"Book Review"

One of my favorite gifts this Christmas was Amy Sedaris' new book "Simple Times: Crafting for Poor People."
I'm a huge Amy fan (not to mention a huge Sedaris family fan) and loved her last book, "I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence" which has an honorary place on my bookshelf.
Like it's predecessor, Simple Times is chock-full of absurd, hilarious how-to's that are more for comedic value than actual use to a crafter (or hostess), but every now and then you'll find an idea you can't wait to try.
My favorite is the "milk carton skid row" below:

Once you get past the farce, I can see this being a really lovely touch to my mantel. The electric candles can be found on Ebay for less than $10 for a row of 5.

My favorite less practical segment involves Amy giving us all lessons on the importance of stretching before and after crafting, with a step-by-step guide.

Thanks Amy for the wisdom!

New Year's Resolutions

There are a number of definitions that Merriam-Webster gives for the word "resolution." The one typically used when referring to New Year's Resolutions would be "a formal expression of opinion, will, or intent." Willpower is a funny thing.  I learned long ago that the desire to do something is far from being determined to do it. By stating our intention of turning over a new leaf or meeting certain goals, we are no closer to accomplishing them than we were the year before. So I propose we make use of a different meaning for the word: "the process of resolving, as the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones." In short, what we all aim for when we make these resolutions is to become a better person. And my "New Years Resolutions" this year will be items to focus on to help reach that goal, rather than individual goals unto themselves. Therefore, if I fail at almost every item on the list, by accomplishing a mere few I'll still have maintained my resolution, being that I've bettered myself in some small way. This overall seems more positive, and less like I'm setting myself up for disappointment.

Many of these focuses are repeats from previous years... goals I still haven't reached but haven't given up on.

• To be more focused, in general.
• To be more punctual.
• To more concretely follow through on things.
• To become less materialistic - spending less money, letting go of things I don't need.
• To attend church services with more regularity.
• To create more (starting by the creation of a monthly craft night!)
• To cook more and eat out less.
• To be a better friend:
• visit a good friend in NYC that I have been meaning to visit for years.
• send more snail mail/packages
• return calls and texts promptly
 
• To complete to-do lists (especially those of long standing) quickly and efficiently
• among them... taking my box of electronics recycling to be recycled, cleaning out my room at my parents house, complete unfinished projects.
• To get more sleep.
• To socialize more.
• To find a reconciliation between these last two.
• To blog more! And be less verbose in future posts. :)