Regina George and friends.

Plastic.

We've known it has been becoming 

more of a problem.

But yesterday I read an article in L Magazine

(for non new yorkers the L is a free mini mag

thats pretty awesome)

by Amanda Park Taylor "the conscientious objector".

It is part one of the New Yorkers guide 

to a plastic free life.

I was thinking plastic free could 

be possible, until I realized how much

plastic was around me.

Shampoo bottles, toothbrushes, 

razors, containers, etc.

Plastic has become such a way of life

that you don't even realize it is

 there anymore.

The article also says that :

"The vast majority of plastics we use

from packaging to toothbrushes, is not

recycleable, and never will be"

That's an awful truth.

Amanda's solutions to eventually eliminate plastic

begins with part 1- the bathroom.

She provides bar shampoo alternatives,

using cider vinegar and warm water as a conditioner, 

and other earth friendly alternatives.

Once I run out of my current supply of shampoo

and conditioner, I am going to experiment 

with all of these suggestions.

And will definitely post the results.

Oh and speaking of earth friendly bath stuff

I just ordered some lotion and a bar of soap from

Bunny Butt Apothecary. 

I cannot wait to try it! 

My Life in Boxes.

Moving day is almost here, 

and I cannot wait.

I'm not fond of moving

but you'd never know it,

because I move a lot.

or at least it feels like i do...

It's the packing up that bothers me the most.

I'm still living here-just with limited things.

My walls are empty, and my studio is filled

with boxes instead of projects.

It's an organized disaster.

This picture doesn't even do justice 

to the amount of crap i have 

that is boxed up.

Once this weekend is over I can start working

on some cards and what nots.

But for now, it's all about packing.

and working.

I'm pretty drained this week.

now that I actually sit and think about it.

I look forward to March.

It has to be better than February was.

3 Wishes

Here are 3 things that I really really want right now.

#1 Gocco

Since I've been on etsy I've heard of this mysterious japanese mini printer.

ok well maybe its not so mysterious. but it was new to me.

After doing some extensive Gocco research, 

i have decided that I must have one of my own.

I watched an etsy labs tutorial on gocco

and they made it seem quite easy.

A Gocco generally runs anywhere from $130-160

depending on the seller.

The price is the only thing standing in my way.

But i'm saving me pennies and wishing on stars for this one.

#2 Cheap Plane Tickets to Charleston, SC

Some may not know this, but for a year, 

I went to the College of Charleston.

(Long Story)

In the end it didn't work out, 

but through that experience

i met some good friends and oddly enough,

one of my best friends.

(Another Long Story)

Anyhow, I ended up missing new york too much

so I traded in palm trees and sweet tea

for subways and small apartments.

Even though it didn't work out

I still have a special spot for Charleston,

and this year I'm hoping to have a girls weekend

with my 2 bestest girlfriends.

It's Meghan's 25th, which will lead to my 25th. wow.

so why not do it up??

So that is my second wish. Cheap airfare so that we can 

spend all of our money on a nice hotel and delicious food.

#3 A local Bagel Shop

This may sound totally silly.

And maybe it is.

But I never claimed I was going to wish

for world peace in this post..

I'm living in the Now.

and right now.

I want a bagel sandwich that I don't need to

take the B61 to get.

You'd think I'd be bombarded by bagelries.

but no. Apparently people in Greenpoint

hate bagel smamiches.

So here I am.

Wishing for a little shop

that can make me a Bacon egg and cheese on a bagel.

Time Out for Hunger

As the bf and I finished our meal
at our favorite Queens restaurant, Quaint.
Our server gave us a postcard for
Time Out for Hunger.

On March 2, if you dine at any of the
participating restaurants, they will donate
10% of your bill to the Food Bank for NYC.

Some of the participating restaurants:
'inoteca, Rice, Lure, Royale, Angelica Kitchen,
Quaint, and Momofuku Noodle Bar.

This is a win-win situation.
You get a stomach full of great food.
and you help out a good cause.

p.s if you dine at 'inoteca
get the truffle egg toast.
(pictured below)
it's magic.

Etsy Favs

Usually I stumble upon my new Favs
by way of the forums.
clicking on links, or profiles.
But today I thought I'd try something new.

I'm going to pounce my way to favorites.
Etsy has a "pounce" feature that allows you to
find random shops that are undiscovered or
have just had a sale.

So through Pouncing,
I have managed to find these new treasures.

First we have this owl ring
from dillondesigns.
These acrylic rings come with all types of designs.
They had a bunny one which I immediately wanted
but figured I'd post something different
since I am a frequent bunny poster.
And this owl is pretty cute too.
it's $7.50 which is a pretty sweet deal.


















For this second shop,
I found it extremely hard to choose a fav.
I love everything in FromJapanWithLove.
and may be placing a nice sized order
quite soon.
If you love all things japanese like i do.
then this is where you need to look.
Also check out Sofia's blog
about living in Japan.
It's my new favorite.














Finally we have the "Toast and Eggs" apron
from Snappyshop.
As a true breakfast fan, naturally I am drawn to this.
But snappyshop has many varieties of aprons,
that are just as cute!
Forget wearing these in the kitchen.
I'd totally wear these out and about!!
ahh layering.
$38

Best Weeked Ever

It's not very often that the bf and I
get to spend entire weekends together.
But by random chance, it's happened
this weekend.
it's been awesome.

Friday night consisted of Champagne and Scrabble.
Saturday was brunch, the Met, random errands, pizza
and Champagne and Lord of the Rings.
(Because i have never seen any of them)

We took these pictures during our game.
and i really like them.
therefore i am posting them.































































It's nice to have a weekend of nothing
because next weekend
is the big move. to 4 blocks away.
maybe it's 5. either way. it's close.

Check back for post #2
The etsy favs of the week!

Always Look on the Bright Side of Life.

After a few weeks of despair,

things are finally beginning 

to become normal again.

I will be moving into a new apartment

on March 2nd!

and my rent will be 150$ less

than what i am currently paying.

Hopefully that will help.

I think it will.

This isn't a very exciting post 

but I just felt the need

to let everyone know that 

things are finally looking up.

oh! and to add to that,

i had a sale yesterday!

It was my dream customer!

she loves squids and cupcakes,

it was fate.

Since I dont have any post relevant photos

i'll just post one of my dog.

This is Mees. Looking like she just woke up.

and she probably did.

Sunday Favs

Ahh sunday.
My favorite day of the week.
I had intended to write this
earlier in the day.
and that just didn't happen.
So here i am.
Technically on early Monday
posting my favs.


This week I picked a few cards
that i loved.
Here we go!

First we have a set of cards from pigeonprints.
Like any traveler, I am fond of and familiar with maps.
They are a nice change from the cheesy postcard.
7$ for a set of 4.
Also check of the rest of the store for
pretty prints, photos, paintings, and etchings.



















I absolutely adore this next card.
It makes me nostalgic for a time
in Paris, that I never experienced.
Hard to explain.
But Rochelle31 has some beautiful
paintings and prints in her store.
I'd rather spend 4$ on a card like this
than for a mass produced card.




















Finally, we have the Pretty Bird
(Pterodactyl Notecards) from
AmberAlexander's store.
For a mere 8$ you get 5 blank
notecards with envelopes.
And a fabulous fossil watercolor
that any true dino lover will adore.

Cock Pictures

But not the kind you are thinking..

I am a regular reader of Nationalgeographic.com

and lately their stories have not been so exciting.

Last night on the front page headlines

there was a link titled 

"Barnacles can change penis size and shape"

naturally I clicked it, because it is not everyday

you are given the opportunity to get information

about barnacle genitalia.

this is what NG had to say about it:

" To cope with changing tides and a sedentary lifestyle, 

the gnarly crustaceans have evolved penises that are 

eight times the length of their bodies—

the longest relative to body size of any animal."

to top that off they are hermaphrodites.

who knew that being a barnacle was so complicated!?

The nice folks at NG also provided a picture.

looks like a bean sprout and a feather 

coming out of a rock.

but no, it's a cock picture.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Mini Humboldts

I've been working on some mini cards for my etsy

and im kind of excited about them.

I love sending letters, cards, and packages.

So I enjoy making-and buying- things

that can be sent.

That said, I think that this Sunday

I will post my favorite etsy cards and stationary.

 so check back!

For now i will leave you with these.

Be Mine?

I've always liked Valentines Day.

While I don't think that you should

wait til this particular day 

to tell the object of your affection 

that you love them.

I think that sending cards, candy,

and small reminders that you care

are completely wonderful.

This year I have 3 Valentines.

My mom is always my #1 Valentine.

Ever since I was little 

she has always done something special.

I'd wake up in the morning to candy

or a small present.

This year, it is a facial at my favorite spa.

My #2 is my boyfriend.

We are both working tonight. 

so we won't really celebrate.

but i made him a card and got him 

some reeses hearts.

my #3 is my everyday Valentine.

Carly Valentine.

She sent me a care package yesterday

that had a book of photobooth photos, 

a cupcake notepad, and a card inside.

Carly sends the best gifts!

Oh!

If you don't receive some candy today, 

then tomorrow get yourself to a drug store 

because it will all be on sale.

somewhere there is a discounted bag of

reeses hearts with my name on it!

xoxoxoxxo

When it rains it pours

Today my G4 macbook died.

And it took my music and photos with it.

Adding $1490 to my already large debt 

was not something that I planned on doing

but these days, you just can't live without a computer.

Well I guess you can. But I'd rather not.

This falls on top of my hunt for a new apartment

and dwindling bank account.

I keep finding pennies that are heads up.

and each time I do, I grab it hoping for some luck.

I'm thinking that since I'm

 a few lucky pennies in-

something good has to be coming.

Besides the financial burden 

having a brand new mac is heaven.

Once I get all my settings back in

I'm sure it will be everything I wanted and more.

Despite the unexpected trip to the mac store

I did manage to get some painting done.

I finished 3 cards, and here are 2 of them.

Apologies for the poor quality 

but i just wanted to use my photobooth.

Etsy Favs

It's sunday again,
and time for my etsy favs of the week!
I haven't spent as much time in the
forums this past week.
Life has been hectic.
but hopefully all will soon be normal again.
But enough about me,
take a look at these




First up we have this amazing
crocheted necklace, from
Melissa Happy Stuff.
I bought something similar
for my bf's sister for christmas.
I love this because it is so different,
fun and detailed.
$45.00













It was hard for me to choose a favorite from
Weird Bug Lady's shop.
But I decided on Fiona because i love cheetah print.
Weird Bug Lady makes some awesomely unusual stuffed friends.
prices for these friends range from $6-$150.



















Finally we have this drawing from
The May of Teck Club.
"Owls" is a whimsical drawing of a
two headed owl carrying a two headed snake.
I love all the pieces in this shop because they are
such clean and precise drawings.
and they come with cute frames!
$50.00

Etsy Deal

As we draw closer to Valentine's Day
I have decided to do free domestic shipping
for all valentine orders.
All cards and postcards are $2!

Guilty Pleasures

Everyone has them.
Movies, songs, restaurants
you love but will never
admit to.

Today is about being proud
of those things.
here are some of mine.

Practical Magic.













I only know a handful of people
who have even seen this.
But i love it.
and i'll watch it every time it is on.
If you love movies about witches
-which i genereally do-
(except for The Witches,
which scarred me in childhood.)

Anyhow, for a magical love story,
a crazy bulgarian zombie ghost,
and a picture perfect house and town.
see this movie.

Olive Garden Salad and Breadsticks








There are only a handful of chain restaurants
that i will eat at.
One of them being the Olive Garden.
Mainly because of the salad and breadsticks.
I dont know what they put it them
but i can eat a whole basket of those things
by myself. fact.
I live in Brooklyn, and while i'm here
i prefer not to support chains.
But if i am back in south jersey
(land of chain restaurants)
i'll totally be up for some olive garden apps.


Crowned (and other trashy tv)













Like most of America,
I am a sucker for really bad tv.
And it couldnt get much worse than Crowned.
Mother and daughter teams competing
in a beauty pageant.
classic.
I didn't watch every week,
but if i was home and it was on
i was hooked.

The house was split into the nice teams
and the crazy dramatic teams.
which is how reality tv usually pans out.
But if was fun to see just how crazy the dramatic teams were.
fun but sad, i suppose.
Who needs that much drama in their lives??
"not i" said the redhead.
thats why i prefer to watch it on tv.


So there are just a few of my guilty pleasures.
if you are so inclined and brave enough
feel free to comment with your own

The Deep

For Christmas, I received "The Deep"
by Claire Nouvian.
or should i say "the deep:
the extraordinary creatures of the abyss"











This book will blow your mind
each time you open it.
The facts, creatures, and colors
are incredible.
The abyss is my favorite part of the ocean.
Who knows what is down there!

Some of my favorites bits from this book are:

*Only 5% of the seafloor has been mapped with
any reasonable degree of detail.

*For the last 25 years a new deep-sea species
has been described every 2 weeks, on average.

*hydrothermal vents were discovered in 1977.

*about 60% of the world's 400 known shark species
live at the oceans greatest depths. Only a very small
number of these will migrate towards the surface at night.

*The average elevation on land is o.75km,
the average depth of the sea is around 3.2km.

Etsy Favs

I've been spending a lot of time
trying to promote myself on etsy lately.
and by posting in the forums,
you end up seeing a lot of
what the other stores are selling.

and let me just say.
that i've found some awesome stuff.
So this post is dedicated
to all the items that i want to buy.
but cannot because im broke.

Lets start with this bracelet.


















The seller is Strawberry Anarchy.
and i love her stuff.
bright and funky.
just like this bracelet.
and its only 28$



Next we have this watercolor.
by Hillarie Tasche
and call me vain if you like
but i enjoy this because it looks like me.
maybe not so much in the face.
but definitely the hair


















This painting is 25$
and at some point in the near future
i will most likely purchase it.
because im a leo.
and thats how i roll.
(hillarie also has some awesome watercolors of birds.
check those out)


These next two items will be
obvious picks.
Bunnies.
I love bunnies.
so naturally I love these.
































The first is a photo
by Elle Bee Photography
and it is $8.
I especially love her animals shots and the "fine feathers" one.

The next is a necklace from Looka Jewelry
There are a lot of great necklaces in this shop.
that particular one is $52
It's nice to see a shop like this.
Simple and Classy.


There are so many other things
on etsy that i love
so maybe i will make my
fav post a weekly thing.
i think that sounds good.