April 30, 2008
Salad Recommendation
I have always shied away from the salad kits they sell in the grocery store, figuring they weren't as fresh and that I could easily do better. Last week while Jon was away I took a leap and tried a Spring Garden Kit from Dole with baby lettuce, almonds, and a raspberry balsamic vinaigrette. It was awesome. I split it into two side salads at work, but you could easily make just one large salad with it for a tasty lunch. The lettuce was just as fresh as any other I've had from the grocery store and the dressing was better than most of the bottled varieties I've tried. The Light Caesar, which I had today with some leftover chicken, was just as good. And at 200-300 calories per bag, those kits are a new lunch option for me.
Posted by criminal at 2:30 PM | Comments (0)
April 29, 2008
Rough Start
This morning really got off to a rough start. Despite my best intentions and a very insistent alarm clock, I could not will myself out of bed at 6:30 for yoga. I snoozed, showered quickly, then crawled back into my warm bed for more snoozing. I wanted to be out of the door by 8, but instead I was still standing in front of my closet, staring at the piles and piles of clothes I didn't want to wear. I did that for at least 15 minutes before settling on something that was just OK.
Why is it so much more difficult to put together a decent outfit when you're running late? Or am I the only one that has that problem?
Posted by criminal at 11:35 AM | Comments (0)
April 27, 2008
Bonus Challenge - Weekend
One last card for Linda's bonus challenge. The only rule was the weekend theme. Since Jon and I went out driving on Saturday, it only seemed natural to put the golfer in the convertible with the scarfed lady.
Posted by criminal at 8:49 PM | Comments (2)
Challenge D - Saturday Night Fever
Finally, a challenge I can get into: a card inspired by John Travolta's suit in Saturday Night Fever. That means just black and white. No color.
And ta da! I love the little birdcage, embossed with a little sparkle and tied off with a ribbon. Part of me wants to color the little bird, but then it wouldn't be Saturday Night Fever.
Posted by criminal at 8:20 PM | Comments (1)
Challenge C - Do the Hustle
The third challenge was really a challenge for me. It was a traditional sketch challenge, which means I have to follow someone else's layout (to a certain extent). I'm not entirely satisfied with this little duck, but I only had half an hour to complete it, so at a certain point I just had to go with something. The perfectionist in me wants to keep fiddling, even now.
Posted by criminal at 8:09 PM | Comments (1)
Challenge B - Disco Ball
The next challenge was pretty fun: break out the old school glitter to glitz up a card like a disco ball. When i dug through my stash I only found three kinds of glitter: gold, extra fine iridescent, and this chunky holographic silver. When I saw the rock star I knew that a sparkly stage and guitar were the way to go. Everything else kind of fell in quickly as I made a pair of these cards. I do wish that I had a larger version of that Stampin' Up frame.
Posted by criminal at 7:38 PM | Comments (3)
Challenge A - Let It Be
To start the night, the Fab Four asked us to just "let it be" when it came time to add embellishments. Easy peasy. I love embellishments, but I'm rarely satisfied with how they look on a card. Except maybe the A Muse twinkle stickers, which are so tiny that they shouldn't count as embellishments.
I just wanted to say that I had trouble cutting into the green argyle band card to make the focal image. I actually messed up the first time, so I did it twice. I love the cards so much that I can't bear to slice them. I've been working on that, and the amazing results I get when I do is making it easier. Oh, and notice that I forgot to color the acorn. Totally skipped my mind until Jon told me Sunday morning that the card was missing something. Like, a fully colored acorn. D'oh.
Posted by criminal at 7:31 PM | Comments (0)
Virtual Stamping with the A Muse Addicts
Saturday night was the second Virtual Meeting of the A Muse Addicts, a series of half-hour stamping challenges. I got a bit of a late start because I was waiting for a chocolate cake to come out of the oven, and then between the fourth and fifth challenges, I took a break to frost and eat it. Because you can't have stamping without chocolate.
It also didn't help that my desk started off looking like this. I spent almost 20 minutes straightening up and rearranging to make room to play along with the other A Muse Addicts. I guess I really need to do that rearranging I've been talking about so that I'll be inspired to put everything away instead of piling it on the end of the desk. I don't have an after photo yet, but trust me when I say that it's significantly cleaner!
Posted by criminal at 1:57 PM | Comments (0)
April 24, 2008
Berry Thoughtful
Being in the market for a new mobile phone has made me think about things I never really thought of in the context of phones before.
First and foremost being my own motivations for purchasing a new phone. My current phone is two years old. I know that only because my wireless provider sent me a letter to remind me that I was eligible for their phone trade-in program. The phone is fine, except for it's propensity to turn itself off and incorrectly estimate the remaining battery life. But I've been living with those things for almost a year and it hasn't driven me to purchase a new phone. Until recently, anyway. I've been toying with the idea of getting a BlackBerry or Smart Phone, but do I need one or just want one because all of the ads say I do? I can't help but wonder if I could make due with the old one for another year.
Then there's the whole BlackBerry phenomenon itself. It's a logical step in personal computing and communications, but how many people really need to be connected 24-7? It's like a little cult too, with every email ending with that little "sent from my BlackBerry wireless device" tagline that feels like advertising. Until you realize that it has been turned into a status symbol. Only the most important, well-connected, self-sacrificing people would give up their personal time or interrupt another meeting to send you a message from their all-powerful Blackberries. A message sent from a BlackBerry, no matter how short, seems to have more impact in a business setting than many that are not. That would be a nice edge, but I know that I want a better work-life balance than most Berriers seem to have.
Posted by criminal at 4:32 PM | Comments (0)
A Little Lonely
Jon's been out of town since Sunday morning and although I missed him almost immediately, I'm really starting to notice it now. I have tons of things I want to do after work, but I just end up feeling bored without him around. When he's here I want to get up and do things, he's gone and I can't seem to find the inspiration. Funny how things work that way.
Posted by criminal at 12:03 PM | Comments (0)
April 18, 2008
Turning Pink
After a hormone-fueled fashion meltdown yesterday, I'm feeling incredibly sensitive about this morning's clothing choice: a very feminine, slightly frilly, incredibly pink baby-doll top. I found it on the Kohl's clearance rack earlier this week when I felt desperate for clothes that reflected the amazing spring weather. While peachy-pink is a departure from my usual earth tones, I felt drawn to the cherry blossom color. For less than $4, I could take a chance on pink. But now, I'm not so sure I'm comfortable in it. I love the dotted swiss fabric, but combined with the color, the cut, and the crocheted trim, I'm feeling more girlish than I care to.
Posted by criminal at 2:54 PM | Comments (0)
Five on Friday for April 18, 2008
- 1. How often do you listen to music?
- I listen to music when I wake up every morning and in the car on the way to and from work. So, three times a day, for 30-45 minutes at a time. I also try to use my iPod when I'm crafting or at the gym, but those events are more sporadic than regular.
- 2. Do you ever listen to the radio? What is your favorite station?
- Most of my listening is radio these days. The alarm clock is tuned to 92.5 (WXRV) and so is the car stereo. I will occasionally flip to 92.9 (WBOS) if I've heard too much Sting or U2 on the River. It's like listening to my iPod on shuffle, but with more new music.
- 3. How do you find new songs, albums, or artists to listen to?
- One of a few ways: hearing them on the radio like Rodrigo y Gabriella, Gomez, and Lucinda Williams; hearing a song featured in a TV show or commercial like Ingrid Michaelson, Ben's Brother, or Landon Pigg; or recommendations from friends, family, and online communities, like my old VP's suggestions of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, or the "Music Like..." stations on Last.fm.
- 4. When was the last time you bought a CD? A digital music file?
- I bought three CDs yesterday, although it had probably been close to 6 months since my last purchase. I picked up a few songs on iTunes about 6 weeks ago.
- 5. Do you think any of the technologies and distribution methods mentioned above will still be around in ten years? Why or why not?
- I think music distribution methods will become increasingly digital. First, we'll start downloading albums and individual songs inside retail stores instead of buying hard copies. Then instead of downloading songs, we'll just get an access code to stream them. Data transfer is getting so good that we won't need 160 GB drives to hold our data, because we'll just need a few KB of links to the servers that stream it. Since tape/CD singles didn't kill the album, I don't think the ability to download individual songs will either. Fans will always want more from their favorite artists. It might force artists to release shorter albums on a shorter schedule instead of 20-song marathons every 3-4 years.
Posted by criminal at 1:36 PM | Comments (0)
April 16, 2008
Use Your Imagination
This post feels pointless without photos, but putting it off until I actually get photos means I might never write it. So you'll have to use your imagination to picture all of these wonderful things I've been working on:
- I went antiquing on Saturday after Book Club and made a few great finds. There were many other things I loved, but only a handful that I could justify purchasing, including:
- a Little Red Riding Hood illustration from a children's book
- the carved wood owl that's been calling my name for the last month
- a cross stitch sampler with a woman at her spinning wheel
- a vintage letterpress type drawer that will be repurposed as a display case for my favorite A Muse stamps
- I spent Saturday and Sunday nights reorganizing my burgeoning ribbon stash. I had been storing the rolls in photo boxes and stacking them on whatever flat surface I could find. When I caught Tia eating a few yards of my new A Muse ribbon on Saturday morning, I decided I needed to do something immediately. So I cut foam board into small bobbins with a box cutter (the same one Dad sent me to Massachusetts with almost 9 years ago, fluorescent yellow with my name engraved etched into it) and wound my ribbon around them, securing the wild ends with tiny rubber hair bands. I've made it through half of my collection and I'm absolutely delighted with how little space it takes up and how easy it is to see everything.
- I didn't make much more progress on the ribbon winding because I spent the last two nights working on a batch of Cupcake Pops. They're a bit hit here at work. Except that you need a few hours between the two major stages, I thought they were pretty easy to make for the amount of cute you get.
Posted by criminal at 10:39 AM | Comments (0)
April 9, 2008
Just a Little Distracted
I'm feeling particularly distracted today so it came as no surprise to me that I forgot to make a scheduled phone call with a potential publisher. At 4:05 I went into a mini-panic because I my Outlook reminder hadn't gone off and I was late for the call. I stared at my calendar, which shows the entire month of April, trying to figure out why I didn't get the alarm to no avail. I left an apologetic voicemail and made a note to try again in the morning. When the publisher followed up with me a few minutes ago, he wanted to confirm that the call was still scheduled for tomorrow.
Just like my calendar says.
Posted by criminal at 5:08 PM | Comments (1)
April 8, 2008
Sure Signs of Spring
- I saw my first Robin of the season on Saturday. I'm turning a blind eye to the tiny snowflakes that also appeared that day.
- On Sunday our first crocuses pushed up and blossomed. By the time I left this morning, I could see several other clusters opening up as well.
- I keep looking at my full closet and thinking that I have nothing to wear. Could be that most everything is in fall and winter colors. Or that I haven't opening the spring/summer box from the basement.
- Baseball at Fenway starts today!
Posted by criminal at 12:34 PM | Comments (0)
April 6, 2008
What do you call...?
- Age:
- 28
- Where I grew up:
- Michigan
- 1. A body of water, smaller than a river, contained within relatively narrow banks.
- creek
- 2. What the thing you push around the grocery store is called.
- shopping cart
- 3. A metal container to carry a meal in.
- lunchbox
- 4. The thing that you cook bacon and eggs in.
- frying pan
- 5. The piece of furniture that seats three people.
- couch
- 6. The device on the outside of the house that carries rain off the roof.
- eaves trough, sometimes a gutter
- 7. The covered area outside a house where people sit in the evening.
- porch
- 8. Carbonated, sweetened, non-alcoholic beverages.
- pop -- although I have been New Englandized and have started calling it soda
- 9. A flat, round breakfast food served with syrup.
- pancake
- 10. A long sandwich designed to be a whole meal in itself.
- sub
- 11. The piece of clothing worn by men at the beach.
- swimsuit or swim trunks
- 12. Shoes worn for sports.
- tennis shoes
- 13. Putting a room in order.
- impossible... or cleaning.
- 14. A flying insect that glows in the dark.
- firefly
- 15. The little insect that curls up into a ball.
- rolly polly
- 16. The children's playground equipment where one kid sits on one side and goes up while the other sits on the other side and goes down.
- teeter-totter
- 17. How do you eat your pizza?
- in hand, from the inside, until there's as much pizza as crust. that's when I fold it on itself and start eating from side to side, taking equal amounts of crust and pizza. weird, i know.
- 18. What's it called when private citizens put up signs and sell their used stuff?
- garage sale or rummage sale
- 19. What's the evening meal called?
- dinner
- 20. The thing under a house where the furnace and perhaps a rec room are?
- basement
- 21. What do you call the thing that you can get water out of to drink in public places?
- drinking fountain or water fountain
Well, what do YOU say?
Posted by criminal at 12:37 AM | Comments (0)
April 3, 2008
Spring Nesting Confession
I need to straighten up our guest/craft room. I don't know why I bother calling it a guest room any more. We don't ever have anyone over to sleep in it and the room looks more like the bastard love-child of JoAnn and Michaels than a Radisson. There are crafty bits coming out of every corner, threatening to overtake the bed. And I can never find anything under my piles. I have to admit that I repurchased a couple small ink pads, fun flock, and a thank you stamp because I didn't realize I had the others.
But that's not the real confession. Everyone who knows me knows that I'm organizationally challenged and mildly forgetful at best, so losing my own stuff in piles of other stuff shouldn't come as a surprise. The big thing is the overwhelming urge to nest. Now that we're staying for another year, I want to completely reorganize that spare room. I want to I don't just want to clean, I want to gut the whole thing and start over from scratch. Rethink where I put my scissors, where the shelving units sit, and how far my paper should be from my table type of reorganization.
As with most big projects, I'm really scared that I'll pull everything out and then never get around to putting it back, leaving me with a bigger mess than the one I started. And then there's my inability to organize in the first place. I have no idea how to organize all of my stuff so that it's accessible and tidy, but I want to do it anyway.
Must be the spring weather. The little tidying scenarios that have been playing themselves out in the back of my head all seem to feature open windows and blinds.
Posted by criminal at 5:49 PM | Comments (2)
April 1, 2008
The Little Things
Today, it's the little things that are making me happy:
- The warm bed I woke up in after weeks of chilly mornings. And as a bonus, seeing sleeping husband snuggled up with a very purry cat.
- Pants that are exactly the right length because I thought to take them to a tailor.
- Having my card selected to be on the A Muse Addicts homepage for the month of April.
- Not feeling rushed in the morning.
- The cards that I get to send to my friends and family.
Posted by criminal at 1:20 PM | Comments (1)