Sarah: Words of the Day

Good word:
miasma
1: a vaporous exhalation formerly believed to cause disease, a heavy vaporous emanation or atmosphere
2: an influence or atmosphere that tends to deplete or corrupt

Bad word:
moist, because, just listen to it. Moist. Ew. Also, damp. Neither of those are good.

Sarah: NaBloPoMo, the 2007 edition

Alright, y'all. Let's do this thing.

Sarah: Overshare

Bartering with sexual favors with your significant other? Okay, whatever.
Telling me about it? NOT OKAY.

Thanks for listening.

Sarah: Stream of Celebrity-Consciousness

My brother Dave and I have slowly but surely been working our way through Mad Men on his TiVo.

S: The mistress-artist was in that tv show with Ron Livingston.
D: Who?
S: The guy from Office Space.
D: I thought that guy's name was Scott Something? He was on Felicity. Jennifer Garner's old husband.
S: (laughing now, at the very silliness of the idea) Scott Foley?
D: Yeah! Those guys look EXACTLY ALIKE. And you know who else they look like? Robert Sean Leonard.
S: Dead Poets Society?
D: Yes!
S: So if Dead Poets Society and Ron Livingston had a love child, it would be Scott Foley?
D: Exactly.

Somewhere we got off track. Ahem. Back to Mad Men.

Sarah: Honey, You Baked!

In a recent flurry of domesticity, I decided to try the much talked about No-Knead Bread. The ingredients are so simple: flour, salt, yeast, and water. So around 1 pm on a Sunday, I mixed up the dough and then read on in the directions. Let the dough sit for at least 12 hours. Um. And then another two hours. I obviously had planned poorly. So after the dough sat through the night... and then while I was at work... and at school, I decided to throw away the dough. Because, obviously: Ew.
So how hard could kneading be? It would seem that long blocks of time would be more difficult for my schedule than a little kneading. I found a new recipe via Not Martha with the same simple ingredients and a significantly faster timeline.
The result? A tasty lunch of soup and homemade bread. Mmmm. This could be the start of something wonderful.

Sarah: Recipe Exchange

Adorable Jeremy invited me to participate in a recipe exchange. I decided to share a recipe I found (I think while I was looking for a yummy soup recipe) at Smitten Kitchen. I don't know much about the author, Deb, but I do know that she makes delicious looking foods and photographs them wonderfully. Mmm. Anyway, without further ado, I present to you a perfect comfort food dessert for autumn and winter. This recipe includes so many things I love about food: pumpkin, spices, bread, and sugar mixed right in. Tantilized yet? I hope so.

Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, October 2007

1 1/2 cups whole milk (Or 1 cup heavy cream plus 1/2 cup whole milk)
3/4 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs plus 1 yolk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of ground cloves
2 tablespoons bourbon (optional)
5 cups cubed (1-inch) day-old baguette or crusty bread
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted* (can skip this step if using the second set of instructions)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle.

Gourmet's Instructions: Whisk together pumpkin, cream, milk, sugar, eggs, yolk, salt, spices (I added extra spices) and bourbon (I made it without bourbon and it was still great), if using, in a bowl.

Toss bread cubes with butter in another bowl, then add pumpkin mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to an ungreased 8-inch square baking dish and bake until custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes.

Alternate, Come On, Be Lazy With Me, instructions (I followed these instructions, obviously. Lazy? I'm in.): While preheating oven to 350 degrees F with rack in middle, melt butter in bottom of a 8-inch square baking dish. Once it is melted, take it out of the oven and toss bread cubes with butter, coating thoroughly. In a separate bowl, whisk together all the remaining ingredients. Pour them over buttered bread cubes in baking dish, stirring to make sure all pieces are evenly coated. Bake until custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes.

Hey! Are you still there? Awesome! If you want to participate in the recipe exchange, it's easy! I've attached the exchange email script after the jump. Just follow the instructions and we all get more yummy recipes (maybe I'll even get one for that homemade soup I've been craving). Delightful!

1. Jeremy: hobbes8u at yahoo dot com
2. Sarah: sarah at twolooseteeth dot com
Hello! You've been invited to be part of a recipe exchange! Please send a recipe to the person whose name is listed in the number 1 position above. It should preferably be something quick, easy, without rare ingredients. Actually, the best is the one you know in your head and can type out and send right now. Then, copy this letter into a new email, move my name to the number 1 position, and put your name in the number 2 position. Only your name and mine should appear in this list when you send out your email. Please send this to 20 friends. If you cannot do this within 5 days, please let me know so it will be fair to those participating. You should receive 36 recipes. It is fun to see where these recipes come from! Seldom does anyone drop out because we can all use new recipes. The turn around is fast because only 2 names are on the list. Have fun with it!

Lisa: accessory clips

When I hung up the letter hooks in Nora's bedroom, it started an addiction that could only be fed by adding more hooks. Blake hung some little brass hooks in my craft closet for me that are now holding gift bags, and I ordered three more hooks from Restorers (through Amazon) for Nora's room.

I knew I wanted to hang her blessing dress and the gorgeous handmade blanket she got from her anonymous "secret grandma," but that left one empty hook and a long narrow space in the middle. With Sarah's help, I brainstormed an accessory holder.

Here's the result:

I'm really happy with how it turned out, and the whole thing took less than two hours to make. Endless variations are possible to suit your needs and tastes. Instructions and the materials I used are after the jump, if you're interested.

Materials:

Steps:

1. I cut the cardboard to the width I wanted, getting rid of the bent-up corners in the process. Then I set the cardboard on my fabric and cut around it, leaving plenty of extra fabric to wrap around the back.

2. I pinned the dark green ribbon down the center of the right side of the fabric, and just stitched right down the center with the sewing machine. Easy peasy.

3. The next step was a little bit tricky for me, since I'm not really a good spatial thinker. I centered the cardboard on top of the fabric and ribbon, and marked the top center and bottom center of the cardboard with a pin. Then I messed around with the clips, the light green ribbon, and some pins for a while, until they looked right. The idea is that the light ribbon threads through the clip rings, which are held in place by one pin through all three layers in the center of the loop. These pins will be replaced with stitching in the next step.

4. Next I replaced the pins with stitching. I slid the rings on each side away from the pin, carefully removed the pin without letting the ribbon slip, and backtacked over the light green ribbon a bunch of times.

5. I cut a piece of batting a bit smaller than my fabric.

6. Then I plugged in my trusty hot glue gun, and while I was waiting for it to heat up I ironed my fabric so the final product would be nice and smooth. Placing the fabric right-side down, and the batting centered on top of it, and the cardboard centered on top of that, I folded the two ends over the cardboard and glued them down. I took special care to make sure the ribbon stayed centered on the cardboard, and pulled each end of the ribbon tight while pressing it into the glue. Don't burn yourself--hot glue hurts like a mother.

7. Folding the corners like wrapping a present, I pulled the sides in tight and glued them down, too. While the glue was still warm and slidy, I turned the project over to the right side and made sure things looked smooth and not puckery from the front. Then I took the leftover light green ribbon and glued it in a loop to the back side of the top edge. If I'd wanted to get fancy, I could have cut a panel from the leftover fabric, ironed the edges under, and glued it to the back of the project to cover the empty cardboard and rough edges. Nora was getting hungry, so I bagged that idea, but I might still do that sometime if it starts bugging me. It would definitely look more professional and finished that way.

8. Ta-DA! I used five of the curtain clips for optimum future flexibility. I'm only using three of the clips now (see the top picture above), but in the future I might want to display different items, and I wanted to be able to accommodate various sizes.

Sarah: I Saw You

I love reading classified ads. And I think I might have found something I love even more. Illustrated Missed Connections. Ah, love...

Sarah: Retro Progressive

Today I discovered Tiny Choices via Not Martha. This blog is mostly about reducing your consumerism or energy use, but the author isn't condescending and I don't feel guilty for any of my wasteful ways. Instead I'm inspired to look for easy, small ways to simplify my life, to reduce the number of scary how-do-you-even-pronounce-that ingredients or chemicals I use or consume.
Perhaps I'm just feeling vulnerable right now because last night I ate a frozen pizza, only to find out minutes later that it had been recalled because of possible E. Coli contamination. (Good thing I bought Christmas gifts early. If I die, consider them my farewell gifts to friends and family.)
Anyway, Tiny Choices discussed a term called Retro Progressive to describe returning to old practices in order to reduce one's energy and chemical use. I know myself well enough to accept that I won't immediately start cooking and canning homegrown organic vegetables, refuse to purchase any frozen (albeit deadly-bacteria-containing) food, and washing all of my clothes by hand. But I will continue to air-dry about half of my clothes (I totally believe that it extends the life of my jeans and delicate items) and I'm trying to cook more at home instead of grabbing fast food for every meal. These are my tiny choices.
Giving sensible living a buzz term like "retro progressive" spurred some debate among Tiny Choices readers. Does the very notion of 'retro' home life imply oppression of women? Some found the term a bit insulting. It just made me want to put on a cute apron. I liked what one commenter said, though, that "'Domesticity' is not just a way to keep women oppressed - it's also a set of really useful skills." So I think that what I'm taking from that blog entry is that enjoying domesticity, whether it's crafting, cleaning (because what feels better than a sparkly clean house, really?), cooking, or taking an active role in your quality of life, is nothing to be embarrassed about. You can believe in your right as a woman or individual to choose your path in life, whether it's working or staying home, married or single, and still embrace how great your legs look in heels and enjoy the smell of something delicious bubbling on the stove.

Sarah: In Love with Possibility

Keeping with tradition (see 1 and 2), Marci, Mallory, and I went to a Ben Lee concert on Friday night. Unfortunately, Lisa was unable to join us this year, but Mal and I were glad that Marci was able to experience Ben, sans gold suit and Rooney fans, in a small intimate venue like we did for the first time two years ago. Ben was charming and happy, per usual, and we had a great time.

The keyboardist played with Ben on his last two tours also. Maybe they're best buddies. We love it, regardless. The girls appreciate loyalty.

Cary Brothers, possibly best known for his song on the Garden State soundtrack, opened for Mr. Ben with a great set. He was also funny and charming, recommending tv shows to the crowd and just being generally personable and nice.

Like in concerts past, everyone else on the tour joined Ben for one of his last songs.

A Ben Lee tour is a happy tour.

Sarah: Food of the Future

Lunch with Lisa:

L: This tastes like what a robot would think a hamburger tastes like. And I'm okay with that.
S: ... Dangit, a french fry just snagged my nylons.

Sarah: O Tannenbaum

My Christmas tree is now erected in my living room, decked out with red globe ornaments and white twinkle lights with gifts wrapped in silver paper below it. Sometimes staying in on the weekend is way more fun than going out.

Sarah: Christmas Movie Roundup

Because I've given in completely to my love of Christmas and the over-commercialized season that skips Thanksgiving almost completely (hey, I still might purchase some gourds or something. How do we feel about be-glittered gourds? A catalog seduced me and it could be a fun and messy craft project...), I have a quick list of some favorite Christmas movies, in no particular order.

Love Actually


Love (unrequited and otherwise), Christmas, Hugh Grant dancing, Colin Firth existing: how could this movie go wrong?

Nightmare Before Christmas


I think you can watch this movie an unlimited number of times from October to January without being judged. It's a Halloween movie and a Christmas movie. Plus, Tim Burton can be appreciated year round.

A Christmas Story


I love twisted, disfunctional families. And detailed daydreams. But I hate that kid with the yellow eyes.

A Charlie Brown Christmas


I get sort of sad just thinking of Charlie Brown's pathetic little tree.

How the Grinch Stole Christmas


I've never seen the live-action version starring Jim Carrey. I support the old cartoon version. Why mess with a good thing?

What are your favorite Christmas/holiday movies? I need to stock up, since I have 44 days until Christmas.

Sarah: Music Suggestions

A friend of mine asked me for some music suggestions several days ago, and I didn't have many at the tip of my brain. After some consideration, I came up with a short list. This is by no means complete, but I like these bands and you should too.

Feist: You already know that I love Feist. She makes me dance and sing along and then, before I realize it, there's a puddle of blood at my feet because she has made my heart crack open.
Spoon: They're fun. You should ask Andrea about them. She'll tell you how great they are.
The Shins: I first was introduced to the Shins when I watched Garden State. They were smart but calming and the music drew you in, wanting to hear more. We saw them perform a great set at Bumbershoot and that performance made me officially love them.
Devotchka: Gypsy rock. Who knew it could be so incredibly awesome?
Ben Folds: Ben and I have been together for a long time. If you ever need a 'Best Of' Ben mix cd, just give me a call. I'd love to spread the joy.
The Streets: When I listen to the Streets when I drive, I zip past the other cars, swaying and bobbing my head back and forth, comforted by the fact that my music is better than whatever fake-punk abomination is playing on their radios.
Lily Allen: I like her.
Ben Lee: I've said enough already about Ben Lee, but he's cute, and he loves life, and will make you feel optimistic and in love with the world.
Justin Timberlake: Justin makes the girls dance in the car. Marci has a tiny Justin game piece from a board game that she sometimes sets on the table when we go out to dinner. Dining with a tiny Justin is an experience everyone should share.

Sarah: Ornament Swap

Hey everyone, I'm considering hosting a swap and I'm just trying to see what interest there is. I wanted to participate in the Ornament Swap being hosted by Kathleen of cake & pie and Nicole of freshly blended, but the sign-ups have ended. Then I thought that we could just have our own swap! It's starting a few days later, but I think it could still be fun.

The idea is that you make several handmade ornaments (I'd make sure each person had to make less than 10) of any style and then you mail them out all of your swap partners. Then we each get several new hand crafted ornaments to hang on our trees in time for Christmas!

My head is spinning with the possibilities. Knitted or crocheted, sewn bits of lace or delicately patterned fabric, paper and glue, embroidered or glass, the possibilities are endless.

If you're interested in participating, leave me a comment. If there are several of us, I'll make an official announcement, complete with ideas and rules, on Thursday, November 15. I hope you guys are as excited as I am!

Sarah: Swap

Ladies and Gents,
I'm excited to announce Two Loose Teeth's first Christmas ornament swap. Thanks for your interest! You'll find all of the details after the jump, but to get started, if you want to participate, send me an email with your information before November 20th. Please write "Ornament Swap" in the subject line of your email so that I don't miss you.
Tomorrow I'll post some ideas for ornaments to get your creative juices flowing, but I'm sure that you're all going to blow me away. Stay tuned!

The guidelines:

1. Sign up for the swap by sending an email with the following information to sarah at twolooseteeth dot com by November 20th.
- name
- address
- email address
- you website or blog (if you have one)
(Note that when you submit your information please submit it in this order with traditional capitalization - it makes things a little easier on our end!)

2. On November 21st you'll receive an email from me containing the addresses and email addresses of the other swap participants to send your ornaments to.

3. Design a handmade ornament that you can create multiples of and make your ornaments.

4. Package your ornaments well...especially if you create anything fragile.
Things to NOT include in your package: food or candy or any perishable items.

5. Send one of your ornaments to each person on the list of other swap participants by December 15th at the latest. Send a picture of your ornament in an email to me (sarah at twolooseteeth dot com) notifying me that you've mailed your contribution.

6. Sit back, relax and wait as you receive fabulous handcrafted ornaments in the mail!

7. Once people have received your ornaments, I'll post the pictures here, along with a link to your website, unless you request otherwise.

8. One last note: I'd encourage you to research the cost of shipping and take that into account when you design your ornament--lighter and more compact ornaments are cheaper to ship. I want this swap to be fun for all of us. This shouldn't be a financial burden, it should be a chance to craft and get to know each other a little bit.

Most Common Questions?

What sort of materials can be used?
Anything! Knit, sew, letterpress, gocco, paint, draw, sculpt, glaze, cut-out, glue, weave, blow glass, weld...go nuts.

Who are the other people I'll be swapping with?
The other people on the swap list you receive on November 21st.

Will my address be on the internet anywhere?
No. The only people who will receive your snail mail address and email are the people you are swapping with.

What about shipping costs?
You are responsible for shipping costs for your ornaments, just as others are paying to ship ornaments to you. Please check your local shipping rates ahead of time if you are wary of the cost of shipping.

What if I don't receive all my ornaments or I can't send my ornaments out on time?
This is why you will be given the other swappers' email addresses. Please email your group with any concerns directly. You may also post announcements on this blog entry or email me if you have any questions concerning your group.

Do I need to have a blog to participate?
No. If you have a blog, that is lovely, but absolutely not a requirement to join the swap.

Other questions? Email sarah at twolooseteeth dot com and I'll respond as quickly as possible.

(Thanks to Kathleen of cake & pie and Nicole of freshly blended for the template for these guidelines)

Lisa: be still my nerd-loving heart

John Francis Daley is the new Adam Brody. Dr. Sweets, indeed.

Sarah: Mmm, Smells Good

Method now has their seasonal scents in. I bought one of their holiday kits (but not the one with the aroma sticks in the picture above) and now my apartment smells fresh and festive. Buy one now and you also get a free "Plastic bag Rehab" bag to take to the grocery store and save a little spot of the ozone layer. Method must love me, because I got two bags! Yippee! If you prefer to shop at the store rather than the internet, you can email or fax in a form along with your receipt showing that you spent $20 or more on Method products and they'll still send you your free bag.

What's better than helping out the environment? Helping it out while it doesn't even cost you a thing!

Sarah: Ornamented

As promised, I've found a few links to inspire you to make a few Christmas ornaments of your own. Wouldn't ornaments make cute gift toppers? I think so. I apologize that I don't remember where I found these links.

And because I couldn't resist, instructions to make a Droidel. Get it? Droidel?? That made me giggle.

This entry has spiraled out of control and marks the end of the Christmas-centric posts for the next several days, but I hope I helped get your creative juices flowing!

Sarah: True to Life

The Lifetime Channel would like you to know:
Yes, you waited to get married or even date. Just when you started thinking that love had passed you by, you met a man. He was handsome, intelligent, romantic, successful, and loved kids.
You quickly fell in love and got married. Before you realized it, your wedded bliss produced a beautiful child.
You've now been married for several years without a care in the world. Your husband even gets along with your friends and family. And then...
Out of nowhere, your husband turns out to be a rapist/murderer/abuser. The cops can't pin anything on him, though, and you feel trapped. Luckily, you find strength you didn't know you had within yourself and escape his evil clutches.

Thanks, Lifetime. You taught me the value of telling the same story time and time again. After all, we need constant reminders that men are always hiding a deep, dark, evil secret. We're on to you now, men.

Sarah: Hot like Fiya

In honor of my German test today, for which I was awake until 4 am studying, I present a discussion of temperatures from class last week:

Professor: 'I am hot' is 'Es ist mir heiss' or 'It is to me hot.' You wouldn't say 'Ich bin heiss' (literally, I am hot), because... that has sexual connotations.
Student: I said that in a paper once. He pulled me aside. So. Awkward.

Sarah: Help Yourself

Mallory: Hey. I need your brain.
Sarah: I just tipped my head towards the computer so that you could use my brain. Ugh. I make myself so tired.

Sarah: Birthday

Happy Birthday to an awesome friend, a loving and rockin mom, and an incredible sister.
I love you Lisa!

Sarah: Shades of Gray

Some days I really like school. A few quotes from class this week:

What then must the avant-garde artist do to remain avant-garde? For it has by now become a question of survival both of the artist and of the individual. In both art and life today we are in danger of substituting one conformity for another, or, to use a French expression, of trading one's one-eyed horse for a blind one. Protests against the mediocre values of our society such as the hippie movement seem to imply that one's only way out is to join a parallel society whose stereotyped manners, language, speech and dress are only reverse images of the one it is trying to reject.

It's an interesting concept that if you merely react against a stereotype or philosophy and become the opposite, you are still being defined by that stereotype.

Today the avant-garde has come full circle - the artist who wants to experiment is again faced with what seems like a dead end, except that instead of creating in a vacuum he is now at the center of a cheering mob. Neither climate is exactly ideal for discovery, yet both are conducive to it because they force him to take steps that he hadn't envisaged.

We discussed in class that you have to explore a space that not only you haven't explored before, but a space that hasn't yet been imagined.

I thought this was interesting food for thought. I hope you do too.

Both quotes are from "The Invisible Avant-Garde" by John Ashbery

Sarah: Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Thank you so much for reading, and may your Thanksgiving be pleasant and full of joy, replete with stuffing and mashed potatoes. Give your mom a hug for me and tell her I said thanks for birthing you.

Sarah: How I Spent My Time Today

In the last few minutes of Nov. 23, a quick run-down:

How I Spent My Time:
-Listened to my dad recite an elegy to lull the baby to sleep.
-Visited the Co-Op Mercantile in Ephraim, Utah. Remembered why I sometimes have "craft" shame. There were some adorable handcrafted items. And lots of ugly items, including countless fairy dolls with creepy, toothy grins.
-Chatted with some of the many talented artists that live in this little town of Spring City.
-Talked my grandma out of buying a hideous neon pink ensemble for Nora, only to have her purchase a second hand grass green sweatshirt with balloon-holding pandas embroidered across the chest. I'm sorry, Nora, I didn't realize that this would happen.
-Laughed, and laughed, and laughed. My family is pretty great. We played Speed Scrabble and Apples to Apples, plus countless crossword puzzles (and a little sudoku on my own).

How I Didn't Spend Time, But Should Have:
-Sent an email to all of the Ornament Swap participants giving them the information of their swap-mates. Tomorrow, I promise!

Now I'm headed to bed because the agenda for tomorrow is quite busy. We'll be putting up Christmas decorations, getting a tag so we can cut down a tree, and buying a few pumpkin shakes at the local Drive-In.

Sarah: Swap Update

Hello everyone,
The Ornament Swap info has been emailed to all participants. If you didn't get an email from me, I must have somehow missed your request to participate. Drop me another line and we'll see what we can work out. if you did get an email from me, I'm excited to be swapping with you! Now to figure out what sort of ornament I'll be making...

Sarah: Messages to Mallory

Text message sent to Mallory during church (yes, I know texting during church isn't good, but sometimes exceptions must be made):

Ohmygosh ohmygosh the youth speaker just concluded her talk with "The band Relient K pretty much summed it up with..."

Sarah: Shopping Season has begun

Chronicle Books, my personal favorite publishing company, is having a sale through Wednesday, Nov. 28th, for 30% off all titles.

They have lots of lovely craft books and other titles that would make great Christmas gifts.

Just enter the promo code FRIENDS at checkout.

Sarah: Bad Decisions

Large woman in fabric store: "Creature of the Black Lagoon" tattoo across your ample arm.

Local bar: Proudly advertising an upcoming performance by the band "Soft Bone".

The band "Soft Bone": Your name. Seriously.

Sarah: Insert Fiddler on the Roof Lyrics Here

What would I buy, if money were of no object?

A new digital camera, because mine is seriously broken.

A pair of cowboy boots

books and stuff

One or two Le Creuset cast-iron pots

A KitchenAid mixer

Oh, and maybe a Scooba to keep my Roomba company.

Edited to add: A cool typewriter that isn't the fully-automatic kind. Metal pieces of type are a must. And a polaroid camera. I think my life would be better with these items. I'm nearly positive.

Lisa: happy macbook to me!

I'm finally getting all moved in to my pretty new MacBook. It is so much faster than my old PowerBook!

Leopard has some nice upgrades, too, but also some things that are different enough to take some adjusting. There's been only one downside so far: all of a sudden the text in Safari started acting all crazy and overlapping or not appearing at all. I took this screencap so that I could ask all of you geniuses for help.

Anyway, it's all fixed now with some thingy I did in Terminal that I didn't understand, found on this thread. Hurrah for Google!

Unfortunately, now I'm slightly worried about the magnetic power cord connection. I set my computer down on the couch and left the room for a second. I heard a popping noise coming from the living room, and when I came back, the twist-tie keeping my camera's USB cord neat had been sucked up against the empty port. This seems bad, somehow...an electrical socket that pulls small bits of metal into itself. It's almost like my computer has become self aware and is TRYING TO BURN DOWN MY HOUSE!!! Almost.

Sarah: Food Critic

Marci is my walking companion whenever I need a Coke or some candy from the neighboring gas station at work. When she purchased a SweeTarts Rope, I was a little excited. I wondered if it could be even more delicious than my beloved Nerds Rope.

Marci: So the SweeTarts ropes are like hollowed out licorice rope with sweet tart goo and Nerds inside.
S: Oh my goodness.
M: They are very sweet.
S: Are they insane? Good? Gross?
M: Um. My initial reaction is gross.
S: Lol.
M: And I think I am sticking with that.
S: I'm sorry. That's not something you really need to learn to like.
M: But I will take a few more bites to see if they grow on me.
(Pause)
M: Nope. Still gross.
S: Ha ha ha ha ha. I'm sorry.
M: It's cool.
(Another Pause)
M: Also the aftertaste is like barf. Do not buy.
S: Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. If you need some Sour Patch Kids to heal your tastebud wounds, just let me know.
M: Thanks.

Lisa: let it snow

Now that snow is finally falling outside, things are looking all Christmassy! I thought it might be time to get out the tree and the decorations.

I forgot one of the garlands, and some sections of the lights aren't working (which means some tedious bulb-by-bulb checking), but it's still festive!

Sarah: Advent-ture*

Jeremy is keeping a blog advent calendar from now until Christmas. Each day he'll have a new movie screenshot. If you guess the movie, you can get a point. If you get the most points, you win a prize! The details are here. Run over there and try your hand. The competition starts today! He'll also have fun links, stories, and who knows what else!
I love Christmas.

*...I'm sorry. I couldn't resist the pun.

Sarah: She's Mighty Mighty, Just Lettin It All Hang Out

Hey, it's Friday. Are you needing a break from work? Do you need to laugh a little to get you through the last painful hours of tedium before the weekend begins? I thought you might. Read this hilarious article.
via Mighty Girl

Sarah: NaBloPoMo, We Love You!

We made it! Lisa and I blogged all 30 days of November. Woot!

Oh and this is for Mallory, the lover of all things LolCats:

No need to thank me, Mallory. I already know how much it means to you.