I don't crochet, but this is pretty darned cute:
Boomer the Sumo Westler @ FreshStitches.com
Actually, the entire site is pretty great, and a good argument for adding crochet to my list of hobbies.
Just what I need. Another hobby.
The nurseries here still don't seem to have much in the way of herbs, so I guess I will just have to be patient. In the meantime, I found some good ideas for making my herb garden more successful:
How to Make Herb Garden Markers
How to Make a One Pot Herb Garden
Lest you think I've forgotten about my vertical garden, I did a little browsing at the nursery this morning for possible ideas.
There were a lot of different trellises available, and one I liked in particular had asian lines reminiscent of a shinto shrine (my apologies for the photos–they were hanging up and my iPhone doesn't do it justice):
My thought was that I could hang rectangular planters equidistantly on this trellis, kind of like this:
Three of these would fit quite nicely and allow for plants to grow.
The trellis was $49.99 and the planters $8.99 each. Still a long way from the $399 price tag on the vertical garden from Smith & Hawken, but also still a little pricey. I'm gonna continue looking around.
I have shared this idea with many people, but for some reason, I never thought of posting it here.
My original concept for speed cleaning came when I was trying to think of ideas for exercising whilst getting something done. The idea is to get your heart rate up, keep it up, and have a sparkly clean house at the end of it.
Basically, you just need to clean as fast as you can without stopping and if possible, without going into another room while you are doing it. Here's some tips:
1) Gather everything you need before you begin. It helps if you have all your cleaning materials in container that you can just take from room to room. If you need a vacuum, a mop, or a broom to complete the room, make sure they are there and easy to access.
2) Get a box or a laundry basket to put all items in the room that belong in other rooms. Toss anything that doesn't belong into that basket, which you will then carry from room to room as you clean, removing and putting items away as necessary.
3) Put a garbage bag within easy reach. This will also be taken from room to room as you clean.
4) It helps to have a time goal in mind. Assess the room–can you do it in ten minutes? Twenty? Set a time and then try to meet it.
5) Speed cleaning is not about organizing, it's about maintenance. There is no time for reflection on what things to keep or toss (aside from the obvious, like junk mail). If what your home really needs is organization, take a weekend to do it. I actually recommend pretending like you're moving house about twice a year–be brutal in determining what stays and what goes. Not only will this make speed cleaning much easier, but it will help you live a clutter free life.
Voila! Less than 15 minutes later, I have a lovely dining area. On to the rest of the house!
I saw this posted on another blog recently:
Photo: Smith & Hawken
Like the author of the original post, I am intrigued, because there is one wall in particular on my balcony that is screaming for something like this. But at $399, I am thinking I will have to try to come up with something myself because times are tough, ya know?
I looked at a couple of videos on YouTube demonstrating vertical gardens but I didn't find one that looked suitable (and to be honest, one of them was almost 10 minutes long and I just wasn't in the mood).
I will have to get back to you on this, because at the moment I don't have the time to research or think of any good ideas for making this. However, I wanted to throw it out there (ideas, anyone?) and I'll re-visit the project when I have a chance. I am positively itching to plant some herbs and this would be the perfect method for growing them I think.
Sigh. I think I'm in love.
Last night my friend Heather told me about a blog called "Young House Love" and this morning I checked it out. It is chock full of great decorating ideas, before/after pics, advice, and pretty much everything else pertaining to home decorating and renovation. And I love the fact that this couple created a simple blog to record the progress of their own renovation and ended up turning it into a career (read the FAQs for details). That makes me happy.
But the best part of all is the How-To section.
After reading How to Paint Your Kitchen Cabinets, I am almost convinced I can do it, and it's a project I really want to tackle in our Oregon house this summer.
These cabinets will be white, I tell you! White!
Not all projects are strictly DIY, such as Floor Refinishing 101, but since this is something we have to do in the Santa Monica house, I enjoyed reading and seeing their process and results. It just makes the whole thing not seem like such a big deal, and the end result is so worth it!
Other ideas I loved:
Curtain Call (How to make your windows look huge)
We Got Carded (How to faux-tile a tray)
Watching Paint Dry (How to keep things cohesive with paint)
And oh! There is so much more. I guess here's where my productivity goes out the window as I spend the next three hours perusing Young House Love!
It seems like my posts are all beginning the same way lately: It’s been way too long since I posted. Well, the same is true of today’s post, and lacking any original content whatsoever, I decided to peruse YouTube for some ideas.
I came across this video tutorial for making a bezel:
This is only part one, which covers measuring for your bezel. You can see the subsequent videos in this tutorial on YouTube.
What I like about this video is that even though I generally use thicker bezel wire (generally 5-7mm), it gave me some techniques (such as using the sticky part of a post-it to measure my stone) which I had not known or thought of.
I have been making handmade jewelry and goldsmithing for almost 8 years now, but this is a good reminder that sometimes it’s great to go back and “re-learn” even the most basic of techniques.
Okay, for the most part, I’m thrilled. So thrilled, I’m gonna make you watch this:
Now that I’ve gotten that out of my system, I do need to register my utter disgust and dismay that Prop 8 passed in California. I can’t believe anyone would even consider voting for a proposition that begins with the words “Eliminates the right of…” but apparently 52% of California voters saw no problem with that and let this vile Proposition pass. Congratulations, California. Now you can tell your children you “protected” them by taking away the rights of others (and for about 10% of them, their own civil rights)–I’m sure they’ll thank you for it. But don’t worry, chickens gained civil rights, so I guess we’re even.
To be certain, California is not the only state that said a collective “fuck you” to a group of their citizens yesterday. Florida and Arizona both passed same-sex marriage bans. Arkansas passed a ban on adoption by same-sex couples. Even as we were making history by voting in the first African-American president, we were taking huge steps backward in the fight for civil rights.
Read this post. It’s good, and it’s written from a perspective I just can’t give you.
Now back to Obama. I think he’s going to be a really great president, and not just compared to what we’ve endured for the last eight years. I do believe he has an agenda–and that agenda is helping the American people to live happier, healthier, and more prosperous lives.
As Kate Harding so eloquently writes:
“It’s incredibly hopeful to finally be thinking of my new president as a tool in the useful sense, not the slang one.”
I especially like the insightful article in The Onion today.
“Carrying a majority of the popular vote, Obama did especially well among women and young voters, who polls showed were particularly sensitive to the current climate of everything being fucked. Another contributing factor to Obama’s victory, political experts said, may have been the growing number of Americans who, faced with the complete collapse of their country, were at last able to abandon their preconceptions and cast their vote for a progressive African-American.”
“Obama’s victory is being called the most significant change in politics since the 1992 election, when a full-scale economic recession led voters to momentarily ignore the fact that candidate Bill Clinton had once smoked marijuana.”
More than anything, however, I am glad to be able to go back to posting the things that really matter: knitting, jewelry, painting, dogs…
Are you willing to amend the Constitution of California for the sole purpose of eliminating a fundamental right for one group of citizens?
I am voting NO on Prop 8 because I am unwilling to do this. If Prop 8 passes we are setting a dangerous precedent for the revocation of fundamental rights now and in the future for all citizens of this state. I am compelled to write this not only because I have friends and loved ones who will be directly effected by this current attempt to discriminate, but also because I believe deeply that we are all diminished when we allow bigotry to flourish.
If Prop 8 passes, Californians will be writing discrimination into our state constitution for the first time. At a time when it's crucial to move forward from the mistakes of the past, the passage of Prop 8 will be a huge step backward.
If you are considering voting yes on Prop 8, then I imagine there are a few reasons (possibly in combination) for this:
1) Your religious beliefs and/or church does not support the right of gays and lesbians to marry or your personal belief is that homosexuality is wrong/sinful and should not be validated through marriage.
Arguing against someone's religious or personal beliefs is difficult, especially when I don't share them. However, I come from a sincere and devout religious background, and at one time I did believe, passionately.
I do understand that many of you are tempted to vote yes on Prop 8 because deep down inside you are not ready to accept that gay and lesbian relationships are equal to relationships between men and women, especially if your church or religious doctrine forbids it. I actually sympathize with you for that, and understand that you might be having a moral struggle on this issue. My hope is that before going into that voting booth on Tuesday, you understand that civil marriage has NOTHING to do with your own personal religious beliefs. To use an example, I am married and I am an atheist, but my marriage is no less legally valid than yours, despite the lack of religion.
2) The California Supreme Court acted wrongly in over-turning Prop 22, which 61% of the voters approved in 2000.
Briefly, Prop 22 was an initiative statute that specified in the California Family Code that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." In May 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled that this statute was unconstitutional, and since June 2008, same-sex couples are allowed to marry in California.
Proponents of Prop 8 argue that the California Supreme Court acted wrongly in "overturning" the will of the people. However, the truth is that they did their job. Supreme Court judges are given the task of interpreting and protecting the Constitution, and it is their duty to rule on whether or not a law is unconstitutional. Just because Prop 22 was passed by a majority vote does not make it constitutional, which the judges' ruling confirmed.
In fact, the California Supreme Court has a history of setting precedents in marriage rights. In 1948, it recognized marriage as a fundamental right and became the first state court in the country to strike down a law prohibiting interracial marriage.
3) Prop 8 is not discriminatory because California already has domestic partnerships, which offer the same legal benefits as marriage.
It is true that domestic partnerships offer most of the legal benefits of marriage. There are, however, certain exceptions, mostly with regard to the creation and dissolution of domestic partnerships and some tax issues.
Domestic partnerships, while at the time being a great step forward in the extension of the fundamental rights of same-sex couples, are now recognized as not equal to marriage. Because they do not have the same social recognition as marriage, same-sex couples are routinely denied important rights in situations where one partner needs medical attention, or when life-or-death decisions have to made.
Gays and lesbians want the same things as heterosexuals: marriage, family, and social acceptance. The deserve equal treatment under the law.
4) You believe the misleading ads of the Yes on Prop 8 campaign and think that children will be taught about homosexuality in schools.
This is simply not true. California law prohibits children being forced, against the will of their parents, to be taught anything about health and family issues at school. Whether or not these subjects are taught is up to individual school districts, and parents can "opt out" if they wish.
If parental consent laws are not being followed your school district, then do your part to make sure they are followed. This is important for any subject matter that parents might find objectionable.
5) My church might be forced to perform marriages for same-sex couples or lose their tax-exempt status.
The California Supreme Court decision overturning Prop 22 specifically states that “no religion will be required to change its religious policies or practices with regard to same-sex couples, and no religious officiant will be required to solemnize a marriage in contravention of his or her religious beliefs.”
Think about it. In California, medical professionals are legally able to deny treatment, even if it is deemed life-saving, if it conflicts with their religious beliefs. In this atmosphere, it is highly unlikely that the state will ever force religious officiants to perform marriages they don't agree with.
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I hope this has cleared up any questions you might have about Prop 8 and that you will join me in voting NO on this discriminatory and divisive proposition.
As I am in the middle of re-doing and re-organizing parts of my house, I have been watching a lot of HGTV lately. HGTV has always been one of my favorite channels, and I watch it regularly. However, over the last week I have seen several of the offensive and misleading commercials in support of Prop 8. In response, I wrote them the following letter:
To Whom it May Concern:
Over the course of the last week (October 20-25) I have seen several "Yes on Prop 8" commercials on HGTV. I am extremely disappointed and offended by this. Prop 8 itself is an attempt to take away the right of same-sex couples to marry–it is a vile attempt by ignorant and intolerant groups to strip people of their rights.
I have always been struck by the seemingly "gay-friendly" attitude of HGTV as many of its shows feature gay couples, and at least one show features an openly gay host. It is surprising to me that HGTV would accept advertising dollars from the yes on Prop 8 campaign as is completely at odds with the pledge of inclusion and diversity on the Scripps Network website.
I understand that HGTV and its affiliates derive income from advertisers, but surely there must be some choice of which advertising dollars to take. I am a very big fan of HGTV but cannot abide by your showing the misleading and offensive commercials that support Prop 8. Please take these commericals out of your advertising schedule.
Sincerely,
Holly West
It really bothers me that a TV network that boasts of its diversity on its website would accept advertising dollars from the Yes on Prop 8 campaign.
If you see adverts for the Yes on Prop 8 campaign on other TV stations, take a moment to contact them and voice your opinion.
As you all know by now, I am a strong proponent of the right of same-sex couples to marry. I am a heterosexual woman who has been married for ten years to a wonderful person named Mick.
By virtue of being heterosexual, my marriage is not at risk from Prop 8, which seeks to take away the right of same-sex couples to marry. Therefore, my personal story might not have much impact on those who support Prop 8.
What about those people whose marriages are at risk? How do they feel about it? How is a civil union different from a marriage, and why isn't it enough? It boggles my mind that anyone would think it's okay to take away the right of a loving couple to marry. I hope the stories I've linked to below will help you understand why it is so important that Prop 8 does not pass.
Tom & George
They are a couple together for ten years who had a wedding ceremony seven years ago. When the California Supreme Court recognized their right to marry in June, they legally married in August.
No On Prop 8 Personal Story
"These have been magical, blessed days for us. Some want to take the marriage away from us, because they don't know us. They hold hatred in their hearts for us. They must. Why else would you take away anyone else's rights? Why deny people their magical, blessed days?"
SF Lesbian Wedding
"They say every woman dreams of her wedding day. As a child, I never did. But if I had, I don’t think I could have imagined a day with more meaning. "
Del Martin & Phyllis Lyons
Del and Phyllis legally married on June 16, 2008 after being together over 50 years. Del died at age 87 on August 27, 2008. The groundwork for Del and Phyllis to marry began sixty years ago when 40 states had criminal laws that prohibited whites and blacks from marrying.
CajunBoyLBG says it well when he writes: This is a stark reminder that someday YOU might be part of a group some deem "less than human" and "unworthy of Constitutional protection". If you don't do the right thing now, will others be there for YOU if the whackjobs come for you?
Indeed.
When you cast your vote on November 4, remember that your vote will effect the rights of real, human, flesh & blood people. Vote NO on Prop 8.