042. SNOOKIE.

GET IN MY BELLY!

via.

041. brilliant quote.

"All generalizations are bad"–R.H. Grenier

040. rip j.d. salinger.

January 1, 1919 - January 27, 2010

039. new apple iPad announced.

So it's pretty much just a giant, cooler iPhone? Great job, Apple?

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc Chief Executive Steve Jobs took the wraps off the "iPad" tablet on Wednesday, looking to define a new category of wireless device that will play video, games and all sorts of other media.
...
Called the "iPad," the device is Apple's biggest product launch since the iPhone three years ago, and arguably rivals the smartphone as the most anticipated in Apple's history.

After months of feverish speculation on the Internet and among investors, Jobs took the stage at a jam-packed theater in San Francisco and, with his famed showman's flair, began detailing the device's basic features.

The iPad has a near life-sized touch keyboard and supports Web browsing. It comes with a built-in calendar and address book, Jobs said.

via.

038. another sweet giveaway.

UM, so I know I just blogged about a different giveaway yesterday, but I can't help but talk about this one, too.

The Etsy shop is called Polka Dot Moon and you can browse it here. All the pieces are adorable and quite affordable. I urge you to check it out and support them! The necklace above (Lovely Locket - Heart Necklace) is my favorite item, closely followed by the Blush Bouquet Earrings.

Find the necklace here, the earrings here, and more about the giveaway here.

037. WANT.

I am newly obsessed with matryoshka dolls.

via.

036. book (and other media) swapping.

Let's talk about book swapping. Has anyone heard of this or used these services besides me?

I don't even remember how I first came across BookMooch, but I started using it for a good while. I had a lot of books mooched from me at first, and honestly I was a bit upset that I was spending money to ship books out to strangers without getting anything in return. Greedy, I know. Eventually, I started mooching a few books back from people, and then I removed the remaining books from my inventory. BookMooch is a great site, but it didn't really fit my book-trading needs.

I used one of my favorite Google "tricks" to find some other sites to use instead of BookMooch. I Googled "bookmooch" and when the results came up, clicked "Similar" underneath the actual BookMooch listing. I found a ton of sites, and after browsing through all of them, I decided that I like SwapTree the most. SwapTree is so easy to use and has such a nice clean site design. Another great benefit of SwapTree is that it accepts swaps of books, DVDs, CDs, and video games. Personally, I'm only interested in getting books, but with SwapTree, I can trade DVDs that I never watch anymore for new books to add to my library (and Invisible Shelves)! According to "My Swaptree" account page, I saved $47 and decreased my carbon footprint by 63 pounds! Impressive, huh?

As a young woman on a quest for minimalism, I think these swapping websites are a good way to maintain a fresh book/DVD/etc. collection, while saving money and avoiding clutter. I think you should all check it out ASAP!

035. ONE WEEK.

034. a great song to start the day.

This song will likely be stuck in your head for most of the morning. A bit of background about it, from it's Wikipedia page:

"Prisencolinensinainciusol" is a song composed by Adriano Celentano, and performed by Celentano and Raffaella Carrà. It was first released as a single on November 3, 1972, and later on his album Nostalrock. The lyrics are pure gibberish, often described as sounding like American English as heard by a non–English-speaker.

I can't sit still when I hear this, and I love the story behind it. Very cool. Enjoy!

Jo's Studio giveaway!

One of my favorite accounts that I follow on Twitter, Jo's Studio, is having a sweet giveaway, and I urge you to all go check it out. I believe it ends tonight, and it's some great stuff!

EDIT: The contest has been extended one more day (until tomorrow, 1/26/10). Good luck!

http://www.josstudio.wordpress.com/

A Valentine's Day card.

I bought this Valentine's Day card last night. Normally, I like making them myself, but I somehow stumbled upon this shop and thought this card was absolutely perfect for Frank. I can't wait to give it to him, and I can't wait to buy more from Two Guitars. Sidenote: I hate shopping or even browsing Etsy because I get so jealous of everyone's talent and so jealous that I don't have enough free time to be creative. :( Maybe that will be one of my February New Month's Resolutions!

Via Two Guitars on Etsy.

Repurposed furniture.

Via Storage and Glee.

A pretty color story.

via.

Martha Stewart.

The always-amazing Martha Stewart wows me again. Look at this gallery! I normally hate glass cabinets, but these are beautiful. I also love the use of magnets in the medicine cabinet. What a brilliant space-saver. If only my medicine cabinet looked so gorgeous. More here: Photo Gallery: Organizing Your Home

 

Totally fortunate.

A fortune cookie I was handed the night before last (I didn't have Chinese food, I was simply given a cookie):

Feeding a cow with roses does not get extra appreciation.

Brilliant.

Coming soon • "Maleficent"

It's not even official, but I'm already stoked. I also like the über-casual writing style of the author of the article.

Tim Burton is developing another classic Disney fairy tale in a quasi Live Actiony kinda way. It seems that Tim has a hankering for SLEEPING BEAUTY... but not really... You see, he's going to tell the story from Maleficent's point of view. In fact, it'll be called MALEFICENT.
She was always the most interesting character in that story, but we never knew why she hated those three little fairy wenches... or what indignity she suffered at the hands of Aurora's parents. Yeah, I'm on board... if only it ends with Maleficent with a sword in her heart in dragon form. Cuz that'll rule. Think about how long this plotline was carried out over. She has quite a tale to tell. Let's see where it pops up in Burton's filmography.

via.

EPCOT Panorama.

Here's a taste of a panorama I just created from some shots I took at the World Showcase in Epcot (in Walt Disney World). More pictures to come soon! Thoughts?

Birch photo displays.

Via Storage and Glee.

Antler chandelier.

From Apartment Therapy..

January new month's resolutions.

Instead of making resolutions for the New Year, which I find to be generally unattainable and unrealistic, I decided to make resolutions each month. I haven't made a breakdown of goals for each month yet. I think that the goals should be made at the end of the previous month so they can be relevant and accurate.

For January, I picked three resolutions:

1. to actually use my new Moleskine planner,
2. to teach myself to be ambidextrous,
3. and to rewatch all 5 seasons of "Lost" before February 2nd.

So far (January 18th), I've done a great job with number 1. My planner is neat and organized and updated! I usually leave it in a drawer for a few weeks, then find it and get frustrated that some pages are blank. Then I buy a new one. So I have a bunch of half-used planners, which is a waste of money, trees, and space. Number 2 is a bit harder. I have a good grip on writing with my left hand, but it looks like a small child's handwriting. Must. keep. practicing. Completing resolution 3 seemed completely doable, until I realized I would be in Disney World for a week. Now I really need to try to squeeze in all the episodes. As of this morning, I'm two episodes away from the end of season 2. I need to watch about one season per week. Ah! I hope I can do it!

020. Ode to January.

I saw this on miss minimalist last night. Check out the blog!

Ode to January

By miss minimalist

(Photo: kalandrakas)

January is my favorite month of the year.

It’s not simply a matter of aesthetics—though I do appreciate the beauty of bare branches, snow-covered ground, and a monochromatic winter landscape.

The appeal, however, is more psychological than visual: after the excesses and over-stimulation of December, January is like a huge sigh of relief.

Where December is noise, January is silence. Where December is indulgence, January is restraint. Where December is crowded and chaotic, January is empty and serene.

Where December carries all the baggage of the previous year, January is a fresh start. It’s an opportunity to begin with a clean slate and a free spirit, a chance to eliminate unproductive endeavors and concentrate on new, more promising ones.

January provides me with renewed inspiration to live a minimalist lifestyle. In January, I buy less, eat less, and stress less than at any other time of the year. Instead of shopping, I avoid the stores and clean out my closets. Instead of dining out, I enjoy simple, healthy food at home. Instead of keeping a busy schedule, I relax, knowing I have a whole year ahead of me to accomplish my goals.

Where December is more, January is less. And to this minimalist, less is beautiful.

I'm baaack.

I'm back from vacation and ready for some excellent blogging in 2010! First matter of business-- I've decided that "2010" will henceforth be pronounced "Twenty-ten." None of that "Two-thousand-ten" bologna. Secondly, lots of craft posts and reviews are coming up soon, as well as a slew of photographs from my trip to Disney World. Finally, I'm in the process of cleaning out my closet. I'll be putting up a lot of stuff on Ebay, a few items on Etsy, and some other items here/on my Twitter. Please check it out and tell your friends! I'm not trying to get rich, I'm just trying to get rid of things that don't fit anymore and send them to new, loving owners. Check the links occasionally; I've got great stuff and bills to pay! :)