planning ahead... for once

so, last weekend i purchased my first sewing machine. it is beautiful. it is heavy. it is attached to a table that it folds into for convenience. it is from 1954. (it's also pink. go figure.) after picking up my sweet machine, i proceeded to joann fabrics and got the pattern and fabric to make pyjamas for the whole family for christmas.
this year, the idea is to make the gift-giving/buying/receiving process a little simpler. fewer gifts, but more awesomeness. so i've been trying to think up gift ideas that are either hand made, or absolutely timeless, or very personal. because gift shopping for ellie has gotten complicated. she's 9, going on 10, but that's not the same as when i was 9. it's an awkward age for toys. she's too old for most toys, and all the others seem tacky, sexist, or brain-killing. (i'm talking barbies and video games, here. gah!) so, aside from the obvious things like books and clothes, what is an awesome gift idea? do you remember the best present you ever received? what made it so awesome?
i will say... we're contemplating getting a puppy. i'd be the mom of the year...

new house?

I'm anxiously awaiting a call back from the landlord of the house I really really want. I've got the paint colors all picked out, and plans for a swingset in the back yard. Cross your fingers, say a prayer, send positive engergy, and wish me luck! If I get it, a house-warming will be in order.

cable, internet, or both?

Ever since my sister moved out, we've been cable and internet free. And it sucks. So we're writing our budget for when we move, and trying to decide if cable and/or internet should be included. It would be nice to not have to bring my laptop to the bookstore every day if I want to check my e-mail. It would also be nice to be able to watch Cupcake Wars, Top Model, and The Mighty Boosh again. So which do I miss more? Neither are actually necessities... but I think I need them.
p.s. If you know anyone with a sewing machine they don't want, let me know.

urban pioneers!

So, we've been house-hunting, looking for a slightly nicer house, with extremely nicer neighbors. After searching and searching, and wanting to punch craigslist in the face, we may have found the one. Just turned in the rental app today. As soon as I walked in (well, almost as soon... had to get past that pink paint first!) I started daydreaming about painting, decorating, house-warming, and all the other things that I can do in a brand new house. Like expanding on our already odd tendency to do things ourselves. We make our own pickles. We preserved and canned blueberries. Brewed beer. Our first attempt at cheese failed, but I'm game to try again. My theory is the more I do myself, the more independent I can be. I am not a handy person, not particularly good with tools, nor am I an outdoorsy, country type. I like living in the city, but I want a root cellar. I want to get an old Mercedes, and make my own bio-diesel. (Seriously, I'm trying to convince Logan that this is a great idea.) All this in the name of making life simpler. By simpler I mean affected less by marketing, packaging, all the ways we consume in unhealthy ways. Anyway, the few small things I've tried to do myself have been empowering, and I'm on the lookout for new ideas. Got any good ones? I'm thinking about buying a sewing machine and some vintage Vogue patterns...

Book Review: better late than never

Due to leaving the computer at work, debilitating migraines, compulsive house-hunting, and Zelda walk-throughs for Ellie, I am super-late on this post! But to be honest, it's also because I didn't know what to say about this book. Haruki Murakami's Underground. It was such an emotional book, and it caught me off guard. For a while, I just didn't know what to say. When I started this book, I didn't even know what it was about, and you probably don't either, so I'll give you some back-story. On March 20 of 1995, a cult called Aum released a toxic gas in the subway system in Tokyo. The gas was sarin, which has been classified as a weapon of mass destruction by the UN. Hundreds of people were injured, and several died. Obviously, a book with domestic terrorism as its subject matter would be pretty sad. However, Murakami knows how to get under your skin with the story. Should I be calling this a story? It's actually a series of interviews, interspersed with Murakami's own thoughts. The interviews are of people who were on the subway that day. Details about their lives, their families, everything they saw or tasted or smelled. How it's still affecting their lives now. It's so personal, so intimate, that I sometimes felt like I was intruding. And then come the interviews with the Aum cult members... and they are pretty personal, as well. And more than a little uncomfortable. Even though there are plenty of instances of absolute idiocy in the Aum interviews, there are just as many that I could empathize with, if not relate to on a personal level. All in all, it's an interesting window into Japanese culture, and a window into all of human culture: how we see eachother, how we hurt eachother, the ways we grieve, and the places we find comfort.
I wish I had more to say about it, but I think I'll be processing this book for a while. Read it, and let me know what you think!
Tomorrow, farmer's market and canning!

the days are warm and the nights are young:

Ah, what a day! After having a crazy morning, I decided that Logan and I should hit the lake. And we got lost. Twice. Just when Logan was suggesting that we just head home, and I was beginning to dissolve into tears at the loss of a lovely day off, I saw the sign (!) for the road we'd been searching for. Aptly named "Lake Road." So overjoyed was I, that I laid back on the sandy beach and closed my eyes... and didn't finish my book. So the review will be here tomorrow, I pinky-swear!
For tonight, I shall be choosing a few records

from the collection,


making some tea, and relaxing a little longer :)

In the beginning...

Have you ever read anything by Haruki Murakami? My sister got me his book Kafka on the Shore, and it was pretty incredible. I'm getting ready to start Underground, which is a true account of the Tokyo gas attack. I know nothing about it. I'm super-excited, as I usually am when beginning a new book. In a couple of days, I'll be giving you a little review of it.
I'm also going to be searching the web, and asking friends, for good canning recipes. Some of my pals and I made an attempt at making pickles, and I just tried one out. It was crazy good! I think we shall next tackle apple butter. If you have any suggestions or recipes, pass 'em on! I'm interested in doing canning seasonally, so what's in season that you know how to can?