BodiceGoddess by Maggie

Moving!

2010-10-15T10:36:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all of you who have faithfully followed me here on Blogger. In the latest website update, I decided to move the blog over there, to ByMaggie.com!
One-stop shopping for all your BodiceGoddess needs.

I've moved all of my entries and all of your comments to the new site, and will start blogging from there from now on!
If you're using an RSS feed like Google Reader, the new feed URL is: http://www.bymaggie.com/?feed=rss2

Sorry for the abrupt change, folks! I'm still super-excited for the Etsy shop re-opening on November 2nd, so keep an eye out for that, too! More sneak peeks and updates to come over at ByMaggie.com and on my Facebook page.

Etsy Sneak Preview #1

2010-10-04T22:37:00.004-05:00

Vintage wallpaper, salvaged from the attic of a 100 year old house.

Scrapbookers, take heed!

Borrowed from Apartment Therapy

2010-10-04T11:09:00.000-05:00

Yeah, that's right, another post on Apartment Therapy got me thinking, and I felt I could write more than a comment on their site. Adrienne Brieux posed the question, "If you were interviewed for a magazine and asked to give your top 10 home and personal items you can’t live without, what would they be? And most importantly, are all the items on your list currently in your home? If not, why?"

So here goes. My answer in an incredibly large nutshell.

1) My bedroom set, which used to belong to my grandparents.
I didn't know it when I got it, but apparently, mid-century furniture is super-cool and trendy now. I just liked having a headboard that has the slidey-doors and ample shelving. I also appreciate the lingerie drawers in my big dresser, and the fact that I have a matching mirror atop my short dresser. Not to mention the fact that it belonged to my grandparents, who were super-cool in their own right as well.

2) My tiny pot.
I got it at a Cub Foods in college, when all I wanted to do was be able to heat up a can of soup. Soup's much better when heated over the stove, and this pot is the perfect size for the heating (and eating) of a whole can. It continues to serve me well.

3) My yellow scarf.
I went on a trip to Utila, Honduras, at the beginning of last year, and when I wasn't in a wetsuit SCUBA diving or drying off, and the sun was still up? Chances are I was wrapped in my yellow scarf with a swim suit underneath. I got it on the first day of the trip, wore it every day, and treasure it. Also, it has fishes on it, and you can't tell unless it's unfurled. That's fun, too.

4) My laptop, PJ.
Yeah, lame, I know, but I like having a computer. PJ's my only computer. It's also an entertainment laptop, and can run just the DVD player and the screen without starting up. That's certainly handy for trips. I've gotten in to the habit of watching documentaries on Hulu before bed, and I enjoy it too much to not want to always have PJ around.

5) My brown chair.
It's worn around the edges. The cushion could use a restuff. It squeaks whenever you sit down. But I've had it forever, and there's no where else I'd rather curl up and read a book. Some of my earliest memories happened around this chair (and its mate, broken in my parents' garage), and I can't imagine a home without it.

6) Oscar the Grouch.
Honestly, Oscar was the first thing I thought of when I read the question. I have a plastic Oscar the Grouch figure (complete with trash can) that my grandmother always kept by her front door. Oscar was her favorite, and it was always nice seeing him keeping guard of her house. Now, in her absence, he guards mine.

7) My steamer trunk.
It's not living with me yet, and instead stays at my parent's house until I can fix it up (it's dirty and stinky on the inside... and I know I can change that.). I have always wanted to have a steamer trunk of my own, ever since growing up with one at my parent's house. They're beautiful.

8) My cast iron.
I can't imagine ever having a kitchen without cast iron ever, ever again. It's a simple set of 3 seasoned pans - 1 large one, perfect for a family helping of yams with marshmallows; 1 medium, perfect for a single-serving chicken breast and vedg; and 1 small, perfect for a Saturday morning egg scramble.

9) My collection of "literatura"
All of my books and magazines, for sure. I've parsed down my collection, and it currently resides on shelves and in boxes, but I'd like to have it all out for the world to see. Especially my short stack of old magazines, ranging back to 1928 ("Is your Vitrola spread out like the dog's breakfast?" Great late-20s ad campaign.), and my "The History of Architecture" book from the 40s or 50s, leather-bound.

10) Rerun.
"Rerun" is a painting I did as a part of my Stagecraft class in college my first year. We were instructed to go out to the store, purchase a greeting card, and from that card, recreate the image to scale, assuming the bottom of the card is now two feet wide. A friend and I painted ours once we scaled it, and mine ended up looking like a cartoon 4-year-old in his dad's aviator sunglasses and jacket, giving you the thumbs-up. It's cute and kitchy, and makes me smile every time I see it.

Etsy Shop Grand Reopening...?

2010-09-22T13:23:00.001-05:00

I've been sitting on it for far too long. I'm going to allow this holiday season to be what spurs me on.

JUST ANNOUNCED on the BodiceGoddess Facebook page!

I'm looking at a Grand Re-Opening of BodiceGoddess on Etsy sometime this fall (probably November)! Folks here on FB will be the first to know. I'm looking at doing more upcycled shrugs, scarves, and possibly hair fascinators or pillows. What do you all think?
I'll also be doing a giveaway here on Facebook and my blog as soon as I reopen. Stay tuned!

My Etsy shop has, until now, simply been an outlet for my crocheting habit. While I will keep it that way, I've been doing a lot of experimenting with upcycling while the shutters have been closed, and I've learned a lot. I think it's time to come in from the cold, or rather, supply items to those going out in it.

I've been inspired by a lot of Etsy users and other designers, and I'm excited to get started again!

What do you think?

Sincere Flattery: How I Met Your Mother

2010-09-16T11:08:00.003-05:00

Inspired by Etsy's "Get the Look Decor" series on The Storque, and design*sponge's "Living In" series on their blog, and my own proclivities, I've decided to put together my own series. I'm calling it "Sincere Flattery," because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Considering how stoked I am about the How I Met Your Mother season 6 premiere next Monday (on CBS, 7pm Central), I've decided to cover something that's near and dear to my heart: Ted's kitchen.

My own kitchen experiences have been varied: growing up, it was a small, and then a large gathering place when my family moved. In college, kitchen design was never an option (though we did get new cabinetry my senior year). Since college, I've had one medium-sized kitchen, followed by two small galleys. I've been jealous of Ted's kitchen since I first saw the show.

Special thanks to sweet nothings for sharing pics from her visit to the set!

First off, props to the set dressers for making Ted's kitchen look like something people actually use. It's cluttered, but not terribly so. It's full, and not staged, which is nice. I'd rather look at a kitchen from a TV show than a kitchen from a home design magazine any day of the week.
The first thing that strikes me is how huge this kitchen looks! In "reality", it's not huge at all. It's as regular as a kitchen in a rental unit can be - not a whole lot of counter space, a mild and neutral color palette, non-matching appliances - and yet, the renters have made it their home.

Now, where to get started...

Color
Neutrals, but we've covered that. I'll do my best to match the Behr or Dutch Boy paint colors - they're the brands I'm the most familiar with, have the coolest names, and have proven themselves through my use and through legitimate vouches (the painters on Holmes on Homes use Behr). The colors that I've found that most closely match are:

Behr's Antique White is perfect for the cabinets, while Toffee Bar is a great complement for the wall color.

The Floor
The floor appears to be something very simple - vinyl floor tile. I've been seeing it make a resurgence in recent years, since it's typically an inexpensive material, it's durable, and it's easy to replace if need be. Black and white checkered is a classic pattern that never goes out of style.

The Countertop
1) It matches the floor... mostly.
2) There isn't much of it.
White tile with a black edge is a very clean look. The colors match the floor, and make a nice break in the room. These countertops are something I'm incredibly used to - rental unit, not a whole lot of counter space. After using up that corner for storage, they really only have the area in front of the pass-through (to the left)

The Cabinets
Obviously painted - and Behr's Antique White is the best choice. The other things to notice are the hardware, the fronts, and the backs.
Since cabinet hardware can sometimes be one of the most expensive parts of a renovation, I'm going to the old trusty sources for inexpensive hardware.
IKEA's KOSING are nice, round knobs in a chrome. Granted, the knobs in Ted's kitchen are black, but chrome is another accent in the lighting, so it wouldn't be out of the question.
Target - believe it or not - carries decent cabinet hardware as well. Their Amerock Colonial knobs in black match the kitchen pretty perfectly, and are about a dollar a piece ($3.99 for a 4-pack).

The lower cabinets have a full front, however, the upper cabinets have a nice glass front. I'm all for this idea. It looks like they use their upper cabinets for food storage (check out the iconic Campbell's soup labels above the dishwasher), and this strategy would definitely force you to keep your cabinets more organized and good-looking. Also, having glass-fronted uppers makes a kitchen look bigger and fuller when it may not be.

It also looks like, while the cabinets themselves may be a wonderful antiqued white color, the cabinet backs appear to be painted with a bit more of a peachy color. It could be a trick of the light, but personally, I like the idea of having a third color in there.

The Appliances
First - and wonderfully - they don't match. Not even a little. But they do show a history of the apartment. The stovetop/oven/range combo looks to be from the 1940s, the fridge maybe from the 50s or 60s, and the modern stainless steel dishwasher and black microwave tucked in the corner bring us to today.

The Details
Finally, the details. One of the things I love about the character of Ted is his passion for the history of things. The whole point of the show is that he wants his kids to know exactly how he met their mother - and refuses to leave anything out. (Okay, that's not true. There's that story that Victoria told in Season 1, the joke of Barney's from Season 4, and his substitution of "sandwiches" for joints and "bagpipes" for loud sex... but you get the idea.) It's the details that make this kitchen. The vintage-looking tin signs, the big chrome light over the sink, the little towel bar for washcloths and spice rack next to the range, the red tea kettle, even the oversized utensil jar on the stovetop. I like to look at the spirit of something, and go from there. So in the spirit of this kitchen, here's a couple of my picks from Etsy:

Vintage Industrial Metal Red and White... by SugarCubeVintage

Mid Century Sconce Lamp by claireferrante (for that pop of orange over the sink)

LYLE Snack Server / Cookie Robot by reclaim2fame (Every kitchen needs an R2-SweetTooth!)

Vintage Wooden Spice Rack by lemontreefarm

Mosaic Serving Tray - Retro Blues by rushcreekmosaics (made in Ohio - just like Ted)

And one more IKEA pick:

KVOT Dish Drainer

I think that about exhausts me. Beyond that, I'm full-on copycatting. I really do love this show, and the design of the kitchen - and the accuracy of it! - plays but a small part in that. One more thing - check out beanforest on Etsy for magnets. They're little and kitschy... and just the thing that would be at home in Ted's kitchen.

September already. Where'd the time go?!

2010-09-06T23:42:00.000-05:00

Now I know I've been an absentee blogger folks, and I'd like to submit my humble apologies to all of you. (Which I'd be glad to do in writing. Seriously - e-mail me your address, and I'll send you a personalized postcard!)

What I've been up to:

My sister got married on 21 August 2010, to a gentleman she's been dating for something like 7 years. It was a largely DIY affair - no wedding planner, no equipment rentals, just hand-making 200 purple boxes and filling them with Hershey kisses, assembling centerpieces, altering bridesmaid dresses, making the garters and the like. It was a LOT of work, but we had a great time, and got some new family members in the mix!
My little brother left for college... the day after the wedding. Let's just say August was packed pretty solid with family activity.
As part of my gift to the happy couple, I re-fabricated a pair or bedside tables I found on craigslist. They were a pair of very simple pine tables, and now they're a very simple pair of pine tables with a lower shelf and a wonderful high-gloss espresso paint job to them! (Post to follow...)
Last night, I completed my attempt at recreating the Kaylee "prairie harpy" dress from the "Out of Gas" and "The Message" episodes of Firefly. I'm content with the results. The pattern on the fabric's a little bigger than I expected, and I took some liberties with the piecing (made it a long tunic rather than a bodice and skirt, eliminated the back zipper since Kaylee never used it anyway, and used a taupe piece of doily for the detail rather than pink), but the spirit remains in tact. As do the voluminous sleeves.
I'll soon be moving... I hope. But more on that later.
The temp dropped like 30 degrees this week. I mean, it's Minnesota, but it's also a huge slap in the face to say "HEY! Turn your calendar page! It's September now!"

I've been looking at Etsy a lot, and thinking that it's really been all about transitions at this time of year, especially late August. With Katie getting married, Tom moving to college and myself and my roommates thinking about upgrading from our apartment, there's a lot going on and a lot to look at and think about.

Blah blah blah. Enough windbagging. Here's some Etsy picks for this time of year.

Penguin Stamp - handcarved by jackbear.
jackbear is a fantastic stamp carver, and I had to give him some props here on the blog. As a shower gift to my sister, I made her a set of Thank You cards, and hand-stamped each one with a swan stamp jackbear customized and carved for me.
Also, my brother's favorite animal for a long time was penguins, so this is a little tribute to both of them.

autumn shine - necklace by airportlovestory
airportlovestory is a delightful 20-something woman who is way ahead of me on her Etsy journey. I met her through Alchemy, we try to keep in touch, and occasionally swap items. Like pen pals, only with crafts! (and it's my turn :/ ) Her shop has come a LONG way since we first met, and it's been fun watching the journey.

kind, caring, compassionate and... - button by beanforest

beanforest's shop reads like a stroll through a very clever, one-off comic book. I went on a shopping spree through his shop just before Christmas last year. This button went to my roommate, Kathy.

My brother and best friends also got some. It's really quite a fun shop, especially if you don't know what to get for someone.

Real comfort Jane Austen mug - by Brookish

I loved this shop so much, I forwarded it via Facebook to my best friend's mother, an English professor and Jane Austen scholar in Cincinnati, Ohio.

1950's Antique Samsonite Luggage - by Ms2SweetVintage
I picked this piece because I just found one and have spent the weekend fixing it up. It's a beautiful piece, and the company had been featured on "Mad Men" - giving credence to its vintage cred.

vintage 1940s dress - by traven7
A beautiful vintage gown to wrap things up!

Well folks, That's that.

Here's to transitions.

How To Grow Your Own Hipster; or: How My Parents Did It.

2010-07-27T10:57:00.000-05:00

According to UrbanDictionary.com, a "hipster" is defined as the following:
Hipsters are a subculture of men and women typically in their 20's and 30's that value independent thinking, counter-culture, progressive politics, an appreciation of art and indie-rock, creativity, intelligence, and witty banter. ... Although "hipsterism" is really a state of mind,it is also often intertwined with distinct fashion sensibilities. Hipsters reject the culturally-ignorant attitudes of mainstream consumers, and are often be seen wearing vintage and thrift store inspired fashions, tight-fitting jeans, old-school sneakers, and sometimes thick rimmed glasses. ... Despite misconceptions based on their aesthetic tastes, hipsters tend to be well educated and often have liberal arts degrees, or degrees in maths and sciences, which also require certain creative analytical thinking abilities. Consequently many hipsters tend to have jobs in the music, art, and fashion industries. It is a myth that most hipsters are unemployed and live off of their parent's trust funds.
Hipsters shun mainstream societal conventions that apply to dating preferences and traditional "rules" of physical attraction. It is part of the hipster central dogma not to be influenced by mainsream advertising and media, which tends to only promote ethnocentric ideals of beauty. ... Hipsters are also very racially open-minded, and the greatest number of interracial couples in any urban environment are typically found within the hipster subculture.
Although hipsters are technically conformists within their own subculture, in comparison to the much larger mainstream mass, they are pioneers and leaders of the latest cultural trends and ideals. For example, the surge of jeans made to look old and worn (i.e. "distressed"), that have become prevalent at stores such as The Gap, American Eagle, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Hollister, were originally paraded by hipsters who shopped in thrift stores years before such clothing items were mass produced and sold to the mainstream consumer. The true irony here is that many of the detractors of hipster culture are in fact unknowingly following a path that hipsters have carved out years before them. This phenomena also applies to music as well, as many bands have become successful and known to mainstream audiences only because hipsters first found and listened to them as early-adopters of new culture. Once certain concepts of fashion and music have reached mainstream audiences, hipsters move on to something new and improved.
Because of the rise of various online photo-blog and social networking sites, insights into urban hipster culture is reaching sheltered suburban audiences at an exponential rate. Cultural "norms" have been deconstructed by hipster culture as a whole. Hipsterism is often dismissed as just an image thing by some, but the culture as a whole is effecting changes in society, leading to feelings of insecurity and resentment in people who are no longer a part of the cultural ruling class. ... Anti-hipster sentiment often comes from people who simply can't keep up with social change and are envious of those who can.
Note: this is definition #1. Further definitions from the website are unnecessary after this comprehensive one, and can get quite demeaning.

"No, we're not shopping there."
In my teenage years, when my ideas about how the world should work were still forming, I was growing up in a household with two younger siblings, a mom in grad school, and my parents got in early with the housing boom and purchased/built a new house. Understandably, we didn't frequent the Gap or Abercrombie, where a single item of clothing was frequently over $20 (and still is). We'd hit Target or Kohl's with a vengeance. And clothes had to LAST. I had several pairs of jeans growing up that would rip and tear all over, and it wasn't until I grew or a hole developed in the crotch that I'd give them up. Every rip, every tear, I wore as a badge of honor and a testament to my active lifestyle. Now, it's the "cool" thing to buy these pre-ripped jeans. I don't understand it. Why do that when you can make your own?
Also, the placement of the local thrift store next to my karate school made spending time there an absolute breeze.

"You can listen to whatever you want."
I don't think that when my parents gave me my first alarm clock radio in the second grade that they intended for it to set me on the path of hipster-hood, but it eventually did. I started by tuning in to the local country music station. The primary reason for this was because my Dad hates country, and I didn't want him in my room (at the age of nine...). When the station I had been tuned to went off the air, I had to find a new one. I discovered "104.1 The Point," a now-defunct alternative rock station. I didn't understand the concept of a station that played a little bit of everything, including local bands, but I liked it. Nay, I loved it. And I still do. I've bounced from alt-rock station to alt-rock station which, while they typically are phased out after a few years, always pop up somewhere else. My "current" favorite is MPR 89.3 The Current which, in addition to being mainly alternative rock and also a generally amazing mix including local bands, is completely member-supported public radio, and the only commercials they have are for themselves.
Also, The Current received a vouch from Wil Wheaton, who, upon discovering it last night while touring in Minneapolis, proclaimed via Twitter: "I think The Current from Minnesota Public Radio is my new favorite radio station." Upon reading that this morning, my nerd-heart gave knucks to my hipster-heart in victory. (Actually, there was an awkward moment where my nerd-heart went up for a high-five, and switched to the fist mid-air.)

"Oh, that's just Neil."
My dad's wonderful cousin, Neil, has been a constant presence on the periphery of my life since my childhood. Ever since my family was still young enough that my grandmother had Christmas with her sisters at Gram and Pappy's house. Now, we're Facebook friends, and it turns out he's had run-ins with a few of my friends at work, and they all adore him. He's always stuck out in my mind as a person in my family to look up to as being connected to his family, his community, and his job.
Oh, yeah, also? He's gay. Always has been. And it's never been a big deal.

"So. Where do you want to go to college?"
I remember high school. Not well, but I do remember it. I remember that awkward time where my future depended on where I went to school. I toured three campuses - all alma maters of my parents - the University of Minnesota, the College of St. Catherine, and the University of St. Thomas - and applied to all three. I had very distinct expectations and things I wanted from each school. I liked the U for its architecture program, St. Thomas for its varied liberal arts degrees and co-ed campus, and St. Kate's for its varied liberal arts degrees and women's campus. When I got the nod from St. Kate's and St. Thomas, and the U deferred my application, I knew I was destined for a liberal arts degree. My "architecture major, English minor" dreams turned to an English major, philosophy minor, and a single math class that I hated.
After my whirlwind tour of the campuses - a day at the U, and a day spent half at St. Kate's and St. Thomas - I quickly realized that St. Kate's was my favorite of the three. There I spent four years, developing a well-rounded education on a campus deeply rooted in the community and yet welcoming of all walks of life. Even men. They just couldn't live there.

Looking back on how I was raised, it's easy for me to see why I've ended up in the particular niche I'm in right now. It's all their fault.

Borrowed from Apartment Therapy

2010-06-24T15:38:00.000-05:00

As a semi-avid blog reader, I sometimes see something that profoundly inspires me to write something here. Today, it was Apartment Therapy's Summer Interview series. The questions are pretty insightful and quick, and I thought I'd give you all a summer update!

SUN OR SHADE?:
I like laying in the sun to relax, but if I'm working on something, there's nothing worse than having the sun beating down on you.

THE COLOR OF SUMMER 2010:
I've been really attached to turquoise lately. I have an upcycled dress in the works!

ALL TIME FAVORITE VACATION LOCATION:
The cabin. It's simple. My family has access to 2 cabins, and I've been going to both since I was a kid. It's always been a great place to escape to.

MOST REFRESHING SUMMERTIME DRINK:
Holy Land lemonade from the International Market at the Minnesota State Fair. It's blended lemonade with mint leaves in it. I need to figure out a way to make it at home!

PLANTED IN THE GARDEN THIS YEAR:
Living in an apartment with no yard, a baby and a cat, planting space is limited. However, on top of my stereo component tower, I have 7 basil plants just about thriving! They're still babies, but they've moved from egg carton to milk carton and are growing fast.

ESSENTIAL SUMMER SONG FOR PARTY PLAYLIST:
"Cold Beverages" by G-Love and the Special Sauce

BEST BOOK IN THE BEACHBAG:
Jimmy Buffet's A Salty Piece of Land.

Post Memorial Day Catch-up Post!

2010-06-01T16:00:00.000-05:00

You read right. Sorry about the absence, folks! My laptop screen went out last week, and before that, I've been swamped with projects (some of which pertain to future entries, so stay tuned!), busy at work, and ran out of energy to update.

So here's the docket for today's entry:
- Friday 5 Catch-up from May 14th: Cooookieeee!
- Memorial Day Round-up: What I intended to do, and what I actually did
- Friday 5 Catch-up from May 28th: Oops!
- and Coming Attractions on the BodiceGoddess blog!

COOOKIEEEE!
What is absolutely the best cookie you’ve ever had?
I made a batch of cookies last fall, the week before my Tiny Roommate was born. I called them "harvest" cookies, and they were a monster cookie mix of pumpkin, oatmeal, craisins, white chocolate and pecans. And man, were they good.

What is a cookie you really don’t care for?
I'll go with the obvious here: oatmeal raisin. I like oatmeal; I like raisins. But somehow, in the traditional recipe, the cookie comes out kind of dry and icky. There are better things you could have done with those ingredients.

What are some other cookies you are rather fond of?
I like cookies with oatmeal (for texture), pumpkin (for moistness) and chocolate (for deliciousness).

Grocery-store cookies are, of course, never as good as anything that comes out of someone’s kitchen, but what’s a packaged cookie that’s still pretty good?
Pepperidge Farm Milanos.

In general, do you think cookies should be chewy and gooey, or should they be crispy and crunchy?
I'm a chewy cookie girl. I'm not a fan of the ones you have to float in milk in order to render them edible. Or ones that leave too many crumbs. I've taken to eating dessert cookies while reading in bed and crumblies are not conducive to good sleeping.

Memorial Day Round-Up
Memorial Day is traditionally a day to celebrate the sacrifices of veterans and those Americans who died in wartime. It's come to represent the unofficial start of summer, and a welcome 3-day weekend just as spring heats up.
Over the past couple of years, in my life, it's meant that the ice is out, the lakes have turned, and the temperatures are warm enough at night for dive camp - SCUBA diving during the day; beers, bonfire and barbecue in the evening, and camping overnight. It's also a cursed weekend, as something bad always happens to someones' car while diving (two years ago, I lost the keys; this year, a friend hit a big rock and broke an axle). This year, however, with my sister's wedding and brother's graduation, Memorial Day means everyone is in town and can help clean my parents' house.
Here was my original plan:
- clean my living room
- reorganize all of my sewing/crafting stuff into a cohesive and accessible series of units
- go swimming with my Tiny Roommate
- help out with cleaning my parents' house
- oversleep
- finish the present for my brand-new SCUBA nephew
- get a sunburn (yeah, yeah, yeah, skin cancer, etc. At least I'm playing outside to do it.)

Here's what actually happened:
Friday: got home from work early and cleaned my living room, and moved all of my sewing stuff into my bedroom. Washed the kitchen floor and did some dishes. Took a long nap, and had rum margaritas and played Trauma Center: New Blood until the margaritas started affecting my dexterity.
Saturday: Went to Mom and Dad's and helped reorg the garage; washed the screens and windows; planted annuals in a series of nice pots; sanded down, shored up and repainted a pair of adirondack chairs for the front porch. Hit a bonfire, had some of that new Grain Belt Premium Nordeast, liked it, and played Rock Band until I passed out at about 3 in the morning. Turns out you can be a rock star, but not a trauma surgeon, with the assistance of alcohol. Went home and got to bed around 5:30 AM.
Sunday: Didn't get up until 3 in the afternoon. I seem to have completely lost track of Sunday, because all I can remember is the delicious pork ribs my Dad made for dinner, and the abnormally packed house at the Chatterbox for karaoke. I guess Sunday must've been my day off.
Monday: Didn't get up until noon, though my cat woke me up at 7 AM. While she understands the concept of weekends, I guess she doesn't get Mondays off. So I read in bed for a bit, and dozed back off. Spent the mid-afternoon at Fort Snelling State Park's swimming beach with my roommates, Mama Bear and Bean (the mother-and-daughter iteration of my 3 roommates). Bean may only be 7 months old, but she's a natural-born swimmer! Loves splashing, doesn't mind getting her face wet, and kicks behind her with minimal coaxing. She'll be a fun student. After swimming, Mama Bear dropped me off at IKEA to meet Mom and my sister, where we picked up a metric f***-ton of supplies for the wedding. Then it was back to Mom and Dad's for spaghetti, working - briefly - on the rehab of my sister's old room, and trying to fix the grill. Got the whole thing taken apart and the crossfire ignition cut to size before finding out that the whole thing was too big for the manifold. x_x Headed back home and worked on my present for my SCUBA nephew for a while, and watched Hulu on my new computer monitor, AKA my TV. By the time I went to bed, I was shocked that it was Monday night already!
So I got a lot done, unfortunately, nothing that involved lowering the teetering piles of craft supplies in my bedroom that my cat has taken to knocking over when I'm not home. Still a victory of a weekend.

OOPS!
In the past month, what was your biggest OOPS?
Leaving the vacuum filter in the parking lot behind my car after painstakingly cleaning it.

In the past month, what inspired you to let out your most heartfelt WHEW?
Don't know, but I probably said something stupid, hoped no one heard it, and no one did.

In the past month, what caused you to say, “HUH?”
One thing, just about every day at work.

In the past month, what influenced the most ZZZZZZZZs?
Memorial Day weekend, and having 3 days off.

In the past month, what was most GRRRRRRRRR-worthy?
General family troubles, but who doesn't have those?

Coming Attractions
Bridesmaid Survival Kit 2: This Time it's Personal.
Apartment Garden progress (We moved the basil on Sunday! That's what I did!)
And other pretty things, like:

Apartment Garden, Day 1

2010-05-08T00:02:00.001-05:00

My roommates and I are itching for some green this spring! Unfortunately, our building doesn't have much in the way of green space outside. We started the next best thing: an apartment garden!

Right now, yes, it looks like a 3rd grade science project, with the seedlings started in an egg carton and 5 sawed-off milk jugs laying in wait for plants, but you know what? Those beans I planted in Mrs. Zywiec's class grew - especially the ones we played music to. So we've got basil, chives and thyme started on the stereo, and I'm hoping to get some lemon ball basil from my cousins.

Also, this is my first post from my Motorola Cliq - here's hoping it works!

Friday 5 for April 30: Red, and May 7: More Colors!

2010-05-07T13:42:00.000-05:00

Almost too appropriate that I missed last week and am catching up today, considering the topics are so well tied together!
Here goes!

April 30: Red

1) What is your favorite red food?
This one's tough, but I'll go with strawberries.

2) When were you last caught red-handed?
Last Saturday, when snuck a few bites of my cousin Piper's Mint Oreo Blizzard when she "wasn't looking." Yeah, it was purposeful red-handness.

3) What’s your nicest red article of clothing?
Probably my new(ish) little tank dress, for its multipurpose usefulness. In terms of actual nicety, then my red bridesmaid dress from my friends' wedding.

4) Who’s got the loveliest red hair?
Christina Hendricks, Esquire's Best Looking Woman. Or Alyson Hannigan, 'cept for the fact that she keeps dying it darker. Also Felicia Day.

5) What are your thoughts on the 2002 Baz Luhrmann film Moulin Rouge!?
Love it. Very trippy and colorful, but I'm a sucker for a musical!

May 7: Colors!

1) Who could be described as a nightmare in pink?
Molly Ringwald?

2) How long does it take you to type “The quick red fox jumps over the lazy dog” on your cell phone or computer keyboard?
Something like 6-8 seconds on the computer, maybe a titch longer on the Moto Cliq.

3) What item in a plain brown wrapper did you most recently receive?
Part of my mom's Mother's Day gift, purchased at the mercantile in Almelund, MN. I won't say what it is (as if she reads this...), but I'll say I found it in the "antique" section, rather than the grocery, soda fountain, or what looked to be a community swap. Might could be a post about this on Sunday...

4) Who’s got the loveliest cinnamon skin?
Variations on a theme here - Gina Torres.

5) When did you last take a walk in the lonely silver rain?
Oh man today at lunch! It's gross out! I don't blame the Twins for postponing tonight's game (inaugural rain delay game!) due to rain.

Bonus Question!
What is the real inspiration for this week’s questions?
I want to say song lyrics, but I'm probably wrong.

There you have it! Another week, another 5. (Plus a bonus 5!)

Feliz Cinco de Mayo!

2010-05-05T12:45:00.001-05:00

Another international holiday, another trip to the Shop Local section of Etsy!

Here's my pics for Cinco de Mayo!

Prism necklace by dikua.
dikua has a small selection of quirky jewelry!

Etsy Support Printable by batzy.
I love the sentiment behind this printable poster! It reminds me that, while I do have a full-time desk job that pays the bills (and actually is pretty interesting), my Etsy shop and costuming business is where my heart's at.

Lilac, sleepy cat by monstersncuties.
Very sweet. Want to cuddle. I can see my tiny roommate chewing on her ear!

Turquoise with moss green pleats zipper pouch by ziazia.
A shop full of totes, messengers, pouches and purses!

red felt octopus by alpinitorrico.
So cute! Also want to cuddle!
Best part? The buttons are pieces of felt, so it's CPSIA-friendly and child-safe!

embroidered greeting card by greenbirddreaming.
I'm a recent convert to how freakin' cool textile art is, and this one serves as a reminder of how close fishing season is!

mexican vintage style pillow cover by arboreto.
I love the bright greens and oranges in this pillow cover! Draws the eye, but still looks like it'd be at home in my giant pile of pillows. The back is a bright pink!

After compiling items from all over Mexico, I'm realizing how bent I am toward bright greens, reds and pinks right now. Must be spring in the air!

Two years.

2010-04-28T10:20:00.001-05:00

Has it been that long?

Two years ago, I was living in a little 700-square-foot apartment in Merriam Park a block away from O'Gara's with a circus performer.
Two years ago, I was working a hateful job at an embroidery shop, doing everything short of the finances and the embroidery itself - the work of two or three people - and was barely making ends meet.
Two years ago, I had lost faith in radio, and listened exclusively to my iPod or CDs.
Two years ago, I drove a PT Cruiser automatic with a 6-CD changer and a moon roof.

Two years ago, my world was shaken by the emotional earthquake that was losing my grandmother. And I'm still feeling the aftershocks.

Since then, I've been trying so hard to live the life she'd have wanted me to live. I've been doing things I hope she's proud of and, well, some other things I hope she looks the other way on.
Today, I live in a 3-bedroom apartment with a couple and their 6-month-old daughter. I'm able to see my Tiny Roommate grow and change incrementally every day. And I've seen her, cradled by her grandmother, in one of the chairs that used to belong to mine.
Today, I'm working as a "temporary employee" at a company I've been at for over a year now. It's the longest I've stayed in one place. The people here are phenomenal, and sometimes that's half the battle. The other half is the work itself - it's constantly changing and, therefore, never boring.
Today, I listen to MPR 89.3, The Current. Alternative music with a local bent to it, and completely supported by member contributions. Every shred of faith in radio I had lost was returned the day I discovered The Current.
Today, I drive a Jeep Wrangler manual with crank windows, manual locks, and both a hard top and a soft top (or I can go topless). I learned how to drive a manual, and listening to the Current more than replaces the CD changer.

Today, I'm still feeling the aftershocks.
It's a big year in my family, with my brother graduating from high school and my sister getting married. My cousin Kyle just had his first communion as well. There's a lot going on that she's not here for. (And yeah, part of me wanted to end that sentence with "that she's missing," but that's hardly fair at all.)
The one scenario my sister and I keep playing over and over is Grandma, up in the Great Beyond, with her sister-in-law, Rose. Grandma and Aunt Rose passed away about a month apart, and, having married brothers, were pretty close. Rose's grandchild is getting married on the same day as my sister. I can only imagine the hijinks that will ensue up Yonder and, having seen the two of them at weddings before, I can only hope that there's cab drivers there, too.

Friday 5 for April 23: The Bard (though I'm rolling late on this one!)

2010-04-26T13:48:00.000-05:00

This week's Friday 5 honors Shakespeare's birthday! Fun for me because of all those collegiate-level courses... and my "Shakespeare's Contemporaries" seminar. You know, the one that gives you the major? That one.
Here we go!

1) In A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Lysander says,
“Ay me! for aught that I could ever read,
Could ever hear by tale or history,
The course of true love never did run smooth…”
How has this proven (or not proven) to be the case in your life?
It never does. In relationships, and even with the things I love to do. Take sewing. When I'm working on a project, I'll get so entranced in it that I'll forget to eat, or stay up until 4 in the morning fixing a mistake I made at 2am. It's a battlefield. But seeing that completed project, and getting to see (or not!) the life it has after me... that's love. And it's not easy.

2) In Hamlet, the title character says, “Frailty, thy name is woman!” Who in your life has proven this not to be true? And if you’re willing to share, who in your life has proven this to be completely true?
Oh man, easy: I witnessed my friend, Kathy, give birth to her daughter, Illyanna. The only drug she had was pitocin, which is a synthetic hormone. No painkillers. And twenty-six hours of labor. Ain't nothin' frail about that.
As for someone who has proven it to be true... I'm not going to answer that one.

3) In The Merry Wives of Windsor, Pistol says,
“Why then the world’s mine oyster,
Which I with sword will open.”
Ignoring the possible sexual meaning here, how do you feel about oysters?
Wow, yeah, that is dirty.
I love oysters, actually. It kind of freaks me out how much I like them. But between my ever-present love of seafood, and my dad's recent turn toward it, we've definitely split an oyster bar at one of the restaurants around here. I'd love to do it again. Damn, that was good.

4) In The Merchant of Venice, Lorenzo says,
“The man that hath no music in himself,
Nor is not mov’d with concord of sweet sounds,
Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils.”
Do you agree, and have you known anyone who seemed to be completely unmoved by any kind of music?
I agree with my whole heart, and cannot abide by people who do not have wide-ranging and ever-changing tastes in music. Those people bother me, and I don't really associate with them.

5) Is Shakespeare overrated, or is he truly the western world’s greatest writer?
This isn't an either/or question, really. Yes, I think Shakespeare is a tad bit overrated, and no, he's not the western world's greatest writer. I think that the fact that Shakespeare overshadows his contemporaries isn't fair. Yeah, he did a lot more writing than most of them, but there are other good plays and written works from that period. He's not the greatest writer in the western world, either, because other writers have had different impacts and affect people differently.

Events Roundup: Kick off Springtime and Support Your Local!

2010-04-23T15:11:00.000-05:00

We've got a big weekend ahead of us here in Minnesota's capital city of St. Paul, and a lot of events that won't take more than a bus ride or a choice parking space and a good pair of sneakers to visit. Here we go!

Saint Paul Art Crawl

Friday, 23 April, from 6-10pm

Saturday, 24 April, from noon-8pm

Sunday, 25 April, from noon-5pm

This tour of the Lowertown area of St. Paul covers three of my favorite things about St. Paul: the access to public art, free shuttle rides, and cool old buildings and spaces. It's a fantastic opportunity to meet local artists and see where they work, what they do, and how they do it. Kudos to all of the artists to have opened up their studios to any and all who come by - I'll try to stop by this Saturday or Sunday!

Saint Paul Farmer's Market

Saturdays 6-11am

Sundays 8am-1pm

The St. Paul Farmer's Market opens this Saturday, 24 April, for their 2010 season! They'll be open until the end of November. Hey - if you're already in Lowertown for the Art Crawl, check it out! Grab a bag of fresh-from-the-garden produce and head into a warehouse to check it out. There's also great people-watching, a good selection of produce and fresh flowers, and occasionally street musicians and performers.

Check out the website for more locations and dates. Farmer's markets are a great way to support the local economy, and stay a little more green. Buying local cuts down on shipping and production costs. And it's good for you, too.

Alter/Nation: clothing exchange and creative evolution

Saturday 24 April, 1-6pm at The Bottling House

I know I was highlighting St. Paul, but don't be afraid of the twin across the river. On Saturday in Minneapolis, MNfashion Week is sponsoring the Alter/Nation event, promoting the creative reuse of garments otherwise thrown away or forgotten in the back of the closet. CounterCouture hosts, along with Ever After Gowns, Anthem Heart, Yelp, taj salon & spa, Je Ne Regrette Rien and I’ve Got Your Style, with the help of volunteers.

The event includes, but is not limited to, a clothing swap, formal dress donation, on-site tailoring and alterations, fashion shows, live screen printing, and even hair and make-up. Check out the link (above) for more info on the Facebook event page!

MNfashion Week is going strong!

Check out the various event continuing through this weekend, culminating in Christopher Straub's premiere of his new collection at the St. Paul Hotel on Sunday night. (Yes, the Chris Staub from Project Runway - he's local!)

At any rate, even if it's raining, there's plenty to do! So go out, explore the capital and its twin, and support your local!

by Maggie

(cross-posted in Maggie's Etsy team blog, HandmadeMN)

Celebrating Earth Day - Do You Have the Skills?

2010-04-22T14:00:00.008-05:00

I was excited when, a few years ago, the Discovery Channel created "Planet Green." It's a wonderful channel with a lot of good ideas, and a pretty comprehensive website. I found the article "99 Skills for an Eco-Friendly DIY Lifestyle" to be particularily interesting, especially since I already do a lot of these things myself!

Here's some tips of my own based on Planet Green's list:

16. Have a repertoire of vegetarian recipes you can use for various occasions.
For lunch today, I had tabouli, a wonderful Mediterranean dish that's easy and cheap to make, and delicious to eat.
2 c bulgur wheat and 2 c water - saturate until it's done.
Add: chopped bundle of parsley, 1 cucumber, 1 tomato, a couple of tablespoons of lemon and a tablespoon or so of oil. You can also add mint or black pepper depending on how you like the taste. It's good as a salad, or on pita bread, and it's 100% veg and diabetic friendly - no meat, and bulgur has a low glycemic index.

28. Sew well enough to make your own clothing and reusable shopping bags.
Can do! As I said in an earlier post, I am endeavoring this year to buy as few new pieces of clothing as possible, and instead try to recycle what I have or buy second-hand. Though, I'll admit, I caved and bought a Woot Shirt last week.

44. Find what you need by bartering, or using CraigsList, eBay, and thrift stores.
I'm a big fan of this method of furnishing my apartment. In fact, all of my furniture is either inherited, a craigslist or garage sale find, or salvaged from the trash. And you know what they say about one person's trash.

53. Plant a garden for your climate
This one's a big deal here in Minnesota. The growing season here is pretty short. I also have the added difficulty of living in an apartment with no yard to speak of. However, my roommmates and I have plans in place for an apartment garden, where we'll grow herbs in old milk cartons. Just like elementary school.

69. Know how to use herbs and natural remedies to treat common illnesses.
Not enough people know how to do this right, and it bugs me. Yeah, you can go out and spend all your money on Tylenol Cough and Cold and Excedrin Migraine, but here's a thought: read the labels. Understand them. Tylenol and Excedrin have the same main active ingredient - acetaminophen. The only difference is the side stuff. Tylenol PM is acetaminophen and diphenhydramine, which is the active ingredient of Benadryl. Excedrin is usually acetaminophen and caffeine. Just knowing that can help cut down on the number of pill bottles in the cupboard, the danger of combining meds and overdosing, and the tendancy to spend too much on those tiny little bottles.
In terms of natural remedies, ginger can be used to treat upset stomachs.
Coffee and other foods with natural caffeine can help to treat headaches.
Honey can treat pink eye.

74-78 are Transportation Skills.
One thing I'd definitely add to this is "Utilize public transportation." Here in the Twin Cities, Metro Transit does a pretty good job of making sure folks can get to one area from another. It is possible now to get from the Mall of America to Elk River by train, with one transfer from the Hiawatha LRT to the North Star at Target Field. I might just do it for the hell of it one of these days.
While they don't yet have an app for the iPhone or Android market, the website's pretty comprehensive, and they stay on top of the schedules.

85-99 are Conservation Skills.
Embrace Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is really what these amount to. If you don't have to create garbage, don't. If you do, create as little as possible. And if you have to throw something away, know how. Old TVs, coumputers and batteries have special disposal places and methods. Recycle bins aren't just meant for the kitchen - those boxes that toothpaste comes in and empty toilet paper rolls are paper recyclables. Sort accordingly.

Happy Earth Day!

Coming soon: A preview post of weekend events around St. Paul and possibly Minneapolis, highlighting springtime and staying green!

Friday 5 for April 16: Faces

2010-04-16T14:47:00.000-05:00

It's time for this week's Friday 5!

1) How’s your poker face?
Terrible. I can come up with elaborate deceptions, but when it comes to little things like that... I can't seem to hide it. Like when I think of a really good joke. I typically have to tell it twice because I laugh the whole first time.

2) When were you last red-faced?
Angry? Embarrassed? Probably yesterday. Had a bad day yesterday, got angry, and I was in my car and hot, so that could also have been a contribution.

3) When will it be time for you to face the music?
When I get to a point where I'm able to pay all of my bills instead of picking and choosing all the time.

4) What’s an issue about which you’ve done an about-face?
Capital punishment. I used to be whole-hock against it, but as I've gotten older, I can see the merit.

5) Who’s overdue for some face-time with you?
Mr. Ware Carlton-Ford. I haven't seen him since, like, last decade, and due to not having the money for gas, I haven't been able to make it down to Illinois, either.

There it is - another week, another 5.

I'll be posting every day next week with reduce, reuse and recycle entries for Earth Day! So many cool ideas, so little time.

Friday 5 for April 9: Multimedia

2010-04-09T15:19:00.000-05:00

This week's topic is multimedia and, after looking at the questions, I think they mean in the traditional sense - music, movies, the paper, TV and the radio. All topics I'm all about.

1) What Rolling Stones song best summarizes the week you just had?
Hmm. Good one. Because I did have a birthday this week, and it's been a very productive and social week. Hmm.
Probably "Shattered" because it's catchy.

2) What movie reminds you most of your childhood?
Definitely "The Little Mermaid" or "Hook."

3) What part of the newspaper do you never (or almost never) read?
The Classified section or, honestly, the Front Page. I typically skip right on ahead to Local.

4) What television show is a lot better than you thought it would be?
Glee. I thought it looked like another stupid teeny-bopper show, but now I'm so hooked on it it's kind of ridiculous.

5) What station is the radio nearest you set on at this moment?
Thankfully, 89.3 The Current from MPR. Thanks again for the radio, Mom!

There you have it - another week, another 5!

Two bits!

2010-04-06T14:26:00.002-05:00

Today is my 25th birthday. Feels like a regular day, save for the free eatings and the fresh flowers on my desk from my dad. But yeah - another year has passed since my birth.

To commemorate this fact, I'm putting together a playlist.
25 songs, one from each year since I've been born.
Let these songs reflect my beautiful me-ness.

1985 - "How Soon is Now?", The Smiths
1986 - "Danger Zone", Kenny Loggins
1987 - "The Way You Make Me Feel", Michael Jackson
1988 - "Where is My Mind?", The Pixies
1989 - "And So It Goes", Billy Joel
1990 - "Birdhouse in Your Soul", They Might Be Giants
1991 - "Under the Bridge", Red Hot Chili Peppers
1992 - "To Be With You", Mr. Big
1993 - "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)", The Proclaimers
1994 - "Undone (The Sweater Song)", Weezer
1995 - "You Oughtta Know", Alanis Morissette
1996 - "One Way Ticket (Because I Can)", LeAnn Rimes
1997 - "Crazy Game of Poker", O.A.R
1998 - "Tainted Love", Johnny Clueless (cover)
1999 - "She's So High", Tal Bachman
2000 - "Space Cowboy (Yippie-Yi-Yay)", *NSync Featuring Lisa "Left-Eye" Lopes
2001 - "One Step Closer", Linkin Park (AKA the "shut up" song)
2002 - "Dreaming Of You", The Coral
2003 - "Are You Gonna Be My Girl", Jet
2004 - "Hey Ya!", OutKast
2005 - "Sex at Six", The Profits
2006 - "Dreaming With a Broken Heart", John Mayer
2007 - "Not Ready to Make Nice", Dixie Chicks
2008 - "If It Kills Me", Jason Mraz
2009 - "The Devil and Maggie Chascarillo", Lucero
2010 - "Written in Reverse", Spoon

Friday 5 for April 2: Baskets

2010-04-02T11:32:00.000-05:00

This week's Friday 5 is in honor of this weekend's festivities, including, but not limited to, Easter. I'm also stoked about the Twins debut at Target Field, and the wonderful picnic weather! What's more fitting than a Friday 5 about baskets?

1) What is your laundry basket like?
Which one? I have 3 - one is from IKEA, and it's abused, ripped, and non-functioning for the time being. Then I have a tall one and a short and wide one filled with clean laundry and dirty laundry, respectively.

2) What in your life is threatening to go to hell in a handbasket?
Oh man, what isn't? Most of all, probably my financial situation. I owe a LOT to my student loans, I'm paying off a car, and I've been living paycheck-to-paycheck for like three years. It kind of blows, and any period of unemployment hurts me for MONTHS, but I'm working on it.

3) What was the occasion for your receiving your last gift basket, and what was in it?
My cousin, Kyle, got me one of those awesome red apple baskets full of fruit for Christmas. I think I'm going to turn it into incidental yarn storage. It's a really cute basket!

4) When could you last have been described as a basket case?
Um... only always.

5) How’s your bread basket?
Mmmm... hungry probably. According to the game of Operation, your bread basket's your belly, right? Mine's still got some winter weight on it, but I'm working on that.

So there it is - another week, another 5.

Coming next week! I turn 25, Easter recap, and a "how I made my own portfolio" tutorial. And Booth and Bones finally make out. I hope.

Resolved: No new clothes for 2010.

2010-03-30T12:03:00.000-05:00

You heard me. It's taken me almost 4 months, but it just makes sense as a new year's resolution. I won't buy any new clothes this year.

Allow me to explain. I've recently discovered upcycling as a method of coming upon clothing. Turns out I'd been doing it for years - taking my younger sister's hand-me-ups or raiding my roommates' closets and car trunks for a quick fix to a wardrobe emergency. When said sister and roommates relinquish the clothes to me with an "It just doesn't fit me anymore!", I feel like I have license to perform alterations. I've already altered an old pair of jeans into a pair of snug-fitting knee-length 50s style pants. I turned a 2-sizes-too-big mock turtleneck sweater (ick) into a tailored scoop neck that fits me perfectly.
I am particularily inspired by my copy of the Winter 2010 issue of Altered Couture and the work of the local designer group, Counter Couture. The idea that someone's unwanted bridesmaid dress or old jacket could be turned into art is something that I can certainly get behind.

The rules: No new clothes this year.
The challenge: Shopping only on craigslist, at thrift stores, and through trades, I will make it a year without purchasing any new outerwear. Fabric can be purchased, though preferably, it's salvaged from another item.
After my alterations fervor in the beginning of this year and in the wake of making my Christmas dress, I can certainly do it.
Does not include my bridesmaid's dress for my sister's wedding in August, though, since my parents pitched in for that, I'm not sure that it counts (thanks, Mom!). Also does not include underwear, socks, shoes and really anything that a) wears out quick and I can't make myself, and 2) gifts. I'll accept gifts for sure. (Special Note to Laura: April 6 is around the corner. Chip and Dale's Rescue Rangers?)
Also - I'm a bit behind on this, since I purchased a pair of jeans in February. They were on sale, fit me great, and I was running out of pairs that fit. And my sister was buying me Levi's that day. 2 pair will get me through the year.

Projects already in the works (or on the list of ideas) are a 1940s styled swimsuit, made from a sundress and an old shirt, and that COAT!

No worries, noble few! I will keep you updated, especially in regard to the swimsuit. After my last half-failed, half-complete success at making a swimsuit from a pair of tee shirts, we'll see how this goes!

The Friday 5 of Sleep, and some geekdom gushing.

2010-03-26T11:38:00.000-05:00

Oh man. Sleep. One of my favorite subjects. One I've had a lot of experience with, and a lot to say! Here goes:

1) How many hours’ sleep do you need in order to be at your best, and what’s the minimum you can get on a regular basis and still be functional?
On average, I need probably about 7 hours to be at my very best. However, I have had weeks where I stay up late, and can get by on about 4. Getting by is helped on by frequent napping during the day, including catnaps during commercials, and full-on sleeping through "Two and a Half Men."

2) What’s your favorite sleeping position?
For sleep-sleep? I'm definitely a side or belly sleeper. For naps, I prefer sitting up or laying on my back. It's how my brain separates the two.

3) What was the cause of your most recent difficulty sleeping?
An hour-and-a-half nap at about 8:30 to like 10 last night. I woke up feeling really refreshed... but dammit if I actually needed it then.

4) When you can’t seem to drift off to sleep right away, what are some things you do to bring about sleep?
I have a CD in my old alarm clock that has my sleepytime music on it. Reading usually knocks me out. Failing that, I pull up my computer, open up Hulu or throw in a DVD. There's something about watching TV in bed that just lulls me to sleep. Also? I'll highly recommend going out and getting Hulu Desktop. It's pretty much the best program to have at your disposal for times like this.

5) When did you last doze off at an inappropriate time or in an inappropriate place?
Probably yesterday. There was a lull in my work day, and I dozed for a little while. I'll admit it. Woke up feeling great, and kicked ass for the remainder of the day.

There it is - another week, another 5!

On to the geekery.
April is one of my favorite months of the year due to the end of the hockey season and the start of the baseball season, the sprouting of crocuses, the opening of windows and Farmer's Markets, and my birthday. Now I have something else to look forward to: new episodes of Fringe.
Fringe has become one of my favorite shows, partially due to the fact that I've recently converted to JJ Abrams-ism, and mostly due to my deep and abiding affection for Joshua Jackson. Any show that can, convincingly and perfectly, use "Single Ladies" as the backing track to a woman and her 9-year-old niece playing Operation is all right by me.
But COMING APRIL 1! We get to find out Peter's backstory. It's been bugging Fringe viewers since mid-season 1, and the fact that they're putting it in Season 2 is awesome. (As opposed to waiting 5 seasons and delivering it all in a vomit of backstory that washes over us in a wave and forces us to watch twice... LOST viewers you know what I'm talking about. Seen "Ab Aeterno" yet?)
What makes it more awesome is the casting of Orla Brady as Peter's mother and Walter's wife. I've been wanting to know more about her (Mama Bishop) for a long time, and I love the actress. She's both gorgeous and adorable - kind of like an Irish Audrey Hepburn. Just timelessly pretty, with a voice like a viola. And, as Colm Meaney's character in "The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns" says: "A figgur that'd make a monk cry."
Also, she's now the connecting link between Star Trek (TNG and DS9), The Mighty Ducks, Lord of the Rings and Nathional Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.
/end geekery

Friday 5: Chit-Chat

2010-03-19T10:50:00.000-05:00

This week, I will attempt to seriously answer the questions normal Americans usually cast no more than a passing comment at.

1) “Come here often?”
(assuming this happens at my local pub): "Every Sunday and Wednesday when I can afford it. This place is my Cheers!"
(Nod to Chatterbox Pub in Highland Park - karaoke twice a week from 8:30pm to 12:30 or whenever the manager asks us to leave.)

2) “What’s new?”
Not much, honestly. Still attending karaoke every week, still living with a couple and their daughter, still making stuff with yarn and fabric. I'll be creating a few costumes for Urban Spectrum Theatre's dance and fashion production of "Alice in Wonderland"! I'm excited about it. The looks I'm working on will be on sale after the production, which is happening the weekend before the "Destination: Outer Space" premieres!
(No worries, blog followers! I'll keep you posted and let you know more in May!)

3) “[insert your recent weather condition here] enough for ya?”
Oh, we had a warm week! I had my window open until last night when everything froze. This is great! It means the maple trees are running, and I'll have a quart of fresh syrup by Easter!

4) “How’s it hangin?”
Provided no one has knocked it down again? Well. I hope.

5) “How ’bout them [insert local sports team here]?”
Well, the Wild are doing okay, and the Twins are still in spring training. My sports brain turns "off" during March to avoid March Madness.

There you have it! Another week, another 5.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T12:47:00.002-05:00

Sitting here, eating my leftover corned beef and cabbage from my triumphant batch last night, and wondering... what should I do to commemorate this, the only holiday that makes people immediately think of Ireland?

Etsy's blog, The Storque, put out a wonderful post of green items - green as in, wear it and you won't get pinched. I thought about it, and I'm trying a different tack: I hit the "Shop Local" section, typed in "Ireland," hit "enter," and this is what I found.

Handmade Necklace green Silver Foil Beads by lindsaycrafts.
lindsaycrafts has a great selection of both jewelry and handspun yarn.

Eoin the Bear by TheIrishBearCo.
Complete with handknit Donegal wool sweater and handmade Donegal tweed pants!

French Vanilla Bridal Wrap by bonzie.
Leave it to Waterford to have a resident create something that exquisite.

An Irish Heart. Set of 5 Paper Baubles. by TanyaMac.
Too green to pass up here!

Owl on a stick mobile by ememem.
Her Galway shop just about melted my heart with all of its woollen critters!

Paddy the rat drinking Guinness in a quiet pub - 5x7 print of an original drawing by Tanya Bond from tanyabond's shop.
He looks like a regular - like he's there every night, and that's his usual. Maybe it's women troubles...

Gran Canarian Heartsong by Lysulka.
Handknit and hand painted. If there's anything else Ireland is known for besides drinking, fighting, and not having snakes, please, please let it be lace making.

Want to give it a try yourself? Check out Shop Local - Ireland!

Did you know?
Corned beef, as we know it today in the US, is primarily our own doing as Irish Americans. Beef in Ireland was traditionally corned and shipped to the US as an export due to the prevalance of rented land by cattle farmers. Here in the US, beef was less expensive than the real Irish darling, bacon, and Irish immigrants salted the meat to preserve it and ate it instead.
In the UK, "corned beef" is known as "pickled beef," and is more like SPAM than the briskets we buy and eat for St. Paddy's.

As an added bonus, here's a quick recipe for corned beef, cabbage and stewed veggies. Also known as "what I made last night that rocked my socks off."
In your pasta pot, put in:
about 2 lbs corned beef
1 large white onion, diced
3 carrots, sliced
3 stalks celery, sliced
2 white russet potatoes, diced (or 5 red potatoes, diced)
...and cover with water. Spice to your liking - I used "pickling spices," which includes mustard seed, coriander and thyme, and added sea salt, parsley and peppercorns.
Bring to a boil, and simmer for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, slice up and add one half cabbage, remembering to take out the bitter core (learn from my mistake!), and simmer for another hour or two, or until cabbage is tender. Take the brisket out and slice it.

Then eat, papa, eat! Delicious and filling, as long as your watch out for peppercorns.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Friday 5: Deadlines

2010-03-12T11:11:00.000-06:00

It's finally Friday! Awesome. And, as a procrastinator, I'm going to be ashamed of my answers here, and I apologize to anyone who's had to put up with that.

1) When was the last time you had a serious deadline to make, and did you make it?
The last one I can think of is my Christmas dress. I made a dress to wear on Christmas Day and to midnight mass, so I had to have it done by the time I went to bed on the 23rd. I stayed up an extra hour after completion to re-make the collar because it was too high up on my neck. I ended up not going to bed until about 4am, but I finished the dress! And it looks amazing.

2) Do you generally plan for deadlines, or are they more likely to sneak up on you until you’re frantic?
More of the sneaking thing. I'm really not great with deadlines. And I feel like I disappoint folks when I do it, too.

3) When did you last set a deadline for someone else, and did that person make it?
I rarely set deadlines for other people unless absolutely necessary. Usually, they don't meet them, so I don't give myself any expectations.

4) How flexible and understanding are you when it comes to other people meeting your deadlines?
If I set a deadline, I typically allow for them to not make it. It's easier that way to be flexible.

5) What were the circumstances the last time you hung up on someone in the middle of a phone call, or the last time someone hung up on you in the middle of a phone call?
This one's usually due to frustration or disconnection.

There you have it - another week, another 5!

I want that coat: a costumer's journey.

2010-03-12T10:22:00.001-06:00

Well, folks, as per my own personal usual, I have another project I've given myself: a new coat.

I love movies, television and miniserieses (miniserie? miniserum? miniserieses.) so much that I've fallen in lust with a few completely different coats. Living in Minnesota means I can never have too many coats, so it really only makes sense that I put forth a little time and effort to making my own. (In case you were wondering: a brown trench, a navy blue peacoat, a grey overcoat, a black overcoat, and a black and red ski jacket.) I don't plan to be done until next fall or winter, but it's a good idea to get started now.

I'm starting with evaluating my favorite coats for what I like best. I've decided to exclude Malcolm Reynolds' Browncoat not because I don't like it, but because he's a boy, and I really love tailoring details. No worries, folks - some of my favorite detail of the Browncoat show up in some of the following, too.

This coat is from SyFy's "Alice", released near the end of last year. It looks absolutely gorgeous and comfortable, and, in the context of the story, it's a gift from Hatter to Alice, so it's kind of a big deal.

What I like about it:
- deep color: That purple is beautiful.
- fabric: It's very clearly velvet.
- cuffs: These wide and turned cuffs match the style of the coat beautifully.
- trim: The trim of this coat matches, but is a different texture, and highlights the edges of the coat quite nicely.
- buttons: I love huge buttons.
- flare: The bottom flares out a bit, allowing for a skirt.

This coat is a different Alice - Tim Burton's iteration, played by Mia Wasikowska. (Minor spoilers ahead.) This is the coat from the ending scene of the film, in which Alice is an explorer here, building upon her experiences in Wonderland. It's that same light blue color we're used to seeing on Alice, but its length, collar and style clearly state that she'll be standing on the deck of the ship, no matter what the weather.

What I like about it:
- collar: It's not the huge Elizabethan stand-up, but is instead that little bit of "just enough" and would easily accomodate a scarf.
- clean lines: The tailoring of this coat is GORGEOUS. It almost looks as if it has some corset style construction in the main body of it, and fits her body really well. It seems to follow the same lines as a "paletot," a type of mid-length coat from the mid-1800s.
- length: Long enough to cover a dress, short enough to stay off the ground. "Short Skirt, Long Jacket" indeed. Also, the front appears to be slightly shorter than the back.
- flare: Following along with the 1800s nature of the costuming, the bottom of this coat clearly accomodates a skirt.
- buttons: Lots of 'em. They provide another clean line down the center.

Yeah, I went there. Kahlen from the "Legend of the Seeker" series. Say what you will about the show itself, but DAMN is the costuming fantastic! I knew I loved Kahlen's coats within the first fifteen minutes of the show.
What I like about them:
- hood: The hood is voluminous and fantastic. When up, it frames the face. When down, it forms the lapels and highlights the back of the coat.
- closure: Not buttons or a tie, but lacing and buckles. I'm a big fan of the lacing on her white coat. It's a lot of fun, though I think it would annoy me if I had to lace and unlace my coat all the time. If I had a belt with a buckle like that to keep my coat closed, however...
- fabric: It does not matter if she's wearing her thicker green traveling coat or the thinner white Confessor's coat, the draping is absolutely fantastic.

This last coat is from another obscure source: NBC's "The 10th Kingdom", from the golden age of meniserieses in the late 90s. Virginia, the main character, wears this coat through most of the show. It's not talked about or even really mentioned at all - it's simply her constant and silent companion as she journeys through the Nine Kingdoms. I've been stuck on this coat for ten years.
What I like about it:
- buttons: They're huge, and they look to be vintage or handmade. Who can go wrong?
- lapels: I'm stuck on the wide lapels, and the big buttons frame them really nicely.
- collar: It's very similar to the Alice the Explorer coat from above in that it's "just enough" of a collar.
- liner: I adore this liner. It's gorgeous. It's like a little secret that the coat would love to share with you, but you had damn well better earn it. It's like the bright orange liner in the Joker's purple coat from "The Dark Knight." I'm not the only one who noticed that, right?
- trim: This coat, like the SyFy Alice coat, has a defined trim to it. Instead of being the same color as the outer, the trim mirrors the color of the liner and provides just a bit more to the coat itself.
- fabric: Wonderful. Looks to be a wool blend, mostly a grey-blue, but it does have hints of that burgundy from the liner.

Based on my favorites above, I've come to the following conclusions:
- fabric: A wool or wool blend or something tweedy, in a deep and rich color. No, I haven't decided which yet, but I have ideas.
- collar: A little bit of stand-up like the Alice the Explorer coat.
- lapels: Wide, but able to come together to close up the coat.
- tailoring and trim: Trim in a complementary color, tailored to fit over a sweater underneath.
- flare and length: Thigh length with a bit of skirt flare to it. I like having a coat that drapes. Though I really love the swoop in the Alice the Explorer coat.
- liner: A fun and complementary color. I have some wine-colored wool/lycra blend at home that is calling to be used for a project like this.
- cuffs: I love having turned-up cuffs. I've never had them on a coat before, but I'd certainly love to.
- pockets. Not really mentioned above, but a coat's got to have pockets.
Most of these ideas are the complete opposite of the Kahlen coats, so I'm considering making a Kahlen-styled cloak for use primarily at the Renaissance Festival, though with the ability to be used in the "real world."

Pattern Source Ideas:
Simplicity 3628 - Several styles of tailored jackets. (I like the red one and the purple one.)
Simplicity 2581 - Long length, 1920s style historical coats.
Butterick 4954 - Historical pattern, pelisse style.
Vogue V8465 - I don't know why I'm so drawn to this one... but I am.
Butterick B5425 - Just about perfect.

The Friday 5: Staples

2010-03-05T12:26:00.000-06:00

And not the office kind.

1) Of all the hundreds of sizes and shapes bread seems to come in, what is your favorite?
Hmm... A difficult question, especially since I worked in a bakery! I'll have to go with... probably... a basket style loaf (kinda wide sandwich bread), or hallah, because it's typically all fancy and braided.

2) What’s your favorite thing to eat with rice?
Cheese. Okay, if rice isn't the main dish, then probably ring bologna and green beans, or chow mein.

3) What are your feelings about milk?
Love it.

4) What was wrapped in the tortilla you most recently ate?
Probably Chipotle.

5) How many staplers are there in your house and where are they?
I know I have one either in my room in the desk, or in the office in my box of misc. office supplies. And Brent probably has one on his desk, too.

So there you go - another week, another 5!

Friday 5: Comparisons

2010-02-26T10:51:00.000-06:00

I get to compare myself to others this week. We'll see how this goes...

1) What’s something you do more quickly than most people?
Standardized tests for sure - I kind of fly through those. That, and I tend to learn information and retain it at a pretty high level as well.

2) What’s something you do more carelessly than most people?
Talk. I think I briefly covered this last week, but I frequently speak without really thinking about it. As if my opinion matters 100% at that very moment. It's off-putting for a lot of people - especially when I say something sarcastic or borderline offensive. I really should check myself, but I don't. Whoops!

3) What’s something you do more slowly than most people?
I eat pretty slow - especially with taco salad. I'm pretty much always the last to leave the table. It's driven my parents nuts for years.

4) What’s something you do more carefully than most people?
Write. I'm quite critical of my writing. I try to write how I talk, but it doesn't always work out that way, and I agonize over every word. As a result, my writing (and text messaging!) is full of ellipses (...) and dashes.

5) In what contexts are you more patient than most people?
I'm pretty patient when it comes to people in general. I do my best to, at the very least, tolerate everyone. Comes in handy when I'm doing customer service, though in that case, I do have a tendancy to snap after a while. But I snap in private.

You all can't tell, but these took a while to answer! I don't often compare myself to others, so this was a very interesting, introspective and fun week!

Take a look at my Etsy team's blog at HandmadeMN.com - all local artists, and I'm soon to become a contributing writer! Watch for my first article sometime this week.

Stay tuned for more - another week, another 5.

Closing the shutters... for now.

2010-02-22T10:59:00.000-06:00

After careful consideration, I've decided to put my Etsy shop in Vacation Mode for a little while.

I've been a frustrated and nearly unsuccessful seller on Etsy for about a year now, and it's time for me to reevaluate my shop strategies. I have such varied tastes and talents that it seems almost wasteful to not find more ways to expand outside of Etsy, but at the same time, it's nice to have an outlet for my creativity and for a destash of my projects.

*sighs*
I feel like I may be disappointing some folks by nailing up the clapboards for a time, but rest assured: I am still taking Alchemy requests. I am still bidding on Alchemy posts. I am working on personal projects as well, and have a wealth of things I'd like to add to my repertoire. Here's the current list:

I just finished my first "Strategic Sweetheart" corset last night, inspired by TacticalCorsets.com's collection. Lace-up back, zip-up front, button pockets. 'Twill be tested this weekend at the Ari Herstand DVD Release concert at the Fine Line! Pictures to follow!
I inherited a wealth of jeans and khakis from my roommate, since she's been granted the gift of hips from her baby daughter. The current plan is to turn them into "map bags" - the dwarf cousin of the messenger bag.
I'd love to turn my "Bridesmaid Survival Bag" into an item on Etsy, but for now, I'll leave it until the series is complete.
Not to mention bridesmaid, groomsmen, bride, groom, and newlywed gifts!
I'm still in the testing phase when it comes to recycled products, but I am going to have an entry in the HandmadeMN March "Go Green" Challenge! More to follow in a blog post; I'm really excited about the results so far.
I also have this pipe dream of destashing my old fabric strips from my grandmother's quilting projects into kitschy decorative wreaths for all seasons. We'll see where that takes me.

If any of you folks have suggestions for me for future ventures, I'd love to hear them!

MY BODY HURTS.

2010-02-19T13:34:00.000-06:00

About four months ago, I decided I'd get back in shape, so I got a membership at the Jewish Community Center near my apartment. Of course, this led to me being a homebody and not really exercising for the next few months, and keeping the membership anyway. Not recommended, folks. With Lent upon me, and my sister's wedding approaching, I've decided to actually use the membership. I went swimming a few times when I first joined, but I'm now looking into alternative things to do. I'm a really efficient swimmer, so it's not really a workout if I'm just there by myself. This equals me, clueless, in the Fitness Center, staring at a bunch of equipment and not knowing what to do. However, I've gone now twice this week. My abs hurt like HELL thanks to exercises I remember from the swim team, and my arms are a little achey from the rowing machine. I'm a fan of the rowing machine (and am doubling my current workout as a result), and of walking as a warm-up and cool-down (yesterday I went a mile to start and a half mile to finish out the day). I'm planning on starting Krav Maga on Monday. If you're wondering what that is, I'll give you the quote from Future Ted on How I Met Your Mother: "Krav Maga is not a form of yoga. It's a form of guerrilla street fighting developed by the Israeli Army." Which means it's mad cool, and I can't wait to start.

I am realizing though that it's really boring to just be in there by myself with no one to work out with, and nothing to listen to. Which brings me to the point of this entry: workout music. When I was on the swim team, we had CDs that played our favorite "pump-up" songs. I took it for granted, and now I need to build up a new playlist. So here goes... my new pump-up songs. A few classics, a few mainstays, and a few new ones. With a few notes. Am I missing anything?

Don't Get Killed - Andy Breckman
The Last Saskatchewan Pirate - Arrogant Worms
Alcoholics Unanimous - Art Brut
The Boys of Summer - The Ataris (or Don Henley)
Dota - Basshunter
Ticket to Ride - The Beatles
Poison - Bell Biv Devoe
The Blues are Still Blue - Belle and Sebastian
Rockin' the Suburbs - Ben Folds Five
Song for the Dumped - Ben Folds Five
Why Should I Worry? - Billy Joel (from Oliver and Company)
I Like the Way You Move - Bodyrockers
You Give Love a Bad Name - Bon Jovi (duh, as far as pump-up or get psyched songs go, this one is full of win.)
Girl All the Bad Guys Want - Bowling for Soup
Short Skirt, Long Jacket - Cake
Wheels - Cake
Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is? - Chicago
Take Your Sweet Time - Chooglin'
Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger - Daft Punk
The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid - The Decemberists
Boyz-N-the-Hood - Dynamite Hack
September - Earth, Wind & Fire
Got to Get You Into My Life - Earth, Wind & Fire
40 Day Dream - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
The Final Countdown - Europe
Dance Dance - Fall Out Boy
Sugar We're Going Down - Fall Out Boy
Hot Lunch Jam - Fame
Big Bang Bionic - Freekbass
Get it Go - Freekbass
Junkyard Waltz - Freekbass
Twilight Zone - Freekbass
Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
Lordy Lordy - Heatbox
Too Much Food - Jason Mraz (from Tonight, Not Again; featuring John Popper)
The Dynamo of Volition - Jason Mraz
Make it Mine - Jason Mraz
Bad Reputation - Joan Jett
83 - John Mayer
Olympic Theme Song - John Williams
Don't Stop Believing - Journey
Carry On My Wayward Son - Kansas
Walk Away - Kelly Clarkson (don't judge me...)
Danger Zone - Kenny Loggins
Movin' Right Along - The Muppets, from the Muppet Movie
Girl on TV - LFO (seriously, please don't judge me.)
Summer Girls - LFO
We Like Sportz - The Lonely Island
Natalie's Rap - The lonely Island
I'm On a Boat - The Lonely Island
Airport Surroundings - Loney Dear
The Potion - Ludacris
You Just Got Slapped - Marshall (from How I Met Your Mother... I also need Let's Go to the Mall)
Help I'm Alive - Metric
Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson
Love Today - Mika
Brand New Day - Neil Patrick Harris, from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
City on Down - O.A.R.
Hey Ya! - Outkast
Misery Business - Paramore
Where Is My Mind? - The Pixies
Underdog - The Profits (this band no longer exists... but their music for damn sure does.)
Space Jam (Yeah, I went there)
I Want to Break Free - Queen
We Will Rock You / We Are the Champions - Queen
Another One Bites the Dust - Queen
Sledgehammer - Peter Gabriel
Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? - Rockapella
Tapestry - Roster McCabe
Fever - Sarah Vaughan, Adam Freeland Remix from Verve Remixed
F.N.T - Semisonic
Murder on the Dance Floor - Sophie Ellis Bexter
Edge of Seventeen - Stevie Nicks
Kick Some Ass - Stroke 9
Make Damn Sure - Taking Back Sunday
How Bad Do You Want It? - Tim McGraw
Battle Without Honor or Humanity -Tomoyasu Hotel (used prolifically in Kill Bill)
We're Not Gonna Take It - Twised Sister
Girl, You Really Got Me Now - Van Halen
75 and 17 - We The Living
Here I Go Again - Whitesnake
Miami - Will Smith
Dirt off Your Shoulder/Lying from You - Jay-Z/Linkin Park Collision Course
Big Pimpin'/Papercut - Jay-Z/Linkin Park Collision Course
Try - John Mayer Trio
America, Fuck Yeah - from Team America
See-Line Woman - Nina Simone, remixed on Verve Remixed
The Boy's Don' It - Hugh Masekela, remized on Verve Remixed

Apparently, this is over five and a half hours of music. Not enough, I'll wager. So folks - what am I missing?

Friday 5 for February 19: Rules

2010-02-19T10:58:00.000-06:00

Here we go! This week's Friday 5: Rules

1) Be honest: what are some rules you have for yourself that don’t really make much sense?
I always give people a second chance, no matter how they've wronged me in the past. Chances are, they wrong me again. It's a vicious cycle of betrayal, and I'm constantly open to it.

2) What rules of questionable sense did your parents have for you when you were young?
They didn't ground us. Offering the "we're not going to ground our children" thing as a discipline tool really only worked one-third of the time. Sorry, guys, but it's true.

3) What’s a rule most people (if not all people) seem never to obey?
Think before you speak. I'm guilty of it, too, and it has gotten me into trouble. But we live in a world where everything's expected to be instant; if you don't want to know, don't ask.

4) There are no rules governing the giving and receiving of Valentine’s Day gifts, but what rules should there be?
Two gifts must be purchased at Valentine's Day - one to be distributed on or near February 14th, and one to be distributed at a random point sometime during the year. (That is to say: buy two things, and save one for when you need to apologize.)

5) If the Golden Rule says you should do unto others as you’d have others do unto you, what would the Silver and Bronze rules say?
I think I'll pull the Silver rule from an episode of Bones. Booth's kid, Parker, keeps getting beat up by a girl, but he doesn't fight back because his dad taught him not to hit a girl. He amends this teaching, and updates Bones: "I told him to walk away if it’s for himself, and to stand up and fight if it’s for someone else." (Season 4, "The Finger in the Nest") Very good Silver Rule.
As for Bronze, I'll refer to #3 and say "Think before you speak."

And there you have it - another week, another 5.

The Friday 5: Warmth

2010-02-12T10:07:00.000-06:00

That,s right; on time this week! Back on track. This week's topic is warmth - something we do not take for granted here in the great state of Minnesota. For serious - I always take a blanket with me wherever I go.

1) What is your favorite blanket like?
I have a blanket in my room that's relatively small and nondescript, but I made it with my own hands during a time of great stress and pain, and it gives me a lot of comfort. It's a greenish blue aran-style blanket crocheted with a ripple pattern. It's the perfect size to cover my shoulders when I'm reading in bed. I started it at an orchestra concert, and made most of it while my grandmother was dying of cancer, and in the aftermath of that. Seeing me work on it help to comfort my cousins, too, and since, a few of them have learned to crochet.

2) What was the last thing you baked?
Technically, I baked my dinner last night - dinosaur chicken nuggets and tater tots - but I don't really consider that "baking." I made a batch of monster cookies a couple of weeks ago; I'm trying to perfect the recipe. I think the secret is using pumpkin, and I'll have to try that next.

3) What television personality gets you most hot and bothered?
Jay Leno. Man, I hate that guy. Even before all of the crap his actions have put Conan O'Brien through. He's not a funny comedian, and he's really condescending to his guests, and to the audience. I haven't ever been able to watch his show without changing the channel after about five minutes. The only times he's tolerable are when he's talking about his cars - I love classic cars, and he's really honest and real when he talks about them. It's refreshing. But any other time - ugh.

4) When did you last burn yourself?
I think I burned myself sometime this week - I just don't know when! And every time I turn on the water in my bathroom, my hot water burns me a little. It'd be nice to have some variable temperature control, but not so much, I guess.

5) What are your feelings about hot sauce?
Eh. Don't really like it. But cooking with it makes up for it being boring - especially when making Chinese food. I'm a fan of Szechuan!

There you have it - another week, another five!

Article of the Week: Earthshake Chicago, Bob Collins' Billboard, Captain Phil Harris and Angry Norweigans in Scuba Gear

2010-02-10T11:40:00.001-06:00

I guess it's been a big news day out there.

My people in Chicago tell me that there was an earthquake. Some of them woke up, some didn't even notice, but it ranked a 3.8. Kind of an interesting thing; there's been a lot of tectonic activity in this hemisphere recently (in case you hadn't noticed), so I'm thinking those volcanoes over in the Pacific Northwest are due. Would be an interesting addition to the Olympics, to be sure!

The wonderful Bob Collins of Minnesota Public Radio has become an internet sensation for posting a picture of a billboard in Wyoming, MN, up on the NewsCut blog. All it is is a billboard with a picture of George H. W. B., and text reading "Miss me yet?" I guess it's gone viral and shown up on aircraft carriers already. There's a caption contest up on the Huffington Post. FoxNews even contacted him about it. But really - it's just a billboard, people.

In sadder news, I heard this morning on KFAN and via Facebook and Twitter that Captain Phil Harris of the Cornelia Marie died yesterday after suffering a stroke on 30 January. Captain Harris and his sons, Jake and Josh, were certainly a few of my favorites to watch on Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch." Though, after Phil's heart problems last year, I'll admit, I was certainly worried about his health and, it appeared, so were his sons and the rest of the crew. My thoughts go out to the Harris boys, the crew of the Cornelia Marie, and the other captains in the fleet.

Also, I don't have much to say about this one, but some new aerial photography of the 9/11 attacks is now available. The pictures really speak for themselves. See the ABCNews slideshow here.

With all of this happening in the world, you'd think my morning'd be full, right? Full of work, full of reading the news. Not so this morning. Today, I spent a chunk of time investigating BoingBoing.net's story about Angry Norweigans in SCUBA gear chasing down the Google Street View car. Apparently, these two chaps knew their friend would be driving the car, and knew roughly when he'd be passing through. So they donned their gear (sans BC and tank, but with mask, reg and fins) and waited in a pair of lawn chairs for the car to pass, at which point, they chased it down the street with tridents. Don't believe me? I did the legwork on this for you already. Here goes!

View Larger Map
Scroll a bit to the north for this one - to the left of the screen.

View Larger Map

View Larger Map

View Larger Map

It goes on for a bit, but it looks like they get tired quick. I would, too, if I were running in a semi-dry with ankle weights!

Bridesmaid's Emergency Kit, Part One

2010-02-09T13:26:00.001-06:00

Well, as most of you know, the story of my life runs much like the premise of the movie 27 Dresses - always a bridesmaid, not yet a bride. In fact, I received 27 Dresses as a Christmas gift this year from my sister's fiance. He thought it was ironic. The really ironic part is that my college roommate had just announced her engagement to me that morning.

In my travels, I have learned the following: you never know what's going to happen. It's cliche, but cliches are cliches for a reason. Sometimes they're true. In perusing different bridesmaid and wedding help guides, most notably The Bridesmaid Guide by Kate Chynoweth, and Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Weddings by Joshua Piven, Sarah Jordan and David Borgenicht, and through my own personal experience, I have learned that there's always a few things you need to have on hand... just in case. And the real challenge? Fitting it all in a tiny purse.

This is the first in a several-part series, in which I plan a "survival kit" that should fit into a smallish clutch purse. I will assemble the kit, make the purse, and bring it with me to a wedding to see how it goes. Not an impossible feat. I hope.

And so, in no particular order:

Item 1: Safety Pins.
As a crafter, I am rarely without them. Ask my dad's cousin, Lizzy, whose dress back burst asunder between the ceremony and reception! I had some safety pins in my purse and managed to get the dress cobbled back together before the dancing portion of the evening. They're also handy for tacking dresses to bras and fixing corsages.

Item 2: Listerine Pocket Packs, Breath Spray, or Gum.
The reason for this one is, hopefully, obvious. After a day of drinking coffee and eating catered sandwiches and, having woken up at 6 AM to do hair, no bridesmaid's breath is going to be perfect. Keep it fresh - especially at the key times during the ceremony and reception.

Item 3: Bobby Pins.
For obvious reasons, not the least of which being giving to a younger cousin so he can try to break into the girl's bathroom.

Item 4: Small Mending Kit.
In case of rips, tears, or catastrophic dress problems. Really, only three colors of thread are needed: white, black, and whatever the bridesmaid dresses are. However, if you have a season full of weddings, white, black and clear nylon will work in most situations. Also handy is a multi-purpose needle, a small scissors, some spare buttons (again, white, black or neutral), a seam ripper, and some double-sided hem tape. In Girl Scouts, Juniors I think, we made mending kits that fit in film canisters. (Remember film canisters?) Kept the needles and pins in place without worrying about having a pincushion.

Item 5: Dress-Tacking Double-Sided Tape.
Avoid wardrobe malfunctions. Tape your strapless dress to your person.

Item 6: Super Glue.
Because you just never know.

Item 7: Band-Aids.
Good for uncomfortable shoes, accidents, paper cuts, and destructive family members.

Item 8: Hairspray.
Hair has to last a long time, but just for the night. That's why they make tiny bottles. Well, that, and air travel.

Item 9: Stain Remover.
You can just ask my friend Jacquie about this one; I'm going to hell for what I did at that wedding. I played my flute in the choir, and didn't eat much before the ceremony due to practicing. When they opened the doors to the reception hall, there was a cocktail hour featuring wine. There was a hug between myself and the bride, and a spilled glass of merlot. Make sure you have stain remover or access to club soda. In a pinch, Sprite can also lessen the severity of a stain. Trust me. There is a special guilt you feel when you destroy a wedding gown. Don't.

Item 10: Lotion and/or Hand Sanitizer.
There's a lot of people at weddings, a lot of things to hold, a lot of food, and a lot of dancing with awkward relatives. Stay fresh, and keep your skin moisturized.

Item 11: Make-Up Kit.
I'm not a high-maintenance girl, but when I want to look good, I want to look GOOD and there's a few small things I carry. Waterproof mascara for sure - it's easy and compact, and will survive even the most tearjerking ceremony if you get the right kind. A small one-off thing of eye shadow is good to have on hand - I have a 2-color, and I use my finger instead of a brush to apply it. I also have a few different colors of cream eyeshadow that I use as an overlay. It helps to keep the make-up going for a long time. Also keep a tube of lipstick, chap stick or the happy medium: tinted Burt's Bees. And to make sure, keep a hand mirror with you. Sometimes an empty corner is easier to find than an empty bathroom.

Item 12: Clear Nail Polish.
Good for fixing broken nails, chipped manicures, runs in nylons, and bored flower girls.

Item 13: A Deck of Cards.
Not an absolute necessity, but good for those lengthy cocktail hours, or times you're waiting while the photographer works their magic. It's also good to just keep a throwaway deck to hand off to bad dancers and wallflowers - then they have a reason to stay off the dance floor, and will hold you in some regard.

Item 14: Deoderant.
Or no one will want to dance with you except those chaps you just gave the deck of cards to. And nobody wants that.

Item 15: Pain Killers and Multi-Vitamins.
Recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) for aches, pains, and the father-of-the-bride. Recommend multi-vitamins to avoid hangover.

Item 16: Tissues.
Carry these anywhere you can. At my friend KJ's wedding, I cautiously stuffed a few between my bra and the dress (it was a halter; there was some space). This came in handy when the groom got all weepy-eyed during the ceremony. It did make it a little awkward for my family in the congregation to see me reach into my dress for supplies, but I didn't mind it one bit. No one's eyes should have been on me, anyway.

Item 17: Requisite Identification and Personal Necessities.
This includes your driver's license, cell phone, car keys, hotel room key, directions or maps, sunglasses, and especially lady-related items. Also included in here is your disgretion: if you're a smoker, obviously, cigarettes or nicotene gum here (personally, I'd hope for the gum); if you're a sports fan and there's a big game, an mp3 player with a radio tuner and a set of headphones or a tiny speaker are the obvious choice; if you want your own pictures, you'll probably want your camera in there.

The next order of business will be assembling the kit - getting all of the items together and organizing them.

I've placed an order with an Etsy seller to get the parts I need to create a small clutch purse for this kit! More on that once I've started working - I might even post a tutorial!

Back in the saddle!

2010-02-08T13:45:00.000-06:00

Or office chair, as it were.

And you know what that means: more blog posting!

One of the things I've noticed during my month long "sabbatical" (the word I'll be using for my period of unemployment, since I'm working at the same place... they didn't even wipe my computer!), is that, when I have nothing to do, I'm not great at making myself find something to do. I'm a pathologically unmotivated person. I'd really love to fix it, but that would mean effort.

When I'm busy, I love being REALLY busy. Like now. I'm at work. We've run out of work to do (go figure - welcome back Maggie! Now sit there and do nothing.), so I'm blogging. I'm updating my Etsy. I'll be getting the paperwork ready for my Schedule C so I have my BodiceGoddess Costuming and Alterations business covered as far as taxes go. I'm looking forward to going home so I can get started on my entry for the "Go Green!" Handmade MN March challenge. I'm planning in my head which Etsy projects I'll work on next, and mentally setting up my sewing machine again.

The problem, however, is this: when I get home, I doubt I'll start on my "Go Green!" project, beyond organizing what I have so far. In fact, I'll probably settle in to the comfy, comfy couch with Illyanna (my "tiny roommate" - I live with a family of three, and Illy is three months old), play for a little while, and eventually nap before the new episode of How I Met Your Mother comes on. I have a lot of ideas and a lot of plans, but trouble executing them.

Does anyone out there have some ideas for me? What motivates you? And what should be motivating me?

The Friday 5: Fried Day 5

2010-02-05T12:00:00.017-06:00

Here we go again!

1) When you come home from a long day of whatever it is you do and your brain is totally fried, what therapy do you normally seek?
Napping in front of the television is the best kind of therapy that exists.

2) Of the myriad of desserts made primarily of fried dough, what is your favorite?
Honestly, not really a fan unless I'm at a Chinese restaurant, or I'm at the Minnesota State Fair. Then, it's sugar donuts and deepfried candy bars, respectively.

3) Most fried foods are best right out of the fryer, but what’s a fried food that you enjoy cold?
The Monte Cristo. See below. When they're hot, you really can only eat half of it.

4) What’s the most unusual deep-fried food you’ve ever tried?
The Monte Cristo. It's a ham and cheese sandwich. Dipped in batter. Deep-fried. And dipped in strawberry topping. It's pretty much the most fantastic thing on the planet. And you really can only eat half at a time.

5) Where can you get really good French fries?
Wendy's, the Minnesota State Fair, or, up until a couple of years ago, "Minnesota Picnic" at the Mall of America.
And there you have it! Another week, another 5!

Friday 5s: Hoops and Personal Adds

2010-01-29T11:50:00.000-06:00

Sorry about the absence from the airwaves again, folks, but the job hunt continues and, as such, I have been neglectful of some areas of my life (such as blogging and personal hygiene). So here's hoping I have a job soon, and a reason to put on pants in the morning.

On with the Friday 5!

Friday 5 from January 22nd: Personal Adds

What’s your favorite “just add water!” food?
That's a toss-up between condensed chicken noodle soup, ramen, and cheesecake pie filling.

What’s your favorite thing to add vinegar to?
Egg dying kits, and the water I use to spray my cat when she's being bad.

What’s something weird you’ve added to normal food?
My secret to making the perfect bowl of ramen is to throw in a few pine nuts. Feels classier, somehow, and it really does add to the flavor.

What’s your favorite thing to add whipped cream to?
Pudding or pie.

What’s something you refuse to add anything to, even though most people add something?
CREAM CHEESE. I really abhor flavored cream cheese. It's gross. Even the bacon and shallots schmear from Bruegger's, and I love bacon. It's a delicious spread on its own! Why add fake strawberry?!

aaaaand Friday 5 from January 29: Hoops

When did you last feel you were required to jump through meaningless hoops to get something you wanted?
The last time I applied for unemployment, or at one of my previous jobs. A lot of meaningless tasks to do before gaining a paycheck.

What kinds of hula hoop memories do you have?
Hula hoops make my think of my best friend's little sister, Ruby. The first time I met her, she had a hula hoop. And a trampoline. Either that, or it makes me think of learning to do fire hooping sometime.

How do you feel about basketball?
Eh. I played for a few years in elementary school, and I sucked at it. I think college hoops needs to get more acclaim because people learn to play as a team and not as individuals, and that's how the game should be... but it's not.

What do you think of hoop earrings?
It really depends on who they're on, and what size. Because they can make a person look classy or like trash, dependent on the application.

What’s your favorite Whoopi Goldberg movie?
"Ghost." Which, by the way, WAAAAAY funnier when you're watching it the day after Swayze died, like my sister and I did. We've developed really morbid senses of humor since our grandmother passed, and it prompted things like, "Hey, do you think Whoopi keeps waking up to 'I'm Henry the Eighth I Am' now that Swayze's actually a ghost?"

That's all for now, folks!
Coming soon: my thoughts on what's left to cover in the final season of LOST, more on what it's like finding a job in a recession, my thoughts regarding the recent actions of NBC, and my thoughts on the restaurant moto-i in Minneapolis. But for now, another Friday, another 5.

The Friday5: Misses

2010-01-15T17:15:00.018-06:00

What’s something you frequently misplace?
My gloves, my phone, and occasionally, my motivation.

For whom are you often mistaken?
My sister, sometimes.

When were you last misinformed about something important?
I can't think of a time I was misinformed about something important. Though a previous employer did hire me with one pay rate in mind, and tried to short-change me when they ran my first pay check. That was frustrating.

Where in your home do you have a seemingly random collection of miscellanea?
Either the hutch drawers, or my headboard, and possibly my dresser.

Upon meeting someone for the first time, what qualities in the other person are likely to cause you to misjudge him or her?
The bumper stickers on or in their car, and possibly even Facebook groups and whatnot.

On the job hunt...

2010-01-14T15:14:00.000-06:00

It's a new year, and I'm on the job hunt again.

It's a very different world out there for the job hunter, from what I understand. Fifty, heck, even twenty years ago, a person could start work right out of high school or college and expect to stay at that company until retirement. Not so today. It's an incredibly competitive market out there now, and I'm in the thick of it.

I think my biggest hang-up right now (*gets out soapbox*) is the testing I've been taking at the various staffing agencies I've been going through to try to find work. Most of it has been typing, alphanumeric and ten-key - pretty standard stuff (I type at just over 50 WPM, my ten-key is at between 6,000 and 7,000 KPM and I can do alphanumeric with no errors, if you were wondering...) - but what really gets my goat are the Microsoft Office applications tests.

At my previous job, the computers ran Vista (since about March), and therefore had the sexier, sleeker Office 2007 interface with the programs. In these tests, I've been running 2000. The other issue with them is that they expect a very specific combination of keystrokes and button clicks in order to perform the task at hand - not something I'm used to. I have my own way of doing things that still works. Microsoft Office has that capability - several different ways of doing the same thing (like editing a filter - something I can do with proficiency, but not if you look at my test scores! The 2007 filter system is a lot different from 2000, but I can still do it.

I am reminded of the movie "Blazing Saddles." There's a scene where Gene Wilder - "the Kid" - is asked to shoot something. The bad guys or adversaries or whoever tell him he has to hold still, and they instruct him how to shoot. He misses. He then asks, with that wonderful drawl and a glint in his eye, "Can I move?" He then hits the target perfectly.

So, how 'bout it, Microsoft Office applications testing... "Can I move?"

Catching up! The Tuesday10: Newness and Last Resorts from Friday5s past!

2010-01-11T23:49:00.000-06:00

2010 has come, all, and as such... I've started my year as a procrastinator and run behind on my Friday 5s. Here's a double dose of what we all missed!

January 1: Newness

1) What’s something that’s better when the newness has worn off?
Sewing machines. When mine was new, all I wanted to do was play with all the cool new features and whatnot. But now that I've had it a couple of years, I know how everything works, and I use the features a little more wisely now.

2) What’s something you already own that could stand to be replaced by the newer version?
Guitar Hero. Yeah, I have version 3, which rocks, but I could stand to have Rock Band.

3) What’s something that was better before someone made it “new and improved?”
iTunes. You used to be able to cut songs and create ringtones without having to pay like $2, and not all songs had the dastardly DRM... or did they?

4) Of geographic locations whose names begin with the word “new,” which seems like the most interesting place to visit?
I'll go with the obvious here - New York City. I was only there once, for a weekend in the eighth grade, and really only got to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island due to excessive cloud cover. There's so much more to the city, and I want to see it!

5) On what date will 2010 no longer feel like the new year?
Probably my birthday - April 6th. Or whenever I get my taxes back.

January 8: Last Resorts

1) What’s something you wear only when you’re just about out of clean clothes?
Laura's old jeans (because they're too big) and my oversized tees... and typically nice button-ups and skirts. It's either the bottom of the barrel, or the part that makes me look like I'm from Wall Street.

2) Who’s someone you hang out with only if nobody else is available?
Eh, if I want to go out and no one is available, I'll either stay at home or go to Chatterbox. I'd rather drop in on those guys than invite a burden upon myself.

3) What’s something you eat only when the budget is really, really tight?
I'd love to say ramen, but eating ramen occurs when I'm lazy and don't really want to cook. Egg noodles with summer sausage last a while and are delicious together with a little parmesan cheese and butter, or I dig out whatever's in the back of the freezer and fry it up. Last resort would probably be whatever's in the back of my PARENT'S freezer. (And yes, I'll be making a stew out of the ham bones from Christmas dinner.)

4) Who’s someone you call for help only if you absolutely must?
Anyone, really. I hate calling for help. I have a phone with GPS and a car with four-wheel drive. I hope to not need it. But if family's gone, and assuming Laura doesn't answer her phone, and my roommates are passed out in bed with their phones in the living room, then probably... Alisa. She's first alphabetically, and typically pretty reliable.

5) What’s something you’ll watch on television only because it’s slightly better than watching nothing?
Montel. Las Vegas. Pretty much anything on networks during the daytime. And especially... the "news." I can learn more about what's going on in the world with a five-minute RSS feed troll than I can watching the news. But watch it I do... when there's nothing else on.

It's about that time... Maggie's Top 9s of '09

2009-12-31T12:00:00.001-06:00

Because anyone can do a top 10, I decided to compile my top 9s. When I look back on the year, here's the stuff I'll remember, or want to remember. These are my personal top 9s in no particular order ('cept maybe chronological here and there), so yours may be completely different. What's on your list?

Here goes:

Top 9 Songs of '09

"Sleepytime" - Blitzen Trapper
"Fresh Air" - Brother Ali
"40 Day Dream" - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes
"Universal Mind Control" - Common
"Help I'm Alive" - Metric
"The Mountain" - Heartless Bastards
"Sleepyhead" - Passion Pit
"The Devil and Maggie Chascarillo" - Lucero
"Dance Anthem of the '80s" - Regina Spektor

Honorable Mention: "Carpetbaggers" - Jenny Lewis feat. Elvis Costello (came out in 2008, but I didn't hear it until this year), and "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked" - Ida Maria

Top 9 TV Episodes of '09

"The Incident" - LOST, 13 May 2009. Effectively, their last chance at a season finale cliffhanger, as next season will be its last.
"Meet Jane Doe" - Dollhouse, 11 December 2009. This episode took the show forward in leaps and bounds, explored the relationship between Echo and Ballard, showed the genius of Topher, the evils of Rossum, and the cutthroat ruthlessness of Adelle DeWitt.
"Mr. Monk and the Foreign Man" - Monk, 14 August 2009. I've seen all of this final season save the finale, which is probably fantastic, and I'm saving it up for a Monk Marathon with my mother. However, this episode was absolutely heartbreaking, and really shows the depths of the character as well as how far he's come over the course of the show.
"The Window" - How I Met Your Mother, 7 December 2009. Best episode in a long time. Does a great job of getting back to the fantastic cold openings of the first couple of seasons, and lays the groundwork for Ted meeting his kids' mother soon. Also, includes my name as an acronym (Make Adjustments; Go Get It Energized!), and Jason Segal with a rat-tail.
Episode 2 - The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brian, 2 June 2009. What can I say - the first appearance of "Twitter Tracker," seemingly-coked-out Tom Hanks is interviewed and later hit by a meteor (which he then signs), and Conan's shopping spree on Rodeo Road. FANTASTIC.
Episode 57 - Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, 2 June 2009. Yes, normally I hate this show because Jimmy Fallon is an idiot, a tool, and a terrible host, but this episode had Steve Martin and Paul Simon interviewing each other and ignoring the host. A good host would not have let it go on as long as it did... a great host would have rolled with being verbally bitch-slapped by Paul Simon. Jimmy Fallon didn't do either of these things, and it was FANTASTIC.
"And In the End..." - ER, 2 April 2009. I've been watching this show ever since it was on past my bedtime, and seeing it wrap up was an amazing treat. The final episode was shockingly similar to the pilot, but was a true-to-form send-off for the show.
"Both Sides Now" - House, 11 May 2009. Another season finale, but a good one. Any show that brings back dead characters as a result of an elaborate hallucination due to excessive use of Vicodin is okay in my book... especially here. That, and the patient had Alien Hand Syndrome which is... just... badass.
"Wheels" - Glee, 11 November 2009. A mid-season spectacle from newcomer Glee. Highlights: the kids singing "Proud Mary" while performing on wheelchairs, the "diva-off" between Kurt and Rachel to see which would get to sing "Defying Gravity", the bake sale with "special" cupcakes, and, of course, the most poignant and honest representation of Sue Sylvester to date. Also, Terri Schuster didn't appear, which was a welcome reprieve.

Top 9 News Stories of '09 (world events)

January 20: Barack Obama is inaugarated the 44th President of the United States.
June 11: H1N1, the strain of influenza known as "swine flu" is officially recognized as reaching pandemic levels.
June 25: Michael Jackson's death far overshadows Farrah Fawcett's, becoming one of the biggest news stories of the year, and causing BET to have the best and most awesome music video marathon I've ever seen.
July 22: The longest solar eclipse on record occurs over Asia and the Pacific, lasting up to almost 6 minutes and 39 seconds in some areas.
August 16: Relatively unknown Y. E. Yang delivers a crushing defeat to Tiger Woods at Hazeltine.
September 12: The Gopher's football team returns to the U of M campus with the opening of TCF Bank Stadium.
October 2: The International Olympic Committee awards the 2016 Summer Games to Rio de Janeiro, making them the first to host in South America.
Early October: The Metrodome closes out its last season as the home field for the Minnesota Twins (the 11th). Brett Favre becomes the first quarterback to have defeated all 32 NFL franchises (the 5th). The stadium's name changes to Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
November 3: Election Day - The Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis elect to keep their respective mayors, Chris Coleman and R.T. Rybak.

Top 9 Events of '09 (for me)

I left the country for the first time in January, and lived on a boat off the coast of Honduras for a week, spending my days SCUBA diving and napping on deck, and my nights trying not to brain myself on the bulkheads.
My oldest friend, Kat Krantz, had her baby girl, Irene Therese, in late January, and I got to be there with her for the delivery of my first "nitch" (it's like "niece," but not).
March marked the opening of my Etsy shop and the grand design and introduction of http://www.bymaggie.com/, my costuming website.
My little sister, Katie, graduates from college near the end of May, marking the last member of our family to graduate officially from the College of St. Catherine before the name change to St. Catherine's University on June 1st.
July through August, I learned the hard way what it's like to have people who I thought were my friends completely turn on me, insulting me in every way possible, and leaving me in debt. I am left so hurt from the experience that going to what was one of my favorite places is now nearly impossible.
August 28: My sister's boyfriend, Tony, officially asks her to marry him. About damn time.
Early October - my beloved PT Cruiser, Elliot, takes a turn for the worse, and racks up a total of $4000 in potential repair costs. I instead replace her with one of my dream cars, a Jeep Wrangler, and learn to drive a manual.
End of October: My roommates, Kathy and Brent, welcome little Illyanna Lunasa Gallup-Strom into the world, and allow me to be a part of the journey that was bringing that adorable, happy, smart, smiley punk kid into the world. I gain another "nitch," and discover that my maternal instincts have keyed up. Interesting.
In December, I decided to primarily make or buy handmade Christmas presents, making me super-extra busy for the month. Another entry to follow about that!

The Friday Five: Gifts

2009-12-25T12:00:00.002-06:00

Yeah, it's the Friday 5, a couple days late. Sorry folks! And, of course, it's apropos of Christmastime: Gifts.

1) How likely are you to return or exchange a gift you don’t like?
It really depends on the gift. If it's something I can regift or recycle, I may keep it, and I always keep books, too (even Twilight). If I can't use it, I return it or find it another home.

2) Who is the most gifted person you know?
Hmm. I'd love to say "myself" here, but how much do you know yourself, you know? Probably my best friend, Ware, because he's a circus performer / writer / editor / actor / barista / renaissance man and can pretty much do anything with some degree of proficiency. Most handy, though, is changing light bulbs with stilts on.

3) Of gifts you gave this year, which was really the closest to perfect for the recipient?
Definitely what I got my Mom: a hand-turned crochet hook and a hank of hand-dyed yarn in the same colors as my sister's wedding.

4) What’s your favorite kind of gift to receive?
Either something I'll use daily, or something I'll never use that's just for fun (a pair of jeans vs. a 5 foot RC airplane that can land on water).

5) What’s your favorite kind of gift to give?
Something perfect; something the recipient has always wanted, or never knew they needed. My mom's always wanted a wooden hook, so I got her one. My dad's Favorite Movie of All Time is the Wizard of Oz, so he got the 70th Anniversary edition this year on Blu-Ray, complete with digital copy. A couple of years ago, I commissioned a cake for Ware for his birthday because he had a history of baking, and had always wanted to bake with scotch.

There you have it - another week, another five.

Article of the Week: Golden Globe nominees for 2010!

2009-12-21T16:30:00.009-06:00

Okay, so it's not really an article, more of just a straight-up list that was released this week, but on my radar, it's kind of a big deal.
So I'm a nerd - this should already be clear to you. And, while I can't get behind the fact that there's an award show for every damn thing now, I do follow the biggies: the Emmys and the Oscars and, to a lesser extent, the Tonys and the Grammys. I appreciate the Golden Globes for being voted on by journalists from around the world, and the SAG Awards because it's actors voting for actors (the ultimate peer review). As I've been telling folks - TV is like sports to me. I know stats on many an actor, in what show or movie they've appeared in, tiny little snippets of their personal life, and even how being on one show may affect their performance or appearence on another. So these award shows are kind of like the playoffs for me.

And so, much like many fans do, here's my picks for the 2010 Golden Globes:

Best Motion Picture - Drama
Avatar
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire
Up In The Air

I've only seen two of these flicks, and within the past week (Inglorious Basterds and Avatar) and, while both were brilliantly done, I don't know that I'm qualified to give either the vouch without giving the others a try, especially since I'm a sucker for both. However, I don't think that the Golden Globe judges will be. I think this one'll go to Up in the Air or The Hurt Locker.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Emily Blunt – The Young Victoria
Sandra Bullock – The Blind Side
Helen Mirren – The Last Station
Carey Mulligan – An Education
Gabourey Sidibe – Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire

Wild guess: Helen Mirren or Carey Mulligan.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Jeff Bridges – Crazy Heart
George Clooney – Up In The Air
Colin Firth – A Single Man
Morgan Freeman – Invictus
Tobey Maguire – Brothers

Tobey Maguire in a real, honest-to-goodess dramatic role? For the win, provided Morgan Freeman as Nelson Mandela and George Clooney as... George Clooney don't win.

Best Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy
(500) Days Of Summer
The Hangover
It's Complicated
Julie & Julia
Nine

Again, only have seen one of these ((500 Days of Summer), but it's such a good film. It's not at all like like the "funny-for-the-sake-of-being-funny" other choices in this field, but in fact goes deeper than that. It's also both a sad and happy film (I'm trying to not ruin it for y'all). Not since The Notebook or High Fidelity have I seen a relationship presented more honestly. And yeah, it's funny, too.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Sandra Bullock – The Proposal
Marion Cotillard – Nine
Julia Roberts – Duplicity
Meryl Streep – It's Complicated
Meryl Streep – Julie & Julia

Uh... hate to go with the obvious, but Meryl Streep? Woman's on a roll, and she's had some wonderful co-stars to play off of in both It's Complicated and Julie & Julia.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical Or Comedy
Matt Damon – The Informant!
Daniel Day-Lewis – Nine
Robert Downey Jr. – Sherlock Holmes
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – (500) Days Of Summer
Michael Stuhlbarg – A Serious Man

Personal bias here: I'm routing for Joseph Gordon-Levitt and his triumphant return to my good graces, and out-of-nowhere Michael Stuhlbarg (But I didn't do anything!).

Best Performance by an Actress In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Penélope Cruz – Nine
Vera Farmiga – Up In The Air
Anna Kendrick – Up In The Air
Mo'nique – Precious: Based On The Novel Push By Sapphire
Julianne Moore – A Single Man

I'll never vote for Penélope Cruz for anything; I don't know why she keeps showing up on these. And as for the others - I'm not familiar with three of them, and really love the fourth. I'm choosing Julianne Moore based on personal bias alone.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Matt Damon – Invictus
Woody Harrelson – The Messenger
Christopher Plummer – The Last Station
Stanley Tucci – The Lovely Bones
Christoph Waltz – Inglourious Basterds

Fun choices here! As far as these go, I either love the actor, or loved the film. I think I'll go with Christoph Waltz for this one. His character was just so deliciously evil. He made me hate him and love him at the same time, switched effortlessly between four languages over the course of the film, and also, strangely enough, called to mind Willem Dafoe's performance in "The Boondock Saints." And he's kind of cleaning up in the awards department for his role as Hans Landa.

Best Animated Feature Film
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
Coraline
Fantastic Mr. Fox
The Princess And The Frog
Up

I'm too proud of Disney's return to straight-up animation to not hope that The Princess and The Frog wins, though I've heard Up was absolutely fantastic as well.

Best Foreign Language Film
Baaria (Italy)
Broken Embraces (Spain)
The Maid (La Nana) (Chile)
A Prophet (Un Prophete) (France)
The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band - Eine Deutsche Kindergeschichte) (Germany)

No ideas here, but The Maid (La Nana) out of Chile might win because it's not from Europe.

Best Director - Motion Picture
Kathryn Bigelow – The Hurt Locker
James Cameron – Avatar
Clint Eastwood – Invictus
Jason Reitman – Up In The Air
Quentin Tarantino – Inglourious Basterds

Another Cameron vs. Tarantino battle. Oh, man, I wonder how they'd fight! Tarantino would have a pair of handguns, obviously - really shiny ones, and Cameron would have whatever was lying around! Like a wrench or a stick or his own femur if he had to! And the fight would take place in an old warehouse or an old car factory and there'd be blood and gore and bullets flying everywhere!
...right. Golden Globe nominees. Part of me hopes they don't go with the obvious choices for this one, but I'd like to see Tarantino (good pacing and timing, interesting shots) or Cameron (working with a lot of computer elements well is his wheelhouse, and the dude spent 11 years making this one) win this one.

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
District 9
The Hurt Locker
Inglourious Basterds
It's Complicated
Up In The Air

District 9, hands down. Man. Alien invasion and subsequent "quarantine" and segregation, set upon the backdrop of South Africa? You kidding? Win.

Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Up - Composed by Michael Giacchino
The Informant! - Composed by Marvin Hamlisch
Avatar - Composed by James Horner
A Single Man - Composed by Abel Korzeniowski
Where The Wild Things Are - Composed by Karen O and Carter Burwell

My hipster soul hopes for Where The Wild Things Are to win this one, but my love for both James Horner and Michael Giacchino win out. I think Giacchino will take this one home.

Best Original Song - Motion Picture
"Cinema Italiano" – Nine
"I See You" - Avatar
"I Want To Come Home" – Everybody's Fine
"The Weary Kind (Theme From Crazy Heart)" – Crazy Heart
"Winter" – Brothers

As much as I hate to see Bono take home awards for mediocre music-making and a "unifying sound" that's fluctuated more than Oprah's weight, I think "Winter" from Brothers will win this one because everyone seems to be a sucker for that Irish bastard.*

*Note: I just don't get the appeal of U2. I apologize if anyone takes offense. But I just don't get it.

Best Television Series - Drama
Big Love (HBO)
Dexter (SHOWTIME)
House (FOX)
Mad Men (AMC)
True Blood (HBO)

I'm pulling for House with this one. There's been some beautiful character development this season, especially since House kicked that vicodin habit, Cuddy got a man and Wilson started branching out in his cancer treatments (if you've seen it, you know what I'm talking about, if not, well, I've already ruined it for one person, and I won't ruin it for you). It's really a dynamite season.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama
Glenn Close – Damages (FX NETWORK)
January Jones – Mad Men (AMC)
Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife (CBS)
Anna Paquin – True Blood (HBO)
Kyra Sedgwick – The Closer (TNT)

I'm going to stick close to my generation here and pick January Jones and Anna Paquin for the two shows I can't watch due to my lack of real cable.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Drama
Simon Baker – The Mentalist (CBS)
Michael C. Hall – Dexter (SHOWTIME)
Jon Hamm – Mad Men (AMC)
Hugh Laurie – House (FOX)
Bill Paxton – Big Love (HBO)

Again - pulling for House in this one. Hugh Laurie's performance has been fantastic this year, and he's gotten the priviledge of playing off of James Earl Jones and Andre Braugher, let alone his regular co-stars. His character has gone through an amazing transformation, and no one could have shown it better.

Best Television Series - Musical Or Comedy
30 Rock (NBC)
Entourage (HBO)
Glee (FOX)
Modern Family (ABC)
The Office (NBC)

Oh man, how much do I hate 30 Rock. Probably as much as U2. They'll probably win it, but I think Glee really should, and not just because I love musicals (and, like, have a huge crush on Mr. Schu!). The timing of this show is really top-notch, and I'm hard-pressed to think of another show that more accurately portrays the high school experience.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Musical Or Comedy
Toni Collette – United States Of Tara (SHOWTIME)
Courteney Cox – Cougar Town (ABC)
Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie (SHOWTIME)
Tina Fey – 30 Rock (NBC)
Lea Michele – Glee (FOX)

Again, pulling for Lea Michele (she's been on Broadway! Come on, people!), but Tina Fey will probably phone this one in for a win.

Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Musical Or Comedy
Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock (NBC)
Steve Carell – The Office (NBC)
David Duchovny – Californication (SHOWTIME)
Thomas Jane – Hung (HBO)
Matthew Morrison – Glee (FOX)

Dear Golden Globes: Stop pitting Glee against 30 Rock. Give these poor misfits a chance. Matthew Morrison is amazing in his role as Mr. Schuster, but he'll probably lose the award to Alec Baldwin who, like Tina Fey, doesn't even try to make good television anymore. He sings, he dances, and he has his heart broken. Please give the poor guy a shot. Sincerely, Maggie.

Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television
Georgia O'Keeffe (LIFETIME)
Grey Gardens (HBO)
Into The Storm (HBO)
Little Dorrit (PBS)
Taking Chance (HBO)

Written by Charles Dickens and starring Matthew Macfayden? Little Dorrit wins. Also, it's more accessible than the other options, and I won't argue with seven Emmys.

Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Joan Allen – Georgia O'Keeffe (LIFETIME)
Drew Barrymore – Grey Gardens (HBO)
Jessica Lange – Grey Gardens (HBO)
Anna Paquin – The Courageous Heart Of Irena (CBS)
Sigourney Weaver – Prayers For Bobby (LIFETIME)

Wild guess: Jessica Lange in Grey Gardens.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Kevin Bacon – Taking Chance (HBO)
Kenneth Branagh – Wallander: One Step Behind (BBC)
Chiwetel Ejiofor – Endgame (PBS)
Brendan Gleeson – Into The Storm (HBO)
Jeremy Irons – Georgia O'Keeffe (LIFETIME)

The nerdiest bits of me are at war, half of them routing for Chiwetel Ejifor and half for Brenden Gleeson. Ejifor wins.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jane Adams – Hung (HBO)
Rose Byrne – Damages (FX NETWORK)
Jane Lynch – Glee (FOX)
Janet McTeer – Into The Storm (HBO)
Chlo Sevigny – Big Love (HBO)

If Jane Lynch doesn't win this, I'll probably cry. In her role as Sue Sylvester, she plays the most ruthless and cunning Queen Bitch of the Universe I've ever seen in the history of my life. The only other character I can think to compare her to is Dr. Romano from ER - she has an endearing back story that just draws you in, and you can't help but love to hate her. Man, I can't wait to see what she does next.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Michael Emerson – Lost (ABC)
Neil Patrick Harris – How I Met Your Mother (CBS)
William Hurt – Damages (FX NETWORK)
John Lithgow – Dexter (SHOWTIME)
Jeremy Piven – Entourage (HBO)

Can I abstain from voting at this point? 1) When Michael Emerson won the Emmy for LOST earlier this year, I did a victory lap around my living room. 2) I don't think a person can see they've seen John Lithgow act until they've seen him act EVIL and, as Trinity, he scared the bejesus out of me. 3) My abiding love for Neil Patrick Harris has been a constant in my life, and his work on How I Met Your Mother has been nothing short of AWESOME. 4) My brother will kill me if I don't mention how cool and awesome Jeremy Piven is, even though even he thinks Johnny Drama has had a better season of Entourage than Ari Gold has 5) Sorry, William Hurt, but I don't watch your show. Congrats on the nom, though!
I think that the judges will be hard-pressed to pick an actor who doesn't portray evil here, and it'll probably be either Michael Emerson or John Lithgow. Man, did he scare the bejesus out of me. Both of 'em.

Well, there you have it. I suppose we'll find out who wins in a month!

Wishing I Was in Pandora Right Now: Movie Review of James Cameron's "Avatar"

2009-12-21T15:33:00.002-06:00

Think back 13 years. It's 1993, in the summer. The First Gulf War is in full swing. The Montreal Canadiens have taken the Stanley Cup home for the 24th time. Yugoslavia? Yes, at this point in time, it's still a country. You decide to spend a couple of hours at the movie theater - there's this new film out that uses a heck of a lot of that new-fangled "CGI." That, and theaters are air conditioned; your house isn't. So you go and see Jurassic Park for the first time.
Remember that moment, early on in the movie, where Dr. Sattler is sitting in the front seat of the Jeep, marveling at this leaf she's found - a species that's been extinct for millions of years. The music swells. The camera pans up. And there's a brontosaurus right there. You share in the awe of the characters and chills run up and down your spine. For me, they still do. To this day.
Now imagine that happening approximately every twenty to thirty minutes.
That's Avatar.

The Premise: A wheelchair-bound Marine, Jake Sully, is invited to be a part of the avatar program after his twin brother, Thomas, is killed. The scientists begrudgingly make him their security detail, and it is through Jake that we learn about the Na'vi, the indigenous population of Pandora (the forest moon of one of the planets of Alpha-Centauri A). The scientists are allowed to work on the planet in tandem with a human mining operation of "unobtainium". The Na'vi's are deeply connected to their world, and their home is above a large deposit of this unobtainium. It is from this "problem" that we get the film's main conflict.
This movie is too gorgeous to try to dumb it down as such, but think of the "going native" elements of Dances with Wolves, mingled with the unstoppable rush of air and beauty of FernGully, plus the unstoppable bad guy element of the Terminator. I myself saw many parallels with the expansion of the American West, and, since that's been one of my obsessions of late, I was drawn in by that fact.

My favorites:

Besides the plot, obviously. Though kind of predictable, I got wrapped up in the beauty of the place and pushed the plot aside, chalking it up to history repeating itself.
The red spiral plants and bioluminescant mosses of Pandora remind me of my scuba diving trip to Honduras, and of Christmas tree worms and night dives. It's what I'll use to get my mother to the film.
The thanator, which I spent the entire film calling "the panther one!" and "kitty!" Badass, terrifying, moves like a panther, but definitely has the face of an eagle or a velociraptor more like.

I think the only thing Cameron could have done better was explain the connections between the Na'vi, the creatures of Pandora, and their earth-mother-goddess Eywa. It is clear that there is a connection, and there are times that we see it or see where it would have been explained, but it isn't. I'm hoping this is in the deleted scenes.

For a James Cameron movie, it's a short film at about two and a half hours, not counting previews and a stop at the theater's bathroom afterward. The movie progresses pretty quickly, and the only times it moves slow really are when Jake is not in his avatar, and must "check in" with his superiors - both the mercenaries at the mining operation, and the scientists. I was only shocked by a few things, the most shocking being that this particular film did not make me cry. I think that is the first time I have ever been able to say that about a James Cameron film - and I even cry when I watch The Abyss (and Terminator). That is not to say I wasn't saddened by some of the things that happen over the course of the film. I felt a profoundly deep sense of sorrow during this film. I could feel my heart sink in ways it hasn't been able to in a long time. But no tears.

All in all, on the blackjack scale, I give this film a 2, as in, I'd definitely hit it once, if not two more times.

The Friday Five: Wrapping

2009-12-18T10:26:00.001-06:00

This week's topic - wrapping (of the "gift" variety) - is very apropos to how I spent half of my night last night. Here goes:

1) How seriously do you take gift-wrapping when you give gifts?
It really depends on the recipient. I know that my mom's kind of picky and has high expectations when it comes to gift wrap because of her own perfectionism with it (she's seriously good at wrapping presents). My dad, however, sucks at wrapping presents, admits to that fact every year, and typically gets something from me in a bag form (this year it's pretty, though, and carefully wrapped in green paper).
My thought is as long as you can't tell what it is - or it's really, really obvious (like Peyton Manning giving that guy a football on that one commercial) - it doesn't matter how it's done. I wrapped my roommates' presents last night in one of their own shirts, a tote bag, and a Christmas-y gift bag. It takes all kinds.

2) Do you save gift-wrapping to re-use later?
If it's extra-pretty, and it's a large gift, I've been known to. I'll also be really careful in unwrapping when the gift giver is really, really excited to see me open it. Schadenfreude.
Of course, you can wrap in fabric so that there is something to re-use later; a recent article on Etsy's blog, The Storque, explores those options in the form of Furoshiki. Of course, use of fabric negates chances for wrapping paper battles, like what inevitably happens with my dad's side of the family.

3) How picky are you when it comes to selecting wrapping paper?
Not really, actually. I like that Victorian stylings are coming back, because it means my fancy-ass green striped wrapping paper with subtle pattern is good all year. I don't like really excessively patterned stuff, and I try to get paper I can use year-round. I'll dress up the present for Christmas with a Sharpie-markered tree on the card usually. That or holly berries. Or a SCUBA mask with mistletoe hanging from it.

4) How much attention do you pay to the way gifts you receive are wrapped?
Not much, really. I know my brother will typically bag it, my sister and my mom will wrap it VERY. CAREFULLY. (and the paper will most often match the rest of the presents under the tree from that person - Mom and Katie typically use the "wrap everything at once, and from the same roll" method). And you can tell my dad's because my mom wrapped it.

5) Among people you know, who is the most talented at wrapping gifts?
Definitely my mom. She does all the different foldy-junk - how you fold over the edge that's going to be exposed so it's a clean line, and how there's a different way to fold for books than for boxes, etc. She's very meticulous and very zen about it. And now has so many nieces and nephews to buy books for that she's graduated them all to bags.

Coming Up Christmas: My Choices for Lights and Music this year

2009-12-15T14:29:00.002-06:00

I have, over the past couple of years, made it a point to take one evening and just drive around St. Paul and look at the lights. It started a few years ago, when I was house-sitting for a relative and would be spending Christmas night with the dog and cat after a day of travelling from house to house and family to family (I was engaged at the time). I decided to wind down with a rambling drive through St. Paul, driving only where I figured the Best Lights in the City are. I will now share my route with you.
(If you've got your own route already planned, it's all good! Skip down and check out my music recommendations!)

Coming in from the southeast suburbs (as I often do), it's best to approach downtown St. Paul from Warner Road. The view of the city itself is just gorgeous, and gives you a taste of what's ahead on the lighting tour. Warner changes its name at Sibley, so abandon it there and take a right into the city. Go straight a couple blocks and you'll see Mears Park in front of you - take a right on 5th Street (another one-way) and take rights all the way around the park. I'm a big fan of Mears Park because it's a very compact and dense little space of green in the midst of Lowertown, and they've done a great job with lights the past couple of years. When you round out the northwest edge of the park, stay the course on 6th into and through the bulk of downtown.

The roads get a little awkward here - no, not because of drunken Irishman, because of the curve of the river and the preservation of some of the oldest roads and buildings in the city. Sixth meets up with Jackson - take that down to Kellogg (not as far as Sheperd), and turn towards the Xcel Energy Center. From there, you'll see the whole of the Wabasha/Kellogg waterfront park area lit up for the season. And by "season" here, I just mean "winter." I've seen these lights left on until the trees start getting leaves in the spring. It's actually quite spectacular.

From Kellogg, follow down until you're almost to the X. Take a right onto Washington, and there ahead of you will be Rice Park. This is usually the part of the tour where I circle a few times - there's a lot to take in here. The James J. Hill Public Library, the Ordway Theater, the Landmark Center and the St. Paul Hotel directly border the park, with a view of Lawson Commons and its annual candle. (You'll know the candle when you see it!) This year, Xcel Energy has upgraded to all LED lights throughout the park. Rice Park, while smaller than Mears Park, feel bigger because of the smaller buildings around it, and the views are a lot more Currier & Ives than the Battery Park feel of Mears. If you're lucky, the skating rink is still open when you do the drive, and you'll see families with skates on shoulders, heading home for some hot cocoa, or making a stop at one of the many restaurants in downtown.
Not you, though; you'll continue the tour. Right?

From Rice Park, head back out the way you came and on to Kellogg again, taking the awkward turn onto Exchange Street (it's an exit in the middle of Kellogg). Follow Exchange to Walnut and take a left into Irvine Park, one of the oldest neighborhoods in St. Paul, having been donated to the village of St. Paul by John Irvine in 1849. It's home to some of the oldest houses, and the most famous haunted restaurant in the city: Forepaugh's. Head back out on Walnut up to 7th, and back out to Kellogg. Check out the huge jumbotron on the corner of the X and take a left to head up the hill.

This is the part that Irvine Park will have wet your appetite for - a trip down Summit Avenue. Summit Avenue and its historic districts are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with several Summit Avenue landmarks. As you drive down the gorgeous road, you'll pass:
The Cathedral of St. Paul
The James J. Hill Mansion
F. Scott Fitzgerald's house
The Governor's Mansion - pay close attention to the tree in the yard here. That's your tree! The governor does not live in the mansion, but there is a decorated tree on the lawn nonetheless for all Minnesota taxpayers.
Once past Snelling Avenue and Macalester College, the driver does have the option to leave the tour at Cretin and head out to 94. Still with me for the final leg? Here we go.

The final part of this journey has more to do with winter and the river than the lights along it. Summit Avenue's western terminus is Mississippi River Boulevard. From here, take a left onto River Road and enjoy the view of the University of St. Thomas as you go past. As you go, you'll notice tastefully and wonderfully lit houses to the left, and a view of the Mississippi River and Mississippi Gorge Regional Park to the right. One note here, though: drive with caution. River Road is not to be taken lightly. The section of road nearest to St. Thomas is relatively straight, but as you go, you'll find that the road twists, turns, pitches and rolls quite a bit. You'll pass many beautiful houses on this stretch, and combined with the magnificence of one of the largest rivers in the world, it's a great way to wrap up the tour.

Mississippi River Boulevard meets up with Ford Parkway, which you can take into Minneapolis, or stay the course until it meets up with Highway 5 or 35E to head out.

Can you remember all that? No worries if you can't - here's a Google map for you. The tour is broken up into three sections: Downtown, Summit, and Mississippi River Boulevard.

View Holiday Lighting tour in a larger map

Total mileage according to Google Maps is 14.4 miles. Even if you drive the worst kind of vehicle for snow, it's $2.50 for about 45 minutes of pure wintry entertainment and joy.

I don't know many people who can drive, look at Christmas lights, and not listen to Christmas music. In fact, I do not recommend it. As for music, there's always the classics, which for me are Vince Guaraldi Trio and Amy Grant's Tennessee Christmas album, preferably on audio cassette if I can get it. This year, I'll do some advocacy in the form of music. Go to Target or Amazon, and get your hands on a copy of "Home for the Holidays: A Minnesota Christmas" - a collection of 15 classics as performed by Minnesota artists such as Tim Mahoney, G.B. Leighton, Ari Herstand, Roster McCabe and Katie McMahon. Each of these artists has carved out their very own niche here on the Twin Cities music scene, and they each bring their own sound to these classic songs. And, as if that wasn't good enough, proceeds go to charity. Everyone wins!

So there you have it:
$2.50 for one gallon of gas (average)
$10 for "Home for the Holidays" from your local Target ($15 online)
$4 for a cup of coffee or cocoa from your favorite local coffee shop (check out Brewberrys or Cafe Amore)
A night in a warm car, looking at lights and listening to wonderful music, creating a new tradition with your family and friends, or building on an old one: you know what they say. Priceless.

I also highly recommend this drive in the spring to see the leaves start to wake up, in autumn to see the colors change, and midday Saturdays in the summer for people-watching.

TheFriday Five: Remorse

2009-12-11T10:59:00.001-06:00

Bet you can't guess what today means... that's right, it's the Friday 5!
Okay, okay, I haven't been posting here long enough to have a real pattern to it, but I certainly am trying.

This week's topic from Friday5.org fits in brilliantly with the week I've had: Remorse. Here goes...

1) When did you last experience emailer’s remorse?
And these are supposed to be honest answers, right? Crap. Well then... pretty much any time I e-mail my dad's side of the family. I try to get in on whatever the joke is, and then no replies show up. I suspect I get taken off of the list for future correspondance that way.

2) When did you last experience diner’s remorse?
I don't often have diner's remorse. I love food. Perhaps too much.
But if there's any one place that I regret practically every time I go there, it's the Taco Bell in Cottage Grove. Ugh. That place...
WAIT. I have another. DELICIOUS food at Khan's Mongolian Barbecue, but I spent the next three days in bed after that one. Double ugh.

3) When did you last experience movie-goer’s remorse?
Easy: Nicholas Cage, "Ghost Rider." Went with my brother, and we couldn't even come up with sarcastic comments for entertainment. Both of us fell asleep. What a waste of a movie ticket.

4) When did you last experience caring friend’s remorse?
I honestly can't remember. I know it happens often, though, because I'm a pretty empathetic person, and I can pretty easily tell when people are having a rough go. It usually follows that if someone I care about is feeling remorse, then I just might, too, and not know why.

5) When did you last experience lover’s remorse?
February 2007. Whew. An easy one. That's when my ex-fiancee and I for real-real called it the quits, after I'd been on the fence about it / holding out hope for a good outcome since approximately the previous October. The real bitch of it was that I had come to rely on his friends - had developed relationships with them, helped them through tough times, etc - and therefore had almost no one to turn to when the shit really hit the fan. I had to re-forge relationships with my own friends before turning to them for a shoulder to cry on, and that was a rough road.

alternate question in case that last one was too personal:
6) When did you last experience function-attender’s remorse?
I don't often go to something without a reason, or without finding something good about it. Even if I'm super-awkward, I try to find the good. If nothing else, at least I got out of the house that day!

There you have it! Another week, another 5.

Article of the Week: Freegan Ride, by Raina Kelley, from Newsweek 1 Oct 2007

2009-12-09T13:33:00.001-06:00

After learning about "freeganism" in June of 2007, Raina Kelley of Newsweek decided to spend a month as one. "For those new to the term (free + vegan), a freegan is a person who has decided to boycott capitalist society by severely curtailing consumption of resources through reusing, recycling and dumpster diving."

In an October article from 2007, Raina Kelley described her month of living as a "freegan." I found this article to be entertaining, and also shockingly similar to some of the ways in which I've been living my life in recent years.

Here's the article!

And here's my own responsorial segment: My Life as a Freegan

The crux of this article is the "waste not, want not" philosophy.

When it comes to dumpster diving, I am a champion. I have more free and cool furniture items due to finding them in the trash or on the free section of craigslist than I do new pieces I've actually purchased. I attempted to do the math with my roommate once, and I think the sum total of dollars spent on kitchen and living room furniture was not over $200 - and that includes my airlift sewing table, pair of armchairs, couch, coffee table and storage hutch. I even managed to find an old steamer trunk. And that's just furniture.
I have also begun foraging for clothes. As a seamstress, I have found ways to reuse the fabric from old clothes for handbags, heat packs, maternity pants and new clothes. I helped my roommate clean out her closet this week and walked away with 2 new shirts, a new dress and three ruined natural-fiber sweaters I plan to "felt" and turn into mittens or Christmas stockings. When my sister cleaned out her room a couple weeks ago, she threw five bags of garbage into the bin. FIVE BAGS?! I thought, looking into my parents' dumpster. I grabbed a sixth, and proceeded to sift through the wreckage of her old paint pants, tees, rescued costume loft items, and clothes from "when she was fat." I managed to walk away with one bag full of 100% cotton tees and old dresses made of adorable paisley I plan to upcycle later. And two bathrobes.
I'm also considering something my best friend told me about a year ago: forgoing shampoo entirely. Yeah. It does sound dirty. Here's his take on it. The purpose of shampoo is to strip everything off of the surface of your hair, including the oils that naturally come out of your head to keep it clean. What this does is it robs your body its ability to tell what it needs to do to keep your hair clean, shiny and healthy. That's why people get oily hair. He stopped washing with anything but eggs and olive oil last year at about this time, and his hair hasn't been silkier. I'm jealous, and it's hat season. I'm considering giving this a shot.

Before you throw me to the wolves as a garbage-loving dirty hippie, keep this in mind:
I still shop at Target for my groceries and occasionally clothes.
I still buy fabric and yarn in mass quantities at JoAnn's, Michael's and SR Harris.
The shower in my apartment is currently overflowing with shampoo and conditioner bottles, and the garbage is constantly overflowing with disposable diapers for my Tiny Roommate.
I drive a 2001 Jeep Wrangler that averages 18 mpg and, on days like today when I've got to use the four-wheel drive or end up in a ditch with passing motorists laughing at me, it's more like 16 mpg.

What it comes down to is a combination of "waste not, want not" and "everything in moderation." You won't see me behind an Italian restaurant lapping spaghetti up off a stump, but you also won't see me turn down leftover sandwiches at the office, either.

The Friday Five: The Middle

2009-12-04T14:26:00.002-06:00

In the interest of having some sort of continuity on this here bloggeroni, I'm thinkin' Fridays will be dedicated to following along with Friday5.org!

This week's theme is "The Middle." Here goes:

1) What film have you seen in the past year that’s completely average?
I watch a lot of movies - a LOT of movies - but I'll try to stick with contenders from 2009. I will judge "completely average" as meaning I didn't feel like I wanted to see it again about halfway through. This year brought us a lot of bad movies (Transformers, Wolverine), but those puppies are my bread and butter.
I'm going with Knowing, the blockbuster foible starring Nicholas Cage. The film toes the line between being a disaster film, and an in-depth science-versus-faith discussion. In trying to do both, it can't do either. While quite pretty in a visual sense, I felt pretty "eh" about it overall.

2) Who’s the most average-looking person you know?
In the interest of fairness, I'll go with myself. I can look damn good, let me tell you, but I came in to work this morning and didn't realize until after my coffee that my hair looked nigh upon identical to Jon Bon Jovi's during the late-'90s "It's My Life" tour. Enter ponytail, and myself in this category.

3) In what area of your life are you performing just well enough?
Cleaning. I am just good enough at cleaning. I have fits where I can't help but clear off every horizontal surface in my path, but those fits rarely hit the bedroom.
(Can't help but hear the following "How I Met Your Mother" exchange: "Yeah, you did." "Had to." "Totally.")

4) A new radio station features music you neither like nor dislike! What are three songs you’re likely to hear on it?
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" - the Beatles
"Brick" - Ben Folds Five
"Run" - Snow Patrol

5) What game or sport are you just okay in?
Swimming. I swam competitively for 9 years, so I'm a better swimmer than a lot of people, however, I did not win a whole lot of races, and generally ended up in the middle to the end of the pack.

And there you have it for this week's Friday Five! Agree? Disagree? Want to start a fight in my comment section? All are welcome.

FIRST!

2009-12-02T12:43:00.000-06:00

Couldn't resist that title, now, could I.

Well, this is it, folks! I'm back on the blogosphere, as it were. For some of you, I've just arrived, seeing as I've got new digs out here on the internet - new blog, new set-up, and a new purpose:
...a new purpose:

I guess I'm still working that whole "new purpose" thing out, but I feel it will have to do with the following:

witty banter and utterly biased comments about television and music
supporting your local - could be musicians, schools, small shopkeepers or Etsy sellers
random observations about the world, current events and celebrities
the stuff I spend my time making, and how awesome and cool and fun it is

I'm doing my best to plan this all out, but I'm hoping to have regular postings about what I'm looking forward to in TV and music, what's going on here in St. Paul (and Minneapolis, too, I guess), and what project is currently occupying my time.

So welcome one, welcome all!