15 on the 15th

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Kara

Hello all, I’m not dead! Just busy taking care of things that I’ve gotten behind on. Regular posts will be coming soon!

 

Check out 15 on the 15th: fifteen curious things found on the web in the past month.

I’ve always been interested in what blog other people read, so I’m going to pick 15 interesting things that showed up on my feed the past month and share them with you. I read a lot of different blogs, so it’ll probably be pretty eclectic. Enjoy!

1. Eating Vegetarian? 7 Cooking Blogs to Check Out Right Now, The Kitchn

2. Adding Bra Strap Carriers to your dresses and tops, Dixie DIY

3. Depression Part Two, Hyperbole and a Half

4. The World’s Most Ironic Mother’s Day Card, Epbot

5. ”Is This What Respect Feels Like?” A Real Wonder Woman Speaks Out, Epbot

6. How-To: Brew Sake, MAKE

7. 25 Most Dangerous Craigslist Adjectives Exposed, Projectophile

8. The Doctor Who post I can never write, The Bloggess

9. Make Easy Porch Lights, Dollar Store Crafts

10. How to Ride a Werewolf, Finishing School Books (looks like this is an offshoot of Gail Carriger’s books)

11. International Politics, Courtesy of Matt, Cheezburger.com

12. Free pattern: Favorite Tee Dress revamped, icandy handmade

13. Roasted Pecan Broccoli, Slim Palate

14. Master Closet Baskets, diy Design Fanatic

15. Sockupied Summer 2013 Preview, Knitting Daily

Posted in lists | Tagged | Leave a comment

April In Review

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Kara

On January 1, I posted a list of goals I wanted to accomplish this year. Here’s how I’m faring so far…

  • a real vacation with my husband (even if it’s just a long weekend–it’s been FIVE years!) Nothing. Seems like it’s going to be another year where our money goes to other things.
  • better health Still no fastfood! It’s been 62 days including today.
  • pay off a significant chunk of debt Moving forward, and still on schedule.
  • devote more time to getting my work out there No change from last month. I have sucked at this lately. But, I have several pieces that I need to follow up on at least.
  • at least five publication credits this year Three!
  •  read all the books… or what I’ve read this month: An Ice Cold Grave by Charlain Harris, Jenny Pox by J.L. Bryan, A Vision of Murder by Victoria Laurie, Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal, Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi  

Best pick this month?  Glamour in Glass by Mary Robinette Kowal

Currently reading? The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld, People Who eat Darkness by Richard Lloyd Parry & The Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies by Meri Raffetto

  • start remodeling the house (at least two rooms complete) Not much movement in April. Someone hasn’t finished patching the wall yet. I have made some improvements to our overgrown flowerbed in the front yard though. Thinking about painting the front door this weekend to keep my momentum going.
  • knit lots of awesome things Finally semi finished something. I completed the knitting on a wrist cuff. I need to wind the ends in, and sew on some buttons. I’m thinking about trying my hand at a sweater. But, I still having my first pair of socks to finish.
  • get the etsy resale shop off the ground Not much going on. I’ve fired some more glass pieces and need to get them cleaned up and bails on them.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

Have You Read: Wonder by R. J. Palacio

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Kara

image from GoodReads.com

From GoodReads: “August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He’s about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you’ve ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie’s just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he’s just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.”

MEDIUM: bought the ebook

10 Points:

1. I don’t usually comment about cover art, but I love the cover art for Wonder.

2. About a week before I read Wonder I heard a radio interview with the author where she explained she did a lot of research prior to writing the book, and Auggie’s condition is based loosely on Treacher Collins Syndrome.

3. Wonder is a quick read. The hardback is 315 pages, and I read the ebook so the page count was probably a bit higher. Wonder is engaging; you get pulled right in. I read in three nights.

4. I found myself wanting to feel bad for Auggie, but you really can’t. That kid has spunk. We can learn a lot from people who have his outlook on life.

5. I would classify Wonder as middle grade, but it is well written and will appeal to readers of any age.

6. Be prepared to cry. A lot.

7. One of the things I liked about this book was Auggie struggled with the same things any kid that age struggles with. Maybe for different reasons. Every kid that age as encountered a bully of just a generally mean kid. Every kid that age has had problems with friends.

8. Auggie’s disposition–his sense of humor, his kindheartedness–attracts people to him. In the book Swan Song, there was this idea of what you look like, versus what your “true self” looks like. I think Auggie’s friends and family see him for his true self.

9. Did I mention you’ll probably want to have a box of tissue handy?

10. Wonder is one of those books that while fictional, is so plausible and real that you feel it in the words. It shows you the best and the worst of people.

Posted in books | Tagged | Leave a comment

15 on the 15th

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Kara

Check out 15 on the 15th: fifteen curious things found on the web in the past month.

I’ve always been interested in what blogs other people read, so I’m going to pick 15 interesting things that showed up on my feed the past month and share them with you. I read a lot of different blogs, so it’ll probably be pretty eclectic. Enjoy!

1. When the city says they’d like to showcase some of the local culture and invites us, Running a Hackerspace

2. DIY J.Crew-Inspired Necklace, owlswakeup

3. Tutorial: Paper Flower Push Pins, Dollar Store Crafts

4. Review: Needles and Artifice, Plus Sample Project, All She Wants To Do Is Knit (Ok, so this is actually a post from January, but I didn’t read it until April. And this book looks awesome!)

5. Photo Gallery: the Brooks Musuem’s Spring Break Chalk Art Fest, I Love Memphis

6. Advice to my young self on my one-year-Con-niversary, Starts with A Bang    For those not in the know, I was the head of programming for MidSouthCon 30. Ethan was a fantastic guest, and we were thrilled to have him!

7. The Best New Fonts (VOL. 3), Smart School House

8. Strawberry Lemonade Slushie, Blissful and Domestic

9. Plus Size Shopping: Before, During, and After You Shop- A Roundup, The Curvy Fashonista

10. Full Skirts with Trimmed Tulle peeking out, Make It & Love It This might be a kid’s skirt, but I would totally make this in my size and wear it!

11. 5 Difficulties New Sewing Machine Users Commonly Encounter, While She Naps

12. Cadence KAL: Finishing your Knit!, KristenMakes   Great tips for knitters!

13. April Fools: My History of Failed Jokes, After Plumcake

14. SIMPLE LAYERED SUMMER SKIRT // NATIONAL SERGER MONTH, One Little Minute

15. Vengeance is a dish best served with inflatable horns, The Bloggess

 

P.S. Since Google Reader is being shut down soon, I’ve migrated over to TheOldReader.  They’re having some growing pains, but they’re awesome

Posted in lists | Tagged | Leave a comment

Have You Read: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Kara

image from GoodReads.com

From GoodReads: “One Fine Mess
Welcome to Trenton, New Jersey, home to wiseguys, average Joes, and Stephanie Plum, who sports a big attitude and even bigger money problems (since losing her job as a lingerie buyer for a department store). Stephanie needs cash – fast – but times are tough, and soon she’s forced to turn to the last resort of the truly desperate: family…

One False Move
Stephanie lands a gig at her sleazy cousin Vinnie’s bail bonding company. She’s got no experience. But that doesn’t matter. As does the fact that the bail jumper in question is local vice cop Joe Morelli. From the time he first looked up her dress to the time he first got into her pants, to the time Steph hit him with her father’s Buick, M-o-r-e-l-l-i has spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e. And now the hot guy is in hot water-wanted for murder…

One for the Money
Abject poverty is a great motivator for learning new skills, but being trained in the school of hard knocks by people like psycho prizefighter Benito Ramirez isn’t. Still, if Stephanie can nab Morelli in a week, she’ll make a cool ten grand. All she has to do is become an expert bounty hunter overnight – and keep herself from getting killed before she gets her man…”

MEDIUM: purchased the audiobook

10 points:

1. I really wasn’t expecting to like this book, so I was pleasantly surprised.

2. Janet Evanovich is someone I associate with romance novels, which are not really my cup of tea. This book to me was less romance, more mystery/adventure.

3. Stephanie Plum is a great character. She’s realistic, flawed. Desperate.

4. The history between Stephanie and Morelli was great! I laughed my ass off when she hit him with the car.

5. I didn’t really connect with Morelli the way I thought I would. Obviously, Stephanie likes him, so I wanted to like him. But, he is really an ass. She probably should have just run over him again.

6. That being said, Morelli is not the bad guy in this story. Ramirez is the worst of the worst. He is the perfect villain, complete with his own greedy henchman.

7. One character I would have loved to see more of is Ranger. Of course getting shot can sideline someone.

8. In fact, I think Stephanie should ditch Morelli for Ranger. That would be good.

9. I loved the scenes with Morelli’s mom, and with Stephanie’s family. It’s nice to feel like you are not the only one with crazy relatives. But seriously, what’s up with the duck?

10. I still stand by Stephanie being a great character. I hope she develops in a way that she sees she can save herself and doesn’t need a man to do it for her. I hope her gun training is an indication of character development along those lines.

Posted in books | Tagged | 1 Comment

March in Review

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Kara

On January 1, I posted a list of goals I wanted to accomplish this year. Here’s how I’m faring so far…

  • a real vacation with my husband (even if it’s just a long weekend–it’s been FIVE years!) Nothing. I did stay in the hotel for MidSouthCon, but the husband couldn’t go this year.
  • better health No fast food in March!
  • pay off a significant chunk of debt Still plowing forward! Of course, having to take a cat to the vet unexpectedly didn’t help. She’s fine… just weird.
  • devote more time to getting my work out there I have sucked at this lately. But, I have several pieces that I need to follow up on at least.
  • at least five publication credits this year Three!
  •  read all the books… or what I’ve read this month: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich, John  Dies at the End by David Wong, Wonder by R.J. Palacio, World War Z by Max Brooks Best pick this month?  Wonder by R.J. Palacio Currently reading? Jenny Pox by L.J. Bryan, An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris, & Mortuary Confidential by Todd Harra
  • start remodeling the house (at least two rooms complete) Ok, so my husband and a friend of ours reran quite a bit of cat5 cable in our house. Did I mention we switched offices? We did. The cat5 had to be rerun before the hole in the wall could be patched. The hole in the wall is now patched. Which means I can finally paint in my office. I need to do the closet, all the doors, and trim as well. Which means I really need to make a final decision about the color.

 

  • knit lots of awesome things Yeah… I suck. I haven’t touched any of my knitting this month.

 

  • get the etsy resale shop off the ground So, I think I’ve picked Goodsmiths for my handmade stuff, and etsy for the vintage resale and upcycled stuff. I wore some of my fused glass pendants at MidSouthCon and got several compliments, and gave out a few “coming soon” cards.
Posted in lists | Tagged | Leave a comment

For Equality, For Freedom

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Kara

“First they came for the socialists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew.

Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.”

 

The quote above often varies to include different groups. Sometimes it’s attributed to unknown or anonymous, and sometimes to Martin Niemöller. Regardless, the point is clear. It is our duty as humans to speak up against injustice. To stand up for what we know is right. To fight against what we know is wrong.

Someone on Facebook (I know… I know…) said legalizing gay marriage won’t end homophobia. And you know what, they were right. Gay marriage won’t end homophobia any more than women getting the right to vote put an end to sexism and misogyny. Any more than desegregation or having a black president stopped racism.

You can’t fix stupid. But, you can right wrongs.

This week, the Supreme Court is taking a look at gay marriage, specifically California’s Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act. America is supposed to be the land of the free. We’ve fought wars in other countries so their citizens could have “freedom.” But, our citizens are not equal under the law. The fight for gay rights is this generation’s civil rights battle. And it shouldn’t be a battle the LGBT community fights alone.

Americans will never be free until we are all equal under the law. And the fact that other Americans, politicians even, would fight to deny rights to citizens is shameful and embarrassing, nevermind down right wrong.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

15 on th 15th

Posted on March 15, 2013 by Kara

I read a ton of blogs… obviously. And google just announced they’re shutting down google reader in July. Google, you bastards! Anyway… does any one have a preferred blog reader?

 

Check out 15 on the 15th: fifteen curious things found on the web in the past month.

I’ve always been interested in what blog other people read, so I’m going to pick 15 interesting things that showed up on my feed the past month and share them with you. I read a lot of different blogs, so it’ll probably be pretty eclectic. Enjoy!

1. Guinness Doughnuts with Irish Whiskey Frosting, We Are Not Martha

2. Random House Announces New Terms at Digital Imprints Hydra, Alibi, Loveswept, and Flirt, Writer Beware Blogs

3. Make-Up Lessons You Can Learn From This Adorable Sloth, The Gloss I would like a pet sloth. And also a wombat. But just a baby wombat.

4. The Best Cleaning Tips Pinboard, Ask Anna

5. LETS TALK: Design Elements in Plus Size Clothes that KILL ME, The Curvy Fashionista

6. Make Your Own Sliding Barn Door – For Cheap!, EPBOT  THIS!! I needs it.

7. I Need To Discuss Downton, Centsational Girl

8. Indoor Succulent Gardens for Any Home, Apartment Therapy

9. Terrariums Around the House, Centsational Girl

10. Because We Are Better Than This, And They Were Wrong, EPBOT

11. Talking Sake With the Pros, MAKE

12. Homemade Probiotic Deodorant – That Really Works!, Frugally Sustainable  I thought this was interesting because I have an allergy to cobalt which is a common ingredient in antiperspirants and deodorants. It’s hard to find something that works without that in it!

13. 25 Best Natural Cleaning Formulas, Remodelaholic  You’ll probably see me feature stuff like this a lot. My respiratory system just cannot handle the fumes from most store bought cleaners.

14. Color Theory 101: selecting yarns that go together, Fresh Stitches

15. Fried Fruit Pies, Pioneer Woman

 

 

Posted in lists | Tagged | Leave a comment

Ray Bradbury Would Weep: Or, WTF USPS?

Posted on March 5, 2013 by Kara

books on my fireplace

“There must be something in books, something we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.” 

― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451

Normally I would have a book review up this week, but there’s an urgent matter that needs our attention. The United States Postal Service is destroying books. Close your mouth, blink, and read that line again.

The United States Postal Service is destroying books.

I first heard about this last week after it was featured on a local news station. The condensed version is this: Books From Birth in conjunction with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library sends out FREE books to children. Sometimes, for various reasons, the books are undeliverable. Until recently, there was an agreement with the local post offices that these undelivered books would be picked up. Now there’s new management within the USPS, and the undelivered books are being destroyed.

Giving books to children isn’t just about teaching them to read, or setting up the foundation for education. It’s about allowing kids to retain a sense of wonder in our often dark and terrible world.

“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.” 
― Neil Gaiman, Coraline

This is a dragon we need to beat. Please read the open letter from Books From Birth and sign their petition.

It doesn’t matter if you’re not in Memphis, or even Tennessee. Sign the petition. Tell a friend. Write the mayor, the city council, your congressman, the governor. The President.

Books matter. Literacy matters. Destroying books is never okay.

Posted in books, people behaving badly | Tagged | Leave a comment

February in Review

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Kara

On January 1, I posted a list of goals I wanted to accomplish this year. Here’s how I’m faring so far…

  • a real vacation with my husband (even if it’s just a long weekend–it’s been FIVE years!) Nothing yet.

 

  • better health Same as last month. I’m in desperate need of some fresh air. But the weather here has been so up and down.

 

  • pay off a significant chunk of debt Paid off a good chunk this month, and got it done before interest started accruing. Next bill is smaller, but has a high interest rate. But it should be done in two or three payments. It feels good to stuff paid off, even if the extra money isn’t going back in our pockets quite yet.

 

  • devote more time to getting my work out there I haven’t sent anything out this month, which is bad. But, I had a piece come out in Static Movement this month. And, I followed up on some other works that have been under consideration for awhile. It looks like I might have a reprint coming out in another publication soon.

 

  • at least five publication credits this year Two!

 

  •  read all the books… or what I’ve read this month: The Ask and The Answer by Patrick Ness, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier and Tomorrow, When the War Began by John MarsdenBest pick this month? Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Currently reading? John Dies At The End by David Wong

 

  • start remodeling the house (at least two rooms complete) Finally, we have some movement on this! Ok, so instead of a modern sewing/craft cabinet I started thinking about vintage sewing cabinet/tables. My parents took me to a warehouse, in a secret location where you can buy leftover bits and whatnot from estate sales. I bought a old sewing cabinet that had drawers for $25. It had a few small issues, but was totally worth the price. The last coat of paint is drying on it now. I also purchased a rug. And fabric. Wonderful lovely fabric. And, my husband and I decided to switch office spaces. I’m still flip flopping on the wall color, but I can paint until we get the wall patched in my new office anyway. Long story involving tech nerds with tools…  I’m also on the hunt for two matching dining chairs to turn in to a bench. And, as much as it pains me I think it’s time to seriously cut down on my number of print books.

 

  • knit lots of awesome things I haven’t finished my sock yet. Cut me some slack. I’ve been painting furniture!

 

  • get the etsy resale shop off the ground I don’t think I’ll be doing ArtFire. They have monthly fees that put me off to them. Looking at some other options. But, I don’t think anything will get done until my office is more in order and not in boxes.
Posted in books, furniture refinishing, home ownership, lists, thrifting | Tagged | Leave a comment