Thank you, thank you, Julie D. of Happy Catholic for pointing me to...
Manolo's Shoe Blog: Shoes, Fashion, Celebrity, and Manolo!
HiLARious! Just the thing for me this week!
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Monday, January 16, 2006
Home coffee roasting -- wow
We had a wonderful Saturday afternoon and evening at the home of some friends, and got to know them a bit better. One of the wonderful things was being introduced to home coffee roasting!
Dear husband and I love dark-roasted good coffee, which sometimes is not the affordable option. I was shown their little coffee roaster and given a little introduction to costs (very affordable after an initial small investment in the roaster) and how they fold that into their daily (weekly) life.
Their roaster was having some problems, so my friend ground some other coffee beans with her hand-crank grinder (memories of a college friend's grinder and much-enjoyed coffee...) and made delicious coffee!
Oh my, what a great idea. This afternoon dear husband found and sent me an interesting site, CoffeeFAQ.com, with a page of info on home coffee roasting.
My friend recommends Sweet Maria's for home coffee roasting beans, supplies, and how-tos. Hmmmmmmm. (Yummmm!)
Dear husband and I love dark-roasted good coffee, which sometimes is not the affordable option. I was shown their little coffee roaster and given a little introduction to costs (very affordable after an initial small investment in the roaster) and how they fold that into their daily (weekly) life.
Their roaster was having some problems, so my friend ground some other coffee beans with her hand-crank grinder (memories of a college friend's grinder and much-enjoyed coffee...) and made delicious coffee!
Oh my, what a great idea. This afternoon dear husband found and sent me an interesting site, CoffeeFAQ.com, with a page of info on home coffee roasting.
My friend recommends Sweet Maria's for home coffee roasting beans, supplies, and how-tos. Hmmmmmmm. (Yummmm!)
Ten reasons why you should never accept/buy a diamond ring, or, why I do a sarcastic sing-along with the deBeers TV ads
Ten reasons why you should never accept a diamond ring
If I ever end up getting a ring with precious or semi-precious stones, it will NOT have diamonds unless they've been in the family. I knew about a lot but not all of these ten reasons not to get sucked into the international diamond price-fixing-for-a-hunk-of-carbon monopoly.
You've probably never been subjected to my sarcastic impromptu sing-along to the old deBeers diamond TV ads (da-duh-da-duh becomes O-help-us-preserve-our-priiiices...). My husband has, for years, and today he sent me the ten reasons link, LOL.
If I ever get a ring with stones, it'll have tiny rubies, emeralds, and sapphires in a channel all the way around. Inexpensive and I love it.
Please don't be offended about your engagement ring. I still like to look. Cut precious stones are still amazing objects.
If I ever end up getting a ring with precious or semi-precious stones, it will NOT have diamonds unless they've been in the family. I knew about a lot but not all of these ten reasons not to get sucked into the international diamond price-fixing-for-a-hunk-of-carbon monopoly.
You've probably never been subjected to my sarcastic impromptu sing-along to the old deBeers diamond TV ads (da-duh-da-duh becomes O-help-us-preserve-our-priiiices...). My husband has, for years, and today he sent me the ten reasons link, LOL.
If I ever get a ring with stones, it'll have tiny rubies, emeralds, and sapphires in a channel all the way around. Inexpensive and I love it.
Please don't be offended about your engagement ring. I still like to look. Cut precious stones are still amazing objects.
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Office reorganization photos
My office loft last Monday afternoon -- a composite shot.
I'd already moved a few things from the floor in the foreground and put some boxes below the state map for sorting before I remembered to take some photos. Photos are good; they help one see change and, one hopes, progress!
My office this afternoon from about the same location.
My first sorting station -- for the objects, not papers, throughout the office.
The smaller box on the left is for stuff for "Elsewhere". Clearly I didn't find a lot to "Give Away". Hmmm. But I didn't take a picture of the rather larger pile of stuff for "Trash".
My power paper sorting station.
First, from the pile on the right into the boxes; then, from the boxes into the piles on the shelves. These shelves are new (to me), and very much needed.
I'm pretty sure these shelves will be for "active" papers, probably with lots of trays. Before I get to that point, though, I need to look up how long to keep financial records, spend some extended time with a shredder and a recycling bin, set up anew the filing in the file cabinets, and put archive files in a file box for storage.
My desk area.
It's wonderfully clear, but that's in part because my desktop objets d'clutter are still in the "Keep" box.
Thank you, "Mission: Organization", for continued inspiration that I can indeed do this even when I thought it was just too much to ever tackle.
I'd already moved a few things from the floor in the foreground and put some boxes below the state map for sorting before I remembered to take some photos. Photos are good; they help one see change and, one hopes, progress!
My office this afternoon from about the same location.
My first sorting station -- for the objects, not papers, throughout the office.
The smaller box on the left is for stuff for "Elsewhere". Clearly I didn't find a lot to "Give Away". Hmmm. But I didn't take a picture of the rather larger pile of stuff for "Trash".
My power paper sorting station.
First, from the pile on the right into the boxes; then, from the boxes into the piles on the shelves. These shelves are new (to me), and very much needed.
I'm pretty sure these shelves will be for "active" papers, probably with lots of trays. Before I get to that point, though, I need to look up how long to keep financial records, spend some extended time with a shredder and a recycling bin, set up anew the filing in the file cabinets, and put archive files in a file box for storage.
My desk area.
It's wonderfully clear, but that's in part because my desktop objets d'clutter are still in the "Keep" box.
Thank you, "Mission: Organization", for continued inspiration that I can indeed do this even when I thought it was just too much to ever tackle.
Knitting update
My very own to-go cup sleeve -- with cheery, wild Squiggle knit into the top several rows.
I keep this in my purse for those opportunities to use it instead of the boring paper sleeves for coffee to-go cups. It's a sock cuff, more or less.
Three of my four or five brand-new, knit-by-me, chunky, hand-sized dishcloths. These have all been used and washed several times over the last week or two.
In the middle: my first DW dishcloth. On the left: my second DW dishcloth in my favored Christmas/winter colors -- displaying the left half which has cool variations in colors; the right half has weird pooling, and I wish it'd gone one way or the other. On the right: my first of several bee stitch dishcloths in the same yarn (Peaches and Cream 100 percent cotton).
The hat too small for anyone.
Shall be frogged back to the crown and made bigger. Next time, must trust my gut feeling more than the math (checked and rechecked multiple times). But I like the patterning I came up with!
A ruffle for a sock! I did this yesterday.
Now that I have figured out how to knit a small-circumference in-the-round thing on a single circular needle, I can get going on these socks for one of my young nieces. Many weeks ago I had cast on the 136 stitches needed to start with the ruffle, but hadn't yet figured out the Magic Loop technique I was planning to use, so it stalled. I inquired about this ruffle edge after a Knitlist mention. The subsequent ribbing is k3p2 to set up for the pattern repeat. After a half-inch or so of the ribbing, I'll get going on the actual pattern (Chutes and Ladders from Six Sox Knitalong).
It feels good to get past the mental-block parts of various projects. Next: to park the toe of Sock the First and then cast on for Sock the Second of the Harry Potter socks for Son1.
I keep this in my purse for those opportunities to use it instead of the boring paper sleeves for coffee to-go cups. It's a sock cuff, more or less.
Three of my four or five brand-new, knit-by-me, chunky, hand-sized dishcloths. These have all been used and washed several times over the last week or two.
In the middle: my first DW dishcloth. On the left: my second DW dishcloth in my favored Christmas/winter colors -- displaying the left half which has cool variations in colors; the right half has weird pooling, and I wish it'd gone one way or the other. On the right: my first of several bee stitch dishcloths in the same yarn (Peaches and Cream 100 percent cotton).
The hat too small for anyone.
Shall be frogged back to the crown and made bigger. Next time, must trust my gut feeling more than the math (checked and rechecked multiple times). But I like the patterning I came up with!
A ruffle for a sock! I did this yesterday.
Now that I have figured out how to knit a small-circumference in-the-round thing on a single circular needle, I can get going on these socks for one of my young nieces. Many weeks ago I had cast on the 136 stitches needed to start with the ruffle, but hadn't yet figured out the Magic Loop technique I was planning to use, so it stalled. I inquired about this ruffle edge after a Knitlist mention. The subsequent ribbing is k3p2 to set up for the pattern repeat. After a half-inch or so of the ribbing, I'll get going on the actual pattern (Chutes and Ladders from Six Sox Knitalong).
It feels good to get past the mental-block parts of various projects. Next: to park the toe of Sock the First and then cast on for Sock the Second of the Harry Potter socks for Son1.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
12th day of Christmas, and 5th of the new year
Christmas Season Day 12:
Tonight is our annual Twelfth Night party, yay! The house is in pretty good shape. It needs to be decluttered of recycling (all the shipping boxes!) and garbage (wrapping paper! decluttering junk!), and I will put out of sight or put away the Christmas storage boxes, homeschooling and art stuff, and light clutter on horizontal surfaces. The kitchen and dining area just need to be set up for hospitality. The boys will clean the bathroom this afternoon.
Thanks to a good hour of work last night with the boys, the kids' playroom is clean, vacuumed, and has several fun, sturdy toys out and the rest in the closet, barricaded with the table!, ready for the hordes to descend tonight. Kids at an all-ages party are less supervised than kids at a playgroup, let's say. Last year was better, though.
As for food, I am taking it easy this year. Guests are encouraged to bring something to eat or drink, so I'm providing some easy, fun basics. We'll have my crockpot party meatballs, homemade Cuban bread, black-eyed pea salad if I find nice bell peppers, chips and salsa and bean dip, lots of fresh vegetables and ranch dip, maybe snack mix, soda and water and cranberry juice and beer and wine (maybe I'll set up mulled wine, maybe not), and a homemade flourless chocolate cake. All of that is very easy to do.
IF and only if everything is going smoothly by early afternoon, I'll mix up a batch of molasses crinkle cookies and let the boys make cookies this afternoon after cleaning the bathroom. Son1 is competent to handle the oven and hot cookie sheets; both boys love scooping the cookie dough, especially since they can try out our new Pampered Chef mini scoop. The cookies are a maybe, though. I would never consider it if I had to do it by myself, and that's the truth.
We're ready to finish out the Christmas season with a houseful of friends, food, laughter, good conversation, and all that good stuff.
New Year Day 5:
I showed a friend the in-the-midst-of-deep-reorganizing office and she wasn't suitably impressed. I guess it just looked differently cluttered to the uninformed eye (for now). I, on the other hand, see a clear and vacuumed floor; the desk and shelves (some new!) in great new locations; an in-the-midst paper sorting station; boxes of sorted objects ("keep," "give away," "elsewhere"); a pile of trash; a set of boxes of already-sorted resources for major projects; grocery bags of papers to be sorted; and, hidden to the eye, four file drawers to be emptied and readied for at least some of those papers.
My main office (and household management) issue is paper accumulation, can you tell?!? I did discover that there was an underlying organization that was pretty good, covered by a layer of "where do I put THIS?" papers that got out of control quickly. That's the obvious thing to tackle, and I need workable ways to sort/organize active papers and to file them when it's time.
I'll keep working on the office and the papers through the weekend, but not today.
Tonight is our annual Twelfth Night party, yay! The house is in pretty good shape. It needs to be decluttered of recycling (all the shipping boxes!) and garbage (wrapping paper! decluttering junk!), and I will put out of sight or put away the Christmas storage boxes, homeschooling and art stuff, and light clutter on horizontal surfaces. The kitchen and dining area just need to be set up for hospitality. The boys will clean the bathroom this afternoon.
Thanks to a good hour of work last night with the boys, the kids' playroom is clean, vacuumed, and has several fun, sturdy toys out and the rest in the closet, barricaded with the table!, ready for the hordes to descend tonight. Kids at an all-ages party are less supervised than kids at a playgroup, let's say. Last year was better, though.
As for food, I am taking it easy this year. Guests are encouraged to bring something to eat or drink, so I'm providing some easy, fun basics. We'll have my crockpot party meatballs, homemade Cuban bread, black-eyed pea salad if I find nice bell peppers, chips and salsa and bean dip, lots of fresh vegetables and ranch dip, maybe snack mix, soda and water and cranberry juice and beer and wine (maybe I'll set up mulled wine, maybe not), and a homemade flourless chocolate cake. All of that is very easy to do.
IF and only if everything is going smoothly by early afternoon, I'll mix up a batch of molasses crinkle cookies and let the boys make cookies this afternoon after cleaning the bathroom. Son1 is competent to handle the oven and hot cookie sheets; both boys love scooping the cookie dough, especially since they can try out our new Pampered Chef mini scoop. The cookies are a maybe, though. I would never consider it if I had to do it by myself, and that's the truth.
We're ready to finish out the Christmas season with a houseful of friends, food, laughter, good conversation, and all that good stuff.
New Year Day 5:
I showed a friend the in-the-midst-of-deep-reorganizing office and she wasn't suitably impressed. I guess it just looked differently cluttered to the uninformed eye (for now). I, on the other hand, see a clear and vacuumed floor; the desk and shelves (some new!) in great new locations; an in-the-midst paper sorting station; boxes of sorted objects ("keep," "give away," "elsewhere"); a pile of trash; a set of boxes of already-sorted resources for major projects; grocery bags of papers to be sorted; and, hidden to the eye, four file drawers to be emptied and readied for at least some of those papers.
My main office (and household management) issue is paper accumulation, can you tell?!? I did discover that there was an underlying organization that was pretty good, covered by a layer of "where do I put THIS?" papers that got out of control quickly. That's the obvious thing to tackle, and I need workable ways to sort/organize active papers and to file them when it's time.
I'll keep working on the office and the papers through the weekend, but not today.
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
Hat knitting gone loopy, and office cleanout
Two things I've learned already in the new year: Magic Loop is very helpful for hats, and it IS possible to muck out and rearrange my office space in one day even with several years of paper clutter amidst everything.
Re. the office, I'll post pictures when the Mission: Organization-style sorting boxes are gone, but baby, it's looking good! I need to look up how long to keep various types of financial records, and then it might be a good thing to get a paper shredder at last. I'm excited about how well this is going!
About the hat, this is the top-down fair-isle hat I started for myself. First things first: don't believe gauge and math. This hat is far too small for me. I just don't want to rip it out, so it's going to be a gift for a child in the family. Too bad, 'cause I like how it's turning out and I was inventing something I planned for me. But that's okay. Pictures later on that, too.
Anyway, I was using four (really five) double-pointed needles at first, until the top got big enough that I added two more dpns. That was annoying because of how it was divided up, so I added two more dpns. That would be EIGHT dpns in the hat! It was easier to knit, but harder to stuff in the zip bag for my purse.
So... last Thursday when I got together with Emily we hit a great knitting/yarn shop in her area and I bought the appropriate needle size of a 40-inch circular needle. For the next couple of days I winged it on this Magic Loop thing, thinking it was enough to pull out a loop of cable on the far side of the knitting. I'm sorry, that was just plain tough to knit! I finally did some more research online, reading the descriptions carefully, and figured out that it's really the magic pair of loops -- at least once you start knitting a round. Wheee! So much easier now, and therefore faster. Yay!
Even though we seem to be having a non-winter here in Oklahoma, a wildfire-warmth-and-wind winter, I hold out hope for at least an ice storm or a good freeze before spring. Therefore I plan to use my Magic Loop knowledge next in another project: making mittens for the boys and me. I got the yarn at the aforementioned yarn shop, and I want to use the alternating-yarn method with two different jewel colors to make the mittens thicker and more wind- and snow-resistant. We'll see. For now, I have a hat to finish.
And piles of papers to sort!
Re. the office, I'll post pictures when the Mission: Organization-style sorting boxes are gone, but baby, it's looking good! I need to look up how long to keep various types of financial records, and then it might be a good thing to get a paper shredder at last. I'm excited about how well this is going!
About the hat, this is the top-down fair-isle hat I started for myself. First things first: don't believe gauge and math. This hat is far too small for me. I just don't want to rip it out, so it's going to be a gift for a child in the family. Too bad, 'cause I like how it's turning out and I was inventing something I planned for me. But that's okay. Pictures later on that, too.
Anyway, I was using four (really five) double-pointed needles at first, until the top got big enough that I added two more dpns. That was annoying because of how it was divided up, so I added two more dpns. That would be EIGHT dpns in the hat! It was easier to knit, but harder to stuff in the zip bag for my purse.
So... last Thursday when I got together with Emily we hit a great knitting/yarn shop in her area and I bought the appropriate needle size of a 40-inch circular needle. For the next couple of days I winged it on this Magic Loop thing, thinking it was enough to pull out a loop of cable on the far side of the knitting. I'm sorry, that was just plain tough to knit! I finally did some more research online, reading the descriptions carefully, and figured out that it's really the magic pair of loops -- at least once you start knitting a round. Wheee! So much easier now, and therefore faster. Yay!
Even though we seem to be having a non-winter here in Oklahoma, a wildfire-warmth-and-wind winter, I hold out hope for at least an ice storm or a good freeze before spring. Therefore I plan to use my Magic Loop knowledge next in another project: making mittens for the boys and me. I got the yarn at the aforementioned yarn shop, and I want to use the alternating-yarn method with two different jewel colors to make the mittens thicker and more wind- and snow-resistant. We'll see. For now, I have a hat to finish.
And piles of papers to sort!
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