SoOh

I Love SoOh

2011-05-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I posted and I had previously alluded to a big change. Well, the big change is that I'm moving this blog to www.ilovesooh.com. I have a lot of things I'm going to be working on; the party planning business, restarting my etsy shop, making my new place a home and most importantly rediscovering Southern Ohio! And now you know that SoOh stands for the lovely area in which I grew up! In short, I felt like I needed to merge everything in one place. I'll still be posting on SoOh business related items and helpful party planning tips but it will also be a bit more personal and include other stuff I'm interested in; my shop, decor, film and nerdy stuff. So, I hope that anyone that has been following thus far will join me over at www.ilovesooh.com to get to know me and my new home in Southern Ohio.

Meet and Eat: Cinco De Mayo

2011-05-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO

I'm not going lie, I'm a bit disappointed google didn't take the opportunity to doodle this occasion but maybe doodling holidays is too trite at this point. I should really start getting back into the habit of posting gorgeous lush-looking photos to each post because I can imagine all the incredible mexican images you;ve seen elsewhere; hopefully courier will allow your imagination to bloom.

Some news; I'm actually about to set sail and move from my current HQ so I've been sort of preoccupied (as if you couldn't tell by the lack of postings...and images). As soon as I move I intend on announcing some big changes. This start-up blog has undergone a few changes already but reast assured this change will be a change to end all changes. Until then, I leave you with this...

Voice-over gold, amirite? Anyone else notice that they are coming back in trailers or is that just me? Oh and as far as meeting and eating, go find yourself a hole-in-the-wall Mexican place with so-so food and delicious frozen margaritas!

Partyquette: Mind and Matter

2011-05-04T09:57:00.000-07:00

So my laptop has been returned and it appears to be working smoothly. I've been hungrily back tracking through my google reader and I found a couple of very interesting finds that I wanted to share.

First, this article about misinformation. If you've ever worked in an office, you've probably gotten some spammy emails from a co-worker regarding some made-up "PSA". Pretty annoying. Well maybe you can "spam" this article to everyone in the office as a not so subtle hint hint. My next find was again on lifehacker. The article is about reclaiming your self-respect. I really enjoy the comment section on lifehacker so after skimming over the article I came to this comment:

Sounds like something Dr. Seuss once said: "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

I was ready and rearing to tweet this quote but the previous misinformation article must have subliminally guided me to search the quote on google and low-and-behold:

Misattributed

Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.

Bernard Baruch in response to a question by Igor Cassini as to how he handled the seating arrangements at his dinner parties, as quoted in Shake Well Before Using: A New Collection of Impressions and Anecdotes Mostly Humorous (1948) by Bennett Cerf, p. 249; the full response was "I never bother about that. Those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter." This anecdote is also quoted online at Chiasmus.com. It has also become part of a larger expression, which has been commonly attributed to Dr. Seuss, even in print, but without citation of a specific work: "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

The quote by Bernard Baruch (presidential adviser to FDR) is a great quote and he deserves credit. It is especially relevant here because it is about seating arrangements at a party. I tend to agree with Bernard; seating arrangement is not necessary. So let is be known

Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.

And if you want, you can apply the same thinking when trying to decide if you should speak your mind, show your emotions or dance on the dance floor.

Maintenance

2011-04-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

COMPUTER MAINTENANCE

I've been having major computer issues for the last few months and I will be sending my precious away to be fixed. I've decided in the interim that instead of scrambling to borrow a computer, I'm going on a computer hiatus. I don't have any fancy smartphone so for the next week I'll officially be without internet access and computer access in my personal life. I'll let you know how this experiment goes. Hopefully I'll get some pressing "real life" projects out of the way. I'll see you next week with some big news and a big reveal!

Partyquette

2011-04-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

I realized I have not talked about partyquette in awhile! Recently, I got my hands on a great collection of party do's and dont's from a wonderful House Beautiful article. House Beautiful might be my next subscription, it's choke full of of great home tips and other great tips like the ones I'm going to talk about. I thought it would be fun to highlight some of the comments and throw in my two cents.

"Don't try a new recipe at a party."

—Tricia Foley, designer/author

DISAGREE. I say go for it but my suggestion is try a a new side dish, hors d'oeuvre and/or recipe. The stakes are smaller. I'm not a "cook-a-fun-dish-everyday" girl so I don't have many dishes under my belt. I think a party is a great time to slip a new recipe in because honestly if the drinks are flowing and the tunes are pumping people aren't going to shame you for a "miss" recipe.

"Flowers are overused as centerpieces. Use seasonal fruit, a tureen, or an interesting sculptural centerpiece instead."

—Christopher Spitzmiller, ceramic designer

I thinking doing something outside the usual is always invigorating and intriguing. I also think edible centerpieces are fun and functional. Also keep in mind you could reuse some of your home decor to use as a centerpiece as well. And if you do decide to get something new, my only suggestion is to try to buy something you can later incorporate into your home.

"Don't use plastic."

—Jennifer Rubell, artist/writer

Another off base one. This one is pretty eye-roll inducing if you ask me. Also this is quite the bourgeois attitude that says there aren't respectable looking plastic wares that are appropriate for a party. I think clear hard plastic can fit subtly and "unoffensively" into any party. China does give you the opportunity to dress up the table a bit more than some of the limited selection of plastic-wares in the store but many parties do not require an air of lofty elegance.

"I discovered early on that the best parties involve a certain amount of serendipity. I try not to have everything done when the guests arrive so that people can pitch in and help in the kitchen. It's a great ice-breaker."

—Ruth Reichl, author/former editor, Gourmet magazine

I love this attitude because I think it lends itself to the host also enjoying the party. Try to relax and enjoy. I have the great fortune of having an awesome cooking partner that will handle most (if not all) of the food which is a huge part of the battle. Don't be too proud to ask someone who is better at a certain area to help whether it be with the food, decor, drinks, and/or invitations. And be sure to share the praise with that person. Sure it is great to get all the attention for throwing a great party but it's not nearly as great as being able to enjoy the party and your friends.

Thrift Tip

2011-04-18T16:38:00.000-07:00

SHOULD I BUY THIS?

As much as I love thrifting and buying items, I've learned to use some discretion when choosing what to buy. It’s not always easy and I’m sure all you avid shoppers out there know what I mean. Nonetheless, I have developed an arsenal of questions I always ask myself before I purchase an item.

What

What am I going to use it for?
Decor, Re-purposing, Gift etc?*

*Knowing the use determines what sort of quality you need

How

How long do I want to keep the item?
How often will I use it?

When

When will I use it?
When will I “fix” and/or re-purpose it?
Is it seasonal?

Why

Why do I need it? Is it one-of-a-kind?
Why is it useful?
Why am I purchase this item second-hand?

Where

Where am I going to place it? How visible will it be?

...

Do you have any questions you ask yourself before you buy a thrift store item?

At the Movies

2011-04-14T19:12:00.000-07:00

SUPPORT

YOUR LOCAL INDEPENDENT MOVIE THEATERS!

Tonight I went to the movin' picture show and saw a wonderful animated film by Bill Plympton (check out his blog) called "Idiots and Angels". I really enjoyed it and I reserve the right to withhold my critique...just go see it and judge for yourself. Where can you see it, hmmm? Well I saw it at my local independent movie theater so I encourage you to do the same. Each local independent movie theater is unique but if there is a independent film that you would like to see, I'm sure you can contact your local establishment and see if they can acquire it. This is one of the many reasons why local movie theaters are so awesome and because of this I wanted to take some time and give a shout out to a few great local theaters I've been too. Keep up the great work!

The Neon

Cinematheque

Cedar Lee

Outer Limits

2011-04-13T15:16:00.000-07:00

Amaryllis

Once, when I wandered in the woods alone,

An old man tottered up to me and said,

“Come, friend, and see the grave that I have made

For Amaryllis.” There was in the tone

Of his complaint such quaver and such moan

That I took pity on him and obeyed,

And long stood looking where his hands had laid

An ancient woman, shrunk to skin and bone.

Far out beyond the forest I could hear

The calling of loud progress, and the bold

Incessant scream of commerce ringing clear;

But though the trumpets of the world were glad,

It made me lonely and it made me sad

To think that Amaryllis had grown old.

~ Edwin Arlington Robinson

Ready...Set...Thrift!

2011-04-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

 Thrifting Research

I thought it was finally time to talk about one of my favorite things to do; thrifting! But before I dive in with any of my thrifting, I occasionally do a little reconnaissance. Of course some occasions are best left impromptu but I'm referring quality and efficiency. So here are a few things I do if my mission is to get in, get out with fantastic items.

ONLINE

{Websites}
I frequent Goodwill so I always check out the local websites for deals and/or events that are going on.

{Craigslist}
Craigslist (aka thrifting online) has an RSS feed so if you are looking for a particular item in a particular price range with an image, search for it in your location and then copy the link of the results and put it into the feed you use (I use googler reader). This way you will be able to see new listings that fit your criteria without going to the website and entering in your search. You could also bookmark the link.

LOCATION

I have the good fortune to be situated in the midwest and also be a hop and skip away from the south. And in my experience, different places are going to have different items indigenous and popular in that area. Also I've found the more south I've gone the cheaper things are especially if not situated near a big city.

CALENDAR

{Seasons}
Consider the timing of your visit. Certain seasons will have more of certain items. For the most part thrift stores, like Goodwill, set out stuff that represents the season but they also rely on people getting rid of items and I don't know about you but I am more likely to get rid of items that I'm not using from a different season. Here are some things you may find that are contrary to the current season:

Winter: gardening equipment
Spring: mason jars
Summer: school supplies
Fall: picnic baskets

{Holidays}
Remember that holidays also dictate the items that are set out. If I'm buying items for the holiday I always turn to thrifting. Cheap, Cheap, Cheap. You can't beat that for items that are used once a year and may end up right back where they came from. And just like regular retail stores, the items are even cheaper after the holiday. Side note: I'll start updating our SoOh Calendar to reflect what I see in the thrift stores, so check back.

And that's it...

If you do any research before you thrift, please share in the comments.

Question of the Day

2011-04-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

What hobbies do you do after work to relax?

Yesterday I missed the opportunity to blog because I attended a board game night and went dancing after with my Kuy Guy (aka my husband). The board games were quite rousing and I highly recommend adding Pandemic to any board game enthusiast's repertoire. The night of dancing was the best night of dancing I have ever been too. I know it's not everyone's choice of music but you may want to consider going to a Drum and Bass (techno) show sometime. I know what you are thinking but no, it was not like the movies where it's all crazy. For {1} I live in the Midwest, {2} it was a very small venue and {3} it was full of nerds. If you can find a small nerdy Midwest club playing UK style techno, it's great fun cause there is no pressure to dance well; none, zero zippo! Dancing and board games are two hobbies I find very stress relieving and relaxing but I can't always do them after work. In fact, most of the hobbies I end up doing sort of frustrate me. I set goals for my hobbies that frankly defeat the purpose of them being hobbies. So I'd love to learn some new hobbies to try out; what hobbies do you do after work to relax?

Addendum

I wanted to share a funny edit I had to do on one of my sentences "I set goals for my boobies that frankly defeat the purpose of them being hobbies" The proverbial Freudian slip, no?

Smooth(ie)

2011-03-31T17:44:00.000-07:00

I pulled a smooth move this week and created a fantastic smoothie. My Lemon Cantaloupe Berry Smoothie had a very fresh taste despite half the fruit being frozen and the yogurt being less than new. In fact the yogurt had an expiration date of December 2010! But it had never been open and when I did open it (this week), it was pleasantly fresh and delicious. Coincidentally, The Kitchn had an article about the validity of an expiration date and I was excited to share my experience. And now I'm excited to share my recipe...don't worry, it does not require aged yogurt.

Ingredients

Serving: 2-4 glasses

1 cup Frozen Mixed Berries

1 cup Fresh Cantaloupe

1 cup Vanilla Yogurt

1 cup Orange Juice

1 tbs of Lemon Curd

Prep

Halve the cantaloupe then cut or scoop a cup of melon out. Own (or borrow) a blender.

Directions

Add

Frozen Mixed Berries, Fresh cut-up Cantaloupe, Vanilla Yogurt, OJ, Lemon Curd

Blend

till smooth

Strength in Low Numbers

2011-03-30T18:13:00.000-07:00

TIPS FOR PARTIES WITH LESS THAN TEN GUESTS

I thought I would talk about a rampant misconception about parties which states that a party is only a party if there are double digit attendees. Any less and your event is called a dinner party, gathering, a hangout... basically it's called something that is lesser than the party it deserves to be called. Well, I'm here to debunk that and for those of you hesitant to call your event a party if you have less than 10 guests, I'm here to say hesitate no more! If you can have a party of two you can have a party of five, am I right? I kid, but seriously there are a few ways to have a rowdy and rousing party with less than 10 people.

Pump Up the Jams

I've had the unfortunate experience of attending several parties with no music. A big no-no especially if there are less than 10 folks in the room. With a small group, a lot of conversation gets crossed and shared throughout the evening. More often than not, you'll find all the people sitting closely together listening to one conversation and as soon as that conversation tapers off the inevitable sound of transitional silence falls upon the party. And sweet lady music should be playing to fill the void.

{Recommendation} Have the music playing just loud enough to force guests to raise their voices slightly, play something beyond radio hits, nostalgic tunes are a safe bet and if you don't have time to create a playlist, use several movie soundtracks. Sidenote: my personal goal is to have the night end in dancing.

Put Guests to Work

This probably seems rude to have your guests work to plan the party you are hosting but if you give small tasks to a couple of guests it gives them stake in the party which gives them a small sense of pride when you start partying. It also gives you the opportunity to gush over their participation. Who doesn't like to be gushed over!

{Recommendation} Have them help with a dessert, party decor, the playlist; stay away from having them do things that people can't see or compliment, i.e. heavy lifting.

Food, Food and More Food

Do not skimp on the food. I repeat do NOT skimp on the food. A huge spread screams party and for those guests who may have written your "party" off because of the low numbers, a large amount and assortment of food will make their party sense tingle. Also you will be surprised at how often people will go back and nibble all throughout the night.

{Recommendation} Keep the food in a separate area away from the hang-out area; guests should have to get up and travel to get it, which will keep people active and moving.

Group Games

A single digit guest count gives you the opportunity to play games. Games force people to participate, converse with each other and let their guard down. It is also a great time for people to relax, snack and have a couple drinks. I've been to parties where it seems like it's all about meeting new people and getting to know people. With such a small group, there's a good chance that most of the guests know each other or, at the very least, know of each other. So a game takes the "getting to know you" pressure off and lets people unwind and get absorbed by the fun.

{Recommendation} Choose games in which teams can be formed and that are easy to explain. Taboo and Guesstures are good group games. I discourage games like Mafia, Apples to Apples, Video games. These games require no teams, no movement and specific taste (I'm looking at you video games).

...

In short...send out your invites, hype the event and call it a party. Don't inform the guests that it's "no big deal" or tell them it's just "a small thing". It's a big thing, it's your party and you'll ~~cry~~ have under 10 people if you want to!

Guest Post: Nidhi's Deconstructing

2011-03-28T16:02:00.000-07:00

Hi, I’m Nidhi and I blog over at nidhizzle.com about crafts, food, and traveling. Bethany from SoOh came over last night with a bunch of her old clothes that she wanted to make something “avant garde”ish. She also brought a black sweater that she ended up loving too much to give away and took it back home and put it back in her closet.

A fabulous item in her closet that she decided to bring over was a pair of 90s wash jeans (ew) (how could these every been popular?) (do you think we will look on dark wash jeans and call them ew in the future?). We struggled to find a good use for them – the wash is pretty terrible.

She ended up leaving them at my place after cutting off the belt of the jeans, and I decided to create a necklace after being inspired by this neck accessory.

I cut the denim into strips and created rosettes by twisting them up in a circle then securing them with a needle and thread. I then sewed them up into an Olympic ring pattern. Denim frays like crazy after you cut it. I wonder if this will evolve into a very hairy denim necklace due to all the fraying...

In my jewelry box, I had an old choker from Claire’s from high school, probably. I hope chokers never come back in fashion. I decided to splice these two pieces.

I cut the ribbon in half to sew to the rosette pattern, and sewed the pendant of the choker to the rosettes.

I love this around my neck – it’s a little piece of wearable art. It’s got flowers and sparkles, what else could a girl need? Also, my hair looks very fetching in this picture.

Thanks for reading!

Updated Schedule

2011-03-27T15:16:00.000-07:00

Alright here it is! The new and improved schedule:

{Mo} Gadgets, Gizmos and Gifts - we always keep our eye out for cool stuff and we love to share our finds

~ or ~

{Mo} Thrift Tip - thrifting gives us the opportunity to find unique items and flex our repurposing muscles. We'll share our tips and highlight some of our finds

{We} Outer Limits - outdoor photos and fun. Bethany is a fledging amateur photographer and will send a free postcard of any of her OL photos to those who {1} comment about the image on our blog {2} follow the blog (if you don't use gmail don't worry about it) {3} tweet "check out @soohtweet and their blog http://bit.ly/dFvJLZ" {4} follow our twitter and {5} email us your mailing address

~or~

{We} Partyquette - our party philosophies

{Th} Meet and Eat - Meeting and eating are our favorite things to do so we highlight recipes and great places to eat

And a special note, I will be featuring my Deconstructing guest blog post at Nidhizzle.com and Nidhi will be guest posting her deconstructed creation here!

Psy-Psyduck

2011-03-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

It has been about four weeks since the blogs launch and I've been dutiful trying to stay on course. Having a schedule has been both a blessing and a burden for me. It's great having a foundation of what to write but sometimes I am scrambling to stay on topic as I prepare these posts daily. Basically, I'm psyduck-ing it. I really want to keep the blog going daily but I think in these next couple weeks I need to restructure it. So tomorrow, I'll be unveiling a new and improved schedule. Hopefully with the new adjustment I can keep consistent, keep on topic and keep it interesting so you all will keep reading!

Deconstructing

2011-03-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

I'm delighted to announce that I will be guest blogging at M emoirs of the Graduate at nidhizzle.com (the blog formerly known as engineeringsocialte.blogspot.com). Nidhizzle, aka Nidhi, is a great friend of mine that also shares a great love of craft, thrift and all sorts of creative pursuits. I won't keep you in too much suspense and I'll tell you what I will be blogging about...Deconstructing! That's my hip buzz word for taking old (often outdated) clothing and turning them into haute-couture-avant-garde-fashion-forward garb. Nidhi and I will be cutting stripping, shredding, weaving, sewing, trimming, folding, (buy it, use it, fix it...song that is playing in my head while I write this) all types of clothing to create our pieces of art. Our homework for this week is to gather a ton of our old clothes and find inspiring images. Of course I turned to etsy! Here are some inspirational haute couture finds:

We will be "deconstructing" this week, so stay tuned for the guest post!

{circles top-down: naKiMuli Inc, Pookqueen, Plastique}

Morgue File

2011-03-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to pretend like I didn't blog last Friday. I'm just going to come out and apologize. Friday rolled around and I found myself just plum out of material. Also, I wasn't in the photo taking mood or the photo editing mood or the putting the photo in a circle mood. Has anyone else been at a loss to write something because they didn't have the perfect photo to go along with their ramblings? And using someones else's photo is quite an ethical pickle (IT Crowd reference ftw!). Netiquette dictates you site your reference and if the image is copyrighted there is a whole heap of law involved requiring you to ask for permission and crediting. So how does one find sharp images without having to feel psyduck about the situation? I recommend Morgue Files. It's a public image archive where you are free to adapt the work, use this work for commercial purposes, and use without attributing the original author. And in teh spirit of community you can let them know if you used the photo by emailing them. Not bad huh? I've used a couple of the photos for presentations at work and they were a smashing success. If you know of any other great photo resources, please share in the comments.

Take a break from St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-17T16:32:00.000-07:00

I feel like I've been celebrating St. Patrick's Day for weeks now! During my party I used The Smiths as a segue out the Irish stuff and right now I need a segue out of talking or thinking about St. Paddy's Day. So please enjoy The Smiths, they are not Irish and I'm not going to pretend to be cool and say that I've always liked/known them. I heard this song during the Extras Christmas Special. So now you know. I'm totally not in the scene.

Clover Card

2011-03-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

You may recognize this photo if you read my last post about my St. Patrick’s Day Party. This is a photo of my Iron Cross plant. It looks similar to a clover, no? I did some research and unlike its clover doppelgänger it can bloom tiny flowers of all different colors. That is a total bonus in my book! As long as I neglect it, it should thrive well with the rest of my houseplants.

As you may know or not know, the “Outer Limits” section is dedicated to outside adventures and photography. I’ve also decided as a motivator for me to take good pics and promote the biz, I’m offering postcards to whomever does all 5 of these things:

{1} comment about the image on our blog
{2} follow the blog (if you don’t use gmail don’t worry about it)
{3} tweet “check out @soohtweet and their blog http://bit.ly/dFvJLZ”
{4} follow our twitter and
{5} email us your mailing address

I’m really excited to delve into my photography and it would encourage me to get better knowing people actually want prints of my photos. Also, it is a great opportunity for SoOh to get some exposure and a great way for you to get a postcard for no money. I think there are a lot of win-wins going on here but let me know if I can sweeten the deal for you. Feedback is always welcome!

St Patrick's Day Party Planning

2011-03-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

I’m triumphantly typing at my keyboard as I write this blog post because my St. Patrick’s Day party was a wonderful success! It was a very small gathering of close friends (7 to be exact) but that didn’t mean I passed up the opportunity to go all out on the decor, music, food and drinks. I’m going to give you a quick breakdown of my party and then I’m going to share my very special offer! {But, in case you don’t make it all the way through, you can check out my special offer here}

First let me share my philosophy on planning parties. My whole goal is to try to reuse and repurpose as much as I can. I really enjoy thrifting and I often buy items that I use in my home decor but I also can reuse them as apart of my party decorating. I repurpose them with simple and temporary additions when needed. And with that said...

Decor

I currently live in a 1928 tudor style home. I had two large areas I was going to stage the party in. The first area is a dining room with lovely large dark wood framed window and cabinet inserts. This area was perfect to stage the food and bar and lent itself well to my pub/tavern feel. The second area was my living room which is very long room. My couch/chairs and entertainment (TV, PS3, sound system etc) are located near the fireplace on one end. And there is a desk that sits in a nook area on the other end. In between is a large empty space that I like to refer to as...the dance floor. The scene is set so let the list begin!

{Dining Room}

Pom-Poms and Yarn banner
{reuse} pom-poms made with coffee filters

Irish Coffee Mug Center pieces
{thrift} bought at Goodwill
{repurpose} the mugs were stuffed with fake moss

Cooper Mugs with Gold coins
{reuse} thrift store decor I already owned
{repurpose} with chocolate coins

Mason Jar Vodka Infusion Jars
you can recreate this look with food coloring and water or if you want to make to try making vodka infusions which is very fun check it out here}

Glass Gravy boat as Pot of Gold
{thrift} Goodwill :)
{repurpose} with gold coins

"Kiss Me I'm Irish" Craft Paper Shamrock

{Living room}

Construction Paper Irish Flag banner with coffee filters
I decided to skip the triangle bunting since it’s been so...how shall I’ll say... over used

Orange Items
{thrift} Orange Kettle Pot
{reuse} Paper from plant store

Green Bottles
{thrift}

Pom-Poms and Yarn banner

Iron Cross (Clover Plant)

Food

{Appetizers}

Vegetable Plate Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots, Cabbage
Shamrock green Peppers
Almonds, Peanuts, Walnuts, Cranberries
Sauerkraut Balls

{Main Course}

Corned Beef and Cabbage
Vegetarian Shepard’s Pie
Colcannon

{Dessert}

Fudge with Mint shamrocks
Mint Ice cream with Bailey’s

{Drink}

Guinness
Jameson
Bailey’s
Irish Coffee
Vodka Infusions + Juice

Music

{Irish Starter}

Dubliners
The Pogues

{Segue}

The Smiths
Phoenix

{Techno Finish}

La roux
Rihanna (remixes)
Lady Gaga (remixes)
Kesha (remixes) (I refuse to write a dollar sign instead of an ’s’)
Kelis

Games

Guesstures

And now for the special offer...I am selling my crafted decorations on etsy! I know this is a bit short notice but rest assured that I could have it out to you by St Patrick’s day if you order right now (shameless or shamrockless plug)! It could also be ordered for next year. Part of what makes our parties “oh so simple” is that we try to create beautiful crafts out of ordinary inexpensive house items (i.e. coffee filters). I really enjoyed crafting these decroations and I like to imagine they can be reused. Keep checking back at our shop for more of our crafted decor!

Nook Color

2011-03-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

I just got a Nook Color for my Mom and before giving it to her I gave it a test drive and let me tell you...it is amazing! There are some interesting guides out there that are well worth the look to learning how to use your Nook Color. Although, I must say that If you are strictly looking for the best e-reader, stick with a kindle for one reason; e-ink, it’s way easier on the eyes. But if you are looking for something you can browse on like a tablet (I’m talking iPad quality tablet using Android technology), this is the device you’ve been looking for and at $250 the price is right. Do some researching online and you will find a plethora of information for getting the most out of this device. Also keep your eyes out on Slick Deals for a $200 deal.

And if you have been following thus far, I did have my St. Paddy’s Party and it was awesome! Thank-you for remembering. I will have more details tomorrow and a special offer, so stay tuned.

Meeting and Eating: Snowed In

2011-03-11T15:40:00.000-08:00

That's my dog Bear above...well actually it's not technically my dog; he's my Mom's dog. And isn't he adorable! Sadly though, his "sad puppy-dog" expression sums up how I feel at the moment. I would love to do some "meeting and eating" as this section suggests I would be doing but right now I'm snowed in. So what's a girl to do living through a snowpocalypse if she wants to meet and eat? If you've been reading my posts you'll definitely see an emerging pattern...lists! I love lists and today is a perfect day to create a list of "Alternatives to meeting and eating when you are snowed in"...

Watch a Movie/Try a new recipe

I recommend watching something that makes you feel apart of the movie for instance; movies that visit the same places over and over again i.e Forgetting Sarah Marshall or Groundhog Day, movies that have memorable characters with some depth; Cyrus, movies that feature a neighborhood with eccentric characters; George Washington. For me all of these movies make me feel apart of it and makes me feel like I'm meeting new friends...urm, that I can't really hang out with.

This is also a great time to try a new recipe you've never tried before. There’s no pressure to impress guests so you can get creative and bold. And if you don't have all the right ingredients, don't bother braving the elements just take out everything you have and google search the ingredients or you could try Super Cook. {tip} I just googled cobb salad and in the left sidebar there was a list of ingredients, cook times and calories. It gives the options of selecting ingredients and it will edit your search for websites that share the similar ingredients and the corresponding recipe...google you cease to amaze me!

Watch a TV Series/Have a Sandwich

I really enjoy watching full television series over a couple days; it’s so satisfying. I usually use Netflix but you can try Hulu or Youtube. Lately it's been all British shows for me; Peep Show, IT Crowd and The Mitchell and Webb Look. They aren't storyline shows so instead you really get to know the characters. As I watch each episode, they become less of acquaintances and more like your weird distant relatives that everyone talks about but you rarely see in person.

So, why a sandwich? Well, a sandwich won't get cold if you aren’t eating it because you are laughing/enjoying the show and eating a sandwich with some mates is a tradition as old as time.

Comment on blogs & forums/Have a "Kitchen Sink" Salad

You can meet all sorts of people online and no better place to do that than on a blog or in a forum. Here are some of my favorites Designers Talk, Gawker, Lifehacker, and Etsy. Blogs related to your interests are an obvious place to comment. Newbie bloggers like me loooove comments, so please comment away (hint, hint). A good place to find blogs you are interested in are on google reader. They call it "magic" how they recommend blogs for you but I think it's based on browsing history so if you have a google account, good chance they'll know what you like...a little bit creepy but very effective. Just be sure to go to the actual blog to comment. Blog feeds are great but you can't comment from there and you don't give the site any hits.

A "Kitchen Sink" salad compliments the varied blogs and forums you may comment on because it’s made of varied ingredients...yea, I’m reaching but still sort of connects. "Kitchen Sink” just means grab whatever you have in your fridge and cupboard (or you lucky folks with pantries) and make a salad of it.

Call a Friend/Have some soup

It's always nice to catch up with a friend, so give them a call and see if they have time to have a long chat. Get reacquainted with their life, what their doing, current interests, etc.

The best food to pair with a call is soup because it can be eaten quickly and silently in between pauses.

Play Online Games and Chat/Have Sushi

One of my personal favorites is playing a rousing online game and chatting with some nerds. I'm a board game geek for sure and whether it's a RL (real life) party or online party, I like to play board games. So I go to Aso Brain Games where I can play games similar to Carcassonne and Settlers of Catan. And a great feature of most of these sort of online games is the side chat. Granted, you aren't going to get too much talk other than about the game, it's still fun to have some light conversation and play a competitive game.

The best food to eat during online gaming is stuff you don't have to touch with your hands and won't fall all over your keyboard; my recommendation is sushi. It is tight, compact and not messy. Lifehacker has an article here about foods safe to eat near your computer.

Watch the News or Public Access Channel/Have a frozen dinner

This can be a sobering experience because so much of the news is a bummer (understatement) but every dark cloud has it's silver lining. The news will highlight some of the quirky stuff going on locally and if you are very lucky you will see some hilarious news bloopers. Your public access channel is a concentrated channel of localness. Most of the people creating shows for public access aren't your everyday citizens so it may not be completely representative of the area but I bet you could tell a midwest public access channel from a east coast one.

I can't think of a more appropriate meal than the ubiquitous television cuisine; a frozen dinner. I still try to go light and eat a Lean Cuisine but if you are really brave and want to be "authentic" try a Hungry Man.

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Wow, that was quite the list...I hope it may provide you all with snowed-in alternatives to meeting and eating!

Off track, On track

2011-03-10T16:47:00.000-08:00

It is the first official week of blogging daily and I’m already deviating from the schedule...but I have news! Good news, great news! This weekend I’ll be hosting a St. Paddy’s Party for a few close friends and I'm busy getting ready for it. I’ll post photos of our celtic cheer next week but until then I’ll share a few of my design inspirations for this party:

Copper
Yarn
Irish Coffee Mugs

And you can find all my inspirations at your local thrift store or etsy:

{circles top-down: Tipsy Time Machine, Mid Mod Vintage, Fiber Art}

{Tip}
I stumbled upon a great tip while planning for this party. If you want to get rid of wrinkles in a tablecloth, toss the tablecloth in the dryer on low heat; you do not need to wash it first. Leave it in for ten minutes and presto, wrinkle free tablecloth! This might not be a new trick but it’s always nice to be reminded.

Green (In) House

2011-03-09T14:37:00.000-08:00

Rainy March weather doesn’t exactly give me many opportunities to capture lovely landscapes outside. So instead, I thought I’d share a snap shot of one of my indoor house plants. It may not sound exciting but growing indoor plants has been quite the challenging and competitive indoor sport. It was seriously hard maintaining indoor plants. First off I made the biggest noob mistake by over-watering. Many a plant were lost at sea because of my “let the cup runneth over” mentality when it came to watering. And the weird part is that most of the plants dried up because of the over watering. I found that very interesting...but not interesting enough to look up and put it here. And despite not researching why the plants respond poorly to certain actions I can still give you all some first-hand tips I learned. Hopefully these will help your green thumbs down turn into a green thumbs up:

Wait till they wilt - the plants will tell you know when they need water, till then do not water it when it looks perky and fine
Have good drainage - if you are going to water from the top make sure it is draining into something where the roots wont sit in water; i.e rocks. Or you could place it in a container that will catch the water but be sure to pour out excess water.
Water from the bottom - my rule has been plants that are less hearty (my definition is one that wilts after a week of no water) receive water well from the bottom...My heartier plants I water from the top; I consider my Amaryllis, Ivy, and my terrarium plants all to be hearty; the not so hearty are the Primroses, Lilies (don’t even know if I can grow these indoors but I love them, thanks Nidhi!)
Let the light shine - I have the hardest time with this because I don’t get the greatest of light (see next tip) but try try try to get your plant some sunshine. It may involve moving them around at certain times of the day but they should get at least, in my experience, 2-4 hours of light. Some plants actually need direct sunlight, like succulents, but I don’t mess with those since I'm form the midwest. If you are from the midwest and grow succulents successfully please write your tips in the comments, I’d love to know them.
Rehab your plants - I was having a hard time with the above African Violet and even though its little cup isn’t runneth-ing over with blossoms, it was saved because of the wonderful fluorescent lights at my work. Fun fact; fluroscent lights are used as grow lights for plants. And that’s probably why plants in store do so darn well. So if your plant isn’t getting enough light and is looking lame, take it to work and let it bask in the glorious fluorescent glow of your office or cubical.
Don’t give up! - I’m embarrassed and saddened to tell you all I’ve killed at least 5-7 plants. And I was sick of the waste (and heartache) when I finally realized that plants need what's called “considered neglect”. I got that phrase from the charming southern woman at my work...can’t you just hear a honey sounding southern accent say that. It means that plants need you to NOT dote on them and doting usually entails over-watering. Just ignore the plants and believe me, after a week or so you will see all this new growth which is quite thrilling.

So to summarize; drainage, sunlight, and an easy hand at the watering and you will be an indoor plant extraordinaire. Please comment your tips as a noobie (or professional) indoor plant grower.

Owls are dead

2011-03-08T15:12:00.000-08:00

I know this is the “Thrift Tip” section and I have barely begun to flesh this section out but I’m feeling a bit feisty today. Im feeling feisty about owls. Not the bird owl but the juggernaut hipster trend it’s image has become. It is a branch of the “put a bird on it” cult that usually features a swallow?...parakeet? whatever type that’s not an owl, eagle or turkey. Maybe talking abut owls being a tired trend has become a trend in and of itself and I’m now part of the meta-trend cult. Or maybe even worse, I’m talking about something that is no longer a trend and I’m appearing horribly out of touch! Oh well...enough with the owls already.

I’m going to do everyone a favor and suggest the new trend...Cthulhu. This might also be trending among the nerd ranks (hipsters are not nerds!) but let’s bring it to the masses (hipsters). I think Cthulhu is a welcome throwback to the kraken/squid/octopus trend of 2003 (I’m making that up) and reminiscent of the early 80’s fantasy vibe.

So in short...Look away! For the love of owls, do not look into the owls eyes!

{top-down: Elmine Knight, Photographers Direct (2), meme made by me}

Also, Happy Mardi Gras!

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