Alas...

My four-day weekend has come to an end :-( Well, at least I got a lot done (I can actually see the top of my desk now, and the bill collectors will be kept at bay another month ;-)

The duck is now looking like a duckie (pictures soon!), and the axolotl has gills! Oh, and I haven't even told you about the squid yet...

Oh, and then there's the aromatherapy course I've been taking for a while (did I say it's a correspondence course through a school in England?! I know, I know, there's no smell-o-vision yet, but somehow, it's worked). Anyway, it's time for the final exam, so signing out for a couple of days!

Today's Thought: If you're in the DC area, G Street Fabrics is having a huge sale -- 30% off until July 13th!

Go Green

Well, of course, it's good to reduce your carbon footprint, but in this case, I'm really talking about plants. We went to the home and garden store last weekend and bought some great stuff. It took us an hour and a half to get everything repotted on the balcony, but I think it was worth it. We got parsley, mint, green peppers, jalapenos, and some flowers too. Did you know that the jalapeno plant is known to keep away the bugs, especially those tiny white flies that infest tomato plants?! Last year I discovered that by accident, but then read it in the newspaper. This time, we got perennials so that hopefully, they'll come back again next year.

Oh, and I got an article published by Triond! Like Associated Content, it allows you to submit articles for publication, but Triond will place it on a topic-related website. My article's about "How Yarn is Made" here.

Today's Thought: Happy 4th of July!!

Pay Per Post

Now, don't call me a sell-out, but I did decide to sign up with http://www.payperpost.com/.
payperpost is a website where you register your blog and then you can sign up for opportunities to write reviews in your blog and get paid! I also signed up for PPP Direct, which allows advertisers to contact me directly and offer me opportunities through my blog. So far, the PPP folks have been very nice and responsive to contacts that I've made. It took a while to get the blog approved, but that was partially due to my misunderstanding some of the requirements. Also, I discovered that certain functions on the site don’t really work when you log on through Internet Explorer, but if you use Firefox, it works like a charm! I still working my way around the website, getting familiar with all of the different things it has to offer. I still don't quite understand what an "RSS feed" is, but I'm sure learning a lot about the blogosphere! I guess a lot of people are trying it out these days, but I think it's really important to try to stick to a consistent rate of posting.

Please check back to see what I'm up to! I hope you know by now that I only tell you about products and services that I think are worthwhile, so we'll see what opportunities become available for me to pass along to you!

Another Project Almost Done!

Whoo, hoooo! I'm being very productive these days. I've had a few custom orders that I'm working on, plus I think I'm near to having found a great website designer for a reasonable amount.

Here's the bear square, but the duck is not yet ready to be unveiled. It's been a fun project, and it's making me realize that baby blankets do not have to be that hard (remember the twin's blankets -- so many squares! In fact, I confess, the girl's blanket still sits ...) Anyway, you really need only 20 squares to make a good sized blanket (the square is about 10 inches). And I used Lion Brand Cotton-Ease, which has really nice colors and is so soft. I haven't tried washing it yet, but I have the feeling it'll be fine. Ok, now, back to the duck!

Today's Thought: Check out my tea recipes on Associated Content to quench your thirst during your 4th of July festivities! http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/811207/3_healthy_and_refreshing_iced_tea_recipes.html?cat=22

Alpaca

I know, I said I was done with the animals of yarn, but I discovered I hadn't covered the Alpaca, and that's a glaring omission because Alpaca fiber is the warmest out there and so great to crochet or knit with. These animals used to live just in the highest elevations of the Andes of southern Peru, northern Bolivia, and northern Chile. They are related to llamas, but unlike llamas, they are not work animals or raised for their meat, it's all about the fiber. Their fiber was once considered a luxury, but now that alpaca farms can be found worldwide, alpaca is becoming more affordable and more available.

Today's Thought: For all you budding writers out there, there's another site on which you can post your work -- www.triond.com It's easy to use and accepts a variety of topics.

Googly Eyes

There's this great new-ish craft store on Barracks Row here in DC called Ipso Crafto (gotta love that name!). I ran in tonight just before they closed (at 7) to pick up some of those eyes that you stick on dolls, etc. They have the black discs that shake around in the plastic covering with white background -- you know, "googly eyes"! Why might I need googly eyes you might ask? Well, because I've come up with the cutest crocheted squid, and he needs some eyes :-) Pictures to come (yes, the B-in-L still has the camera, dah).

Today's Thought: "She" magazine from England is just so cool -- it's a woman's magazine with fashion, make-up, recipes, home tips, etc., but with less ads and fluff and much more substance than the mags we have here. Subscriptions are not cheap ($69 a year), but you can sometimes find single copies in Barnes & Noble or Borders.

Clean!

Well, at least the kitchen! I played hooky from work today (I took the leave, it's legit :-), and I'm planning to go sit out by the pool for a little while, but at least I got up and cleaned the kitchen. I'm hoping to get more done this afternoon, but we'll see...

An axolotl update: so, the body is done, but I'm having a little problem with the head. I had hoped to do the whole thing all in one piece, but I think I might have to do the head separately, then attach to the rest of the body. Back to the drawing board.

Today's Thought: George Carlin was a comedic genius, it's a real loss to the entertainment world, but thankfully, he's left behind so much great material. Of course, a lot of it is available on YouTube, but his two-CD set is so worth checking out -- George Carlin Classic Gold.