January Blur

Posted on January 17, 2008 by Girl Friday

It’s been a while since I sat down to properly write anything.  I have missed you, dearest blog.  But I confess I couldn’t think of anything to write about.

After the whirlwind of December and vacation in the beginning of January, life feels rather anticlimatic.  Reality is crushing…sitting in my office, dealing with monotony, you know—the usual.  I try to spice things up with the Girl Friday equivalent of resolutions.  I don’t make resolutions, because I know I can’t usually keep them, but I do try to do things differently that need changing!

More exercise is always a good thing, and so is not eating like a frat boy with the munchies.  I attempt to be a domestic goddess, make sound financial decisions, and take my vitamins.  In essence, I try to be a fully actualized adult.

How’s that working out, you ask?

  • I’m hitting the pilates mat and treadmill a few times a week.
  • I made a chicken pot pie from scratch.  (Okay, I cheated on the crust.)  I didn’t eat it one sitting.
  • I cleaned out my savings account to buy a new car.
  • I still forget to take my vitamins.

Well, two out of the four is not so bad.  How is everyone else doing so far in 2008?

Posted in Life, Listmaking | 2 Comments

It Don’t Snow Here, It Stays Pretty Green

Posted on December 24, 2007 by Girl Friday

It’s Christmas Eve and I’m just sitting here after my meal of take out spaghetti and meatballs wondering what I can say…  I wasn’t feeling totally in the holiday spirit this week.  Typical of most holidays was that things have not gone as planned.  Try as I might to be organized, there were some snafus and in Girl Friday fashion I’ve done my best to take them with grace and aplomb.  (Read:  I panicked and then proceeded to talk things to death.)  But now I’m really enjoying my time off.  I’m reading Harry Potter, sipping wine, and I’m not in a hurry for anything!

With so much leisure time on my hands I thought I’d impart some silly things that I learned lately:

1.  Jessica Simpson only has 48 fans!  Apparently my blog gets more people excited than her latest flick Blonde Ambition.  I bet the Gilmore girls would rent this and gorge themselves on Tater Tots, Easy Mac, and Red Vines.  I’d need at least that much junk food to be persuaded to sit and watch it!

2.  I finally learned about Boxing Day!  When I say learn I mean I now have a vague idea as opposed to not an inkling.  Basically, what I got from Snopes is that Boxing Day is a much more convenient way to say “the day after Christmas.”  It seems like every day in the month of December is described in relation to Christmas and that’s just really not fair to all those unique days that also only happen once a year.  I’m not sure how I’d go about observing the holiday, but since I live in the U.S. and don’t get the day off anyway I think I’ll just be a party pooper.

3.  Apparently curling is a sport.  Seriously.  I’d never heard of it until yesterday’s Korbel Curling Challenge on NBC.  (Why a champagne company would want to sponsor this I don’t know!?)  It’s an Olympic sport, and according to the sportscaster, it’s more popular in Canada than ice skating or hockey!  I find this hard to believe, because to me it looks like a cross between bowling and pushing dust busters and brooms across the ice.

I’m glad I have this time off to catch up on my random facts.  I hope you, my loyal readers (according to my daily stats–about 126 of you), found this post and all the others during 2007 fun and fabulous.

Merry Christmas!

Posted in Listmaking, Random | 2 Comments

A Fabulous Mixed Bag

Posted on December 13, 2007 by Girl Friday

Favorite Things, Part VI

(…continued from Part I, II, III, IV, and V)

Right about now you should be done with holiday shopping, right? Well, you would be if you took the hints from retailers in October! If you’re like me, then you’re still scrambling for some things. The thought of entering another store in the hopes that you’ll find the perfect gift for so-and-so can be daunting. I had a few people on my list who are particularly troublesome, so I made a list of their favorite things and solved my mini-crisis in seconds. Do it. No, seriously, write down some things (right now!). Your list might look like this: candy, nature walks, recycling, and medieval times. All of these things seem like potential shopping woes. Not so with Etsy! Just search for your items in “tags, titles, descriptions.”

Seemingly unrelated favorite things are easy to find on Etsy:

1. Clever Girl makes sweet jewelry. It’s playful and makes me crave candy!

This pendant is darling!

2. If living a healthy life outdoors is more your speed, check out The Full Spectrum‘s line of tees and totes. The artist screen prints flowers, sea life, and even bikes on an array of colorful cottons.

Don’t worry, not every artist I like caters to just women! The Full Spectrum also has men’s shirts!

3. If you’re worried about the waste that the holidays produce, consider Easy Being Green‘s Eco-Conscious note card set.

The message is snarky, but well meaning! Educations is key, people!

I also love Remade‘s creations using materials with a former life. The artist makes beanies out of beloved sweaters and cuffs out of vintage belts.

I think this would be another great gift for a stylin’ guy.

4. If you’re looking for art with old world charm, then look no further than Emily Balivet. Her artwork is stunning. I’m in love with the Twelve Women with Birds print!

It reminds me of the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses that I used to read as a child.

Finding the unusual is really quite simple. Shopping always takes longer than one expects, but the benefits of our hard work is absolutely evident when a friend opens up his or her treasure. Take the time to find something just right. Be considerate and buy handmade.

Peace!

Posted in Diary 1.0, Goodies, Homegirl, How To, Listmaking | 2 Comments