Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
Stalking his Stocking: 42 Ideas for Him
1. Socks. Come on, stockings in the stocking, it's a pun that makes itself. I hear Gold Toe are still made in the USA, as are those from the Fox River Mills, which makes the iconic Red Heel socks. As a Sock Monkey maker, I'm partial to those.
2. Chocolate. Men love it too. He probably has a favorite, you probably know what it is.
3. Batteries. Not just any batteries, but the ones he's always looking for, like AAA for the remote.
4. Solar Powered cell phone charger. Not even joking. They're small and useful.
5. Memory card/ flash drive. Bonus points if it's a rad modified one like you find on Etsy or Artfire.
6. A pocket monkey or other ridiculous tiny toy he can squeeze or toss at will.
7. Paperback book of his favorite genre. Mystery? Adventure? Suspense? Science Fiction? Go for it.
8. A new belt.
9. A tie like no one else at his work has. I love this one.
10. Rad, yet masculine soap. My spouse rocks the Stonehenge from Burnt Mill.
11. One of the t-shirts dejour from a site like TeeFury, RiptApparel, Shirt.Woot, ShirtPunch, or the Yetee. Just you know, don't opt for the slow boat shipping. Watching them all for about a week tends to lead to finding something that will scream his name.
12. Sunglasses
13. Sonic Screwdriver Flashlight (or boring pocket flashlight if he's not that cool)
14. Gloves
15. Wallet preloaded with gift cards to his favorite coffee and or breakfast joint.
16. Those gift cards to his favorite coffee and or breakfast joint.
17. A new scarf. Bonus points if you knit it yourself. Double bonus if it's a Doctor Who scarf and you fit the whole thing in his stocking, you know, if he likes that sort of thing.
18. Gift cards to your local theater wrapped in that day's movie times. Just add a babysitter (if necessary) and you've got something fun to do this afternoon together.
19. Cufflinks
20. A rad new ear ring, if he rolls that way.
21. GC to his favorite ink shop to make it a holiday to remember til both of your eyesight is shot. Just remember, a great tattoo is priceless, and a bad one is hard to cover, so be sure it's really his favorite place.
22. A new watch. Preferably an unusual one.
23. Measuring Tape.
24. Universal Network Cable. Seriously, how cool is this?
25. Small notebooks to jot things down in, you know, with penmanship.
26. Pens, nice ones. or Pencils even.
27. Dare I say duct tape?
28. Two words: Titanium Spork
29. Caffeinated breath mints. I'm not even joking. They exist.
30. They also make bacon mints, but I don't think I'd personally go this direction.
31. Freeze dried "astronaut" ice cream.
32. Membership to nearby museum he actually digs. For spouse, that's the Sciencey one. For my dad it'd be the Natural History one.
33. One of those remote controls that do ALL. I personally like the wand one, but it just does SOME.
34. A nice well balanced pizza cutter, you know, for when he cooks dinner.
35. Dare I say a new game controller?
36. iTunes gift card
37. Electronics cleaning putty.
38. Cable organizers for all his new electronics, maybe like the cable monkey, because they're cute.
39. A small book on surviving the zombie apocalypse.
40. Ammunition, for the zombie apocalypse.
41. Polyhedrals. (If you don't know what this is, it's probably not for your guy)
42. Giant Plush Microbes. Come on, what says love like Malaria?
Okay, I guess I went off on a geeky tangent on some of these, but I hope you forgive me. A few of these might need to be compressed to fit, especially if he has a tiny stocking, but why have a tiny stocking? If he does, then I highly recommend a new one. ;-)
When in doubt, buy handmade, and have the happiest of holidays.
2. Chocolate. Men love it too. He probably has a favorite, you probably know what it is.
3. Batteries. Not just any batteries, but the ones he's always looking for, like AAA for the remote.
4. Solar Powered cell phone charger. Not even joking. They're small and useful.
5. Memory card/ flash drive. Bonus points if it's a rad modified one like you find on Etsy or Artfire.
6. A pocket monkey or other ridiculous tiny toy he can squeeze or toss at will.
7. Paperback book of his favorite genre. Mystery? Adventure? Suspense? Science Fiction? Go for it.
8. A new belt.
9. A tie like no one else at his work has. I love this one.
10. Rad, yet masculine soap. My spouse rocks the Stonehenge from Burnt Mill.
11. One of the t-shirts dejour from a site like TeeFury, RiptApparel, Shirt.Woot, ShirtPunch, or the Yetee. Just you know, don't opt for the slow boat shipping. Watching them all for about a week tends to lead to finding something that will scream his name.
12. Sunglasses
13. Sonic Screwdriver Flashlight (or boring pocket flashlight if he's not that cool)
14. Gloves
15. Wallet preloaded with gift cards to his favorite coffee and or breakfast joint.
16. Those gift cards to his favorite coffee and or breakfast joint.
17. A new scarf. Bonus points if you knit it yourself. Double bonus if it's a Doctor Who scarf and you fit the whole thing in his stocking, you know, if he likes that sort of thing.
18. Gift cards to your local theater wrapped in that day's movie times. Just add a babysitter (if necessary) and you've got something fun to do this afternoon together.
19. Cufflinks
20. A rad new ear ring, if he rolls that way.
21. GC to his favorite ink shop to make it a holiday to remember til both of your eyesight is shot. Just remember, a great tattoo is priceless, and a bad one is hard to cover, so be sure it's really his favorite place.
22. A new watch. Preferably an unusual one.
23. Measuring Tape.
24. Universal Network Cable. Seriously, how cool is this?
25. Small notebooks to jot things down in, you know, with penmanship.
26. Pens, nice ones. or Pencils even.
27. Dare I say duct tape?
28. Two words: Titanium Spork
29. Caffeinated breath mints. I'm not even joking. They exist.
30. They also make bacon mints, but I don't think I'd personally go this direction.
31. Freeze dried "astronaut" ice cream.
32. Membership to nearby museum he actually digs. For spouse, that's the Sciencey one. For my dad it'd be the Natural History one.
33. One of those remote controls that do ALL. I personally like the wand one, but it just does SOME.
34. A nice well balanced pizza cutter, you know, for when he cooks dinner.
35. Dare I say a new game controller?
36. iTunes gift card
37. Electronics cleaning putty.
38. Cable organizers for all his new electronics, maybe like the cable monkey, because they're cute.
39. A small book on surviving the zombie apocalypse.
40. Ammunition, for the zombie apocalypse.
41. Polyhedrals. (If you don't know what this is, it's probably not for your guy)
42. Giant Plush Microbes. Come on, what says love like Malaria?
Okay, I guess I went off on a geeky tangent on some of these, but I hope you forgive me. A few of these might need to be compressed to fit, especially if he has a tiny stocking, but why have a tiny stocking? If he does, then I highly recommend a new one. ;-)
When in doubt, buy handmade, and have the happiest of holidays.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Oh Tannenbaum
I made up my mind about something treeish tonight.
Sad fake Christmas/holiday trees are sad, and probably not made in the united states, and many of them are choc full of lead. Don't believe me? It often says so on the box they came in. I know both my white and pink ones did.
Sad fake Christmas/holiday trees are sad, and probably not made in the united states, and many of them are choc full of lead. Don't believe me? It often says so on the box they came in. I know both my white and pink ones did.
So now, why do I want to spend money on a toxic plastic tree as opposed to helping my local tree farmers stay in business? I don't.
This is me not buying another fake tree, because I'd rather have a real one, dropped needles, dry air, and all.
Sent from the TARDIS Intergalactic Temporal Mobile Service
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thirty-Two Things
By the time I finish writing this, I will be turning thirty-two.
It probably feels a lot like thirty still, which, surprisingly, feels a lot like twenty-three. I will wake up in a few minutes to nurse my toddler, then go back to sleep until I absolutely must be up, just like I did yesterday, just like I'll do tomorrow, just like I did a year ago today. I suppose the difference will be that it's also going to be Thanksgiving, so there will be extra cooking to prepare immediately upon waking. Who am I kidding, I'm not cooking a dang thing tomorrow. I baked today and it can all be reheated by someone else tomorrow.
So, in honor of turning thirty-two, I'm going to share thirty-two spiffy things that I've seen, done, been involved with, etc, building on last years list.
1. Created Human Life. Twice.
2. Edited and published an anthology.
3. Sang in an Opera. Twice.
4. Ate dinner with Benazir Bhutto.
5. Wrote a novel in November. Thrice.
6. Wrote a screenplay in June. Twice.
7. Learned to quilt.
8. Wrote a novel in a weekend.
9. Fell in love.
10. Got married.
11. Breastfed my son.
12. Learned how to play the piano.
13. Learned to ask for help when I need it.
14. Sang my way to my AA, studying music.
15. Earned my BA in history, my worst subject.
16. Joined a fraternal organization.
17. Learned to TYPE.
18. Composed music that wasn't awful.
19. Volunteered.
20. Swam in the Ocean.
21. Reclaimed my sense of self.
22. Conquered my fear of roller coasters.
23. Experienced a tornado from the inside.
24. Became a human lightning rod.
25.Learned to ride a bike at the age of:
26. Saw a water spout stop at a stop light, wait for it to turn green, and continue on it's way.
27. Learned to sew.
28. Had my artwork displayed in museums.
29. Survived a mild stroke.
30. Discovered the power of *friends*
31. Saved a life.
32. Taught a new generation how to sew.
It's been a great year, I hope yours was too, and that the next one is even better.
It probably feels a lot like thirty still, which, surprisingly, feels a lot like twenty-three. I will wake up in a few minutes to nurse my toddler, then go back to sleep until I absolutely must be up, just like I did yesterday, just like I'll do tomorrow, just like I did a year ago today. I suppose the difference will be that it's also going to be Thanksgiving, so there will be extra cooking to prepare immediately upon waking. Who am I kidding, I'm not cooking a dang thing tomorrow. I baked today and it can all be reheated by someone else tomorrow.
So, in honor of turning thirty-two, I'm going to share thirty-two spiffy things that I've seen, done, been involved with, etc, building on last years list.
1. Created Human Life. Twice.
2. Edited and published an anthology.
3. Sang in an Opera. Twice.
4. Ate dinner with Benazir Bhutto.
5. Wrote a novel in November. Thrice.
6. Wrote a screenplay in June. Twice.
7. Learned to quilt.
8. Wrote a novel in a weekend.
9. Fell in love.
10. Got married.
11. Breastfed my son.
12. Learned how to play the piano.
13. Learned to ask for help when I need it.
14. Sang my way to my AA, studying music.
15. Earned my BA in history, my worst subject.
16. Joined a fraternal organization.
17. Learned to TYPE.
18. Composed music that wasn't awful.
19. Volunteered.
20. Swam in the Ocean.
21. Reclaimed my sense of self.
22. Conquered my fear of roller coasters.
23. Experienced a tornado from the inside.
24. Became a human lightning rod.
25.Learned to ride a bike at the age of:
26. Saw a water spout stop at a stop light, wait for it to turn green, and continue on it's way.
27. Learned to sew.
28. Had my artwork displayed in museums.
29. Survived a mild stroke.
30. Discovered the power of *friends*
31. Saved a life.
32. Taught a new generation how to sew.
It's been a great year, I hope yours was too, and that the next one is even better.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Do Not Censor Me
The First Amendment falls apart when government censorship threatens to put purveyors of legal content under scrutiny for any possible trace of copyright infringement.
Censorship silences.
The internet works partly because it gives people who have been silenced in other ways a voice. It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, the color of your skin, your faith, orientation, gender, or disability- sites that allow us to share content allow us to come together on an even playing field.
Say no to SOPA, contact your congressman and be heard. Don't let sites dedicated to allowing you to share your own voice be threatened with legal action for the potential misuse of others. Remember, congress only has the power to vote in favor of corporations over free speech when we vote for them in the first place.
I, for one, will not vote for any supporter of SOPA.
See AmericanCensorship.org for more details. Thank you.
Censorship silences.
The internet works partly because it gives people who have been silenced in other ways a voice. It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, the color of your skin, your faith, orientation, gender, or disability- sites that allow us to share content allow us to come together on an even playing field.
Say no to SOPA, contact your congressman and be heard. Don't let sites dedicated to allowing you to share your own voice be threatened with legal action for the potential misuse of others. Remember, congress only has the power to vote in favor of corporations over free speech when we vote for them in the first place.
I, for one, will not vote for any supporter of SOPA.
See AmericanCensorship.org for more details. Thank you.
NaNo No Go?
So yes, I'm still doing NaNoWriMo, and today I worked up the real world people skills to go to my first NaNoWriMo write in.
It was great. I got my parents to babysit the JabberWalky and set out in the evening for an hour and a half of like minded writerly geekdom. Hosted at an indie local coffee shop, I got about 2k words down and advanced my plot substantially, all while supporting local business.
But here's the thing. I was the only NaNo-er in the building. The ersatz organizers didn't even show. Sure, I know, these things are kind of informal, and yes, life happens, but it was a bit awkward looking around for anyone else who even knew what NaNoWriMo was and didn't actively have their homework in front of them.
Like I said though, it was great. I probably got more done in that hour and a half than I would at home. There, I felt like some sort of real author, taking in a quiet nook of humanity and writing amidst the hipsters and the goths.
It was great.
While the write-in was pretty much a no go, I got a lot out of it and I'm glad I went.
So if you're nervous about going to that first write in, afraid you won't know anyone there, afraid you'll be the only one who shows, take it from me- it's okay to be the only one who shows. Who knows, maybe a private-public-write-in is just what your novel needed.
Word count: 37,219
It was great. I got my parents to babysit the JabberWalky and set out in the evening for an hour and a half of like minded writerly geekdom. Hosted at an indie local coffee shop, I got about 2k words down and advanced my plot substantially, all while supporting local business.
But here's the thing. I was the only NaNo-er in the building. The ersatz organizers didn't even show. Sure, I know, these things are kind of informal, and yes, life happens, but it was a bit awkward looking around for anyone else who even knew what NaNoWriMo was and didn't actively have their homework in front of them.
Like I said though, it was great. I probably got more done in that hour and a half than I would at home. There, I felt like some sort of real author, taking in a quiet nook of humanity and writing amidst the hipsters and the goths.
It was great.
While the write-in was pretty much a no go, I got a lot out of it and I'm glad I went.
So if you're nervous about going to that first write in, afraid you won't know anyone there, afraid you'll be the only one who shows, take it from me- it's okay to be the only one who shows. Who knows, maybe a private-public-write-in is just what your novel needed.
Word count: 37,219
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Blueberry Cinnamon Streusel Muffins
Yield: 1 dozen
Streusel Topping:
1/3 cup turbinado sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 TBSP butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Muffin batter:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup turbinado sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon milk
1 cup fresh blueberries (if using frozen, please warm them to room temperature and remove excess moisture)
Optional:
You could add half a cup of chopped walnuts and it'd be delightful.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Line muffin pan with cupcake liners or butter muffin cups and dust with powdered sugar.
*All dry measurements are level measurements. I use the scoop and sweep method.*
In medium mixing bowl, mix struessel toppings and set aside.
In large bowl mix all muffin ingredients except berries until well mixed.
Gently stir in blueberries.
Spoon muffin batter into muffin pan. Fill each cup 2/3 full.
Crumble topping over batter.
Bake 18 to 22 min at 400 degrees. Check for doneness.
Note- this is a very sweet recipe. If you want something a little less decadent, I would be comfortable cutting the sugar nearly in half. It will still be delightful.
Monday, November 07, 2011
UnBEARable Joy
Joy: pure, simple and uncomplicated.
When was the last time you saw it? When was the last time you felt it?
Most importantly: what are you going to do to find it more often?
Friday, November 04, 2011
Do You NaNo?
If you don't already know, it's National Novel Writing Month!
Worldwide, thousands upon thousands of ersatz authors and wordmavens are flexing their frontal lobes, and fingertips, in a full on writing whilrwind- 50,000 (or more) words, in just 30 days. Of course, we're four days in, but that doesn't mean it's too late to start. The second year I participated, I didn't start until ten days from the finish, and I still managed to win, so if you haven't already signed up, now would be a great time to do so.
It's a fun thing for the whole family to do. This year, our household is going multi-generational. My parents are both giving it a go, and even the tween is getting involved with the Young Writers Program. That's a great way to NaNo for anyone under 17, because it allows them to set their own word limit. In her case, she's aiming for 10,000 words this month.
So far, I'm way behind with my word count, but that's okay. If you want to follow what I'm up to, add me as a buddy, I'm Fentonslee. Don't get too excited about my profile though, my synopsis is a bit silly right now, since I'm not entirely sure where this story is going as of yet. It reads:
"girl has adventure. things go wrong. it gets interesting. shenanigans and near misses ensue. she gets over foolish things and grows as a person. or maybe not. you never know."
So hop on in, and join in the fun. Create a little. Write like nobody's reading. I dare you.
Worldwide, thousands upon thousands of ersatz authors and wordmavens are flexing their frontal lobes, and fingertips, in a full on writing whilrwind- 50,000 (or more) words, in just 30 days. Of course, we're four days in, but that doesn't mean it's too late to start. The second year I participated, I didn't start until ten days from the finish, and I still managed to win, so if you haven't already signed up, now would be a great time to do so.
It's a fun thing for the whole family to do. This year, our household is going multi-generational. My parents are both giving it a go, and even the tween is getting involved with the Young Writers Program. That's a great way to NaNo for anyone under 17, because it allows them to set their own word limit. In her case, she's aiming for 10,000 words this month.
So far, I'm way behind with my word count, but that's okay. If you want to follow what I'm up to, add me as a buddy, I'm Fentonslee. Don't get too excited about my profile though, my synopsis is a bit silly right now, since I'm not entirely sure where this story is going as of yet. It reads:
"girl has adventure. things go wrong. it gets interesting. shenanigans and near misses ensue. she gets over foolish things and grows as a person. or maybe not. you never know."
So hop on in, and join in the fun. Create a little. Write like nobody's reading. I dare you.
Thursday, November 03, 2011
Shutterfly Winners
We have three winners to the Shutterfly giveaway! Thight, Tourmaline, and Violetsouffle!
Emails are going out immediately, so watch for them, and thanks for reading!
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Milk chocolate toffee chip cookies
Makes about 5 dozen
Ingredients:
1 cup softened butter (that's 2 sticks, yo)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup turbinado sugar
2 tsp good vanilla extract (why bother with anything else?)
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk chocolate chips (non-Nestle, because that's how we roll- double points if you find good free-trade/ethical chocolate)
1 cup toffee bits (I like Skor, but Heath Brickle bits will do in a pinch)
Preheat oven to 375 F.
Place baking stone in oven.
Cream butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix until well blended. Add chocolate chips and Toffee bits. Mix well.
Using a potholder, pull baking stone out of oven. Spoon cookie dough onto hot baking stone w/ 2" spacing.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until they look all golden around the edges- they won't be as dark as chocolate chip cookies usually are unless you subbed brown sugar, which is a'ight with me.
Remove and cool completely before storing, but get 'em off the pan so you can send some more through the oven, because cookies are a more is more kind of nom.
Enjoy the heck out of them. Especially hot from the oven with hot fudge drizzles and ice cream.
Sent from the TARDIS Intergalactic Temporal Mobile Service
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Rolled Garlic Pesto Cheese Bread
One of my very favorite things to bake has been featured over at Modern Rosies
Modern Rosies: Lunch Pail: Rolled Garlic Pesto Cheese Bread:
Go check it out, it is as fabulous as it sounds. Then spend some more time on the Modern Rosies site, because it's quite possibly he best DIY site out there.
Go check it out, it is as fabulous as it sounds. Then spend some more time on the Modern Rosies site, because it's quite possibly he best DIY site out there.
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