Regrets

Inspired by this post over on The Bluestocking Society, I started contemplating books I'm a little embarassed to admit Ihave not read yet. We all have them, right? My biggies?

- Catcher in the Rye
- Anna Karenina

And that got me pondering movies that I'm sad to say I haven't watched. Those neglected films are:

- The Godfather (any of them)
- Gone With the Wind

So now that I've spilled my dirty secrets, what books or films have you missed that you are ashamed to admit?

Update on Amy

I do believe we've found our pretty foster pup a terrific home. I'll know for sure this week, but she was smitten and the potential adopter equally so.

In which our valiant blogger is struck dumb

After out trip to the gorgeous city of Savannah, me and the bubs both read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. We both mostly liked it too. Now usually, the mister sticks to history books - generally presidential history concerning the founding fathers or Abraham Lincoln. He's what you might call a "buff." I read all over the map, and, while I have increased my nonfiction reading thanks to my 101 list, I tend towards more fluffish nonfiction.

I had a (I thought) genius idea. My husband and I could start our own two person bookclub. We'd alternate choosing that month's book. This would expand both our readings and give us something extra to discuss. I graciously gave the mister the first choice.

After an onnoxiously snowy weekend, we ventured out to the bookstore on Sunday. Not to buy the book since I'm an avid library card user, just to browse and for him to pick said book. After some wandering around, he admits that he'd actually made his choice a few days before.

"Oh," asks me all innocent and brightly, "What are we reading?"

"There's a book by Grant that's supposed to be really good. His memoirs!"

"Ullysses S. Grant," I ask thinking that I'll never get this boy outta the Civil War.

"Yep, it's supposed to be really good Here it is."

And the man holds aloft a fricking brick of a book triumphantly. I wait for him to crack a smile and laugh himself silly. It doesn't happen.

"That's enormous. Does it cover everything?"

"His whole life. He didn't really want to write it, but had to cause he was broke."

"Was he paid by the word?"

Glowering looks from my boy.

I try again, "So you really want to kick off our little project with an enormous book by a long dead man who was not a writer who didn't want to even write his book?"

More glowering looks. "I thought I had the first pick."

"But this book is like 5 books! I'll never stay awake to read the entire thing!"

"So you'd rather I picked something like that?" he asks, pointing at a book titled The Civil War for Dummies.

At this point, I wallop him and grumblingly, we leave the store.

This morning, I looked the book up via the library's website. It is 1,199 pages long. I made one last emailed plea to my husband to come up with another pick. If I can't convince him, you can bet I'll be spending many painful weeks cursing this man:

Love this

Perfectly perfect and it makes me feel all glowy inside. Here's to endless possibilities!

2008 in Books (or what a nerd girl I am)

Goodreads lets me sort my books now! Yippy! Now I too can do one of those year-end breakdowns of what I read. Here goes:



Total books read: 128 (oh my.)

Fiction: 75

Nonfiction: 53 (This includes 5 crafty books though thatI'm not sure I would call "read" - more browsed through and dabbled in.)





Of all that fiction, here's a further breakdown:

Short story collections: 13

Classics: 2

Poetry: 3

Graphic novels: 4

Kids books: 3



Books not finished: 6 godawfully unreadable books.



Favorite finds of the year:

Farewell I'm Bound to Leave You by Fred Chappell

The Kid by Dan Savage

Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

The Orphan's Tales (both books!) by Catherynne M. Valente



Plans for 2009? More classics and poetry. More educational nonfiction cause I'm a bit heavy on the fun memoirs. More short stories. More of everything really. I'm such a glutton for books.

Resolution-a-rama

We all know that I don't save resolutions for once a year, right? I'm resolutin' all over the place throught the year. However, I love a good reason to set some goals. Here's my thinking right now:

1. Prettify the house! I mean it dammit. I love color and art and interesting things. So why are most of my rooms still beige even after living here since May. This shit's gonna change. I got a head start on it and sanded and painted a window casing and bought a super cool print with the gift card from my workplace. I've also started replacing switch plate covers before I relized I wanted to change out the switches too. Super progress coming on this whole thing. This place is gonna start looking a whole lot more like us.

2. Feel more comfortable in my own skin. This is a two pronged approach. The first part is the cliched get more healthy already deal-io cause that needs to happen. But the second part is to shed some more self-conciousness. I don't have to be some unattainable wee size to look good. I just need to put some effort into my every day appearance.

3. Take some classes. Knitting, sewing, dance, history of Korea, whatever. Anything. I feel better when I'm learning new things.

4. Change the world (no small feat there). I'm so fricking inspired by our president elect. Anything is possible right now and I want to be part of it so bad. I plan on adding more do-goodness to my everyday life. Starting with four world-changing things a month! This can be writing letters, volunteering, giving money, speaking out, and really anything that helps make the world better.

So please keep me accountable folks.

Goo

Totally addicted to World of Goo right now.

Weird and fun and adorable. Completely.

Suggestions?

I am no tech-savvy guru by any means. Just a few years ago I was declaring that I'd be the last one on earth to own a cell phone. Yesterday, my husband excitedly presented me with this:

Its a super cool new toy, but I need suggestions now. What's the coolest thing I can do with this baby? What application must I go right out and get? Do tell.

While I'm on the subject of cooking and baking

What are your all time favorite cooks? Here's mine:

1. Ina Garten - something about her is so comforting and soothing. I want her to adopt me as her long lost niece.
2. Nigella Lawson - she uses words like "squidgey" and who doesn't love that?
3. Alton Brown - he's adorable in his passion for food.
4. Tony Bourdain - also very passionate about food and I love his ultra opininated views.


I also must confess a deep affection for Lynne Rosetto Kasper of A Splendid Table. I adore her podcasts.

Oooh - a brand new haircolor?

What do you all think of this? But on this head? And oh my my hair was cute back then so maybe its time for a cut too. Hmmmm.....

Must be the holidays

I witnessed the above at my local garden center. Almost Flying Spaghetti Monster-ish.

Kreativ Blogger

I just realized that I've been tagged by Allison at Nimoy! Creations.

I'm supposed to share 6 random things about me. Hmmm....

* I got my first grey hair this August the day I turned 29. Figures!
* I get anxious if I don't have at least half a dozen library books on my night stand waiting to be read.
* I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was 24. I blame it on growing up in the country.
* I love to be barefoot and wear shoes as little as possible - even when its freezing out.
* Sunshine is vital to my mental health. I think our house was chosen primarily becaus eof all the windows.
* I took a fencing class in college and although I sucked at it, I had terrible lots of fun playing Highlander with my friend and chasing eachother along the bike paths with swords.


Hmmm...I shall tag:
Jen at Persephone's Awakiening
Lisa at Happily Ever After in Seattle

And anyone else who wants to play along.

I'm a dunce

So ever since I changed my email (erm way back in May), I did not realize that I failed to change the blogger setting that lets me know when someone makes a comment. So here' my embarrassed and awward wave to all you commenters in the last 3 months. I wasn't ignoring you all. I was just clueless as to all the nice comments you all were leaving.

I fixed it and now I will be much much better and more aware in blogland.

Flowers and celebrations

I finally added some new flowers to Bandit Queen (which stupid blogger won't let me share pictures of). Guess you'll have to check them out in the shop.

And today's my birthday! I'm gonna sit on my porch with the hubby and pooches and eat pizza to celebrate. The actual party is Saturday. Cheers!

August goals

Cause writing things down makes them more concrete. Here's what I'd like to accomplish by the end of August.
1. Go on a picture-taking trip with my husband.
2. Guerilla art of some kind.
3. Go jogging at least 3 times.
4. Commence and finish artsy chandelier project.
5. Get more modeled clothing pictures up in my etsy shop.
6. Have 20 things made for craft show.
7. Cross off three things on my 101 list.
8. Schedule first dance class.
9. Continue prettifying the front of our house.
10. Do some random bit of niceness.

Keep me accountable!

Right now

I am:

• drinking a Mike's hard lime - so good when you're sweaty.
• admiring the wee terrariums I just made and already pondering where to find more containers
• working on an exciting new project
• wondering what that crash downstairs was cause by (the dogs I'm sure)
• listening to Kate Nash
• wondering what color to paint my toenails

Muppet dogs

Seriously, the cuteness around here is insane. (The badness too, but that's another thing altogether).

Things I'd like to do on my week off

• Practice using my camera some more
• Make things - crafty things
• Do more vintage shopping
• Bake something - maybe a couple of things so I can spread the baked joy
• Get a raspberry bush
• Read bunches
• Hang out with the dogs
• Enjoy our new house

What I've Been Up To

• Stressing over the whole home buying process and wishing I could go on vacation until its all over with.
• Posting lots of pretties over at So Sweet & So Cold.
• Racing home to get pictures taken of vintage finds for the Miriam and Eleanor shop before the sunshine stops coming in my window. (Rather unsuccessfully - however the new home will have lots more light and space for this sort of thing.)
• Wandering through one of the prettiest places near me and smelling the flowers and even seeing a barred owl. That was pretty amazing.
• Pondering what to spend my etsy earnings on. Lately I'm leaning towards a camera of my very own.
• Planning a naked lady party for tomorrow.
• Already compiling ideas for a mid-summer evening of unpredictability inspired by The Mad Ones.
• Sending packages to loved ones all over the place - partly cause I adore them and partly cause I need to get the stuff I've collected for them out of the house before moving day.
• Signing up for the daring bakers - cause life isn't busy enough already apparently.
• Wandering myspace and downloading pictures of friends and family cause my photo albums are frightfully out of date.
• Visiting all the home supply stores and actually being interested in formally boring things like fridges and pipes and countertops.
• Feeling strangely restless and moody and ready to burst outta my skin.
• Pondering a new fitness routine (or any routine at all at this point really). New routine shall involve more walks at Antrim and yardwork and biking).
• Trying to balance the thoughtfullness of everyone's home advice with being aggravated at their thoughtlessness and pushyness. (Seriously, all the ominous tales of how everything could go wrong are not appreciated as well as the looking askance at me when I mention what changes we want to make. I appreciate advice, but we're the one's paying for it, thank you very much.

Yep, that's life right now.

Dinner party daydreams

You know that game when you choose who you'd invite to your dream dinner party? Well Tom Waits is definitely on my list. Just to listen to that gravelly voice and knock back a few with him.




Other contenders for those seats? Tony Bourdain, Jim Henson, Julia Child and David Attenborough. Hey for my dream dinner party, those passed on are allowed to come back.