no cheese here

I spent as much time as I could outside tonight but it's really, really cold out there. Once I realized I couldn't feel my fingers anymore, I gave up and came inside (I took my gloves off and found that my fingertips were a nasty shade of purpley red...that can't be good). The sharpness of this shot isn't quite what I'd like, but check out the weird webby/melon patterns on the bottom right hand side of the moon. Mike just informed me that this is the Stevinus crater (images here) and the lines coming off of the crater come from ancient glacial ice. Pretty sweet, but I'll keep trying.

little peanut

Miss Amelia herself. She's so gorgeous and looks like both her mother and her father equally. These pictures suck, but she was really unhappy about camera flashes. I don't blame her one bit.

quote

"Sometimes, that rough-around-the-edges look in a person's eyes is really just good manners combined with an uncomfortable mattress."

- Augusten Burroughs

she's here!!!

Just got the call from the proud poppa...

Miss Amelia Brooke was born today weighing in at 8 pounds 7 ounces! Mom and baby are resting and doing well. Can't wait to see her!!!

Congrats, you two!

best. episode. ever.

One of my faves by far...

apples, tulips, potatoes and pot

Watched this today and it was, by far, one of the most amazing and beautiful documentaries I've ever seen. It's available all over the place (Netflix has it, YouTube has it, etc.) and I highly recommend that everyone catch this gorgeous piece of film. Here's a sneak peek:

trial and error

Think Sears would cover the cost of my sewing machine if I pitched it out the window and claimed it was an accident? I've had "Flo" in and out of the shop more times than I care to admit recently and I'm about ready to mow her down with my truck out of sheer frustration. Ugh. So much for getting some work done today...

more tea

I won't dazzle you with any facts about jasmine tea this time around, but I will say that I've been having a blast with the nifty jasmine tea pearls Lorraine gave me. Fascinating.

the world is a much happier place with these two in it...

this blog needs a little bit of cheer

Watch more To the Races videos on AOL Video

a little help

I can't stop thinking about those poor people....this could so easily have happened right here.

Please consider donating. Times are tough, I know, but even just one dollar can make a difference. Every little bit helps.

I really hope karma exists...

...because I sure am tired of all of this finger pointing.


What an incredibly irresponsible and downright shitty thing to say.

UPDATE:

This is being talked about in the Etsy forums and someone had gathered a rather extensive list of Robertson quotes to post and share. Just to show how truly insane this man is, I give you my faves from that list:

"The feminist agenda is not about equal rights for women. It is about a socialist, anti-family political movement that encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism and become lesbians." –Pat Robertson

"I know this is painful for the ladies to hear, but if you get married, you have accepted the headship of a man, your husband. Christ is the head of the household and the husband is the head of the wife, and that's the way it is, period." –Pat Robertson

"You know, I don't know about this doctrine of assassination, but if he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think that we really ought to go ahead and do it. It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war ... We have the ability to take him out, and I think the time has come that we exercise that ability. We don't need another $200 billion war to get rid of one, you know, strong-arm dictator. It's a whole lot easier to have some of the covert operatives do the job and then get it over with." –Pat Robertson, calling for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez

What a Christian! Nothing quite like following the word of Christ, eh?

stay tuned

big changes coming. soon. very soon.

business as usual apparently

Cadmium! Really?

Yes I will take total advantage of this unfortunate situation to beg all of you to...

Buy local.

Buy handmade.

And though it's becoming harder and harder to do these days, buy American.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be stepping down from my soapbox.

Back to your scheduled programming...

for the first time...

Saw it. Loved it. Don't know what took me so long.

nest

So, I've decided to take the plunge and try my hand at selling these. After witnessing the tremendous success of the bat houses, butterfly boxes and bee boxes last year, I wanted to keep the garden theme going this coming spring by trying something new. I've done this at my own house in the past and can say for sure that it works. We'll see if my customers want to try it too!

Hang these little cages in your yard next to bird feeders or bird houses and the birds will pull the yarn from the cage and make nests with it. The best part comes weeks later when you take a peek around your yard, and even in neighborhood trees, and find sturdy nests built with these same yarn scraps poking out. This is a great science project/lesson for children, but even old dorks like myself enjoy it too. And, to make it worth everyone's while, I made these nifty little robin ornaments as a freebie with purchase.

Comments? Suggestions? Complete and total waste of time? You tell me!

shameless product placement

So, I don't get to the dentist very often (read: never), but I do worry about my teeth. I've been practicing a method called "oil pulling" in the morning for many months now and it's worked wonders for me. I still want that fresh-from-the-dentist clean mouth feeling, though, and while oil pulling gets me most of the way there, it's still not cutting it 100%. I took a brief second at the market yesterday to seek out this new stuff by Crest (after a customer recommended it). For those of you who love to wash your face with any kind of cleanser with the little scrubby bead things in it, this is the toothpaste for you. The little beads in the paste scrub the crud off of your teeth and leave your mouth feeling cleaner, looking whiter, and tingling like you just stepped out of Satan's den...uh, I mean the dentists office. Buy it. $5.00 will change the way you look at toothpaste forever.

holy crap, dude!

Granted, this is the Post reporting the info back to us, but if this is true, how incredibly sad. I love this man. You have to be in a dark, dark place to do something like that to yourself. NINE TIMES??? So sad.

13.7 billion years ago...

Some of the most incredible stuff I've seen in a very long time.


More here and here.

two thumbs up.

Every single muscle in my body was tense from the second the movie started 'til the second the credits started rolling at the end. Intense? Very. Depressing and hard to watch? Uh huh. Is Anne Hathaway a mind blowing actress? Duh. The trailer makes this movie look like a lighthearted romp. Ummmm, no. I needed tissues.

Spectacle

I know I'm breaking one of my resolutions here, but one of the shows I have been watching is so hard to give up. Elvis Costello has a show on the Sundance channel called Spectacle: Elvis Costello With... and it's one of the most amazing shows I've ever seen. Last night I caught the session with John Mellencamp, Norah Jones, Rosanne Cash and the man, the myth, the legend, Kris Kristofferson. What can I say...there's nothing else quite like it. Check it:


And if that's not enough for you, here's one more:


It's a long story, really, but I will forever associate this song with Keith. Thanks, my sweet!

hook, line and sinker

I'm hooked.
I know there are much worse things out there to be hooked on, but my habit is getting a bit out of control.

I love the idea of drinking flowers.

Did you know...

* chamomile is used as a rinse for blonde hair?
* chamomile is native to Europe, North Africa and the Mediterranean region?
* chamomile is used medicinally against upset stomach, irritable bowl syndrome and as a sleep aid?
* chamomile is a mild laxative (HOORAY!)?
* chamomile was used by the Egyptians, Romans and Greeks in a poultice and applied to wounds to speed up healing time?
* the first recorded mention of someone drinking Chamomile tea was in a document known as the Ebers Papyrus, which dates as far back as 1550 BC?
* in Ancient Egypt, Chamomile was used to embalm the dead, honor the gods and cure the sick?

Ahh, chamomile tea. You rock my world.