DIY Cardboard Wallet

http://www.instructables.com/id/Use-Cardboard-To-Make-A-Billfold/

This is so cool and it doesn't look as funky as some other DIY wallets out there. It actually looks pretty "real!"

Dangers of cloud computing

http://lifehacker.com/5325169/the-hidden-risks-of-cloud-computing?skyline=true&s=x

So not only do you not have control of the devices you own a la Kindle and iPhone, but you don't have any control over you own personal data either! It's not news, but it's worrisome because how do you get around giving up control of your information while not living like a hermit in the stone ages?

Jailbroken iPhones a threat! Puh-leese!

http://www.mobileburn.com/news.jsp?Id=7547

Apple issued a report saying how jailbroken iPhones can potentially allow hackers to crash cell phone towers and such. Basically, they are trying to keep the practice of jailbreaking iPhones from being legalized. I think it's a ridiculous argument and I agree the Electronic Frontier Foundation's stance that we should be able to run whatever we want on devices we own.

Tactics like this, along with Amazon's treatment of Kindle content only reflects the growing trend of big companies controlling populations via knowledge and technology. It's basically akin to censorship and if we don't all take up a stand and see how damaging this trend is, we risk losing a great deal of control over our lives in the name of corporate profit.

After all, we can see how wonderfully the for-profit model has worked for health care - NOT! You really can't expect a company to be respectful and caring of individuals when their reason for existence is to make money for a small group greed-driven people. They're gonna control you so they can milk you like the cows they think you are!

Kanzashi in Bloom

I love craft books and am going goo-goo-eyed over Kanzashi in Bloom: 20 Simple Fold-and-Sew Projects to Wear and Give by Diane Gilleland. Drool! Drool!

http://www.amazon.com/Kanzashi-Bloom-Fold-Sew-Projects/dp/0823084817/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I35Z0C944L7Y7L&colid=3924PX8CFGH11

Cool kitchen furniture!

Not something that I need or would really want, but I think it's cool!

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/07/movable-bridge-kitchen-saves-space.php

Toyota's Wi-fi Flowers!

Toyota is trying promote its Prius and its green image by putting up these giant flowers! They not only provide seating, but also Wi-Fi access and is solar powered. I LOVE the fact that they used daisies! Such a happy flower!


Image via Toyota USA

Gotta keep those sharks in line!

I really have lost a lot of faith in humanity. I now honestly believe that a human being's default setting is to be selfish and self-centered and overall, greedy. I understand that our capitalist society fuels and is fueled by greed, but at what point do we say that we're actually doing ourselves too much harm as a group because of greed?

I mean, we're in this economic mess because of greed. Greed is what causes people to take from others what was not freely given, and it causes harm - not just to the victim but to the perpetrator. It hurts the perpetrators because on some level, however deep inside, the they must know they're hurting someone for selfish reasons. This changes their mindset and harms their conscience and they become defensive, possibly ending more selfish and self-centered. After all, you can more easily justify your actions harming others if you can only see yourself. If you broaden your world of important people to include strangers, all of a sudden, it isn't so easy to hurt that person next to you on the train just so you can get a seat.

Anyways, what started this whole thought here is an article I read on the NY Times. Apparently, debt collection agencies have been improperly obtaining court orders to seize people's money and property. According to the article, over 101,000 court orders were improperly issued, allowing them to seize an average of $5,474 per consumer, totaling over $500 million!

In these times, more and more people are in debt. They need help, compassion and sympathy, not jerks aggressively trying to take more of their money. Where has the humanity and kindness gone?

For the rumblies in the tummies

I used to have an "iron" stomach, but college food took care of that! Now I have a really sensitive stomach. It burbles and gurgles at the slightest inkling of unhappiness and causes me a certain amount of embarrassment and irritation. So what do I do for an upset or angry stomach?

Well, when I was little, my mom would make me congee, or watery rice. It's sort of like our version of porridge. It would be mostly flavorless, but she might allow me to have some pickled soy sauce cucumbers (I used to love those!) and dry roasted pork. In other versions, you can add a small bit of soy sauce to flavor the congee and add bits of salt egg and preserved duck egg. To make congee, just add about twice the amount of water you normally would to make regular rice. You can use broth too for more flavor. Congee is good for an upset stomach because it won't irritate it further, as it is part of the BRAT diet.

I'm a big proponent of the BRAT diet if your tummy is rumbly. It stands for: Banana, Rice, Applesauce, Toast. These are things that you can eat when your stomach is upset so that you can still get energy and nutrients, but your tummy won't complain more when it has to deal with them.

However, sometimes, you don't want to eat anything. Herbal remedies are good here. My favorite is ginger. Slice up some ginger and boil it in some water with some honey or a small spoonful of sugar for flavor. When you drink it, it warms you up from the inside and calms your stomach. Ginger is also my go-to remedy for any nausea and I swear it really works! Other effective tummy teas include peppermint (my favorite when my tummy is rumbly at work) and chamomile. Once, I drank them all together in a tea and my tummy calmed down very nicely! I think it works better than the OTC stuff!

Herbal remedy for headaches?

I used to have great tolerance for pain and was proud of it! Now, I'm a total wimp! As soon as I get even the slightest inkling of a headache or cramps, I reach for the ibuprofen. It bothers me that I take something so artificially produced, but hey, it works! Then, I stumbled upon the article linked below. Apparently, herbs like feverfew, lavender and rosemary can help alleviate a headache.

Personally, I have tried rubbing peppermint oil around my forehead, temples, cheeks, back of the neck and back of ears with some success at alleviating a headache. However, it doesn't help for really bad ones, like a migraine. Lavender is supposed to have a calming effect, but I can never say I really feel calmer after having sniffed lavender. As for rosemary, not a big fan of the scent, but I'm willing try it as tea if it will help my headache. Same for the feverfew. I am most intrigued by feverfew and maybe I'll look for some to try next time I feel a headache coming on.

http://littlegreenblog.com/health-and-wellness/common-ailments/3-herbs-for-natural-headache-remedies/

Frozen bananas

When I was in elementary school, a teacher once raved about the deliciousness of frozen bananas. She said it tasted like ice cream! So much later in life, I decided to try it. It was SO delicious!! Even better, if you put the frozen bananas into a food processor until fluffy and serve like real ice cream!

When freezing bananas, peel them first and I like to cut them into bite-sized chunks before wrapping them in foil. Place the wrapped bananas into a ziploc bag and freeze them. Voila! You'll have a yummy frozen treat in a few hours with minimal effort on your part! Yay!

Natural dyes

I've recently had thoughts about buying some peace silk, but the ones I like only come undyed. I thought about using Koolaid as a dye as I know you can dye yarn with Koolaid, but then I came upon the article linked below. I am definitely going to try one of the natural dyes listed there!

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/naturaldyes.html

$10 Wedding Dress

This DIY project has been making the rounds in various craft blogs. I totally love this project and really, really want to try it myself!

http://www.threadbanger.com/tb-projects/episode/THR_20090626

Help Remedies

I don't need this, but I really want it! It can make my medicine cabinet look sooooo neat and organized and friendly. Plus, the packaging is made from biodegradable materials!

http://www.helpineedhelp.com/

Newspaper hut

This is something I would totally do with my kids if I had any! You can build a skeleton structure with tubes made of old newspapers and then throw a sheet over it. Imagine a mini-yurt for kids!

http://pepperpaints.com/2008/05/13/newspaper-hut/

Packing tape transfer

I don't know what I'd use this for, but it's cool! Basically, you're using packing tape and cool paper graphics to make a transfer you can stick somewhere. Lol!

http://mollylikestodraw.blogspot.com/2009/02/packing-tape-transfer.html

Why I am not getting a Kindle

Ever since the Kindle came out, I've been wary of it. I know it's a very successful product and I know people who absolutely love it. Maybe I'm a traditionalist, or maybe I'm more sentimental than I thought, but I just feel like nothing can replace a good ol' paper-bound book. The heft and weight of it in your hand as you're reading on the subway platform, or the crisp sound of a page turning, are things that you just can't get from a gadget.

Truly, there are many reasons to get a Kindle. It's compact enough that you can slip it into your purse and always have reading material on hand. You can download a book right away when you want to read it rather than having to go to a bookstore or waiting for a shipment. It's environmentally friendly because no trees were killed to print digital books, and it's great as a compact, personal library if you live in a small space.

Still, I was not sold on it. I would definitely consider getting it if all my favorite magazines were offered on the Kindle. So much paper is wasted on magazines in my home. Magazines that we save also end up taking up a lot of space. Unfortunately, the magazines that I want are not offered on the Kindle.

I am also put off by the fact that you can't download your own text files onto the Kindle from you computer. You have to send your file to a server on Amazon in order for you Kindle to pick it up, which means you're handing over possession of your file to Amazon. So if you're writing a book and want to review it on your Kindle, you have to trust that someone at Amazon ain't gonna steal it or mess with it. Frankly, I don't like the idea of some stranger having any kind of control over my stuff.

Now, given the current fiasco of Amazon deleting stuff off people's Kindle without so much as a by-your-leave, I am even more put off by it. If they have the right to do stuff like that, then my library isn't my library. It's theirs and they're letting me read from theirs for a fee. Well, screw that! We have public libraries that let me read their books for free!

I am just really disturbed by the trend of users losing complete control over technology and data that we paid for. I am also really disturbed by the complete lack of privacy to our data. At what point do people realize just how much free-rein intrusion they are allowing into their personal lives when they buy a seemingly harmless piece of equipment like the Kindle? Why do I have to connect to Amazon to do anything with it if it's mine? This ties into the trend of "cloud computing." There is inherently something sinister about letting some faceless, nameless stranger hold your stuff just so you can retrieve it somewhere else.

Anyways, that's just my two cents on the deal. For now, I'll stick with my iPhone to read digital books for free! Otherwise, a good old fashioned book can always satisfy that itch!

Ear cuff

I happen to love shopping on Etsy.com. Not only does it have a lot of beautiful things, they are handmade and almost always unique! In a way, this is the reincarnation of the mom-and-pop shop of handmade things.

Anyways, I bought a piece from an Etsy seller, Thyme2dream, and I just had to show it off! I totally love it! This seller has other items I drool over, and I definitely plan to shop her store more. Looking at her stuff, I almost wish I was having a fairy themed wedding so I have an excuse to wear the crowns and other awesomely beautiful stuff!

Wedding photographers

So having taken a nice long break from wedding planning, I got back on track by looking for wedding photographers. The first place I looked was on Craigslist, which has a huge plethora of event photographers with a wide range of prices. A couple of the Craigslist ones didn't even have a website, just a flickr account to show off their portfolio. Personally, I find it difficult to trust someone who doesn't have a website to showcase their themselves. It's not just about looking at their work, but also what packages they offer, where they are based out of and where they got their training. I think of it as an online resume. So the way I see it is, why should I give them thousands of my hard-earned cash to take them seriously when they don't even take themselves seriously enough to have a website?

Anyways, I then posted a request for recommendations on the boards of weddingbee.com and also looked on theknot.com. I got 2 or 3 responses from weddingbee and a few more possibilities from theknot.com. The last thing I did as of right now, was post on my facebook page that I was looking for a photographer. From there, a friend of mine sent a link to her wedding photographer's website as a recommendation.

So this week, I have appointments set up to meet with 3 photographers. None of them are cheap, but all of them have what I consider to be decent online portfolios. I'm actually rather sick of this process now. I've looked at a bunch of photographer's websites, many of which are either too expensive or not as nice as I'd like them to be. I just want to find a photographer that's not going to break my budget, will take decent pictures and gets along with us in general. I have maybe one or two more photographers I want to meet after these three and I think I'll just choose between one of them. I'm just tired of the searching and the looking at the websites and such. Right now, I just want to pick one and move on! Lol!

Putting a damper on the shopping bug

I love to shop! I really do! Unfortunately, I don't have unlimited funds, and with our current uncertain economic situation, it is more important than ever for me to try to keep my expenditures to a minimum. My old technique was always to ask myself the following questions when I want to buy something:

1. Do I need it?
2. Will it haunt me if I don't get it?

I found that generally, the first question doesn't stop me from buying something because really, I don't need much when I have all the things I need to survive. I just really want it!! It's the second question that's really the key here. If I'm going to forget about this thing once it's out of my sight, then there's no point in buying it. However, if I don't buy it, and I know I'll end up regretting that decision, then it's a sign that I should get it. I know I'm asking if it will haunt me even though I can't predict the future, but I think I can make a pretty accurate guess as to whether or not I really want something enough to keep thinking about it later.

Anyways, if you want a more mathematical approach to figuring out whether or not you should buy something, check this calculator out:

http://www.whatsthecost.com/BuyIt.aspx

Solar heater

I've seen a DIY solar heater project before and this is the latest one I've come across. To be honest, I'm not sure how effective this would be in the winter, especially if you live in an apartment in the city. Still, it's a wonderful project to try out in your free time!

http://ecotechdaily.com/2009/07/01/free-heat-from-an-old-window-and-some-soda-cans/

Meditation to alleviate depression

I've always felt that meditation can help with depression, speaking from personal experience. So it is encouraging to read that others may find similar benefits:

http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/64/dont-ask-why-ask-how

Barefoot is better?

So I've noticed that there is a trend towards making shoes that help you walk, or at least simulate walking barefoot. According to the article below, Nike has also jumped on the trend, along with a few other athletic show makers.

http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/07/barefoot/

Still, the article says that none of the studies show conclusively that running around barefoot is better for you. For me, I'm sure it feels better than walking around on platform heels and am willing to try out some new-fangled stuff.

So one day, I read a rave review for Terra Plana Vivo Barefoot shoes. That evening, I went to the brick-and-mortar store down in the village after work and tried on a pair. Their smallest size is a 6, which is 1 size too large for me, but as they tend to run small and snug, it felt fine when I tried them on. Now, they are the favorite pair of shoes in my wardrobe. Though I can't say it feels like I'm walking barefoot, they are cute and very comfortable. Buying from Terra Plana also has the benefit of being "green." Though the shoe may not be made completely of recycled materials, it has recycled parts in it. I am a happy customer!

http://www.terraplana.com/yukam-p-945.html?colour=170

For the space-challenged gardener

Check this out!

http://www.instructables.com/id/VERTICAL-VEGETABLES-quotGrow-upquot-in-a-smal/

Pictures of Catlin Gardens

Here are some pictures of the place we ended up choosing:

Pictures of FEAST at Round Hill

I never did post pictures of the first place we looked at. I don't have many, but here's a few that I got.

Coolest, cutest sticky notes!

Check out the site here:
http://www.kok-design.jp/SHOP/DB-FM.html

Funny article

If you need to read a short article to brighten up your day, here is one that might fit the bill!

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/07/10/2009-07-10_drunk_badger_disrupts_traffic_on_german_road.html

Jaybird Bluetooth Stereo Headset

Today, I received my first bluetooth stereo headset! It's supposed to work with my iphone in streaming music an calls wirelessly. I am excited because I honestly hate finagling with wires when I'm using my iphone for music or calls. I chose this particular type because the reviews for it has been decent and it's very small and compact. When I cover my ears with my hair, you can't even see that I have headphones on! It's nice and discreet.

http://www.jaybirdgear.com/bluetooth-stereo-headphones-features.php

Operation Beautiful

I came across a site called Operation Beautiful and thought it was just sooooo sweet and wonderful! People leave "You are Beautiful!" notes in public places and post pictures of those notes on the site. It's about making people feel good about themselves. Who knows? If people learn to love themselves better, then maybe they'll treat each other better too!

Oilily is baaaaad!

What a horrible article and how horrible it is to feel so helpless about it:

http://whipup.net/2009/03/25/rosar-pomar-oilily-blatant-ripoff/

Alternative to Etsy: Artfire

If you love handmade items, chances are, you've heard of Etsy.com. Regular folks like you and me who love to craft and sell the end results of their crafting addiction at Etsy. I've never sold anything there, but I've bought stuff there. So if you like Etsy, you might like Artfire.com. I haven't looked at it extensively, but from my brief excursion into the site, it looks a lot like Etsy, but it's organized differently. Because of the way it's organized, it might actually be easier to find stuff on Artfire than it is on Etsy. I've often felt overwhelmed by the lack of a detailed or advanced search on Etsy, but on Artfire, it looks like they break things up into more detailed categories. That's my initial feel anyways. Well, at least I have one more shopping site to add to my list! Lol!

Tempeh in miso

I've taken to eating tempeh lately. My first time cooking with tempeh, I cut it into chunks, dipped in egg and then coated it with lightly salted flour, and fried it. It was served with some salad greens and a mushroom gravy drizzled over it. It was VERY filling!

Last night, I found a recipe that baked tempeh in a mixture of miso with sesame oil. So I sliced the tempeh into wedges and and sliced the wedges in half to make thinner wedges. I made a paste of miso and sesame oil and coated the tempeh slices with it. Then I sauteed it in a pan. I'm not really a baker when it comes to making dinner. I'd rather steam things in a rice cooker or pot if I have to. Lol! Anyways, it came out too salty. :-( The miso and sesame oil mix was not in the right proportion. Next time, I'll use less miso and a bit of sugar.

Lazy days

I'll admit that I've been lazy about my workout. I've been pretty good at keeping track of my food intake at least, which is probably why I haven't undone all my progress, but it's pretty much all I've done. I've been finding it hard to keep up with my fitness and diet plan ever since I came back from vacation, and have only been keeping to the plan sporadically. At this point, all I can think of doing is to keep trying.

I will say that I've been good about eating "good" things for breakfast. I'll usually have a banana and have been thinking about adding a slice of whole wheat bread with peanut butter to my daily diet. If I can keep to a yummy salad with a tiny amount of dressing for lunch, then all I have to worry about is dinner. Which reminds me that I have to do some grocery shopping today... in the rain. :-(

However, I'm feeling lazy again today so most likely for dinner, I'll be heating up some veggie buns and sauteing some turnip cakes. I LOVE turnip cakes!

Hello again!

I haven't posted in a while, but I'm back! This past weekend, I decided not to track calories and just relax. It was quite fun and the weather was awesome! Nothing like constant rain for months to make you appreciate a few days of continuous sunshine! Unfortunately, it started raining again today.

Currently, I am looking forward to my advanced sewing classes starting next week. It's not pattern drafting, which is hard, but it will be really useful because at the end of that class, I'll have a dress sloper. I am very, very much looking forward to having a dress sloper because I love dresses!

In case you don't know, a sloper is a custom-fit, basic pattern off of which you can design and create other patterns. I have a skirt sloper from my intermediate class. From my skirt sloper, I am able to create new patterns for a flared skirt, a pencil skirt and an A-line skirt. Since the sloper is fitted to my specific measurements, any pattern created from my sloper will be fitted specifically to my measurements, which means that skirts I make from these patterns should fit me better than store-bought ones. If you are willing to experiment, you can play with your sloper's dart controls to create even more patterns. I haven't experimented with that, but I may have to if I want to try making a multi-gored skirt (a skirt with many panels or pieces).

Anyways, that's what I'm looking forward to right now - acquiring more sewing skills! Now that I think about it, I really should finish adding those ruffles to that elastic-waisted skirt I made. I bought a ruffler foot and just HAD to try it out! It was soooo much fun to ruffle stuff!