It's been a while since I posted an honest-to-goodness, what's-happening-in-my-life, housey-goals, writing-writing-writing sort of post.  Sometimes, I'm in the mood to write, and to share, and to talk it all out, but lately I've been more in the mood to just look at pretty pictures and repost them.  If you've been reading for a while, you know there's a lot that has been going on lately.

In the last two months, we moved, I quit my job and started a new one, I was the maid of honor at my oldest friend's wedding (no, that's not me in the picture).  And oh jeez, I've written about this before. We had houseguests and plants and a trip to Washington for Will's grandmother's 90th birthday.  I had my first paid freelance writing job (more on that when I'm legally allowed to disclose information - the product hasn't been released yet).  I fell behind on my unpaid freelance writing.  We still haven't finished unpacking.  I went to IKEA and ordered curtains from Cost Plus, and due to some sort of terrible measuring, I have to go return things to IKEA and re-order curtains from Cost Plus.  The fun, it never ends!

Life is as it is, though, right?  The good and the bad and the being fall-asleep bored and the being so busy you don't know what to do with yourself.  It all happens, and it all happens together.

For now, I make lists.  Of things I want to write, and of things I want to do, and of things I want to share.  I have so many recipes stacked up in my mind that if I just quit it all and did nothing but cook and bake every single day I'd have enough recipes to keep me going for at least a year.  I had this whole "when we move, I'll be better at making healthy food" thing going, except then we actually moved, and I was drowning in cardboard, and the last thing I wanted to do was shop and bring MORE into the house (or cook and make a bigger mess), so we've been eating out or ordering in a lot.  Much more frequently than we used to.  Not good for the body, not good for the wallet.  I also said that "once we move, I'll exercise more," except then I got tired from unpacking, and the gym was no longer on my way home, and I came up with all kinds of excuses to go home and sit on the couch.

All this is to say that sometimes we make goals for ourselves that we don't reach, even if they seem totally reasonable and achievable.  Sometimes we need to remind ourselves, in public, online, that we had things we wanted to do.  Sometimes the goals need specific, attainable, trackable elements to them (ie: "I will exercise 3x per week every week"), but I find those goals to be a little hard in my real life.  If I am too specific, I put too much pressure on myself, and don't cut myself enough slack when life gets in the way.  There's something kind of reassuring about softer goals, goals that you set just to remind yourself of the path you're choosing to walk.  While there are definite benefits to concrete objectives, general lifestyle goals can be helpful too, I think.

Here are mine:

• Cook more.  Healthier, fresher, with more frequency.  Substitute white spelt flour for A/P flour the next time I buy (thanks, Shanna)
• Take a ballet class, starting Wednesday of next week (I miss ballet - it's exercise, and it makes me happy)
• Regularly go to yoga, starting Thursday of next week (good for the body, good for the mind)
• Share more recipes on the blog
• Post something about our patio garden and the weird white spots on the squash plant's leaves
• Knit, even though it's not cold yet (my next project is for charity)
• Finish unpacking, but don't stress out about it.  But finish soon, because it's time for Fall decorations.

So there you have it.  Some goals, and some brain-dump.  

It's French Week at The Kitchn, and they posted about
French-influenced kitchen design. Beautiful. 

One more pretty French  kitchen from TheKitchn

Too hot for an original post topic. So here are some pretty kitchens.

In case you didn't know, it's really hot today.  Where I am, at least.  And where all my Los Angeles people are, at least.  Lordy, lordy, it's hot.

Beat the heat by looking at some pretty kitchens?  Sure.  This recent post from Young House Love has so many wonderful pictures, I figured I'd just link you to the post.  Check it out, because they are some crisp, white, lovely kitchens! Ok fine, I'll show you one.

See? So pretty!

via The Kitchen, and check out the link because the other
pictures are just as gorgeous.

via The Kitchn, Latin American kitchens

via The Kitchn, this one's in San Francisco!
Covet covet covet...

via The Kitchn,
Martha Stewart cabinets from Home Depot.
Y'all know I love a good organized cabinet.

My friend Gabe was right; I absolutely tend to love photos with loads of natural light.  I'm a California girl, to be sure.  And growing up in the San Fernando Valley has taught me to embrace today's 90 degree weather...because at least it's not 113 up here in San Francisco!

What are you doing to beat the heat?  Do you have any kitchen renovation or redecoration plans underway? Do you love to peek into pretty kitchens too?

Delightful

Emily posts beautiful pictures over at Emmaterial; these are a few of my recent favorites.  They just make me feel like sunshine, you know?

Q&A

Josey from My Cheap Version of Therapy tagged me in a little Q&A blog thing, which couldn't have come at a better time. I was home sick today, recovering from a little stomach bug I happened to get on the night before the wedding this weekend. Between being busy and being sick, I just haven't blogged much in the last week. And yes, I was home sick on my second day of work (which, by the way, so far so good). Thankfully, I'm feeling much better this evening, and finally have some food in my stomach!

Also, since I just started, I didn't have a crazy inbox full of urgent demands. I spent the day researching ideas for the office redesign I am working on, and hopefully tomorrow I'll just be able to pick up the training where we left off. :)

Without further ado, Josey's questions!

1) What is your dream occupation?
I want to work in Human Resources, specifically in the areas of new hire onboarding and employee training and development. And ideally, once I have kids someday, I'd love to work from home a couple of days a week (we're talking dreams, right?). When I see friends of mine going back to work full time just a couple of months after giving birth, it makes me sad, and I'd love to be able to have a flexible enough schedule so that I'm not away from my kids 50 hours a week.

2) How many children (if any!) do you want?
Two, I think. But not for another 5 years or so at least!

3) What's your favorite memory from high school?
So many memories, and it seems like so long ago. I think my favorite memories are of the little things, like running to our cars and jetting to McDonald's to grab burgers in the 20 minutes between the final bell and play rehearsal. Or "12-hour Day" pins, where each cast member of the play wears a safety pin on his/her clothes to signify the first day we spent 12 hours on campus due to rehearsals (we felt so exclusive and cool). Or choir trips to San Francisco and Boston, winning trophies that we could show off when we got back (our football teams never won anything!).

4) What's the craziest thing you've ever done?
I honestly don't think anything I've done would be considered "crazy" by any normal standards. Once I drank 12 mimosas at Cafe Biere (over the course of about 5 hours)...um...I rode Splash Mountain at Disneyland three times in a row when there was no line? Yeah, I'm exciting, I know.

5) Who is your idol and why?
Gosh, I don't think I actually have an idol. I love Tina Fey though, and pretty much want to be her, even though I don't want her career.

6) If you could go back and change one decision you've made in your life, would you? If you're comfortable with it, please share the decision!
As cliche as it sounds, I don't really have any do-overs on my list. I have a lot of want-to-dos on my list, but not a lot of wish-i-hadn'ts.

7) Stilettos or flip flops?
Oh, flip flops all the way. One million percent of the time.

8) What's the #1 place in the world that you'd like to travel to and why?
I would really like to do a grand Europe tour. I'd love to go to Italy and Greece, and I've been thinking lately that it would be cool to go to Russia...and I'd love to go back to France. Any place with good food, really. ;-)

And a little freebie to make up for the fact that I'm not passing this on (sorry!) - this is my favorite photo from our friend Corinne's cell phone pictures from the wedding. Reed is just glowing (and it's not just the camera filter) as her sister Emma fixes her hair after the ceremony. It was such a beautiful day - and I don't think I've ever seen her so happy! I'll post more pictures as they show up on Facebook and such.

Can Anyone Identify?

It's almost time to decorate for Fall (and y'all know how I love that), and I have at least three recipes I want to try like, yesterday, but I cannot focus on that because we still have a few boxes to unpack.  I just can't bring more stuff into the house (or take decorations out of their boxes) until there are clear surfaces on which to put them.  I have a pile of papers to file, and stacks of things to go through, and right now, the idea of decorating for Fall makes me feel more stressed than excited.  This does not a happy me make.

I think the next few nights after work are going to be spent cleaning, decluttering, and cleaning some more.  Figuring out where some stuff is going on the walls and putting it there.  It's time, people.  It's time.

Am I the only one (aside from you, mom) that needs to get fully settled (and cleaned up) to really feel relaxed and comfortable?  Is it weird that I feel like I can't embrace the tiny pumpkins without feeling stressed out, simply because we have boxes to unpack and stuff on the tables?  I just don't want to bring anything else into a messy house, if that makes sense.

But ah...Fall decorations just make me so damn happy...seeing those adorable little gourds and stalks of wheat in the grocery store might just be the motivation I need to get this shiz done already.

A Feast For The Eyes

It's gotten to that point again, where I have amassed a little collection of "keep unread" items in my Google Reader.  Pictures that I want to share but don't have time to blog the first time around.  I save them until I can't take it anymore and I just have to free them from my Reader and share them with you.  Because they are always so pretty.  And I love to dream of clean, colorful, wonderful kitchens.  And what better way to start off the weekend than by looking at pretty pictures?  (ok, maybe drinking a beer and curling up on the couch with a movie...but that comes next)

Mostly kitchens, with a little bit of cozy thrown in at the end.  Covet, covet, covet.

via The Kitchn

via The Kitchn

via The Kitchn

via Young House Love

via Emmaterial

via Emmaterial

via Lovely Little Things

L'Shana Tova!

That's Happy New Year to all the Gentiles out there.  Tonight marks the start of the Jewish New Year, and as we enter the year of 5771, I just want to wish everyone a wonderful, safe, happy and healthy new year.

For me, the New Year is marking a lot of changes - the new job, the still-sort-of-new apartment, and my oldest friend's wedding, to name a few.  I'm sure there will be more along the way, so here's to celebrating and embracing the New!

Tomorrow, my sister comes to visit, and we'll eat apples and honey and the round challah I bought at my neighborhood Jewish bakery.  A little celebration to start things off right!

And soon...so many pretty HouseLust pictures to share, oh my goodness.

Shana Tova!

Save ComedySportz, and a Giveaway

Hi Friends,

This post bears bad news.  ComedySportz Los Angeles is in trouble, and they need help.  At this point, they are planning on closing their doors at the end of October, after 22 years of continuous performances (it is the longest running show in Los Angeles).  I can't even begin to explain how deeply my heart sank when I received an email from the theatre explaining that the lousy economy is finally taking its toll on the theatre.

Let me explain.  I first heard about ComedySportz in high school, when I discovered that a friend's high school had a High School League team at their school.  ComedySportz is improvisational comedy played as a team sport (think Whose Line Is It Anyway? but better) - two teams compete for audience laughs, performing scenes based on audience suggestions.  There's turf, a referee, fouls, and uniforms.  Every show is different, and a lot of fun, but it also a wonderful learning tool for its players.  

Soon after learning about ComedySportz, I talked to my school's theatre director and we decided to bring CSz HSL to our school.  I organized a team, my friend Taylor was the assistant coach, and the rest is history.  We competed against local high schools, attended trainings, and had professional coaching from the ComedySportz pros.  Personally, I know I learned how to be a good team member, how to think creatively and how to present myself with confidence even when I felt nervous or when put on the spot.  My friend Danny said it better (here), but I can say from experience that improvisation teaches many valuable skills, and ComedySportz Los Angeles provides unbelievable opportunities for students at all levels.

After high school, I wanted to continue my ComedySportz education (and fun!), and though I was working for the theatre part-time as a ticket-taker/concessions girl, there weren't many opportunities for those of us in between high school and the professional league.  My friend Nick (a leader in his high school's program) and I met with the directors and decided to start a College League.  I'm proud to say that the College League is still going strong, and that other shows have developed as well (including the hit high school spoof, The High).  Even after my schedule got too hectic for regular practices, I continued to stay connected to the theatre, attending shows and keeping tabs on my second family.

This theatre company has been a huge part of my life for the last ten years, and the thought of its closure makes my heart hurt.  I've seen them grow from a tiny company, sharing a tiny theatre with other theatre companies to having their own two room, multi-functional, beautiful theatre space.  I honestly can't talk about it without welling up with tears, because people, this place was home.  Reading comments from other fans and former "actletes"reminds me that I'm not alone.  So many people have been positively affected by ComedySportz Los Angeles, and it would be a real loss to the community for it to simply disappear.

The good news is that they may be able to stave off closure if they sell enough tickets for upcoming shows, and they are selling heavily discounted ticket packages right now. They're not asking for handouts; they're just asking you to buy tickets to the show.  You can see more information about their current situation and how you can help here.  If you are in Los Angeles, I strongly urge you to go.  It is a guaranteed good time, seriously (and the fouls guarantee a family-friendly good time).  If you've never been to a show, now is your chance!  If you have been in the past, but not recently, well here's your change to save a wonderful company from going under.  

Now obviously, I am not in Los Angeles, and I know many of you are not either.  If you still want to help, you can donate via the donation button on their Loyal Fans website.  OR, you can buy a ticket package and give it away to a friend in Los Angeles, or donate it to ComedySportz Los Angeles to give away on your behalf.

I don't often reach out to my readers on behalf of other causes, but this is so close to my heart, I feel compelled to help however I can. To kick things off, I am giving away a 4-ticket pack.  You can gather three friends and go to a show together, go to four shows yourself, or give them away to family or friends in the Los Angeles area!  It's up to you.  

To enter, just leave a comment below.  I'll choose a winner on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 (enter by 11:59pm on Tuesday, September 7th).  

Thank you for listening, and for helping if you can.  If you are at all moved, or care about sustaining theatre and helping out an incredible arts program, please spread the word.

Most Sincerely,

Kim

More on those tomato bugs!

Thanks to the macro setting on my camera, I've taken some up close and personal shots of the bugs that are currently inhabiting my tomato plants.  Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Bonjour! Je suis une buggy bug!  J'adore les tomates!
(I have decided that he is French)

The little buggy colony.  There are clusters like this on most leaves.

The poor, adorable, vulnerable tomatoes.
They're just starting to turn yellow.

And just for fun - I've got three blossoms on the squash starter
plant I bought at Whole Foods! Yum yum yum!

And because I didn't give a wide-angle shot in the previous post,
this is what the patio currently looks like. It needs a little work,
but it's getting there!

A lovely porch

I know Wisteria can be a pain in the butt, but look how gorgeous it looks on this porch.  I drove by this house about a week ago and was so taken by its charm that I had to stop the car and take a picture.  Just lovely.

I told you there was news...

You may have noticed that over the last few days, I've begun to use Disqus as the commenting interface on this little blog o'mine.  It's not just because I've suddenly gone fancy on you and decided to veer away from the commenting interface that comes pre-installed with every Blogger blog.  No, my friends, it is because as of September 20, I will be working for the small-but-mighty tech startup!  You heard me, new job!

I'll be starting out as their Office Manager, while also taking on some more General Manager-y tasks and helping to develop their internal Human Resources programming.  They are a true San Francisco tech startup in the sense that their staff is comprised mostly of engineers, and the time has come for the company to hire someone to manage the day to day workings of the office while helping to build a solid foundation for growth.  Enter: Kim.

I am beyond excited about this opportunity, which seems like a great combination of using my current skills in office management, organization and communications while developing myself as a Human Resources professional (ooh fancy).  Some of the things they have expressed an immediate need for assistance with are New Hire Onboarding (a particular passion of mine), Office Organization (both physical and structural), and Corporate Culture - they are expanding from what was once a small group of buddies building a product and want to ensure they maintain a consistent message (including training, communications, and general environment) while they grow.  So yeah.  All things that sound great to me.

And oh, did I mention that the office has a ton of windows? One of the hardest things for me about working at the recording studio is the lack of natural light; I didn't realize how much better I feel when I can see the sky.  I will also be commuting via public transportation, and will be getting about two miles of walking in a day, including a nice 10 minutes or so walking lakeside on my way to and from the BART station.  I'm also planning on going back to school part time to earn my Certification in Human Resources Management through the UC Berkeley Extension program.  I recently attended an information session, and was absolutely thrilled at the prospect of taking these classes.  I haven't been this excited about the prospect of going to school since I started my Freshman year at UCLA.

Sorry to tease for so long about the news, but if you're following me on Twitter, you got some of the information already.  :)  And a big hello to my new coworkers, some of whom helped me get Disqus going on my blog (hi, Giannii), and some of whom have been making me feel welcome via Twitter.

Quitting my job was difficult, and there are definitely things and people I will miss when I'm not at the Studios anymore, but I am very excited about this next step in my career.  I'll keep you posted!

A Winner!

Congratulations to DG, who is the lucky winner of the latest $30 CSN Stores Giveaway!  Thanks to everyone who entered and shared your happy thoughts - they really brightened up my inbox (and my days).  Hopefully CSN will offer another giveaway soon, but until then, happy reading! :-)

A Patio Garden

As you might remember, our new apartment has a fabulous patio.  The view is...of the building next door.  BUT, it is spacious and sun-lit, and is really quite lovely.  We've made quite a little transformation to it since moving in, and I figured it was time to share.  :)

Before we moved in (as landlords were moving out)

Working on a little dead-root-excavation project.
That thing was intense.

The patio garden as it currently stands.
Ignore the lanterns on the ground because
I haven't figured out how to hang them yet.

Tomatoes (were already growing in this pot)
and yellow squash (starter plant bought at Whole Foods).
They can live together, right?

The zucchini plants I started from seeds.  Just a couple weeks
and they're as big as the starter squash plant!  Hope they don't
outgrow the pot too soon...

Just for fun, a little houseplant progress. I've moved this dude
outside for now, because I don't know where to put him in
the apartment, and I think he likes the sunshine for now.

Remember when he was only this big?

So yes.  On our patio we have:

• 1 Dwarf Meyer Lemon Tree
• 4 basil plants (one good, three clippings from a dying plant that I'm trying to rejuvenate)
• 1 mint plant, 1 oregano plant, 1 parsley plant (all sort of not liking the recent heat wave)
• 2 tomato plants (left by the landlords, sort of dying, trying to save them)
• 1 yellow squash
• 1 pot full of zucchini.  

We also have two houseplants, a dusty miller that somehow perseveres though it is constantly threatening death, and a little pot in which I've planted one of those "this business card is embedded with seeds. plant it and have pretty flowers" cards - so far, no blooms.  Maybe it's too old?

And lastly, a plea for aid: Today I noticed these weird little bugs hanging out on one of the tomato plants.  Does anyone out there know what they are and how to get rid of them without harmful chemicals?

Please don't eat my tomatoes!

Not Yet

Oh, boy do I ever have some big exciting news to announce (which, erm, if you follow me on Twitter you might already know about).  But not yet.  First, kitchens. If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you know that I love a good kitchen picture.  Lusting over cabinets, back splash patterns and counter tops is one of my favorite daydream activities.  Don't get me wrong; I love my new kitchen.  I love the openness and the counter space and the garbage disposal.  I love the fridge and the dishwasher and the fact that I can see out into the living room from the sink, even though its "bar" is littered with random odds and ends we've unpacked but not yet put away.

But of course, beautiful kitchens still catch my eye, and there are quite a few that I've been saving to share when I have that elusive "more time" we're always talking about.  I'm finding myself with a few spare minutes, so without further ado...the kitchens of my recent daydreams:

via The Kitchn

via TheKitchn

via TheKitchn

via TheKitchn

via TheKitchn

via TheKitchn

Just lovely.  And oh yeah, don't forget to enter the $30 CSN Stores Giveaway!  Contest ends Sunday at 11:59pm (PST).

Could it be? Another CSN Stores Giveaway?

I'm feeling pretty lucky these days. Many things are going well, which I will tell you about soon, I promise, but for now, I will share the luck and tell you that CSN Stores contacted me again about doing yet another wonderful giveaway! Hooray! In case you don't remember, you can get just about anything from the stores in CSN's network...I am particularly interested in their dutch ovens right about now.

One lucky reader will receive a $30 promotional code to be used at any one of their (over 200!) stores, and you can apply the $30 towards a more expensive purchase if you want, too.

How do you enter? Simply comment on this post and tell me something that makes you happy. It can be a joke, a product, a story, anything. Summer has finally arrived in the Bay Area, and I'm in a good mood today, so just say something nice and happy and help spread the sunshine. :-)

For extra entries, you can tweet this giveaway, or mention it anywhere else online (facebook, your blog, etc). Just leave a comment for each extra thing you do. For example, if you comment a happy thing and tweet the contest, you'd leave two comments. Easy peasy? I think so.

Happy entering!

Ed Note: Thanks to Carolsue for pointing out that I didn't post an end date for this contest.  Contest ends at 11:59pm, PST, on Sunday August 29!  Get those entries in, and spread the word!

Spammy comment!

I got some very spammy-looking comments on old blog posts today, which is funny because I have anti-spam measures in place! That little "captcha" phrase you have to type when you comment is supposed to stop spammers, because they are likely bots and not people.  Does this mean spammers are getting more creative?  I've posted the spammy comments (since removed from my blog) below, because it was just too funny to keep to myself, and I've removed the potentially hazardous links.  Enjoy.

kimberly has left a new comment on your post "A warning against Vistaprint":

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kimberly has left a new comment on your post "Squishables":

This blogs is absolutely amazing!!! i really liked, i think all the information contained in this blog are very useful and very interesting. i really enjoyed reading. i am very curious for everything, usually i want to know new things. this is the reason why i like to know.

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20-Something or other

There is a really interesting article in the NY Times Magazine today about 20-somethings and the universal struggle to find your way towards adulthood in this weird space between college and Being A Grown Up.  It's nothing new; people have been talking about this for ages - I know it's a conversation I've had with my peers more than once over the last few years.  For me, turning 20 was shocking.  Even though I was still in college, I had this sudden sense of "Holy cow. I'm supposed to be growing up now."  It seemed like once I hit 20, I was supposed to Get Serious, and think about a Career Path.  And I had no idea what I was doing.


Growing up, my parents always told me I could be whatever I wanted to be when I grew up. They supported me, whether I was serving bagels or belting out showtunes, and were proud when I received my degree in Theater.  I was incredibly lucky.  My mom stressed that when she graduated from college, there were fewer options for women.  Now, she said, I could do anything.  Our generation is lucky; most of us are taught from a young age that we can do more, be more, expect more than our mothers and grandmothers could.   We are to follow our passions, but finding and pursuing them is another story.  


Being blessed with many interests and the opportunities to pursue them doesn't necessarily translate into finding Your One True Passion, and even when you figure out what "it" is, finding the time, energy and financial means to make it your life's work is tricky.  A 25-year old quoted in the article says that “there is pressure to make decisions that will form the foundation for the rest of your life in your 20s. It’s almost as if having a range of limited options would be easier.”  It's like she read my mind.  


I have thought about this a lot in the last few years, particularly when I was unemployed.  The downside to having so much freedom and seemingly limitless opportunity was the pressure to eventually pick something.  Alas, how are we ever to settle down if we are encouraged to keep looking?  That's the trend these days (erm, among the privileged, middle-class, etc.), though, right?  Go to college, experiment, work lots of different jobs until you find something that fits.  Volunteer, take on hobbies and extra-curricular clubs until you feel something stirring inside you.  Turn that into a full time job.  Just like that.  


I suppose careers are like relationships in that regard. You try out a bunch of different jobs (or partners), learning little things about yourself along the way.  You tweak what you love and hate into what you can live with and what you can't live without.  You learn where you can compromise, and where you find fulfillment.  And hopefully, you end up with something that combines a couple of your interests with something you feel good about.


Anyway, this article didn't really tell me anything new, but it was interesting to read.  I don't know about you other 20-somethings out there, but I find it's nice to be reminded that I'm not alone on this journey of Emerging Adulthood.  We are all struggling and creating and building and growing and developing and learning and figuring it out as we go along.  And (shhh) I don't think this journey ever really ends. 

What Do You Do With Magazines?

Ok, readers. I am in a bit of a conundrum here, and I need help.  Hi.  My name is Kim, and I am a Magazine Hoarder.  I owe a special thanks to Dooce (and this post) for reminding me of this particular affliction...oh, and the fact that we just moved.  Nothing like moving to show you how much crap many awesome magazines you have, right?

For the last 3 years or so, I have made fun of Will for his overwhelming collection of New Yorker magazines. For those unfamiliar, the New Yorker comes weekly, and is a very dense read. The only way I can keep up with the subscription is to read it on my lunch break, for an hour, almost every day of the week. Obviously, I do not do this every week, so I miss out on a lot of articles.  He reads less often than I do, but he reads more articles (I tend to skip things I don't find particularly thrilling while he reads cover to cover), and the moral of the story is that we have approximately 50923852398572948 copies of this lovely magazine, many unread.

About two years ago, we organized them into two boxes: Already Read (and saving for some reason) and Partially or Not At All Read (and saving to read, obvi).  Plus the pile of the most recent four or five (or ten) issues that always land on tables or by the bed.  So yeah.  A lot.  We've talked about just saving the covers of some of them for a mysterious magazine cover project he will some day do (Wallpapering a room? I don't know), but for now, they sit in their pretty plastic boxes waiting for something to happen.

But I digress. I was supposed to be writing about MY Magazine Hoarding (though one could argue that one of the reasons his are still around is that I don't want to be a hypocrite).  The point of all that babble was that after three years of making fun of him, he finally got to turn the tables and mock my own MH (see how I abbreviated it? Like it's a real disease?).  You see, when we moved, he discovered my hidden stash of Real Simple magazines, tucked away on the bottom shelf of the bookshelf, the view of which had been obstructed by the couch.  Whoops.  Oh, honey, you didn't know that I haven't thrown away a single issue since I began subscribing a few years ago?  I never mentioned that?  I did also have approximately 15-20 back issues of BUST, but I donated those to someone on Freecycle when we moved (I knew I wouldn't go back to read them again, lots is available online, and I had a moment of awesome  will power).

Since I am currently at a standstill in the War of the Magazines, I look to you, dear readers, for advice.  I should probably just put of my beloved Real Simples all in a box and donate them somewhere or recycle them or something.  Most of the content is available online nowadays, and though I say I'm saving them for the awesome tips and recipes, I'm sure you know that I have never once opened a back issue to look something up.  The (delicious) Real Simple recipes we've made have all been from the most recent issues that are sitting on the table.  The plan I've thought of for moving forward is to never keep more than two issues out at a time.  When a new one comes, the oldest one on the table gets recycled, and if there's anything I want to save, I must do it then and there.

BUT - do I just start that now and get rid of the other 30 or so magazines that look so pretty in their white magazine holders (with their perfect white spines with pops of colored lettering)?  Or do I take the time to go through each one, tearing and saving things that I truly want to keep (and storing them neatly in an organized Real Simple binder of my own creation?

There's something appealing about just purging them all and starting fresh, but I've hoarded saved for so long, it's hard to imagine not clipping all those "for someday" articles.  This seems like it will take an enormous amount of time and may not actually be worth it in the long run, though it could be fun.  Maybe?  I might just need an intervention.

What do you think?

Presenting...The Lincolnsaber

My friend Nick is having a rough day, and posted the following on Facebook: "Someone photoshop a picture of Abraham Lincoln with a lightsaber for me, please. That's the only thing that could cheer me up today."

Ok, Nick. I accept your challenge. I'm always looking for quick exercises to improve my Photoshop skills, and if I can cheer up a friend in the meantime, well then it's a double-win (not to be confused with a double-rainbow). This wasn't particularly challenging, as the lightsaber was already available as a free .psd file, but it was fun to make!

I liked the results so much that I decided to share them with the rest of the internet - or the slice of internet that reads my little blog, anyway. Enjoy. I hope this brightens your Thursday.

Lincolnsaber

Legalish Note: Both images (Lincoln and Lightsaber) are from Google Images - I do not in any way mean to harm the original posters of the photos, nor will I be profiting from these images. Just trying to make a friend smile. :)

Ed note: Nick just emailed me with the following photo. Do you have your own Lincolnsaber photo to share? Link it in the comments!

The First Round of the Pictures...

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the whole "we're all settled and unpacked" situation, because, well, life got in the way, and sometimes there are more important things to do than unpack every single box (thanks, Will, for reminding me that it doesn't all have to be done yesterday).

I was finally able to upload some pictures from Moving Day though, so here you go...some pictures of our empty, clean, beautiful new apartment!

The view from the kitchen sink (how appropriate).
The nicest landlords ever left us flowers.
And Triple Karm.

The view from the living room (remember all those "from the couch"
pictures I've been posting? Well, this is what it looks like empty).

I don't know why Blogger won't let me import this picture
vertically, so you'll just have to turn your head. Or not.
Pretty floor.

Having a hallway makes the apartment feel more spacious.
Also, it's 200 sq feet bigger than our last place.
That could help.

The view of the living room from the dining area...you can kind
of see the patio out back.  It's nice.

 

Me saying a blurry bye-bye to our old place.
Yes, I painted it myself (with help).

A celebratory mimosa-filled brunch with cousins.
Not pictured: Will
Guess who was the designated driver?
Hint: he was also the designated photographer.

So there you have it.  Moving Day 2010.  We are about 2/3 of the way unpacked at this point, which at only 10 days into the month is not half bad (get it? because it's more than half? I slay me). Last night, I closed the linen closet door for the first time, which I'll count as a small measure of success. I'd like to be fully unpacked and settled in by the end of the month, but I am also trying to work on just relaxing and not stressing about a few more boxes.  Because (and maybe you know this already) there is more to life than that.  Such as: walks around the lake, photo shoots with Em the Gem, seeing my favorite 10-year old in a play, and last-minute trips to Cafe Biere for Taco Tuesday (if it seems like we're there a lot...well...we have been going a lot in the last two weeks. so you're right).

You know what?  It's all going to be ok.  :-)