
• I wish I had a magic potion to make the house in Chicagoland sell already. We fell in love with another FSBO house down the block from the original FSBO house over the weekend. It’s pricey ($190k more than the first FSBO we loved), but it’s exactly what we want. At the end of the day, we’ll probably be out both homes and have to start homehunting all over again.

My Confessions (as seen at CheekyProf…would love it if you let me know if you play along):

[ ] I am bisexual or homosexual.
[] I’ve run away from home. (I did pack myself a ‘hobo’ suitcase on a stick when I was 6. Didn’t go anywhere, though.)
[ ] I listen to political music.
[ ] I collect comic books.
[X] I shut others out when I’m sad.
[X] I open up to others easily.
[ ] I am keeping a secret from the world.
[X] I watch the news.
[] I own over 5 rap CDs.
[X] I own an I-Pod.
[ ] I own something from Hot Topic.
[X] I love Disney movies.
[X] I am a sucker for hair/eyes.
[ ] I don’t kill bugs.
[X] I curse regularly.
[] I paid for that cell phone ringtone.
[ ] I have “x”s in my screen name.
[ ] I’ve slipped out a “lol” in a real conversation.
[ ] I love Spam.
[X] I bake well.
[ ] I would wear pajamas to school.
[X] I own something from Abercrombie
[] I have a job.
[X ] I love Martha Stewart.
[X] I am in love with someone.
[ ] I am guilty of tYpInG lIkE tHiS.
[X] I am self conscious.
[X] I like to laugh.
[ ] I smoke a pack a day.
[ ] I loved Go Ask Alice. (I never read this…)
[X] I have cough drops when I’m not sick. (Ludens & Smith Bros. Cherry is fab).
[ ] I can’t swallow pills.
[ ] I have many scars. (Lizzie prolly does, due to me being a bad big sister when we were kids.)
[X] I’ve been out of this country.
[X] I believe in ghosts.
[ ] I can’t sleep if there is a spider in the room.(ONLY if I’ve seen it!)
[X] I am really ticklish.
[X] I see/have seen a therapist.
[ ] I love chocolate.
[ ] I bite my nails.
[X] I am comfortable with being me.
[X] I play computer games/video games when i’m bored.
[X] Gotten lost in your city.
[X] Saw a shooting star.
[X] Gone out in public in your pajamas.
[ ] I have kissed a stranger.
[X] Hugged a stranger.
[X] Been in a fight with the same sex. (Roommate wars, high school clique things…)
[ ] Been arrested.
[ ] Laughed and had milk/soda come out of your nose.
[X] Pushed all the buttons on an elevator.
[ ] Made out in an elevator.
[X] Swore at your parents.
[X] Kicked a guy where it hurts.
[ ] Been skydiving.
[ ] Been bungee jumping.
[ ] Broken a bone.
[ ] Played spin the bottle.
[X] Gotten stitches.
[ ] Drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour.
[ ] Bitten someone.
[ ] Been to Niagara Falls.
[X] Gotten the chicken pox.
[ ] Crashed into a friend’s car.
[ ] Been to Japan.
[X] Ridden in a taxi.
[ ] Shoplifted.
[ ] Been fired.
[X] Had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back.
[X] Stole something from your job. (my dot-bomb startup company went belly-up. I kept my laptop. it was later thieved from Lizzie’s ground-floor flat in Wrigleyville).
[ ] Gone on a blind date.
[ ] Lied to a friend.
[ ] Had a crush on a teacher/coach.
[ ] Celebrated Mardi Gras in New Orleans.
[X] Been to Europe.
[X] Slept with a co-worker. (my first corp. giant job was a hotbead of lovely young grads, booze-ups, and lots of late nights….it was like the Real World! Also, Monkey and I met when we were co-workers.)
[X] Been married.
[ ] Gotten divorced.
[ ]Saw someone dying.
[X]Driven over 400 miles in one day.
[X] Been to Canada. (I love Toronto, I love Montreal.)
[X] Been on a plane.
[X] Seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show.
[X] Thrown up in a bar.
[X] Eaten Sushi.
[ ] Been snowboarding.
[X] Been skiing.
[X] Been ice skating.
[X] Met someone in person from the internet.
[ ] Been to a motorcross show.
[X] Gone/Going to college.
[ ] Done hard drugs
[X] Taken painkillers.
[X] Cheated on someone else. (it was an act of revenge. I’m not proud of it, nor am I justifying it, but it wound up bringing me some of the happiest returns of my life.)
[X] Were so bored you took this survey.
[ ] Have a tattoo

happy vibes!

I haven’t mentioned a whole lot about Lizzie’s new house for the past few weeks because I’m a jinx-worrier (don’t want to say too much till stuff is set-set), but now the news is official! Lizzie is now a bona-fide homeowner of her very first house. She closed on it this morning, and the keys are now transferred to her. Wooo hoooo! I am so proud of her Independent Woman self, all bad-ass and homeowner and all. My little sister is such a stud. Happy new home, Lizzie!!

It was great to hear the exhilaration in her voice as she called after the closing this morning. It’s so exciting talking about all the paint color and chair rail and tile fun she’s planning. She is going to be such a DIY diva. Here are some of the before pics of her new house I snagged off the real estate site before they pull the listing (because it’s all hers now!):

  

 

Fun! Meanwhile, I am still waiting, waiting to sell my first house…the state is doing road construction that ends right outside my driveway, so buyers are really weary of going down my road (Chicagoland commuters will understand the yucky traffic diversion sitch when I say we’re at the crossroads of 2 major (i.e., heavily traveled) state roads, which are both down for improvement projects…my agent says traffic has been a mere trickle since the construction’s begun…yuck!). So, I’ve ordered a St Joseph and am hoping for the best once he gets planted. It’s really getting to be a bear waiting for this house to sell. Our FSBO folks down here called us (they seem to be in the same boat as we are…maybe we’re getting karmic returns for loving and leaving their house without committing) the other day to let us know they’re about to list with an agent but wanted to offer to us at a lower price before they released it to the open market. Eee.

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Gadding about Town…

Outside home fun and drama, I’ve been getting out and about.

Over the weekend, we took Casey to Folly Beach (unfortunately, we were mistakenly informed dogs were allowed…they aren’t till September) and Charleston. It was great fun to see her enjoy her first swim in the Atlantic (we found a tiny beach park further in where pooches were allowed). She’s such a sweetie pie. We also had dinner one night out with Monkey’s boss. It’s been fun combing through this new city of ours.

This week, I had a very unpleasant exam (it’s a pdf link, so it’ll take a few to load) with my very pleasant ob/gyn this week. We’re apparently now clear to try fertilizing my eggs again. Wish us luck there! Yeah, you prolly didn’t need to know that much, but that’s been what’s what these days.

On a more pleasant note, I met up yesterday with another Switchboarder and Columbia-area indie biz maven for lunch. It was a really good time! I love meeting inventive, inspiring, fun folks. Lela was such a blast! It was a really great time getting to know one another. I don’t know if you all have this, but sometimes when I meet new folks, they often remind me of someone else I know…Lela reminded me a lot of the vivacious Jess of Rainy Sunday. Anyhoo, she was a dear and brought me a stack of goodies. Check:

 They all smell so incredible (delicious): Japanese Yuzu Body Mousse, Green Tea & Crushed Rice Body Scrub, and Wildberry Body Polish. Yummy lunch, great conversation, and free goodies! Damn, I’m a lucky gnome.

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After lunch, I went off for more inadvertent networking and had a SC tax workshop (I know, it sounds like a barrel of chuckles. I have to submit taxes monthly and wanted to be sure I was doing it right). I met some really great entrepreneurs there and also learned of a huge flea market in town that I hope to hit this weekend…

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Misc.

A few fun things I’ve come across that you may enjoy:

~ Stories from Space (via Supernaturale): I love that the home page has a quote from Alice.

~ Cool ass door stop.

~ Typeface fun (via Something to Say).

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Erhmm….

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Yeah, the blogging skills are fading from disuse. I can’t connect a full circle, or anything, worth a rat’s. Eh. Happy weekend, all! 

where does the time go, and more plundering!

Ok, I am getting seriously worried about my time management skills. I’m not sure how it got to be the end of the week already. I guess I’ve been relatively productive this week, but the weather’s really had me in the glooms, so it’s kind of a wash at the end of the day. Uck.

Productivity

I’ve got a few new sets of blank notecards up at The Walrus. They’ve been done for a while, but I only had a chance to post them to the site this week (most of this week has been spent ferrying things to and from the local post office):

  

I’ve got a few other goodies that need to be uploaded to the shop site still. Keep your eyes peeled; I’ll let you know when they’re up!

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Plundering in the Carolinas

Last weekend, we tagged along with Amy & Ron to Charlotte to take in some good Vietnamese grub and get some Asian grocery shopping in. That was a real treat. I had been hankering good Vietnamese food for a while now, and even more, I was really wishing there was something like the Mitsuwa around here (as yet, still not found one). We got all sorts of fun goodies (mochi, petite puddings, seasonings, crazy-sharp cleavers) and then headed up to the NoDa area for some browsing and coffee at Smellycat. It was a lot of fun! Check out some of the more fun spoils:

   

Amy and Ron are great. They did all the planning, and we did all the tagging along. Hee! They also brought over these great treats before we headed out:

The Pug gift bag is adorable, because the pug is a card that comes out of the dog house bag. They brought over the swanky Isaac Mizrahi doggie hugs and kisses biscuits and a whole treasure trove of treats from the Greenies people for Casey and (!) a fun pair of socks for me. Yay! They are mom and dad to 2 extremely cute pugs, Lola and Zoe. Amy inspires me to no end with her various creative endeavors (she’s the one who inspired me to take a ceramics class soon, and she knits socks like nobody’s business, and now I’m coveting some really cool placemats of hers I’ll need to buy this fall), and they are so thoughtful with the little trinkets they bring just because. Check out this monkey they gave us, which I’ve nestled into my Gnome & Garden spread:

Here’s a pic of Casey enjoying one of the treats (PNutz), which disturbingly resembles a big poo:

(not to worry; it smells like peanut butter, and Casey really enjoyed it thoroughly.)

Hee!

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I visited the only Japanese grocery in town on Monday (as far as I could find, anyway). It’s owned by the sweetest Japanese woman (who’s lived here in Columbia for 50+ years) who has the sweetest little mini poodle who will greet you when you enter the shop. She was so sweet, and the shop was so neat and nice, I want to send everyone in Columbia here. So, Columbians, please visit: Cheiko’s Japanese Foods ~ 226 Jamaica Street. It looks like an unassuming, teensy little garage, but it was a wonderful, warm little space within. And the food was clean and fresh and well-displayed (which is not always the case with lots of Oriental groceries). You just may get hired for something.¹

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Speaking of Japanese goodies, I received in the mail today a most wonderful stash of treats from Jenn’s most recent trip to Hawaii. Monkey and I have plundered through the goodies already. YUM.

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Winnings

I ‘won’ a very cool stamp set off eBay this week. I’m thrilled to bits with it, glumness and all:

 

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Finally, Hope sent me a link for some fun Gnome plant markers last week (she too is a gnome lover, bless her). I had just serendipitously bought these guys the week before (I think my plants really like them):

 

Ok, if my time management skills keep going as they are, I think I ought wish you all a good weekend. Have a happy one, y’all!

¹One of Cheiko’s customers owns a sushi restaurant in town and tried to recruit me to be a waitress. Must be because I showed up there in the middle of the day and he didn’t think I had anything better to do!

Eye Candy

Kraf-o-la Karen always does a most wonderful Eye Candy Tuesday. I don’t think I can keep up. My eye candy is merely coincidentally on a Tuesday, and it’s mostly my own eye candy I’m offering up today (I’ve been a slacker at surfing around online too much).

I’ve been having a blast painting for fun. I’m still a relative newbie, but it’s just been so enjoyable.

I’ve been in love with my phthalo blue (doesn’t saying that remind you of Bob Ross or William Alexander? I was such a PBS kid) and slathering it on everything.

I’ve also been itching to try assemblages and collaging more. I haven’t really done a whole lot of it since college. It was really fun! I did suffer some glue gun burns (the glue gun, he is evil), but overall, I was really enjoying just doing.

 

We needed something for over the couch (Monkey’s old futon…the most comfy seat in the house) since we are still biding our time in apartment living till our house in Illinois sells (please sell, house, please!), so I made a diptych of stylized vines and berries (some of my favorite eye candy in nature). Casey is not only a fab companion in my crafty endeavors (she’s the best office mate I’ve ever, ever had), but she also is a nice home accessory.

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Check it, it’s not just all Gnome G eye candy.

Rubber-Sol Leslie has just relaunched The Paper Princess today! You will be so glad you visited. Her work is all kinds of lovely. I’m glad I got a big payment at Paypal last week (though, much of it has been squandered away at iTunes). It’s waiting to be spent…Here’s a pic to entice you to visit. Tell her Gnome G sent you.

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Penelope of Illustration Friday genius also recently launched her shop. I’ve always garnered much inspiration and can-do from her blog.

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Finally, a very big birthday wish to a very fine gal who has long been a purveyor of the most gorgeous eye candy, a fun online friend, and an endless well of inspiration and joy. Happy Birthday, Kathleen! Big hugs!! (p.s., have you visited her fine shop yet?)

My Five Things

Marie tagged me (yay!) for this fun meme. I love making lists. I’m a listmaker.

5 CDs in your Player:
• Hot Fuss ~ The Killers
• Schubert Dip ~ EMF
•  The Concretes ~ The Concretes  
• Cerulean~ The Ocean Blue
• Per Second, Per Second, Per Second…Every Second ~ Wheat

5 Movies You’ve Seen Recently:
• The Island
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• War of the Worlds
• Bewitched
• Batman Begins

5 Nice Things That Happened To You Lately:
• Got a nice compliment about my specs while out shopping
• Got to spend extended weekend time with my Monkey and his family
• Got a big shot of productivity
• Got a really fun snail mail letter from my friend Melissa (Melly311!)
• Got through a fabulous read in a few days’ time (I LOVE this book, y’all)

5 MP3s on your playlist:
• Different ~ Acceptance
• All These Things That I’ve Done~ The Killers
• Sing ~ Travis
• Singing In My Sleep ~ Semisonic
• Is This Music? ~ Teenage Fanclub

5 Friends You’re Passing This To: (I’m hoping they haven’t already done this!)
• Kathleen
• Jenn
• Leslie
• Dawn
• Frecklegirl

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Other bits and bobs…

• Outside-Atlanta was fun. We didn’t go hit the actual city of Atlanta, because we were really there to let the kids get their fill at Six Flags. 2 days’ worth.
  
• A friend of the kids from back home in Bath came with his folks to visit here in the States. It’s incredible how quickly they’re growing up. This was one batch of 4 very good-looking kids (Monkey’s 2 nephews (William looks like a mini Monkey, complete with the longest, most lush lashes that will one day make a girl swoon) and niece + their friend, Sam (looks like a mini Cillian Murphy- goodness help the teenaged girls who become smitten with him)).
  
• Justin Theroux is the coverboy of the latest issue of Bust.
  
• Cool mag you should check out: Redefine
  
• Fun furniture shop (I’m glad they’ve got a location here in Columbia).

Right, my brain just drew a big blank. It’s just as well, since I really need to keep my productivity levels higher. I wish for you many Happy Mondays.