Dodgeball is a shitty sport, right?
My sister and I are arguing with brother-in-law about it right now because he thinks it's great.
It's terrible. Kids whip balls at your head. It's mean. It needs to be banned.
Oct 31, 2008
Dodgeball
Carving Pumpkins
The family is carving pumpkins today. I was looking for a stencil online and found this one on Martha Stewart's website that looks really easy to do:
Okay, I'm totally bull-sh*ting. Seriously, Martha? Who in their right mind would attempt such a thing?
Anywho, I think we are going to trace Nora and Jack's hands and make something like this:
I'll take pics when we are finished.
PS - My idea for a Yorkie pumpkin was nixed.
Oct 30, 2008
This Little Piggy
"What have you done to me?"
"Yeah, seriously... what'd you do to her?"
"Yeah, what's up with that?"
Brooklyn Campaign Contributions
For any neighborhoodies who read my blog, click here to see a cool interactive map of Brooklyn campaign contributions by zip code.
Via The Brooklyn Ink via Huffington Post
You Can Vote However You Like
This is so cute. Watch the sixth and seventh graders of Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta sing a song called "You Can Vote However You Like."
Here they are being interviewed on CNN:
The song is really catchy, isn't it?
Via Huffington Post
UPDATE: About Ron Clark Academy...
The Ron Clark Academy is located in southwest Atlanta, Georgia, and accommodates fifth through eighth grade students. The academy was established on June 25, 2007. Classes began for students on September 4, 2007.
The students that attend The Ron Clark Academy come from low-income families. Students must go through an application process in order to be accepted into the school. Only 50 students were accepted out of 350 applications the first school year. Students must be nominated for the school and then must apply.
Each classroom provides students with technology such as notebook computers, interactive whiteboards, digital cameras, projectors, and audio video equipment. In addition to the technologically-equipped classrooms, the school provides students with accessible amenities such as a recording studio, a dark room, a two-story vaulted ceiling library, a gymnasium, and a dance studio."
What a great place to donate used laptops, cameras, etc.!
Oct 29, 2008
Autumn Leaves in Connecticut
For those of you who don't get to experience fall...
Doesn't this leaf look like Winnie the Pooh?
See?
It's Snowing
I'm at my sister's house in CT right now wait for my mom to come into town and it's snowing.
Oct 28, 2008
Thank You, Alison!
My editor left HarperCollins for Random House and I talked to her last week for the first time in ages. After chatting about me being a new vegetarian, she sent me this enormous vegetarian cookbook, Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.
It's over 500 pages and has a ton of pretty color pictures in it. Thank you, Alison! I can't wait to try some of the recipes inside!
Oct 27, 2008
A Lion And A Lamb
My mom is coming into town Wednesday for Halloween. She, my sister and I were going to make Nora's Halloween costume for the big Halloween walk downtown (Jack has his), but my sister got the dates of it wrong (she thought it was this-coming Saturday but it was this past Saturday), so I came in Wednesday to make it.
Nora wanted to be a lamb. By Saturday, I finished everything but the hat. Here it is:
Since the above picture was taken, I attached the hat to her collar and made it a hoodie. I also made her some different pants. (Her butt was hanging out of the pair above.) I'm not thrilled with Jack's costume (no matching pants?), so I'm going to work on that today. They have three more Halloween parties to go to, so there's plenty of time to perfect it.
I'll post details on how I made the costume later, but didn't it turn out cute?
Sisterly Love
Poor little dude didn't have a clue what was coming.
Ha ha. I mean, isn't this the best picture EVER?
Btw, my sister insists that she didn't hit him. I wasn't there, but I don't believe her.
Oct 26, 2008
Free Ice Cream!
Free Ben & Jerry's ice cream for voters! From their website...
Come to participating scoop shops on November 4th from 5-8pm, show us you voted and you'll get a free scoop of ice cream. Show us your "I Voted" sticker, a photo of you in front of your polling station, do the "I Voted dance" or just tell us you voted.
Via Jenny Alison
Oct 24, 2008
Nora's Halloween Costume
I'm making Nora's Halloween sheep costume right now. OMG, omg, omg, omg... IT'S SO CUTE!
My sister and I bought fuzzy cream fabric from the fabric store instead of using fiberfill or cotton balls, and I decided to wing it instead of using a pattern. If I may say so myself, I have a knack for sewing. I just took some of Nora's clothes and laid them out on the backside of the fabric. I then either traced the item (if I wanted it to fit her the same way) or drew outside the shape a little (if I wanted to make the piece bigger.) I then gave myself an inch for the seam, cut the fabric, sewed it together, tried it on Nora and fixed any issues after.
We are taking a lot of pictures, I'll post some as soon as I upload them.
Daily Tweet Roundup
Today I was...
- knitting Laura some adorable Mary Jane slippers. (Mark, take note.) #
Oct 23, 2008
Obama's Got Holes In His Shoes
Look at this great picture:
Providence, R.I., 3/1/2008
From the photographer, Callie Shell:
Senator Obama was doing press interviews by telephone in a holding room between events. Sometime later as he was getting ready to begin his event, he asked me if I was photographing his shoes. When I said yes, he told me that he had already had them resoled once since he entered the race a year earlier."
To see more of Callie Shell's pictures of Obama from the campaign trail, click here.
This one brought tears to my eyes:
Jan. 21, 2008
From Callie Shell:
These two boys waited as a long line of adults greeted Senator Obama before a rally on Martin Luther King Day in Columbia, S.C. They never took their eyes off of him. Their grandmother told me, "Our young men have waited a long time to have someone to look up to, to make them believe Dr. King's words can be true for them."
Just look at their sweet faces.
Via Daily Kos
Daily Tweet Roundup
Today I was...
- thinking about what kind of hat I'm going to knit Laura. #
Oct 22, 2008
Laura's Hat
I'm going to knit my friend Laura a hat because she's so cold in Seattle.
Mark—being the hater that he is—doesn't think I'm going to be able to finish it.
Mark to Laura:
Laura to Mark:
Me to Laura:
Me to Mark:
Mark to Me:
Me to Mark:
Mark to Me:
You will eat your words, Mark.
Daily Tweet Roundup
Today I was...
- freezing my arse off! It's very windy and chilly in Brooklyn tonight. #
- wanting a goat! I just saw a pic of a lil baby one... so cute. #
Oct 21, 2008
Court Show Pilot
My friend Mark is producing a pilot for a new court show and he's looking for cases.
If you or someone you know is involved in a dispute with someone and would like it resolved on a court show, please call Mike at (323) 762-7725.
A few things...
- This pilot will not air on television.
- It will be taped in Los Angeles. You can live anywhere in the US to call; the company will fly you there. (So, FREE TRIP!)
- You don't have to have already filed a small claims case. So, if you're just really mad at someone because they owe you money for something, then call!
- The court show pays the judgment. So, if that person that you're mad at doesn't have any money and you take them to a regular small claims court and win, it doesn't mean they will pay you. But if you take them on this court show and win, the show will pay you, so you will definitely see your money.
- You will receive an an appearance fee. (I don't know how much; he won't tell me.)
Latin
According to the New York Times, Latin is making a comeback. This makes me happy because, since the day Nora was born, I've been pushing for her to take Latin. Not now, of course (she's only three), but when she's in high school.
You see, I don't have kids and I may never have kids, so I like to get involved in Nora and Jack's lives. Thankfully, my sister and her husband don't mind.
Since Nora was just a wee little thing, my brother-in-law and I have been arguing about what foreign language she will take in high school. (Heaven forbid we let her decide.) He thinks she should take Chinese or Japanese or something like that, but I think she should take Latin because so many words in our language are derived from Latin words. Latin will enrich her vocabulary and practically guarantee that she'll ace her SATs and get into a good college.
So anyway, I'm happy Latin is on the rise.
Oct 20, 2008
Celebrity Sighting
Mark's boyfriend David takes much better pictures than Mark. Here are two recent celebrity sightings he had.
One, today at the Mayfair Market...
It's Minnie Driver!
And last week at the Larchmont Farmer's Market...
It's Ross the Intern!
Pearl Oyster Bar
My friends and I ate dinner at Pearl Oyster Bar Saturday night. We had oysters and lobster rolls and they were delicious!
Daily Tweet Roundup
Today I was...
- hungover. Never. Drinking. Again. #
- spooning with Beverly. I love my dog. #
- watching Elvis beat up Beverly. (She deserves it.) #
- watching SNL from last night. #
- looking to see if "Master Pussies" is a real book. #
Oct 19, 2008
Crochet Turkey Hat
Instant message...
Mark: I found this pattern for sale at Etsy. Will you make it for me?
Me: No.
Oct 17, 2008
My Childhood Friend Gina
One of my best friends in the world—since 5th grade, actually— is in town for the weekend and I'm so excited! Her name is Gina and I will take lots of pictures of us this weekend so keep checking back!
Here we are in 7th grade:
Oct 16, 2008
Beverly's Famous!
Beverly's famous!
Via the Cobble Hill Blog...
I didn't even send them the link. Bev's just. that. cool. People everywhere want to talk about her.
Thank you, Cobble Hill Blog!
Chumley
Chumley sent Beverly an e-card for her birthday. It was very romantic.
I asked Bev about this "weekend in Chicago" and she doesn't know anything about it. Wishful thinking on Chumley's part, I think.
Bev's Birthday Treat
Just like last year, Beverly got to go to Monster Mutt today to pick out a special treat for her birthday. Monster Mutt is a great doggie daycare place in Cobble Hill and they have a great selection of doggie treats and toys in the front.
Bev was greeted by Monster Mutt's owner, Hannah, who gave her some nummy treats and a special present for her big day:
She then picked out her own birthday treats—a really big bully stick (a 12-incher)...
...and a fun toy.
The toy reminds her of the squirrel who keeps hanging out on the fire escape, and the bully stick reminds her of Chumley—Oops! I mean, the bully stick reminds her of her birthday last year because she picked out the same treat then, too. (It's the non-smelly kind.)
When we got home, I laid Bev's presents out on the couch for her, but it took a while for her to gather up the energy to jump up there because her morning walk was exhausting.
When she finally managed to do so, she carefully inspected everything and then decided to tackle the bully stick first.
It was a little big...
But she eventually got the hang of it.
After a while, she had to take a breather.
When she went back to eating her treat, look who showed up:
He heard there was a party...
And that's the end of Bev's birthday treat coverage!
She's napping now... her belly's full of bully sticks.
