Etsy obsession

I go in and out of my Etsy obsession. And right now I'm in. Way in.

Check out this sweet artist...

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5205714

Letters.

From a note to a blogland friend...

I'm reading a book of letters. I'm fascinated by letters. I love sending and receiving mail and feel that letters, like these from the 1800s, are the blogs of today. The raw unfiltered moments of fear, grace, hope and comfort open the reader (both the recipient then and the voyeur of a reader that I am now) to something so exquisitely personal. The letters I'm reading now are from Van Gogh and are all written to his brother Theo.

In a letter he wrote Theo in July of 1880 Van Gogh talks about how withdrawn he has become. That he has become a stranger to his family, losing contact with them for quite sometime. Throughout the letter he explains to Theo just why he has become disconnected and his plans to reconnect with those who love him. He admits to being a "man of passions" who is "capable of and subject to doing more of less foolish things." He admits that the path he is on, while it is weary and at times sad, he must keep on it.

"That is how I look at it; to continue, to continue, that is what is necessary. But you will ask: What is your definite aim? That aim becomes more definite, will stand out slowly and surely, just as the rough draught becomes a sketch, and a sketch becomes a picture, little by little, by working seriously on it, by pondering over the idea, vague at first, over the thought that was fleeting and passing, till it gets fixed."

i love mail.

http://andrewbush.net/envelopes%202%20pwg/index.html
you must see this.
It's fantastic.

Truckin.

This is the big red truck I drove while in Phoenix. Phoenix and I didn't really get along.
It was hot. So hot. 116 degrees hot. And I was driving an Enterprise Rent-a-car commercial. You AZ people amaze me. You and your super hot summers. And this truck, well we didn't really get along either. The scar on my shin proves it.
I did, however, make it two point five days in this big boy. Me, my Dodge Ram Big Horn and Phoenix will remain on friendly terms, but we don't plan to reunite again until it's below 90 in the Southwest.

To blog or not to blog.

.... a way to scatter my scrambled thoughts across the internet.

"The distance is nothing: it is only the first step that is difficult." - Marie Anne Du Deffand
My friend gave this to me written on a piece of paper before I left on my first big trip of my big new job that is bigger than me. Three cities, three time zones, eight days and me. The first step was difficult. I was handed a giant car, keys and handful of people to see. And I went. I did it. I was alone and comfortable with it. I enjoyed the cities. I remembered what it felt like to be on my own agenda and only my own. I worried about myself and only myself. It was effortless, but not without frustration. But I did it.

There. Blog on.

A new year.

I think that birthdays are more "resolution" oriented that January 1st. You reflect on how great your year has been or how much you feel you missed out on. You realize how far you've come and how far you have to go.

Tomorrow I'll be 25.

Let the new year begin.

It's been a long time.

That's right. It really has been a long time.
But it's time to return to blogland. So much has changed for me in 7 weeks. So much is still changing. I think it's time to start bringing back the blog.

Beginning with this:



I can't wait to see what others dream about.
I do not yet know what I will declare to be my "big dream" but I know this event will be special.

I love.

Thank you YouTube!

I love YouTube. Particularly my new best friend, parselforce. Thank you for blessing me with Project Runway Season 4 episodes. My cable-less life was lost without the Bravo shows.

Hooray!

Bring in the Spring.

Finally a warm day here in middle America, but only one. I can't wait for spring!

Long time gone...

Can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post!

So much happening here, I barely have time to blog (not true, I just don't have much to say as of late and have been too busy reading other blogland peeps' blogs to feel like filling my own.)

New post on etsy...

I like it. Can't wait to see if anyone else does...?

one year.

On what could be considered the ugliest day in my 2008...I realized I have now celebrated one full year of blogging. No matter how many readers there are out there--I made it one year.

Happy Anniversary Blog.

(this is the same pic that served as my first ever blog photo...sigh...how time flies)

Ugh.

Call it seasonal depression, sick-o-snow syndrome or just the grumps...I've got it.

I'm SO done with all this snow and cold and rain and blah-ness.

Bring on the spring.

I've been drawing lots of bright and flowery postcards...maybe that will help.

Hope you are enjoying warmer temperatures or at least a brighter spirit.

The "Laura 02.26.08 Soundtrack"

On an otherwise ordinary Tuesday, I have been thinking about daily soundtracks. I'm a self-proclaimed music addict. I think about music at least once an hour. I sing out loud at my desk (not well might I add). I spend a significant part of my day listening to music. I just love it.
So today.
The ten songs that would be on the "Laura 02.26.08 soundtrack"
(A little peak into my day...or at least my day up to 4pm central)

1. "Falling Slowly" - Glen Hansard/Marketa Irglova
2. "Dancing in the Moonlight" - King Harvest (I had to look this one up on itunes to find out who sang it...who knew?)
3. "Highlights" - Van Hunt
4. "New World Water" - Mos Def
5. "Diary" - Alicia Keys
6. "Senorita" - Justin Timberlake
7. "Alone" - Heart
8. "Something to Talk About" - Bonnie Raitt
9. "The First Taste" - Fiona Apple
10. "Ready or Not" - The Fugees

A hot mix. totally.

NEW on Etsy...

So there were lots of leftover Valentines from the shop that were expertly distributed to friends and family, but now I've added some more postcards...equally as loveable but good for all occasions...

My mini me to date.

Thanks to lots of inspiration from ELISE and many other cool pages my scrapbook-art-stalking has led me too...I decided to try my hand at creative documentation. FINALLY I have taken on a project (I think) I'll see from beginning to end.

I worked feverishly last night after my late night of real work...it was like in Heroes when Isaac would have his eyes glaze over while he painted...and here is the cover of my little bitty favorite things book:

When I get all the pages filled in (which will hopefully occur tonight!) I'll post the rest!

Super Sunday...Monday and so on

I must admitt I'm not a professional football fan. Not in the least actually. I could watch college basketball for days (especially my #15 Bulldogs) but pro football is pretty dull to me.

I did, however, like most Americans, watch yesterday's Super Bowl. I mean "watched" in a loose way...I watched a little bit of the Biggest Loser in there too...and crafted...put photos in books...and made this super bowl supper for myself. Nothing screams Super Bowl spread like clementines, grapes, Dubliner Cheese (you must eat it, you'll love it) and hunks of french bread.

I ate chili cheese fries, made by yours truly in their man-kitchen, with my home boys earlier in the afternoon... a Rachael Ray recipe. While they looked nasty, they were terribly delicious and, as Rachael promised, easy to make and seemingly semi-healthy. The guys plan to re-heat and eat them this evening using the chili mixture as a sloppy joe. I plan to ask them if it was delicious.

Happy Super Monday to everyone.

new sculpture in dsm.

On one of the only semi-warm days we've seen in January, Jeff and I went downtown to pose for some photos with this incredible sculpture new to DSM.

Read more here.

Meme me.

Thanks to Cathy for the meme tag.
Here are six things you may or may not know about me:

1- When I find something I enjoy eating for dinner, I typically make it three to four days in a row and then don't eat it for months, years, or potentially ever again.
2- I get mad (like actually upset) when I find nothing in my mailbox.
3- I love college basketball.
4- While I truly enjoy the taste of it, the smell of barbecue sauce makes me nauseous. I also hate when it touches my hands. It like soaks into your skin.
5- I consider thinking about working out to be nearly equivalent to actually working out. If I have a YMCA membership I will at least think about how lazy I am for not breaking a sweat. Logical, no. Mentally therapeutic, yes.
6- I took over 2000 pictures last year and printed maybe 40. My computer is stocked with memories. This year I plan to see some photos in print.

Enjoy my random facts! Let's hear yours!

Mooovin' on up.

Added these "I've moooved" cards to my Etsy.

I think that they are just too cute.

Perhaps because I made them... :)

#22

Once.

Blog update. Holla.

So much going on in my world...it's enough to keep my head spinning constantly.
To get it all written down there is only ONE thing to do: List it.

(Here are fourteen reasons my head is spinning with excitement and energy)
1- Our Bulldogs are 6 and 0 in conference play. It's enough to make this fan pulse with excitement any time I see their names in print.
2- I sold five card sets on Etsy in the past two weeks. (THANK YOU KRISTIN AND COLE!)
3- I'm hard at work on new ways to produce my cards, promote my cards, seel my cards, etc.
4- Work is full of to-do's...including new ways for me to expand my horizons.
5- I can't help but wish for a bigger apartment. And so I've started the hunt.
6- I've made dinner, at home, three nights in a row.
7- Jeff.
8- I'm filling up my new planner. I love a fresh calendar.
9- Day off on Monday!
10- Scrapbooking class and wine lunch with two of my favorite goofy girls on Sunday.
11- Away game trip on Tuesday. Go DOGS.
12- Eat Pray Love. I'm almost finish and plan to post my favorite quotes soon.
13- New semester starts soon. Think Gmat. Gmat. Gmat. Gmat.
14- I'm more confident than ever.

Etsy official!

Hooray!

http://ljpalmer.etsy.com/

Check it out!

You can see things like this:

Monday all over again.

Today is Tuesday, yes, but it feels like Monday all over again.
Here are 6 things that make today Monday-esque, but still lovely:
1- Super busy in the office. whew.
2- It's cold, wintery and Iowaish.
3- I spent much of the morning planning for the rest of the day...as I do most Mondays.
4- I scoped out the Paper Adventure for week 2 and can't make my brain stop pumping out ideas.
5- Spent the lunch hour watching New Hampshire primary results start rolling in.
6- Sent out about 47 emails.

I'm tired just reading this list of things my head is spinning about.
Happy Monday. Again.

Post #100!

Whew.
100 posts.
Hopefully they get progressively more interesting.
:)

Post-Caucus notes...

I arrived at the Caucus at 6:15pm...pumped, nervous and full of anticipation. I met Heather as I walked in, she too was a first timer at the caucus. It was amazing just how many new caucus goers were present. It seemed that every other person I talked to was there for their first caucus...and most were standing with Obama. Something about the guy makes you feel like you can change the world, but that's not what I'm speaking of here...we're talking caucus process.

So I walk in, semi-panic when I'm not on the "registered voter" list, but am assured that if I head to the table by the window I can register to vote and be caucus eligible. I casually re-register and am in a room with 453 other registered democrats in my neighborhood.
We hang out for awhile, listen to caucus rules, sweat it out a bit. A man walked up to me smiling (at this point, my caucus friend Heather was talking to her neighbors, living in my apartment building I know none of my neighbors...so I hung out smiling) I think because I too was smiling.

He said "first time."
I said "yes sir."
He introduced himself to me as the precinct 73 leader for the Obama supporters.
I told him I was "so excited to participate tonight."
He replied, "It's because of people like you that we are going to win tonight. Thank you for coming."

Then we are to align with our preference groups. Obama's group is visibly larger than the others. I couldn't help but look around anxiously. We begin to count ourselves. Now this was the most interesting part: the counting of the supporters. With a small room and over 400 people around, they decide the only way to accurately count is to COUNT OFF. That's right people, we went around this group of 18 to 80 year olds counting off like we were preparing to play steal the bacon in 6th grade gym class.

The first number (we did this three times) I said out loud was 112. I was the 112th person to proclaim, out loud and totally proud, that I support Barack Obama as the President of the United States in 2008. What an honor. Iowa is so cool.

After the initial count, Dodd, Biden and Richardson supporters became not viable (they didn't have at least 68 people supporting their candidate...that's 15% of the 454 people that were there.) So those supporters are free to move to another group. We lobbied for some more people....waited for 30 minutes and then, after the last person was counted (for the third time) Obama received 239 people, that comes out to 4 delegates. (don't ask me how that works...)

I drove home empowered. Delighted. I have never felt more connected to the political process. Obama received 38% of the caucus votes. He won. We won.

Oh- and James Denton was at my caucus supporting John Edwards. What a hot plumber.

Happy Caucus Day!

TWO things to report today.

1- TODAY is Caucus day! I can't even explain how proud and excited I feel. I mean as a lifelong Iowan you are often mocked for living in a town of less than 30,000 (or in some cases 30) and seeing cattle and farming equipment along the side of the road. I take these things for granted. Yes I grew up in a town smaller than any suburb of Chicago. Yes I drive past corn that's knee high in July and crisply tanned in the fall. But I love it. And today the spotlight is on my beloved state. I get to Caucus. I get to sit in a room with politically passionate people and exercise my right to vote in a truly unique and empowering way, as an Iowan. That is awesome.
http://www.iowacaucus.org/ Read more. You might understand my excitement.


2- My PAPER ADVENTURE with Elise and her blogland faithful began on January first.

The first step was making my binder ringed book...a first in my new adventures in "scrapbooking". I covered my book with some Martha Stewart wrapping left over from my Christmas gifts... and this week's challenge is balance. Now I lack balance in all aspects of the word. In fact, my tenth grade fitness test showed that I, unlike most 15 year old girls, had frighteningly low scores on the balance portion. I couldn't do a pull-up either, but I nailed that sit-and-reach. My lack of physical balance aside, I have a hard time balancing ALL the aspects of me at once. How do I put together all these things I value in a way that brings me peace, balance. I'm hoping for a fresh start in 2008. Something GREAT in 08. And this first paper adventure challenge was fun...so fun that I cannot wait for next week's. (I even added a little tag as page 2...I couldn't help my creative impulse.)