I haven't shared anything random and fun in awhile (what with all the packing, moving, unpacking, losing my mind that's been going on in my world), but I thought you might enjoy this. The music makes me wish I were skateboarding in S.F. right now too.
[via Laughing Squid]
Guess what I got in the mail today!! It's an amazing pair of pixellated knee-sock-y perfection, courtesy of webcomic guru Rich Stevens! Not only is Diesel Sweeties one of my favorite all-time comics, but this dude also designs wearables. Srsly, who doesn't need a pair of these??
Rich generously included this pair of stickers in my housewarming package as well. I've been coveting these guys since I first saw them, so I was completely overjoyed to have them in my (grimey, paint-spattered) hands! Sean and I are trying to decide if we can put the transformer sticker on our leased car, and if the penalties will be worth it. (They totally will be.)
Since you may (or may not) care about what I've been doing all week (I'm curious too, since this week has flown by!), I can assure you it's been time well-spent. It took us a whole week to paint the house, and I'm disappointed that there are still areas that need touching up. (See the "Fresh Water" color my new office/craft room is? I LOVE IT! Most of the rest of the house is "Gentle Rain", which is a light gray.) We've decided to move onto carpet removal, however, since we'd like to actually get some of our belongings moved in some time this month.
Remember this room? It had spectacular hardwood floors underneath all that moldy shag carpet! We discovered that it's not the removal of the carpet that's the hard part (although, that's some heavy crap to haul around), but it's the wood staples and nailed-down spikey edging that are the most work.
The pry-bar (this one is named "Wonderbar") has become my best friend. We're going to get to know each other better for half of tomorrow, too. This tool (which Sean found in a gutter at a house he was roofing awhile back) can remove nails, staples, molding and most other things that are securely attached to a floor or wall. It doesn't get much better than that, folks.
We'll be living on the sub-flooring until we can afford to replace some of the carpet, but it's still a huge improvement over the mustard and lime infestation that this house had before. If the kitchen carpet weren't glued down, we'd tackle that tomorrow too. Right now, we're just trying to make this house habitable, so we can move our furniture and our sick kitty over here as soon as possible.
More photos on Flickr!
In case you missed it, WE BOUGHT A HOUSE!!! It's been one of the most stressful things we've ever done, but Sean and I got through it, and now we're bonafide adults with property of our very own. We celebrated with sushi and champagne, and we've been working our asses off ever since.
Our normal schedule has Sean and me rolling out of bed at a lazy 11am or so, but this week we've been waking up at 7 so we can meet the electrician at our new house by 8 o'clock to start the day. Once we're there, we start painting, cleaning, fixing things, or digging long, deep trenches in the backyard. Yeah, this is a little different for us.
This is as far as we could dig in an hour and a half, with a pick-axe and shovel.
Where I grew up, we had a lot of cicadas in the summer. Their unmistakable buzzing was intrinsically linked with the sticky, humid New England weather. I used to patrol our backyard, searching for their creepy brown skins, which were always attached to our split-rail fence. I don't know why they fascinated me so much, but I've never quite gotten over it.
When I was at Crafty Wonderland recently, I discovered the amazing natural history style jewelry of local Portland designer, KimiDukes. Her deceptively simple pieces incorporate all kinds of hidden treasures: cast resin cicada bodies, tiny bird skulls and bones, shiny beetle wings, dried seeds and other lovelies. The bold colors of the resin contrast perfectly with the earthy pods. These beautiful accessories brought back all the wonder and joy of discovering little pieces of nature from my childhood!
While internet-stalking the winner of my lolcat book giveaway, I saw this xkcd comic strip and immediately felt a kindred spirit:
I'm really a very responsible person (just ask all my high school friends who find me to be a total bore now--although, I was pretty boring then too). It just feels really weird to be given the responsibility of owning actual property with an actual building on it. Forever and ever.
In house news, we thought we'd be getting the keys today, but it turns out that we have to wait until tomorrow. I'm so pumped and ready to go, that I've been waking up at 7:30am instead of my regular 10 or so, figuring out our painting plan. I guess that means that we'll get more work done today, which isn't so bad. I'm just ready to pwn this house!!
I just drew the winner of my LOLcat book giveaway using random.org, and it's Rachel! Congratulations, you lucky winner, you!
Please email me your address, and I'll make sure you get your copy of How to Take Over Teh Wurld, A lolcat Guide 2 Winning. You're totally going to love it!
This book is brilliant. I've seen most of these LOLcats on the i can has cheezburger? website, but somehow they were funnier in print. Yes, you can read this book in one sitting. No, it won't make you smarter. But it will prove that the little ball of fur that sleeps on your clean clothes is plotting more than just a new way to steal cheeseburgers.
I've had this book sitting next to my computer desk for a few days, and every time I have a free minute (waiting for inspiration to strike or for a website to load) I flip open a random page and find myself feeling better about the world.
This is a perfect gift for anyone who loves cats, or who knows that cats can be truly evil. It's great for people who don't use the internet much, or for avid followers of the site. Leave it in your bathroom, or on your coffeetable as a conversation starter. My cat even used it as a pillow. There's nothing like a glossy paper copy of some of your favorite lols.
U can buys it at: Amazon.com, Borders, B&N
I'll be giving away a free copy to one of my readers, so hop over to this post and leave a comment with a link to your favorite lolcat image. I'm drawing a winner in just a few hours, so do it now!
I asked everyone if they thought it was important to have handmade products signed, dated, initialed or otherwise marked by their maker, and the results came back with a resounding "yes". After I read the first few responses, I came to agree wholeheartedly.
I was tired of putting in the work when I didn't think it was being noticed, but the problem was just that I wasn't hearing the feedback about that tiny detail. I've always tried to keep my creations separate from the soulless mass-produced stuff that you see on most shelves, and this is one of the most important ways to do that.
If I could mark each one with my logo, or business name, or write a friendly note on each one, I would in a heartbeat. But until I find an economical way to do it, I'll just be signing my initials on each glass (and ceramic) thing we make. And I'm really glad to hear that it's appreciated! <3
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