At the very end of 2011, I received a gift subscription to a magazine called The Week. I hadn't even heard of this publication until sometime in 2011, when my boss explained to me that she is a devoted reader. She gave me the subscription for Christmas and I've enjoyed it a lot. I was initially somewhat unsure as to whether I would like it. The magazine provides news shorts from all over the world with very few in-depth articles. While that allows you to pick it up and put it down pretty easily, it can also be frustrating not to get much depth. That said, I've gotten used to it and really grown to appreciate the broad scan over lots of different news stories.
The Week also includes a crossword puzzle. Score! This was totally unexpected. I'm not that great at these, but I do enjoy them. I've been working on them diligently each week. I usually get a bunch of words but then have to give up. Not this time! Now that I've been a subscriber for about 12 weeks (during which there were about 10 issues), I finally completed the cross word puzzle!
And if you want to find out which words I got right, you can click here. Keep your fingers crossed - this could be the beginning of a streak!
As you can probably tell, from seeing my home in pictures or in person, I love Rosie the Riveter. She seems to be everywhere around my house, and all I can say in response is, "We Can Do It!" A couple of years ago, I was at the Minnesota History Center, which is our state history museum in St. Paul, when I found a greeting card that was Rosie the Riveter standing up. I bought the card immediately, put it in a closet at home with other projects and storage, and then promptly forgot about it. Recently, I stumbled upon it (after having temporary lost certain pieces of art for the Last Wall) and decided that now was the time to do something with it!
So, I busted out my trusty scrapbooking supplies to see what was available, then headed to Michaels for reinforcements.
And here's the finished product!
Just a note: the frame was actually meant for a CD with album cover. I had to pick one that was meant for that to get the correct shape. I initially was going to throw their specialized mat away, but I kind of liked the white with the rest of what I had going on, so I decided to keep it and cut the mat freehand with an X-acto (yikes).
So, here it is, in position:
And now a broader view of how it fits in with everything else:
I always enjoy little art additions to perk up a room!
Recently, my office participated in Daffodil Days, a fundraiser for cancer research. While I do love daffodils, which are the prettiest of the flowers my mom grows in her garden, I didn't order any. I love fresh flowers in the house, but I often think of them as a luxury and something I don't need while I'm trying to save.
Imagine my surprise when I got an e-mail from one of my coworkers. He explained that he had ordered a bunch of daffodils (probably to bring home to his lovely wife) but had been traveling for work and likely wouldn't make it back to the office to pick them up. He asked me to pick them up and enjoy them, so I did!
Here they are the night I went to get them:
I know this is a little bit of an odd angle. The flowers were in a bag with no water at all when I went to pick them up. I was actually a little nervous they were past the point of no return, but after I brought them home and put them in the recommended lukewarm water they'd perked up to this point within only about 45 minutes!
Not even 24 hours later, here they are in full bloom:
What a fresh and colorful addition they make to my home. I'm so lucky!
As has probably been evident, I'm in the process of learning how to make my own jewelry. Shortly after Christmas, 2011, I got a book with lots of different project ideas and explanations of the many basic techniques. I've already made beaded earrings and elasticized bracelets so I decided it was time to conquer the "big one" of jewelry making: crimping. This is the technique necessary to make a beaded necklace, which I knew I wanted to do for a friend as a birthday gift. I hate to give away my practice items, because it stresses me out while I'm working on them, so I figured I'd start with one just for me.
I saw the green beads at Michaels on one of my many trips there and picked them up to make a beaded necklace. I used the red one above as a guide. I wear the dark red beaded necklace all the time, especially to work. It's just the right length to wear with a sweater and I thought it might be nice to branch out to a lighter, cooler color. I got some small spacer beads, mostly to make 16 inches of beads turn into a 21 inch necklace.
Ta da!
So far, so good! Hopefully it doesn't fall apart when I leave the house!
For the month of April, my book club decided to read "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Sloot. I like to get my book club books from the library, and the waiting list at my local library was a mile long, so I put my name on right after our February meeting. Surprise! I moved through the list like lightning and had to go pick up the book in the second week of march (after delaying as long as I could before they'd give up the hold). I just finished reading it yesterday - it was a whirlwind!
For those unfamiliar with it, the book is the story of the first human cell line to ever be successfully reproduced in a lab. The cells were cancerous, and a small quantity of them were removed from Ms. Lacks' body without her knowledge or consent in Baltimore in the 1950s and then grown in the lab by scientists, who were amazed by what they saw. They called the cell line "HeLa," shortening her first and last names as was customary at the time, which has contributed substantially to all human cell-based research. Ms. Lacks was the mother of five children who were all very young when she died as a result of her cancer in the 1950s. The children, and the rest of her family, did not understand what had caused her death or have any knowledge that her cells were out there. This book also chronicles the development of the author's relationship with Ms. Lacks' descendants, as she tried to learn more about them and they tried to understand what had happened to the cells and why.
I really enjoyed this book. The writing was excellent and engaging. I'm not very interested or knowledgeable about science, and I didn't have any trouble following alone or finishing the book quickly. I thought the author did a good job of explaining to the Lacks family (and of course, to the reader as well) what different scientific concepts meant. I also thought the author did a good job of presenting some of the race and class issues present in the story, given that Ms. Lacks was an African-American woman of limited means seeking treatment at a hospital that treated "colored" people without hammering on it. In 2012, I know that segregation is wrong and can tell from the book that it probably had some impact on the way Ms. Lacks was treated by her doctors. I think that's the author's perspective as well, though she does a good job of presenting the facts rather than her argument. Show me, don't tell me! I also think that the humbleness of Ms. Lacks' life, and the extraordinary contribution made by those cells, are a wonderfully inspiring story. Although we usually mean characteristics of personality or spirit, this book is another reminder that humans achieve greatness based on what is inside them.
Most of the discussion of the legal and ethical implications of human tissue research are reserved for a section at the end of the book. There were times I was surprised that the author seemed to be letting those issues go while she was telling the two primary stories: the cell research and the family's experience. I was glad to see it all together at the end, and now recognize that it makes more sense to discuss the legal and ethical implications in their own narrative, with points and counterpoints. She quoted one expert in the field who pointed out that the law protects the rights of the doctors who drew the cells and discovered something, a well as a company that (with the doc's agreement) subsequently mass produces the discovery, but the person who provided the raw material has no rights at all. This commentator pointed out just how strange that is, and I agree. While I don't know what can be done to remedy the situation, that point is a critical take away for me. I think the difficulty of these circumstances is further heightened by the Lacks family today, many of whom had serious health problems when the book was written and lacked access to basic medical care because they did not have medical insurance. While I personally wouldn't be worried about earning money if my cells were something special, I would find it entirely unjust if I couldn't gain access to medication developed by using my cells because a pharmaceutical company owned them. This is one of the many thought-provoking questions I was left with. I would definitely recommend this book!
Well, I've watched every single episode of Downton Abbey that has aired on PBS in the U.S. I find it completely captivating. I'm not usually drawn to the style of the Crawley family - it's simply not my taste. There has been one exception: beautiful three-bead drop earrings that Lady Mary wears quite often, typically for scenes where the family is enjoying an ordinary dinner.
I spotted something similar at Target a couple of weeks ago, but at that time, I decided to pass. (I'm pretty sure I was making several other impulse purchases that evening.) So, when I ran across these same earrings at a different Target store, while wandering aimlessly before picking up some groceries, I snatched them up.
Here they are:
I'm sure that Lady Mary's earrings are made out of some kind of precious stone; these are clearly plastic, though I don't think you'd be able to tell the difference from a distance. Originally priced at $7.99, I grabbed these guys for only $3.96. Hooray!
So, I've loved music mixes for my entire life. Although cassette tapes have been out of style for a long time, I had one in my car until 2005. I've since traded in my love of mixed tapes for mixed CDs, but somehow "MixCD" simply doesn't sound as good.
Since the weather has changed here in the Minneapple, and it's now officially sun roof season, I decided a new mix was in order. Here's the rundown:
If I could remake my entire living room for the change of seasons, the result would be something like this. Marimekko's bright colors, combined with this classic light sofa and a grass green lamp - who could ask for anything more?
I was just at Target the other day, and I happened upon a display of party ware. I don't use disposable cups and plates very often, because I have enough washable dishes to entertain, and a dishwasher to handle the heavy-lifting when its time to clean up. I do buy festive napkins on different occasions, and I always have some red cocktail napkins on standby for an impromptu gathering. But, with paper plates a cute as these, I just might have to think again:
These would have been perfect for my St. Patrick's Day dinner last weekend - springy patterns in the perfect shade of green!
These are so cute! I like the warm colors and I think the round plates would be sturdier. I particularly like the blooms on the yellow app plate - they remind me of Marimekko's Unikko print.
I like these too - they'd be perfect for a Pinterest-inspired child's birthday party.
And now, my favorite things I saw:
I haven't really given to much thought to how I'll celebrate my birthday at the end of next month, but these plates and napkins are SO cute, I just might have to party at home. No matter what, I'll keep calm and birthday on!
As I wrote about last week, I recently did a pretty big project to finish and refresh the decorating in my living room. One part of this involved replacing this lamp:
With this one:
Which meant that I had the red lamp above left over, and I needed to find a new home for it in my apartment. I thought the red shade was looking a little bit tired - I'm pretty sure it has faded during the several years I've had it. Partly because of the color, I didn't feel like it matched the rest of the living room. I also wanted the option of putting it in a different room. So, I went with Ginny to Ikea to see what kind of replacement options were available. Although the store was undergoing renovations and didn't have a lot of selection, they had just the right thing: Skimmra! (Swedish for "shimmer.") At first I was nervous about the off-white color, but now I think it's a great fit.
This lighter colored shade also lets it give off quite a bit more light than the red one did.
Have a great one, tomorrow, everyone! In honor of the day, here's my very favorite Gaelic Storm song for your listening pleasure:
And the lyrics:
Well I'm a little beggarman, I am a beggarman, I'm a little beggar-beggarman, I am a beggar man
Well I'm a little beggarman and begging I have been
for three score or more on this little isle of green.
And I'm known from the Liffey from the basement to the zoo,
And I'm known by the name of old Johnny Dhu.
Of all the trades that's goin' the beggin' is the best,
For when a man is tired he can sit down and rest
He can beg for his dinner, he's nothing else to do
When he comes around the corner with his old rig-a-doo.
And I met a little flaxy-haired girl one day
'Well good morning' little flaxy-haired girl,' did I say,
'Well good mornin' little beggarman, how do you do,
with your rags and your bags and your old rig-a-doo.'
I'll buy a pair of leggings and a collar and a tie,
And a nice young lady I will fetch by and by.
I'll buy a pair of goggles and I'll color them blue
And an old fashioned lady I will make of her too.
I've got the sky,
I've got the road.
I've got the sky...
The world is my home.
I'm a little beggarman, I am a beggar man,
And I slept way down, in a barn at Caurabawn
A wet night came on and I slept 'till the dawn
With holes in the roof and the rain coming through
And the rats and the cats, they were playing peek-a-boo
When who should awaken but the woman of the house
With her white spotty apron and her calico blouse
She began to frighten and I said "Boo!
Ah, don't be afraid ma'am it's only Johnny Dhu."
Die di die di diddle diddle dum
Di die di die di diddle diddle dum.
Diddle dum di diddle diddle dum.
I've got the sky,
I've got the road.
I've got the sky...
The world is my home.
And it's over the fields with my pack on my back
And over the fields with my great heavy sack
With the holes in my shoes and my toes peeping through
Singing skinny-me-rink a doodle o for old Johnny Dhu
I must be going to bed for it's getting late at night
When the fire's all raked and out goes the light
Now you've heard the story of me old rig-a-doo
It's goodnight and God be with you from old Johnny Dhu
I received this book, written by Richard Posner, as a Christmas gift.
I'm not someone who was always interested in economics. I took an econ class in college and performed miserably - economics is not intuitive for me. I entered the job market for full-time work for the first time in the summer of 2009, after finishing graduate school. The news about the economy seemed to be on full-blast before that and ever since. As time has gone by, I've become ever more curious to understand what happened and why. I feel like I've read all the books about the collapses and bailouts of different institutions (though I know I haven't). I still didn't understand how, as a society including a huge number of people, banks, other businesses, and government units, this had come to pass.
Enter The Crisis of Capitalist Democracy. Judge Posner and I probably wouldn't agree on anything other than our skepticism about the government's actions regarding the economy, both before and after the crisis. The part of this book I found most fascinating was the description of the economy before 2008, especially Alan Greenspan's approach to the economy. I think Judge Posner does a good job of describing Greenspan's philosophy with neutral tone, and then explaining why he disagrees rather than trying to explain and criticize at the same time. I think the book would have been almost impossible to understand without extensive background in the subject area had he taken that approach, which is too common, especially in subject areas that have a political component. For me, as a person born in 1984, this lead-up is crucial. The dot com bubble burst in 2000 - when I was 16 years old and much more concerned with going to summer camp and getting a driver's license. I think Posner correctly argues that much of what is going on now is the result of decisions made during my childhood and adolescence, if not before. Understanding what occurred then is crucial to understanding what is happening now and how we will move forward.
After explaining the lead-up, he devotes little detail to the crisis itself, and then offers some criticisms of the government's efforts to improve things. The book was published in March 2010, two years ago. Some of the criticisms were a bit premature, and now seem a little out-of-date. It seems to me that understanding the success (or lack thereof) of the government's efforts is probably years away. I can only hope that Posner will create another work at that point offering some historical analysis. He then goes on to make some suggestions about reforms. I thought this second portion was less interesting than the first part, but I would certainly recommend the book. Happy Reading!
Not long ago, I had the chance to go to Sonic. Sonic is a pretty recent addition to the landscape here in Minnesota, so every time I get to go, it feels like a treat! I particularly love the Strawberry Cream Slush, which is the perfect combination of an Icee and a Shake. This visit was also my first chance to test out the Sweet Potato Tots, which are a great idea.
But, the best part of my entire Sonic experience was this: the free mint that came in the bag!
You might think, just by looking at it, that this is simply a standard peppermint. I enjoy the peppermints that you can often find at restaurants on your way out after a meal. While I do think that's a nice touch, sometimes that flavor is a little strong and lingers too long (which is why I'm terrified of Altoids). Imagine my surprise when I began enjoying this little mint and discovered it was actually an after-dinner mint! Also known as "butter mints," these candies dissolve quickly and have a very sweet minty flavor. Thanks for dropping some of these into my bag, Sonic! I'll be back for more!
Alright, this is the moment I've been waiting for! May I now present, the Last Wall!
First, a view from the right:
Next, a view from the left:
And finally, the view from straight ahead:
Sorry about the glare on the bottom two pieces on the right! As I'm sure you can tell, they are opposite a window that makes it just about impossible to get enough light for the photo without a little glare.
So there you have it, the Last Wall! A quick note about the sources: the main piece is from Pier One, all of the rest of the art is from Ikea (except the canvas). The frames and mats for the postage stamp pieces are from JoAnn, while the frames and mats for the blue pieces came together from Michaels. The silver-tone ceramic lamp is from Target. Happy Decorating!
I've lived in my current apartment for just over 2 years. I did a ton of the decorating right away. There were a few pieces and spaces that didn't get set up until later. However, there was one area that had to wait the longest: The Last Wall.
Here's a before shot:
Here's another one, with the light on:
Because this was my last big decorating project, I had some time to think about what I wanted. I knew I needed a different lamp. The little lamp with the red shade was cute but had been purchased when I was living in my old apartment, where it didn't have so much space to fill. I also was imagining some kind of a gallery look, but with art created by someone else. (I already have a gallery with photos I took). So, I spent November, December, January and most of February gathering all the pieces together.
I was a little unsure about the exact right way to lay out all of the pieces on the wall. My mom has always said that you should trace the frame on newspaper and tape it to the wall so you can see what you're getting. I'd never done it before, but then I saw the same advice on Apartment Therapy. (Note: while I think that hanging at center, 57", as is mentioned in the article is generally the right approach, I did not do that here because of the furniture.)
This is such a neat video. A real must watch, especially if you love Keep Calm and Carry On as much as I do! Anyone want to plan a trip to Barter Books?
Does this post title sound familiar? I hope so! As those of you females born in the 1980s likely remember, this is the saying that was taught to Samantha Parkington, American Girl. Samantha was creating a cross stitch sampler with this saying on it during the books about her. While I've not worked with cross stitch (yet!!!), I agree: actions DO speak louder than words. I was recently arranging some art and decided I needed a piece that included words. I contemplated lots of different sayings - Coldplay quotes, goofy quips, Elvis has left the building, you name it - but I ultimately settled on this one.
I picked up these stickers at Michaels in their "Dollar Spot" section. I knew these were the ones the moment I saw them. I figured two packages would do it (since I hadn't identified the saying just yet). These are the leftovers:
Once I figured out what I wanted to say, I measured the letters and figured out what size canvas I'd need. I picked up this one:
I then painted the front a flat gray, which I diluted with water in hopes it would look more like a "wash." That attempt wasn't especially successful, mostly because I made the mistake of layering on a second coat. I then painted the sides with Ceramcoat's 14k Gold Paint (the same paint I used to make this). I did two coats of that as well, which was essential to really make it glow. I then stuck on the stickers. I had measured the width of each letter - they're not exactly identical - so I would know how much space to leave at the edges so the words would be centered. This is the result:
I'm a smidgen disappointed that it looks like some of the words are "angled" - they aren't! I think the issue is that the picture of the letter itself isn't perfectly straight. All of the stickers are touching one another, and I can tell that their edges are straight, so I think it must be the picture. Anyways, it's also hardly noticeable if you're looking at it from a different angle:
And here's the gold edge, in better light:
I'm very pleased with how the colors work together and with the rest of the room. More posting about that coming up shortly!
Last weekend, I went to the mall. Though I used to spend a lot of time at the mall in my younger years (given that I live about 15 minutes from both the first mall ever and the biggest mall in the USA), I've gotten out of the habit. But, this time, I went to the mall armed with a Bath and Body Works Coupon. I love their stuff! I like good-smelling bath products and the quality is great for the price. When I go in there with a coupon, it gets dangerous!
This is my first go with each of these scents and I can't wait to try them out. It'll be a good smelling shower for at least the rest of 2012!
I also went to JC Penney for the first time since they re-tooled their image and took on Ellen as a spokesperson. While I know the Ellen piece was the big news in the media, for me, the changing of their pricing structure was huge. I have been a loyal shopper there for a long time - they have good clothes for work. Because of my habit of shopping there, they (used to) constantly send coupons. I scored a lot of SUPER deals over the years when combining coupons and sales. Now they have their "best price" thing, which I don't entirely understand. But, I got a t-shirt for $6, an off-season sparkly sweater for $9, and this sweet little necklace for $4!
Recently, I was shopping at Target when I stumbled upon some cute notecards on clearance. The cards are from the Gartner Studio company and they are meant to be printed on. YES! I often see cute printables on the internet but, especially without a color printer, can never figure out how I might bring these objects into my life. But, the Gartner company has templates you can download right from their website. I snapped these guys right up:
It's a little bit challenging to figure out just how to configure the template to make sure the text is far enough down the front of the card. Plus, at least on my printer, I have to hold it in place to make sure the text is printed in the center. Here's my first effort!
I sent this along to my friend, Sunflower, who lives in Colorado. I really wanted to say Bonjour!
I'm sure it comes as no surprise to most of you, but I love Ikea. I've been shopping for Christmas decorations there for years. When it came time to move into my first apartment, I bought several pieces there, including the table I now use as a desk and the chair I'm sitting in as I write this post.
About a year ago, I realized I needed another lamp for my living room. Up to that point, I'd had one floor lamp which was getting the job done, but didn't provide as much light as I wanted. I picked up a lamp (pictured below) on one of my voyages to Homegoods. When I brought it home, I got out a trusty old TV tray and set it up right next to the couch. All was well, though I had always thought the TV tray would be a temporary solution. I did some looking for a table for a long time until I finally decided I wanted a four-cube Ikea Expedit bookcase. They were having a huge sale on them during Black Friday weekend, so I picked one up back in November. I then promptly shoved it into the storage closet because I had company throughout the holiday season. It wasn't until last weekend that I finally got the box out and decided to put it together.
I was in the company of my trusty guide:
It's funny, because the instructions even contemplate that you're going to be confused!
I didn't have a buddy present with me. I could have phoned-a-friend, I suppose, but the unit is really pretty small and I just wanted to get it put together. I had a TON of difficulty. I'm not sure whether a buddy would have been helpful. I began assembling it on Saturday afternoon and simply couldn't get all of the screws and pegs lined up with the pre-drilled holes. I put it almost all the way together and then had to take it apart like three times. ARGH!
I had to stop on Saturday and resume on Sunday. By that time my hands and legs were sore from all of the back and forth the day before. I had read one tip online suggesting that you could use gravity to help do the work. The instructions suggest that you lay the unit down on its front, put it together, and then tip it upright. I actually had it most of the way together then did just that: I tipped it up and leaned and got 'er done. Yikes. It was quite the experience. But, here's the finished product and I think it looks pretty awesome!
St. Patrick's Day is less than 2 weeks away! I'm not Irish (that I know of...) and I'm not someone who usually celebrates St. Patty's in your typical, raucous fashion. That said, I love Irish folk music. My favorite group in that genre is Gaelic Storm, which was the band that played during the steerage party scene in Titanic. This is one of my very favorite of their songs:
Here are the lyrics:
When I was a young un', I knew a lad from Ballybunion
He hadn't got a single penny to his name, you might say
He had a raggedy coat, and like two rubber boats
He kept his wellington boots on from December to May
Chorus:
It was Kevin Kelly, with his chopped off wellies
In the middle of the summer time he was looking fine!
His pants had holes in the knees but he was proud as you please
With his ol' wellies he keep strolling along
As we got older and slyer and bolder and the girls we had our eyes on they got older as well
With paint on their faces (with paint on their faces) and curves in nice places (curves in nice places!)
We were dressed to impress them and we thought we were swell!
Well our duds were in fashion (duds were in fashion!) to kindle their passion (kindle their passion!)
But there was Kevin on the dance floor looking anything but neat
He was tryin' to flirt (he was tryin' to flirt) in his hand-me-down
shirt, (in his hand-me-down shirt!) with the same ol' wellies on his two
big feet!
It was Kevin Kelly, with his chopped off wellies
In the middle of the summer time he was looking fine!
His pants had holes in the knees but he was proud as you please
With his ol' wellies he keep strolling along
Well we teased him and we mocked him, but sure that never shocked him,
he painted on some laces and cut them down to look like shoes.
He was poor but he had style, he made everybody smile
He wore his ol' wellies!
He wore his ol' wellies!
He wore his ol' wellies!
Like he'd nothin' to lose!
The next time we found him, (next time we found him) well the girls were all around him (Girls were all around him)
He was busting the moves, he was happy as can be
One of the girls came near, (One of the girls came near) and whispered in my ear...
"Only boys who wear their wellies have a chance wit' me."
It was Kevin Kelly, with his chopped off wellies
In the middle of the summer time he was looking fine! (He was looking fine!)
His pants had holes in the knees but he was proud as you please
With his ol' wellies he keep strolling along
I know it's maybe a bit dated now, but Friends remains one of my favorite shows to have been on TV. I'm only slightly to embarrassed to admit that I own all 10 seasons on DVD (read: every single episode ever made). While in grad school, I spent a semester working on a team with two other girls. We struggled to work together effectively until the day we realized we were just like the three girls on Friends - I'm the Monica. Although Monica and I don't have a ton in common, we share a similar style. I love Monica's apartment and one of my very favorite touches is the beautiful frame on her door:
While I suppose I could have done that, I noticed Monica's frame is actually pretty thick. It looks to me like it stands out from the door at least an inch, if not two. In my apartment, there's a wall behind the door - meaning the door can only open to about a 90 degree angle, as opposed to a 180 degree angle like in Monica's "apartment." I would definitely be worried about the frame getting smashed against the wall and damaged when the door swings open.
Not long ago, I was at Michael's where I discovered a lightweight, thin cut wooden frame. I thought it would be perfect to put around the peephole on my door. I brought it hope and painted on 2 coats of Ceramcoat's 14 karat gold paint. With a couple of teensy Command strips, I was able to stick it onto my apartment door. Voila! My own golden peephole frame for about $5. Here's a close up:
And here's a shot of the whole door with its new frame. I couldn't be happier!
