Some of you might find my "You might also like..." links below each post annoying, but I really enjoy seeing old posts I've long forgotten about pop up.
Recently, this post popped up below a post, and I saw
<---this list I made a long time ago, lost, found, scanned, and posted. It's just a little list of little goals I made during a slow day when I worked at Peet's coffee. When I posted it, I had already broken 300 in Scrabble, but that was it. Now, I've sewn a dress from "scratch," flown a kite (a few times- but the first time was in 2009! below is one of those times)

I did try throwing a boomerang (didn't go as hoped), I rode a balloon (although it was a helium balloon, not a hot air balloon, but still), and although I can't yet play "Blowin in the Wind" on harmonica and piano simultaneously, I think I've got it down on the harmonica.
I love that I can check those off the list, and I love that this mysterious little list that I don;t even really remember writing still holds undone to-dos that I still want to check off. I think I might cry if or when I ever get to ride a helicopter, and making a quilt is definitely on my mind often. I actually have a neato quilt as my desktop background on my work computer right now.

Goals are good things. And so are lists.
I think I might make another one of these on a slow day at the Gazette...

Record Bowl

I've been meaning to do this for a long time, but keep forgetting to find/buy a record I don't want to keep to listen to....


Would make a great rainy day craft......

Happy Monday everyone!

Why not start the week with this tasty tune?:

Good Clean Designs

Lately I've been really interested in cleaning products that have great designs/logos, and fresh, herbal scents.
There are two companies that keep catching my eye:

1) Mrs. Meyers' Clean Day:


I've been seeing Mrs. Meyers at Henry's, Target, even T.J. Maxx, and was tempted by the Lemon Verbena line- when I saw online that all the L.V. stuff is on sale, I loaded up an e-cart....only to find that shipping costs were quite steep, so I scratched that plan and went to Henry's and stocked up. Can I tell you I'm obsessed? I think I've cleaned my bathroom three times since Friday, when I bought everything. There are plenty of other great scents, including: Basil, Lavender, Geranium, Baby Blossom, and even Scent-free.

2) J. R. Watkins Natural Products:



I first heard about J.R. Watkins recently, when my co-worker Amy was raving about the design after seeing it in the Target cleaning supplies aisle. She was right to rave; it's simple yet elegant, in the style of a fancy schmancy Parisian apothecary. The cleaning line is surprisingly reasonably priced, and available in four delicious scents: Lemon, Aloe & Green Tea, Orange Citrus, and Lavender. J.R. Watkins also sells personal care products like lip balm, cuticle cream, lotions, bath salts, etc., natural gourmet seasonings and spices, and natural home remedies.
I looked into shipping, and it looks like they have a $5.95 rate for anything up to $100, and after that it's free.

I love everything about these two lines: the designs, the smells, the eco-consciousness, the natural ingredients, etc etc etc.
I'm thinking about hosting a giveaway involving a product by one of these two companies....who would be interested?

Berkeley/San Fran Wknd

I went up North last weekend with a few friends to visit a friend on his birthday. We had a great time and I took plenty of pics, but wanted to share just a few from the drive there (click to enlarge them!),




and another I took while walking around Berkeley,

Pogo's Remixes

Keep hearing about new Pogo videos....






i love these.

The Union Line at OC Music Awards 2010

The Union Line made it to the finals for the OC Music Awards Best Live Band (again)!
The finals will take place on Saturday, Feb. 27th at OCPAC (Samueli Theater) in Costa Mesa. Yours truly will certainly be there.

[click to enlarge]

Should be fun!

Visit the OCMA's website for more info.

H E L P

this song has been in my head today...

What did you buy today?

My friend Cydney told me about the Obsessive Consumption blog, where Kate Bingaman-Burt posts drawings of the things she buys every day.

I'm already addicted.






I love her distinct style of illustrating, and I LOVE her little comments that go with the drawings. This makes me want to do something like this. Except different.
Check it out.

Anyone remember Robie?

The coin-eating robot? I've been doing [futile] impressions of this little guy for at least a year, and finally, yesterday, my coworker Sara knew what I was talking about and told me his name is Robie. Sure enough, I found him on google and youtube immediately. Thank you Sara!

What's your type?

I just discovered that I am Baskerville Italic.



by taking a fun, semi-geeky little quiz by Pentagram

found via this is love forever

At Nana's

I spent some time rummaging around my grandma's house (where I'm sort of long-term house-sitting....long story), and came across yet another set of gems.

My grandma went to an all girls school in the late 1930s for stenography training. She graduated the top of her class and went on to work as the secretary to the U.S. Ambassador in Madrid, Spain during WWII. I found a couple of her pocket word-books from the 40s and 50s:

I love everything about this little read one-- the typeface, the size, the little comb-like graphic, etc. etc.

The word-book is like a dictionary without definitions, since, as the preface mentions, "nine times out of ten, we use a dictionary to check the spelling of a word."
I'm not sure if that's still true today, but it's a neat idea anyhow,

Another little blue one,

I also found a set of vintage-y Christmas postcards,


And neat-o neutral tone angel stickers,

I also found a leaf pressed in glass. I love leaves. !!


My grandma has always been a bit of a pat rack, but only because she finds value in certain things, and keeps them for years. I think she'll enjoy hearing how I've found these things and see value in them too.

Happy birthday Stephanie!!
And Happy b-day to little Jasper who turns 1 on the 10th.*
I can't believe it's been a year...!


*got the day wrong....woops! won't happen again, little jasp!

Throwback

I'm not much of a soda drinker.

Back in October, when I made the long drive from Wisconsin to Virginia and back with Stephanie & boys, we stopped at a gas station and she said she was going to see if they had Pepsi Throwback. I had no idea what she was talking about, so she explained: for a limited time, Pepsi is selling their original recipe under the moniker "Pepsi Throwback."

Well, I came home and forgot about it until a couple days ago. I saw a commercial for it, and decided I wanted to try it out for myself.

So I did. It was pretty good-- since I'm not much of a soda person, I couldn't really tell the difference between it and "regular" Pepsi. I do remember thinking that I'd rather be drinking a flavored soda (just found delicious pineapple flavored soda at Powell's).

The thing that bothers me is that right there on the bottle it says: "Made with REAL Sugar! For a Limited Time Only"
I'm wondering what sort of a society we've become if our far-from sugar-free soda (excluding diet here, of course) only contains "real sugar" as a special offering, for a limited time.

I like real sugar. Real ingredients. Real food. Is it too much to expect this as a constant offering?

(Long live Jones Soda)

Bilth

I had the pleasure of taking photos at a retired community's annual dinner theater event last weekend, for the 5th year. I always look forward to it; they get all dressed up, put on a musical, and serve a catered dinner (that I get to eat, too!).

My job is pretty simple; I show up, take pictures of folks in front of a back drop that a gentleman named Fred paints (this year he focused on making a cool car cut out of wood), and then watch the play and eat dinner.

There are so many people who buy tickets to the event that they have to host it two nights every year, so I'm there both nights to take photos.


I decided to try the car out myself,

The event takes place inside a gated community, and so I stopped at the gate and told the guard who I was. I told him my name, and he handed me a pass for my dash that said "Bilth"

The second night, when I saw the same guard at the gate, I made sure to say my name loudly and clearly, and even spelled it for him.

Still ended up with Bilth.

I've gotten Blith plenty of times, and even odd ones like Blay and Blatag (seriously), but Bilth is probably the worst mistaken name yet. Bile + filth.

I found it quite funny.

Switchcraft

Awhile ago, I was blog-browsing and saw someone re-purpose an old dome clock, like this one I happened to have lying around (thank you Nana!):



I had a number of ideas for what I could use it for, so I started taking it apart. It actually came apart really easily and cleanly.


Unscrewing the bottom was really all it took to dissemble the clock,


And so this is what I was left with. Terrarium? Display case? So many possibilities.

I used matte black spray paint to paint the bottom, and then popped in a little cheapy globe I found at Target.

I'm planning to turn it into a little terrarium when I can make a trip to Armstrong's.

(boys)

I think about these boys every day,


and wonder what sort of mischief they're up to,



how they're growing,


and the things they're learning,

Steph, if you are reading this, good things are on the way.

Pictures from Lunch

Had lunch with Jordan at the Gypsy Den at the Lab (he always gets the chicken walfdorf sandwich, I got the adobe stew this time), and took a couple photos.
I'd like to share these with you-


lunch


that wall, with the "B" and the vines and the window, and the lines everywhere, and the hanging succulents: