We put our living room carpet out of its misery and put down hardwoods. I don't know why, because our carpet was easily the coolest in the neighborhood. I haven't seen inside every neighbor's home, but I'm guessing no one else had chichi beige carpet with DIY orange polka dots (the polka dots = cat vomit, but I did say it was DIY).
Now we have nice dark floors, and everything is in the swim, but we need an area rug because the ottoman slides around the floor when we prop our feet on the thing.
I naively assumed rug shopping would be easy. We want a rug with some color, but it has to look ok with our light blue furniture. On the color wheel of contrasts, I'm looking at yellows and oranges. As you might imagine yellow and/or orange rugs are grotesque. To complicate matters, we are looking for size 6X9, which limits our selection to the valley of the most heinous (5X8 and 8X10 seem to be the cool kids) area rugs ever created.
After an exhaustive search online, and some of the big box stores, Poseidon and I stopped by a local rug and carpeting gallery last month. The salesperson was helpful, warm and friendly, but her, "You should think of an area rug as an investment" line hurt my head because I knew an area rug from her store was going to punch my wallet in the nose. An investment? An area rug in our home is going to be a place where cat vomit goes to die, while keeping the ottoman from sliding into the fireplace.
The rug search is still on, and I've viewed so many rug samples online that they appear in my dreams at night. I've had to take long breaks from looking, simply to keep my sanity in check.
Not only are we still rugless, we apparently aren't properly diversified. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds and area rugs seem to be the way to go.
This sweet birdie yarn bowl is the gift I've asked Santa to consider dropping down my chimney this Christmas. I took up knitting earlier this year, and I'm happy with my progress, but I manage to drop my yarn on a regular basis, and even the cats are no longer amused.
Fitbit. Poseidon and I have the Fitbit One™ and this little activity tracking gadget is a fitness motivator, for sure. I wear it everyday, and try to push myself to get in at least 5000 steps/day. During the day, I'm motivated to move more (which is great for the neck and back). The One™ tracks steps (even when biking or on an elliptical at the gym), stairs climbed, calories burned (including "existence" calories, calories you burn breathing, blinking, moving in your sleep, etc.), and miles traveled. This will make a great Christmas gift for folks looking for an extra push to stay healthy and active. The Fitbit One™ can also track sleep habits, but I don't use that feature. I already know I sleep.
If you know someone who lost a pet this year, consider giving them the gift of making a donation in memory of a pet. There are many charities out there. Petsmart Charities is one example. This precious angel is my own Kat, from December of last year. She wanted to help us wrap Christmas gifts, and she did a great job. Our apologies to everyone for the cat hair stuck in the tape.
Know anyone traveling in the near future? I bought a set of these Herb Lester maps for Poseidon two years ago (for our future European trips). The artwork is super, and these maps feature off-the-beaten-path sorts of things for major cities. A map devoted specifically to donut shops in New York. Paris for single travelers. Untamed London. The description they give for their Clandestine London map makes me giggle:
"The desire to see and be seen is not shared by all. For those who prefer to conduct business away from prying eyes, this map is for you.
We list 31 places with hidden alcoves and easy exits, neglected restaurants, unreconstructed wine bars, ancient pubs and even natural isolation. In these locations discretion is assured, it's entirely up to you to decide how you make use of that."
While I'm on the topic of travel, my passport expired in May, and I have to renew. I can't believe how expensive this is going to be! I might add this passport holder to my Christmas list for next year. More birds. I would have expected the whole bird motif thingy to be dead by now. It's a slow death.
I can't even believe I'm going to post these, but I can't help myself. Poseidon sent me a link to these several months ago (I'm not ever going to ask what is was he was searching for when he found them). Gnome shoes. These are neither in my budget nor my heel range, but so adorable (and sold out by now). For the cool, happy person who has everything (and a gifter who has too much), perhaps some gnome shoes for Christmas?
I really wanted those
socks. They came in a pack of three,
assorted colors. When one grows up poor,
getting anything from a department
store felt like Christmas, even if it wasjust
footwear. Hell, stepping foot inside of a department store was a treat
beyond words.
Each aisle in the store was indeed
like buried treasure. I was in the
first grade at the time, and soaking in all I my brain could take, and I was
thrilled when my mom told my dad that my sister and I needed some new
socks. Oh my God, oh my God, I was going
to get something new! I was ecstatic.
The rest of the shopping trip was a
blur, but I do remember a few other things being tossed in the cart, probably
things my dad needed for work. I didn’t
pay much attention because I only gave a damn about my socks, and the feeling
in my stomach was like a swarm of butterflies…migrating. I thought my stomach might shoot through the
roof of my mouth, through my skull, and up into the sky. There was no containing my excitement over
having something new. I made the mistake
of letting my guard down.
As my parents began taking our
items out of the cart and placing them on the cashier’s conveyor belt, a loud
crashing sound boomed just outside of the store, and the thunder and lightning,
created a symphony so scary that had I known the word apocalyptic at the time, I would have used it. Just as my little
three-pack bundle of socks
was making the slow journey to the cashier’s hand, the power in the store went
out. Then the thunder sarcastically clapped
again. The noise scared me of course,
not just because it was earth shattering, but because it was the foreshadowing
of continued disappointment to come.
The power was not restored after 15
minutes or so, and the store manager decided they would need to close up shop
for the day. NO! I was in tears, not to mention shock. Why can’t we just pay for our things without
the power being on? We just write them a
check. There was still enough afternoon light to see to write a check. I was in a panic. I didn’t understand what was happening, and
my heart was now in my throat, my stomach back down from the sky, and an anger
and confusion that I cannot explain. Why
God, why can’t I have just one little thing, one small thing that belongs to
me? It was only a package of socks. Socks with ruffles.
I should be working, but I'm surfing and shopping. I'm going to analyze myself here and say that I'm looking for a distraction because one of my coworkers is retiring today, and he will be missed, and I'm trying not to be sad. So, shopping it is! I found a funky clock that would make a great gift, then another funky clock, and another, and another, and now I have a headache. This Five for Friday edition is all about time management...in a cool way.
Oh, this is almost too terrific to share, and I don't think I've seen anything
like this before! From madeindesign.com, Coolheure Magic mirror Clock - Projected display. Make sure you look through all of the images of this clock on the website to really get the idea. This projects images of clocks on your wall! Want it, but the price tag is a bit high. 200.00 British pounds, or about $320 bucks! Perhaps if I win the next Powerball drawing.
A modern take on the cuckoo clock! Also from madeindesign.com.
Sleek stainless steel. This isn't just a clock, it's art for the wall, with an actual cuckoo. The design looks as the though the poor cuckoo drilled himself a hole in the steel to pop through. This isn't your grandmother's cuckoo clock, that's for sure!
The same clockmaker responsible for the design above just stole my heart with this
next one. Diamantini & Domeniconi Striped Cuckoo Clock (I found this one on the Rockett St. George site (all of these are UK sites so far...the Brits have an eye for design, no?), and yes it is pricey as well, 195.00 pounds. I can already hear the shopper voice in my head trying to justify the price: "But this would look amazing in the green room."
Poseidon and I recently saw a similar gear clock for sale in a local shop,
but I spotted this one on Etsy, made by pixelthis and it's affordable! The artist's creation uses a large recycled bicycle cassette gear, a recycled computer DVD and a new quartz drive clock movement. Up-cycled and recycled. It's cool with a conscience.
The Albero Cuckoo clock, first designed by Paolino & Fusi in 2008. Yes, another cuckoo
clock! I found this on a the momentoitalia.com site, and at $410.00, I won't be owning this one either, but I'm so excited by these cuckoo clocks!
I feel a tug of war emerging with my practical self and my I-want-it-now-Veruca-Salt self. I really want to see a bird pop out of a clock, and I'm oohing and ahhing over the stainless steel and the striped clocks. Poseidon will have to talk me down off the ledge.
Shopping for Christmas is one of my favorite things. The thrill of the hunt, finding cool junk that neither my friends nor family really need, is so much fun, I'm sure it's a sin. When I shop for gifts, I'm ashamed to admit, but , I do the "one for you, two for me, one for you, two for me" gambit.
Getting right to it, here is my list of 2012 fun gifts for fun, awesome women:
HOBBIES - Gifts
This is the lomography camera I have asked Santa for, and I'm told it is in his big bag of Christmas toys, just for me!
Photo from Lomography.com
Bird watchers out there? What bird would pass up a chance to feast at this mod house? This is a great Christmas gift for your female friends who like our feathered friends.
SOCKS - Gifts
I know, this year, the octopus is last year's owl, which was the previous year's bird, (Poseidon was a cephalopod fan way before they were hip), and those tentacled beasts are everywhere, but these socks are a great gift...oh, and the cardigan isn't a bad gift either:
Some people joke about getting socks for Christmas, but I am happy to get socks as a gift. Poseidon always buys me at least one pair of socks for Christmas. Socks are like a Linus blanket...to me anyway. These koi socks would have have been well received, but they are on back order. Frowny face. If you haven't noticed, I'm a fan of PlasticLand.com.
Alright, one more pair of socks before I move on to the next gift category. Something else I just noticed...I am definitely a Pisces, as all these socks have a 'water' theme.
TECHNOLOGY - Gifts
My old iPod nano died. I had to make a decision: Do I buy a new iPod or put all of my music on my iPhone? I know it isn't hard, but I like my nano, so I bought myself a new one. In red.
I was shopping for stocking stuffers yesterday at The Container Store. This store is an amazing place to waste spend hours and hours. Poseidon may get one of these laptop pillow thingys from Santa. It is called a Surf Pillow, and it is just as good excuse as any to go to The Container Store.
SALT AND PEPPER SHAKERS - Gifts
I'm not sure why, but this year seems to be the year of the salt and pepper shaker set. Shakers have been a trend before, and eventually these will collect dust, or find homes in sad landfills, but for now, they are trendy and it seems every site I visited during the past few days...s&p shakers. Everywhere.
These are adorable and they are on sale (as of today at least):
These are hideous, (and sold out), but my grandparents had these, and they are taking me back!
JEWELRY - Gifts
What list of gifts for women would be complete without jewlery? I found a bracelet I thought might be nice, and I put it on my list to Santa. I've been underwhelmed by jewelry I've seen lately, but this black sheep brooch is worth a look!
ART - Gifts
Poseidon and I have art that we have yet to hang, display, dust, destroy, etc., but I'm always on the lookout for fun prints, like this (and they make great gifts for women)
...and this:
Awww, and this:
CLOTHES, BAGS AND SHOES - Gifts
Pretty, pretty shoes. Women (or many women) like shoes.
I WANT these! Anne Klein Plural Color-Block - I saw them at DSW two weeks ago:
I don't usually suggest buying clothing for women, unless you really, truly know their size, correct measurements, etc., but I'm in love with this dress, so I'll share it:
Just a note, if you are ordering from Mod Cloth, their sizes are never true to size, in my opinion, so read the reviews that others have written before ordering. I find the reviews helpful in determining which size to order.
I'm a fan of the Vero Moda brand on ASOS, and this wrap it dirt cheap and cute and would make a super gift:
This is a great looking bag...I asked Santa for one similar, but I think my camera trumped the bag:
MAKE UP, PARFUM and GIRLY STUFF - Gifts
One can always count on ThinkGeek.com for cool, geeky gifts for women:
Tokyo Milk brand - since Gwen Stefani's LAMB scent is no longer available, this is my favorite parfum:
BIKING - Gifts
I'll close with bike bells. Everyone fun chick needs a bell on her bike.
I also suggest FAB.com for gifts...you have to sign up in order to browse, but it's free. Just give them your email address. I get a headache wading through some of the pages, but you might find something that inspires. Happy shopping everyone.
I am a sun bunny, not a snow bunny. This is important because two weeks ago I purchased tickets for our December trip to Alaska. Decemburrrr. Poseidon and I are visiting our dear friends, N. and T. They just moved to Alaska (actually, they are in route now) and we are so looking forward to hanging with them over Christmas.
While I'm excited about this trip to the tundra (they are moving to Anchorage, so they aren't exactly living in an igloo in the middle of nowhere), it is requiring me to do some serious mental preparation. I'm trying to psych myself up for 7.35 hours of daylight and an average December high of 24 degrees. By the way, did you know that the word "tundra" means "treeless heights?" I didn't.
I think the key to getting myself ready is shopping. You see, North Carolina isn't so cold in the winter that I need an expensive down jacket. Our trip to Alaska will require an expensive down jacket, therefore; I get to shop.
Another item on my shopping list (not necessarily for our trip, just shopping in general) is a new case for my iPhone. My old case cracked. I was searching for some funky cases online last week when I spotted this little
cutie, a unicorn with a bird in a wintery setting.
I showed this case to Poseidon and asked what he thought. "Cool. It will go well with our trip to Alaska." Now, when Poseidon said this, I was all excited because I thought, for just a nano second, "Oh my God, I might see a unicorn in Alaska!" Then, my IQ unpacked its travel bag. I'm going to conclude that what Poseidon actually meant by that comment is the wintry "vibe" of the iPhone cover is Alaskan-like, not that Alaska is home to real live unicorns. Damn.
I stumbled upon this today, and now I think we (I mean, our cats) cannot live another day without this. My cats stink. A stink beyond what might be considered grossly offensive. I've never smelled a dead body, but...hell, a dead body would be able to smell my cats.
The cat box skeeves me out. Poseidon avoids the thing, so it usually falls on my shoulders (which now require visits to a chiropractor) to deal with. It is my own fault. I don't scoop everyday. Oh, for the love of shiny objects, I barely scoop once a week. When the smell has me edging toward unconsciousness, I pick up the scooper.
Our current litter box is ugly. It had a plastic flap over the opening, but Kat didn't know how to push it open with her nose, so she opted out of being a lady and did her business on the floor. As she is 11 years old, it's pointless and mind numbing to try to teach her anything now. But, she's very pretty, so I guess we will keep her.
I like the top-entry design. This will probably keep the floor around the box a bit cleaner. I also like the retro buttery yellow color. The fashionista in me thinks that if I buy a more fashionable cat litter box, I'll clean it more often. I seriously doubt that will happen, but this I do know: With a price tag of $180, Poseidon is going to require something from me in writing (something about I promise I'll clean, the blah, blah, blah) before he allows me to click the "BUY ME" button.
ETA. I'm getting no money for endorsing this product by the way, I just found it, liked it, linked to it.
Whole Foods is great. I've been to some great Whole Food stores and I like the selection. The Whole Foods in Durham? Not so much. In fact, I'm going to go so far as to say I hate going to the W.F in Durham. Notice I said I hate going to the store. The store itself is fine, although way too small compared to other Whole Foods store locations. The employees at the Durham store are top notch. Extremely helpful and polite. I've never met an employee at Whole Foods in Durham who wasn't.
So why does a trip to the Whole Foods of Durham have me wanting to pop back a handful of Valium? The self-absorbed, entitled, rude, surly, curt, barbarous, devoid of any social skills whatsoever clodpates who shop there. Oh my God, I feel better already!
Yesterday Poseidon and I made what should have been a quick, uneventful stop at the Durham Whole Foods store to pick up items for his famous burritos. We weren't in the market 2 minutes (I'm not exaggerating, it wasn't 2 minutes), when the Baroness of Horse Face Bitchville came right down the aisle with her cart and nearly ran me down. I was stunned because she just kept going. Admittedly, I'd had a long day and I was cranky so I said, in a voice full of snark, but without too much venom, "Excuse you," with no reply, so I continued on my way to catch up with Poseidon.
Maybe 15 minutes later, she came up to me and said, "Excuse me." I said, "Thank you" and I meant it, but then she had to start being a bitch mutt. Most of it to me was, "Blah, blah, blah" until she said, "I've never had such anger sent my way in all my life." Seriously? Wow, she should consider herself more fortunate that any soul on the planet if my "excuse you" was the most anger anyone has ever, ZOMG ever directed toward her. Anyway, my reply, "Well, all you needed to do was be polite and say 'excuse me' when you nearly knocked me down." She said something else back that only told me she wanted to keep this pointless banter going, but I ignored it and was already turning my attention back to Poseidon (poor Poseidon, the most laid back dude on the planet...and he married me).
So, will I go to the Whole Foods in Durham again? Of course I will. Will I run into ogress-mannered shrews? Undoubtedly, but after this incident I will wash down my Valium with a full glass of water before entering those sliding glass doors on Broad Street.
--Fortuitous Observer
Previously published posts on a similar topic you might find interesting:
Earlier this morning, Poseidon forwarded to me the New York Times opinion article written last week, "Amazon's Jungle Logic" by Richard Russo. This opinion piece is in response to the infamous Amazon app, Price Check, that seems to be causing so much uproar, most notably from small/local bookstores. I also read a few other articles on the subject today (between XML code changes and researching error messages...you know, my day job "stuff"), and I understand the clamor and the Amazon "backlash," but I also understand Amazon.
I don't claim to be an expert, but as a reader of books and habitué of all things internet, I'm right down the middle on this one, and here are my thoughts on the matter (worth probably 1/2 cent).
Some Background
The Amazon Price Check app (which I do not have by the way) gives customers the ability, while shopping at any brick-and-mortar store, to scan the barcodes of items also sold by Amazon.com, to get instant price comparisons between the store and Amazon.com. What shopper wouldn't love this? Of course, the issue under scrutiny is that Amazon's promotion of the Price Check app gives customers $5 off (up to $15) purchases made through the app at Amazon.
The Controversy
There are, as I see it, two major bones of contention with Amazon's new app and I'm spouting off on both:
1. Many view this is as an ingenious (others might say insidious) strategy for gathering price data from competitors. This concept is nothing new folks.
A friend of mine who got his MBA back in 1991 started his new job, with a very well known company (no longer in business by the way), as a price gatherer--though I don't know what the actual professional term was for this position way back when. His duties required him to drive around the southeast to visit the retail stores of his company's competitors, check their prices on certain items, and report back. His company would publish coupons in local papers for consumers to cut out, take in, and rake in. The only difference I see in the Amazon Price Check app promotion and the days of yore couponing? Technology. Technological advances since the early 90s allow Amazon to save gas and staff salaries, and consumers who want to spend less (including not paying sales tax) do the leg work.
2. As I mentioned earlier, it appears that small mom-and-pop book stores are the most offended with Amazon and their Price Check app. I'll say one or two things about this. First, the Amazon Price Check promotion does not include book sales, or so I've read...again, I don't have the app and won't be downloading it. The melee could simply end here, but of course, it doesn't.
I like, no I love going to small independent book sellers in our area and that won't change. As long as books are still printed on paper, I'll be perusing the shelves. Why would I do that when the book prices are sometimes more than Amazon's prices and I have to pay local sales tax? Because I can't "browse" the shelves of Amazon.com in person. Book stores are like candy stores to me. I like looking at the book covers, seeing the artwork up close and personal, thumbing through the pages, and more importantly, people watching. I can't (and don't really want to, honestly) people watch on Amazon. I'm not a coffee drinker, but believe it or not, some civilized folks actually enjoy a nice cup of coffee while reading in the comfort of a local book seller's brick-and-mortar establishment while listening to some cool beat music from the past.
For those worried about your favorite independent book stores closing up shop due to the likes of Amazon, don't, and I highly recommend this Forbes blog post, "Amazon and the Starbucks Effect" by E.D. Kain. Kain has actually written a few posts on the topic of the internet and future of local businesses, and in another blog post, "The Future of Local Business is Selling an Experience" he says, "That’s the future of local businesses – a multi-faceted experience that goes beyond the product itself."
Kain summarizes this entire issue better than I ever could in yet another blog post, "Shop everywhere. I do. I shop at Amazon regularly. But I wouldn’t dream of spying on my local bookseller for the behemoth in the market."
As demanders of the latest and greatest, we have only ourselves to blame. If the technology exists, and can exist (and there is no going back now), businesses, both Herculean online entities and local retailers will use the technology they can afford to do what they've always done: vie for our business. We require they court us and woo us with something, whether it be an experience or a coupon...be careful what you ask for.
It is no secret that I'm caught up in the Christmas spirit this year, more so than in years past, and I'm trying to keep this train of cheer and goodwill toward man chugging forward, but it is also no secret that I'm a cynic, I'm convinced many people should undergo forced lobotomies, and I'm easily annoyed with stupidity; therefore, Christmas shopping in a public store/mall is a true ordeal for me.
Happily, I've done most of my holiday shopping online and have not had to endure many trips to public places where I'm more than likely to encounter rude, entitled miscreants. It is this lack of interaction with dimwits that has allowed me to keep my good mood and Christmasy cheer intact!
Because even the most conscientious of people, those who know the spoken and unspoken rules of what constitutes good behavior in a polite society, can become a subnormal dolt while out and about during this festive season, I want to remind everyone of a few Christmas shopping rules of etiquette:
If someone holds a door open for you as you juggle your purchases say, "Thank you." If I hold a door open for you and you do not say, "Thank you," I'm going to let you know that you didn't say it, and I will be sure to let everyone within earshot hear me schooling you in Christmas shopping etiquette.
Do NOT walk around in circles like a dimwit talking on your cell phone in the middle of a store like you would if you were home. Why? Because YOU ARE NOT AT HOME! You are in a public space where people do their shopping and they do not need, and most importantly, want to hear your banal conversation about...ANYTHING!
This could be lumped in with number 2, but enough impudent donkeys do this that it requires its own bullet...texting while standing in the middle of an aisle in a store as others are trying to shop around you is not acceptable behavior. What shocks me about this is most of the offenders I encounter are not teenagers, they are the moms of teenagers. I know you are trying to show everyone what a hip cool chick you are and that you have an iPhone (that your husband has to keep showing you how to use), but holding up other shoppers and forcing them to go around you isn't cool. Put it down, or go sit on a bench and text your bff. Maybe you think you can shop and text at the same time, but you CAN'T. I know, because I CAN'T!
It is the Christmas season, and people will be shopping, stores will be crowded and you are not the only one in the store. There WILL be lines at the registers, for the bathrooms, for food, etc. You are not entitled to ask others in line if you can go ahead of them. I was asked this a few years ago by a woman who was huffing and puffing and shuffling around in line because she was mad that she, Queen of the Land of Faux Fur and YSL Bags, had to wait. She asked me (in a very haughty manner) if she could go ahead of me because she only had 2 items and I had 4. I gave her my gargoyle stare for many seconds and said nothing. She slipped back to her place in line, didn't say another word and I'm sure she had nightmares about me that night.
If a sales clerk has done nothing to you, or has given you no reason to be a cad, then DON'T. Trust me, they don't want to wait on you anymore than you would want to wait on them. This also goes the other way around: Sales clerks, if I haven't been rude to you, don't be rude to me. Thank you.
Lastly...baby strollers that are 6 feet wide. Ladies, if you can't get a babysitter, and you don't have a small "appropriate for tight quarters" stroller, then stay home and do your shopping online. I don't mean to offend anyone with children, but the monstrous strollers that could double as freight haulers are not befitting for crowded stores. I was shopping in a small (and I mean S M A L L) gift shop once, and the owner of the boutique posted a sign just outside the door that said "No Strollers Allowed." Of course, an entitled, rude dragon-woman brought her stroller inside because that sign was clearly for everyone but her, and this stroller was so wide it wouldn't fit down the aisles. As I was looking at some cards, she stood there waiting for me to move out of her way and when I didn't, she started clearing her throat. I won't repeat what I said to her, but some of the other patrons actually clapped for me. Woman and stroller swiftly left the store. Please don't be rude and expect everyone to work around your rudeness.
That is all. I hope everyone is having a lovely Christmas season so far! Stay safe out there, and wear chain maille if necessary!
