The Day of Days

We're moving! 9 a.m. the moving guys come and help us with the big stuff and then the house is ours! Mostly. It's still not really done, but it's done enough!

(this is the after!)

(this is before)

Wednesday is the Day

We're moving!

It's official.

The floor is done, the walls are painted but there is still work to be done. We've taken the first load of schmooze over today and tomorrow will be rife with it's own little... "joys".

Tonight, I am pooped. Tomorrow I'm tired and Wednesday I'll be relieved! I'll post lots of pictures Thursday-ish. You can see some early things here, at Dad's blog, but for now I'm content to be achy and sleepy and stressed.

Makes Us all Want a Little Lion in Our Pasts

I just talked about the Born Free Foundation in the last post about those pop out animals. I decided to peruse their site to see what they're up to and what I'd just promoted when I found this clip that I'd already seen but still love. It's Christian the lion! If Monty were large and a lion my morning would look like this. However since he is a bunny he simply puts his feet on my laps and lays his head on the edge of my laptop waiting for pets and when those come he enthusiastically licks my arm, or pants, or face, or tummy, or laptop, or carpet, or his own foot... or... well you get the picture.

His story taken from the Born Free Foundation site:

In 1969 a young Australian, John Rendall and his friend Ace Bourke, bought a small lion cub from Harrods pet department, which was then legal. ‘Christian’ was kept in the basement of a furniture shop on the Kings Road in Chelsea, the heart of the swinging sixties. Loved by all, the affectionate cub ate in a local restaurant, played in a nearby graveyard, but was growing fast…
A chance encounter with Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna led to a new life for Christian. He came to live in an enclosure and slept in a caravan at their Surrey home. Then in 1971 he was flown to Kenya, his ancestral home, and returned to the wild by lion-man George Adamson. Almost a year later in 1972, John and Ace returned to Kora in Kenya and it is their reunion with Christian at this time that is shown in the clip. It was an emotional reunion: “He ran towards us, threw himself onto us, knocked us over and hugged us, with his paws on our shoulders.”

These Amuse Me

Muji makes these great press out animals. They happen to be made from recycled cardboard and 5% of the retail price is donated to Born Free Foundation which aims to product animals in the wild. I hadn't noticed that bit until I copy and pasted it from their website. I just like their toys. The toy section is usually my first stop in these online shops... those miniature people always have the coolest things.

Press Out Dodo

Press Out Orangutan

(this one is my favorite!)

Press Out Mammoth

I Believe in Aliens.

Well... mostly. Specifically the kind that take over tubs of ricotta cheese that have been lost in the back of the fridge for eons. I was cleaning out the fridge in preparation for moving day (FRIDAY!!! Soooo close!) when I casually popped the lid off of an unassuming white tub I dug out of the back. Holy Jesus on toast it was scary! But ultimately super sweet. I took 50 pictures, chose the best one and now I'm sharing! This was by far the most interesting thing that had ventured to the dark side this time.

It's sitting in the trash still if anyone wants a peak. I'll even let you pay me to see it!

Monty Wants a Playpen

And I'm going to indulge him. Unfortunately there are no "outdoor rabbit pen" ideas/pictures/plans. The closest thing I could find are chicken coop patterns which will work just fine. The principle is still the same.

Project Chicken even includes some homemade plans for building it.

I think Monty really need the "egg inspection hatch".

I like this one better from Backyard Chickens but it doesn't come with any plans. There ARE enough photos though to make an educated guess about the construction. I think it's doable, especially if Dad helps. There's no WAY I'm doing this by myself.

This guinea pig house is just funny. Guinea Pig ark.. hah!

Oh, and this kitty run too! I think it would be a little funny to take the sand bags off and watch the kitty roll around the yard. Poor kitty... it doesn't look very happy.

Ahhhh so THAT'S Why I do it!

One of Natalie Dee's comics

"why you should learn how to knit"

Well... Poo to You Oxygen Channel

I started watching what I thought was Catwoman about halfway through the movie on T.V. I thought that even thought I haven't seen it, and haven't seen it for a reason I'd give it a try anyway. What else is on at 10 on a Saturday night? Nothing. So I watched and watched and watched, waiting for something to happen. I started getting suspicious 2/3rds of the way through when there was no sign of cats, pleather or badassery of any sort. All I was getting was making out in the rain, sappy barbecues and a heartwarming story about how love conquers all. Or something. It turns out that I wasn't suffering through Catwoman at all! Instead Oxygen had slipped "Something New" under that damn title. I just wasted about an hour and a half of my life being gypped out of watching one bad movie for another worse movie. And no, I don't know what Halle Berry looks like so I didn't know what I was supposed to be seeing.

P.S. This movie was TERRIBLE! I want to gouge my eyes out it's so bad.

The Literal Music Videos

Two 80's music videos where the real lyrics have been replaced with a description of what's actually happening in the video. The singing is pretty spot on. Sweetness.

"Head Over Heels" by Tears for Fears

"Take on Me" by A-ha (I actually love this song...sigh.)

It's Too Early to Tell...

Whether this was a genius idea hidden behind a terrible idea.... or just a terrible idea. I wanted to paint just one of my walls and after about fifteen minutes of debating and a little input from mummy, I chose this green color (grape green to be exact) and I went at that wall with a bit of gusto. I'd had my first twinge of doubt when the paint guy at Home Despot popped open the lid to make his little color dot and I was blinded by what looked like highlighter vomit. I got home and put the first coat on and I was willing to go along with it because it was the first coat and you could still see a little white through it, so it was probably going to wind up being darker.... right? So I waited, paint dried, and then I repainted. Tip to those who have never painted a room before, USE A ROLLER. I was busted for using a paintbrush.... it looked better when I was putting it on with the brush than with the roller. Gimme a break! Anyway, the wall is complete and I'm still a little worried about it. Today is the day of decision though because it'll have dried, I'll have slept on it and really, it's not as yellow as this picture makes it out to be.... I think.

I'm glad it's only the one wall.

Nooooo!

Mother's Cookies (makers of those tasty pink and white frosted animal crackers) has closed it's doors. There will be no more tasty-crack cookies for you! Which is sad (but I admit, I've only been allowed to indulge in them a couple of times but even those few have left an imprint on my brain). Never to fear, those creative people who blog about such things have created a recipe for you when you're stuck with a craving for these extinct cookies.

Dessert First has posted a recipe using these Williams-Sonoma cookie cutters. And don't bother, I've already checked around for other circus animal cookie cutters and can't find any. Sadness. I crave these little guys though!

Go-Bama!

Obama vs. McCain

Who will fancy-footwork their way to the top!!?

Via: LOTD

Whaaaa!? Proof Organic is Better?

Sustainablog says that 24 African Countries Double Their Yield Using Organic Farming. That's good news for everybody. You could probably even help out by sending a Heifer gift over to them as well.... hint hint!

Beardage

Via: Swissmiss and Dyers.org

Three Potato Four

Three Potato Four is a little shop I keep bumping into as I cruise around the "whatever it's called" and every time I find it again I get a little giddy. For example:

"Motorway" one of a series of plates depicting everyday urban settings.
"Plush Blue-Eyed Bunny" makes my eyes water it's so cute.

" Brass Diver's Helmet" I just wish it were real-person sized.

"Glass Pyrex Chemistry Bottle - Cupric Sulfate" antique Pyrex glass chemistry bottle was once used to hold Cupric Sulfate. A beautiful and unique piece with simple and elegant red typography and stitched-like border treatment. Bottle is in good unrestored vintage condition and measures 7.75"h and 3.25" in diameter. Comes with original glass stopper. What about this DOESN'T appeal to you!?

This is Awfully Sweet

A DIY from Etsy.com on how to turn a glove (I have more than a few singles floating around) into a chipmunk!

Awww... so tiny, soft and recycled.

JESSIE ALLISON!

Moustache Tattoos

Someone has read somebodies else's minds my dear!

Monty Wants Some Friends

Monty want... no, wait, Hannah want. No, Monty want. Aw heck, it's all the same in the end. And it looks like at the end, he'll end up with just that many more little friends!

Ohhhhh Disappointingly Yucky

My pumpkins have gone to the dark side.

Damn global warming, rotting my pumpkins before Halloween even gets here!

I'd Ask You How Your Day Was

But you might Post-it Note my face instead of that light pole downtown.

More More Please

More stitchery for me!

Guerrilla Gardening

I checked a book out of the library yesterday called Guerrilla Gardening. The idea is that individuals or small groups of people have been challenging land-use in America by planting things in public spaces like road medians, parking lot planters and abandoned lots.

There are two types: the functional garden and the aesthetic garden, not that they're mutually exclusive. The idea that a garden either produces edibles or beautifies usually constitutes two separate concepts. Anyway, I'm charmed by the way these people go about their work at all hours of the day. This blind man has been planting things in his neighborhood by touch alone

and there are a couple DIY's on how to make seed bombs (compacted and dried dirt, compost and seeds) that you can toss into vacant lots (either from a car or while you're walking). Christopher Humes & Noah Scalin make a seed gun, which is partly symbolic as well as just plain cool ("Seed Mixture of Annual & Perennial Species Native & Naturalized to the Region; Maltese Cross, Annual Baby's Breath, Dwarf Cornflower, Shasta Daisy, Siberian Wallflower, Lance-leaved Coreopsis, European Columbine, Foxglove, Purple Coneflower, Indian Blanket, Spurred Snapdragon, Dense Blazing Star, Scarlet Flax, Perennial Lupine, Shirley Poppy, Black-eyed Susan, Sweet William, Russell Lupine and Catchfly").

This LA based group has been Guerrilla Gardening in their area. I don't agree with the militant state of mind behind this concept. I love the idea of making our landscapes better through plants and the ecological benefits of the actions these groups have taken, but their "Me against the world" and war metaphors turn me off.

They do good things in our communities though, and I appreciate their efforts and feel more than a little inspired.

Before:

After:

This group has made some really impressive progress as well in California.

Before:

After:

Linksies:

Primal Seeds (primalseeds.org) Seems like the PETA of plants and biodiversity.

Plant the Piece (threemiles.com/plantthepiece) The Seed Gun

Guerrilla Gardening (http://www.guerrillagardening.org/) Home site of the book I read.
A Page of Guerrilla Gardening Links (http://www.guerrillagardening.org/gglinks.html)

A Note to my Cold Fingers

You will be warm this winter. Otherwise I think I might have to cut you off and donate you to a warmer climate. The other option is that I use this tutorial and make you some sweet arm warmers. The theory being that if my arms are warmer all ten of you will be as well.

Via: Craftzine

Dear Star-

I'm thinking that we'll have to make some of these soon. And I'm also thinking that this would be a great nickname "Hannah 'ginger skellies' Claire". I really just like sticking that in the middle of names.
Sincerely,

Hannah 'Ginger Skellies' Claire

p.s. I am soooo looking forward to sleeping on your couch, fishing for pennies in its' cushions and generally making a nuisance of myself.

Ashleyg

I love this etsy shop. She's just restocked it with new prints. I may have to order myself one, but the one I want isn't in there yet.
Prints not yet in the shop but on her blog that I LOVE!:

My Secret's Keeper
Precious Little Monster
Pretty Pretty
Top of the World
Where the Earth Meets the Sky

I really want "Where the Earth Meets the Sky and My Secret's Keeper... I think I'll splurge on the second one if I can catch it while it's in the shop.

The ones in the shop I like:

Incognito

(ohhhh so good!)
Going Swimmingly

(this is my favorite print currently in the shop)
A Spectacle
Quality Time
Knitty, knitty

Eco Friendly all OVER the Place

Smock is a print shop that sells their paper goods in shops like Portland's Oblation (one of my favorites) and Ecru. Their products are made from bamboo and they donate a 1% of sales to the Pesticide Action Network and the Amazon Conservation Association.
Willow Fold: "sustainably letterpressed on bamboo paperpackaged in a clear sleeve that is petroleum-free, tree-free, and certified biodegradable by the Biodegradable Products Institute."

Switzerland Places Ban on the Humiliation of Plants

Oh Switzerland, your genius shows itself again.

via: swissmisss

Pieke Bergman

Has made the most amazing collection of light bulbs called. They bend my brain a bit to look at them and think of them in a real space.

via: swissmiss and Apartment Therapy.

How COOL are These!?!

From the blog Things and Ideas: "By way of a brief explanation - Bok is a gargoyle/demon in a classic Doctor Who story called ‘The Daemons’. My partner, mere weeks after we first met, asked me if it would be possible to knit a ‘bokaclava’... the answer to this is yes, obviously."
I'm not a big fan of the sticky-out tongue (I think it comes from not having seen Doctor Who) but I could totally be pursuaded to try and make one of these. Sooooo cool!! The pattern is on the blog along with these pictures.