quel dommage.

it means what a shame, but i think that
it's my favorite french saying so far.
I use it in and out of context.

Anyhow, the man is back to his normal self,
I've gocco-d another set of cards,















completed some more bookmark squids,
















and our new chair has taken its place in our living room.



















This has prompted us to do some rearranging
and slowly attempt to, design-ly speaking,
complete the room.
Slowly but surely.



















The bookcase is now on the other side, and
we are on the hunt for some art to hang in here.
I imagine that by the time October rolls around again
and we've been here for a full year- it will really look like a home.
Not just a hodge podge of crap.

Sidenote: when did it get to be April???
-totally not complaining because I want warm weather
and Paris trip is almost here but geez. Time flies by now.

Overload

So much has been happening lately,
it's hard to keep up.

On the plus side, I will be selling
my cards and prints at the
Astoria Spring Fling Market on May 3.
I've actually been working on new cards
and drawings. And am really excited
for my first craft fair.

Spring is definitely here, everything in
Sunnyside is beginning to bloom
and I cannot wait until the temp.
is a steady 60.

Last night I had an awesome girls night-
dinner at Mara's, and then Cool Hand Luke on
the big screen at BAM. First time at BAM
and seeing the movie so it was a lovely
evening all around.

On the down side, Serg is still all weird.
Though he is finally pooping again...
I can't afford to keep running tests on him.
I just don't have the money and he is apparently
12 years old- so I wonder if it would even be worth putting
him through all the trauma.
















I also feel that he is past the point of any preventative methods,
and removing any teeth seems silly at this point because most
of his teeth are already rotted. Basically I want to change his life
the least amount possible, he doesn't need to adjust to something new.
Or have to deal with test upon test. I just want him to be happy
and home with us.

My parents dog (Big Mees) is also under the weather.
She recently had surgery to remove a baseball sized
abscess from her intestines. She is on the road to
recovery now, but goodness gracious. Poor Mees.

All these pet issues, I just can't handle it!

But anyhow-positive thinking.


Here is the new grimpoteuthis and
euphysa flammea cards,
and some finished bookmarks.

stuff

The little muffelatta has been sick
so I've been neglecting the blog.

But I've been a busy little bee,
I sent out an application for
the Astoria Spring Fling Market.
Which, if I get accepted it will be
my very first craft fair!
woo!

I've been trying to get some stock together
so that I actually have things to sell.
Just ordered more gocco supplies, and
finished 12 cupcake bday cards yesterday.

I've joined the NewNew group on etsy,
which is a group of etsy artists from the tri-state area.
Through them I hope to get a little bit more involved
in the crafter community.

This Saturday I will be attending a Sock Monkey workshop
which benefits artists with special needs. I'm pretty excited.















My mind is all over the place but I just wanted to update briefly
on all the things that are going on.
The next post will be on our amazing dinner that we
had at Blue Hill on Monday.
Believe me, it deserves its own post.

Chee-ee-ee-eese

It's no secret that I love cheese.
I'll take it on just about anything,
but my favorite cheese combo
is chocolate/cheese items.

Living magazine featured a recipe for
"Black and White Cheesecake Squares"
and I made them today.
They were everything I dreamed of and more.

Generally I'm not a huge brownie person
-mainly because the boxed kind just sits in my stomach
as a huge mass of chocolate flavored dough,
eventually causing nausea and belly ache.
(technical term)

With homemade brownies this is never the case.
thankfully.
So a big thank you to the folks at Living mag,
for sharing this awesome recipe
which I will now pass on to you.

*sorry dad. I'll do a non chocolate recipe soon.



Best Brownies Ever

• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 10 ounces (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 21/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
   
2. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
   
3. Line dish with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang
4. on both long sides, then spray parchment.
5. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl.
   
6. Cream butter and granulated sugar with a mixer until smooth.
   
7. Add 2 eggs and 2 teaspoons vanilla, and beat until smooth,
   
8. scraping down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture.
   
9. Increase speed to medium; beat until incorporated.
10. Reserve 1 cup of dough; cover, and refrigerate.
    
11. Press remaining dough into bottom of prepared dish.
    
12. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Bake until base is set and
13. edges are puffed, about 25 minutes. Let cool in dish on a wire rack.
14. Mix cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and remaining egg
    
15. and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl. Spread over cooled base;
    
16. crumble reserved dough on top. Bake until filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes.
    
17. Let cool in dish on wire rack, then lift out using overhang.
    
18. Cut into 24 squares. Squares will keep,
    
19. covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.

I tried to do the copy and paste thing and the numbers got way out of hand.
So just ignore them. Oh and the dough will be very gooey
once it is finished being mixed, put the whole bowl into the fridge
for a few minutes and then spread into pan. It will be much less sticky
and more malleable.

Gah, I tried to find the chee-ee-ee-eese scene from
Old School on youtube to no avail. lame.
So here is a video of bunnies eating carrots instead.

Old, yet new, and improved.

That, my friends, is my new walkman.
A very out of date piece of technology
that is helping me learn french.
But now much, much more attractive-
and gaudy.


I don't know if it was from 16 years of wearing
dance costumes covered in sequins, but I love them.
Wearing, gluing, throwing I will pretty much be happy
doing anything with sequins.
However, I am aware that most people do not share this
love for the shiny mini discs, but that is OK.

To each their own.


For now I must get back to my easter cards.
pictures to follow.

The Cover Up.

Like most New Yorkers I own a good amount
of American Apparel clothing.
One of my favorite 50/50 long sleeve shirts
was attacked by olive oil, which left a large
stain in the center. Not cool.

I was thinking that I'd make an applique
for it, but then switched to stencil work.
golden stencil work.

This was a surprisingly easy project.

First I drew out my design on a fancier
version of contact paper















squid. because I can't get enough.

Then I cut out the design with my trusty x-acto knife
and laid the stencil on the shirt.
















I painted it using fabric paint, and a stencil brush
and just dabbing away.















This is my final product.















I think it's pretty sweet.
I can't wait to wear it!!
Hello golden squid goodbye oil stain!

New Stuff

I made two new squid drawings recently.
Similar to the recently posted
rock of love squid.

We now have "Too Much?"















and here is "robots."
















the robots one isn't completed yet,
still need to pick up some more prismacolors.

I like these. lots.
they'll be on etsy soon.


short and sweet post. xo

Cheryl.

"the dance party that will ruin your life"
yes please.

I will FINALLY be attending CHERYL this month.

For non- new yorkers or people not familiar
with this dance party, Cheryl is describes as this
on their facebook page:
"CHERYL is a monthly dance party that explores the
themes of mortality, mania, the feline-human connection,
the limits of shoulders, the flammability of dollar-store hair extensions,
and the staining power of fake blood"

in other words, jackpot.
Every party has a theme and
an accompanying video.

This months theme is
The Great Depression, Take Two: Electric Boogaloo.
So basically I will be making a trash bag into a dress
and perhaps some plastic bags into puffy sleeves.
and gold tights....naturally...

Here is the video for this party



for those unfamiliar with this, just remember
to not think too hard on this. just enjoy it
for what it is....awesome.

you can watch the rest of their videos here

and you can attend this party next thursday night
at ROYALE in park slope. it starts at 10. be there at 10.

Sicky-poo

Ugh, Ive been sick for about a week!

But since it's all rainy today I'm
napping long and frequently.

I took the man to get his haircut today,
he looks absolutely handsome
and has the silkiest fur ever!

In crafty news I finally finished my
Bret Michaels squid that I had been working on.
I just need to get a frame for it
and then put it on etsy.

















I know that I definitely have to send a copy
to my sisters, since we all are obsessed with
the Rock of Love Bus, and it's trashy glory.


I got some new prismacolors, which
though insanely expensive,
make coloring things in
a whole lot easier.

I'm thinking of making some more later
perhaps the famed cheetahbunny,
and the bf suggested that I draw the
"octo-mom" as an octopus.
So we shall see how that turns out.

Perhaps another post later,
for now I am off to the land of naps
once again.
xo

My Latest Obsession

I don't remember the last time
that I was absolutely blown away
by a restaurant.

But that changed last night with
Dirt Candy.
I'm completely obsessed, and want
to shout it from the rooftops.

The name is summed up in this
statement that is off of their
website/blog

"What is dirt candy? Vegetables, of course.
When you eat a vegetable you’re eating little more
than dirt that’s been transformed by plenty of
sunshine and rain into something that’s full of flavor
– candy from the dirt. Dirt Candy. It’s also
the name of my restaurant, which opened about three months ago,
after a long, long battle with the forces of evil."

I'm not vegetarian, but I LOVE veggies.
I also love anyone that creates a restaurant
around such a sweet and natural idea.
AND! they can make any of the dishes
vegan, which I think is amazing.
It's hard to find good vegetarian fare
but it is even more challenging to find
an amazing vegan place.

I had the pleasure of dining with my Cioci Karen
and cousin Rachel.
We started off with the jalapeno hush puppies
with maple butter.

(I used the pictures from their website because
though I want to add my own, I always feel awkward
taking pictures of my food.)
**but let it be noted that the food looks exactly
like it does in the photos.


















They were perfect.
Just like the South Carolina
hush puppies that we love.
and the maple butter...ohh the maple butter
I definitely did not let any of that go to waste!!

Next up, was a salad for all of us.
Mixed greens with grilled cheese croutons,
and grapefruit pops.















Basically the best croutons ever and grapefruit
pieces that were covered like candied apples.
Fantastic!!


For the main I had the crispy tofu with
green ragout,















and Rachel had the carrot risotto.













I cant say enough about either,
they had amazing flavors, perfect
portions and kind of blew my mind.
Especially the carrot dumplings.



For three of us the bill was $101
for 6 plates and 2 glasses of wine.
Definitely affordable.
The dessert looked good, but I really wanted
to take them to Chikalicious,
because it's just a different kind of dessert experience.

Needless to say, I will definitely be returning,
and with the exception of shouting it from my blog
I may just keep this gem to myself.

It's Official!

The bf and I are going to PARIS!
We bought the tickets, booked the hotel
and are ready to go!
Too bad we have to wait until May.
But it's ok because this gives us the chance to save money
so that we- well, I, can do some serious
flea market shopping.

I was reading on tripadvisor.com
and there is apparently an old books market,
which I will definitely be meandering around at.
Just think of all the treasures there!!!


I'm also looking forward to doing some
touristy things as well.





















This time I want to visit the Sacre-Coeur,
the catacombs, and actually sit outside a cafe.

Like Fred Astaire I am going to dance
my way through the streets.






and stuff my face with deliciousness
in pastry form.
yessss.
and the cheese! oh the cheese.
and wine! oh my goodness.
this trip is going to be amazing.
fact.

Video Day

Last night we were watching some
Yacht Rock episodes on youtube
so I figured that today
would be video day.

enjoy.

Count de Money.

So, I got my tax refund yesterday...
got paid today...
received my phone rebate...

I've never had so much money.
and It's kind of weirding me out!
haha. Im so used to being broke!

And dont worry, Ill be back to normal soon
I have rent and bills to pay- so that
will take a large chunk of it.

Today is actually gorgeous in NY-
it is perfectly warm!!
finally!!!!
I even saw some flowers that bloomed
I had to reach down and touch them to
make sure that they were real.
and they were.


In more news that makes my heart leap
I received an ASPCA email today that
talked about "best friends", and as
most of you know I am all about
cross species friendship!

Here are 2 of my favorites!








































Click here
to see some of the cutest best friends ever.


oh and this had to be posted..

Must Watch

This is awesome.
Stop motion by Oren Lavie.

The Return to Innocence.

Last week at work, we decided to revisit
the Pure Moods cd whilst setting up.
It began with remembering the Sail Away song
and went from there.
It was completely entertaining.
And it got me thinking...
maybe it's time that everyone revisits Pure Moods.

I have an emotional attachment to some
of these songs because we used to warm up
to them in dance class. So they kind of
make me nostalgic for being 12 again.
(and being in shape)

and what is the return to innocence without the video.
The crazy thing is that they totally used to play this
on y100- which was the alternative station in philly.
Everyone was into ambient music back then.

Back in Queens

This past weekend was lovely.
We only left my parents house once
the entire time- it was definitely relaxing
and very very fun.

And Serg was, for the most part,
a very good boy.















*he wee'd in the house once
and showed his teeth to my brother
every time he looked at him.
He also barked at my sister...but she was
hellbent on trying to love him and he just
was not having it, so she kind of had that coming.


In cute baby news, here are some up to date
photos of my nephew, the most adorable baby ever.






























Big and fat, just like his mom was.
Who would ever believe that he was a preemie!?



Now we are back to reality, unfortunately.
But it was nice to have a little break.

au revior!

The bf, hobo and I are headed to South Jersey
for the weekend!
Hopefully serg will not attack anyone.
If you'll remember, he hates NJ-
for whatever reason it makes him grumpy.

Anyhow, my latest endeavor has been to learn french,
the bf and I are planning a trip to Paris, and I figured
that I should learn french this time. Last time
was a disaster- I had just come from 2 semesters
of Italian, so needless to say, french wasn't happening for me.

This time I am going to be prepared.
I've already learned my numbers, colors,
days of the week, and am currently learning
prepositions. Already I am way ahead of what
I learned in high school french!!

My friend Zach is fluent in french, so I've been
pestering him with millions of questions.
And he has been an excellent and patient coach.















It'll be great to get back to Paris.
I was only there for 2 days the last time-
so I am looking forward to getting to know the city.
I'll take any suggestions on places to go
if anyone has any favorite Parisian spots!
(Rebecca I'm sure you do!)

Jackpot.

Yesterday started out with
depression, and actually ended up
being pretty great.

Ive been in a creative slump-
dont know what to do and
anything that I try to do turns
out like crap.

After talking with my dear friend bunny,
I decided that maybe we need to form
a group of people that can inspire eachother.
Come up with projects and just keep working,
thinking and creating. Any medium is welcome
for the project-the important thing is broadening
horizons and getting inspired.

So if you are interested let me know!
Anyone can join!


In other news yesterday I did some
theraputic shopping.
I now have 2 books
(A Tale of Two Cities, and a forensics book)
a cute pair of polka dotted shorts, and a
snakeskin clutch I had been eyeing at Club Monaco.
Usually I prefer the skin left on the snake.
but this was just too cute.
Kelly green? yes please.
Super gaudy? sign me up.
















The best part is that it was originally $130
when I went yesterday it was down to $89
AND they were doing an additional 30% off.
I got this for $67 yessss. I love sales.

Retail therapy has always worked for me,
a few small things are enough to make me happy.
No more crazy burberry shopping, H&M and
bookstores will do. Club Monaco isn't a regular place
of mine, this was actually the first thing I've bought there.
Nice clothes but a little too business casual for me.

Today I am feeling refreshed.
I even picked up a pencil and sharpie
and drew a new squid friend.
The best part being that I don't hate it,
is it perfect? no.
But it doesn't have to be.
I just need to keep reminding myself of that.
So here is the squid, and a photo of my assistant.






























He is a big help.
He helped Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel...
that is how old and talented he is. fact.

Be Mine..I guess..

I have mixed feelings about Valentine's Day.
On one hand I love that I get to send
cards out, and buy or make nice little treats
for the people that I love.

What I do not like, is how a large
percentage of women put way to much pressure
on their guys for this day. There are 365 days
in the year-they have ample time to let their lady
know that they love them. But most prefer to
get that confirmation on this day.
I don't need a holiday to get sweet gifts or
loving words from the bf, it happens
throughout the year.

Valentine's day should be kept simple.
Though I wouldn't mind it if this
gentleman showered me with silly gifts














For this occasion I'm going to post
my latest baking success
PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES!
and yes, I am aware of the peanut
butter crisis that is happening.
So be sure to do your research before
purchasing peanut butter.


* 1 cup unsalted butter
* 1 cup crunchy peanut butter
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 eggs
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1. Cream together butter, peanut butter and sugars.
Beat in eggs.
2. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder,
baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter.
Put batter in refrigerator for 1 hour.
3. Roll into 1 inch balls and put on baking sheets.
Flatten each ball with a fork, making a criss-cross pattern.
Bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven for about 10 minutes
or until cookies begin to brown. Do not over-bake.

The recipe called for flattening the cookies, I just scooped
the dough out with a tablespoon and left them in the dome shape.

These were a huge hit with everyone that tried them.
Happy Valentine's Day Bunnies!

My Latest Obsession

If you love DIY, design, travel,
shopping, and just about anything awesome...
Do yourself a favor and head to

Design*Sponge

It's pretty inspiring!
Its made me want to venture to the
Meatpacking District (yeah I don't
usually find myself there...)
and explore some of the recommended stores
and restaurants.

Mainly The Green Table in the Chelsea Market.
Described as "Farm to Table Cuisine.
Music to my ears.

Anyways, get hunting around Design*Sponge
you will be addicted before you know it!

Chuck is a Liar.

Chuck is obviously a bootleg
weather groundhog.
Because it's snowing.
AGAIN.

Thanks for nothing Chuck.



Anyways, Serg and I are just being
lazy, which is what we do when it snows.
He snuggles on his blanket and I lay
on the couch. We look at each other as
we drift in and out of sleep.

This past weekend was the bf's birthday
we had such a great time, and I am
proud to announce that I kept a secret!
His parents told me that his sister was
coming as a surprise-and I actually kept a secret!
That never happens!!!

Friday we had drinks at Death and Co.
They have an amazing cocktail list,
I had the "Miss Behavin'" which had
champagne, apple jack, lemon juice,
and another ingredient that Im forgetting.
It was delicious.

From there we went to Jules, which is this
adorable french place that has live music.
Let me just say this. BAKED BRIE SALAD.
now you know about it, you're welcome.
Dinner was great, and we all had a great time.

After dinner we went to d.b.a,
another location in the east village,
which has more beer choices than I could count.
Or could even see! the print was so small on
the chalkboards and I'm practically blind...so
yeah. that didn't work out.

Here are some photos from the evening.
And in hindsight Im so mad that
I didn't get a proper picture of the bf and I.

Attack of Chuck.

Apparently Pennsylvanians
aren't the only ones who get their
spring prediction from a furry advisor.
On Staten Island we have Chuck.

Chuck hates everyone, but loves corn.
Watch this next clip that needs to have
the Benny Hill song put to it.

Groundhog Day

Chuck says spring is coming, Phil says
6 more weeks of winter.
Because I think that Chuck was more interested
in breakfast than predictions, I'm going
to believe Phil.

While I'm talking about groundhogs
I feel the need to post this.

mapache

Whilst reading PerezHilton the other day
I came across one of the headlines of the week
and it read "Raccoon bites off rapist's penis"

Weird story yes, but there was a picture of a raccoon
and it reminded me how cute they are, and of
this video that I love of a family of raccoons
begging for ice cream.

I went on a hunt for raccoon videos and came up with these.
They both made me laugh.






They are adorable and yet potentially dangerous creatures,
most widely known for being rabies carriers and distributors.
On the wikipedia page it said that pet raccoons can live up to
20 years, while wild ones only have a life expectancy of
1.5-3 years. Crazy.
Judging from some of the videos Ive seen they are
pretty sweet when kept as pets.

But I'm sure that they could go from this














to this. fairly quickly.















I totally love that last picture.
It's the typical face that serg makes when
we travel to new jersey.
Though sergie's teeth are definitely not that
white. This raccoon wins the clean teeth award.
I love this picture so much I've made it my desktop
background. I'm a dork. I know.

This made me cry

Tears of joy.
There are few things that make me happier
than hearing stories of 2 best friends
that are different species.

It just makes my heart do a
fred astaire style tap dance.
oh I love this.

Just Another Lovely Sunday.

OK so I'm a liar.
I promised a post yesterday and i didn't deliver,
winter depression knocked me out.
As it tends to do this time of year.

Today was a better day,
we hung around Sunnyside,
watched Control (more on that later)
and had dinner at Mara's,
our favorite Sunday night spot.

I really love Sunday's,
they are always relaxing.


So, we had been waiting for Control to
get to the top of our Netflix list, and
it definitely did not disappoint.
It tells the tragic story of Ian Curtis,
his personal life, rise to fame with
Joy Division, struggle with epilepsy,
and affair with Annik Honore.

here is the movie trailer and below is
a video of Joy Division playing live.
and P.S pandora listeners, put Joy Division
as your playlist and get ready to hear the best
mix of music ever. fact.










Right now I'm watching the end of this weeks
rock of love bus. Eliminations are going down-
and it is Marcia whose tour has ended.
I kinda wish he sent Mindy home, she is a crybaby.
Oh man, I love rock of love. guilty guilty pleasures.

Stuff

Apologies for my posting laziness.
As you are aware, it is January,
the month of deep depression
and general unmotivated-ness.

I wish I could hibernate,
and wake up in March.
-sigh-

Anyways...

Last night when the bf was walking Serg,
some girl said " look! a baby huskie!"
We laughed at what a fool she was.
These are baby huskies....















And this is Serg....















Silly girl...

Blahhhh, I promise that I will have a worthwhile
post tomorrow.

A New Day

Today is the inauguration of Obama,
and it's pretty exciting.
The news guy said that something like 2 million
people came out to D.C for it.
And unlike the Bush inauguration 4 years ago,



















everyone at this event seems so happy,
quiet, and content.
It's pretty amazing, but not at all surprising.


In other news, yesterday was an excellent day.
The bf and I walked around Soho for awhile
running errands and finding treasures.
At HousingWorks I found another
fantastic book for super cheap!

The Shark: Splendid Savage of the Sea
by Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Philippe Cousteau.
and it was $4.00. Jackpot.
While flipping through it I realized that Life Aquatic
was definitely based off of this book series.
I thought that was pretty cool.
There is an octopus and squid volume floating around
somewhere, and I plan on making it mine as well.

Super Post

After weeks of wondering where my camera
plug had disappeared to, the bf finally found it.
In his drawer...
The only place that I didn't look, gaaah,
well the important thing is that it is
no longer missing.

I've finally uploaded some Christmas photos



























































and have completed new Valentines.
Which were posted on etsy today,













along with some oldies but goodies.
check them out here.

Ah! in other really exciting nerd news,
I received my juicer! yesssss
It's awesome, and thankfully easy to use.
The bf and I have been juicin' like crazy!
We love it, and it's going to save me money
since I buy juice on a pretty regular basis.

Lets see... what else...
oh! You can find our happy tail on the BARC website,
I had sent them an update on Serg, and a totally
adorable new photo. He is such a sweet man.
Currently all snuggled up napping on his blanket.

Today is going to be a nice relaxing day,
we're going to be cooking up some dinner later,
and I will be camped out in front of the tv for
ROCK OF LOVE BUS. best show ever.
bridezilla's runs a close second.
The bf will cringe upon reading that-
he hates bridezilla's. But I can never get enough.
I think my next post will be dedicated completely
to the rock of love bus. so stay tuned.

xo

Blame it on the Rain

Yeah, it's raining.
it sucks.
Serg hates it too- he gets
all grumpy and refuses to walk.

Anyway, a few days ago I was
hunting around for squid news,
and I found a squid that is actually
terrifying. Not just scary and mysterious
like the Giant Squid- just pure cephalopod evil.

Meet the magnapinna squid. aka:
the squid with elbows.
He was filmed in the Gulf of Mexico,
just kind of hanging out...probably waiting
for his next victim.





Is it just me or is this reminiscent of
the alien from Independence Day....
and yes I did just make a reference
to Independence Day. If they did an autopsy
on Scary Squid, I bet it would go something
like this

Mass Hysteria.

I don't really like to talk about this
Magnapinna dude, I much prefer to pretend
that he doesn't exist. But Nationalgeographic.com
has a story on him if you are so curious.

I'll end on a light note.
Ladies and Gentlemen- the faux vocal stylings
of Milli Vanilli and their awful video
for "Blame it on the Rain"

My Quest to be Green

For awhile now, I have been trying to
green myself and my household.

I'm always looking for new ideas
to try, which is why I love
National Geographics Green Guide.
A small magazine that focuses on
environmentally friendly alternatives
to normal items, and how to slowly
change your life for the greener.

There were a couple things this issue that
I thought were worth mentioning.

1.) You've got two empty halves of coconuts and you're
bangin' 'em together! I couldn't resist.


















These utensils come from the Padang Coconut co-op,
which is on the border between Thailand and
Malaysia, and they are upcycled from discarded coconut shells.
There are many bonuses with these, first they are
supporting villages, these are fair trade green utensils,
and they are all around 10$ each.

2.) FACT!
Even if a dish product is labeled antibacterial,
it may not kill germs. The active ingredients
in those products are triclosan and tricloban, and
according to a study at the Tufts University School
of Medicine, people would have to soak their dishes
in 100 degree water with anti bacterial liquids for up
to 2 hours in order for these soaps to kill most of the bacteria.

3.)Soles 4 Souls is a charity that is worth looking into.


Another really great item that wasn't in the magazine,
but I found at Sustainable NYC ,is the biodegradable doggie bags
from EcoChoices.











Anything that avoids more plastic sounds
just fine to Serg and I. Well I bet he doesn't really care
as much as I do. But we can pretend he is a green dog.

Sweet Relief

I love New Years Day way more than
New Years Eve. It is a day of nothing.

A day to think about the coming year,
take naps, and detox from last night.
Work was surprisingly slow, but it was
nice to ring in the new year with friends.

Now its mid afternoon, and I'm lounging
on the couch, browsing through compost bins
and giving the man lovins.
This is a good day.

Hopes

Last year my list looked like this:
*Stop purchasing plastic water bottles
*switch my cleaning supplies to planet friendly types
*walking the shelter dogs more
*using products that were not animal tested
*making sure I ALWAYS have my chicobag on me

Looking back I'd say I did a pretty good job of accomplishing
those things. my cleaners are greener, I very rarely take bags
from stores, I ended up actually adopting a shelter dog
that I had been walking, and I did have a Sigg bottle-
I just dont know where it has gone to....time to buy a new one.

My hopes and mini- goals for 2009 are as follows:

*stay on top of creating new things for etsy
(at the least once a month)
*send out cards for necessary holidays and birthdays
*put all of my recipes onto cards
*volunteer or support a new charity
*take Italian classes
*really start the correspondence society
*be the best doggie mom possible
*to battle through my bad moods instead of gettings stuck in them

There you have it.
Some are small and some will take some doing,
but all are within reach.

Happy New Year readers! xo