tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21576222356570108562024-03-08T03:04:59.152-08:00Stitching in CirclesA personal, fairly domestic blogMDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-86406688420033661412014-03-05T11:58:00.002-08:002014-03-05T11:58:57.689-08:00My tiny home decorating corner<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In the corner of our livingroom, I've placed my great-uncle's travelling trunk from his days in the coast guard. It had been consigned to my parents' basement for decades -- I didn't even know it was there. Originally, I intended to use it as a coffee table, but it was too big and blocky. We decided to get something more delicate so that we could see the cowhide rug. We moved it to the corner, where it has provided extra storage space (needed in our 500 square foot apartment), and one of the few flat, open spaces in our home. Currently living on the trunk are a shiny gold vintage lamp (a graduation gift from me to my husband when he finished his Ph.D.), a gold painted bowl from bali, some old books, an antler I found near my family's house, and our record player. Sometimes the record player also hosts a cat, though we strongly discourage this!<br />
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After a friend's wedding, we were given six of her leftover milk glass vases, and I have loved clustering these with fresh flowers on the trunk to give that dark corner a bit of color. I first arranged flowers as a hostess in a very nice restaurant outside Boston and loved the challenge of balancing color, structure, and height.<br />
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Flowers live so briefly I have been photographing them and then editing them on instagram. I love to share the little bit of seasonality we get here in Northern California.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-By9RYYoAL9o/Uxd4eCaKTVI/AAAAAAAADAI/5WMtfh4DDT0/s1600/2013-02-10_1360484653.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="cat on a record player with flowers" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-By9RYYoAL9o/Uxd4eCaKTVI/AAAAAAAADAI/5WMtfh4DDT0/s1600/2013-02-10_1360484653.jpg" height="320" title="hipster cat on a record player with flowers" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zelda the cat, posing insouciantly with billy balls.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QkGTQaqGF8k/Uxd4nzq68iI/AAAAAAAADAQ/hbwzNxR_LQY/s1600/2013-03-12_1363123222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="daffodils, calla lilies, narcissus, fennel, ceanothus, ferns, lavender " border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QkGTQaqGF8k/Uxd4nzq68iI/AAAAAAAADAQ/hbwzNxR_LQY/s1600/2013-03-12_1363123222.jpg" height="320" title="instagram spring flowers" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">spring flowers (daffodils, calla lilies, narcissus, fennel, ceanothus, ferns, lavender ) I collected in our neighborhood<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j1S9qK9dzJ0/Uxd4202GLYI/AAAAAAAADAY/LOfkbEmzhrM/s1600/2013-08-21_1377046190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="flowers lamp record player" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j1S9qK9dzJ0/Uxd4202GLYI/AAAAAAAADAY/LOfkbEmzhrM/s1600/2013-08-21_1377046190.jpg" height="320" title="purple and orange flowers and a record player" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I bought a bunch of green wheat in late fall, and the brilliant local florist suggested flax, thistle, and eucalyptus to go with it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">early spring bouquet of irises, tulips, and greens.</td></tr>
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MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-41051119388857487972013-10-16T02:19:00.003-07:002013-11-11T01:51:44.204-08:00Early Autumn Canning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bolinas blackberry jam</td></tr>
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I have never canned before, and I'm not sure you could say I've even canned now, even though I helped make all those jars of jam. <br />
<a name='more'></a>I watched <a href="http://www.marinorganic.org/producers/producers_creekside.html" target="_blank">an expert farm-wife and maker-of-things</a> stir, taste, and test the cooking blackberries, and asked her a lot of questions, and I screwed lids on. Vital, I tell you, to the operation! It was a group effort, with my mom and her three friends doing most of the work (after my mother had collected ten pounds of blackberries by hand from roadsides and secret caches). But broken down, one person stirred, another poured, another cleaned lids, and another placed the closed jars of jam in the water bath. It is going to be delicious -- just juice and tart skin with a bit of sugar (not too much!), some lemon juice to help preserve the fruit, and some activated pectin.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The jam cooking on the left; frozen berries about to go on the stove on the right.</td></tr>
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But the final product sure looks pretty, doesn't it? My next task is finding/making labels! I may well fall into the hole of etsy again. I do love a good pun, so <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/105061563/custom-spread-the-love-wedding-favor?ref=market" target="_blank">these</a> cards might be great. Or <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/152944853/90-custom-labels-with-vintage-decorative?ref=sr_gallery_11&ga_search_query=jar+labels&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=ZZ&ga_search_type=all&ga_facet=jar+labels" target="_blank">these</a> straightforward labels? Or design my own (maybe)? </div>
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Just a few days after I helped can for the first time, I met the founder of <a href="http://www.punkdomestics.com/" target="_blank">Punk Domestics</a>, and he clarified some of my confusion about the risks and rewards of canning vegetables, rather than fruit (short version: the results of pickling veggies are tastier than those of heat or pressure canning, and safer too). I sense some adventures with mason jars in my future.</div>
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MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-47524259698115207472011-10-04T11:29:00.000-07:002013-11-11T01:53:18.016-08:00Things I Like Today<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A dose of pretty.<br />
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I am working with PDK to decorate our new place, and he got us an awesome couch from <a href="http://www.shopattherapy.com/">Therapy</a> in San Francisco that is a minimalist modernist-inspired couch in grey. But we need something to make it pop! So I ordered throw pillows and covers, and the first just arrived!<br />
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TA-DAHHHHHHHHH!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">via <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/ModernMarvelousHome?ref=pr_shop_more">Modern Marvelous Home</a> on etsy</td></tr>
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I can't wait until my other pillows, in yellow-and-white and yellow-and-grey, get here. I hope they all look good together.<br />
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Other thing that is awesome: Look at these cool arty creations by <a href="http://www.jenkhoshbin.com/">Jennifer Khoshbin</a>. I found her at her Etsy shop <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/rubyslounge">Rubyslounge</a>, originally, but her own website features a lot more of her adventurous art than is featured just in her shop. Thank you, Jennifer, for letting me share your work with my readers!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">A work of art in the <a href="http://www.jenkhoshbin.com/manipulation">Manipulation</a> sequence</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jenkhoshbin.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/fish2.92100125_std.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://jenkhoshbin.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/fish2.92100125_std.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">A very fishy fellow. This sculpture is a <a href="http://www.jenkhoshbin.com/transform-_ation">Transform-ation</a>!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">These guys are killer. via <a href="http://www.jenkhoshbin.com/manipulation">jenkhoshbin.com</a></td></tr>
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MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-72856625573468994112011-10-03T11:33:00.000-07:002011-10-03T11:33:58.596-07:00General Catch-up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hello my dear friends,</div>
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I know I have been terribly absent. I taught intensive classes this summer, actually got something like a chapter of my dissertation done, and then moved house! I am back in my beloved Bay Area, in Berkeley, a wonderful, wonderful city, and still dissertating away, as well as applying for academic jobs this fall (to begin next fall).<br />
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I have reopened <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/StitchingInCircles?ref=pr_shop_more">my etsy shop</a>, and I made some cool new accessories this summer in a few new designs that I am excited to share soon!<br />
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I also was pleased to be asked by a good friend to make her a hair accessory for her wedding earlier this month. I was so flattered that she liked what I sell on etsy! It was my first custom made piece, which was a fun adventure -- we looked at some of my completed designs to find something that worked with her aesthetic and with what I had in stock. I even made her a little muslin "rough draft" so she and her hair-dresser could use that for the trial appointment. In the end, I trolled vintage and thrift stores until I found a great silk scarf with enough white to make a little flower, and then I almost wrecked the scarf by by washing it..... and almost wrecked the first flower I made by applying a stiffener that had worked great on cotton, but left marks on silk. Luckily, I had made a "back up" flower in case something happened to the first one. And my friend liked the second better anyways, thank goodness. She was a total bombshell at the wedding, and I loved how the little silk "flower" looked! Hopefully she'll send me a pic I can post.<br />
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If I had been charging her, that little flower would have easily cost her twice as much as I usually charge, considering the time and energy and materials. I can see why bridal items can seem to be so overpriced, but the care and energy that goes into pleasing one customer is a lot extra, it seems to me. I was glad to do it as a gesture of love for my friend, though.<br />
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I also was commissioned to do some freelance writing, which was a lot of fun, but also hard work.... I am not used to modifying my style for commercial writing, and I had to tone down my long sentences, tone down the purple prose, and just be much less flowery, generally. Still, it was good money and gave me some confidence that if this academia thing doesn't work out, there may be other ways in which to apply my skills.<br />
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This is a text heavy post, but tomorrow will be an image heavy one, so forgive me in the meantime :)<br />
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MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-71580626569445727892011-09-28T13:21:00.000-07:002011-09-28T23:11:25.600-07:00Dia de los Muertos Decorations<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm excited about Halloween, and I want to put a cool spin on it this year with some awesome Dia de los Muertos skulls!
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How do you like your sugar skulls ...<br />
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Black and White?
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[<b>Edit</b>: My black and white skulls treasury was featured on the <a href="http://www.etsytreasuryhunter.com/2011/09/skulls-and-bones.html">Etsy Treasury Hunter</a> today!]</div>
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Or Full of Color?
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MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-83068557304345603832011-07-25T00:25:00.000-07:002011-07-25T00:26:36.089-07:00Stitching in Circles featured at Heart Handmade<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Mandie of Heart Handmade sweetly featured the upcycled accessories I sell in <a href="http://stitchingincircles.etsy.com/">my etsy shop</a> on her blog! I am so flattered.<br />
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Check out the profile and feature! <a href="http://www.hearthandmadeblog.com/upcycled-soft-and-flirtatious-accessories/">StitchinginCircles on HeartHandmadeBlog</a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #454545; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.hearthandmadeblog.com/upcycled-soft-and-flirtatious-accessories/"><img border="0" height="125" src="http://www.hearthandmadeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/hearthandmadeblog-featured-badge-125x125.png" title="Heart Handmade Craft Blog" width="125" /></a></span></div>
MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-20161387589585498302011-05-22T20:55:00.000-07:002011-05-23T19:03:12.724-07:00Dissertating<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I am deep in my dissertation work right now, with deadlines looming, and I have to plan 2 summer classes that are both starting in a month, so I am taking a break from Etsying and Blogging for the near future. But it is only temporary!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.businesspundit.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/womenatwork.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="http://www.businesspundit.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/womenatwork.jpg" width="434" /></a></div><br />
</div>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-30912049505548326722011-04-25T22:00:00.000-07:002011-04-25T22:00:06.193-07:00Santa Barbara Skies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I've been taking lots of pictures over the last few months, and I thought I would share some of the gorgeous skies we've had in Santa Barbara recently.<br />
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I took these pictures on a warm and clear Friday morning when I was walking some Etsy deliveries down to the post office last week. I love the way the clouds slumber on top of the ridge of the Santa Ynez mountains just north of town. I wish I could capture on camera their simultaneous solidity and ethereality.<br />
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On my way back from the postoffice, I stopped by <a href="http://www.renaudsbakery.com/">Renaud's Patisserie and Bakery</a> and picked up some gorgeous croissants for breakfast: pain au chocolate and one covered in almonds.<br />
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A few days later I was walking home and I didn't have my camera with me, but I just grabbed my phone to try to capture some similar clouds piling up on the corner of the ridge, behind the tower of a giant old movie palace called the Arlington Theatre.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/M_ND-NKgI81ByFKrDBfeAmW-ksZlRNqhaRlfX-A9i0I?feat=embedwebsite" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="306" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_kDIb6Vmg6bw/TbYOOIy3vtI/AAAAAAAAAXk/fcj19cFqDdo/s400/sbmorn%20%281%29.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qXOgyp--NpQFrwuIfYOA12W-ksZlRNqhaRlfX-A9i0I?feat=embedwebsite" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img height="306" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_kDIb6Vmg6bw/TbYOOMG2L-I/AAAAAAAAAXs/d-JBlgOenOI/s400/sbmorn%20%282%29.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></div>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-28925533622133019072011-04-22T19:32:00.001-07:002011-04-23T14:23:12.477-07:00Rockabilly Street style<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'><a href='http://www.polyvore.com/rockabilly_street_style/set?id=30721134'><img alt='Rockabilly Street style' title='Rockabilly Street style' height='500' width='500' src='http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-set/BQcDAAAAAwoDanBnAAAABC5vdXQKFmVvRkk5MUZ0NEJHbGJzaUd4c0kwOGcAAAACaWQKAWUAAAAEc2l6ZQ.jpg'/></a><br />
<small><a href='http://www.polyvore.com/rockabilly_street_style/set?id=30721134'>Rockabilly Street style</a> by <a href='http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/profile?id=2299959'>Tina S</a> featuring a <a href='http://www.polyvore.com/cropped_jacket/shop?query=cropped+jacket'>cropped jacket</a></small><p>Saw a gorgeous woman with dyed white hair and a style all her own in a black Rosie the Riveter kerchief, cigarette pants, and the cutest polkadot espadrilles on the street today. I didn't take her picture, but I tried to reconstruct her outfit as best as I could here!</p></div>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-47189721922011347772011-04-21T20:30:00.000-07:002011-04-21T20:34:01.527-07:00Music for a Busy DayIt's been a busy week, in a good way! Seeing friends, family, doing lots of real work... but it has meant that I have had to neglect all my little side projects. But I do have a plan for some fun posts after I battle my way through this pile of grad school work!<br />
<br />
I actually got my dragging body out of bed at 6:30 AM today to continue my project this week of organizing an interdisciplinary conference with grad students from all over California. I hope to have the vast majority of emails that need to be sent out of my drafts file and into my outbox by the end of the day. I managed to get to a yoga class in the morning, and then in the afternoon went to a discussion by a bunch of Santa Barbara writers about their perspectives on writing about place, which was nice for a change of pace. I don't go to half the writing- and art-oriented events that I want to in this town. Now I am home, but the day is far from over!<br />
<br />
So, my soundtrack for a busy Santa Barbara day:<br />
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<img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://c.gigcount.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEzMDM*NDMyMTg2NTgmcHQ9MTMwMzQ*MzIyNDczNCZwPTE4MDMxJmQ9Jmc9MSZvPWI*YTI*YTE1NzQ3NTQ4YTA5NDk4/NTAyZmMwNzRmMTUz.gif" /><embed src="http://assets.mixpod.com/swf/mp3/mixpod.swf?myid=80456462&path=2011/04/21" quality="high" wmode="window" bgcolor="f7f7f7" flashvars="mycolor=f7f7f7&mycolor2=7cb2cf&mycolor3=2E3A63&autoplay=false&rand=0&f=4&vol=95&pat=0&grad=false" width="410" height="311" name="myflashfetish" salign="TL" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" border="0" style="visibility:visible;width:410px;height:311px;" /><br>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-88331789802976019802011-04-15T15:33:00.000-07:002011-04-15T15:33:11.010-07:00Etsy News<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Just the headlines!<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I am delighted to announce that the giveaway I participated in at <a href="http://fantabulouslyfrugal.com/2011/04/etsy-monday-giveaway-stitching-in-circles/">Fantabulously Frugal</a> has been won by Terecille of New Jersey -- Congratulations Terecille! Her bobby pins went out in the mail earlier this week.</li>
</ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>new bobby pins are in my shop! </li>
</ul><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.236008547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.236008547.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I sold three items this week -- what a rush! One to a friend, and two to a lovely woman I have not met who runs a letterpress company and makes gorgeous things. In fact, she heard about me solely because I left several very enthusiastic comments on the giveaway she is running right now: $50 in letterpress products or in a gift certificate to Apple, MyFonts.com, or Amazon: go check out <a href="http://blog.dingbatpress.com/giveaway/its-my-500th-post/">Dingbat Press's blog</a>! So there has been lots of packaging and careful final finishing of my little fabric creations before I send them out into the wide world. And another friend, Megan, who modelled <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/68288405/pair-bobby-pins-black-white-and-blue">these bobby pins</a> and <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/68288006/collage-lapel-pin-cotton-and-silk-pink">this collage pin</a>, is loving the bobby pin set I gave her as a thank you, and is going to buy more!</li>
</ul><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"></div><a name='more'></a><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I have also been recently chosen by Taylor Lynne of the blog<a href="http://dreamsoffae.blogspot.com/"> Dreams of Fae</a> to be her <a href="http://dreamsoffae.blogspot.com/2011/04/forestfaery-feature-stitchingincircles.html">featured etsy seller this week</a> -- sorry I have been so belated in spreading the word, Taylor! She was so kind to ask me, and she has also featured some <a href="http://dreamsoffae.blogspot.com/p/forestfaery-feature-archive.html">wonderful other artists</a>, and she has her own thoughtful, delicate nature photography on her blog as well. She is <a href="http://dreamsoffae.blogspot.com/p/forestfaery-super-spring-giveaway.html">giving away</a> one of her pieces to a lucky winner, and her giveaway ends on April 22!</li>
</ul><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Last thing to say about etsy is that I have had a lot of fun making treasuries this week -- too much fun! Which is your favorite? Comment and let me know!</li>
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<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you click on the pictures, you can even read the titles</span></i></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OuhDk_P0hW0/TaOQFuRKvYI/AAAAAAAAAWc/5YWhbHK01e8/s1600/books121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OuhDk_P0hW0/TaOQFuRKvYI/AAAAAAAAAWc/5YWhbHK01e8/s400/books121.jpg" width="298" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Books in the hall (some of these are PDK's and Ms. E's)</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wzEoCsKKmtw/TaOPLUiup3I/AAAAAAAAAWU/q-8gsioQo1E/s400/books119.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Living room shelves look better when decorated with books, right?</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ey3wakavUDg/TaOPMjB6MvI/AAAAAAAAAWY/8o7cX4c9KEM/s1600/books120.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ey3wakavUDg/TaOPMjB6MvI/AAAAAAAAAWY/8o7cX4c9KEM/s400/books120.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">British fiction section in the living room</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VWg5MOTA7WI/TaOPH9MHr4I/AAAAAAAAAWE/0BZ93hQmErI/s1600/books115.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="356" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VWg5MOTA7WI/TaOPH9MHr4I/AAAAAAAAAWE/0BZ93hQmErI/s400/books115.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dissertation books within easy reach in the hutch over my desk</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qXs4AZxBZbI/TaOPI9aau1I/AAAAAAAAAWI/wuUULrRyIDU/s1600/books116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qXs4AZxBZbI/TaOPI9aau1I/AAAAAAAAAWI/wuUULrRyIDU/s400/books116.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For fun books, American poetry, and acquisitions that have no assigned location yet!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-slos2YWcl94/TaOPJ00g5bI/AAAAAAAAAWM/-TIuUlR81As/s1600/books117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-slos2YWcl94/TaOPJ00g5bI/AAAAAAAAAWM/-TIuUlR81As/s400/books117.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Don't even look at this -- this is the pile of library books I can't squeeze onto my shelves.</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uBTeBem6AIA/TaOPKwFPTCI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/2fKW-ZcQwh4/s1600/books118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uBTeBem6AIA/TaOPKwFPTCI/AAAAAAAAAWQ/2fKW-ZcQwh4/s400/books118.jpg" width="272" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Library books, Irish books, and literary criticism</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I love books, as you all well know! When I first moved in with PDK, I took the opportunity to organize my books by (in descending order) genre, nation of origin, and alphabetically by author's last name.... since then, though, the organization has gotten a bit crazy as I moved some of the for-fun books out to make room for the dissertation books closer to my desk so they will be right at hand when I need them.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But somehow, I have decided I still have room for more! So, after walking down to the Santa Barbara Farmer's Market on Saturday, PDK took the groceries home while I stayed at <a href="http://www.bookden.com/">The Book Den</a>, a great used and antique bookstore that also does a brisk business online in downtown SB. Borders and Barnes and Noble closed down a couple months ago in town, but I couldn't really give a damn, because I don't think they did much for real readers anyways, other than undervalue books and treat them like a mass commodity, putting small publishers and small booksellers in dire straits. I am hoping that the demise of the big box chains pushes business back toward the independent bookstores in town... and encourages people to open new ones in towns that have been left entirely bereft of books.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My eyes had lighted on a sign in The Book Den's window on Friday night, when I went to <a href="http://stitchingincircles.blogspot.com/2011/04/today-in-dissertation-writing-politics.html">the Town Hall meeting on Friday</a> to learn about the potential solutions to California's budget troubles: "Pomes Dolar each -- 571 volumes of Poetry." So.... I bought<b><i> twenty-seven </i></b>books of poetry for a smidgen less than thirty dollars. Oh my, am I now in heaven and in hell, because how am I going to have the time? But, I have a plan: If I get up an hour earlier every day (ugh), I can read a book of poetry with tea before I start the rest of my day. And, I hope it will put me in a readerly and writerly state of mind for the dissertation work ahead of me each day.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So, in celebration of Poetry Month and of books over all, here is a small smackerel of the beauty and delicious indulgence that comes from small pieces of printed paper, folded and sewn or glued into covers and lined up on shelves (errr... or on the floor):</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Books You Can Eat! <a href="http://www.books2eat.com/">The International Edible Book Festival</a> was held a couple weeks back, and I think my favorite was the <i>Fahrenheit 451 </i>submission from 2009! Check out the images in the festival's <a href="http://www.books2eat.com/index.php?page=albums">albums</a>.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://api.ning.com/files/zBkpCWo7YXzLKpxtlo9t4CEOgBCsxRwSr1xNFq9gIWeCYiK74Zb1aXZkOGfr2TEsty8C4r0wPk8F9jZKSTdpRqK2DrA4JHl8/BrianDettmer8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://api.ning.com/files/zBkpCWo7YXzLKpxtlo9t4CEOgBCsxRwSr1xNFq9gIWeCYiK74Zb1aXZkOGfr2TEsty8C4r0wPk8F9jZKSTdpRqK2DrA4JHl8/BrianDettmer8.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/the-book-surgeon-15-pieces">The Book Surgeon</a> -- featured on <a href="http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/the-book-surgeon-15-pieces">My Modern Met</a> (via <a href="http://thegoodthebadthenet.blogspot.com/">The Good. The Bad. And The Internet</a>)</span><br />
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</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/static/covers/us/9780141192413H.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://us.penguingroup.com/static/covers/us/9780141192413H.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Penguin's redesign of classics <br />
I love this vision of <i><a href="http://us.penguingroup.com/nf/Book/BookDisplay/0,,9780141192413,00.html#">Little Women</a></i> -- the reference has to be to Jo cutting her hair, right?</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/64317912/secrets-steampunk-tiny-leather-journal?ref=sr_list_9&ga_search_query=book+leather+necklace&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.207472704.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Books as Jewelry! (via <a href="http://www.etsy.com/people/JunqueTreasures?ref=ls_profile">JunqueTreasures</a> on Etsy)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There is a lot more out there, I am sure, but I am going to leave it at this, since I have reading and writing to do myself, as I am sure you do too! So I will just leave you with this link to an inspiring article in the poetry blog <a href="http://aboutaword.org/">About a Word</a>: <a href="http://aboutaword.org/2011/03/07/patricia-colleen-murphy-who-i-read-before-i-write/">Who I Read Before I Write</a>. </span></div></div></div></div>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-21190473832328759192011-04-08T14:01:00.000-07:002011-04-11T15:33:23.089-07:00Today in Dissertation Writing, Politics, and Jewelry<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">PDK got back from his loooong trip to India yesterday -- woohoo! Brought me some lovely presents of the gold and silver kind, too :) I love the pretty silver earrings he and his sister picked out -- they make the loveliest chiming sound if I shake my head and I've never seen anything like them. I did find some very similar ones on etsy so you guys can see what they look like (since I am too lazy/busy to take pics). Apparently they are called <i>jhumka i</i>n North India and<i> </i><i>jimiki </i>or<i> jitniki</i> in South India, and they are shaped like bells, or you could see them as inverted lotuses.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/55735759/jaipur-jhumkas-oxidized-silver-filigree" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_570xN.172497172.jpg" width="323" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image via <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/jhumkas">jhumkas</a> on etsy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Instead of hooks, though, mine have posts like these. So beautiful!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.149003077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.149003077.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image via <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/jhumkas">jhumkas</a> on etsy</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>So after his three weeks off, he's back at work today, and I am home, planning on doing PhD work.... I am revising and adding to a chapter (well... <i>the</i> chapter, since it's the only one I have written), and I have a plan of how to do it, finally, after rereading and editing and changing the organization of the forty pages I have already written. I've been thinking about it all day, but have yet to put pen to paper (well, keystrokes to Microsoft Word).<br />
<br />
I am also excited about my plan for the evening, which might sound boring to most people: I am going to a meeting with Santa Barbara's representative in California's Assembly, <a href="http://vote.daswilliams.org/">Das Williams</a>, to hear him talk about California's budget, which is in a constant state of crisis. I long wanted to be a lawyer and follow in my civil-rights-defending father's footsteps... until I came to the realization that I was not sure I could emotionally or mentally handle the weight of deciding others' lives with my actions, since any mistakes I made could mean a loss of freedom or loss of life for my clients. Still, I have remained pretty politically engaged, especially with my pet issues: prisoners' rights, women's rights, the environment, and higher education.<br />
<br />
I am looking forward to hearing an update on the budget, not least because it directly affects my employment at the University of California. Grad student, undergrads, and faculty at the UC have been fighting and protesting budget cuts, and Jerry Brown, who I voted for, is still proposing an additional $1 billion in cuts to the UCs on top of what has been cut in the last two years, even with his proposals with increased taxes. A sad day for a public university system.<br />
<br />
The constant undermining of public support for higher education is one reason that I am thinking strongly of leaving academia when I (finally) finish my PhD. There is no reason to stick around in a system that is making it impossible for me to actually engage with and directly educate students, not just lecture and evaluate them, and yet is still giving them a degree at the end.<br />
<br />
If you are interested in reading more about the way that college students are losing out while paying more for a college education in California, you might want to check out the links below. I am just going to put my blinkers on for the next four hours and focus on poetry, and then return to caring deeply about these problems at the town hall meeting this evening.<br />
<br />
<u>Links</u><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://utotherescue.blogspot.com/">Remaking Higher Education</a> -- a great on-the-ground blog by a UCSB Prof who is involved in the UC administration;</li>
<li>"A Perfect Storm in Undergraduate Education," <a href="http://chronicle.com/article/A-Perfect-Storm-in/126451">Parts 1</a> and <a href="http://chronicle.com/article/A-Perfect-Storm-in/126969/">2</a> in the <i>Chronicle of Higher Education;</i></li>
<li><a href="http://www.sacbee.com/2011/02/04/3377894/erase-californias-budget-deficit.html">This activity</a> is a fun and interactive way to try to fix California's budget problems.</li>
</ul></div></div>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-38161882358322134382011-04-06T11:00:00.000-07:002011-04-06T11:34:37.635-07:00I Love Winning Giveaways!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Don't you? I am so excited that I won some awesome eye-candy recently! I hope you win a new treat soon yourself -- have you entered <a href="http://fantabulouslyfrugal.com/2011/04/etsy-monday-giveaway-stitching-in-circles/">my giveaway</a> on Fantabulously Frugal? Win my handmade bobby pins for yourself or a friend just by choosing a favorite item from my shop, <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/StitchingInCircles">Stitching in Circles</a> on Etsy!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://fantabulouslyfrugal.com/"><img alt="stitching in circles bobby pin" border="0" height="221" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-owhwm7w4Ja8/TZmJSIq9fII/AAAAAAAAAVg/K67BVQhjUJs/s320/floralone+%25281%25291722.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I am so grateful to Beth at Stoney Creek Mercantile for sending me one of her <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/61544711/pint-sized-berry-basket-with-liner-and">adorable vintage berry baskets </a>with a delicate and lovely antique quilt square as a liner. I won it in a giveaway she hosted at her blog, <a href="http://www.stoneycreekshops.com/">stoneycreekshops.com</a>. It is perfect for storing all the bobby pins I just made!<br />
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<tr> <td><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w6RHf04W0YI/TZmLrQG5FxI/AAAAAAAAAVk/O-hnZgjue-k/s1600/boxbobbies+%25282%25292.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="stitchingincircles giveaway" border="0" height="156" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w6RHf04W0YI/TZmLrQG5FxI/AAAAAAAAAVk/O-hnZgjue-k/s200/boxbobbies+%25282%25292.jpg" width="200" /></a></div></td> <td><br />
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<div>Isn't it pretty? I love that she has found a great way to repurpose beautiful, very loved quilts.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I also won a beautiful set of silver earrings from Rebecca, who designs jewelry and sells it at <a href="http://www.rebeccaanneallen.com/">www.rebeccaanneallen.com</a>. She also has a great blog... which is where I found the giveaway! Go check it out for yourself: <a href="http://rebeccaaccessories.blogspot.com/">rebeccaaccessories.blogspot.com/</a></div><div><br />
</div><div>These are my adorable new Rebecca earrings -- which just arrived! I was so excited to win Rebecca's give away. I have great long earrings, but all my posts are really boring, so these are going to be a wonderful new addition to my small jewelry collection.<br />
<br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pUXrIckqjkM/TZmTq_tTGaI/AAAAAAAAAVs/CXMdBjZEPFE/s1600/Sparrow+Posts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="stitching in circles bobby pin handmade upcycled" border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pUXrIckqjkM/TZmTq_tTGaI/AAAAAAAAAVs/CXMdBjZEPFE/s320/Sparrow+Posts.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image via <a href="http://www.rebeccaallen.com/">rebeccaallen.com</a></td></tr>
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And my most recent win is the biggest! I won $100 gift certificate for some gorgeous, super modern art at <a href="http://www.mod-tots.com/">www.mod-tots.com</a>. WOW. The cool paintings are supposed to be for kids' rooms.... and I entered the giveaway thinking I would give it to a friend who just had a baby... but I love them! I am kind of tempted to keep it for myself. I will probably cave and give it to my friend's newborn, though. I love the fox and the raccoon -- their pointy noses are so cute! And I am very interested to see what mystical creatures show up when they develop that section more. I think they could create some really cute modern elves.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Images below via <a href="http://www.mod-tots.com/">mod-tots.com</a></span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mod-tots.com/site/wp-content/gallery/fox/foxy_blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.mod-tots.com/site/wp-content/gallery/fox/foxy_blue.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love this foxy fox!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mod-tots.com/site/wp-content/gallery/racoon/racoon_darkblue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.mod-tots.com/site/wp-content/gallery/racoon/racoon_darkblue.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or should I choose this masked bandit?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>I found these mostly through the blog<a href="http://etsygiveaways.blogspot.com/"> Etsy Giveaways</a>, which is a fantastic aggregate of handmade giveaways. If you are an etsy artisan who is giving away some of your beautiful creations, you should submit the giveaway to them. You might get a lot of people just swinging by for the freebie, but it certainly opens you to a winder audience, some of whom might even spend money later.</div></div>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-74533715262957868942011-04-04T15:04:00.000-07:002011-04-04T15:06:45.727-07:00Giveaways are Awesome -- Win Mine!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I have discovered giveaways recently and I am actually having one today! I was contacted by <a href="http://krazythinker123.blogspot.com/">Megan</a> from <a href="http://fantabulouslyfrugal.com/">Fantabulously Frugal</a> a while back, and she asked me if if she could do an interview, to which I of course immediately said yes.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">My interview and bobbypin giveaway goes live on Fantabulously Frugal TODAY in their Etsy Monday feature! Please visit the site and enter to win: <a href="http://fantabulouslyfrugal.com/2011/04/etsy-monday-giveaway-stitching-in-circles/!">Etsy Monday -- Stitching in Circles Giveaway</a>. I'd love it if one of my followers and friends won these pretty floral bobby pins! The little yoyos are about 1.5 inches wide and are glued and firmly sewn to antiqued brass bobby pins that are about an inch and a half long. Come play in the giveaway -- the winner will be announced on April 11th.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-reZf_Qjaqqo/TZmF3dCCVDI/AAAAAAAAAVI/YVGlRSErVYM/s1600/floralone%2B%25281%25291722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-reZf_Qjaqqo/TZmF3dCCVDI/AAAAAAAAAVI/YVGlRSErVYM/s400/floralone%2B%25281%25291722.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eS8_G_6GfxI/TZmF3R_im5I/AAAAAAAAAVQ/2crhbqK9bbU/s1600/floralone%2B%25286%25291821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eS8_G_6GfxI/TZmF3R_im5I/AAAAAAAAAVQ/2crhbqK9bbU/s400/floralone%2B%25286%25291821.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="322" /></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ngek44ZZ06Y/TZmF3mGsYHI/AAAAAAAAAVY/NBr2nr0Bg50/s1600/floralone%2B%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ngek44ZZ06Y/TZmF3mGsYHI/AAAAAAAAAVY/NBr2nr0Bg50/s400/floralone%2B%252813%2529.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Exposure like that is great, especially on a site with a wider audience. And I am fantabulously frugal myself, so it is a great match. I hope it will draw lots of views to my shop! I've been busily making lots of bobby pins in anticipation of that. In fact, there is a new set of flowery, bright bobby pins for sale now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/71419278/pair-of-bobby-pins-with-yoyos-in-bright?ref=pr_shop" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5Z3F5h9W1YQ/TZmEX578jBI/AAAAAAAAAU4/w8UEb3-JKmU/s200/brightflowers%2B%25281%25291.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New spring-time bobby pins in my Etsy shop!</td></tr>
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<br />
I've also been the lucky winner of several giveaways recently, so I know how exciting it is to win them! Good Luck!</div>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-5438890322760072112011-04-02T10:20:00.000-07:002011-04-02T13:08:53.266-07:00National Poetry Month is Underway!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Celebrate it every way you know how! I will be celebrating it by planning the reading for the summer course I am putting together: "Modernist and Avant-Garde Poetries and their Contexts" .... a bit of a mouthful, but it was the only way to get everything in.<br />
<br />
I've also been busy making treasuries to feature some of the wonderful broadsheets and books of poetry available from vintage and handmade sellers on Etsy! I love letterpress, and I am so glad there are other people who have access to presses and can make beautiful editions of poems that I can buy. There is a letterpress machine at UCSB, but I think I'd have to sign up to take a <a href="http://www.editionreese.com/printclass/">Book Arts course</a>, which would be awesome, but it is such a time commitment! In my last semester of college I took a course in letterpress (to fulfil my arts requirement... when it comes down to it, I really double majored in English in college, I took so many book-based courses). It took me the whole semester to create a broadsheet of the last lines of Joyce's <i>Ulysses</i> and tiny book of quotes about my hometown. I already am spending too little time on my diss as it is.<br />
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</div>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-71712862720174504272011-04-01T11:03:00.000-07:002011-04-01T20:34:01.293-07:00Capturing the Light<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">As I mentioned last month, in my <a href="http://stitchingincircles.blogspot.com/2011/03/new-creations-photography-question-and.html">post about a new pin</a> I had made, I created a new photography set-up. I am finally getting around to telling you guys about it today.<br />
<br />
I am a member of the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/teams/7316/handmadeology">handemadeology team</a> on etsy, which is a business and promotion oriented team open to all. There is a great blog set up by the founders of the team that you can visit at <a href="http://handmadeology.com/">http://handmadeology.com</a> that is a wonderful resource for and support for etsy sellers. They have advertising tips and photography tips, and they also promote sellers, which is always appreciated!<br />
<br />
I decided to build a cheap little light box based on the instructions provided by handmadeology <a href="http://www.handmadeology.com/creating-a-white-background-inside-a-cardboard-box/">here</a>. I didn't want to buy foam board as the tutorial recommends because, as we all know by now, I am CHEAP. Rather, I currently have several large rolls of lovely artist paper that I bought on sale from a local art supply store, and I figured I could use that instead to line the cardboard box. So, I cut off two sides of a small cardboard box, and measured the bottom and sides of the box against the large roll of lightly-textured white paper.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r8Pey9FbctY/TZVvq6mtcEI/AAAAAAAAAUY/iRp7DzroS6E/s1600/lightbox+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="stitchingincircles handmade upcycled brooch bobby pin" border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r8Pey9FbctY/TZVvq6mtcEI/AAAAAAAAAUY/iRp7DzroS6E/s320/lightbox+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Ta-dahhhh</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">! This is my wee little lightbox. I didn't do it perfectly, </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">obviously, since there is a little area the paper </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">doesn't cover in the corner. I need to do something about that.</span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FHLW9Tukra0/TZVvizV_WvI/AAAAAAAAAUU/gmZpXE89G8M/s1600/lightbox+%25281%252938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="stitchingincircles handmade upcycled brooch bobby pin" border="0" height="261" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FHLW9Tukra0/TZVvizV_WvI/AAAAAAAAAUU/gmZpXE89G8M/s320/lightbox+%25281%252938.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I also covered one of the sides I cut off with aluminum foil</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">to make a little light-reflecting tool.</span></div></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I know this is a weird picture of an odd little bag </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">of home-made animal crackers, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">but I think it shows </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">that the light-box distributes light </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">really evenly around this small object.</span></div></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--cyhKFnVGSI/TZVv27gFlcI/AAAAAAAAAUk/Y_z3wpkCQF4/s1600/lightbox+%252812%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="stitchingincircles handmade upcycled brooch bobby pin" border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--cyhKFnVGSI/TZVv27gFlcI/AAAAAAAAAUk/Y_z3wpkCQF4/s320/lightbox+%252812%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This shows the way in which the little light-reflecting sheet </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">helps to lighten up the front of the crackers.</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NG0lgCB_HiM/TZVv3vZgOGI/AAAAAAAAAUo/q2Q5bOE0G_o/s1600/lightbox+%252813%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="stitchingincircles handmade upcycled brooch bobby pin" border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NG0lgCB_HiM/TZVv3vZgOGI/AAAAAAAAAUo/q2Q5bOE0G_o/s320/lightbox+%252813%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This shows the crackers inside, away from direct light, </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">and without the light-reflecting tool. It's subtle, but it seems to me</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> that the shadows are more uneven and darker.</span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0V7pEDn1UM4/TZVwlvap2mI/AAAAAAAAAUs/CJoMWIyzVCA/s1600/purplebrownpin+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="stitchingincircles handmade upcycled brooch bobby pin" border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0V7pEDn1UM4/TZVwlvap2mI/AAAAAAAAAUs/CJoMWIyzVCA/s320/purplebrownpin+%25282%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">An example of an unedited picture of my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/70213718/stripy-yoyo-collage-pin-in-purple-brown">stripy collage pin</a> taken in my little light box.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aNpRVRc0vd0/TZVwst3RJlI/AAAAAAAAAUw/9Dj2RM1n4Mc/s1600/whiteblue+%252823%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="stitchingincircles handmade upcycled brooch bobby pin" border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aNpRVRc0vd0/TZVwst3RJlI/AAAAAAAAAUw/9Dj2RM1n4Mc/s320/whiteblue+%252823%2529.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">An unedited picture of a new brooch (not yet on etsy!) and prop in direct light.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cRIGGexdpAs/TZVw92kUAvI/AAAAAAAAAU0/PJQwzhbu_gA/s1600/smallclown+%25281%252991314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="stitchingincircles handmade upcycled brooch bobby pin" border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cRIGGexdpAs/TZVw92kUAvI/AAAAAAAAAU0/PJQwzhbu_gA/s320/smallclown+%25281%252991314.jpg" width="251" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/71204999/bright-colorful-plaid-brooch-with-pure">newest pin</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">! I love the way the bright colors look against the white.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is edited to pump up the colors a bit and to bring up the exposure.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The evening light was soft and muted and is coming in from the left.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I have the pin on a book in front of the lightbox in order </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">to provide some more texture and shadows, but I like the way that the book </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">and lightbox give it a simple, monotone background. </span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Handmadeology has other great tips on improving photography, too:<br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.handmadeology.com/cut-wrap-and-make-your-silver-jewelry-shine-product-photography-tips/">This article</a> is about adding shine and brightness</li>
<li><a href="http://www.handmadeology.com/studio-quality-product-photography-with-a-12-set-up/">Another way</a> to bring shine and a simple background</li>
<li>A <a href="http://www.handmadeology.com/how-to-make-and-use-a-light-box-to-improve-your-product-photography/">different kind of lightbox</a> with artificial light</li>
</ul></div>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-6768686899050306472011-03-30T00:31:00.000-07:002011-04-22T15:19:53.871-07:00The Anatomy of a Soup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><i>OK, so this blog post was supposed to go up over a week ago, and I had all these lovely pics arranged perfectly, but then I started to mess with the html to make everything line up nicely, screwed up my tables, and then accidentally erased everything. A sad emoticon cannot even begin to communicate my frustration and mounting inner rage.</i><br />
<br />
<i>But... I am determined! I will not let html and blogger combine to defeat me. I </i><b style="font-style: italic;">will</b><i> deliver a post with lots of lovely pictures, despite the fact that taking pics is kind of a challenge with my li'l point and shoot and the other fact that writing comes a lot more easily to me than visual aesthetics. To the post! </i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/pG5Iurw7joT082BVm6xQR2W-ksZlRNqhaRlfX-A9i0I?feat=embedwebsite" style="font-style: italic;"><img height="363" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_kDIb6Vmg6bw/TZLTuB1w7mI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/O0dohol33Js/s400/IMGP4233.JPG" width="400" alt="farmers market stitching in circles"/></a><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><< biking home with fronds of fennel from the SB farmer's market >></span></i></div><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i>(Warning: very non-vegetarian material ahead)</i></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
One of the wonderful things (and I don't really mean that sarcastically, mostly) about having champagne tastes on a beer budget is that I get to figure out the thriftiest ways to have the highest quality, best tasting foods and drinks in my life. I like the puzzle aspect of budgeting, I have to say. One of the ways I try to balance my income with my tastes is to buy meat rarely, but when I do, to buy it from the Santa Barbara Farmer's Market (link in the lefthand column of the blog). This is expensive, admittedly, but I buy whole organic chickens and the cheapest cuts of really great local, free range beef, and then roast/braise/whatever in order to make it succulent and delicious. But the next step is what really makes me feel like I am getting the most out of my commitment to buying local, well-treated animals: making stock. <br />
<br />
PDK made an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/magazine/06Food-t-000.html?_r=1&ref=jamaica">amazing oxtail stew</a> recently(let me know if you can't see the recipe that links to, since the NY Times has put up a stinking pay wall recently), and there were tons of gorgeous cartilage and marrow left on the bones after dinner. Lots of good connective tissue makes stock more flavorful and thicker.<br />
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<u>How to Make Your Own Beef Broth</u><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Step One: Have an extremely deep pot.<br />
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Step Two: Fill said pot with bones, cooked or uncooked, and cover completely with water. Don't add too much water or you'll dilute the flavor.</div><br />
<table><tbody>
<tr> <td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/aC9z49aI4Io5gNc_j11RlWW-ksZlRNqhaRlfX-A9i0I?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="288" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_kDIb6Vmg6bw/TYHJrc-44xI/AAAAAAAAAR0/vEdMMXIai1k/s288/stock%20%283%29.JPG" width="216" /></a></td> <td><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/tipvUqyjnteXeNk_Pd0Of2W-ksZlRNqhaRlfX-A9i0I?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="223" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_kDIb6Vmg6bw/TYHJ5L7X-4I/AAAAAAAAAR8/YaW3OyF1Rj4/s288/stock28.jpg" width="288" alt="kitchen stitchingincircles"/></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Step Three: Bring to a boil and then immediately once it boils turn down to a simmer and skim off the froth that has risen to the top (this basically makes the broth clearer).<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Step Four: Cook the bones for a while at a bare simmer (as in, barely simmering -- just one or two bubbles at a time coming up from the bottom of the pot). If the bones have lots of good gristle on them, I'd say cook beef bones for three to four hours before you even think of adding the vegetables, because you don't want the veggies to fall apart and cloud the broth. With chicken bones, you could put the veggies in sooner, even immediately after turning the broth down to a simmer.</span> </b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></b><br />
<table><tbody>
<tr> <td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/auyUuE6Doz0Fk4Gg4oDGLGW-ksZlRNqhaRlfX-A9i0I?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="288" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_kDIb6Vmg6bw/TYHNR2emwtI/AAAAAAAAASc/FHoaBRC4b0A/s288/stock%20%2815%2936.jpg" width="221" alt="cooking stitchingincircles"/></a></td> <td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8lkDjkbu2sAxkjSoJNiYY2W-ksZlRNqhaRlfX-A9i0I?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="216" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_kDIb6Vmg6bw/TYHNG6ayVOI/AAAAAAAAASU/wPGjFNRY-LE/s288/stock%20%2814%2935.jpg" width="288" alt="beef broth stitching in circles" /></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Step Five: Add hearty vegetables. These can be older, limp veggies, since you won't be eating them. I added three to four cloves of garlic in their skin and some old, limp carrots (I took their fronds off). With beef broth, you can add stronger-flavored vegetables, but I decided to keep it simple this time. I added the carrots and a couple ribs of celery. If I had a turnip around or an older fennel bulb, I would have used them instead.<br />
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Step Five, continued: Always add some kind of onion -- it can even be some onion you roasted from the night before if you want darker flavors. I popped a couple small leeks in, but you could chop a yellow onion into quarters or just use a handful of green onions.<br />
<table><tbody>
<tr> <td><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/MR_JIXI1gME88IJ1T_pzcWW-ksZlRNqhaRlfX-A9i0I?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="240" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_kDIb6Vmg6bw/TYHNgJ7qtvI/AAAAAAAAASk/H4DcMDYiwGY/s288/stock%20%2820%2937.jpg" width="244" alt="stitching in circles" /></a></td> <td><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fd9Xn6KNfNOxUSI188faemW-ksZlRNqhaRlfX-A9i0I?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="170" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_kDIb6Vmg6bw/TYHMzERQl5I/AAAAAAAAASM/5xlZWlhjcKw/s288/stock%20%2812%2933.jpg" width="255" alt="stitching in circles etsy" /></a></td> </tr>
</tbody></table>Step Five, further continued!: Herbs are key, but don't add too much or they will overwhelm your juicy, meaty bones. I tied up some fresh thyme, peppercorns, a little cardamom and cumin in a piece of cheesecloth (this little bag is again to keep the broth as clear as possible). You can use whatever herbs you like. Remember to add salt, but also keep in mind that there will be a <i>lot</i> of reduction, so salt as if there were half as much broth.<br />
<table><tbody>
<tr> <td><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8CM6aLIgahE8FiRCL6r0pmW-ksZlRNqhaRlfX-A9i0I?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="180" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_kDIb6Vmg6bw/TYHKG6Y13WI/AAAAAAAAASE/6mEZLkvzlo8/s288/stock%20%286%29.JPG" width="260" alt="stitchingincircles"/></a></td> <td><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/XwuOLc7lFKckORmw0VgJW2W-ksZlRNqhaRlfX-A9i0I?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="250" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_kDIb6Vmg6bw/TYHOKzHsOUI/AAAAAAAAAS0/3hvod91kLWs/s288/stock%20%2828%2932.jpg" width="260" alt="stitching in circles how to broth"/></a></td> </tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Step Six: Bring back up to a boil after adding all your veggies and herbs, then drop back down to a bare simmer again and partially cover. I simmered my broth for a total of eight hours, in the end. With chicken broth, you want to only simmer for four hours, or so.<br />
<br />
<table><tbody>
<tr> <td><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/GI4fgNBMy1wYgcsMSkD1ZmW-ksZlRNqhaRlfX-A9i0I?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="250" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_kDIb6Vmg6bw/TYHRmQ6ODGI/AAAAAAAAAS8/J_z1cnDgztM/s288/stock%20%2810%2946.jpg" width="270" alt="how to beef broth stitchingincircles"/></a></td> <td><br />
<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/wMnJ6a9J61-EKORQhH-jOmW-ksZlRNqhaRlfX-A9i0I?feat=embedwebsite"><img height="200" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_kDIb6Vmg6bw/TYHSjF8K49I/AAAAAAAAATU/vZTMhPdQQz4/s288/stock%20%2829%2931.jpg" width="270" alt="how to recipe stitching in circles" /></a></td> </tr>
</tbody></table>Last step! Strain and cool. If you put it straight in the fridge, be mindful that it will raise the T of the fridge, so you might want to leave it on the counter to cool for a while, or place the bowl with the broth in it into a larger tray or bowl full of ice water to quickly cool the broth. Skim the fat off after it cools and firms as a skin on top of the broth. My beef broth in the picture above is super thick and rich, and has very little fat after it has been skimmed.<br />
<br />
I used this broth and kale and eggs from the farmer's market a couple days later to make a yummy and cheap egg-drop soup with healthy, dark greens. PDK, who loves spicy food, punched it up with soy sauce and a chili-garlic sauce, which I totally understood and actually embraced for once. Sometimes I get offended that he feels the need to totally change the food I make even when I think it's delicious, but simple clean flavors sometimes aren't enough for his palate.<br />
<br />
I can improvise any stock pretty well at this point, but when I was first learning to make stock about five years ago, I used a cookbook that I heartily recommend to all of you interested in cooking from scratch. Being a good Bay Area girl, I love me some <a href="http://www.chezpanisse.com/about/alice-waters/">Alice Waters</a>. I have three of the <a href="http://www.chezpanisse.com/about/chez-panisse/">Chez Panisse</a> cookbooks (and a nonfiction book about the restaurant as well... yeah, I am obsessed), but the cookbook I turn to most often in the kitchen is her recent <i><a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=kyWrpT3TMTAC&printsec=frontcover&dq=art+of+simple+food&source=bl&ots=5ux2GqfeRy&sig=Bb9gSA8VpfIOlEpaZeIUy0_IbRk&hl=en&ei=XeyOTdK9HZG4sAOrr9mKCQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CF4Q6AEwCA">Simple Foods</a></i>, which gives outlines and bare bones recipes, allowing the reader to learn the basics and then personalize them to his or her tastes. Also, it is built tougher than the other CP cookbooks, so it has stood up well to spilled wine, sticky hands, and splattering oil.<br />
<br />
</div>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-323588412692074922011-03-25T12:50:00.000-07:002011-03-25T18:45:26.358-07:00Recommendations-- funny, fierce, and friendly.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I want to share with you some of the things that have made me happy today, both of which came from friends I don't see a lot of, but who I stay in touch with on facebook -- people might be skeptical about facebook, but for me, it has allowed me to maintain relationships that I most likely would have lost otherwise.<br />
<br />
My old friend <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3299452/">Mia Antonelli</a>, who I met in high school when we were in Drama together, has become a gorgeous, talented, professional actress. She has an amazingly funny youtube series called "The Glide." Each episode is just a few minutes long and features Mia as Rebecca and Kamen Edwards as Barrett, and they are two DJs in the <a href="http://www.delilah.com/">Delilah</a> tradition. It's super hilarious and they just put a new episode up! Highly recommended viewing. A link to their first episode is below, and you really should watch several, as their relationship builds in hilarious ways:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/JUF8jhvh3Kg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<br />
This second recommendation comes via my friend Sean...<br />
<a name='more'></a> His taste in music would usually be pretty far away from mine, I think, since he was rocking out to punk in New York with ears full of piercings and clothes full of safety pins while I was listening to my parents' Beatles records. However, he put out a confident clarion call to everyone on facebook to go check out the band <a href="http://www.youngthegiant.com/">Young the Giant</a> and particularly the song <a href="http://www.youngthegiant.com/media/video#">"My Body"</a> -- this song is awesome! I have already listened to it twice and checked out the band's other songs, which are also good. "My Body" is definitely my favorite -- it's got the strongest beat, whereas the others are less catchy, but softer and moodier.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/qQYpF2pCkLI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In other news, despite the car we were driving to Tahoe breaking down about an hour away from our destination, crashing with friends of my parents for the night, and having to work out alternative driving arrangements, the ski trip was an amazing success! I only took a couple of tumbles, and there was so much powder that it was mostly a matter of my ski getting stuck and me flying out of my bindings. Mostly I just went zipping down the hills -- I tend to ski with more recklessness than skill, but I had a great time. I wish we could have stayed longer! I hadn't been in snow like that in years and it was such a trip -- especially because our main day of skiing, Tuesday, was sunny and gorgeous and warm.... until you fell in a snow bank. It was so fun to hang out with friends all weekend and it made it a lot easier to bear PDK being away. He's gone for 11 more days... sigh.</div></div>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-47578192086031926742011-03-19T06:51:00.000-07:002011-03-19T06:59:46.134-07:00A Moment of Reflection and Thanks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Everyone who has been following and reading along and commenting -- thank you! I am so glad my writing and pics are providing some diversion and entertainment to people beyond just my own self.<br />
<br />
The Lovely Cait, who blogs at <a href="http://www.bookgeekery.com/">Book Geekery</a>, recently bestowed upon me and several others the title of stylish blogger -- go check her list out, I found some new favorites already!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-TNZjCKjWxiE/TYSqvYZofSI/AAAAAAAAATc/xLZ6I7Ue5KA/s1600/Stylish-Blogger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-TNZjCKjWxiE/TYSqvYZofSI/AAAAAAAAATc/xLZ6I7Ue5KA/s1600/Stylish-Blogger.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<br />
I am very flattered and grateful. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">So when you win this award, it is said that you should: a) Thank the person who awarded you, b) include 7 facts about yourself, c) pass the award on to other bloggers, and d) notify them of winning the award. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It's a little like chain mail, I guess -- or I could be a wee bit less cynical and see it rather as a generous Pay It Forward that connects bloggers to each other. So, moving forward in all sincerity and earnestness:</span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Facts</span></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">One -- I hated skirts and anything remotely feminine in dress for years until I discovered swing dancing at sixteen and through that, vintage clothing, which completely changed the way that I presented myself to the world. I went swing dancing almost every week for the next four years, but since neither my college boyfriend nor my present love were/are into dancing, it made it harder to go often and now I am totally out of practice.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Two -- I have wide feet (well that's boring, but it is true).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Three -- this one is kind of revealing. I am a thin girl, always have been, but I'm not the same kind of skinny as I used to be, and I am bitter that I can no longer fasten the beautiful </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Rebecca Taylor</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"> beaded silk skirt I bought when I was nineteen. I cannot give it up because it's gorgeous and also because I still can't get my head around the fact that my life, my metabolism, and my dress size have changed in the last ten years and I am no longer the same being that recklessly bought that beautiful skirt at full price.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Four -- I really dislike foods that everyone else loves. Specifically mint, blueberries, and rye bread (unless it is totally free of caraway seeds), and most frosting. On the other hand, I love uni (sea urchin), liver, and fava greens.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Five -- I love plays, drama, acting, charades, anything! I love seeing live theatre, although my play-going has been sparse of late. I did get to go see a classic 18th century comedy, "She Stoops to Conquer" by Oliver Goldsmith (who was Irish, even though he generally gets classified with the Brits) , at UCSB last month though, and it was hilarious and wonderful.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Six -- My favorite color is grey, and I like spelling it with an E.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><i>and finally...</i>.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Seven! As might not be obvious from the fact that I am posting this at 6:30 AM, I actually was up all night. So my last fact is that I am a night-owl, especially when PDK is away, and when I am up at 6 AM, it is likely because I was frittering away all night (or grading, or working because I have to give a talk that day) rather than that I pulled myself out of bed early.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>Newest Winners</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">I love these stylish blogs and recommend them heartily:</span><br />
<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://alterdelenda.blogspot.com/">Alterdelenda</a> -- This is the blog of Katrina, a fellow etsyer (her shop is also <a href="http://etsy.com/shop/alterdelenda">Alterdelenda</a>), and I love the way she pairs beautiful photos with sparse, perfect quotes and captions. Kind of the opposite of me!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://demandablueblog.blogspot.com/">Everything and no one... like the Last Mom on Earth</a> -- Amanda's writing is truly beautiful and her process of exploration of self, world, and being with others is so thoughtful and present that I sometimes have to hold off until I have a long, peaceful moment to read her blog because I do not want to multitask and miss anything she has to say.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://ofanotherfashion.tumblr.com/">Of Another Fashion</a> -- this awesome blog by Minh-Ha T. Pham focuses on vintage fashion and women of color in order to highlight the lives that were not represented by mainstream publications at the time. Her photos, many submitted by readers, go back to the 1800s, and these women were bringing it!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://harmlesscolor.blogspot.com/">Harmless Color</a> -- Sarah (another <a href="http://www.etsyblogteam.com/">Etsy Blog Team </a>member!) has a wonderful blog with beautiful pictures, lovely stories, cooking and sewing how-tos, and lots and lots of COLOR! You can also visit her <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/harmlesscolor">etsy shop</a>, where she sells edible and non-edible goodies.</span></li>
</ul><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Thanks for reading! I am going to sleep now.</span></div>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-31432333036889021462011-03-18T16:12:00.000-07:002011-03-18T16:37:17.961-07:00Skiing in Tahoe for Spring Break<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scotts_awesome_photos/5446952916/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Tahoe, Skiing, Sugr Bowl 2-11 by aka lujones, on Flickr"><img alt="Tahoe, Skiing, Sugr Bowl 2-11" height="300" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5139/5446952916_10706e8896.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Found on Flickr -- by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/scotts_awesome_photos/">Scott Thompson</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><br />
I am so excited! My friend Kevin, a whip-smart fellow grad student in English, has invited me and some friends to stay with him for a five days at his boyfriend's gorgeous house in Tahoe. Yay Kevin and his retired-at-30-and-bought-a-house-in-Tahoe-because-he-invested-ridiculously-well-in-the-tech-boom boyfriend!<br />
<br />
I haven't been skiing since I was like 16, when my mother sweetly took me, my high school boyfriend, and my best friend up to the mountains. My family used to go up to the snow every couple years before that, so I am hoping it's going to be more like riding a bicycle and less like html coding, which I am truly slow and stupid at when I haven't done it for several years. It will be interesting, to say the least, to see if I can stay upright while charging down mountains. I love the thrill of speed on the slopes, and I will just have to not eat much in order to be able to pay for the ski rental and lift tickets for as many days as possible. Otherwise I'll have to go cross-country skiing, which is cheaper but no fun at all, as in my opinion it's like walking, but harder, whereas downhill is more like<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!</i></b></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i></i></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I wish I had planned a little more ahead -- I kept vacillating between driving up to see my parents (my dad's birthday being next week and my mother having strongly requested a visit) and going with my friends on this trip, and I just decided yesterday to commit to it. <i>(Being on fellowship next quarter means I'll </i></span><i>have</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><i> some freedom in my schedule, so I'll just go up see my family in the Bay Area during the week in a couple weeks.) </i>I do have my mother's 40 year old stylin' '70s ski pants to flaunt all over the slopes, as well as my sister's old snowboarding jacket, which will make for an interesting combo. I wish I had made time to get some cute new stuff for myself... but that money is better spent on lift tickets anyway. </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I also wish PDK was going to be there, primarily because he's never ever been skiing, and it would </span>have<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> been super fun (and possibly hilarious) to watch him learn on the bunny slopes. But he's visiting his family in India and then they are going to Thailand and Indonesia, so I guess he'll just be having a warmer, more tropical, more delicious vacation. He's gone for the next three weeks, and I always get a little lonely when he's away working or seeing his parents. That's one reason I've really liked having roommates I love, because for the last two years PDK was in Geneva all summer for work. Sad little me missed him, but having Ms. E just 10 feet away helped a lot. This time, it will be nice to be surrounded by friends for the next week -- especially since grades are due Tuesday and I haven't started yet! All these fellow grad students will be grading with me in Tahoe on Monday, I am sure.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Last thing on my wish list is that I wish I had the following etsy treasures for the apres ski moments in the week ahead!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.201975161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_570xN.201975161.jpg" width="249" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So cute! <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/63168080/o-n-s-a-l-e-snowflake-reconstructed?ref=sr_list_23&ga_search_query=skiing&ga_noautofacet=1&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade%2Fclothing%2Fwomen">Repurposefulunk's reconstructed sweater dress</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.195644863.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.195644863.jpg" width="258" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmmmmm .... <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/62645408/gourmet-homade-pumpkin-spice-hot-cocoa?ref=sr_list_7&ga_search_query=hot+chocolate&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade">tetoncocoacompany hot chocolate mix</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.208926030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_570xN.208926030.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know I'm weird, but I love the burnt orange that was so popular in the 1970s.<br />
<a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/66092507/1970s-burnt-orange-cyclone-duck-down?ref=sr_list_1&ga_search_query=1970s+orange+jacket+puffy&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_facet=vintage">littlelittlelittle's ski jacket</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For the students or parents among you, any plans for Spring Break yourselves?</span></div>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-27116755554970156612011-03-17T10:00:00.000-07:002011-03-17T10:00:06.777-07:00Memories of Ireland, part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I wrote about my first visit to Ireland <a href="http://stitchingincircles.blogspot.com/2011/03/memories-of-irland-part-1.html">last week</a>, and that visit only began a long-term interest in (even fascination with) the place.<br />
<br />
In college, one of the first classes I took was on Irish literature. I'd read the poetry of <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/seamus-heaney">Seamus Heaney</a> and <a href="http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/eavan-boland">Eavan Boland</a> in high school, and I knew I wanted to know more. That class was one of the best I ever took -- and Eavan Boland even came to read and speak to the class!<br />
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The next year I took the same professor's course on Joyce's <i>Ulysses </i>(a great comic book version is online at <a href="http://ulyssesseen.com/">"Ulysses Seen"</a>), and it was a crazy ride. I had known before I even went to college that I wanted to spend a year abroad, and reading Joyce's tribute to Dublin cemented in my mind exactly where I wanted to go. His novel is a masterpiece, but I couldn't truly understood it until I lived in Dublin and 1) understood just how walkable it is and 2) really got to know the culture, which, while it is obviously not the same as it was at the turn of the 20th century, still retains echoes and remnants of that time and place.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>“For myself, I always write about Dublin, because if I can get to the heart of Dublin I can get to the heart of all the cities of the world. In the particular is contained the universal.”</i></span></span></div><br />
Below are some of my best and most indelible memories of going to Trinity College Dublin for my junior year. Some were entirely cliche, and a lot were entirely unexpected:<br />
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<ul style="text-align: left;"><li>In my first week in Dublin, meeting the coach and captain of the Rowing club at noon and drinking Guinness and "<a href="http://modernepicure.com/baby-guinness-shot-kahlua-baileys-irish-cream/">Baby Guinnesses</a>" (a delicious shot made of Kahlua with a Bailey's floater) with them until midnight.</li>
<li>Getting to live in a beautiful Georgian house south of the city center in a converted parlor with high ceilings and plasterwork, a giant marble mantle, and almost no heat.</li>
<li>Using electric showers and heating up water in the teakettle to do dishes since the hot water heater only was on for one hour a day.</li>
<li>Riding my loaner bicycle the half an hour from my house to the boathouse on the Liffey every morning in the dark, facing into a cold, harsh wind coming straight off the Atlantic, and smelling the warm, comforting scent of roasting barley and malt as I passed by the Guinness factory.</li>
<li>Going to a Sunday dinner at a friend's house and being served a gorgeous mash of carrots, turnips, and parsnips, a sliver of turkey, and three preparations of potatoes: roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, and home-made chips (aka french fries)!</li>
<li>Participating in boat races on rivers where the mile markers were ancient, broken-down castles and centuries-old bridges.</li>
<li>Discovering that the Irish version of Mardi Gras is "Pancake Tuesday" -- kind of dull compared to parades, but still delicious.</li>
<li>Going to businesses and places in Dublin that are recorded in <i>Ulysses</i>. Also, forgetting about <a href="http://www.jamesjoyce.ie/detail.asp?ID=142">Bloomsday</a> (June 16th) and only remembering the next day that I had missed the 99th anniversary of the day of walking that is recorded in <i>Ulysses</i>!</li>
<li>Taking a great survey course on Irish History from 1800 to the present, but never quite understanding how the parliamentary system worked.</li>
<li>Being in an international, cosmopolitan city of over a million people -- and yet running into someone I knew every time I went out shopping.</li>
<li>Losing the heel of a new shoe while running around on cobblestones on a night out.</li>
<li>When spring came, standing under a giant horse-chestnut tree on Leinster Road and looking up into its wide, spreading branches and feeling as though I was in a cathedral made from delicate green light.</li>
<li>Late summer nights when the twilight did not fade until 11 PM and the dawn came at three AM.</li>
<li>Going to plays at the Abbey Theatre, the same one that all the classic plays I was reading in my classes were performed in.</li>
<li>By the end of my year in Ireland, after meeting people from Belfast, Coleraine, Enniskillen, South Dublin, North Dublin, West Dublin, Galway, Cork, Drogheda, managing to aquire a pretty good ability to tell what county (and sometimes city or part of a city) someone was from based on their accent.</li>
<li>And many more adventures... too many to write out here without boring you all :)</li>
</ul><div>Happy Saint Patrick's Day to you all!</div><div><script src="http://www.craftcult.com/js/trwi.js?s=2&l=4d6f17dfefcc8eefd7563835&r=11597&t=s&m=0&u=12614204&">
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Slainte!MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-10172151563919668512011-03-14T14:09:00.000-07:002011-03-30T14:40:16.362-07:00First etsy sale and DIY packaging<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">This weekend was fun -- two of PDK's friends from college visited -- one I had met before and I am quite fond of -- the other I had never met, but we're going to his wedding in Manhattan in May, so I am glad I got the chance to get to know him, too!<br />
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The other reason this weekend was so fun is that I had my first sale! It was through a BNR (buy and replace) treasury, so I bought a couple trinkets in order to get my item featured, which means no profit, but I am excited to have the opportunity to practice shipping my little accessories. I decided to make my own packaging as part of my commitment to upcycling when I can, so I created this little waterproof envelope by hand sewing together rectangles I cut from a clean plastic bag and a brown paper bag. I improvised a bit on the instructions from a great <a href="http://blog.ecoetsy.com/2010/05/1571/html">Eco Etsy blog post</a>. I am pleased with how it came out and I hope my buyer likes it and what is inside it!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jU_mTUOhzwU/TX5vHKMrN1I/AAAAAAAAARY/OqHAyO5gYlg/s1600/2011-03-14_08-59-41_841.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-jU_mTUOhzwU/TX5vHKMrN1I/AAAAAAAAARY/OqHAyO5gYlg/s320/2011-03-14_08-59-41_841.jpg" width="320" alt="stitching in circles upcycled packaging brown paper"/></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
This is the hairpin my lucky customer will soon receive. It is packaged on an adorable vintage playing card, as you can see in the etsy listing <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/66730940/pair-of-bobby-pins-striped-cotton-and">here</a> (in the last picture), and then I made a little brown paper envelope to hold the card and pin.<br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_kDIb6Vmg6bw/TX51Eb__QEI/AAAAAAAAARg/EFZm7jQExjo/1300133149258.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img border="0" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_kDIb6Vmg6bw/TX51Eb__QEI/AAAAAAAAARg/EFZm7jQExjo/s288/1300133149258.jpeg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 251px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 288px;" alt="vintage button bobbypin barrette stitchingincircles"/></a><br />
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<div align="right" style="font-size: xx-small;">posted from Bloggeroid</div></div></div>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-3590842883371930022011-03-11T11:03:00.000-08:002011-03-11T13:50:54.152-08:00Memories of Ireland, part 1.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div>With all the mentions of Guinness and Dublin and the wild west coast of Ireland that I've been seeing lately, I am getting more and more nostalgic for my years of living in and travelling around Ireland. Looking back over what I have written, it's gotten very long! I hope you all don't lose patience with me.</div><div><br />
</div><div>My father's family is mostly Irish, and my grandmother was entirely Irish (a Holland by birth, her parents both hailing from County Sligo) and fairly fierce about it. The family never did any of the typically Irish-American stuff though (other than being Catholic), but there was a true connection to Ireland that was a thread running through the family. My grandparents sent clothes to the poor Irish relations for years, and even visited in the 1960s. My father and two of his siblings had also visited our relations in Kilkenny and Sligo in the late 1970s, and Christmas cards were exchanged regularly. But most importantly, to my young bookworm self, my grandparents had a print of a WB Yeats poem, "<a href="http://www.printshopbunratty.com/">The Fiddler of Dooney,</a>" illustrated by Jack B Yeats, on their wall, and I knew that poem so well from visiting them and staring at it -- now it hangs in my parents' house, in the room I stay in when I visit. </div><div><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>"And dance like a wave of the sea."</i></span><br />
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</div><div>I first visited Ireland when I was fifteen, in 1998. I had imagined it for so long, and then I saw a poster advertising a home-stay visit for three weeks. I proposed it to my parents and they actually agreed! I had never travelled by myself before, and arriving in Ireland was extremely bewildering. The directors of the program had sent a nice young man to pick me up, and we got a taxi to the house I would be staying at. I remember the drive, and every time I have gone back to Dublin, we always drive down the same road and it feel like the years are just layering on top of each other as we pass the same shop signs hanging over narrow brick buildings with bright doors, with crowds of people packing the skinny sidewalk (or <i>path</i>, as they call it). What I recall the most was that this nice young man gave me directions from the house I was staying in to the center where the program was based, and he said I should turn left at the Pope. "The Pope?" I asked, knowing Ireland was very Catholic but not thinking the Pope just stood around giving directions. "Yeah," he said in his Dublin accent, "the pope. P-U-B: pope." The mystery was finally unravelled, and the next several weeks continued to present mysteries and differences and I kept working to figure them out. </div><div><br />
</div><div>Most of the other American teenagers who were there with me were more interested in trying to find ways to party, meet boys or girls, or establish cliques. I was just constantly trying to understand this new place, especially trying to reconcile it with my parents' memories of travelling around Ireland by bike in the 1970s, and with the stories told of my great-grandmothers' travails and hardships that forced them both to leave their family homes as young girls to come to America. In this city, the girls wanted Levi's, there was a giant bowling alley, and it turned out the family I was staying with didn't think St. Patrick was Catholic -- their last name was Byrd, and looking back with what I know now, that probably means that they were Protestants and had a dog in the fight. Something as simple as the fact that Patrick was a missionary for the Roman Church could not be taken for granted in Ireland when labels like Catholic and Protestant still put people very much on edge.</div><div><br />
</div><div>After the three weeks, during which I learned Irish history, music, dance, and culture, visited amazing sites like <a href="http://www.newgrange.com/">Newgrange</a>, learned how to surf in the freezing waters off of the coast of County Mayo, got a terrible headcold and cough, and was rained on every day. I was told by everyone that this was just a terrible summer, worst they'd ever had.... but every time I go to Ireland people tell me that, and I am starting to get suspicious.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-w9wxgnwUFd4/TXpyueHrUtI/AAAAAAAAARM/L9rNwTal8Ws/s1600/10435_548246567342_2100899_32274387_1400578_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-w9wxgnwUFd4/TXpyueHrUtI/AAAAAAAAARM/L9rNwTal8Ws/s320/10435_548246567342_2100899_32274387_1400578_n.jpg" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The church in Ennisnag, Co. Kilkenny where my great-great-grandmother is probably buried</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div>My parents and sister flew to join me after the program ended, and we travelled around Ireland by car for another two weeks, staying in hostels and the occasional B&B. My parents brought us to meet our cousins in Kilkenny -- my grandfather's first cousin and her six daughters. Katherine Murphy, nicknamed Bunny (she was born a Murphy and married a Murphy) was the daughter of my great-grandmother's brother, and she told us about the stepmother who had made my great-grandmother Margaret Murphy and her brother so miserable that Margaret left at sixteen for the US and moved in with her uncle in Philadelphia. Bunny has since died, and I'll always remember that even in the weeks before her death, her hair was still as black as ever, and never even touched with dye -- but I visit and stay with her daughters and grandchildren whenever I travel through Ireland. </div><div><br />
</div><div>We also saw our last relation left in Sligo that trip, the widow of my grandmother's first cousin. Sheila was amazing -- her memory for family stories was clear as a bell, and she knew the area so well, having grown up maybe a mile away. She still cooked with a turf-fired stove and lived in a little tiny cottage. She told us stories of walking home in the dark and hearing piercing cries that she was sure were the <i>bean sidhe</i> (banshee), and other stories of waiting until the tide as low enough to walk through the waters of the bay to the other side and save having to walk around it.</div><div><br />
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<i>A treasury I made to celebrate Irish women.</i></div><div><br />
</div><div>What I loved most about visiting Ireland was visiting relations and walking the same roads my great-grandmothers had walked, visiting the churches they had attended, and feeling that there was truly a past that I was connected to. That I wasn't just one person floating around in the world, but that there was a lineage that I was connected to. </div><div><br />
</div><div>My favorite part about going back is that my family and friends there always embrace me and say, "Welcome home."</div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Is mise le meas ,</span></span></div></div>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2157622235657010856.post-60676008513952270382011-03-09T20:07:00.000-08:002011-03-09T20:08:41.422-08:00New Creations, Photography Question, and a Recommendation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">A new pin in my <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/StitchingInCircles">etsy shop</a>! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I built a new photo-taking set-up to help me capture light better and create more neutral backdrops (which I will soon post about in detail), and took some great photos of some of my newest creations. This one is ready to find a new home!</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/69725514/pink-and-white-cotton-flower-pin"><img border="0" height="297" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mlhW4pqbbNY/TXhH2LqmzaI/AAAAAAAAARA/TaTPjsiu3Dw/s400/pinkstripelaceaa.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I really like this picture, and I have no idea how I captured the lightness of the layers of the pin. Photography is still kind of magic to me. Do you all think this is light and bright enough to be attractive to buyers? I lightened the exposure and brightened the colors a little; on my macbook it still looks kind of dim, but I don't want to slam it with everything photoshop offers for fear I might bleach it out entirely or fry it in neon.<br />
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The book serving as a prop is <a href="http://store.mcsweeneys.net/index.cfm/fuseaction/catalog.detail/object_id/b5a3086e-d85f-4461-8a20-ba07120fa575/McSweeneysIssue24.cfm">a very very awesome issue</a> of <a href="http://www.mcsweeneys.net/">McSweeney's Quarterly</a> that I picked up used on Clement St in San Francisco at <a href="http://www.greenapplebooks.com/">Green Apple Books</a> -- aka one of my top ten independent bookstores -- and it has two spines (!) . . . basically, there are two front covers and one back cover, and I love that book design and presentation can be so inventive.<br />
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I used to be kind of dismissive of McSweeney's because A) it was started by Dave Eggers, whose memoir title annoyed me, 2) it seemed kind of twee and precious, and iii) because I interned for a different San Francisco publisher and was miffed that Eggers's imprint got what I saw as outsized attention while the publisher I worked for did not (at the time, anyway). But, McSweeney's <a href="http://www.mcsweeneys.net/tendency/">Internet Tendency</a> totally changed my attitude, because that shit is funny (especially <a href="http://www.mcsweeneys.net/2009/10/20nissan.html">this one</a> -- warning: a LOT of obscenity deployed hilariously ahead), and mockery such as it dishes out soothed my ruffled feathers. I still am sort of "meh" about Eggers, but his projects have really had staying power and have actually made substantial impacts on his community and on publishing. And McSweeney's Quarterly is a seriously great literary journal, in my opinion.<br />
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Fellowship applications are due Friday and my dissertation is begging for attention, so I have had to reduce my time spent on such fun things as blogging and creating. Ah well, so it goes.</div>MDShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04664007262047544839noreply@blogger.com5