Poor neglected blog...I love you, I do. But sometimes the daily ups and downs of life—like pets needing allergy shots, a mountain of typography projects begging to be graded, and sneaking in that occasional hair appointment, (thank goodness,)—just get in the way. February is already proving itself challenging, but March is showing tremendous promise. I hope to be back in the regular blogging saddle before March 1...but just in case, I wish you all well and bid you adieu for now.
I think I am finally winding down now. Syllabus? Check! Copies made? Check! Laundry done? Ok, so apparently I'm not quite ready to call it a night...but almost! It was seventy degrees in Nashville today—a little bit of springtime in winter—can't beat it.
The lovely Shari brought Lisa, Aurora, and I each a beautiful gerbera daisy at the opening Saturday night. It definitely helped along my springtime delusions in the studio today...before I had to put it up high so Oscar wouldn't eat it!
Alright...laundry time it is. Good evening friends.
All the gifts have been wrapped, swap ornaments hung on the tree, (thank you swappers,) and we are ready for Christmas here in Nashville.
I want to wish all those celebrating the holiday tomorrow a very merry Christmas. I also want to thank all of you who have read and commented here at cake & pie this year. I have so enjoyed getting to know some of you. 2008 is going to be a year of big changes, so stay tuned. Best wishes to you all for a happy & healthy holiday!
Tomorrow I turn 28, and I am pretty excited about it. It is time for a new year, new age, fresh start. I like the sound of 28...I feel like perhaps it will be more manageable than 27...we'll see!
Today I have a few sewing projects underway, and some serious cookie baking. Holiday prep is in full swing here, and I love it...the wrapping, the baking, the special preparations...it makes everything feel so at home.
With all this going on I think I'll be taking a break from the blog for awhile...I might pop back up again here and there, but in case I don't, I hope you all have a wonderful holiday if you are celebrating!
The lovely and talented Heather has tagged me. I have been tagged before, and this time I am asked to share five weird facts about myself. Since we are nearing the holidays, I thought I'd share a few in keeping with the season...not sure how weird these are, but I'll give it a go!
1. Last year I left our tree up all through January...it was our first tree (and artificial) and it just made the house feel so cozy.
2. I like to wrap gifts using double stick tape so that none of the tape shows on the outside of the paper.
3. My favorite holiday foods are mashed potatoes and cranberry compote. The turkey is ok, but I really like all the side dishes better.
4. I usually bake about eight kinds of cookies at holiday time. I love baking cookies. This year I'm baking them with my Mom for the first time...we might make ten kinds. It's very exciting.
5. The only thing I like about bad weather this time of year is if I have to go anywhere I have an excuse to wear my knee-high red rubber boots. I think I get strange looks in the grocery store when I wear them, but I love them.
Instead of tagging others, (I can never think of who to tag,) I'll just ask you all to share some of your quirky holiday secrets. I can't be the only one.
No, I did not fall from the face of the earth, and yes I will definitely be back posting this week. Since the launch of my new design site, my web host has been frustrating me to no end with major email problems. For example: I haven't received any email since noon today—including the test emails I sent myself from my home email account. It's not that I think I'm all that popular that I should be getting tons of emails, but I should at least receive the ones I send myself! All very lovely, calming, and fun. Ok now, off to live in my world without email, for an evening anyway. Night friends.
Patricia of A Little Hut tagged me this morning, so now I have to share eight facts about myself, or habits, and tag eight other bloggers to do the same. I think I did this awhile ago...so I will try to share a few new things, but forgive me if I repeat b/c I have no recollection of what I wrote before.
1. I like things quiet.
2. When I'm upset I make popcorn with chocolate chips.
3. I don't eat beef, pork, or mushrooms.
4. I've been watching General Hospital for almost 20 years.
5. My least favorite smell is Cheerios.
6. My favorite footwear is flip flops.
7. I am bug phobic.
8. Cooper and Oscar are pretty much the best part of my day, every day.
I think I'll tag Shona, Zoe, Felicia, Lisa S, Pink, Rebekka, Jen, and Megan.
I recently changed my ink cartridges, which was not at all eventful; but this evening when I went to put the old ink cartridges in the the little envelope that comes with the new cartridges to recycle the old ones, I found this:
Is it really all that necessary to wrap the little envelope in PLASTIC? Granted its not a lot of plastic—but it's an envelope! An envelope requires this much protection? It's going to travel through the U.S. Postal Service without this protection, but it needs it INSIDE a box?
Then I shifted my focus to the amount of packaging that came with my tiny expensive ink cartridge...
Now most of it is paper or cardboard that I can throw in the recycling bin, but still, is all this necessary? When you have designed a box for a product that requires an extra piece of cardboard inside to hold the small item in place in the box, is that really the most effective design? Wouldn't the packaging be cheaper to make if it were smaller? Could that possibly make my ink cartridge cost less than $35?
I'm not really expecting an answer, but as a print designer, who has admittedly designed many a piece of paper that have no doubt been either thrown away or (hopefully) recycled, I think its good to think about downsizing in design. Sometimes simpler is just better, maybe smaller is better too. I had a boss a few years ago who used to say simpler is harder. Maybe she was right. Hence all the packaging for my tiny expensive ink cartridge. Goodnight friends.
Well, it seems that a week has passed in the blink of an eye, and in the midst of all of it cake + pie turned one year old last Saturday. My master plan was to launch my new website, and a new look for this blog BEFORE the one year anniversary...but life gets in the way, and personal work gets pushed back...c'est la vie.
I am about to start a brand new design project for a client I'm really excited about, so while I get going on that, and finish up the new site and new blog look, do bear with me!
I want to thank everyone who has read and commented over this past year. I have really loved getting to know some of you, reading your comments, and been so inspired by your blogs. I am really very honored to be part of this community.
Be well friends. Here's to year number 2!
Today is perfect Nashville weather as far as I'm concerned. Perhaps a little warm for some, but to me it is heavenly out. The sky is blue, the sun in shining and there is a wonderful cool breeze in the shade of some of the big old trees in my neighborhood. Cooper and I had a great walk this morning, and I am the type of person—though not outdoorsy at all—I get a little high when the weather is nice.
I hope you all are enjoying your Sunday!
