Project #1: Stationery Tins

Update: Success! The girls loved their tins so much that they immediately sat down and started writing thank you notes to send to Dan and I. ;-) (Even though it was WAY past their bedtime!)

[Sleepy April & Faith :: Ally & Bel hard at work.]

Dan let me loose in the craft store...Look out!!!

My first Christmas project that I have completed is a stationery set, one for each of April's daughters. I found plain tins at The Container Store, decorated them with paper I had lying around waiting to be used: 1 small band around the outside, 1 band across the top, and a circle for the bottom of the tin. The paper sheet is by Dewey Howard, Inc., picked up at my local Oblation Papers. I filled each tin with a selection of envelopes, cards, notes, embellishments, 3 pens, 1 glue stick, and 8 stamps. The only pieces I bought were paper cutouts and embroidered pins from the Amy Butler craft collection distributed by K & Company at a local scrapbook store. They had a beautiful vintage look, made on recycled paper, and were extra-girly. I used many things from my own stationery collection, cut a few sheets of colorful cardstock, and added stickers and labels that I already had. The glue-sticks (found at the dollar store) were wrapped in Sukie labels as to avoid the ugly blue label that didn't match. ;-) I added the names on the paper strips across the lid using sticker transfers from Martha Stewart's collection at Michael's.

Altogether, a very simple project made from the heart! On the bottom of each tin, I wrote a special message and date. I know they aren't uber-cool with a High School Musical theme, but I hope they will enjoy them anyway!!!

Time Needed: 1/2 hr. per tin.
Total Cost: $10 per tin.

I'm Just One More Person Obsessed with Twilight

This past week I read the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyers. Highly addictive. My friend Ali lent me the first two books. I read the 2nd book in 1 day (crying so much Dan was kinda worried...) and woke up the next morning and bought the third book. When I finished the 3rd book the next day, my eyes turned red in pure thirst for the last book. It was sold out at the Target in Sherwood! I raced around in the rain, desperate to find it, and then promptly started reading at red stoplights on the way home. I finished it by midnight.

I just want to say that they are great reads; fast, easy, and fun. I know that the movie isn't going to be exactly like the book (and it could never be as good as the book), but I'm excited to see it anyway. I'll be driving up to visit April (another I-will-stay-up-til-2-in-the-morning-to-read-this-book fan) to see the premiere together. Then I'll get to see an encore at a Sunday matinee with Ali, who feverishly texted me as I read the books to gossip about the plot-twists. ;-)

Update on the Vegetarian Pledge

October was full of reasons to celebrate as well as raise awareness for all kinds of things from Breast Cancer & Domestic Violence Awareness to National Popcorn Popping Month and International Month of the Dinosaurs. I also focused on Vegetarian Awareness (my hubby is veg) and took a 30 day pledge to eat vegetarian and see what it's like. Here are my conclusions:

• Fast food is unfriendly and unhealthy for vegetarians on-the-go. The first weekend, we drove up to B.C., Canada, and I had a hell of a time finding anything to eat along the highway. There's Subway veggie sandwiches, yes. Sometimes you're just not in the mood for Subway though! My only other options were french fries, fried zucchini, fried onions...You get the idea. This would probably be easier for me if I liked cheese; it would at least open up options for cheese pizza, veggie-cheese dishes, and (more) fried food--the cheese sticks, popper, nugget, etc. Over the course of the month I discovered Burger King's veggie burger (I order w/o mayo - God, they put so much mayo on their sandwiches!!!) and I luckily have the good ol' northwest chain, Burgerville, which carries a veggie burger and a black bean burger that are so hearty and healthy and scrumptious!
• You rarely find vegetarian soups to go. This is kind of a part of fast food. When I go to grocery stores to get something from the deli or soup for lunch, it is really hard to find soup that doesn't have meat in it. It is even harder to find non-meat soup that isn't made with chicken broth. This is an issue for me because I LOVE SOUP.
  
• If I didn't live on the outskirts of a city like Portland--one that is VERY vegetarian and vegan friendly--I would most likely be screwed. This comes back to the on-the-go thing, as well. Portland's neighborhoods teem with vegan and vegetarian-friendly restaurants, bakeries, food carts, and cafes. The local grocery stores take pride in this quality, while chain stores offer more than the usual staples. (Most grocery stores, even in the Midwest where I'm from, are regularly stocking at least a small amount of alternative products. Brands like Morning Star Farms, Amy's Kitchen, and Boca are routine in chain grocery stores by now.)
• I had to grow a tougher skin. There are people who felt free to openly smirk, criticize, look at me like I'd gone crazy, etc. just because of my diet. This is the part that always fascinated me when Dan became vegetarian. Many people with meat-oriented diets became angry or self-defensive. It's just FOOD!
• I'm getting good at giving things up. I had a much more difficult time giving up alcohol (more about that later) than meat. I've never "craved" meat like ribs or steak, I hate seafood, and deli meats creep me out. Sure, I grew up on pot roast and potatoes, loved chicken, and enjoyed Thanksgiving turkey, but I was always a picky eater--which made the diet change less difficult for me than it could have been.
• I'm staying vegetarian. I haven't noticed any major health changes, but I am less stressed and more proud of myself as a vegetarian. After taking an Environment, Food, and Culture course at Marylhurst, I've always felt guilty eating things if I didn't know where they came from, how the animals were raised and slaughtered, and, simply, carrying around the knowledge that mainstream food culture of our country is detrimental to our health and nutrition, social and economic justice, and the environment. In addition to our vegetarian diets, Dan and I also strive to pay close attention to what is in all of the products we buy, where they are coming from, and their nutritional value.
  
• I do not judge people who eat meat. I don't think everyone in the world should or could be a vegetarian. My hope is that we could all pay a little more attention to our bodies, nutritional needs, and the overarching consequences of our appetites.

If you would like more information about understanding the connections between food, diet, environment, politics, and culture, I encourage you to read Food Politics, Diet for a Small Planet, Food Revolution, and/or Fast Food Nation.

Sea and Cake: Car Alarm

New Sea and Cake album out. If I'm lucky, maybe I can get Dan on here to give you a review. We bought vinyl, which came with a freebie download of the entire disc to burn a CD. I wanted to get it for Dan as soon as possible to allow time for him to familiarize himself with it before we see them live at the end of the month in Seattle. (Yea!) The concert is Dan's early christmas present. Two days later we'll see Over the Rhine in Portland (Yea!) as my early christmas present.

What Fall Looks Like

Update :: I found a few more photos.

[Our bedroom window and front yard.]

[One of Dan's properties.]

[Autumn Fishing]

[Ivy on the 5/405 in downtown Portland]

Introducing Blake Herzing

Blake is a new member of the Herzing family. He's a betta fish with puffy, kissy lips. He's also got a beautiful blend of colors going on: violet, gold, rose pink, electric blue, gray. For that characteristic, I named him Blake. He was my birthday gift from hubby this year, and he's settled in fairly well to his new environment. We gave him a super-huge bowl, distilled water that we change every week, rocks, and hearty fish pellets three times a day. He is situated in the living room, on top of our "computer center" (we converted our baking rack), next to several plants. When I look at him with my face close to the bowl, he saunters over and gets right up in front of me and makes eyes while puckering his lips. We are so in love with each other.

Voter

[Early this morning, before the butterflies overtook my stomach.]

Today is quite historic; we will either have an African-American President or a female Vice President. Wow. I'm very proud to be a part of it.

Halloween Party

[Mr. Dow & Mrs. Jones]

For all the photos from October 31, 2008, go here!

Baby Abigail Grace

Say hello to Abigail Grace, daughter of my second cousin, Chris, and his wife Meggan. She was born Thursday, October 30th, at 8:02 in the morning. She was 8 lbs., 2 oz., and 20.75 inches long!



Chris is adorable, too! I was born in October of 80, and he came along the next fall in 81. We spent many days together in our early childhood. I can't believe he's a dad now!!! I'm so happy for him and so proud of him! These photos make labor look like the best experience EVER. Just look at their joyful grins! Love and blessings to their new family....!