American Wife

I know you've seen some of the sightseeing, and shopping, that I did while I was on vacation in Duluth. I also had the chance to do some reading and relaxing! The book I read during my trip, which was the very first book I read on my Nook, was American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld.

Look at it there on the screen. Hooray! Taking an e-book on vacation worked out just great. I had some other purchased books, library books, and freebies from the public domain that were also loaded on the device. While I did a little bit less reading than I might have hoped, it was great to be able to take along several choices and plenty of backups.

As for American Wife, this is a novel that I had heard quite a bit about. The author, Cutis Sittenfeld, wrote another book, Prep, about a girl who doesn't quite fit in at a boarding school. I read Prep while I was in college and really enjoyed it. American Wife is a work of fiction that seems to be loosely based on the life of First Lady Laura Bush. I probably know less about Mrs. Bush than I do about any of the other women in that position in the last few administrations. While I guess I still don't know much about it, I thought this was an interesting look at how a woman from a very ordinary upbringing might find herself in the middle of the political universe.

My favorite aspect of this book was the description of how the main character, Alice, came to be part of her husband's family once they began dating and later married. Alice comes from a modest background without any siblings. As a 31 year old woman, she begins dating Charlie Blackwell, the man who later became president. They had decided to get married after only several weeks dating when he takes her home to meet his family: a wealthy clan, vacationing at a lake home in an exclusive community, complete with lots of trappings of WASP lifestyle that are unfamiliar to Alice. I found the descriptions of Alice's time with Charlie's family truly fascinating. For me, they alone are reason enough to recommend this book! And for anyone who wonders how it might work for a liberal to be married to a conservative president, this book certainly proposes one vision. Enjoy!

Father Time and more

One of the best parts of Duluth is the chance to pay a visit to Father Time Antiques. Score - it was within walking distance of the hotel! Mom was a trooper and went with me... TWICE!

This is probably my very favorite antique shop ever! It's a huge space, well lit and air-conditioned, with lots of different exhibitors and plenty of space in the aisles. It's comfortable, there's all different kinds of stuff, and it's a great way to spend time on vacation!

Check out these gold bamboo chairs!

I almost bought this little retro timer, but it wasn't meant to be.

Check out this sign! My little apartment would never accommodate it, but it's so cool. This is just a small sampling of all the neat wares that were everywhere.

This sign was also cool, as were all of the hats in the foreground. Seriously! If you need a Fascinator, head to Father Time!

Love this little (sort of) blue willow coffee jar, and I just HAD to get a photo of the Dazey Churn. Who wants to make butter?

I bought a couple of pieces of jewelry that need rehabbing, which I'll show you once I have a chance to do it. I also bought this little jem!

I don't know anything about how old this pot is. It's almost miniature in size and might actually be from a child's set. The pattern is a little juvenile, though it's also much more traditional than most of the patterns I like. I have a small collection of red and white tea pots and kettles, and I decided to bring this one home to add to it.

We also did some other shopping in Canal Park. I got some materials for another project, which I'll tell you more about later. But there are three more things you've got to see!

 Check out these darling earrings! I was excited about them because they're made from a jewelry technique that I don't know how to do. I also think they're great for work. Yes!

This close up of the beads shows just how neat they are!

I also picked up this little handmade scrubber. It's crocheted netting that can be used to clean almost anything, according to the label. The very best part is that it can go in the dishwasher when it needs cleaning. Super easy.

I found this cute teapot at a kitchen shop and I knew I had to have it. They look a little bit like flowers, though I also think they look like Chinese umbrellas, seen from the top. I suppose it doesn't make a difference. I love it anyway!

Stay tuned for more sightseeing pictures tomorrow!

Exploring the Twin Ports

As I mentioned yesterday, we stayed at a hotel in Canal Park. I spent the first day of our trip mostly hanging around at the hotel because I wasn't feeling well. It's a bummer to be sick on vacation, but hey, better to be on vacation than at home! Once I improved, though, we got down to really exploring!

 We started out in Canal Park. As I mentioned, the park is along the canal where ships can enter the harbor. There is land on both sides of the canal, which is connected by the aerial lift bridge, in the photo above. The bridge surface lifts up to allow access to the harbor, and when that happens, traffic backs up across Canal Park. It was actually during one of these backups that I hopped out of the car and snapped this shot.

Once we made it across the bridge, we drove out to Park Point where we had a picnic.

This is the view of the harbor from our picnic spot.

And here's the view over towards Superior, Wisconsin.

After we finished eating, we went back through Duluth to cross the bridge over to Superior.

There it is in the distance!

In Wisconsin, we made a quick visit to the Fairlawn Mansion. So beautiful!

Who loves old houses? This girl! Unfortunately, we didn't arrive there with enough time for a tour, but hopefully we'll make it back on our next visit.

We then dropped by Barker's Island, just across the street from Fairlawn.

Off in the distance, there's Duluth! After our visit to Superior we headed back to Duluth. Stay tuned for more!

Duluth!

Last week, I had the chance to take a couple of days off work to go on vacation with my family. We went to Duluth, on Lake Superior. It was great to get away from the usual grind and get a change of scenery. I had chances to take lots of pictures, which I will be sharing with you on the blog here this week.

My dad was the one who really pushed to make Duluth the destination for our trip this summer. We've been there before and have had lots of fun. Although it's only a couple of hours away, it feels like a different world. Earlier this spring, Duluth experienced some very serious flooding that washed out certain roads and caused tons of other damage. Interestingly, the flooding doesn't seem to have affected the areas closest to the shore - probably because Lake Superior is so huge that it can easily accommodate some extra water. But, Duluth expects a pretty substantial tourist business each summer and has been running a TV and print advertising campaign here in the Twin Cities for the last several weeks. I saw this billboard a couple of blocks from my apartment the day before we left!

 During out trip, we stayed at the Hampton Inn in Canal Park. It was awesome! For those of you who haven't been to Duluth, Canal Park is a small flat neighborhood in Duluth that is right along the ship canal where boats enter the harbor from Lake Superior. The area is very tourist friendly - there are tons of hotels, restaurants and shops, and you can easily cover the whole area on foot. In my view, that's one of its best qualities because then all of the traveling companions have a little bit of independence. The photo above is a view of the back of the hotel, with the aerial lift bridge in the background.

And this is the view from the hotel of the rocky beach and a ship entering the canal. That's right - the hotel was right on the shore! Yes!

Here's a shot of the pink rocky beach and the lapping waters of the best of the Great Lakes!

So, I decided to go wading. The water was pleasantly cool. I enjoyed walking on the rosy colored rocks, though it's a little more challenging than a soft sand beach. Though this picture isn't awesome, just a second after I took it, I nearly fell into the water. I had my bag with me, and I didn't want to find myself, my phone, my camera, and my Nook floating in the waters of Lake Superior, so I gave up and went for a walk.

This is a shot from the hotel of downtown Duluth.

This is Fitger's brewery, with the war memorial and the water in the foreground.

Look at those waves!

It's a blogger's life...

Recently, I realized that I've been at this blogging thing for about 6 solid months now. It's surprising, because I feel like I'm still very new at it, but I also feel like I've learned so much and come so far. This got me thinking about what things I rely upon to make this blog happen, and I thought I would share this short list with you!

1. My Computer.

This trusty little guy has been with me since I started grad school in August 2006. While I've had to replace the battery and keyboard, it just keeps on chugging. The 12.5 inch screen is a little on the small side for blogging, but it's light and portable.

When I'm working at the computer, the two most important applications I use are Blogger (which hosts the site you're reading right now!) and Picasa 3, a rudimentary photo editing software. I'm certainly not an expert on digital photo editing and sometimes I wish I knew more about it. I've considered looking for a more advanced free photo editing program (probably one called GIMP), but I haven't gone for it yet. I like Picasa because I feel like we are at the same level - while it doesn't have all the features you might want, I still haven't learned how to use all the features it has!

2. My Camera:

I received this camera as a birthday gift about 3 months ago. I can barely describe how much I enjoy using it! It takes such better pictures than the digital camera I had before it. That camera, in fact, took such poor pictures that for the first three months I was doing this blog, almost all of the photos were shot with my cell phone camera. I still rely on my cell camera as an important back-up, especially if I need to take a photo while I am out shopping. I spent quite a bit of time researching what kind of camera I wanted earlier this spring, and I'm very happy with the one I selected!

3. Natural Light:
Even the best camera has difficulty doing its job in low light.

 

I live in an apartment with northern, eastern and northeastern exposure. I noticed the importance of the natural light when I realized just how much more difficult it was to get good images that were shot in the afternoon or evening. My place only gets direct natural light before noon, so I take most of my pictures during those hours. It's going to be more challenging  when the days are shorter this fall, but I'll have to be patient. Light is critical! 

4. My Lap Desk:

This is definitely the newest tool in the blogging arsenal. 

 Since summer got under way, I've been doing most of my blogging in the living room. I have a super cute, comfortable office in my apartment, but it's awfully far away from either of the two window air-conditioning units I have to try to keep the place cool. I've found myself parked on the futon almost constantly all summer long. While I can hold the laptop on my lap, it makes my legs hot, especially when I'm wearing shorts or lightweight pajama pants. I do have a coffee table, but putting the computer on it and then typing requires me to sit with terrible posture, which becomes uncomfortable after only a few minutes. So, I snagged this guy for about $10 at IKEA. It's narrow enough, too, that I can use it when sitting in the red chair. 

5. Time: 

I'm sure this one goes almost without saying, but blogging definitely requires time, and the related personal quality, patience. I do not regret the time I spend blogging - I love it much more than I'd imagined I would. But, I'd be remiss if I left it off this list. I am lucky to have time that I can devote to this endeavor, and that helps me be patient even when I'm frustrated.

A computer + a camera + natural light + a lap desk + time = one good blog = one happy blogger!

Nook

I did it. I bought an E-Reader!

Here's my new baby: the Nook Simple Touch. Check out the super adorable cover I got!

According to the package, it's "Italian Faux Leather" - insert snort here! I was initially planning on leather or faux leather, but I fell in love with this over because it is magnetized. The flap holds the cover shut magnetically, and can also hold the cover open (folded back) while you're reading. Here's the back!

The "n" logo allows you to press a button on the back of the device - a short burst to put it in sleep mode and a long hold to turn the device completely off.

Here's the home screen!

It shows me the book I'm currently reading, a few of the books in my library, and a few suggestions for books I can buy. It's pretty simple, but I like it.

So, the question I expect you're all asking yourselves - Why the Nook rather than the Kindle?

Here are my thoughts: it was a much bigger decision - that took months - to determine whether to get an e-Ink reader (Nook Simple Touch or Kindle Touch) or a reader tablet (Nook Tablet or Kindle Fire). I spend a lot of time at work in front of the computer screen and feel like it sometimes hurts my eyes. Spending additional time staring at an LCD didn't sound like a good choice. Once I started really thinking about that, I realized I wanted an e-Ink reader and from there the decision proceeded quickly.

I read a ton of reviews of both the Kindle Touch and the Nook Simple Touch on the internet, and if you're considering a purchase like this, I would highly recommend doing a google search or two so you can get a variety of opinions. There's a lot of good info out there and I won't try to replicate it here. I'll simply note the factors that tipped me towards the Nook:

1. EPUB format. The Nook uses this format for books to read. Most E-Readers not in the Kindle family use this format. It is owned by Adobe, rather than any book retailer, which I think gives device owners a little more freedom. This format is also sold by retailers besides Barnes and Noble, namely Google Play, which makes me feel a little less subject to a monopoly. With the use of "agency model" pricing, in which e-books are priced by the publisher with a set amount included for the retailer's profit, monopoly in book sales is a little bit less important.

2. Library Books. The other advantage of the Nook that is related to the EPUB format, at least in my estimation, is that my library has more books available in this format. Checking out library books on an e-reader is remarkably easy and is one of the reasons I was so anxious to buy one.

3. Expandable memory. I know, the Kindle Touch has a great big built-in memory. I don't really know how much material I will want to have on my device. I may never need to take advantage of the additional capacity. However, because I see this as an investment, this feature appealed to me.

4. Human Retailer v. Virtual retailer. It really has made my process easier to buy from a retailer "in real life." It was awesome to be able to go in and look at the device and hold it in my hands before making the decision. I made the decision about what cover to buy because I saw how it operated and realized how neat it was, but only by actually fiddling with it. I also appreciate that if problems arise, I can take the device back to the shop where I can interact with a real person to move forward. This might not be a huge deal, but it made me feel less nervous about deciding to buy.

5. Advertising. At the same price point, the Kindle product has "Special Offers," which are advertisements that display at the end of a reading session. Everything I have heard from Kindle owners, on the internet and in real life, is that this is not a big deal for their experience. I am glad to hear that, but when push came to shove, especially in light of the other factors, I realized I would rather not have ads.

This is what I see when I'm done reading:

I hope you all are enjoying the books on your shelf or your E-Reader!

The Charmed Life

I know that trends in necklaces these days are mostly big "statement" pieces. While they're totally cool, I also love wearing plain chain necklaces with one small charm. They're comfortable and can be made to work with any neckline. Not long ago, I found this on clearance. Score!

It wasn't until I got home and ripped open the package that I realized this is actually ONE necklace. YIKES! Not only is it too short, with mixed metals (not my style!), the two strands seem to be constantly tangled with the charms spinning the wrong way. But look how adorable the charms are!

That's when I realized it was time to bust out the jewelry tools and supplies to see if I might improve things!

I cut the gold chain off the silver chain. I realized the gold chain was too short, so my only choice was to buy a spool at the craft store. In the picture above, I'm cutting it to the appropriate size using the silver feather necklace, which is one I know fits just right.

Here's the finished gold necklace. Because the clasp on the conjoined necklace was silver, I had to buy a gold (-colored) clasp to finish this off. I bought the thinnest chain I could find. Unfortunately, it's a little thicker than the chain on the conjoined necklace, but I think it works. Love this little elephant!

And now it's even the right length!

Next up was the silver necklace. The process was basically the same, again using the feather necklace as a guide to the length of the chain, because the chain from the conjoined necklace was also too short. The only part that was different was that I decided to reuse the clasp and extender chain that were part of the conjoined necklace. After a couple of snips with my wire cutters, they were free from the old necklace and I was able to attach them to the new one.

Here it is! Another necklace that's long enough to be comfortable and look nice with my clothing.

And here are the two finished products, successfully separated!