we live in the future

ctr 7

2012-01-22T20:09:00.000-06:00

Last year I taught one of the two Sunbeams classes in my ward. In the new year they moved me from the youngest class in Junior Primary to CTR 7, the youngest class in Senior Primary. When I first heard about the switch I have to say I was a little relieved. Don't get me wrong, I LOVED my 3 year olds. But, as anyone who has had to keep seven 3 year olds quiet, in their seats, and paying attention for 2 straight hours will know, it can be an exhausting job.

The 7 year olds, however, present their own unique challenges. You'd think that since I work at an after school program at an elementary school I would have a better idea of children's attention spans and maturity levels, but apparently not so. The girls in the class are quiet, respectful, sit in their chairs, raise their hands, and follow directions. The boys, while old enough to know that they are expected to sit in their chairs and pay attention sometimes seem to just forget. I'm working on it. Bribing with fruit snacks seems to help.

With the Sunbeams I made them little drawing books to draw in after the lessons every week (their attention spans were so short that we often had between 15 and 20 minutes of free time at the end of every class so I would let them draw in their books or on the chalkboard to pass the time). With my 7 year olds I figured that we could try something a little more sophisticated, so I'm having them write in what I've dubbed "Testimony Journals." The idea is that there is a designated page for them to write what they've learned in class at the end of each lesson. It's been a little slow going (bringing in stickers for them to use for their names on the cover took a lot longer than expected) but I feel like it'll take off soon enough.

Their favorite part? When I took pictures of them with my Polaroid camera to put on the cover and they got to see the pictures develop. It was a first-time experience for them all and it was pretty fun to see how excited they got about it. I had one of the kids take my picture so I can make a journal too. Kinda fun. Here are some photos (some edited to protect the identity of the chillins):

All our journals together (not all the kids have made one yet).

My example title page opposite the Table of Contents.

So we'll see how this experiment goes. It might end up taking up too much time in class so I might give up and just let them take them home and do with them what they will. But I hope they work out. I think it'll be cool for them to take home at the end of the year, full of primary goodness. But we'll see.

comics

2012-01-17T13:39:00.002-06:00

Today I had my first class in Book Topics: The Comic Book and Graphic Novel and it got me thinking about the relationship I've had throughout my life with comic books. When I was in elementary and middle school I remember begging my mom to buy me Archie comics while we waited in line at the grocery store. I even got a The Archies cd for Christmas one year from one of my brothers. I also remember going to this comic book store in Brooklyn with my dad when I was even younger (less than 5 years old) and wandering around looking at random comics while my dad talked to the guys who worked there. One time, after they had recently rearranged the store, I found myself in a section of the store I was used to finding regular comics but now it was more, uh, pornographic in nature. I couldn't read so I just remember the pictures and being confused about why everyone was naked. My dad spotted me pretty quickly (possibly due to a tip off from an employee) and swooped in to redirect my attentions elsewhere.

When we moved to New Jersey my dad found a new comic book place and I remember standing with my brother and flipping through the boxes of comics along side our dad as he looked for the latest issue of something-or-other or back issues of that-other-thing or bags and boards for his continually growing collection. We also enjoyed looking at and secretly (and not so secretly) coveting the various unusual action figures, like The Simpsons or Austin Powers. My dad always made friends with the employees at the store so whenever we would go in he would be greeted, usually by name, and our time in the store would be filled with comic shop talk.

In high school I read Maus and Maus II in my freshman year English class and it changed my life. It was the first time I had seen a comic book as a format to express something other than the adventures of superheroes or misadventures in love. When I read Maus, I felt like I was the first one to discover it in the world (ridiculous, considering that we read it as a class assignment) and wanted to tell everyone I knew about it. It spoke to me.

Around the end of high school I discovered other formats for comics: webcomics. It was then that I discovered some of my favorites, xkcd and toothpastefordinner. The illustrative simplicity of xkcd inspired me to make my own mini comics which I pasted in my journal for at least a year.

I am excited for what other great comics and graphic novels I will be introduced to and encouraged to read in this new class. Maybe my journal will once again be peppered with stick figures and word bubbles.

book gifts

2012-01-06T23:35:00.001-06:00

A while ago I alluded to a book I sent to a friend in Boston but didn't post pictures of it because it was, you know, a surprise. There was also a book I said I'd made but couldn't show you because it was a gift. Well, now here are some pictures of the books that had been shrouded in such mystery. Remain calm.

Teddy Bear book inspired by Jacob's second blog.

As soon as I saw this paper I knew it had to go into Jacob's book because
it looked gross and moldy and Jacob loves things that look gross and moldy.

This book was for Braeden's sister Vanessa:
it's a rebinding of her favorite book by Neil Gaiman.

I speckled the edges. No big deal.

So, there's a bookmaking update for you. I also gave Braed's dad a book for Christmas that I'd made for class but lamely forgot to take a picture before handing it over. I will tell you, however, that he really liked it. So much, in fact, that he kindly requested a handmade book each year. I love book love.

weddings

2012-01-01T16:28:00.001-06:00

One time my friend Stephanie got married to the love of her life. And I was there! In St. George! Here are some photos of the lovely day:

Justin & Stephanie! It was sunny.

Kissing! Gross.

Our table at the reception. You can see a hint of the bridesmaids' red cowboy boots on Rachel (front right). Sexy.

Garrett took some artsy-fartsy pictures and Jen and Tess helped.

The quatro amigas! The last time we were all together was at my wedding in May. I miss these girls.

Can you see why we're friends?

This is just one of the many things we have done over our 2 week Christmas break out of Iowa. Party!

our lil' Christmas tree

2011-12-16T19:27:00.000-06:00

Remember how I fell in love with making little books? Well Braeden and I unearthed our own lil' Christmas tree so that we could hang this lil' beauty:

It's a miniature version of the guest book that I made for our wedding, and I still had some materials left over (though I couldn't find all the materials—see if you can find the differences in the photo below) and I thought it would be the perfect first mini book ornament for our tree.

Pretty cute, right? Here are some of our other ornaments that we've gathered this year...

I made a paper star garland threaded with binding thread.

One of the glass ornaments I made at the State Fair this summer.


The Nauvoo Sun Stone ornament. We also gave this to our family members who came out for our wedding.

The whole tree. Usually I'm not a fan of tiny trees but this year I'm all about it.

Yay for tiny things! Braed thinks we should make it a tradition to make a tiny book ornament ever year and make this tiny tree our book tree. I think that sounds lovely.

a tiny book

2011-12-14T18:26:00.000-06:00

At the Conservation Lab at the University Library where I work, we have a tiny conservation-themed Christmas tree. (See the slightly blurry photo below.)

Our conservation-themed Christmas tree.

So today I made my own contribution to the tree with an ornament that embodies the work that I do at the lab: clean and flatten flood books, mostly from the Cedar Rapids Czech and Slovak Library and Museum. First I cut down some scrap paper, folded it into sections, sewed it into a text block and glued it up. Cute, no?

This lil' book's pages are about 1 1/4 in by 1 in.

See how tiny it is in this normal-sized lying press? Adorable.

Here you can see the cover of the book. It is a color photocopy of the cover an actual book from the museum.
I wrapped the photocopy around a tiny piece of card stock instead of book board.
On the spine you can see the author's name, Jan Stiavnicky. Jan is a pretty popular Czech name.

This is the book with cardstock interleaving and sandwiched between book board, blotter, and remay.
This is how I flatten all the regular sized books, too.

I actually spritzed the interleaving and cover before I put it in the sealer, just like the regular books.
This is the book getting sealed in our vacuum sealer.

And here it is, the final product, hanging on the tree.

So, that's all. That's what I did today. For like 3 hours. Also, I cleaned some regular-sized books for the African-American Museum. All in a day's work.

The whole time I was working I just kept thinking about how cute little things are a wondering if that's some sort of instinctual affection that has to do with nurturing young or something. Things to think about. I also liked that I was able to use a bunch of seemingly useless paper and board scraps since I hate throwing things away. Who knows? Maybe I will now go on a tiny book making spree with all of the paper scraps in my studio. Maybe.

a book

2011-12-11T22:28:00.000-06:00

I finished re-binding a book the other day and I am super proud of it!

But it is also is a Christmas gift so I cannot post a picture of it here.

But trust me, it's great.

occupy USA

2011-11-19T23:52:00.002-06:00

Photo via Iowa City Patch.

There's been a lot of talk recently about the Occupy Movement. Here in Iowa City we have our own version: Occupy College Green. A bunch of students and a few other residents have put up tents and have been camping out in College Green Park, a small park a few blocks away from downtown Iowa City. While it sort of seems like the OCG protesters have missed the boat a little bit—they're not located in a central location where people can see them and ask questions and figure out what they're all about—they're still staying strong and sleeping in tents as temperatures continue to drop. And, in classic Midwestern fashion, the city has been more than polite about the whole thing. "Killing them with kindness" as one of my co-workers said. They've donated free port-a-potties for the protesters and even send police officers over to the park at night to keep them safe from the drunk college students who roam the area every weekend. The protesters themselves have been moving their tents around the park pretty regularly and we think they're doing that as a nod to the city so they don't kill the grass beneath their tents.

However, the most discussion I've heard about the movement itself is on the bus ride home from undergrads who make comments to each other about the "hippies camped out in the park who want socialism." Clearly they don't know what socialism is and haven't taken the time to actually find out about this world-wide (yes, world-wide) protest movement is all about.

I admit that I am not as well-informed as I could be either. I've walked through the park a few times since the Occupiers took up residence there and I haven't stopped to talk to anyone about what they're hoping to accomplish or what motivated them to join the movement. I have, however, been following the nation-wide movements via the internet and television and there seems to be a lot of conflicting information out there (surprising no one). However I've tried to take some things that I know and see how they fit into the current situation.

The First Amendment. Freedom of speech. Freedom of the press. Freedom of assembly. These are things that are guaranteed to citizens of the United States by our Bill of Rights. I know that we, as citizens, are free to assemble in a public place and we are free to protest. These are things I've been taught since grade school. Cornell University Law School elaborates on our First Amendment rights by explaining:

The right to petition the government for a redress of grievances guarantees people the right to ask the government to provide relief for a wrong through the courts (litigation) or other governmental action. It works with the right of assembly by allowing people to join together and seek change from the government.

This is what is happening now. The protesters aren't in the streets because they like to play bongos and wave their fingers around, they are protesting against corporations and their corrosive hold on the democratic process and the lives of Americans. As explicated on occupywallstreet.com:

Occupy Wall Street is a people-powered movement that began on September 17, 2011 in Liberty Square in Manhattan’s Financial District, and has spread to over 100 cities in the United States and actions in over 1,500 cities globally. #ows is fighting back against the corrosive power of major banks and multinational corporations over the democratic process, and the role of Wall Street in creating an economic collapse that has caused the greatest recession in generations. The movement is inspired by popular uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, and aims to expose how the richest 1% of people are writing the rules of an unfair global economy that is foreclosing on our future.

I don't know about you, but I think that sounds pretty legit.

You can name call the protesters all you want—thugs, terrorists, homeless, dirty, bongo-playing hippies—and that is your right to do so. However, when police are pepper spraying peaceful protesters in the face at close range, arresting people for peacefully sitting in a public place, and dismissing the press from an area so they can slash protesters' tents, you cannot say that what the government is doing through the police force is not a violation of the protesters rights, of all of our rights.

However, what scares me most perhaps, is how oblivious so many people still seem to be to these events. So, World, don't just take my word for it, inform yourselves! Use wikipedia and google and facebook and twitter and hulu and youtube and find out what is actually going in your world! I dare you.

mail

2011-11-17T23:59:00.000-06:00

I have had a brown shipping box that has been sitting on my bedroom floor for literally months waiting to be mailed back as a return. And I have also been months overdue in sending out some custom made books to my dear friend Jacob Seifert.

Today, I finally made it to the post office. And the lil' beauty pictured below is well on its way to Boston. So keep a look out, friend!

(Photos of the contents of this box will be revealed to the world as soon as they are first revealed to its intended recipient: hopefully within two business days.)

i made a hat

2011-11-15T08:30:00.002-06:00

Braeden has been teaching me how to loom knit. I recently finished my first loom-knit hat! It was exciting. It is also more mustard colored than this photo gives it credit for... I love having a crafty husband!

blank books

2011-11-14T10:04:00.001-06:00

(Click to enlarge)

I think I should print this out and put it on my craft fair booth by all my blank books...

craft show! it happened!

2011-11-12T21:50:00.001-06:00

Hey look! It's me! At my craft fair booth! Looking all profesh! This picture was taken around 8 in the am, and look at me all awake and things! Today, for the first time I think ever, I got out of bed before Braeden! This time I was the one who got to jump on the other and say, "Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey!"

The earliest we could enter the mall to choose our booth space and start to set up was 7 am, and, since it was just down the street, I felt like it would be silly not to get there as early as possible. I'm glad that was my attitude, too since by the time we got there around 7:20 almost all the prime spots were already filled! Luckily I was able to snag one of the last good ones for my and my booth-buddy Melissa before they all filled up. I figured that was the least I could do since she told me about the fair, signed us up for a booth, brought chairs for us to sit in all day AND printed me up an amazing banner for my booth. She is magical.

Me and Melissa. We're cool. You can tell because of our posture.

I didn't make a lot of sales, especially of books, but from what I gathered it was a pretty slow day for most people. My best seller today? My button earrings. I did not see that one coming, folks. It was a little disheartening that the item that took me the least amount of time and creativity was the most popular, but I guess that's how it goes sometimes. Did I mention it was also the cheapest? My cereal box books and cereal box folders did get a lot of attention, though, and I did sell two of the books and one of the folders, and the folder was even sold to someone I didn't know! Be impressed.

There's a Christmas craft fair a few towns over at the beginning of next month and I think I'm gonna get a booth there. I'll make some more cereal box books and some Jell-o books for it to help round out the selection a little bit. Since they're smaller, the Jell-o books will be a little cheaper than the cereal box books so they might sell more. Plus, with Christmas that much closer hopefully people will be looking for gifts and be willing to pay a little more for things.

But, all in all, it was a success! I covered my costs (barely) and had a great time! Braeden was super supportive (surprising no one) and I couldn't have done it without him: I probably would have cried trying to get everything set and ready at least once, that's for sure. As it is I am dry-eyed and bushy tailed and excited to go out there and do it again!

dreams

2011-11-11T21:25:00.000-06:00

Last night I went to bed at 9:30 pm. I've been trying to get to sleep early all week, and I usually feel like I'm tired enough around 9 or 10, but then Braeden and I lie in bed and talk for like 2 hours and then it's midnight. But last night I actually fell asleep! Sure I woke up every once and a while to Braeden elbowing me to move over so he wouldn't fall out of bed, but other than that it was a great night sleep! A great 12 hours of sleep, in fact. It was lovely. Plus, I had a really weird dream where I saw Ryan Gosling (you know, of Young Hercules fame) and he was bearing his testimony about how he wanted to get his life together and go on a mission in a giant stake center that I have never seen where the pulpit had a spotlight and he had a huge beard and fluffy hair and I only recognized him later when I saw him in the gift shop where I was working (yes, in the church) where he was friends with someone in a wheelchair who I was pushing around the store and almost into things and then when they left my friend in my dream leaned over and whispered in my ear, "If I was evil I would pull that person out of their chair and pretend to be them so I could be friends with Ryan Gosling."

To be clear, I am not some kind of giant Ryan Gosling fan: in my dream I was a little confused about why he was there, but I didn't go introduce myself to him or anything (although I will admit there was a lot of staring). I think he's been on my mind because of this amazing blog I've been following recently called Feminist Ryan Gosling. I highly recommend it.

PS My craft show is tomorrow! Exciting/nerve-wracking/motivating. If you're around the Sycamore Mall in Iowa City any time tomorrow between 10 am and 6 pm you should come check it out!

homemade goldfish crackers

2011-11-09T23:01:00.000-06:00

Today I made some homemade goldfish crackers! Well, they were really circle crackers. And they tasted more like Cheeze-Its than goldfish crackers, which was a bit of a sadness, but they were still good.

They look sort of like mini corn muffins, but that is not what they taste like...

I found the recipe on the Pinterest, but that one had you make a lil goldfish shaped cookie cutter to cut the crackers out with and I did not have the patience for that today, so instead I used an apple core-er I purchased last year to carve pumpkins with Martha Stewart style, then totally forgot about. Good times. The crackers were okay today, but they're supposed to get crunchier as they cool, so we'll see what I think tomorrow... Also, I think next time I might mix in some chili powder to give them a little zest.

i voted

2011-11-08T23:10:00.000-06:00

Today I voted. I also went to class, made some books, went to work, went to a study group on campus, wrote on a chalkboard, wrote an article for the SLIS webpage, and started to freak out about my craft booth this Saturday. How am I going to package my purchases? Is my branding cohesive? Will I have enough product? Will people even buy anything? These are the things that have been keeping me up. That is all.

anything i want

2011-11-07T11:23:00.001-06:00

I think that this is a true phenomenon.

practice

2011-11-06T21:58:00.001-06:00

Braed and I did a practice pre-craft show set up today to get a handle on what I have, what I need, etc. We came up with an inventory and pricing list and made goals for additional things we want to get made this week for the show on Saturday. I am so lucky to have a husband as supportive and amazing as Braeden, and that's a fact. He took a task that had been niggling at the back of my mind ever since I said yes to this craft show invitation and brought it into the daylight to show me that it wasn't really a scary thing at all: he completes me.

Here are some photos of the tentative booth set-up. (Our dining room table is somewhere between 4.5-5 feet long, but the booth table will be 6 feet.)

The display as a whole...

A close-up of my new business cards!
You know, for my business.
Exciting.

I was really pleased with the idea to use these old Pepsi crates I already had to display various books.
I like the look of it and that the books fit so nicely inside!

This lil knit bowl that Braeden made will house the button earrings.
Behind the bowl is a cookie cooling rack I'm using to hang the dangle key earrings.
(You can't really see it in any of these pictures, but, trust me, it works!)

I was worried that I wouldn't have enough stuff but it looks like I'm going to have plenty. I feel good about the variety of merchandise and pricing we've got going on and hopefully the customers will like it, too! Pricing is what makes me the most nervous: I'm such a cheapskate and when I look at something and think, "Hey, I could make that" it makes me even less inclined to buy it from someone else. The catch when pricing my own stuff is, well, I actually did make it myself, therefore I wouldn't buy it from someone like me: it's a weird spot to be in. However, I think between Braeden and I we've been able to come up with some fair pricing. Cross your fingers!

a list

2011-11-05T23:48:00.000-05:00

Things I've noticed about having short hair:

My head gets cold, especially in the ear region.
My hair dries in less than 5 minutes.
To get rid of bedhead all I have to do is rub my head and it goes away.
I never get hair in my eyes when I'm working on a project.
I keep thinking my hair is up instead of cut off so when I'm trying on different outfits I'm really careful about pulling them off over my head so I don't mess up my nonexistent up-do.
My face doesn't look as round as it used to: I think my sticky-up hair gives my face additional height.
I'm still surprised when I turn my head sharply and my hair doesn't whip me in the face.
My knit hat fits more snugly on my head because my hair Velcros it in place.
Braeden says I look like a hedgehog because of my spiky hair and pointy nose: I've been called worse... (Much worse.)
When I see other women with short hair I feel like we are part of a secret club that I didn't even know existed until now.

hair affirming

2011-11-04T22:22:00.001-05:00

Hey, Mikey! He likes it!

The reactions to my haircut have been overwhelmingly positive! It started off last night after my blog post with a text from my dear friend Jen telling me that I look amazing and Braeden and I are awesome (which is always nice to hear) and Erin, who I thought would be skeptical of the new look, texted me and told me that it looks really cute! And Braeden, because he is adorable, LOVES it and can't stop rubbing my head.

All of these positive affirmations were super important because I knew that as soon as I showed up at the elementary school with this lack of hair I was going to get some pretty blunt comments. They're kids, you can't blame them, but you have to be prepared. Here are some of the gems:

What happened to your hair? Why did you do that?!
You look like a boy.
I liked your hair better before...
Excuse me, Miss Man? I mean... What's your name again?

A nice surprise of the day was when a bunch of the kids were off-task and asking me about why I cut my hair and who did it and why would I do that and one of the girls who usually has a bit of attitude said, "It's her hair! She can do what she wants with it!" and went back to doing her math worksheet.

so one time i cut my hair off...

2011-11-03T22:39:00.000-05:00

Braeden inspired me. As has Tess and Claire and Mo-Flan. So today, after a long talk with Tess about how hair is just hair and it always grows back and if I want to do it I should just go for it, (big breath!) I buzzed my head.

Can you see the trepidation on my face?
The fear in my eyes?
It was real.

Half-way done...

Still working on it...

Look! It's all short! All of it!

Here it is all cleaned up and washed.

Phew! It's done. This has been one of my secret (and not so secret) dreams since at least high school. And I finally did it! Once I actually decided to do it it was less scary than I thought it would be. The vibrations of the hair clippers were surprisingly pleasant and my lack of hair is really liberating. And, perhaps most importantly, this whole thing has been less traumatizing than expected: usually I really don't like haircuts after I get them, but this one I feel really good about. Maybe my feelings will change when I go out into the real world tomorrow and the kids at school tell me I look like a boy (we're talking literal kids: the 1-4th graders at the after school program I work at), but that's tomorrow.

We'll see how it goes, but for today I feel just lovely.

craft show!

2011-11-02T22:27:00.001-05:00

Hey friends! I am participating in my first craft show this month! It's scheduled for November 12th at the Sycamore Mall here in Iowa City. Many thanks to my friend Melissa Eaton with whom I am sharing a booth and thus the whole craft-filled day. (See flyer below for more information and graphically challenged but well-intentioned excitement.) If you're in the area you should come and say hi!

I'm pretty excited. I've been working the past little while to increase my inventory and I came up with a few fun new items that may or may not make it out to the booth and/or onto the Etsy.

One of them is these pencil boxes I've made out of cereal boxes:

I was originally inspired by a tutorial I found online, but that version used hot glue (which I don't like to use for serious crafting) and I found that because I didn't use a Life cereal box my folding ratios were a bit off, so I had to improvise. I've made a few different variations and I'd like your expert, blog-reader advice about which I should run with. Here they are:

First off, I tried a few different closing techniques:

There's the paper button closure...

The classic cereal box closure...

The tab closure (partially open so you can see it's inner workings...)

...and the tab closure all closed up.

I also tried a few different things with the insides, too:

There's this one with a drop-spine.
The back flaps are linked in front of the top piece and the top and back piece drop down when the box is opened.

And this one where the back flaps are attached behind the top instead of in front of it.

I think my favorites are the classic cereal box closure and the second inside option because I think they play well on the fact that the box is in fact made out of a cereal box.

What are your thoughts? Which style do you prefer? Does the natural wear on the cereal box bother you or do you think it adds to their charm?

no-shave-november

2011-11-01T23:59:00.000-05:00

Inspired by a film we watched last year and in honor of No-Shave-November, Braeden has decided to let his hair and beard grow unchecked for the next 6 months. (You can follow his journey at winterofthebeard.tumblr.com.) But, in order to be able to legitimately say that his hair/beard growth was the evidence of 6 months only, he had to start from scratch.

So this morning Braeden went from this:

Can you read the trepidation in his face?

To this:

Shaved head and full beard? Not bad, eh?

To this:

Whhhhaaaaa?!

As he says, "I look like a hungry, angry baby!" I've got to say, it is strange seeing him clean-shaven for the first time (when we met he had a lil' goatee and since we've dated he's always had a full beard of various lengths). This is also the shortest his hair has ever been in his life.

I must admit, I miss the beard (you know of my deep love for beards in general), but his cheeks are now smooth and it's nice to actually feel some facial skin for once. What I'm least looking forward to? The terrible sandpapery skin that is the in-between phase between clean shaven and bearded: nobody likes that: nobody.

But I still love him!

Since Braeden blogged about his plan, our friend Jared has decided to join Braeden in his bearded journey. Because he's awesome like that. In his own words:

I have united with my brother Braeden Jones in a contest of beardom affectionately known as Winter of the Beard. The rules: Shave day one, leave untrimmed for 6 months. The prize: one AWESOME beard. Everyone wins if you finish.

That's right, everyone wins if you finish. (I'm looking at you, Jacob Seifert.)

I admire Braed for just going for it: I've been thinking of shaving my head for years now but have never gotten up the courage to do it. After some across the country road-tripping and long conversation about said secret desires, my friend Claire promptly went back to school and shaved her head: what a woman. Who knows? Maybe some day I'll have as much courage myself.

weekend in madison!

2011-10-27T00:24:00.001-05:00

We're in Madison!

We spent the weekend with our dear friend Erin in Madison, WI this weekend! I have to say (and I have), that it was pretty much a perfect weekend. Erin was a fabulous host—the weekend was an ideal balance between doing things and just hanging out and we left feeling happy and peaceful and rejuvenated from our weekend away. Win-win-win.

Saturday morning we went to the farmer's market and experienced its magical, counter-clockwise rotation and warm, jalapeno cheesy bread for ourselves. We spent way too much money on blown glass, art and fancy cheeses: we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Then we made delicious sandwiches and ate lunch outdoors on the terrace and took pictures in the giant versions of their famous starburst chairs (please see pictures above and below).

Me and Erin! In a chair!

Erin also gave us a campus tour that ended with some delicious Babcock ice cream (I got Union Utopia). I also found a building called North Hall (which is the name of the Center for the Book building here in Iowa). It was exciting.

Then we went out to Picnic Point and bonded with Erin's amazing Madison friends over fire, hot dogs, and s'mores. It was beautiful and delicious and fun! Gold star to E-Po for that one.

The view from our fire site. Amazing.

Sunday Braed and I went to church (second Primary program in a row... score) then we went with Erin and her roommate Francis to Bagels Forever for East Coast style bagel goodness. (Thanks for the heads up on that, Keith!) We bought a baker's dozen of their 40 cent bagels to bring home and we have been eating them every day since—they are so good. AND! Fun fact: you can order your own and have them delivered to your very doorstep via their website. Do it: you know you want to.

Their bagels are so good I couldn't even keep my eyes open.

After eating bagel breakfast on the Frank Lloyd Wright Monona Terrace, we headed over to the arboretum to explore the prairie fields, woodlands and marsh.


Awe!

At the arboretum gift shop, I found this great series of kids books called Indestructibles. They have beautifully colorful pictures and I think they're made out of Tyvek, which is what makes them so strong. I thought that was awesome so I bought the Mama and Baby! one (all of their titles have an exclamation point at the end: very dramatic). They inspired me...

Also, there was a free, antique trolly tour.

Here Braeden & I are on the trolly tour. Cute.

So, in summary, Erin is awesome! So is Madison. Also, Wisconsin in general. And, you know, cheese.

imagination

2011-10-17T09:52:00.000-05:00

I think that people are worried that with all the technology we have easily available today people are forgetting how to use their brains. Sometimes I think that's a legitimate worry, and other times I think it's a bit of a dramatic, end-of-the-world stance. Most times, I hope it's not true but secretly I'm very afraid that it is.

i made this book.

2011-10-13T22:31:00.000-05:00

I made this book today for my bookbinding class. This is called a long and link stitch binding. (The long stitches are the straight up and down ones, the links are at the top and bottom of the spine, as well as the circle in the middle.) After seeing the books in the conservation lab, this style was the one I was most excited about learning.

I really liked how it turned out so I thought I'd share. I got all of the materials either from the freebie drawer in the campus studio or via unlimited material access thanks to my semester studio fee. This is the first time I've used leather on a book (not counting a tiny book I made for a non-bookbinding class once in my undergrad and I didn't really know what I was doing) and I think it came out well!

Click to enlarge.
(And feel free to ignore The Daily Show on the tv in the background...)

Click to enlarge.
Spine detail.
I used a Japanese push drill to punch the holes.
I now covet one very much.

I love the surprise of the red paste down inside.

Not bad, eh?

book crafts

2011-10-13T10:00:00.059-05:00

I am always looking for new book crafts, and recently I've been finding a lot of these book-altering projects.

Carved out book via Lean-In's Life.

Book turned picture frame via Delightful Distractions.

Book succulent garden via The Book Brook.

Book page cupcake toppers via Apple In My Heart.

Printing on a book page via Classy Little Lady.

I always feel conflicted about them: what if someone wanted to read those books? What if you have some grand plan to do something awesome with the pages torn from a book but then it turns out terribly and the book was destroyed for no reason? These are things that worry me every time I take a book apart for my own creative projects. Generally I try to use books that are going to be thrown away or are in very poor condition so I don't feel bad about taking them apart for my own purposes.

However, a few days ago my aunt Debra sent me a link to an article about these beautiful and anonymous book sculptures in Scotland gifted to various libraries and book centers around the country. All the books were left with notes that were addressed to the twitter accounts of these organizations, which I thought was an interesting and sort of insightful choice: it's a great joining of new and old technology (yes, books can be considered technology).

Here are a few of my favorite sculptures:

Left at the Scottish Poetry Library.
I like that it's a tree.
The note says:
It started with your name @byleaveswelive and became a tree.…
We know that a library is so much more than a building full of books…
a book is so much more than pages full of words.…
This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas…..
a gesture (poetic maybe?)

Left at the National Library of Scotland.
I love the variety of shapes of this one.
The gramophone and coffin were sculpted from a copy of Ian Rankin's Exit Music.
The tag read:
For @natlibscot -
A gift in support of libraries, books, words, ideas.....
(& against their exit)


Scottish Storytelling Center received this one. I LOVE the great color of the egg and general nest-iness of it. The tag says: For @scotstorycenter - A gift in support of libraries, books, works, ideas..... Once upon a time there was a book and in the book was a nest and in the nest was an egg and in the egg was a dragon and in the dragon was a story.....

This one appeared at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.
I love the tree silhouettes that are carved out of the cover!
It's tag was addressed to the UNESCO City of Literature.
To @edincityoflit
'A gift' LOST (albeit in a good book)
This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas....
"No infant has the power of deciding.....
by what circumstances (they) shall be surrounded..
Robert Owen

Aren't they beautiful? Seeing these made me want to go out and make a book into a beautiful work of art myself. Possibly my favorite thing about the whole thing is that the books were anonymous. The article ends by saying "The Edinburgh Evening News claims to have discovered the identity of the sculptor. The general view is that We Don't Want To Know..."

I think I'd have to agree. I like the books being secret, beautiful gifts: I don't want cold hard facts to ruin the lovely fairy-tale-ness of it all.

art class

2011-10-12T16:03:00.000-05:00

We've started using watercolors in our drawing class. Yay for more supplies we have to buy! (Sarcasm.) Luckily we already had watercolors and brushes, so we just bummed some paper off of Nikki and we were good to go. Our assignment for this last week was to pick a photocopied line-drawing of a famous painting and make it our own. I picked the one seen below and painted it in purple. I felt pretty good with how it turned out, though I felt like the head I'd painted was much too small. But oh well. The thing about watercolors is that once a mark is on the paper it's on there: you can try to cover it up but you'll always be able to see it right below the surface.

My teacher said he actually preferred mine to the original because he felt like the head was in better proportion in my version. I don't know about that, but I'm glad he liked it.

my brother is famous

2011-10-10T11:55:00.000-05:00

My littlest brother got to "ask" Donald Glover of Community fame a question on tv. (He told me that the question was already prepared, but he was still the one who got to ask it!)

Pretty cool.

Just like Garrett.

conflicted

2011-10-10T00:24:00.000-05:00

I am always conflicted when I see something cool on Etsy that I think I could probably (but not definitely) make myself.

Handwritten stationary. $14.00 plus shipping.

Should I support other artists and craftsman as I would hope someone would support me?

Whale tissue holder. $39.99 plus shipping.

Or do I DIY it and save money while still hoping that the universe will be more supportive of my personal capitalist endeavors?

Instant Comfort Pocket Box. About $10.97 plus shipping.

It's a question that plagues me daily.

more weeding!

2011-10-08T23:31:00.000-05:00

Today we tackled the backyard yet again, this time with the help of our friend Carolyn! She was awesome and we actually got some work done on the lower half of the yard and, most notably, chopped down all the giant, pink-stalked poison-berried weeds that have taken over most of the beds. You can now see all the way to the back of the yard from the front of the yard! Magical. Our backyard is looking less and less like a jungle all the time...

Carolyn came over around 10 this morning and we worked for a good 2.5 hours before we broke for lunch—which she brought! She made this delicious artichoke dip which we dipped Wheat Thins and carrots in and just loved. She thoughtfully shared the recipe with us, so now I will share it with you:

The Most Delicious Artichoke Dip
1 can of artichoke hearts
1/2 c. mayo
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan

Mix. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Dip and enjoy!

Super easy, right? And super good! We need to have a party so we have a reason to make some and use up some of the giant thing of mayo we still have left over from the conference.... (Or we could just make some for us and eat it forever. Also a possibility.)

when your back is sore...

2011-10-02T22:30:00.000-05:00

Whenever I'm sick or hurt in some way it seems like all I can think about are the things I think I should be doing but I can't because of my illness/injury. For example, a few weeks ago I was sick—coughing and sniffley etc—and all I could think about was how I should go for a run. Keep in mind that I am not a regular runner and upon regaining health I have not since thought about slipping on some running shoes (do I even have any?) and going for a jog.

Yesterday I weeded the backyard for 3 hours while listening to the morning session of General Conference. As you regular readers would guess, even after 3 hours the yard was far from weed-less. I, however, was exhausted. Having inherited a weak lower-back from the Dad, the day after and even the hours following a weeding session can be incredibly painful. I did my best to pull with my legs instead of my back and I iced then applied heat to it directly afterward, even took some Advil, but all was for naught: I woke up this morning and had to make many pained noises as I tried to hoist myself up to a sitting position.

So, as per usual, all I can think about are tasks that involve bending and lifting. "I should clean the studio!" I've been thinking on a regular basis, or "I should clean out the third dresser in the bedroom and move it back to the basement!" Only tasks that would strain my already tender back and leg muscles seem to be on the radar today, folks.

But don't worry: it's only a matter of time before my body heals and I forget all about those things I should be doing but probably won't get around to for a very, very long time.

olives

2011-10-01T17:04:00.001-05:00

I told Braeden I don't like olives. He responded, "I don't know why you gots to hate the olives. Olives are like, 'Be our mommy!'"

He makes me laugh.

art class

2011-09-29T21:01:00.000-05:00

Drawing class has been surprisingly stressful.

But apparently my drawing is "poetic," "has a definite style" and is "reminiscent of Amedeo Modigliani."

I guess my teachers probably know what they're talking about, but even so I find myself actively fighting off tears of frustration every week as I struggle over my figure drawings. If the class hadn't been so expensive we probably would have stopped going after the first week or two. But it's probably good not to give up, right?

Here are some pictures of my recent attempts (keep in mind we aren't allowed to erase any marks once they've been put on paper):

tales from the conference, part 6

2011-09-25T22:28:00.000-05:00

As Braeden and I have talked over the events from the conference, both with each other and various third parties, we have been struck by the "special kind of weird" that events like this attract. As a college-level Spanish language instructor and graduate student, Braeden interacts with people between the ages of 18-30 on a daily basis, and he pointed out to me that the types of people that he sees on a daily basis and those that attend LDS single's conferences are very, very different. Take Cake Boy, for example, or No-Crackers-In-Bed girl, or the kid who came to the dance Saturday night in a bright blue/purple pimp suit that he sewed himself, or the twin girls with braids past their butts in scarf skirts who danced interpretively in the back lit portion of the gym to all the songs played at the dance. (All of these were actually conference attendees this year.) What is it about LDS single's conferences that seem to gather such a wide array of off-beat individuals together under one roof? We came up with a few ideas:

tales from the conference, part 5

2011-09-23T20:12:00.000-05:00

One of our friends who was also on the conference committee was at the dance Saturday night. Braeden asked her how she was liking the conference, and she responded that since she is always in charge of something they always seem like more work than play to her (she is an incredibly reliable individual and often—if not always—has some kind of leadership role in every big YSA activity in the area). As a woman who is just about to age out of YSA (over 30) there weren't that many guys there that were her age. So when Braeden asked her what she was hoping to get out of the conference she said, "My goal this year has been to flirt with all the 18 year-old boys." Braeden asked how many she'd flirted with and she said, "Like a million. All of them. I think all of them."

Awesome.

daddy dearest

2011-09-22T09:00:00.068-05:00

I love this picture because we are making the same face: ha ha!
(Never mind my wedding rain hair...)

Today is my dad's birthday! And, for the first time in a long time, he was home with the family to celebrate. As per family tradition he was served his favorite sugar cereal—Golden Grahams—in bed and, since I wasn't there for the festivities, I called him to have a birthday phone chat. I sure love him.

Sometimes we all wonder if what we're doing is the right thing, and with my dad traveling all the time for work I know that he's asked himself that question, too. But, even if none of us kids want to have a job that will take us away from our families as much as his does, that doesn't mean that we don't want to be like him: far from it. We are lucky to have a dad who is as talented and successful as he is.

My dad is one of the most amazing people that I know. He makes everyone around him smile. He can start a conversation with anyone about anything: his encyclopedic knowledge of sports, American history (even though he's Canadian!) and politics always puts me to shame. He has cultivated the virtue of gratitude into an art. He loves my mom more than anything in the world and makes sure that we all know it. And he is a vision in orange.

Dad with his mum and brothers.

My father has taught me to treat others with respect, look at life with humor, and to work hard at all that I do. And for that, Daddy Dear, I say thank you.

tales from the conference, part 4

2011-09-21T10:00:00.002-05:00

On Alice and Wonderland night Braeden was walking out of the dance area after having refilled a plate of tea sandwiches and there was a rather rotund girl sitting near the refreshment table "double fisting those babies" as Braeden says and as he walked by she said to him in a very abrasive way, "Why aren't you dancing?!" He stuttered something about refilling the food and walked away confused.

Later on he was in the kitchen cleaning up and dancing a little by himself at the sink and no-crackers-in-bed girl walked past. She saw him him and said, "Hey. You have a beard: you can't dance." What? He responded, "Yes I can. I'm doing it right now." And she walked away.

tales from the conference, part 3

2011-09-20T22:21:00.000-05:00

Night 2: Alice and Wonderland Theme

The second night we had an Alice and Wonderland theme for the dance. The gym was huge so we concentrated all our decorations in one area, which I think was a good idea. We went to the YSA branch home evening the Monday before the conference and they helped us with these decorations: we made giant origami flowers, "eat me" and "drink me" signs, giant foam core playing cards, and our friend Jarrod drew a giant Cheshire cat that he and I painted. I was really pleased with how everything turned out.

tales from the conference, part 2

2011-09-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

The first night at the dance we were standing in the back with our neighbors the Hartleys who were also their helping at the conference chatting when Debbie Hartley asked us if we knew any boys in the YSA branch who didn't have beards. We thought that was a weird question and asked her why she was wondering. Her husband Mike pointed out a girl that was standing a little ways away staring off into space and told us that he had asked her why she wasn't dancing, and she replied that she was waiting for the right boy. He asked her what she meant by "right boy" and she responded that she wanted to dance with a boy who was clean-shaven, had gone on a mission, and doesn't eat crackers in bed: clearly she was hoping this one dance would lead to eternal things. So Debbie, bless her heart, was trying to find her a boy that met at least the superficial requirement. Braeden told her two boys in the branch that he could think of who were clean shaven and had served missions then said, "But I can't vouch for their cracker eating habits."

I don't think anything came of his suggestions....

tales from the conference, part 1

2011-09-18T22:23:00.000-05:00

This weekend Braeden and I attended the annual Regional YSA Conference in Nauvoo. We both went last year as participants, but this year (being married, and all) we were invited to come as the coordinators for the dances Friday and Saturday nights. This meant that we had to plan the themes for each night, decide on and create decorations and refreshments, and fight for more funding on our bi-weekly teleconferences every other Sunday evening for 3 months or so prior to the event. Needless to say, it became somewhat time-intensive. Rather than try to summarize all of our weekend happenings in one post, this will be the first of several where I tell you a Tale from the Conference.

drawing class

2011-09-15T00:41:00.001-05:00

As many of you know, Braeden and I are a huge fans of the local community college continuing ed classes. We recently signed up for a beginning drawing class with our friend Nikki. Our first class was yesterday and it was great! We did some gesturals (which apparently is not a real word and is also known as gesture drawings) and some figure sketching and learned that despite our teacher's best efforts we would not have a nude model in class. What? Nude model? That did not even cross my mind as an option so I'm glad that we are just going to have a shirtless man with apparently amazing musculature—our teacher would not stop talking about how amazing it was—as opposed to a completely nude man with amazing musculature. I think I speak for both me and my 16 year-old neighbor who is in the class when I say that nobody wants to see that: nobody.

Anyway, here are some of the drawing that Braed and I did in our very first class (please keep your negative judgements to yourself, but feel free to share your praise liberally):

ten years ago

2011-09-11T23:58:00.003-05:00

(Picture via my brother Carter.)

I spoke in church today about the Plan of Salvation. It has been ten years to the day since the attacks on the World Trade Center and I felt lucky to have been able to speak on such a historic occasion. The topic for the talk was inspired and I felt impressed to focus on Agency and life after death: what better way to honor those that died than to talk about how their lives continue on? Here's what I said:

bookbinding 2 @ the library

2011-09-08T22:41:00.000-05:00

Today my class went to the conservation lab to see the model and exemplar books we have in our collection. Jill organized these books last year, grouping them by century and style: I walk past these shelves every day at work but had never had the occasion to open the boxes containing the books to have a look, so it was exciting to see them all out in the open. I took lots of pictures which you can see if you click "Read more >>" at the end of this post.

But, in case you're going to stop reading before that, here are two pictures of my sunburn from spending just 15 minutes of my lunch break outside today:

High fives?

PS I got a letter in the mail today informing me that I qualify for resident tuition!!! That means my tuition bill will be one third of what it would be for out of state tuition. It also means that we can actually afford for me to go to school, even if I never get an assistantship. Hooray for not having to go into debt!

(And don't forget about the book pictures after the jump!)

friends

2011-09-06T23:59:00.000-05:00

Since Braeden and I got married I have often lamented to him how I feel like we have no friends. I know we were busy with the wedding for so long and then people were out of town for the summer and and we weren't in the single's branch anymore so suddenly we were out of our previous social circle, but still: it's been rough. It's different making friends with people who have kids already because it totally changes the whole dynamic: they can't hang out late unless they have a sitter or one of them stays home or we go to their house, which is fine except it means we have to be invited, not the other way around. And people with kids have a lot more going on than we do, generally speaking, so it's hard to find time to get together to begin with. Plus did I mention that we're in the Primary so we basically only know 3 year olds at church anyway?

But today I made a new friend. She's in our new ward and has 3 kids—5, 3, and 6 months—and she took a bookbinding class at BYU just like I did, so tonight we got together to make books. It was really fun! It was good because it meant I got to work on some books for my current bookbinding class that I've been putting off because of fear (I don't know why but case bindings always make me very, very nervous) and it was fun to just hang out and chat with someone else about her life and things in general. Plus, she had powdered donuts: always a win.

the real best day

2011-09-05T23:53:00.011-05:00

Braeden and I were talking tonight about how people always say "Our wedding day was the best day of our lives." Heck, I've even said it. But you know what? The actual day wasn't really all that great: it rained, it was unnaturally cold, I was stressed about getting everyone where they needed to be on time and hoping that all of our prior arrangements would work out as well as we imagined they would. I was worried that our families who had traveled thousands of miles to be here with us just to stand in the cold rain were ticked and thinking, "Maybe this trip wasn't really worth all this hassle after all" and I just wanted everyone to have a good experience. Even after the wedding day itself was technically over we still had two more receptions to attend so our "honeymoon" week was just like a short intermission between acts in a play: in all honesty our wedding day was not the happiest or best or even most memorable day of our lives.

But being married has been wonderful. And I think that's what people mean when they say that their wedding was the best day: it's what that day represented more than what it was. It's days like today that are really the best days: lazy mornings, time with friends, time with just the two of us, things to do but not too much to do, time to relax but also time to get a few things done that have been weighing on our minds. And these are the days to make the most of in life: the days when you feel contented and productive and rested and happy together. Because harder days will come and when they do it will be important to remember the good days and that they will come again, even if at times they can seem impossibly far away.

p-nut-( )( )-ter

2011-09-04T08:39:00.000-05:00

Ever since our homemade grocery list pad ran out we've been keeping our grocery list on the white board calendar on the fridge. That way when something runs out or we decide we need something we can just put it on the list and forget about it until we go grocery shopping. So the other day I looked at the list and saw this:

Do you see that second item? Can you figure out what it is? Braeden saw me looking at it and said, in his little kid voice, "Oh! Do you like what I wrote? Can you tell what it is? Pee-nut-BUTT-ter. Haha. Get it? It's a butt." Ha ha! He was so pleased with himself. I just started laughing: he keeps me young —like preschool age sometimes, but young nonetheless. Adorable.

lazy saturday

2011-09-03T14:36:00.000-05:00

So remember how I said I broke my computer's brains? Well that's still true. But luckily I was able to somehow salvage what I thought was gone forever on a jump drive so all was not lost.

But I did have to re-install all my favorite applications (like Firefox, Caffeine, xMarks...) and I decided that this time when installing things I should maybe watch the little videos that pop up the first time you open something to tell you about it. It's been kinda fun. I found this thing that Firefox has called "webify me." It made this collage of me based on a series of questions:

I'm not really sure how they came up with it, but I like it: especially the rat-looking skull. You should try it out.

Anyway, hope everyone is having a good day: I'm going to go blow my nose some more (3 plus rolls of toilet paper later...) and drink some hot tea. Happy Saturday!

computer brains

2011-09-02T21:27:00.000-05:00

I think I broke my computer's brains today.

But on the plus side, it was after I uploaded my webpage for my computing foundations class.

Check it. (Constructive feedback is appreciated.)

gary's retirement party

2011-09-01T15:53:00.001-05:00

Gary's retirement party was this afternoon! Gary Frost is the head conservator (well, former-head conservator now) at the university library and one of the leading thinkers on bookbinding and conservation in the field so it was pretty cool and sort of weird that I got to be at his retirement party. The party was at City Park and there were food and gifts—including a hand-made time capsule filled with memories from projects Gary's worked on (and our poster!)—and a good time was had by all. Gary said some pretty funny things, like when he went off about Harlequin endbands (when half the endband is one color and the second half is a different color) or when he read a line from the letter that the head librarian sent with her retierment gift to him that said he always sent her very detailed and thoughtful feedback. He just laughed and said, "And here I thought I was being a nuisance!"

But for me the best part was that Gary genuinely liked our poster! He made sure to tell us once in front of everyone when we got there and again while we were all milling around chatting that he was very impressed with our letterpressing. It felt so great to have him compliment us on our hard work. He could tell that we had based our design off of a vintage broadside and was impressed with how it turned out. We had about a million copies since the thing that takes the longest with letterpress is setting it up—the difference between printing 1 and 50 is about 5 minutes—so we handed them out to the party attendees and everyone seemed excited to get them. It was very self-affirming.

Gary with our poster!
(Click to enlarge.)

So, despite my stuffy head and runny noes (allergies?) today has been a good day.

library card catalog banner

2011-08-31T22:42:00.001-05:00

Tonight I made a lil' bunting banner out of the cards from the old library card catalog (not the catalog pictured behind the banner, the university's old library card catalog). This is also for the celebration tomorrow and I'm really pleased with how it came out!

(Click to enlarge.)

I'd seen a couple tutorials on how to make banners, but they all involved either folding the pieces over the string or punching two holes in the cards or sewing them all together with a top stitch, but I didn't want to do any of those things: I wanted to use the single hole that was already in the cards and not add any more.

So I looped them.

Normally when doing this kind of loop my instinct is to loop over the string, but that doesn't work when you have a big long string you're working with: it's just too unwieldy, especially when part of the string has other cards already attached.

Looping over the string: only works for one card per string.

So instead I looped over the card.

Looping over the card: works for an infinite number of cards and an infinite length of string.

The attachment to the cards looked like this:

(PS I also doubled up on the cards so there was print showing no matter what direction the cards ended up facing.)

I think the best way to do single-hole string attachments is with this looping method, but the best over all is the fold-over method since that way the flaps hang down better aligned and all facing the same way.

But I'm still really pleased with how this banner turned out: I hope my co-workers like it too.

broadside

2011-08-30T22:31:00.000-05:00

Last week my friend (and co-worker) Jill and I were asked to make a poster of sorts for a retirement celebration on Thursday of this week. We decided to letterpress it, which seemed like a good idea at the time and, I would argue, really did stay a good idea, even 9 hours of work later.

After about an hour of work last night we came up with this mock-up in Illustrator:

And after about 8 straight hours of work this afternoon/evening we finished with this letterpressed broadside:

(Click to enlarge.)

I think we make a pretty good team.

The thing that the average person doesn't realize about true letterpress (I say true because there are ways to cheat this system but I think that's, as I've said, cheating) is how much work it actually is. Every single letter you see on that broadside is a separate piece of type. And all the spaces in between the letters? Also separate pieces. Sometimes, as is the case with the last two lines on this broadside, many pieces. And, if you print in more than one color (as we did) you have to ink the press, print all of one color first, then clean the press, take out the type from the first color and insert the type you want in the second color, re-ink the press, and print a second time. And you have to make sure things in the press bed haven't shifted around so you print that one word in that second color exactly where you want it to be, and not over the words that have already been printed. Sometimes you can't use the type you want because it is old wood type and it doesn't have any R's like you need or not enough E's. Then you have to figure out what does have the letters you need and you have to settle for that.

But often, as was the case here, it all works out in the end and you are pleased with the work you have done and have enjoyed the time it took to get to that point because of who you spent your time doing it with and the work you were able to complete together: a feat that would not have been possible alone.

jobs and slaves: slave jobs?

2011-08-29T23:09:00.000-05:00

Today I applied for a second job at the library writing the alumni newsletter for the School of Library and Information Science. I would be working between 6-10 hours a week and getting paid $10 an hour. I'd still keep my job in the Conservation Lab, just cut down my hours (students can't work more than 20 a week) so it would be a nice balance. The sad part? Last year this newsletter job was a paid appointment so the student received a salary. But not this year: this year it's just another hourly position. Times are tough. Even so, keep a good thought for me to get this job, since the last job I applied for was a bust, despite my best efforts.

In other news, before writing this blog post I asked Braeden if he would please get my computer for me (and some chips? and some water? and maybe some chocolate chips...?). He laughed because we were snuggled up and I didn't want to let him actually get up to do these things, but I also didn't want to get up to do them either. We both decided that would be the reason for us to have kids: to get us stuff. "You are our slaves! That's why we existed you!" Braeden exclaimed triumphantly (and promised to tell our children regularly once they are old enough to fill the slave roll). Just as the Lord intended.

braeden + snuggies = triumph

2011-08-28T23:57:00.000-05:00

Braeden was cold tonight (a rare occurrence indeed) so he put on not one, but two snuggies:

And this is why I love him.

organization

2011-08-27T21:56:00.013-05:00

I feel like only one room of our house at a time can be clean and organized. And I feel like an old person for talking about this, but it occupies a fair amount of my waking thoughts. There are only two of us living in the house and we are both highly-functional adults who have lived on our own and know how to do things like put shoes away or clean a bathroom. So I don't know why our shoes still end up scattered around the house or why the bathroom doesn't get cleaned until we notice something beginning to grow. Perhaps it's a riddle for the ages... Or perhaps, while intelligent, we are just lazy. So, one of those.

slis bbq

2011-08-26T23:59:00.020-05:00

Tonight we went to our "Welcome to the Semester" School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) Barbeque. Our friend Jarrod called us a couple of hours before we planned to head over and invited us out to dinner as a thank you for helping him move a few weeks ago. After a short debate (1.2 seconds) we said "Yes!" which was good because the barbeque was a barbeque in name only: no hot food, just chips, desserts, and beer. (PS We ate dinner at The Brown Bottle downtown where Jarrod's super-cute girlfriend Jenny is newly-waitressing and it was really good: we recommend.)

The "barbeque" itself was actually really fun, despite the absence of hamburgers and hotdogs. We had a really good time talking with everyone who was there about all kinds of stuff from school to home renovations (the couple hosting the get-together had just put in a new glass sliding door and were in the process of re-doing their bathroom as well) to ridiculous tech support questions. There were a few awkward silences, as there always are with a group of people just getting to know each other, but only one of those was caused by me. A comment was made about how any game is more fun as a drinking game and I said, "I dunno, I've played a lot of fun games sober..." Silence. Good times.

I wouldn't normally make a comment like that, but when I was in Spain on my study abroad I had an experience that changed my perspective. All of us in the program lived with families, except for two of the guys who lived in an apartment with two other guys also on studies abroad but from different schools, one from the States and one from China. The kid from the States would go out drinking almost every night with some of the other kids from his program and we would come over to the apartment to play games or watch a movie. We would always invite the 3rd roommate to stay and at first you could tell that he was thinking, "These kids are crazy." But one night he stayed. And pretty soon he was staying every time. And it occurred to me that he had never experienced a sober night in that was fun: he didn't know you could have fun without drinking.

So now sometimes I say things like "I dunno, I've played a lot of fun games sober..." And sometimes that is awkward, but sometimes it helps you make a new friend. So...worth it?

toes

2011-08-25T22:57:00.000-05:00

I painted my toe nails a few days ago. In the photo they look black but really they are a deep purple. Every time I see them they surprise me a little: I kind of like that.

first week wednesday

2011-08-24T23:59:00.001-05:00

Things I did today:

worked for 4 hours
attended my 2.5 hour computer class
almost finished my textbook reading for my Conceptual Foundations class
read Middlemarch on the Old Capitol lawn
attended a free lecture on campus given by Dr. Paul Farmer of Mountains Beyond Mountains
had a surprise, candle-lit picnic dinner with my adorable & spontaneous husband (which immensely improved my feelings about the entire day, and life in general)
showered
threw in a load of white laundry for tomorrow
blog stalked various people I know (and don't know)
blogged

Things I did not do today:

take a nap
go to Institute (it was at the same time as the Paul Farmer lecture)
go to bed early
pick out my end papers for my bookbinding class tomorrow

dinner

2011-08-23T21:43:00.000-05:00

I am not a veggie kind of girl. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred I'd rather have steak than a salad. But a few years ago my mom started making these veggie burgers and they are actually good. And I'm not the only one who thinks that! Both Braeden and the sister missionaries agreed that they were the best veggie burgers they had ever had. Here's the recipe (no picture because they all got eaten before I could take one):

Sunburger

1 1/2 c ground sunflower seeds (raw and unsalted)
1/2 c. grated carrots
1/2 c. finely chopped celery
6 T. minced onion
2 T. minced fresh parsley
2 eggs
1 t. basil
2 T. Tamari (a thick soy sauce) or soy sauce
2 T. melted butter
1 t. garlic powder

Combine ingredients. Drop mixture by large spoonfuls, forming patties, onto an oiled baking sheet.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes on one side and 10-15 minutes on the other side. Both sides should be a medium brown color. Serve on buns with your favorite condiments. (I recommend ketchup, mustard, pickles, tomatoes, and lettuce.)

Yield: 8 patties (I got 6 patties out of it)

We also served them with these amazing oven fries which I made (successfully!) for the first time tonight as well. I found the recipe on Pinterest (have I mentioned my addiction yet?). Here is that recipe for your eating enjoyment:

Baked Oven Fries

Ingredients:
4 russet potatoes (about 24 oz. total), peeled and cut lengthwise into even sized wedges
5 tbsp. vegetable, canola or peanut oil, divided
¾ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 475˚ F. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes. Put 4 tablespoons of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil (a pastry brush can also help with this). Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels. Pat dry with additional towels. Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is dry. Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. Using a metal spatula and tongs, flip each potato wedge keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5 -15 minutes. Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.

When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

It's hard to tell this from the recipe because of the way it's structured, but these babies need to bake for about 30 minutes, minimum, so make sure you give yourself enough time to bake them and still have them ready for dinner (mine were a little late to the game tonight).

Enjoy!

first day of school

2011-08-22T22:10:00.000-05:00

Today was the first day of classes. We had our outfits all picked out last night, I had my camera with me and we were going to take a cute "first day of school" picture all elementary school style but, of course, totally forgot. So the picture we snapped on the bus right before my stop will have to suffice. At least this time.

Hey look! It's our crazy picture faces! Surprising no one.

In other news, I had my first library science class today and I LOVED it. It's all about organization! It's about analyzing ideas, concepts, information, then figuring out how to make it accessible to other people. Yes please! I think my professor got tired of me raising my hand all the time to comment. Hopefully I can stay this excited for the rest of the semester.

sunbeams

2011-08-21T22:48:00.001-05:00

Today in my Sunbeam class one of the little girls asked me if she could take a picture of my hair to show her mom. Let me be clear, neither she nor I had a camera, and the question was asked at the tail end of the lesson about forgiveness, so, not exactly relevant. In other words, a standard 3-year-old question. I replied, "Uh... Maybe later." What? I don't know. What do you say to that? If you have a better response, please, let me know so I can use it next time.

When her mom came to pick her up after class she told me that at the Primary activity yesterday her daughter had turned to her and said, "Isn't Sister Elton's hair so cute in those piggy tails? I like how she does it on Sunday, too though. I think I'll ask to take a picture so I can show you." Her mom replied that she had seen me on Sunday before so she knew what my hair looked like, and agreed that it did look cute. Her daughter replied, "Well, I think I'll ask to take a picture anyway so I can show my whole family."

Haha. Apparently I have a little fan club. And tell you what, I don't hate it.

night sleeplessness

2011-08-20T21:30:00.000-05:00

Before I got married I never realized how often I have trouble sleeping. When you're in bed alone and you can't sleep, you can get up, do something else for a while until you start yawning and try again. But when your husband is snuggled up next to you fast asleep himself, you can't get up without waking him up. I find myself reading by flashlight, hoping for sleep but often staying up for hours listening to my husband's snoring before I am able drift off to sleep myself. Then of course when I have to get up I'm much too tired and would rather stay in bed.

I wish I could get on a better sleep schedule since on the days that I do get up early (read: 8 o'clock) I feel so much better about the day and get so many more things done. It's nice to be doing things and wanting to run errands at a time when stores are actually open instead of praying they stay open until 9 pm. However, my late nights lead to mornings that come much too quickly which result in uncontrollable evening naps which makes an early bedtime an impossibility.

This semester (read: starting Monday) I have a Monday morning class that starts at 9:30. Should be no problem, right? I've been going to work all summer to a job that starts at 9:30. A job at the library, where my classes will be, too. However, when you have a job where you can set your own hours no matter how hard you try to be there on time if you regularly stroll in at a quarter til it's no big deal: class is a different story.

I've always avoided taking morning classes since I'm not a morning person. Sure all through my undergrad I worked a morning vending route from 7-11am, but filling vending machines when you've just woken up is far different than learning about the concept of information systems and the web that wasn't. We'll see how it goes.

In other news, one of the professors in my department invited us to a church bbq today. Braeden was a little dubious about going since it was in one of the other wards and this professor was the only contact we had there, but we went and it was great! She showed up not long after we arrived, there was good food to eat and we had a really good time talking with her: it wasn't awkward at all. I made two dozen cornbread muffins to bring that got all eaten but two, so I was feeling pretty good about that. And, since we had a whole talk at our orientation about our online presence and how you can't control who reads the things you put online (unless you make them private, which this blog is not) it's entirely possible that this professor could be reading my blog right now, in which case I would like to say, "Hi professor! Thanks for inviting us to the bbq today! We really enjoyed ourselves."

matt the electrician!

2011-08-19T23:59:00.001-05:00

Tonight we saw Matt the Electrician play at The Mill! He was one of the opening bands, but we left after he played: he was all we came for anyway.

Plus! Bonus! We got to meet him at the bar before he went on to play! He was so gracious and let us take pictures with him and shook our hands. We would have stayed to chat a little bit but the first opening band was playing way too loud for any kind of conversation to have been possible, so we made do with just the photos.

It was fun because we went to the show with Gloria and Jarrod who were our two friends who joined us at The Weepies show last year where we first discovered MtE: it was fun to reunite like this. Plus, we've all been so busy this summer that we haven't really seen each other since the wedding and we miss them.

Also, MtE played his banjolele, our favorite of all his instruments.

We walked downtown to the show which seemed like a good idea at the time but I totally forgot that it is the first weekend before school starts on Monday so downtown was crawling with hoards (literally) of drunk undergrads. Go Hawkeyes.

orientation

2011-08-18T23:50:00.000-05:00

Today I had my official Center for the Book orientation. I hadn't been planning on going since although I will be officially starting the program next week I've already taken 3 classes in the department and pretty much know my way around. However, my new supervisor at work (whom I love, by the way) is also the department coordinator for the center and organized the orientation so I felt like I should probably go. And it was probably good that I did because then I got to meet some of the other girls (there was only one guy) in my "cohort" (what are we, in the military or something?). There are just two other girls who are in the joint program, one of whom I met at a library conference earlier this year. We have our library orientation tomorrow starting at 8:30 am—who thought that was a good idea—and it goes until 2. Hopefully it will be enlightening and help me feel a little more excited for the program since right now I'm not feeling too into it.

Yay for school...

job job job?

2011-08-17T19:45:00.000-05:00

Since I moved to Iowa I've been working at the university library, first in book repair and then in the conservation lab. At first I was really excited about my job: I got to learn how to repair broken books and implement some of my bookbinding knowledge. I also got to pick my own hours! Awesome. But soon I found myself working all my hours at the end of the week, cramming them all in to just 2 or 3 days, watching the clock and counting down until I was finally done. But, there was a light at the end of the tunnel: I was promoted to working in the conservation lab! I was excited to learn new bookbinding and repair techniques, make some contacts in the book world, and expand my skills.

And yet.

sad day

2011-08-16T23:59:00.035-05:00

Garrett left today.

It was sad.

But it was so fun having him here to visit! I had a lil craft buddy, a legit reason to skip out on work for almost a week, and someone to just hang out with while Braeden was at orientation stuff all day. Plus he made me laugh. Also, he gave me good fashion advice and his mere presence made me want to wear more than just jeans and white t-shirts, which is quite a feat these days.

Plus, before he left, he finished (one) moccasin!

We also took some pictures at the airport. We look eerily alike with our glasses (but mine are real).

And here we are, sad, because he's leaving.

And here's a creepy picture of him as he's walking away.

Garrett John Dalton Elton, GJ, or JD for short (but not really), we miss you already. You and your love of Planet of the Apes movies: both.

moccasins

2011-08-15T23:39:00.003-05:00

Last summer when I went to pick up my typewriter from Luis the repair man in Montclair with my brothers we stopped at a lovely second hand bookstore on the same block and I picked up a book called The Real Book about Real Crafts by C. C. Roberts. It was published in 1954 and some of the crafts reference things that aren't really common place for people to have lying around their houses or easily accessible at craft or hardware stores anymore. But what caught my eye and convinced me to buy it anyway was that the first thing I saw when opening it was a series of directions about how to make your own moccasins: I knew I had to have it.

Today the fulfillment of my moccasin dreams came true.

sunday day

2011-08-14T23:22:00.000-05:00

After church today I officially finished my poster project. When I trimmed down the poster I accidentally cut it a little too small to sit in the frame on its own, so I had to cut a piece of cardboard to go behind it which I attached the poster to with double stick tape so it wouldn't slide around. Then I had to attach a new hanger to the back because the original frame hung vertically instead of horizontally. Fortunately we had some frame hangers left over from our mirror wall project so it was no big deal. We hung it in our tiny entry way by the front door: I think it looks pretty cute.

You know what else is cute? Garrett came into my Sunbeams class today. When we finish the lesson I let the kids draw on the chalkboard: I draw lines on the board for each kid to have their own little section to draw in so no one draws over anyone else's drawing. Garrett got into it, too, and, since he's rather taller than a 3 year-old he got the top part of the board as his section. Don't you just love the picture of him and the kids?

A-dork-able.

iowa state fair

2011-08-13T17:38:00.001-05:00

Today Braed, Garrett, & I went to the famous Iowa State Fair. And, before you ask, no, we did not try the deep fried butter. In fact, we never even saw anyone eating it, as far as we know. It was a tragic loss.

making things

2011-08-12T23:59:00.003-05:00

Today we went thrifting. I bought this picture for the frame because our other amazing frame that we used in our engagement pictures got thrown away by someone who had no business deciding if it should be thrown away or not. I don't wanna talk about it.

When we got home Garrett and I went on my Pinterest to find some crafts to do, which inspired me with how to use the photo in the frame. So I got some vinyl alphabet stickers, grabbed a smaller frame from a previous outing, and got to work.

elder crockett

2011-08-11T23:59:00.015-05:00

Today our friend and branch missionary Elder Crockett finished his mission honorably and headed home. When Braed and I were in the single's branch we fed the missionaries every Monday and Elder Crocket was here for like 6 months. This area was one of the hardest ones for him and we were able to see him come in, struggle at first, but then shine: we just love this boy.

Remember when we had him and Elder Watkins over for Easter dinner?

And the amazing wedding present they made for us?

We were lucky to know him and hope that he'll come back to visit Iowa sometime soon: he'll always have a couch to crash on and homemade pizza waiting for him at our place.

PS My brother Garrett arrived today and it's been great: crafting, eating, thrift store planning... We'll go on some actual adventures tomorrow and I'll tell you guys all about them. Promise.

back-breaking backyard

2011-08-10T23:45:00.001-05:00

I know I've mentioned our backyard many, many times, but today my AMAZING visiting teacher Marita came over and helped us weed and it looks the best it has ever looked! We only worked on the upper part, but we weeded while Braeden mowed and we even moved the picnic table to mow underneath which was unprecedented. We weeded the hosta beds and dug out the volunteer trees and I just love Marita: she was such a champ! A few other people have offered to help us with our yard but when she showed up to visit tonight she already had her gloves with her so she made sure it happened. We filled five outdoor trash bins with weeds. Five! That doesn't even include the weeds cut down by the mower since they were just sprayed back on to the lawn. I would post pictures but by the time we finished it was dark out so the picture would just look like night-time. Maybe tomorrow. If my sore back will let me even get out of bed, that is...

But I'll have to get up because you know what else is happening tomorrow? MY BROTHER IS COMING TO VISIT! (Can you tell I'm excited?) It'll be so great!

oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (with whole wheat flour!)

2011-08-09T21:47:00.000-05:00

A few days ago we wanted to make some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies but, due to our recent bread baking, didn't have enough white flour for the cookies. Braed went online and found out that you can substitute whole wheat flour for white if you add an additional 50% baking soda. So we tried it. And they're super good! They definitely taste a lil nuttier than if we'd used white flour, but with the oatmeal I think it works. Here, try it for yourself:

Ingredients:

1 c butter
1 1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 T milk
2 t vanilla
2 1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 c oats
12 oz chocolate chips

Mix together, put on a greased baking sheet (or pre-heated pizza stone) and bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes. Pour yourself a tall glass of milk and enjoy!

cereal box folders

2011-08-08T23:59:00.000-05:00

I made some cereal box folders today. This time, instead of just explaining what I did with just pictures of the final product, I took pictures all along the way. (And by that I mean Braeden took pictures for me all along the way: what a good husband he is.) Also, due to popular demand, this time the printed side of the boxes is face out, with the unprinted side face in. You can easily switch this by just reversing the folds shown here so you can have blank outsides and a party inside: you decide.

1. The very least amount of materials you need are a cereal box, a pair of scissors, and one sheet of the paper the size you are making the folder for (I used 8.5x11.) Optional additional tools are a bone folder, ruler, exacto knife and self-healing mat.

envelopes

2011-08-07T15:07:00.000-05:00

Recently I've had letters that need to go out that don't fit in any envelopes I have around the house. So I made some. It was surprisingly easy: all I used was a piece of scrap paper, scissors, and a glue stick. I put the folded letter in the middle of the paper and folded the paper around it. Then I cut out over-lapping paper to thin the envelope out, glued the flaps, and there it is! Maybe I'll try making a more formal tutorial sometime. But until then, enjoy these photos:

Two envelopes!

Rounded square-type envelope made from left over butcher paper.

A more traditional-looking envelope made from scrap printer paper.

pet sitting

2011-08-06T23:58:00.000-05:00

Moe: the cat.
We have yet to see the other cat, whose name is something with a K in Japanese but Braeden just calls him Kokopeli.
He also keeps calling Moe "Mose" (as in Dwight Schrute's cousin Mose).

The newt terrarium. Can you see him?

How about now?

So far, so good.

2011-08-05T23:17:00.000-05:00

I gave in. I got a pinterest account. You know what finally sold me? The fact that I can see pictures of all of those craft projects that I've been bookmarking for years all in one place: picking a project has never been easier or looked so good. So check out my boards and maybe make a few projects yourself. I dare you.

On another note, as of tonight Braeden and I are officially pet sitting two cats and a newt for our landlords. In our home. For an indefinite period of time. We'll be sure to keep you updated on that front: hopefully we won't have too many stories to share. (We're just glad it's only the two cats and newt and not the three dogs, too.)

the land of nod

2011-08-04T23:07:00.000-05:00

I have been reading East of Eden for the little book group that our friend Gloria started this summer. First we read Life of Pi which was her pick. Braed picked up a beautiful hardback copy on sale at the university bookstore a while back and it had just been sitting on our shelf waiting to be enjoyed. It was great! It's one of those books that people seem to mention a lot but I had never read, so I was glad to finally have a reason to read it.

I read East of Eden for the first time last summer after seeing it quoted on a blog that I found linked on a friend of a friend of a friend's blog. You know, normal things. Surprising no one, I have not been able to find that original post. I do, however, still have my notebook I made while helping Esther teach a bookbinding class on Long Island that is filled with some beautiful quotations that jumped out at me during that first read. This second time through I've been more focused on plot, symbolism, character development, etc for our book group discussion, but for today I'll pleasure you with some of John Steinbeck's beautiful prose. If you haven't read this book already, I hope that this might inspire you to pick it up someday soon. But if my own words don't convince you, maybe John Steinbeck's will:

Before the inland sea the valley must have been a forest. And those things happened right under our feet. And it seemed to me that sometimes at night I could feel both the sea and the redwood forest before it.

***

They called him a comical genius and carried his stories carefully home, and they wondered at how the stories spilled out on the way, for they never sounded the same repeated in their own kitchens.

***

'The American Standard translation orders men to triumph over sin, and you can call sin ignorance. The King James translation makes a promise in "Thou shalt," meaning that men will surely triumph over sin. But the Hebrew word, the word timshel—"Thou mayest"—that gives a choice. It might be the most important word in the world. It says the way is open. That throws it right back on a man. For if "Thou mayest"—it is also true that "Thou mayest not." Don't you see?' (Genesis 4:1-16)

projects

2011-08-03T23:59:00.059-05:00

Recently I have found myself trolling the internet for craft blogs, for tutorials, for DIY projects. I love to make things: it gives me such a sense of accomplishment. Just today I said to Braeden, "I know that I went to work today, shopped at the dollar store, mopped the kitchen floor twice, and got a big chunk of the studio cleaned up, but I still feel like I didn't DO anything today." The only thing I can conclude from this is that I didn't actually MAKE anything today, because it certainly seems like I DID a fair amount of other things.

Unfortunately I find myself bookmarking potential craft projects online more than making them myself. Part of my hesitancy comes from the fact that for the last 3 months our house has been (and continues to be) in a constant state of flux: Braeden moving in plus wedding gifts plus summer rummage sales plus amazing furniture from my grandpa's home equals too many things in our house. The great thing about craft projects is that you have new things, but the bad part about craft projects is that you have more things. I have enough unfinished projects already, I don't need to add more to that list (although some of the dollar store purchases today were for new projects I found in my internetting yesterday so there's that). Plus, there is always that level of worry that if I make that thing it won't turn out as cute in my house or with my shirt or with my love letters as it looks in the picture on those mom blog (How is it that all these moms with little kids have so much time to make all these things, photograph them, and write tutorials about how to make them yourself? Where are their kids during all of this...?).

But as it is my bookmark folders are nigh unto bulging right now with all these new tutorials that I've found just in the last day or two. Perhaps once the studio is all organized I will finally get around to making some of them...

corn

2011-08-02T16:40:00.001-05:00

We live in Iowa: a state known for its corn and its pigs (pigs outnumber humans about 7 to 1). While the vast majority of the corn grown here isn't for direct human consumption—it's mostly used as animal feed, processed into corn syrup, or used in ethanol-based fuel—when summer time rolls around there are still corn stands that pop up around the state where you can buy fresh, delicious sweet corn for us human beings.

While my parents were here visiting last month we bought some of this corn and prepared it our favorite way: corn-off-the-cob style. Braeden had never had it that way before and he immediately fell as deeply in love with this easy recipe as the rest of us already were. So in love, in fact, that for dinner last night all we ate was 5 cobs of corn between the two of us: it was heaven. The thing that's so great about this recipe is that the corn tastes just like corn on the cob but you don't have to worry about getting pieces of the corn cob stuck in your teeth! Genius.

Here's the recipe:

4 ears of corn
1/4 c (1/2 stick) of butter
salt and pepper

Husk the corn and snap each ear in half. Place half an ear, snapped end down, on a cutting board and cut off the kernels. Repeat for all halves. Put the butter in the frying pan and set over medium heat. When the butter is melted and foamy, stir in corn kernels. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 to 5 minutes, until corn is tender but crispy. Serve immediately with salt and pepper to taste.

If you want to do more ears of corn, just add 1 T of butter for each additional ear. However, when we made five ears, I only used 4 T of butter and it worked just fine, but for more than one additional ear I'd add more butter, so use your best judgement. And enjoy!

tea time

2011-08-01T22:48:00.002-05:00

Braed and I are in charge of the dances at the Nauvoo YSA Conference this fall. It's funny because this is the conference where we first started to hang out last year but wouldn't be going to this year except for this responsibility. We have a tight budget so we decided to go under budget with a movie night theme for the first night (popcorn and soda for refreshments, move posters on the walls, movie trivia games, etc) and combine the left over funds with those for the second night to have an Alice and Wonderland theme with giant and tiny cookies, lemonade with "Drink Me" signs and, of course, tea sandwiches as a nod to the Mad Hatter.

We had never made (or eaten) tea sandwiches before, so we had a trial run last night with some recipes we found online to see what we liked. Our friends Jared and Alyssa came over to help us make the hard decisions of what to keep and what to nix. We ended up with two sweet sandwiches and two savory and we are rather excited about making them for the actual event.

The tea sandwiches! We used the lovely glass pedestals given to us from the Blonders for our wedding and they were perfect! We're going to try and make some cheap display stands by gluing plates to upside down cups to imitate these for the actual event.

Carrot cake tea sandwiches!

My favorite sweet tea sandwiches were the carrot cake ones. They are on raisin bread which was a little out of our price range for the event, but we liked them so much that we're going to just put them on plain bread but mix in raisins and cinnamon for the spread to compensate. And, for those of you who would like to try this at home, here is the supa easy recipe for your enjoyment:

1 pkg cream cheese
1/2 container of cream cheese frosting
1/2 c. shredded carrots
1/2 c. chopped walnuts
cinnamon raisin bread (or just add raisins and cinnamon and put on regular bread)

Take the cream cheese out of the fridge to let it soften so it is easier to mix. Put in a medium sized bowl and mix in other ingredients. If you're going to eat your sandwiches right away, sandwhich your spread between the bread of your choice, cut off the crusts, cut diagonally and eat up! If they're going to sit a little before consumption put a thin spread of butter on the bread first to prevent the filling from making the bread soggy. Make as many sandwiches as you want, then put the extra filling in a Tupperware and keep in the fridge for later. It should save for at least a week.

Tomato tea sandwiches.

Our other group favorite was the tomato tea sandwiches. They were super easy and delicious and I will also give you the recipe. Right. Now.

3T Dijon Mustard
1.5 c. mayonnaise
8 slices of bacon
1 or 2 tomatoes
bread

Mix together the mustard and mayonnaise until blended. Cut up the bacon into little pieces and add to the mixture. Spread the mixture onto a piece of bread, then cut the tomatoes into thin slices and put on top. Use four slices of tomato per slice of bread. Cut off the crusts, cut the open-faced sandwich into squares and enjoy! (This filling should also last for about a week in the fridge so you can save some for later.)

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we have. I ate so many of the carrot cake ones that I felt a little sick after but it was totally worth it. So have a few friends over, brew up some herbal tea that you can drink hot or iced and treat yourselves to some afternoon tea: you'll be glad you did.

o canada...

2011-07-31T20:33:00.002-05:00

My dad is Canadian and despite the fact that he has lived in the States for almost 30 years now he has never renounced his Canadian citizenship. When we were little he would tell us that as his children we also qualified for Canadian citizenship and that when traveling throughout the world it is usually safer to travel with a Canadian passport anyway. My brother and I would smile widely at each other, grinning at the idea that we were eligible for entrance into this secret club of world traveling northerners who had an extra measure of security than their neighbors to the south.

Over the years we would periodically pester our father to fill out the paperwork to make us dual citizens, but nothing ever came of it. Then, in 2009 when I was away at college, I saw this commercial:

I thought, Hey! That could be me! I could wake up to the Canadian national anthem with a hockey player in my room and a Mountie at my door because that's not creepy at all! (But mostly I'd be in it for the tuques and the maple leaf pajama bottoms.) However, the issue wasn't really a pressing one and after perusing the official citizenship website I got confused and forgot about it.

Until yesterday.

Braeden, Nikki, and I were watching this episode of The Daily Show where John Stewart was talking about how the 9/11 first-responders health care bill doesn't cover cancer, the illness that first-responders are being over-whelmingly diagnosed with. The reasoning? They can't prove with 100% certainty that the cancer was caused by their work at Ground Zero. Really? Really. Why would you not want to take care of those who have served your country in an incredible and important way? "How about everyone who worked down on the pile gets a pass on the exact origin of their personal tumors?"

The Daily Show - I Thought We Already Took Care of This S@#t
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

I told Braed and Nikki that in Canada when my grandpa was old and sick and needed a live-in nurse to help take care of him the government paid for it because he was a veteran. Braeden and I were already big fans of Canada because the people are Midwestern friendly but with liberal political views. (In other words, Iowa City is the Canada of the Midwest.) Oh, and did I mention that my dad is from there? I told Braeden that I was pretty sure I qualifed for Canadian citizenship because I'm what they call "first generation born outside of Canada" and he immediately hopped over to the computer and looked it up. He answered a few questions on their site on my behalf and this lovely screen appeared:

(Click to enlarge)

Hooray! Now the only thing we have to do is fill out some forms and pay $200 (American? Canadian? I guess we'll find out) to claim citizenship before my 28th birthday and we're golden! We'll be using in loonies and toonies, eating Tim Hortons, and saying "eh" before we know it. Oh, and benefiting from universal heath care.

made in china

2011-07-30T12:44:00.003-05:00

I first heard about idea of the hand of the artist when I was interning at the Purgatory Pie Press last summer. We were talking about letterpress and Esther said that one of the things that her husband Dikko loves about letterpress is how you can really see the imprint of each individual piece of type in a work. You can see all of the little imperfections, the e's that are slightly worn or the n's that press just a little harder into the paper than the rest. These things show that an item was made by hand, assembled from small pieces into something much bigger and grander than its singular parts. Sometimes the hand of the artist can be used as an excuse for something to be made poorly (it looks handmade!) but other times purposely leaving a fingerprint on something you've created can be a fun and intentional way to literally leave your mark on something you've made.

I've often felt like the hand of the artist is missing in the average American life. Sometimes it seems as if everything we buy is packaged in sterile plastic, having been assembled using mindless, faceless workers or robotic machines to produce and deliver it right to our homes. Lorena Turner, however, completely challenges this common conception with her series of photographs entitled Made In China.

A plastic case of needles, covered in fingerprints.

Turner goes to a store and buys items that were made in China. Then she goes home, dusts them for fingerprints and photographs them under a black light. Look at all the hands that have touched this one item! It is both eerie and incredible simultaneously. Is it bad that it makes me feel a little bit like I should wipe down every purchase I make from a store with a disinfectant wipe? (Keep in mind that I do not have this feeling about things I buy second hand or find on the side of the road. Hmmmm.... there is clearly a bit of a disconnect here...)

I found out about Turner via the Etsy Blog and one comment made on the site really struck me. Here's what it said:

(Click to enlarge)

"Those fingerprints are from mothers' hands, brothers' hands." Isn't that beautiful? I think it is easy for us to dehumanize Chinese workers and think of them just as faceless, black-haired drones, but they aren't: they are people, just like we are. And they make things, too. Things that have become common place in our lives. Maybe we should be a little more grateful for their hard work instead of judging them for taking away American jobs: that's not their fault, they are just trying to feed their families, just like the rest of us.

iowa city book festival

2011-07-16T18:45:00.001-05:00

Braed and I went to the Iowa City Book Festival today. The supposed heat wave was surprisingly unoppressive as we wandered around the various tents set up in Gibson Square. We were sort of unimpressed with the over-all atmosphere and booth content, until we found one in particular. There we had a great chat with Matthew Klane, who we know through Kendra Greene: they both headed up the University of Iowa's Anthology reading series this last year which we attended fairly regularly. We found out today that Matthew has his own press, flim forum press, which prints young writers (not in terms of young in age but in terms of published works: young=nothing or very few published works). As we chatted with him at his booth Braeden picked up what he thought was just a stack of paper but was in fact a small book Matthew letterpressed and bound himself. The front cover is just plain white, but the inside end pages are beautiful paintings (well, prints of a painting) by Chelsea Finch that peak out ever so slightly as the cover pops up. The book, entitled Isle of Wight/Israel, is a collection of poems letterpressed by Matthew and double pamphlet stitched by he and his wife. It is a beautiful book and Matthew said we were the first to touch it all day: we were so enamored with it that we had to buy it. (He even threw in one of the press's books, A Sing Economy, for free!)

As we chatted with Matthew it came up that I work in the University library doing restoration work. He asked me how it was, emotionally, doing that work. It was a question I had never gotten before and caught me a little off guard. I started saying something about the work itself, how it's a lot of mud scraping and flattening and separating, then paused and said, "But it's pretty amazing to see these books that are so dirty and falling apart and once you clean off the pages and slap a new cover on sometimes you can't even tell that they were flood damaged at all." Matthew said, "So the work you're doing is heroic. You're rescuing these books." It was honestly an adjective I'd never before thought about to describe what I do 9:30 am to 2 pm, Monday through Friday. Tedious, smelly, frustrating, dirty, mundane, endless, messy...but, heroic? I like that. It makes working for barely more than minimum wage just a little bit more bearable.

We also visited The Zine Machine, a vending machine in the library re-purposed to sell zines. I'd told Braeden about it but he had never seen it, so we stopped by today. We got some little zines for free (that's what the price was labeled at) and some science-themed ones for a buck. They were great! And they scratched at my already itchy, zine-desiring self. I have wanted to make a zine for years and years, ever since my punk rock days back in high school. I actually made one with some of my friends my freshman year of college, but our audience was only ourselves. But I want to make one that we could put in the zine machine. I got excited. We stopped at Blick on the way home to get some rubber to carve into stamps (I recently purchased a book about making your own rubber stamps) and I felt like wonderful things were about to be created.

However, as soon as we got home the malaise that has been plaguing me for-what-seems-like-ever set in and I was paralyzed by both indecision and lack of motivation. To clarify, by lack of motivation I mean literally, a lack of ability to motate myself. I want to be better than I am. I want to draw better, to write better, to sew better, to bind better, to visualize the end product better, to finish projects better and I know the only way to get better is to do, make, create! but when it comes down to it I just can't seem to get myself up off the couch. It's becoming an all-encompassing, ever present issue in my life.

how i spend my time

2011-07-13T18:46:00.002-05:00

I spend a lot of my online time checking my usual blogs and wishing that people blogged more often and frequently, meanwhile neglecting my own lovely blog(s) to play Plants vs Zombies or watch Hulu or Netflix or take a nap, or sometimes several of these things at once. Clearly married life is life in the fast lane.

Sometimes I do get supa motivated though and do things like weed parts of our jungle backyard (which looks even worse than it looked when I moved in last fall). And lil' Braeden, bless his heart, sometimes comes and helps.

Can you see the row that Braeden mowed? So crazy.

Look! Our backyard looks sort of like a backyard again!

Other times I do things like cut up old t-shirts and braid them into rag rugs (it takes an insane amount of t-shirts to make a legit sized rag rug, PS) or work on changing a dress I bought at a thrift store from a pull-over to a wrap-around. Photos of those to follow at some point, I'm sure.

And, sometimes, I blog.

one time, i got a hair cut

2011-07-01T18:20:00.000-05:00

So I'd been growing my hair out so I could put it up for the wedding and mission: accomplished. So, since all the wedding festivities are over, I decided to get it cut. Today. At Blaze.

Before!

After!

The best part? I got home, showered, let it air dry and it still looks good! Everyone knows that that's the most important thing with any hair cut, let's be honest. Hooray for summer hair!

so i work at a library

2011-06-23T22:53:00.000-05:00

So I work at the university library. Doing book repair and conservation. In the fall I will officially start my Library Science and Book Arts graduate program so I can work in a library and maybe do book repair and conservation. So... yeah. Maybe after I have a master's degree they will have to actually pay me more than minimum wage: I've gotten 2 raises since I started and still only make $7.85 an hour. What. I'm pretty sure my more-older colleagues get more money than that. Probably a lot a lot more...

Anyway.

I've been doing almost exclusive work on books from the Cedar Rapids Czech and Slovak Museum that were damaged in the flooding a few years ago. That means I do things like clean crusty flood mud off pages; flatten the books by misting them, putting card stock between the pages, vacuum sealing them like food you want to preserve then putting them in a book press; also aqueously cleaning pages that have dirt that refuses to be removed with soot erasures or PVOH sponges. (If you don't know what most of those words mean, that's ok: I just learned some of them myself the other day.)

I also sometimes learn fun facts about the Czech Republic from the Prague Post newspapers (which are in English). Did you know that contact lenses were invented in Czechoslovakia and that the guy who invented them, under Czech law, was supposed to get 25% of the profits from their sale but when an American company bought the manufacturing rights and the Czech government realized that he would be a billionaire they changed the law so he got less than .5% and the government pocketed the rest and when asked about the change the inventor simply said, "I don't know what I would have done with all that money anyway."? Or that the tuba was invented in Czechoslovakia for the famous Wagner because he wanted a low instrument for his arrangements and the oldest manufactures of the tuba are still in business there? Well know you do know.

So.

Another of the (few) perks of this tedious job is that in the many books I clean I run across amazing pictures of the Czech people which I promptly photograph with my camera cellular device and then disperse via textual picture message to people (generally my husband, my youngest brother, and Harold Miller). However, lucky readers that you are, I have decided that they also need to be shared with the world. So here they are:

This guy looks like Harry Potter. Or at least his near relation. Maybe his father was really Czech and not British after all...

He has a knife between his teeth. A k-nife, I tell you!

Jitka Harazimova is a famous body builder. I don't get female body builders. Or male body builders, for that matter...

These guys are actually Finnish, but this picture was on the front of the entertainment section of the Prague Post one week: I just love their hair. Also, not pictured here, their boots.

I liked this guy's moustache and glasses combo style. His name is Jan Volf.

I was mostly enamored with this gentleman's jacket: check out those toggles! His name is Svatopluk Konicek. Of course it is.

This was a decoration that was at the end of various chapters in one book I was cleaning: I think it looks like a uterus.

I just liked this family portrait of children. The toddler perched uncomfortably on the ottoman, the forced height variation, and, most importantly, the jaunty young lad on the right with his hand on his hip and his foot crossed over the other. Sexy.

Here's a close up so you can also appreciate his stunning ears and come-hither stare. Amazing.

Check out this little Mamasita (or whatever the Czech equivalent of Mamasita is...) I love her dress, her attitude, and, most importantly, her mysterious hair...

This woman reminds me of Kirsten, the American Girl doll (who apparently doesn't exist anymore?! What the freak Mattel? ruining the rain forest and my childhood. Gosh.)

This guy has an AMAZING moustache. It is the photo that is on the front screen of my phone. Behind the clock. That one.

Well, that's all for now. I hope you enjoyed yourselves. Also, the preponderance of amazing Czechs with style.

the other day...

2011-06-23T21:55:00.000-05:00

The other day I helped my neighbor Kara Harley make a book. She brought over the manuscript paper and I taught her how to 3-hole pamphlet stitch it. Then she had to go so I brought it to work the next day and trimmed it and put the covers on for her. I was pretty satisfied with the final product, and not just because I got the cover board free from a giant pallet in the library basement that was supposed to be shipped to Peru but then was deemed too expensive so it just sits in the basement and you can use it for free.

$100

2011-06-04T22:30:00.000-05:00

It was going to take $2200 and 9 days to fix the car. So we sold it. For $100 dollars. I cried. And Braeden tried really hard not to cry and held it together amazingly well. We had been planning on selling the car when we got back to Iowa anyway, so we had the title with us, luckily, I suppose. We were supposed to be back in Iowa City by Tuesday night for school and work but now it was Wednesday afternoon and there was just no time. We signed the papers, cleared out the car, and drove off.

People talk a lot about how you have to withstand trials to really solidify your love. I think that's silly. I mean, I suppose that sometimes it's true, but I don't feel like our love is any stronger for having had to figure this whole thing out, I feel like it's the same as it was before—awesome—but now we have a story to tell people about how we sold our car for 100 bucks in Cheyenne on our way back from our wedding reception.

It was interesting to get different people's reactions to our situation both as it was taking place as after it had happened. Braeden's parents were super concerned and wanted to be updated about our different choices and options and said they would help however they could, if just through prayers on our behalf. I updated my parents because I felt like I should, not because they asked to be, and they just said things like, "Sometimes you get the trip, and sometimes you get the story. You got the story!" Or "I guess now you'll make sure you get your oil changed more regularly!" Neither of these things were all that helpful. I suppose they were just trying to be optimistic and light-hearted about the whole thing, but what I really needed was some sympathy.

My friend Jen Porter once sent me an email about her musings on bearing witness. I feel like what she had to say was particularly pertinent for this experience. I'll quote her:

I don’t need someone to take my experience away. I don’t need my load lifted, changed, or taken off. But I have been through this experience. I have been pushed continuously to my limits more than I thought was possible. And I survived. I have learned and am learning so much about who I am, how I fit into the world. My mind is overburdened with thoughts and with insights that my brow is constantly furrowed.

I need someone to bear witness to my experience. I need someone to listen, to acknowledge the fact that I have experienced this thing.

We are so tempted to be fixers. To take away, change, lift, or carry. But, in fact, we are not asked to do that. We are simply asked to comfort. To mourn alongside. And by so doing to bear one another’s burdens.

So at the close of this post, that is all I ask. Just bear witness to this thing that we have experienced. Was it the worst thing that could have happened? No, of course not. Things could have been much, much worse. But the fact of the matter is that it was stressful. Incredibly stressful. We didn't know if we would be stranded in Wyoming for a week and a half with no way to get back home. We didn't know if our car would be fixable or sell-able or what exactly we should do. But we figured it out and we made our choices and we are finally home. I'm sure this will be a "funny story to tell our grandkids years from now" but for now it is still a bit tender and close to the heart. So please, for now, just bear witness.

yay for the adventures of marriage.

2011-05-31T20:31:00.000-05:00

Braeden and I had our Salt Lake City reception this weekend. Yay! You can read more about that on our wedding blog. We'll also link to pictures once they exist on the internet.

However, the story I am here to tell to you today is one of tragedy and unexpected demise. No, no, no one died. Well, no person died. However, Braeden's beloved car Rocinante did. In Cheyenne, Wyoming. Or rather just outside of Cheyenne, Wyoming. On our way to Utah. Friday: the day before our reception. Good...

Luckily we were at a TA Travel and Gas station at the time, and at first we just thought that the engine was flooded (Braeden's car is a manual and I'm still just learning to drive it). We pushed it over to a parking spot and went and had lunch to let it dry out. However, when we tried to start it up again about an hour later it still wouldn't start. Hmmmm... By this time we enlisted the help of a few of the employees at the stop and after two hours and over six people looking at it (at least four of them certified truck mechanics) it was determined that the cam-shaft sensor was broken. Oh, no big deal. We called around with the help of our newest friend Nick (one of the truck mechanics), found a place that had them in stock and Nick drove us out to pick it up. $77 and a 40 minute round trip later we were back at our dear Rocinante. Nick popped that old part out, put the new one in aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand nothing. That wasn't the problem.

Another mechanic walked over, within minutes had a protective cover off and showed us that the timing belt was broken. Oh. Good. That's the kind of repair that costs hundreds of dollars instead of just $77. And, lucky for us, because it was Memorial Day weekend all the garages in the area were closed not just on the actual holiday but also the Saturday before so the earliest we could get the car in to see an actual certified Hyundai mechanic would be Tuesday morning. So what could we do? We rented a car, loaded up all our wedding stuff, left our car in the hands of Nick and headed off into the then-sunset.

So, today: we finally got the car towed to a garage from the gas station where it sat all weekend and talked to the place today. The lady I spoke with told me that they won't be able to even take a look at it until tomorrow morning, but if it is in fact the timing belt that is broken then most likely there was piston head damage as well that could take up to a week to fix. A. Week. Good thing Braeden's sister just moved to Fort Collins which is just an hour away from Cheyenne so we can stay with her while we figure out what to do.

We'd been talking about selling the car anyway--we basically only use my car and have been since before we got married--but we were hoping that when we got around to actually getting rid of it it wouldn't be broken and leaving us semi-stranded only half-way home.

But you know what? It could be a lot worse. We could have been left stranded along one of the many stretched of I-80 where there is no town within miles and no cell phone reception. We could have been unable to get a rental car and had to miss our own reception. We could have to be camped out in a hotel until our car is fixed instead of comfortably with Braeden's sister. We could not have the money to fix our car and have to hitchhike home. Luckily none of these were the case. We don't know what's going to happen, but we are not even going to worry about it until we hear from the garage tomorrow and know for sure what decisions need to be made. Until then we will just sit on Natalee's couch, eat pancakes, and watch TLC.

Thank goodness for small blessings.

we are married!

2011-05-24T12:47:00.000-05:00

It was the only day all week that it rained continuously and unrelentingly all day. Temperatures were in the 50s, even though earlier that same week they had been in the high 80s. We were cold and miserable, but somehow it was still the happiest day of our lives.

Mostly I am glad that it is all over: weddings are fun, but being married is more fun. And, luckily, it lasts a lot longer too...

8 days...

2011-05-06T22:44:00.000-05:00

The wedding is only 8 days away. I am excited. Excited more to finally be done (locally anyway) with all the planning and scheduling and stressing that comes with getting married. As for the part about being married itself? I've been ready for that since January.

And yet, despite this impending excitement, or perhaps because of it, I find myself feeling this way most mornings:

I hope this feeling goes away after next week...

fiscal fast: day five

2011-04-29T15:24:00.000-05:00

It's started to get rough. Braeden and I have been talking about wedding stuff (my bouquet came in the mail today) and have decided that starting a fiscal fast just weeks before our wedding was possibly not the most strategic choice. After talking about all we still need to do with regards to wedding favors, centerpieces, etc, we've decided to extend our "acceptable spending" to wedding stuff. But, since that means we'll be out running errands it means we'll have to fill up on gas, too. And, while we're out we might as well go buy some milk, since that was the one agreed upon exception anyway (and since both of us refuse to finish off the small amount of milk we have remaining in the fridge since that would mean that the other person wouldn't get any: awe, love). And, since we'll be at the store, we might as well buy groceries so we can get a discount on the gas at the Hyvee gas station, right? It's a slippy slope.

So off we go out into the spending world. We may have failed at having our fiscal fast last an entire seven days as planned (though Braeden points out that we didn't actually spend any money last Saturday and we never spend money on Sunday, so we basically did the whole week, right?). Regardless, it really helped us become more aware of both the things we spend money on without thinking and how honestly little our lives were disrupted by not spending any of the green stuff.

Therefore, we, Cassi and Braeden, resolve to implement the Jeff Yeager-inspired fiscal fast successfully in the month of June for exactly seven days. We can: we will.

fiscal fast: day four

2011-04-28T23:59:00.000-05:00

So this is what we had for dinner yesterday. Braeden made it because he is amazing. You know what else is amazing? It cost us less than a buck each. That's right, this delicious meal of corn flakes-breaded chicken legs, roasted baby red potatoes, green beans and homemade rolls cost about 90 cents per serving. My baby is the cheapest. And the best-est.

fiscal fast: day three

2011-04-27T23:56:00.002-05:00

Day three, not so bad. I honestly can't think of anything we wanted to buy today, although Braeden almost failed this morning by starting to set up an automatic bill pay for the credit card (meaning that he would have made a credit card payment today) but then realized at the last second that he would be spending money and stopped. It's amazing how easy it is in the world today to spend money without even realizing that that's what you're doing.

Interestingly, we've started to get some wedding presents from our registries in the mail this week, so although we haven't been spending any money we've been getting new stuff. Braeden also picked up a bag full of free books in Spanish from work. Last week we even got a nice queen-sized mattress and box springs for free, though we weren't fiscal fasting at the time. It's really amazing the good quality stuff you can find out there for free.

Speaking of, one of the things Jeff Yeager talks about in his book is how we as Americans spend a lot of our time working so we can earn money so we can pay people to do things for us: if we learn how to do these things ourselves we can skip the money step. Tonight I went to a Center for the Book lecture by Peter and Donna Thomas. They are book artists who are currently traveling across the country, meeting up with other book artists and book making groups. They are traveling in a gypsy wagon (inspired by their Renaissance Fair days) that they made themselves and pull behind their truck like a trailor. I got to take a peak inside and it was just beautiful and old-time-y and incredibly impressive. It took them 3 years but they made it, they built it themselves. I think that is beautiful.

Their books are also impressive works of art. My favorite are the books in their ukulele series. Peter takes these ukuleles apart and makes them into books, then puts them back together so that they are still playable! He played us a few songs during the presentation and it was really fun. What are books without book folk songs to celebrate them?

fiscal fast: day two

2011-04-26T23:59:00.053-05:00

Today was a little harder.

We had my friend Dave Buck and his wife Zannah over for lunch (they stopped by road tripping from Georgia to Utah). Braeden and I made our famous pizza, which was no big deal since we had planned on making it so we bought all the necessary ingredients when we went grocery shopping last week (though, to be honest, we had most of the stuff on hand anyway). PLUS it was so great to finally meet Zannah and to see Dave again. We had a really great time chatting with them today and, since they'll be joining us in the midwest for Dave's MBA program, we made plans to do midwest-y things with them sometime in the near future. You know, like after the craziness that is our wedding is over and we can think about other things again.

But back to the money issue.

When I went to my bookbinding class tonight we were talking about our carousel books that are due next week and after determining that magnets would be the best closing mechanism for my particular book I realized that I hadn't ordered any magnets and if I wait until next week they won't get here in time. I could talk to one of the girls in the class who has already bought a pack of magnets and see if I could borrow some and pay her back next week, but that's kind of cheating since it's basically asking someone else to buy something for me this week instead of me buying it (against the rules) OR I could figure something out with some magnets I already have (though they're not as strong as the ones my teacher recommended we buy) but if I use paper instead of book cloth it will probably be fine. ...AND that probably didn't really make sense to anyone but me, but it was a financial decision I had to work out.

I also got paid today and as I looked at my bank account I realized that now I have enough money to catch up on my rent (my landlords are pretty lenient, what can I say?). I was itching to pay the bill right away, but I realized that that money isn't going anywhere and I can take care of it next week just as easily. It's already a month late: what's one more week?

Conclusion? Money is a bigger part of life than I thought. It can sort of sneak up on you sometimes.

PS Braeden has no thoughts to add to this summary, although he notes that the car is getting a little low on gas: he asserts that we will NOT break our fiscal fast to buy any. Wish us luck!!!

fiscal fast: day one

2011-04-25T18:07:00.004-05:00

So far, so good. We made our lunches (left over rolls and ham from Easter dinner with carrot sticks, crackers, and fruit-by-the-foot Easter egg candy), took the free shuttle to and from campus, and for dinner we had omelets made with free eggs from the neighbors, ham from Easter dinner, green peppers, and cheese. Yum!

Today wasn't so hard not to spend any money (since we don't usually spend money on Monday anyway) but I'll bet that it'll be harder on days like Tuesday where we usually run errands, or Friday which is grocery day. Stay tuned...

On another note, here are some pictures from Easter! Braeden and I made surprise baskets for each other which was really fun not only because we got Easter baskets but also because there was almost a month of secrecy as we snuck around getting special things to fill the baskets with. We agreed on a limit of $30 per person, including the baskets themselves.

I bought Braeden's basket from the dollar store but they only had ones that were pink and purple and yellow, so I spray painted it green and painted some grass on it for fun. Inside is Easter grass that I made by folding up pieces of scrap paper and cutting them into strips (I'm not wasting one of my precious 30 dollars on silly store-bought paper strips!), dinosaur transformers, a leather beta fish key-chain (Braeden loves beta fish), peeps, eggs filled with candy, and a lil piggy bank filled with the left-over cash.

The dinosaur transformers all transformed! Braeden split them into teams, The Twins (the green and red dinobots behind) and The Dino-Crotches. Obviously The Twins are the evil ones.

This was Braeden's basket for me! Inside is candy, eggs filled with candy, the first season of Modern Family, and a book that he made all by himself called Why She's Perfect (for me at least). So cute. He says that there is another gift on the way that he ordered on Etsy but the lady didn't mail it until like 2 days before Easter because she'd been on vacation (good trick) so I'm excited to see what that is, too!

We had our dinner group over for Easter Dinner—normally one person hosts and makes the dinner and another person brings dessert, but since Easter is a big deal we did it potluck style this time. I made the rolls from scratch (which I had never done before) and they actually turned out great! I used a recipe I found from AllRecipes.com and not only was it the least time-consuming recipe I could find, it was also delicious! I was a little worried since no matter how much flour I added the dough was just really sticky, but I just went with it and it turned out just fine. Our other friends brought ham, green salad, fruit salad, mashed potatoes, and sugar cookies for dessert. Also Eric (who also made the ham) brought a bunch of eggs that he had blown out and filled with things like small chocolate eggs and a few were "weapons grade" which we think means they are filled with glitter but have been too afraid to try... It was a really delicious and fun dinner.

We also had the missionaries over for the dinner and we all pitched in and made them Easter baskets too. Braeden and I went to the dollar store and bought them candy and toys and, deciding that they wouldn't keep or want to keep wicker Easter baskets, made them little paper baskets out of the bags that we always buy our apples in. I think they turned out pretty cute!

Elder Watkins and Elder Crocket with their baskets. They were really excited to get them. (Can't you tell from their faces?)

the ultimate cheapskate

2011-04-25T00:41:00.003-05:00

Braeden and I really like reading aloud to each other. During our many recent road trips we've read An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, Alice and Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, and gotten part-way through Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery. At home (well, at my home) we just finished The Dinner Diaries (and decided that the lady was a crazy person) and are almost through The Ultimate Cheapskate's Road Map to True Riches by Jeff Yeager and tell you what, this book, above all others we've read together so far, has changed our lives.

In honor of good ol' Jeff Yeager this week Braeden and I are embarking on a week of fiscal fasting. What is a fiscal fast, you ask? It's and entire week of not spending any money. Braeden and I have tried variations of this by celebrating No Money Mondays and other single days where we tried not to spend any money (and were more successful some times than others) but this time we're aiming for a full week.

Since we just decided to do it today (which means no stockpiling preparation for our money-less week) we've decided on one agreed-upon exception: milk. Due to a series of events during grocery shopping last week we only ended up buying a half a gallon of milk as opposed to a whole gallon, so we both agreed that when the milk runs out this week, if we decide we need more, we can go to the store and buy a gallon. But that's it: nothing else.

The idea is that through this fiscal fast we'll become more aware of our spending habits and those things that we can easily (or not so easily) live without. And, since we're in the "lean graduate school years" as Janet Nelson calls then, we figure a week without spending any money can only help our financial situation.

I'll keep you updated. In the mean time, check out Jeff Yeager's book for yourself. Trust me, it'll totally change the way you think about money.

PS HAPPY EASTER!

we live in the future

2011-04-20T22:47:00.000-05:00

Remember when re-animating the body parts of dead people was the stuff of horror movies? As Braeden screamed so eloquently, "WE LIVE IN THE TIME OF DOCTOR FRANKENSTEIN!"

walk in the rain

2011-04-05T22:50:00.000-05:00

Sunday was unusually warm here (before it got all cold again on Monday) and it rained that evening. What choice did we have? Braeden and I went for a warm walk in the rain. It was lovely. I had forgotten how nice it is to walk down the street during a fresh cloudburst, hand in hand with someone you love.

We need to relax like that more often.

to do, to do

2011-03-25T12:32:00.000-05:00

I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately with all that I have to do. The wedding is less than 2 months away (what? how did this happen?!) and the invitations have yet to be sent out (but it's ok because everyone who needs to know already knows...right?). We just got the cd of our engagement pictures yesterday, we still haven't picked a caterer for the Iowa City reception, haven't started growing our centerpieces yet, AND between birthdays and illnesses and road trips to home we've spent far and away beyond our budget this month. No big deal.

But I walked home from my first Library Sciences conference today (left early since things were a little slow, am planning on going back for the last presentation) and came home to my fiance having cleaned out The Beach Room (so named for the mysterious sand present on the floor when I moved in)—not a small feat considering how it had become the dumping ground for all things without a home. He also made paper silhouettes of mirrors that we've been collecting so that we can play with how we want to position them on our future mirror wall. He is the greatest. The best part? Every time I thank him for helping me or surprising me with something he simply replies, "I just want to make your life easier." Who could ask for anything better than that? I am so lucky.