Mantra

I adopted a practice from a very good friend of mine (whose husband is an excellent writer, and you should check out his blog) of adopting a new mantra each year instead of making resolutions. Resolutions are promises to yourself, and (like romance on Valentine's Day) should not be obligatory on New Years Eve or New Years Day. Whenever you need to work toward a new self-goal, you should.

Instead, adopting a new mantra for the year sets the perspective. It gives an empowering belief of hope and positivity to cling to for an entire 12 months.

The first time I did it, I was amazed at how continually my mantra came into affect during that year. I am firm in the opinion that belief creates reality, and keeping a perspective on the new year will shape it.

This year, my mantra is "Anything is possible".

Because it really is.

And with a multitude of varying challenges before me, I think it's important to keep my attitude about them empowered and positive. I also like the subtle reminder in that- I am free to take on whatever I want, whatever I can dream up, and it's all inherently doable.

So what's your mantra for the new year?

Obligatory End of the Year Wrap-Up Post

As I am sure bloggers around the world are doing, I would like to post a quick end-of-the-year review before we slid right into 2011.

I dropped this blog for quite a while, and haven't made a crafty post in a bit. This will change, I can promise you, as I have a few 'living poor' challenges ahead of me. I will try to keep a balance between the DIY posts and the personal posts, to make this blog more interesting to a general audience. In 2011, I hope to include more recipe posts, beading posts, costuming posts, 'green' posts, and DIY craft posts.

So, on to the recap!

2010 started out with a hangover. I knew it was going to be a great year, and a dynamic one, but the first day of it I was stuck in bed cursing the invention of rum. It got better.

• I was laid off, started grad school, dropped grad school.
• I moved in April, and am moving again the day before the end of 2010.
• I tried living on my own, and living with 5 people and constant rotating guests, and will soon be living only with my boyfriend.
• I adopted a cat, and bonded with her (much to my surprise, because I thought I was a dog person).
• I got really involved in D&D, and then less so, sewed my butt off making costumes, and then burned out for months, and halted writing and most of my cooking/baking altogether due to my living situation.
• I tried dating casually, got trounced, was used and burned, tried again, learned some wisdom about myself, and met the love of my life.
• I worked the ren faire more and the SCA and SITU less.
• I made about three dozen new friends, most of which I am gently and quietly stepping away from due to some life differences and lack of energy on my part.
• I made plans to travel to see the orcas, more of Canada, attend conventions, and see friends- none of which really came to fruition.
• I learned how to bead jewelry, and picked up cross-stitch again. I made baby clothes and bloomers for the first time.
• I auditioned, performed, assisted techies, sewed, and decorated for performances.
• I visited my parents, and parts of this state that I've been wanting to see since I moved here.
• I reconnected with relatives that I enjoy, and lost a few friendships I didn't want to.
• I learned to like brussel sprouts, love ginger, and make a decent curry.
• I read a lot, bought more books than I can finish, and wrote and edited comic and radio show scripts.
• I drank a LOT of coffee.
• I worked out diligently for a number of months.
• I lost and gained about seven pounds, repeatedly, throughout the year.

But mostly, I found out more about myself, what I need and what makes me happy, and I stepped more fully on my path. I learned a bit better how to LISTEN to the gods (more important than talking to them, I think) and how to quiet my own inner criticism.

As predicted, 2010 was a dynamic, life-enhancing, spiritual/social year. I predict more love and joy and nesting in 2011, but it shall be an equally joyous year.

And I wish it to be a wisdom-imparting, challenging but rewarding, loving year for you all as well!

Merry Christmas!

Even a little Hellenistic Pagan like me celebrates Christmas (because it's about love, generosity, and family togetherness), and I want to take a moment to wish you ALL a wonderful day and season, regardless of what you celebrate.

Here's a bit of our cheer, which I spent all day yesterday decorating (and making ornaments for). :)

Last Day!

It's the last day of the 12 Days of Christmas blog swap. I have had SO much fun with this, both buying/making gifts for my partner Angie at My So-Called Chaos, and opening her gifts to me. I think both of us did a great job finding stuff the other enjoys and will use. That might have to do with the fact that we've actually known each other for yeeeeaaaars. Over a decade, I think. :)

I want to thank Sami and Evelyn for hosting this fabulous swap, and also Mamarazzi for clueing me into it (and into the concept of blog swaps in general).

So onto my final gift! Like me, Angie saved the best gift for last, and it's a handmade one. She hosted a handmade beanie giveaway, and I was a little bummed that I didn't win because I've wanted one of hers for a while. With my new 'do, I can finally wear cute hats without then having crap hair all day....including beanies this cold winter! Angie knew that, clever chica that she is, and knit me a super-soft purpley beanie of my own! How cute is this hat?! :D

Clearly, I LOVE it! It's super soft, the perfect size, and will match a lot of my clothes (including my 'professional' blouses for work interviews, and the knew purple stripey socks I got from my roommate).

Merry Christmas (or whatever you celebrate), all you amazing bloggy people!!!!

Knitty, or Nice?

It's the second-to-last day in the great 12 Days of Christmas blog swap, and I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around one last day of awesome random gifts from Angie a My So-Called Chaos, and 3 days until Christmas. I'm sure I'll be posting a year-end wrap up blog, here and on my LJ, so I won't get mired in all that time-flies stuff just yet.

Please ignore the bad pic of me above, and focus on the scarf. Scaaaaaaaaarf....as Angie said in her note, this one is definitely plush. Very, very soft and feels handmade even though it had a store tag on it. There are gold threads woven throughout for a pretty sheen (not really visible in the above photo, or maybe I'm distracted by my failure at a "this is so soft" facial expression). Anyway, as soon as our rain turns to snow *coughcoughZeuscoughcough* I will love wearing this! It's super long for twining about myself, and a neutral enough brown to go with just about anything. Warm softness, here I come! :)

Sew Cute!

Day 10 of the 12 Days of Christmas blog swap (well, yesterday, but I feel asleep before posting this) as well as Yule, and the lovely Angie over at My So-Called Chaos knows me so well! My obsession, er, hobby is sewing and crafting and she has supplied my habit with some nice pink cotton, and a cute little butterfly print length of fabric, as well as thread and a Simplicity bag pattern (a pattern I don't have! Amazing!). :D

Thanks so much, Angie! I already have plans and schemes for that fabric. Muahaha!

Calorie-free Dessert For My Skin

It's Day 9 of the 12 Days of Christmas blog swap. Way too close to being over. Wah! I actually found several perfect gifts for my swap partner and friend, Angie at My So-Called Chaos, in stores this week. Darn! Ah well, next time.

Today, Angie is indulging my love of sweets and weight-loss goals by providing this tasty little number. It's a hot fudge sugar scrub, cotton candy bath salts, and caramel body lotion (plus cute pink loofah). Brilliant! I love smelling absolutely edible, and desperately need a sugar scrub right now for my hands and feet (given that it's cold and dry season now). And I use lotion like it's oxygen, and can always use more bath salts. Did I mention our new place has a beautiful etched-glass shower setup with bath tub? Yay!

Thanks again for a wonderful, and very fitting, gift, Angie! I hope you're liking your gifts thus far, and getting as much use out of them as I am getting out of the ones you sent. :D

OMG Fud

If you've ever heard of the Five Languages of Love theory, I must ad a sixth one (which can either be a 'service' or 'gift' one), and that is cooking food. And it's one that Scotsman excels at.

About 2-3 times per month, he gets a bug in his ear that he wants to make me dinner. It's usually a lot of high-quality ingredients and several dishes that you'd normally only get at shishi restaurants.

I cannot eat this well regularly, or I will weigh 300 pounds. Because it's so damned tasty that I just eat everything he puts on the plate. And he plates it so prettily, too! Just check out the meal he made for me last night:

That's two different steaks (one with a beff/roasted garlic/mushroom reduction topping, one with homemade white truffle butter topping it), roasted new potatoes with rosemary and parsley, a mix of roasted carrots, and shrimp ceviche. One word: nom.

So I'm declaring the making of food as an official expression of love (and thankfully, a language we have in common, though he's better at it than I am).

Musical Mondays: 12 Days of Christmas

Who doesn't love Straight No Chaser? I know this one is old, by over a decade, but I love each of these guys, and listening to this makes me giggle. I can't believe it's Christmas week already! I'm prepared for the holiday, but handling a move, job-hunting, and other such things at the same time as the holiday is a bit stressful. Thankfully, I have a loving boyfriend who keeps me calm with massages and amazing food (post on that later). And, of course, acapella goodness.

I tried to transcribe the lyrics, but it's ten guys singing (at times) three different songs. I can't keep up with that. Just watch it, and have yourself a smile. :)

The Divine Miss H

It's Day 8 of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Swap (boo! Only 4 more days of gift surprise bliss!), and Angie from My So-Called Chaos found this beautiful set of "Breakfast at Tiffany's" glass coasters. Where did she find these? I've never seen anything like them!

Now I have another confession to make. I have never seen "Breakfast at Tiffany's". I have also never seen "Roman Holiday". I have never, in fact, seen an Audrey Hepburn film. Not by choice! I have them on my Netflix list, along with several classic B&W films and Mae West pictures. I just watch movies so rarely that I haven't gotten to the yet.

Audrey does always look classy, and yet young and tender, in every picture of her I have seen. And if Angie likes her, she must be awesome! So I'm going to put these out in my new place, and watch me some Audrey. Scotsman's reaction to them was very positive and adorable, and he is aghast that I've never seen her films. So they are definitely going to get used and enjoyed.

Thanks, Angie!

Cutest Geek on the Block

On Day 7 of the 12 Days of Christmas Blog Swap, Angie from My So-Called Chaos surpassed my wants in getting me.....knee socks!! How awesome are these?

Confession time: I think knee socks are adorable. Adorable in ways I don't consider myself to be. So I have lusted after knee socks in the past, but never ventured to buy a pair. But I finally got myself a cute short wool skirt (for wintertime, ja?) and NOW I have the adorable knee socks to match! Literally!

Somehow, Angie knew (witches' intuition again?) that my wool skirt is the same dark green/blue as the lefthand pair. Also, one of my favorite colors is that same mint green/aqua as the lefthand pair. Wahooo! So now I have a beautiful Argyle pattern with my favorite colors, and a respectable black/grey stripey set to wear with...hrm...I will have to buy or make an outfit to match my new socks! Heeheee.... :)

3 in one!

The consequence of planning on being at Scotsman's apartment until Tuesday, and then being stuck there until the wee hours of Friday morning, aren't all that bad. I got extra snuggles and fun time in, tidied up the place (because I'm a Virgo, and that's what we do), AND got to open THREE pressies from Angie at My So-Called Chaos for the 12 Days of Christmas blog swap today. Wahooo!

She got me "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", amazingly, a book I haven't read yet! :) For those that have heard the hype on the "Girl Who Played With Fire" movie coming out, this is the first book in the main character's trilogy series. Since literally all of my books (save "Emma" and the "Avalon Revisited" book that Spazzy got me) are packed, it's very nice to have something else out to read.

Another day's gift was a delightful little packet of stationary and supplies. Can you believe she handmade those cards?? I love the "A is for Always" one. That's so pretty I almost don't want to give it to anyone. So if you get a cute handmade card this year, it's probably from this packet that she gave me. Actually, it's inspiring me to make cards, myself. Or try, anyway. :D

I also got colored gel pens (THANK YOU! Mine all ran dry this year).

And lastly, Burt's Bee's Lip Balms! As she said in the card, and I fully agree, you can NEVER have too many of these. I have one in my purse, one in my backpack, and one on my nightstand. Now I can also have one in the car (in a spot where it won't melt), one at Scotsman's apartment, and two spares just in case. I am never far from lip balm, and really dislike not having something on my lips. I'm sure I'm ingesting dozens of pounds of lip balm each year, given how much I wear (and how much I chew my lips when nervous or bored), but I feel better about that when it's Burt's Bees tasty stuff. :D

In all, three lovely and very appropriate gifts. And amusingly, Angie opened the lip balm that I gave her (less awesome stuff, I'm afraid, but cutesy) and the book I gave her (again, less awesome, but cutesy), so we're in sync on gifts right now.

I'm excited to see what tomorrow's package brings!

Baked Ornaments

My brother is hosting our family Christmas this year, and getting himself a tree. Because my parents (keeper of the decorations) just recently moved to this state, all of our tree ornaments are in a storage container. My brother lacks the time to get out and buy his own set of decor, and I lack the money to buy him some.

However, my second cousin sent me this recipe to BAKE ornaments, and it's so much fun I had to share it!

Recipe:

• 1-2 cups apple sauce (cheapest brand is fine)
• 1-2 cups ground cinnamon
• Cookie cutters, any shape desired
• A knife for making 'stringing hole'
• String or ribbon for hanging
• A cookie sheet to bake them on

Step 1: Combine equal parts apple sauce and cinnamon until you have a mixture the consistency of clay.

Step 2: Spread a bit of cinnamon on a flat surface and roll out the clay-like mixture.

Step 3: Cut out fun shapes using the cookie cutters.

Step 4: Make a hole in the top of each shape (gently) to string the ribbon through after baking.

Step 5: Bake shapes on a cookie sheet at 150 degrees for an hour.

Step 6: Let cool completely, then string and hang from the tree. If you want more scent, gently scratch at the ornaments from time to time.

Your kitchen and your tree will be pleasantly cinnamon-scented for the holidays! Plus, this would be a fun and easy project to do with wee ones.

What are YOUR favorite make-your-own-ornament projects?

Improvised Casserole

Scotsman made salisbury steak-like things for dinner last night, and we ended up having some of the ground beef leftover. And we all know leftovers mean a creative challenge! I noodled up this improvised casserole dish, a bit Italian, a bit Mexican,and filled with stuff in the fridge that needed eating.

So I took the leftover ground beef (mixed with sauteed onions and peppers already) and browned and drained it.

In a separate bowl, I mixed 2 cans of undrained diced tomatoes with 1 cup water, some salt, and some pepper to make a sauce base for it.

I stirred together 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni, a 10 oz packet of thawed chopped spinach, and the beef mixture. I combined the sauce with everything else and mixed until it looked thoroughly bizarre. Then I spooned it into a casserole pan.

I sprinkled the mixture with 1/2 cup Parmesan bread crumbs and some salsa.

Then I covered the dish with tinfoil and baked it at 350 for 70 minutes. Just to be sure, I uncovered and baked it a final 10 minutes before pulling it out to consume.

And just like that, used up some leftover beef, salsa, diced onion/peppers, bread crumbs, and the frozen spinach Scotsman made faces about. Yay!

New Amanda Downum book out now!

Those of you that know my literary tastes know that they run toward the world-building, intricate culture fantasy side of things. I get sucked into books that paint me a landscape I can breathe in, characters I feel like I know and can see, and intrigue that pulls me along for a thrill ride.

I can name a dozen authors whose books I will buy, regardless of title or genre, because they consistently do this.

One of those authors, Amanda Downum, just released her second book. YAY!

This book is my Yule present to myself. Unless someone else gets it for me first. ;)

If you like:

In-depth culture

Beautiful descriptions

Flawed, three-dimensional characters

Strong female characters

Necromancy

Gothic settings and themes

Horror (the classic kind, not the gore kind)

Unique cultures and locales

Place-porn

Twisted relationships

Difficult obligations

Action on all scales

Mystery, especially murder mystery

Love, sex, adventure and madness

And good writing...

You should definitely read The Bone Palace. And The Drowning City (her first of the series). And probably her third book, when it comes out.

Want to learn more about Amanda Downum, her books, and enter a contest to win a free copy of The Bone Palace (among other great prizes)? Check it out! Bitten by Books has the hookup for you.

Kiss Me, Indeed!

It's Day 3 of the 12 Days of Christmas blog swap, and I swear, it's like Angie from My So-Called Chaos is in my head. :D

Scotsman is having a frustrating day. In addition to MY car breaking down, now his is giving him trouble. It's either the starter or some cables, but we lack the spending money to replace both on our own. Mostly, I think, he's just pissed off at having to deal with things outside of his control. He stresses as much as I do (though rarely shows it), so I worry when he gets himself in a tizzy. The good side of that is, like myself, his stress times are pretty short. He'll stamp around, swear, and then blow it all out, and later apologize for being upset (silly sweet man).

Well, I'm a giver, and I love to fix things or help. I can't magick

ally fix his car, so I was trying to think of ways to help or distract him. And HEY! I remembered to pack a cute little babydoll lingerie number that I picked up in Portland this summer and haven't yet worn. And HEY! My swap gift today matches perfectly with that! :)

It's a scented shimmer body powder in a pretty little jewel bottle with maribou feather topper. That's gonna be as fun to put on as it is to wear! Plus, it'll be a nice, sexy little addition to my Aphrodite altar. Thanks, Angie!

Home, Sweet Home

After months of searching, Cody and I finally found a place!

It's a cute little townhome in Bremerton, with cherry trees in the front yard, a young couple as neighbors, and good owners.

Io, Hestia and all the gods! I am so relieved at this epic, stressful search being done. On January 1st, we'll be moving in (that seems like a good sign, for a good year).

Cody has graciously suggested that I start bringing boxes to his place, as a staging area, which means less threat from the growing rat population at my current place.

It also means less stress overall, as I'll be living in a place where I have 50% of the say on what happens there. No more surprise parties, other people's messes to clean, or other people's food to buy.

I've also decided to look for another home for Lucy. I think the move would be too stressful for her, and I'm not sure I can continue to financially support her beyond the next 2 months.

I'm very excited to begin nesting, and we've already talked about how we would arrange furniture, decorate, etc. So, Angela, it turns out you were right.

And thanks to everyone who was reassuring me this past week, and offering great suggestions!

Christmas Joe!

Day two of the 12 Days of Christmas blog swap, and Angie over at My So-Called Chaos has beautifully wrapped for me......

a very fitting ornament. :D

I don't have a tree, but this beauty is going up anyway. We both love coffee (I often joke that here in Seattle, it's atomized and pumped through the city) I think as a culinary joy as well as a comfort drink. And while I've seen Starbucks' overpriced coffee ornaments, I have never seen one like this! It's just adorable, and I want to have it up in the house all year. In the kitchen, preferably.

And as an added bonus, Angie has continued the sweet and gorgeous cards (I think she handmade them), calling me brave (heehee....gonna run out of positive "B" adjectives soon) and making me all curious about the gifties. Yay! Thanks, Angela!!

P.S. These photos are stock photos from the manufacturers, because my laptop and camera aren't on speaking terms right now. :)

Nom! nomnomnomnom

I'm nomming like a LOLcat on Day 1 of the 12 Days of Christmas blog swap presents, courtesy of the thoughtful and fellow gourmand Angie at My So-Called Chaos.

That's right! I got me some chocolate covered, peanut butter filled pretzels. That's a whole pyramid of yum, my friends. :)

Also, as a bonus, she made these gorgeous cards for each day and present, with a sweet little message. Why didn't I think of that? Thanks, Angie! I am very much enjoying Day 1. :)

My Happy List

Well, the weekend is only half over, but I do have happy stuff to report already.

Happily, Scotsman and I are doing fabulously. So much so that I'm beginning to wish I had a better online nickname for him than Scotsma

n...something more lovey. We usually stick to the generals: dear, darling, baby, sweetheart, love, etc.

In my head I usually think "big, brawny, handsome" before the Scotsman bit. Maybe I should start calling him cupcake, cookie, pumpkin, dumpling...considering how gastrocentric we both are.

Speaking of which, another thing for my happy list is that both of my Kahlua cakes for ThanksChristmas came out just fine! Scotsman's parents liked them enough to take one home (as usual, only a few slices were eaten during the event, so LOTS of leftovers). I am contemplating making the leftover cake I took into chocolate bread pudding. That might be too rich, but I DO need food bribery for Blade and Gun, as they'll

be asked to fix my car tomorrow. (That's definitely not a happy list item- that my car needs another repair, two weeks after the last one).

I'm very happy that I have options for moving. I hope to find a good place tomorrow, and get approved on my (and Scotsman's) applications, so we can move ASAP. I'm desperate to get out of my current situation, and starting to really get excited about nesting. I started out stressed and worried about moving in with Scotsman, but now it's definitely a happy, exciting thing.

And lastly on my happy list, I have received a bunch of packages in the mail in the past week. I'm unused to receiving anything, unless I ordered it, so each arrival is a sort of awe-inspiring thing. Between the 12 Days of Christmas blog swap, and Holiday Wishes on Livejournal, and holiday gifts from friends around the country, I am one spoiled woman. For the first time ever, I'm getting presents that I actually WANT (as in, on my Amazon list, things I use and enjoy, etc) instead of stuff others believe I will enjoy. This is deeply fulfilling. :)

I'm reusing the boxes for moving, which is nice, and recycling the wrapping paper into ornaments for my brother's tree, as he has none. I am currently researching different ways to make ornaments with household goods...anyone have any ideas? I'd love to hear them! Thanks, and a happy week to you!

Got my Blog Swap boxes!

And boy am I ever excited about them! :D Each one is so prettily wrapped, and a different size and shape. It's like Christmas (only better, because my family stopped giving actual presents last year and only do stocking stuffers now). Wahoo!

I am being very good, and waiting until Dec 12th to open Package 1. And then it will be a pressie-a-day countdown. I can't wait to see how she likes the stuff I sent her! And to see what genius she came up with. The Day 1 gift is unwrapped, so I can see what it is, and my mouth is watering. Nomnoms.

The excitement builds!

In the meantime, tomorrow is Noel's bday game night, I bake 2 Kahlua cakes for my bf's family gathering, and must job hunt and apartment hunt like a madwoman. Apparently, a ship pulled in tonight, so houses are gonna go like hotcakes. I have my fingers crossed for finding a good place that's what we're looking for, by Monday.

Then on Saturday, I go to the bf's family gathering and meet his entire extended family. *ahem* No pressure, right?

Luckily, he spoils me rotten with plenty of love, so I win even if they don't like me.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! Two more weeks until Christmas- can you believe it?

Handmade Beanie giveaway!

My fabulously crafty friend, Angela, over at My So-Called Chaos, is hosting her first giveaway. Let's all shower her with some love and congratulations for making it past 200 followers.

Check it out!

Musical Monday: Elfin Knight

The Elfin Knight stands on yon hill
He blows his horn both loud and shrill
He stands so proud and he stands so still

Blow winds blow my bonny o
Blow winds blow my bonny
Blow winds blow my bonny o
Blow winds blow my bonny

The Elfin Knight stands on yon land
My true love 'ventually I found,
Down to the church then soon we will be bound

Blow winds blow my bonny o
Blow winds blow my bonny
Blow winds blow my bonny o
Blow winds blow my bonny

You'll make me a dress with seams of fine thread
Make me a garland of flowers for my head
Down to the church, then away we'll go to bed

Blow winds blow my bonny o
Blow winds blow my bonny
Blow winds blow my bonny o
Blow winds blow my bonny

The Elfin Knight stands on yon hill
He blows his horn both loud and shrill
He stands so proud and he stands so still

Blow winds blow my bonny o
Blow winds blow my bonny
Blow winds blow my bonny o
Blow winds blow my bonny

No knight on a hill for me today, but plenty of wind. I feel upbeat, accomplished, and ready to step into the next chapter. To this end, I thought a lovely reel from the bonny Kate Rusby would be a good choice for today. Much thanks to my ale-wench partner in crime, Heather (aka Scarlette), for introducing me to this artist and song.

Wrapping Paper Revolution

As environmentally conscious as I am, I have to admit that one of my pet peeves is wrapping paper.

I'm not sure where the tradition came from, or exactly when we moved from brown paper with string to ornately-designed rolls paper and ribbons in every shade, but I dislike it.

Not the concept of it- increasing the anticipation of a gift by obscuring it is clever and fun.

But the waste! 

The production waste in creating the wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, tissue paper, holiday bags, tins, etc!

And then the disposal waste of it all, as it's ripped to shreds!

It's such a huge waste for a pretty small, and short-lived, and often not even fully appreciated, piece of decoration. Plus, there's this consumer pressure to buy it, as it has become part of the gift-giving ritual.

I say fight the system!
Save your money, and the earth, and consider one of these fun, funky wrapping paper alternatives:

• Fabric. Got a few spare lengths, squares, or odd shapes leftover from your last sewing project? Why not wrap the gift in the spare fabric and tie it with string/ribbon/etc? It's sure to make a unique look, and the fabric can be easily saved and reused (either as future wrapping or padding, or in another project).
• Paper bags. You know those paper bags you get from the grocery store? Why not put them to good use as wrapping! Simply open them up and wrap them with the plain-side out. Then take your markers, glue, glitter, stickers, etc and go to town! Kids love this concept. It lets you be creative with wrapping a gift, without consuming more. Be sure to recycle the paper after Christmas, for even more earth-saving awesomeness points! (you can also do this with spare butcher paper, printer paper, and construction paper that you aren't using for other things)
• Calendars. Instead of throwing out your old and unwanted calendars, tear out the month page and use it as wrapping! You'll have presents covered in beautiful scenery, or cute animals, or sexy pinups (also fully recyclable and totally unique).
• Inside other gifts. Why not nestle those earrings inside that handbag, and make your giftee hunt for their treasure?
• In reusable tins. Got an Altoids tin sitting around? It's perfect for small gifts, and requires no decoration whatsoever. How about a clean food tin (like candy tins, not tuna tins) or unwanted hat box? Perfect!
• No wrapping at all! I know, this is the unpopular choice. But if the ones above don't appeal, keep in mind that you don't HAVE to wrap the gift at all. The whole point of the gift giving is the gift itself, not the paper it's temporarily in. This works well when it's a last-minute surprise (not sitting under the tree for weeks), or in a stocking, etc. If you're feeling self-conscious about handing over an unwrapped gift, compensate a little with the presentation (sing as you hand it over, or make them close their eyes and guess what it is first, etc).

The important part is to recognize that you have options- you don't have to encourage product waste and environmental degradation, and you don't have to spend your hard-earned money on an unnecessary item just because Western capitalism encourages it.

I'd bet that you'll have a more fun time wrapping the gifts if you choose a unique method of doing so. And that's my two cents about it. :)

Urban Craft Uprising

One of the things I adore about Seattle is the amount of creative, crafty kittens there are around here. I average 1-2 craft shows per year (really, that's all my budget can allow), and I always find interesting new stuff. Today, I went to the Urban Craft Uprising show at the Seattle Center. It's going on tomorrow, too, and I recommend checking it out.

I stopped first at the Sweet Anthem booth. You guys know I adore Meredith and her scent-talent. Well, her holiday scents do not disappoint! By now, I have purchased a tiny amount of nearly every scent she's ever made. She told me today that her rhubarb base supplier is going out of business, so TWO of my fav scents of hers won't be available in the same formula anymore. Boosauce.

Luckily, I have fallen for Marianne, Louise, Roslin, and Tara. So I've added those to my collection (and hopefully I can go through them before they go bad...I can never decide which scent to wear on what days and why).
Marianne: Fig, Guava, Leather, Mahogany, Peony, Pink Pepper, Tuberose, White Patchouli
Louise: Amber, Benzoin, Lavender, Maple Sugar, New Moon Hay, Opium, Pumpkin
Roslin: Curry Leaf, Fresh Snow, Hollyberry, Leather, Patchouli, Pine, White Magnolia
Tara: Black Tea, Cedarwood, Damascus Rose, Red Currant, Rosewood, Saffron, Thyme, Tobacco
I also purchased the Anita bath oil for my aunt (Anita smells, to me, primarily of a mint mocha. It's faaaaaaahbulous and delicious to my nose).
I'm wearing Marianne as I type this. She's more floral than I usually go for, but so nicely balanced with the pepper and guava, and only a hint of leather to mellow her. With all the Jane Austen I've been reading lately, I can't help but think of the sister in Sense and Sensibility. And, yes, definitely, wearing this scent while wearing Regency garb must happen in my future.

I also purchased gifts for other people from Devout (a fabulously bizarre felt and fabric designer who makes things like two-headed deer and pinup girl felt ornaments), Thea Starr (who makes gorgeous hair accessories from recycled kimonos), and Estrella Soap Company (whose blends were delicious- I got three mini bath fizzies for myself, and two lightly-scented soaps for my parents' stockings). I wanted to buy more. So much more. But I'm a gal on a budget. I did see some absolutely unique and fun stuff. I also, to be fair, saw some extremely overpriced jewelry and baby clothes (funny the perspective you get when you make that stuff successfully yourself). Special mention goes to The Sprinkle Factory, whose jewelry was out of my price range but ADORABLE. We're talking miniature hohos and twinkies and cupcake and even sushi rolls, made into barettes, earrings, and pins.

In all, it was a fun, funky experience that was totally free (minus the purchases I made) and inspired me to get to making more crafty things. :)

My Happy List

I have a lot of happy to report this week!

I donated platelets and cat food this week (and will be donating hair to Locks of Love next week) and am feeling happy that I could help people. Donating blood always makes me feel zen.

I got some good job leads and possibilities, down in Port Orchard (where I'm hoping to move to next month). I'm definitely moving in with my boyfriend in late Dec/early January, and feeling hopeful about getting employed there is a GOOD thing.

Speaking of moving...I'm happy because I finally feel like I can go forward with the moving plans, which I've been starting (and halted on...numerous times) about 3 months ago.

I am making jewelry! It started with two pairs of earrings for two friends, and last night I made a pair of earrings for Mom, a pair of my brother's girlfriend, and a necklace for my friend Lisa. I'm addicted. :)

I am participating in both the "12 Day of Christmas" blog swap (partnered with my friend Angie- yay!) and the Livejournal Holiday Wishes community. As such, I've sent out almost three dozen packages to total strangers, and I have 4 more to send (to friends). I've gone way over budget for shipping this year, but hey, I'm having fun.

And today, Chocopolis is giving away free hot chocolate (which I'm going to get, on my way to the Urban Craft Uprising faire). Today should be a lot of creative fun. I'm excited to smell Meredith's new Sweet Anthem scents, and pick up a gift for Jim and Holly, and maybe something for my aunt and uncle.

On My Plate

After watching Food, Inc (a documentary that I highly recommend!), I've decided to get back on the bandwagon about eating local and in-season.

I did this last year and for a number of months this year, but I gave up my CSA and farmer's markets because of my living situation.

Now, I'm looking to move this month or next, in with my chef-hobbyist boyfriend, and I'm ready to get healthy!

Depending on my job search situation, I may or may not join a CSA right away. If I do, though, I'm going to make sure it's a local-only CSA. I have to wait until early summer for the farmer's markets to start up again, but in the meantime I will focus on buying only in-season veg at the grocery store.

For the Pacific Northwest, that means December- February I will be consuming a lot of:

Beets

Brussel Sprouts

Cabbage

Carrots

Garlic

Dark Leafy Greens (kale, chard, spinach, etc)

Leeks

Parsnips

Potatoes

Shallots

Winter Squash

Turnips

And I'm going to do my best to hunt down and buy from the source our organic, locally-farmed Eggs, Pork, Beef, and Lamb. I know of a good butcher in the area I'm moving to, so that will really help.

After eating a lot of packaged food in an attempt to keep the vultures roommates at bay, I am looking forward to get back on primarily-veggie, 80% fresh food diet. And I'll do it myself, whether the boyfriend comes with or resists (if he resists, though, I'm ready to fuss about his health). I'm pretty sure he'll enjoy the challenge of cooking with those ingredients. :)

Goodbye, Top Ramen. Hello, local fresh ingredients!

Altruism in the Twelfth Month

Now it's December, that lovely holiday month where we feel obligated to and/or genuinely enjoy buying gifts for potentially large numbers of people. Most of us will prowl sales, hand make gifts this year, and buy used in order to save money. Most of us have been seriously affected by this recession/depression.

But I have a simple request to make of you this holiday season- a gift of altruism, to a total stranger, to enhance your life. It only takes a bit of time, and you will improve (maybe even save) someone else's. Also, your karma points will go up (and who doesn't feel better, helping others?).

Here are some ideas:

• Donate blood. These days, you can give whole blood, double red cells, plasma, or platelets. The process takes 30-120 minutes, depending on what type of donation you're doing. The pain level is minimal (it's just a pinch, and then a little soreness afterward), and it costs nothing (in fact, you get free juice and snacks out of it, usually). Blood donations do save lives (it saved my mom's life, when I was a baby), and it's safe and regulated (just go to your county blood bank).
• Donate hair to Locks of Love, or a similar organization. They ask that you braid it before cutting it, and then just send it in. Your hair (minimum length of 8 inches, I think) will help some poor kid whose fight with disease has left them bald (or, if they can't fashion it into a wig for a child, they will sell it to another vendor and the profits will go toward funding the foundation). If you're getting a hair cut anyway, why not put your disappearing locks to good use?
• Donate to a pet food bank. Have you switched pet food types recently, or lost a pet and still have chow for them? Much like human Food Banks, pet food banks accept donations of dry and wet food (and most shelters also accept toys, washed bedding, unopened pet medication, etc). They distribute the pet food to low-income households with pets (including seniors and service animal folks).
• Donate to a human food bank. You don't have to go out and buy groceries for someone else. Just look in the way back of your cupboard. See that mac-n-cheese box that's been sitting there unopened for 2 years? Why not donate it? If it's been in your pantry for a year or longer and is yet unopened/unused, chances are you won't actually use it. So donate those cans of chili and spaghetti sauce, and allow someone who is down on their financial luck to have a complete meal.
• Go through your closet and pull out those items you haven't worn in a year or more (or ever). Donate them to a thrift store, like Goodwill. Let them have a second life in someone else's closet, while freeing up space in your own.
• Donate time. Serve food at a soup kitchen, play with animals at a pet shelter, sing carols at a retirement home, etc. It's the cheapest and most rewarding thing, and it helps you break out of the consumer-driven rush of the holidays in a way that benefits the community.

What other things do you do with your energy and time to give back? I'd love to hear about it!

Thanks in advance for your altruism and selflessness. :)