Saturday, July 26, 2008

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Rules and requirements for functional and enjoyable human-bean-hood.

1. Thou shalt be crafty and resourceful. If you can't make or do anything, you're pretty much a worthless pile, so you better learn a skill quick, bub.

2. Thou shalt love thy earth, shop local, etc. Driving sucks anyway.

3. Thou shalt be considerate and kind, especially to people who handle your food, pay you, or do anything that is of great importance to your life. Just say thank you and smile.
3a. Tip your server WELL if they do a good job. If they're noticeably bad, tip 10% in small change. If they're rude, eff 'em. They need to be nice too.

4. Mess with telemarketers. Also mess with sidewalk missionaries, but ONLY if they approach you first.

5. Rinse your dishes and cook-ware right away after use. It makes your whole day so much easier.

6. EAT
6a. in moderation. Most of the time.
6b. real ingredients. Unless you have some sort of dietary/health restriction, you better be eating real sugar and butter, dammit. If you can't pronounce it, it probably shouldn't go in your body.
6c. FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. DO IT.
6d. hummus. It's amazing, and I do believe it counts for several of the food groups. You can make it in a blender!
6e. BREAKFAST. EVERY DAMN DAY.

7. Move every day. You can at least walk around the block once; it won't freakin kill you. I'm not saying go running or anything, 'cause I'm pretty sure running is for when you're being chased.

8. Read. Anything.

9. When walking (especially on college campuses): Pick ONE freaking side of the sidewalk. Watch for bikers. We're crazy folk, and we may run you over if you are a bad pedestrian

10. When biking: Wear a helmet. All the time. As someone who falls off her bike a lot, I can tell you this is the key to survival on this earth. Try to remember that even bad pedestrians have feelings, and probably lawyers.
~~~
Knittin:
-Norah Gaughan's "Brea" bag - decided I needed another project, and another purse :) Did the faces, almost done with the gusset, need to figure out strap/lining specs. Navy blue. I want to finish it *now* so I can carry it around and say 'lookit what I maded!' Alas, it is better suited for Fall/Winter, so I have to wait a bit.
-Swiss cheese scarf - need to finish the socks I'm knitting from the other end of the ball :) Then I can finish the scarf.
-Socks from the other end of the ball: simple little ankle socks that I decided I NEEDED to make in the middle of that scarf... This was during a bus trip with 80 middle schoolers. I don't need to tell you I was not in the clearest frame of mind, but they're pretty great socks.
-Secret project: you'll see soon enough :) Not knitting, but knitting related.
~~~
I get to go home tomorrow! Much time shall be spent at Wildflower, plotting world domination through knitting, and squeezing the Koigu. After I come back, photo boy gets here, so by next Friday I'll have picture that don't totally blow ^_^

Meanwhile, it's still Friday somewhere, and I need to go to bed and get my eye to stop twitching. That would be peachy.
Night-night,
--Stricken

Friday, July 4, 2008

It's Friday.... Blog Day!

Weekly Briefing:

So You Think You Can Dance is amazing. Mia Michaels needs to choreograph my life, and I am so marrying Twitch.

The salsa from the last post is a hit. Make some and impress your friends.

The Lincoln, NE, bus system is not running today, except for shuttles to some fireworks display. Bass-turds.

I listed yarn on Etsy today!
That's about it.
Shake it like a salt shaka,
--Stricken

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

New Post! Finally!

To my very very very few readers: sorry! I'm a stinky blog-keeper. Part of that was trouble with stupid google accounts, but really, I seem to have a fear of commitment when it comes to just sitting down and writing for a couple hours.

Blog resolution: shorter and more frequent posts. that way I won't forget to post cool things as they happen. and Kofi Baby, let's DO make Friday blog day! Starting this week. We gonna be so consistent peeps be all like, ring the alarm!
Yup.

So, since APRIL (jeez), I have finished the Lyric Tree sweater pattern (and sold a whole bunch of copies!), took a little trip to Estes (not for the wool market though - more later), moved twice (bleeeehh), applied for more jobs than you'd believe and still haven't gotten hired, knitted a hell of a lot, crashed the bike again, ordered much needed prescription sunglasses so I can drive during the daytime without being a menace, and indulged thoroughly in my secret passion - grocery shopping.

>The Sweater<
(see previous post for pics)
It is keeping me fed. In the mere week and a half since I listed it in my etsy shop it has sold *41 copies.* I am still in shock - very very pleased shock :) I can't thank my customers enough, nor all the people who have shared it in ravelry forums and blogs. You are all a-freaking-mazing. One highlight in particular elicited the biggest happy dance in the history of happy dances - Lyric Tree was featured on Lime&Violet's Daily Chum. Squeeee!!! Not posted by L&V themselves, of course, but I'm hoping they saw it and are finding their way over to my blog and etsy store and figuring out that we're practically neighbors, and then they'll ask me to be a regular on the podcast! Hehe, in my little mind this is the natural progression of the way things should work.

>Tangent<
I just got a call from my DM telling me I received a summons for jury duty back home. WTF? Time to act as biased as possible. I do not want to sit on a jury in traffic court, nor do I want to drive three hours to do it. Blech.

>Recipe<
I've been cooking soooo much! What else do I have to do - I email pdf's all day.
STRICKEN SALSA:
Whole buncha strawberries, 1 tomato, 1 avocado, diced
3 T lemon juice
Salt, black pepper, crushed dry red papper, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, paprika, chili powder, to taste
Drizzle of honey
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Stir it all together, serve with EVERYTHING, keep chilled, and keep throwing things in so it never runs out - I may add a nectarine to mine later.

I need to go make hummus later...

>Etsy Teams!<
One of Etsy's newest street teams, Lincoln Handmade, is gearing up to kick some tushy and spread the joy of local craftery to the unsuspecting people of Lincoln, Nebraska. We had a lively meeting at a local coffee shop last night, and got quite a bit of planning and brain-storming accomplished, despite a hoarde of writers doing readings of their work in the next room. The discussion of promos and group challenges was underscored by an essay about pot smoking from one writer. (Disclaimer: I am not passing judgement or deriding the Lincoln writers community in any way - I'm sure they are all wonderful, and I support their endeavors, legal or not :-} We just need to not have our meeting at the same time.) Awkward turtle city.
Anywho, to find our shops on Etsy, search the tag LNKHandmade Team, and if you're in the Lincoln area, watch out for a passel of crafty women (and maybe men - I just don't think we have any yet), in matching shirts, posting flyers and taking over the farmers' markets. We may also be cheering.

Craftily yours,
--Stricken

PS, if I don't post on Friday (with pictures), poke me with sharp objects, please and thanks.