tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82427339269623694112024-03-14T00:53:23.795-04:00Prairie Dog Inc.Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-26300842287202846742011-12-10T21:51:00.001-05:002011-12-11T02:22:12.596-05:00Two Steps Forward . . .So, this is my first blog post in over a year. I've been wanting to blog again for a long time because it provides a nice catharsis for me and I also find myself extremely amusing on re-reading, but I haven't been able to do it again until now.<br />
It's like when you know you should call your aunt or grandmother or old friend(all of which are things I actually should do) but you wait longer and longer and the way the conversation will go in your head gets more and more awkward and guilt-ridden until you've scared yourself out of it. I'm not the only one whose social anxiety extends to this level, right?<br />
Anyway, it's like that. I kept thinking, "How will I explain my extended absence from my legions of adoring followers who surely, by now, have turned a cold and disgruntled shoulder toward my ever-increasingly out-dated and irrelevant musings?" And then I thought, "Oh, wait, I was describing someone else entirely in that thought process and none of those concerns apply to me so there's nothing stopping me from starting up again without anyone having realized that I'd ever been away at all".<br />
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So, here I am! A force to be reckoned with. A juggernaut of incisive thoughts and hilarious anecdotes that will surely encapsulate the feelings of generation and go down in history as one of the pointedly honest journals of our time!<br />
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Here's a cat . . .</div>
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<br /></div>Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-75101714521705720372010-10-18T16:34:00.000-04:002010-10-18T16:34:48.753-04:00Wait . . . . It's Cold Outside?Well, not quite, but after a summer that seemed to last forever, it certainly FEELS cold. Sorry I haven't added a new post in a long time. Lots of things going on. Captain # 1 has a new album coming out in the next few weeks and I've been working on the album art. I've also been running around like a chicken with her head cut off trying to figure out wedding stuff. Tim has barricaded himself in the music room in order to finish the album before our big tour in a couple of weeks, and I've been making scarves like crazy. <br />
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Here are some scarves . . .<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9Rz7YT3CCH0OH4MWpO-adArzK8LkxJJKE1v9fgi8lExDwoxnryR3rrFZoMN0O4fINSjqKLGnq5jcFUMh2UH3jDQPIy8rl-lzWIz5_NDmBVb7R1NNrDrBRL2NTmYVWbR6BmFE4BPx5Ew/s1600/PICT0502.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9Rz7YT3CCH0OH4MWpO-adArzK8LkxJJKE1v9fgi8lExDwoxnryR3rrFZoMN0O4fINSjqKLGnq5jcFUMh2UH3jDQPIy8rl-lzWIz5_NDmBVb7R1NNrDrBRL2NTmYVWbR6BmFE4BPx5Ew/s200/PICT0502.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJuaBqc4QNkYb-UlJpRiBgWnsomsr3iVH9bHPxCe7cEHOZdUiP-QmlohEXpjE69GJPwOez46cLebFWu0yL8Sp8mecylaXjU0DUFOZYlV-Lf5lSpjroCUnG-nQPyGdJZNiO_v9FvVWeT0/s1600/PICT0518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJuaBqc4QNkYb-UlJpRiBgWnsomsr3iVH9bHPxCe7cEHOZdUiP-QmlohEXpjE69GJPwOez46cLebFWu0yL8Sp8mecylaXjU0DUFOZYlV-Lf5lSpjroCUnG-nQPyGdJZNiO_v9FvVWeT0/s320/PICT0518.JPG" width="240" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi71On-sgX9GtZPWPG9LT-rhZBIk94BNBdbTN7PbYDBUhhNcvx8mplfRIrh5Eoty0mLabBO-ayYUeOLvD49d23LdXZJbk6_lsaVdDAOe_oPNIZz1pfIPt0YTW5IhQsHMQ3t1kJZ4SL3VM/s1600/PICT0588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi71On-sgX9GtZPWPG9LT-rhZBIk94BNBdbTN7PbYDBUhhNcvx8mplfRIrh5Eoty0mLabBO-ayYUeOLvD49d23LdXZJbk6_lsaVdDAOe_oPNIZz1pfIPt0YTW5IhQsHMQ3t1kJZ4SL3VM/s320/PICT0588.JPG" width="320" /> </a><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhurL1skyVsMiIZLoxQhfT-n0-kul-YAugfn3Lyquf-LYf_2599BP3WBgMt31vIU6R6g0H-4jHR-Jw4koQX1tEe2PQ3LBL5Y8VgwgjDIBRgyRyoZJ3SVbbp33GS6GGKafYLwAyukICybDg/s320/PICT0624.JPG" width="240" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJuaBqc4QNkYb-UlJpRiBgWnsomsr3iVH9bHPxCe7cEHOZdUiP-QmlohEXpjE69GJPwOez46cLebFWu0yL8Sp8mecylaXjU0DUFOZYlV-Lf5lSpjroCUnG-nQPyGdJZNiO_v9FvVWeT0/s1600/PICT0518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Notice how in most of the pictures I'm looking wistfully out the window? That's just how I look all the time.</div>Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-80714946986235197072010-08-24T18:08:00.002-04:002010-08-24T22:20:17.418-04:00Pictures of Mushrooms!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_XvyfRiibaoyDsO_MPCs7rOigXnP7oEfKDcW3Jaf8dG5UbsGheKb1Gso1-OjbS8XMgOCwTWrO-r_jV4h75JtKzVhPwPFBsxNJZHdEopBLq7j6LnzYuzJjyxGSSSJ3qZtcGgN8XJet90/s1600/PICT0259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_XvyfRiibaoyDsO_MPCs7rOigXnP7oEfKDcW3Jaf8dG5UbsGheKb1Gso1-OjbS8XMgOCwTWrO-r_jV4h75JtKzVhPwPFBsxNJZHdEopBLq7j6LnzYuzJjyxGSSSJ3qZtcGgN8XJet90/s320/PICT0259.JPG" /></a>Literally, this is just a bunch of pictures of the mushrooms I found in my front yard before I mowed them over and destroyed most of them. They were pretty cool looking before I did that. Also, I found a blue jay feather. Why am I so attracted to very normal natural occurrences?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilC8_k6gwaJPE2RQ6TOizForzDpq03eRHx56c7yJofxOVlGOWoAcrAtY0pExy16P2ZweEn1V-O7dC9VkVRW62dnsWQ9IaUq3XDVESeBZ_cCagIxU82rW0CZsMp_iJcVjTnIEZgzS4yg0M/s1600/PICT0262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilC8_k6gwaJPE2RQ6TOizForzDpq03eRHx56c7yJofxOVlGOWoAcrAtY0pExy16P2ZweEn1V-O7dC9VkVRW62dnsWQ9IaUq3XDVESeBZ_cCagIxU82rW0CZsMp_iJcVjTnIEZgzS4yg0M/s320/PICT0262.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8KoxE7Z93IYECHPMgcUjDsg9f0dSzpC7VKuSrUq-ZP0Pcmt_RkDVk-6ajEQe9rnVvFJC-wd25CN9WlAVLNEPVcEPwbPRhatJCjyeY4aZpcHeE6ILZbQw3Bswa-lIzhwZORIAFS-uUI4/s1600/PICT0245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm8KoxE7Z93IYECHPMgcUjDsg9f0dSzpC7VKuSrUq-ZP0Pcmt_RkDVk-6ajEQe9rnVvFJC-wd25CN9WlAVLNEPVcEPwbPRhatJCjyeY4aZpcHeE6ILZbQw3Bswa-lIzhwZORIAFS-uUI4/s320/PICT0245.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIhw2OyPpJ_vjjyloofxz8wgf2RYhW_bPikThWOyivgAg97E8YuL93rbnPcHimbUvd49-jGuvc2aJTSDV-rhm9_M3Wx_qIg2O25lAD7t23soz9zP9DfOZsBf7Lit25KTdERo4fRdBjyM/s1600/PICT0281.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwIhw2OyPpJ_vjjyloofxz8wgf2RYhW_bPikThWOyivgAg97E8YuL93rbnPcHimbUvd49-jGuvc2aJTSDV-rhm9_M3Wx_qIg2O25lAD7t23soz9zP9DfOZsBf7Lit25KTdERo4fRdBjyM/s320/PICT0281.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsU42ckONs9STlPzTmnLrONTymF1hGshELSM3nD7r57JxZBwxBxuK5QZ_WU6NLjgT6A6UT25VEVZSDAgtyzOgdxge2h1tViJZLhiSGvolY0vGnV0MmJgf2klhrPcL8rTFwFYdebDAYrYU/s1600/PICT0275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsU42ckONs9STlPzTmnLrONTymF1hGshELSM3nD7r57JxZBwxBxuK5QZ_WU6NLjgT6A6UT25VEVZSDAgtyzOgdxge2h1tViJZLhiSGvolY0vGnV0MmJgf2klhrPcL8rTFwFYdebDAYrYU/s320/PICT0275.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGPltp2kfWX3v4IVX0htpB9sC7MG4cBSHkXJK7qqPo8mQkGHauP_3wQbTNXPqyoDgIjC_ZdiRS7IqfjZWa99fO2hAQf0BSmK5m2Y0wcIO_UzGDAP3uhY_n7a0vUMrlcBtaJvH-dgRhQk/s1600/PICT0256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGPltp2kfWX3v4IVX0htpB9sC7MG4cBSHkXJK7qqPo8mQkGHauP_3wQbTNXPqyoDgIjC_ZdiRS7IqfjZWa99fO2hAQf0BSmK5m2Y0wcIO_UzGDAP3uhY_n7a0vUMrlcBtaJvH-dgRhQk/s320/PICT0256.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucbLVhmnPfYiWU-gUQeS3bgmCnnx2kN36K10mYOYBCVgqQuFaD9MMuBX_x9YSplfdPr5_qJ3S_tswWUsahkY8Zz6R88w480hQMk7ZSylXCcP4sySf3tv2j21tI3ZfCeBYfWN45cI1a2E/s1600/PICT0269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjucbLVhmnPfYiWU-gUQeS3bgmCnnx2kN36K10mYOYBCVgqQuFaD9MMuBX_x9YSplfdPr5_qJ3S_tswWUsahkY8Zz6R88w480hQMk7ZSylXCcP4sySf3tv2j21tI3ZfCeBYfWN45cI1a2E/s320/PICT0269.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEc0yBKkijvpMXHfLOw8-cKG6cyNYqP3MrtulSQsArpSycBhCuvP5OG4eywFuxyDaiqWg_bsCpxZQXjqETvU7McRDsHmq4gA_418qMkBebHrXONS9uHmM3hqKPg52_dNjoL9H8s22mShA/s1600/PICT0248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEc0yBKkijvpMXHfLOw8-cKG6cyNYqP3MrtulSQsArpSycBhCuvP5OG4eywFuxyDaiqWg_bsCpxZQXjqETvU7McRDsHmq4gA_418qMkBebHrXONS9uHmM3hqKPg52_dNjoL9H8s22mShA/s320/PICT0248.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-47045655105759929852010-08-14T21:58:00.002-04:002010-08-14T22:03:36.707-04:002 Things I've been making . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hRhKanfHVH2ch95UGsf2IjJY3zlwSN8sZr3gZ9uzq2Z_gnEPjwBJc8gQUAJi07GEsBQb5hcyVMUC6HteujBURhInrEAFbbcVSF2XmMuTFObo_QdsR-suefj8yz-8qvXHTBSuwiI8y-I/s1600/PICT0145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2hRhKanfHVH2ch95UGsf2IjJY3zlwSN8sZr3gZ9uzq2Z_gnEPjwBJc8gQUAJi07GEsBQb5hcyVMUC6HteujBURhInrEAFbbcVSF2XmMuTFObo_QdsR-suefj8yz-8qvXHTBSuwiI8y-I/s320/PICT0145.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv3d3ijMeB5yDYUMMGztqxtSbRiou0d8Nk4ExlSSX3mwdAIaa0IiCDUHRjplTMOVNDD8dEd5RsVGFzfsLUfgBH8qSz5wRgOizvxL0K0HRUxAZ-34VaGkJLTm5dUcSnkN0BjC59-HO5bW4/s1600/PICT0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpc-pp-bR-CzrrRoTZ-tFubUfcKwbEo3FYpmj10HSBb4G8Y6wR9XD5O7at4Br1hbaji-CZuM4dFNpquEp1f2bzewoXq4Xyt4fytKpVQYPUBDoAvbPgpe6H6rHHzfbrplTEuDLbuTCH0M4/s1600/PICT0144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpc-pp-bR-CzrrRoTZ-tFubUfcKwbEo3FYpmj10HSBb4G8Y6wR9XD5O7at4Br1hbaji-CZuM4dFNpquEp1f2bzewoXq4Xyt4fytKpVQYPUBDoAvbPgpe6H6rHHzfbrplTEuDLbuTCH0M4/s320/PICT0144.JPG" width="240" /></a>Pom Poms! I've always thought these were pretty and thought about having them for our wedding so I figured I would try to make some myself. I think they turned out pretty cute.<br />
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And . . . t-shirts for our softball team! I think the design turned out pretty well. I especially love the little Turducken logo underneath. We're thinking of getting hats made too.<br />
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Okay, those are the two things I've been making. Here's a cat. I guess she was hot. I told her it wasn't ladylike but she just glared at me.Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-77936098176858327102010-08-10T15:40:00.001-04:002010-08-10T15:41:14.134-04:00You Should Be Jealous of All My Shiny New ThingsYou really should. Okay, let's get started here . . .<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFdLPfToWp-bQAmaIyST8ApIpGGiBA8oZbcsbu5kaRA6j-ZdhDgT8SF9VXQ4BbzibKaNSjJjhpdUNxULau4zI5ytrSbqxhFKgzHhyphenhyphenp32janPj-8MUfftcircRk2Up5cqfxBmZb_B8Ra4/s1600/PICT0089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFdLPfToWp-bQAmaIyST8ApIpGGiBA8oZbcsbu5kaRA6j-ZdhDgT8SF9VXQ4BbzibKaNSjJjhpdUNxULau4zI5ytrSbqxhFKgzHhyphenhyphenp32janPj-8MUfftcircRk2Up5cqfxBmZb_B8Ra4/s320/PICT0089.JPG" /></a></div>First, my engagement ring. It's totally an owl. Like, a giant rhinestone owl head. You may think I'm lying but you can see it in the picture right there. And that's my hand, completely unlike any other hand so now you must know I'm telling the truth. At first I was skeptical, but the more I thought about it and wore the ring around the more I realized how perfect it is. He looks kind of fierce but I think he's just protecting my honor in case Tim isn't around. Also, if you angle his head up he looks really sweet. I won't tell you what Tim paid for him but in Barnes and Noble paycheck terms after taxes it equals out to about 3 months salary.<br />
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I also like him because he matches the white tiger t-shirt I found at the Goodwill today. $2!! I think Rilke-cat was jealous because I've been wearing it for about 2 hours and it already has black cat hair all over it.<br />
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And on to . . .<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDymt576ChpP9ZpLrTetn7CK1CFo2cuMptmvY1yTOJjVO70gNXCY-qkOPDAqpeSUCVcDfwRhtBN47l7fWI9ZbnCRop_fvd4D0yligjKtJNso8UHLrpM9U-x0flLpBuxMqRTISjBWdAEs/s1600/PICT0102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMDymt576ChpP9ZpLrTetn7CK1CFo2cuMptmvY1yTOJjVO70gNXCY-qkOPDAqpeSUCVcDfwRhtBN47l7fWI9ZbnCRop_fvd4D0yligjKtJNso8UHLrpM9U-x0flLpBuxMqRTISjBWdAEs/s320/PICT0102.JPG" /></a>Okay, this isn't quite "new". I've had it for about a month but I can't believe I haven't blogged about yet because it's super awesome. Gaze upon the amazing vintage table I found on Craigslist for $30. $30!!!!! I know that's a lot of exclamation marks but we saw basically the same table at a vintage store for $200!! It's got a very 50s red and white painted tin top and a cute little drawer which I haven't decided what to put in yet.<br />
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I've tried to accessorize it with complementary colors like turquoise and yellow. I've made myself a bright little cozy spot in the kitchen. It's a great little spot to use the laptop because I'm not tempted to watch an entire season of "Say Yes to the Dress" on Netflix. <br />
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I also put my Rilke painting up there because the colors match so well with those cute Target canisters my Mom got on clearance for like $3. Aside: (Kathleen Thompson, if you're reading this, that glass juicer in the middle is for you so you better not have one already!)<br />
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Lastly, a big shiny thing . . .<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhUsBBXa8CyycDO-DR-CBnsSJSJ9vBpMzUf4ciVlqA4Tc4zQDbecUNBfOQ9e4GMfcfXAFc5M_HCpjuOG-Xh_lDgFVJLSa5HHhpxfCvbeJ47egquQHIM1SRgmIww8OHXzMF1aPBR1vfKs/s1600/PICT0098.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHhUsBBXa8CyycDO-DR-CBnsSJSJ9vBpMzUf4ciVlqA4Tc4zQDbecUNBfOQ9e4GMfcfXAFc5M_HCpjuOG-Xh_lDgFVJLSa5HHhpxfCvbeJ47egquQHIM1SRgmIww8OHXzMF1aPBR1vfKs/s320/PICT0098.JPG" /></a></div>We bought a new car! Exciting and scary at the same time! Monthly payments=Scary. Operating vehicle excellent for scavenger hunting=Exciting! Thanks to my Uncle Rick who bled the salesman dry and squeezed every last bit of profit from that car to get us a better deal. I think it's so cute. It's a Kia Rondo. I just used Wikipedia to look up the word "Rondo" and it turns out its a musical term which is appropriate since we'll mostly be towing instruments in its spacious back seat/trunk. Amazingly it seat like 7 or 8 people if you squeeze in real close and I'm pretty sure my Mom plans on every inch of that space being filled with screaming grandchildren. We were thinking more of vintage furniture and guitar amps.<br />
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Okay, that's all for now. Try not to be too envious of all my great stuff. I know it's hard.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-37925914206438753002010-08-09T09:23:00.001-04:002010-08-09T09:28:18.473-04:00And the Winner Is . . .<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.postcardimages.net/images/wa15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bx="true" height="256" src="http://www.postcardimages.net/images/wa15.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Missy!<br />
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I thought yours was the cutest/most hilarious suggestion. I just keep picturing Rilke (our cat) licking her way out of all that frosting and her black fur getting all covered. I'll drop off the book sometime in the next week.<br />
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Also, Sara, yours was a runner up. I almost went with it, but decided that it might fall under the category of torturing both the cat and the guests. Besides, all of my bridesmaid's are in lifetime relationships. Or can anyone catch the bouquet? Hm, I need to brush up on my wedding etiquette.<br />
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Thanks to everyone who posted an idea. I'll be back soon to show off my awesome engagement ring and hopefully (keep your fingers crossed) our new car!<br />
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PS I totally missed that that postcard above said "A Happy Christmas" but it makes me love it even more.Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-23893986893007941182010-08-03T20:14:00.002-04:002010-08-03T20:50:47.656-04:00What?! and Seriously?! and Another Contest<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJra4EBc9OsiRP3eZsulX3QixbxwP_Nf5A_Crk4dL3VSFaq6YIzw0fyGliUwr3dnoyGezSxqGxV-jHVeiDv3Cj-H8tztnXGWVd1ZDLKERlPsn4rT_LELAsuvdJYVnMFvHRCmnPA99piQ6X/s1600/weird-wedding-dress_art_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJra4EBc9OsiRP3eZsulX3QixbxwP_Nf5A_Crk4dL3VSFaq6YIzw0fyGliUwr3dnoyGezSxqGxV-jHVeiDv3Cj-H8tztnXGWVd1ZDLKERlPsn4rT_LELAsuvdJYVnMFvHRCmnPA99piQ6X/s320/weird-wedding-dress_art_6.jpg" /></a>Big news, big news people. This has nothing to do with crafting really but it's such big news I have to share it. I'm engaged! Like, getting married engaged. I've felt all butterfly-y and girl-like since Tim proposed on Friday. Yep, the old man even got down on one knee. Who knew my life would become a Rob Reiner movie from the mid- 1980s? I don't know, but I'm feeling pretty good right now.<br />
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And yes, this is definitely the wedding dress I will be wearing. Definitely. I do like those Christmas lights. Plus, I think the lace top really adds to the whole effect. Plus, I like the idea of the train incorporating either a battery pack or a green power chord trailing off the back. Classy.<br />
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<a href="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=98c8cb56f3&view=att&th=129eb5d162a62343&attid=0.1&disp=inline&zw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=98c8cb56f3&view=att&th=129eb5d162a62343&attid=0.1&disp=inline&zw" width="248" /></a>Okay, onto the contest which I'm completely making up as I write this. I'll start by telling you about the prize to give myself more time to think about it. My friend Kathleen at Lark Books sent me this awesome volume called <a href="http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Craft-Corps/Vickie-Howell/e/9781600594687">Craft Corps</a> by Vickie Howell. If you're involved in the crafting community, whether you buy or sell crafts online, tour regional craft fairs, or just have a local quilting group that you love, you should definitely check out this book. It's a really fascinating view into the lives and techniques of other crafters as well as the crafting community as a whole. And I'm giving you the opportunity to get a copy for FREE. FREE, I tell you!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8eFb4PcdBmG43Q9S_cW-1278bhtilIBScOxMq-gZB-VYq8B0Aj_RDIfk5ZDgZeQuea62LngOUBIsJJmwR5uAi_UTwUqKZgSBD4X_Zn_y1OxCSnDCNw49LxSs5JssFrMNCcIzWKekJNA/s1600/PICT0141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8eFb4PcdBmG43Q9S_cW-1278bhtilIBScOxMq-gZB-VYq8B0Aj_RDIfk5ZDgZeQuea62LngOUBIsJJmwR5uAi_UTwUqKZgSBD4X_Zn_y1OxCSnDCNw49LxSs5JssFrMNCcIzWKekJNA/s320/PICT0141.JPG" /></a><br />
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Here's the thing I thought up in the last 3 minutes:<br />
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Think of the most creative and non-tortuous way we can use our cat (pictured) in our wedding. Whoever has the best idea will get a FREE, FREE I say, copy of this book. And by FREE I mean that I will send you this book without you having to pay a dime, even for shipping. I'm including shipping! Or, I could just hand it to you when I see you because if you're reading this I probably know you. I will decide whose is the most creative because as you know, I am an authority on such things. Okay, go be creative. Go!Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-29492161294290887752010-07-18T00:35:00.001-04:002010-07-18T00:37:10.437-04:00Minor Works of Art<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYFGt01stywhbTgw_jyC58Bh3tltzsOo9naT0m1PDv8QhAuHemGgg8kx2w5toAIMDMVajPo4L3u7lnWqbnZpLseKT2d_v2BY3rTcFsdw3oluwk_Yzitvlmlh4SAzPyvZgzcVXZ5Ti8Sw/s1600/Personal+Portraits0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYFGt01stywhbTgw_jyC58Bh3tltzsOo9naT0m1PDv8QhAuHemGgg8kx2w5toAIMDMVajPo4L3u7lnWqbnZpLseKT2d_v2BY3rTcFsdw3oluwk_Yzitvlmlh4SAzPyvZgzcVXZ5Ti8Sw/s320/Personal+Portraits0001.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iV5PSKVdRfY2DlPgBcqxe2azs1bRGpCFX9CxzFPPgANpraRJxaMryN1mmeywRVFsOBckUiyU3CBwpfvuHm-pRJxr9nGe4Tkr7fuKPGsDCRbzT5B-LzcuP3wudcP8JhCq33B8h2cWhto/s1600/Personal+Portraits0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4iV5PSKVdRfY2DlPgBcqxe2azs1bRGpCFX9CxzFPPgANpraRJxaMryN1mmeywRVFsOBckUiyU3CBwpfvuHm-pRJxr9nGe4Tkr7fuKPGsDCRbzT5B-LzcuP3wudcP8JhCq33B8h2cWhto/s320/Personal+Portraits0002.jpg" /></a></div>Okay, so I'm not sure beauty like this needs an explanation, but if you insist, these are the results of Tim and I doing "blind" portraits of each other while manning the Prairie Dog Inc. booth at <a href="http://www.thebigcrafty.com/">The Big Crafty</a> in Asheville, NC. I have to say, I think there's a kind of ridiculous awesome-ness about these portraits that I can't put into words. Also, I think Tim's hair is perfect.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6B61jsOYHxYHfVQ1JrEs_YCDCRcL7dS5GQD04uciWOTczmbgFPeQj7PDnDYnsTNrmAqJMRgFzJUr0lQWPNWAxlbDY9nEBBKfFnsFqIeIaBuaiIXGSuc0OOBsX6zW0uu2ym0YoGLSQ-4/s1600/PICT0305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga6B61jsOYHxYHfVQ1JrEs_YCDCRcL7dS5GQD04uciWOTczmbgFPeQj7PDnDYnsTNrmAqJMRgFzJUr0lQWPNWAxlbDY9nEBBKfFnsFqIeIaBuaiIXGSuc0OOBsX6zW0uu2ym0YoGLSQ-4/s320/PICT0305.JPG" /></a></div>In other beyond really nerdy news, I did a portrait of my cat to hang up in the kitchen. Let me say though, Tim requested this portrait. It was NOT my idea. And our friend Jesse says that doing a portrait of your cat is only worrisome if you're single, although I think that's kind of unfair. Single people should be able to enjoy the thrill and sense of accomplishment that comes from painting a larger-than-life-sized portrait of your pet(s).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJzauXHeQ6hUZfoR2YTeX9KKDf2hjUTpeJZviuO9OojYh5w01_gTZquDz1hwEn8woKkxKoQpBchp8Z8OvASUmoLdeG3t5S-q-9iTmPer4dABn-GZ1KLZLwauNRXwTvhLatui0e9tsq88/s1600/PICT0315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJzauXHeQ6hUZfoR2YTeX9KKDf2hjUTpeJZviuO9OojYh5w01_gTZquDz1hwEn8woKkxKoQpBchp8Z8OvASUmoLdeG3t5S-q-9iTmPer4dABn-GZ1KLZLwauNRXwTvhLatui0e9tsq88/s320/PICT0315.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjMGyMmZ2cvspGNaV7yDeiy-xsE2KfByLFXuRz82aIlorSSKDZupp1gmdrbCb4-OF0exd3xgrgiJY1Xdpg8y013a_sAmGWBkScCM6Blw3keKuQdNwy70JJ3-F6hcJIMEZQtzyg87xGcc/s1600/PICT0202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjMGyMmZ2cvspGNaV7yDeiy-xsE2KfByLFXuRz82aIlorSSKDZupp1gmdrbCb4-OF0exd3xgrgiJY1Xdpg8y013a_sAmGWBkScCM6Blw3keKuQdNwy70JJ3-F6hcJIMEZQtzyg87xGcc/s320/PICT0202.JPG" /></a></div>Lastly, here's a fourth of July fireworks picture I took. Getting on top of the roof to watch the fireworks at the park nearby= good idea. Giving out roman candles to everyone on the roof to shoot out before instructing them NOT to point them at trees and/or people= bad idea. So, in short, don't do that.Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-58947897347179831652010-06-20T18:37:00.002-04:002010-06-21T15:56:19.142-04:00Small Harvest<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2rQ-Iv0O3MEWDYljzR9iyap7zcwIfBnqU2Mbu3g6tvSsRkBV2t_YKwcsS5j2pgQf5nM45jevN6sVdYw6_z7Wk8LpmbNZ3HXTPYoITpZ22QVmaRg768OEGVs02dppqAUYcj6459wWE3n0/s1600/PICT0335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2rQ-Iv0O3MEWDYljzR9iyap7zcwIfBnqU2Mbu3g6tvSsRkBV2t_YKwcsS5j2pgQf5nM45jevN6sVdYw6_z7Wk8LpmbNZ3HXTPYoITpZ22QVmaRg768OEGVs02dppqAUYcj6459wWE3n0/s320/PICT0335.JPG" /></a></div>As you may know from previous blogs Tim and I are VERY amateur gardeners. For the past couple of years we've tried our hand at growing our own veggies in a little box garden in the backyard with mixed success. For some reason we can only seem to get large amounts of the things Tim likes. Hmmm. It feels pretty good to go outside and pick your own food and then cook it up yourself. It's cheap and environmentally friendly too! Yeah, we're pretty much saving the planet with our backyard garden. Maybe we can use our compost to plug up the oil leak in the Gulf.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Mu8b2Pj9VekOeWAHfNKSTL8kP5dNCat29_48ahBj7Xd48zV2PlB0wD1e3UbWV2EMeEL2h_qkYzaudMkyyCO7HC1K0m2iEMoiJ60c-wDfaOEHrn_0Tv59j7_TVnPc5G95ElWIu8F1bDk/s1600/PICT0365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Mu8b2Pj9VekOeWAHfNKSTL8kP5dNCat29_48ahBj7Xd48zV2PlB0wD1e3UbWV2EMeEL2h_qkYzaudMkyyCO7HC1K0m2iEMoiJ60c-wDfaOEHrn_0Tv59j7_TVnPc5G95ElWIu8F1bDk/s320/PICT0365.JPG" /></a><br />
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We've been trying to be a lot more home-made these days. Recently Tim has endeavored to make his own beer, a venture that's been a lot more successful than I ever expected it to be. He looks like a some sort of warlock in the kitchen with his giant pot of hops and whatnot. Oh, and it stinks something awful in process, but if he's happy, I'm happy, and he's brewed enough beer to keep him happy for a long time. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6LBm6k8IsAka6_KEf2VrlfBb5_7CSGcO3DDrpT1b26kqrrS7lb8vIEGgPS8QrlcIjxUiwWn1oaIP1Gk-6UtrMyDXz6fAjNzSA6Qr72JYgkbjeIVMWw7sP07xwgWhvfpxkJy5Mz3o_jY/s1600/PICT0377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6LBm6k8IsAka6_KEf2VrlfBb5_7CSGcO3DDrpT1b26kqrrS7lb8vIEGgPS8QrlcIjxUiwWn1oaIP1Gk-6UtrMyDXz6fAjNzSA6Qr72JYgkbjeIVMWw7sP07xwgWhvfpxkJy5Mz3o_jY/s320/PICT0377.JPG" /></a><br />
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Tomatoes! Aren't they pretty?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFy5pqYgusklhozHzQgzHpAPV0oHtBF0X37BCze1a3F-Z5Q8v81xZxvvDXMCE3mgDUGViWqGnbVUriItE0MN4qe6yRo8TfiA109LwBoRCeMqtdWfR055uXrtfz7COanDH2R4nIwaYQ-c/s1600/PICT0383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFy5pqYgusklhozHzQgzHpAPV0oHtBF0X37BCze1a3F-Z5Q8v81xZxvvDXMCE3mgDUGViWqGnbVUriItE0MN4qe6yRo8TfiA109LwBoRCeMqtdWfR055uXrtfz7COanDH2R4nIwaYQ-c/s320/PICT0383.JPG" /></a><br />
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These little guys have been breeding like crazy all over Athens, and they seem to be centered in our backyard. They're cool to look at but bad for a little fledgling garden.<br />
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Not to worry! Our trusty garden guarding cat will keep them away! Tally ho, yard cat!Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-9548632400072668122010-05-13T16:44:00.000-04:002010-05-13T16:44:35.715-04:00Roger Ebert: Please Review My Life as if it Were a MovieDear Roger Ebert,<br />
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I have respected you as film critic for many years now. I used to buy your Movie Yearbook every year and read pretty much every review, but since Al Gore invented the internet I find it much more convenient to access your archives via the search engine on your site, <a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/">www.rogerebert.com</a>. Something about reading your reviews is soothing to me. Maybe it is your tone, your hints of knowing superiority, your I-don't-give-a-shit-what-other-people-think attitude, or a quality that's completely elusive to the human mind. Whatever the reason, I find a comfort in reading your words, even though I disagree with you an estimated 18.3% of the time.<br />
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I want to say I am very sorry about all of your health troubles of late. I find it a tragedy that a man with so much to say should lose his voice. I can only rejoice that your preferred medium of criticism is the written word and not the spoken one. I hope you live a long and fulfilling life. However, before you get on with your long and assuredly fulfilling life, I would like you to consider taking on a project somewhat different from though not unrelated to your typical critic's work (not to say your work is typical. If anyone could take criticism to an art, it would be you). I would like you to review my life as if it were a movie. Yes, this is the depth of my self-absorption. <br />
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I often review my own life as if it were a movie, but I find that I lack objectivity and am prone bursts of self-loathing/self-congratulations that make it impossible to know if my reviews are accurate or not.<br />
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Here is what I propose: you and Chaz fly down to Georgia for a few weeks. You follow me around as I live my life in typical fashion, all the while taking notes and making inward observations for later use in the official review. You would probably need to stay at a hotel as I don't think my couch would be at all comfortable for you or up to your usual standards. Plus, my roommates are moving out soon and there might be a lot of coming and going of furniture. In your review you might include, but should not be limited to, critiques of my personality, relationship advice, thoughts on my intelligence, a scolding of my unsuccessful working life, encouragements on how you know how much better I can be, learned references to other literary/film/historical characters whose lives or incidences in them mirror my own, and if you like, a fair review of my level of prettiness<br />
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The observation period would end whenever you felt you had a good grasp on the entirety of my life as it is now and are ready to write the review. It need not be any longer than an average to long review of yours and should read as if my life were actually a movie. For example, feel free to refer to me as "our heroine" or "the central figure in the plot". Also, please go ahead and post the review on your website. Although I don't want my life to actually be made into a movie starring whoever, I would like it if my ACTUAL life were regarded by all of your readers as a movie, thus allowing them to comment on your review of it. The only drawback is that, since no one else besides you, me, and the people who know me will have seen this "movie" you'd be writing to a very small audience and a lot of confused readers who would spend hours Googling "the life of jenny winchell" to no avail. There's just nothing I can do about this as I'm not willing to give all of your readers the same privilege of examining my life as I'd give to you.<br />
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After all is written and posted I will be free to read the review at my leisure, probably at home by myself to avoid embarrassment. I will then gain significant insight from your thoughtful and well-placed words and will no doubt then be able to alter my life in just the right amount of ways to assure as much happiness in the finite amount of time I have on this earth as possible.<br />
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If you are interested in this unique opportunity, which might make a good book, please respond to this blog post so we can arrange the details.<br />
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Thank you for your consideration.<br />
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Sincerely Yours,<br />
Jenny Winchell<br />
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PS I will not be able to pay any of your expenses. I'm sorry for any inconvenience.<br />
PPS I disagreed with your review of the movie "Kick Ass". I rather liked it. Please do not let this influence your decision.Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-35652557831773277422010-04-29T19:19:00.001-04:002010-04-29T19:21:29.370-04:00The Triceratops is Sean's Favorite Dinosaur. Now you Know.Meh. Tim has my camera. The pictures I take are usually the inspiration for my blog so I'm feeling in a bit of a rut. Sure, I could just pull something off the internet but where's the fun in that? Where's the creativity? I mean, I'm not scrapbooking over here! I think I can muster up a little creative energy of my own without the help of a Google search. Okay, I'll just find something funny on the internet, like a video of a hedgehog playing the piano. I just made that up, but hold on, let me see if I can find one . . .<br />
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<a href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_430xN.87593790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_430xN.87593790.jpg" width="228" /></a>Okay, I'm back. No luck. Come on! This is the INTERNET. I thought you could find anything. "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDMNHvnIxic&feature=related">Hamster on a Piano</a>" was closest/cutest thing I found, plus a lot of videos of nerdy teenagers playing the Sonic the Hedgehog theme song. I also found this print from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/boygirlparty">boygirlparty</a> I knew other people shared my interest in spiny mammals performing for the amusement of their friends.<br />
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This week my friend Sean is going away, very far away. Not to jail or heaven or anything, just to Alaska. Still, that's pretty far and I'm pretty sure they've never heard of things like cell phones and email up in Palin country so who knows when I'll talk to him again. By then he might have gone from being a vegetarian to shooting wolves from helicopters while fighting off Russian spies.<br />
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<a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.138016265.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.138016265.jpg" width="200" /></a>Sean is having a dinosaur themed going away party this weekend so I thought I'd kick things off a little early with an exhibition of some of the finest dinosaur-themed wares the internet has to offer . . . <br />
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First, a robot riding a triceratops, which happens to be Sean's favorite dinosaur. Get it in t-shirt form from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/44988469/robot-and-triceratops-funny-science-geek?ref=sr_list_1&ga_search_query=triceratops&ga_search_type=user_shop_ttt_id_5364229">Happy Family</a>. They have a lot of non-dinosaur-related awesome-ness as well. Wow, that's a lot of hyphens.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.140059904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://ny-image0.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.140059904.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Okay, now imagine that you're back in prehistoric times and dinosaurs are roaming the earth, but instead of actually roaming, they're ROLLING because now they have wheels for legs. The creator of these toys imagined this scenario and then MADE IT HAPPEN! Now that's positive thinking. You can find these guys at <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/45606085/natural-dinosaurs-set-of-3?ref=sr_list_25&ga_search_query=triceratops&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&includes[0]=tags&includes[1]=title">Happy Squash Toys</a>.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.138285921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.138285921.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Sean, I hope you ordered enough Chocolate Dinosaurs for the party. If not, you can find these <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/45069305/solid-milk-chocolate-dinosaur-lollipop">here</a>. Maybe you can get her to overnight them to you. Kentucky's not that far away.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.130514543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.130514543.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>And check out these <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/42780461/dinosaur-explosion-125-inch-button-pack">dinosaur buttons</a>! They're, well, you know, cute and colorful and stuff.<br />
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And last but maybe the best, a freakin' dinosaur chair! I might buy this for myself if it weren't for the fact that it's sized for a child, and you know my butt isn't fitting into that. Maybe I can just find the fabric somewhere and reupholster a thrift store chair.<br />
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You can find this chair in a bunch of places online, including <a href="http://www.reclinersfunstore.com/contemporary-dinosaur-child-rocker-recliner-chair.html">here</a>. Let me know if you buy it so I can come over and try it out/probably break it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.netshops.com/mgen/digimarc.ms?img=master:DZD013.jpg&h=400&w=400" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://images.netshops.com/mgen/digimarc.ms?img=master:DZD013.jpg&h=400&w=400" width="320" /></a></div>Good luck in Alaska, Sean! May all your dinosaur dreams come true!Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-54753503793708373302010-04-18T15:02:00.001-04:002010-04-26T22:36:30.371-04:00Back from the BrinkSo, yeah, ok. I haven't posted in a while. Sorry about that. My excuse is that I've been in bed trying to breath through 6 inches of mucus in my lungs which caused me to miss work for a week. I know, being in bed for a week sounds like the perfect opportunity for me to blog about my slightly creepy obsession with having a zoo full of miniature animals. But listen, I was completely focused on trying not to swallow my own lungs so give me a break. Anyway, here's what's been going on . . .<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRlvNPs764qZ5IQgQzqIfMZsC_0EE-uefUc6T5JqeKBaslleH9Tl_mn79FaUs1k4np1PZZyjBJqA0fG7UUuce7BxdLu8GGLIjFbJCgSOwZR49FHS8VJF-R3jY8KZdR4QywBGN0uLxGSI/s1600/PICT0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyRlvNPs764qZ5IQgQzqIfMZsC_0EE-uefUc6T5JqeKBaslleH9Tl_mn79FaUs1k4np1PZZyjBJqA0fG7UUuce7BxdLu8GGLIjFbJCgSOwZR49FHS8VJF-R3jY8KZdR4QywBGN0uLxGSI/s320/PICT0041.JPG" /></a></div>A couple of weekends ago, before Influenza 2010© Tim and I headed up to the north Georgia mountains with a bunch of folks to celebrate our friend Blake's birthday. It was a great weekend, but I have to say my favorite part was exploring the abandoned grounds of an old cabin resort which we discovered tucked away off the highway. I don't know, maybe I just want to be Nancy Drew, but when I see this I kind of thing I freak out. I mean, there was an old piano. A PIANO. I feel like I'm in an alternate version of "The Shining". There was a piano in that movie, right?<br />
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And then, THEN came the bamboo forest. So, here's what I figured happened to this place. The owners decided to add a little exotic flavor by bringing in some bamboo. But then, slowly, the bamboo started to take over. Then the owners mysteriously disappeared. No doubt the bamboo took over their bodies as evidenced by these partially disintegrated shoes I found. That's my theory anyway.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtEGamMttkG7gnseyq5gTuJYms3lIgKIsvZO0nHrsYAp1E2e5P5bLXAtMdpA-UP3kfNVwZy8Yue_mMY9g_2Ma8Zk568OR_PCU3lRDo4bkX0J8LVCTJFmQHnIpLkrNsIahFsshiOxBoAA/s1600/PICT0047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLtEGamMttkG7gnseyq5gTuJYms3lIgKIsvZO0nHrsYAp1E2e5P5bLXAtMdpA-UP3kfNVwZy8Yue_mMY9g_2Ma8Zk568OR_PCU3lRDo4bkX0J8LVCTJFmQHnIpLkrNsIahFsshiOxBoAA/s320/PICT0047.JPG" /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSoDgVJIl8OZsr2wsqDRc0WjLKNs0FDChoTCZwf4m2WVPzr8l6NmJvcU-cIQZFpc0xaS4SctFhsr0cPGu6R492OTUjBrKU1_VTi-C-mdmr0zQDHaLvpsYXkz_rbZZsnsbdHI2O8qBKsL8/s1600/PICT0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSoDgVJIl8OZsr2wsqDRc0WjLKNs0FDChoTCZwf4m2WVPzr8l6NmJvcU-cIQZFpc0xaS4SctFhsr0cPGu6R492OTUjBrKU1_VTi-C-mdmr0zQDHaLvpsYXkz_rbZZsnsbdHI2O8qBKsL8/s320/PICT0048.JPG" /></a>We also found this old oven. At least, I think it's an oven. Maybe they made pizzas in it. Or maybe there's a much creepier explanation for it which I'll let you use your imaginations for. Hint: psychopathic owners, unsuspecting tourists.<br />
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We made our way through the bamboo and came across the only cabin remaining on the grounds. Whoever was living there must have really loved Texas Pete because we found four bottles of it. As we walked the grounds we came full circle to the other side of the main building and realized that the bamboo was so dense that without realizing it we had been standing about five feet from the pool. I'm guessing this was the source of the bamboo, the owner's wanting to creating a "tropical" atmosphere with tiki torches and the like. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFJnPAcRK0571C0H22Vp1oamF5RPQeWjeM4HcL20uKSYmbRtpZMTZ7hNJantw4lj1762up3DYNhjXsXBUFd4GN37NWj4IPLKEvr1OiZ8icdSrqOdB7rZ4PYj4nwl9K2xaJ85T1GmjssQ/s1600/PICT0070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisFJnPAcRK0571C0H22Vp1oamF5RPQeWjeM4HcL20uKSYmbRtpZMTZ7hNJantw4lj1762up3DYNhjXsXBUFd4GN37NWj4IPLKEvr1OiZ8icdSrqOdB7rZ4PYj4nwl9K2xaJ85T1GmjssQ/s320/PICT0070.JPG" /></a></div>We left soon after. I think everyone had a bit of the creeps. The whole trip was a lot of fun but I can shake the feel that someone was watching us. OOOOOOOOOOO!Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-11998674578071745012010-04-05T16:30:00.001-04:002010-04-05T16:31:10.025-04:00And the Winner is . . .Mickensey!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSS0UrasY2chFBaNqMQ2ZPy6fq8nFeiQpBXA5CCkLY-yTkBTN2e3HNedTF9elvm0gkpOEdIVpo0o2SiP1OBtLaWb9NzJ24dFMVPOAv6U2f1XLZPUJ7yjqXGTH4z463SPsYANLNfWajKc/s1600/PICT0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSS0UrasY2chFBaNqMQ2ZPy6fq8nFeiQpBXA5CCkLY-yTkBTN2e3HNedTF9elvm0gkpOEdIVpo0o2SiP1OBtLaWb9NzJ24dFMVPOAv6U2f1XLZPUJ7yjqXGTH4z463SPsYANLNfWajKc/s320/PICT0023.JPG" /></a><br />
Tina Ann Merriweather<br />
Brunswick, GA<br />
Hair Stylist and (recently promoted to) Colorist at the LA Hairport of Hwy 163.<br />
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I loved it, especially the "LA Hairport" part. Is that a real place?<br />
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Mickensey, I can either mail you the cards or just give them to you next time I see you. Trivia night, maybe?<br />
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Thanks to everyone for commenting. I love having these contests so you'll definitely see them popping up in my blog periodically. Tune in next blog in which I explore an abandoned cabin retreat with friends and head up to the mountains,Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-76675130077108092672010-03-29T19:30:00.003-04:002010-03-29T21:25:08.579-04:00Orphans and Oddities and Another Contest<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fbrhzyuchiVx8QAy1NhKasiNaTi_xWXYZJ9-xPJfItGRbgntdfqzjgQhm9tOtftCWBqoWdTYdwTPMEBGl9CvCKPcgFdBpGwfP23jl2pkZISU55JlUH3RitnpeZZo5XE7decQKEBOTlc/s1600/PICT0006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fbrhzyuchiVx8QAy1NhKasiNaTi_xWXYZJ9-xPJfItGRbgntdfqzjgQhm9tOtftCWBqoWdTYdwTPMEBGl9CvCKPcgFdBpGwfP23jl2pkZISU55JlUH3RitnpeZZo5XE7decQKEBOTlc/s320/PICT0006.JPG" /></a>Now that Tim and I have decided to open our vintage/handmade store in some yet to be determined city (did I tell you guys this?), I've been sharpening my eye for those one-of-a-kind vintage finds. Here are some recent finds, some of which weren't really found so much as unwillingly thrust upon us, and others that aren't worth the paper they were printed on except as a hilarious reminder of the collective foibles of our society, i.e. Glamour Shots.<br />
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We found the little man to the right and his sheep/dog in an antique store in a small town in South Georgia. The man who owned the store was very kind and gave it to us for the excellent price of $10. Not a bad deal for the adoption of a creepy child AND what looks like a genetically mutated dog. What really gets me are the shoulders, or lack thereof. My question is, at what point in history did this type of portraiture seem normal. Whatever. I'll gladly hang it on my dining room wall to freak out and amuse our guests.<br />
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I found this odd little chair at a Goodwill last year and for the longest time I thought it was a sewing chair because it had this little compartment underneath the seat. Only recently did I find out that it's actually a valet or butler's chair that's missing it's hanger which would normally be screwed to the back, under the little wooden tray. This type of chair was originally designed in 1953 by a Danish man named Hans Wegner to serve as an all-in-one caddy for a man's personal items. I'm only sharing this knowledge with you because I just learned it on Wikipedia and I'm feeling super well-informed. I doubt this chair is worth anything because it was made in the early 70s by a Michigan company that apparently now specializes in wooden hangers, but I thought it was a pretty cool show piece. I've almost gotten rid of it a few times but something makes me hang on to it. What can I say, I just like the weird thing.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQbAOcYv9qoCPnLM3O6Cd4hLNq0qrcLHT2-F-mGQHmcTWVov16LNiiyBSRH454C7E8sdMNieFK3wLjq9qXO0DHm1snXIEw00nwWoaEvShs9zLfzoM1wbSa9LwGPZKE3RWJULaAMTGSzI/s1600/PICT0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQbAOcYv9qoCPnLM3O6Cd4hLNq0qrcLHT2-F-mGQHmcTWVov16LNiiyBSRH454C7E8sdMNieFK3wLjq9qXO0DHm1snXIEw00nwWoaEvShs9zLfzoM1wbSa9LwGPZKE3RWJULaAMTGSzI/s320/PICT0007.JPG" /></a></div>Alright, let me just come out and say it, I'm officially obsessed with 1950s and 60s Pyrex. I mean, it's just so cute and you can find quite a lot of it for pretty cheap. I realize that I'm kind of jumping on a vintage bandwagon here but every time I go thrifting now I have my eye out for that unmistakable milk glass/brightly colored pattern. Just this weekend I found this lid to a baking dish. I didn't find the dish, but I had to get it because, well, look at the thing. Look at those colors! Come on! After doing a little research I've only been able to find this particular pattern on a website called <a href="http://www.pyrexlove.com/">Pyrex Love</a> which shows you all the Pyrex patterns. Even on that site it's listed as an "unknown" pattern, but I think it's pretty awesome. I'm just waiting for the day I stumble upon it's brother. That will be a good day.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGxjUSN05F5T9zVjPcLK7eUMMFvQsIiR9lEc8V-lK-3rlbWjPCyNL30qzz4x9QZRy0pzgWNCreJTEXGWflv2KaFZlAQV4_cJjIfDFYYsGScd_OJiAoW9IL9JWK0-4ZMYnLI6SJB1NLzk/s1600/PICT0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGxjUSN05F5T9zVjPcLK7eUMMFvQsIiR9lEc8V-lK-3rlbWjPCyNL30qzz4x9QZRy0pzgWNCreJTEXGWflv2KaFZlAQV4_cJjIfDFYYsGScd_OJiAoW9IL9JWK0-4ZMYnLI6SJB1NLzk/s200/PICT0022.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>These "things" have kind of been creeping me out ever since they came into our house. We got them in, what else, a secret santa exchange. I believe they're bull horns carved to look like peacocks and made into bookends? Whatever, the orange eyes are scary. Plus, they seem to be slowly decaying. Weird. Tim wouldn't let me sell them at the yard sale we had this weekend, so here they remain staring down at me from the bookshelf as I type this. One of them is missing an eye. Eek.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSS0UrasY2chFBaNqMQ2ZPy6fq8nFeiQpBXA5CCkLY-yTkBTN2e3HNedTF9elvm0gkpOEdIVpo0o2SiP1OBtLaWb9NzJ24dFMVPOAv6U2f1XLZPUJ7yjqXGTH4z463SPsYANLNfWajKc/s1600/PICT0023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSS0UrasY2chFBaNqMQ2ZPy6fq8nFeiQpBXA5CCkLY-yTkBTN2e3HNedTF9elvm0gkpOEdIVpo0o2SiP1OBtLaWb9NzJ24dFMVPOAv6U2f1XLZPUJ7yjqXGTH4z463SPsYANLNfWajKc/s320/PICT0023.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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Last but not least, an item totally out of place in this blog which I try to keep completely devoid of any glamour of any kind. Especially glamour spelled with a "u". We found this sitting on the shelf of one of the scuzzier local thrift stores and it was calling out to us. What a throwback. I don't exactly long for the days when there was a Glamour Shots studio in every mall in the country, but how can you not get a kick out of this. Even back then it was ridiculous but now I feel like it offers us some sort of insight into the psyche of the average American circa 1993, which is when this picture was taken. So, I'm having another blog contest. Here's the scoop:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvX5BIQYqJnMIFOFlXeqsUwgXrJ_2WqNboCinT6FLBTIsYe6TYIWvBXqYvMywolgSWxeChbXCQYZByRnyMFWc-Q-AnljRiA1WZcwIpA3-VLWUTo9LUUhK6_nB_jCvOErTz4fdI3G1pzWA/s1600/PICT0866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvX5BIQYqJnMIFOFlXeqsUwgXrJ_2WqNboCinT6FLBTIsYe6TYIWvBXqYvMywolgSWxeChbXCQYZByRnyMFWc-Q-AnljRiA1WZcwIpA3-VLWUTo9LUUhK6_nB_jCvOErTz4fdI3G1pzWA/s200/PICT0866.JPG" width="181" /></a></div>Come withe a name, hometown, and occupation for this lovely lady and leave a comment on my blog.<br />
I pick the winner based completely on my own preference.<br />
Winner gets a free pack of funny animal cards from my store, pictured here. <br />
Now go out and be funny and poignant and don't disappoint me!Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-38792572057444640322010-03-19T20:04:00.003-04:002010-03-19T20:32:33.993-04:00Growth, Decay, and Rock n' Roll Marching Bands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YjVfPoXDbQvQRMJddl4glqxjdBMr5fGnD8kOrMiiijJhshkNQu7tyfNy8N-thlaynqQOMZMswD83BTd_Z7UQlaFVJECWdIAQJykJGaWdEMv4am4aPCUVXvGnoeXtfqm5F37AU9hzb4I/s1600-h/PICT0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5YjVfPoXDbQvQRMJddl4glqxjdBMr5fGnD8kOrMiiijJhshkNQu7tyfNy8N-thlaynqQOMZMswD83BTd_Z7UQlaFVJECWdIAQJykJGaWdEMv4am4aPCUVXvGnoeXtfqm5F37AU9hzb4I/s320/PICT0010.JPG" /></a></div>Many, many things going on of late. I'm just going to bunch them all together here and hope it doesn't sound too rambling.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-X6v6K9MqU9wAECVblO41ahF53ocYVsvUA2XGY6ROLpj_z0eJ2UdChpuhVbIkrb2Pz0ceOxMEwGFdGoRluH0TUDelU1qh5AKD_c3OA4AZ_9ZSQNNZQY0fn3qQRZAzzusaDysz7GLkxA/s1600-h/PICT0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk-X6v6K9MqU9wAECVblO41ahF53ocYVsvUA2XGY6ROLpj_z0eJ2UdChpuhVbIkrb2Pz0ceOxMEwGFdGoRluH0TUDelU1qh5AKD_c3OA4AZ_9ZSQNNZQY0fn3qQRZAzzusaDysz7GLkxA/s320/PICT0026.JPG" /></a>Last week we trekked my little car down to Florida for the second annual <a href="http://www.harvestofhopefest.com/">Harvest of Hope Festiva</a>l. I'm happy to report that there was a noticeable drop in the number of gutter punks roving the fairgrounds this year. Much less smelly, even with the addition of the muddy ground. Harvest of Hope is a great organization that raises money for the families of migrant workers. We saw some great bands this time around, including The Mountain Goats, Billy Bragg, and Broken Social Scene. One of the best acts we saw was a band from Chicago called <a href="http://mucca-pazza.org/">Mucca Pazza</a>, a sort of rag tag punk rock marching band. They were awesome and amazingly well-arranged for having about 20 members dancing around the stage with horns, pom-poms, and guitars. You should check out their music but don't miss a live show if you can catch it.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vJJ2IY8vP-4fFYZ3o6hikbTn7BziZ5xB2eJpVwZ2yMr0pNe6D0NkzyMnJJK1CSoMLlcQw_BNK0xzK0RCEnbVzvxGsicLHWZrlG9HjOzLYma3BKxjSPCmLI25s1tPdSgpABFnV08Wrl8/s1600-h/PICT0036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vJJ2IY8vP-4fFYZ3o6hikbTn7BziZ5xB2eJpVwZ2yMr0pNe6D0NkzyMnJJK1CSoMLlcQw_BNK0xzK0RCEnbVzvxGsicLHWZrlG9HjOzLYma3BKxjSPCmLI25s1tPdSgpABFnV08Wrl8/s320/PICT0036.JPG" /></a></div>On the seven hour car ride back to Athens we drove the back-roads and meandered around some old Southern towns. It was a bit sad to see the downtowns with all the empty buildings. Tim and I are planning on moving in the next year and opening our own store in some unknown place. All the empty storefronts made me feel both nervous and excited to get started. It's like when you begin a big project and the task seems insurmountable but you can see a glimmer of the ultimate results.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8t-BXht6LMhXEylA6MR2Yc59pFYYI-K1hABGplk8-kqaa0ik2M8_RCoqbS44zia7Hx0GVr9pZVR_U9ipAplNPswXVLbNq7jpqy9ZSiO0QYkenscCceM98gc5v8wBWU-xUCrEeOvX3bQ/s1600-h/PICT0064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO8t-BXht6LMhXEylA6MR2Yc59pFYYI-K1hABGplk8-kqaa0ik2M8_RCoqbS44zia7Hx0GVr9pZVR_U9ipAplNPswXVLbNq7jpqy9ZSiO0QYkenscCceM98gc5v8wBWU-xUCrEeOvX3bQ/s200/PICT0064.JPG" width="200" /></a>Meanwhile, back at the ranch . . . we've started once again planting our little garden. I'm afraid we're not very attentive gardeners, but I'm determined that this year we'll get more than just a handful of beans and tomatoes from our harvest. I spent the day digging up the soil, planting seeds, and redesigning our compost so we don't lose so much to little scavengers. As I was digging through the compost I came upon a big colony of earth worms. I love those little guys. They're so simple and singular.</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Cat in a basket . . .</div><br />
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Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-90285770436449525842010-03-17T17:23:00.003-04:002010-03-17T19:46:05.072-04:00Sometimes People Suck.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cinie.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/pissed-off-woman1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 400px;" src="http://cinie.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/pissed-off-woman1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Not all the time, but sometimes. I'll give you a good long blog about all the scrambling about I've been doing over the past week, but for now I just want to vent a little. That's what the internet is for, right? Right.<br /><br />Now that we're all on the same page let me start by saying that I'm sure none of you people suck. In fact, I'm pretty sure I know most of you reading this and I don't purposely associate myself with suckiness, lameness, fakery, egotism, or jerk-titude. And yes, according to spell-check I made up 60% of those words.<br /><br />Don't get me wrong, we all have our days. I can be downright unpleasant to be around sometimes, but I don't think I'm mean, or at least I don't try to be.<br /><br />If you're wondering if I'm just babbling, let me explain. As most of you know, I work in retail bookstore as a necessary side project to keep me in yarn and felt. Working retail comes with the understanding that sometimes the people you run into are having bad days and don't want to talk to you. Fine with me. I've been in the same boat. These aren't the people that concern me. Usually they say "No thanks" and are on their way.<br /><br />However, there's a special place in hell for the small percentage of the population who feel it's their God-given right to treat people like crap and expect to be rewarded for it. The truly awful part is that they very often are. Everyone's heard the saying, "The customer's always right." Oh, how that saying is the bane of my working life. If that phrase comes into play it usually means the exact opposite: the customer is completely wrong but wants what they want and thinks that screaming at enough peons will do the job, and it usually does.<br /><br />Let me tell you why I'm ranting about this. Today I had a woman accuse me/the company I work for of emailing customers coupons that don't work just to get them into the store to buy something. When I explained to her that the coupon would work if she could just give me the proper phone number associated with the account so the register would accept the coupon she told me to stop talking and to "wipe that look off [my] face". I'm assuming the look she meant was me biting my lip to stop myself from saying something I'd regret.<br /><br />Let's pause here for a minute to evaluate the situation from this woman's point of view. You're in a store, talking to a complete stranger, you're getting a little frustrated, and before pausing to even think that the person you're talking to has no control over the policies of a huge corporation, you start verbally bitch-slapping them.<br /><br />Okay, let's pick it back up. It's at this point in the conversation that I've decided to stop trying to placate this person and start defending myself. I say in a very direct, firm tone, "please don't speak to me like that." I'm not screaming at her, I'm not accusing her of anything, I just want her to treat me like a human being and not the grime under her finger-nails. In my experience, the direct honest approach works about 75% of the time. Perhaps the customer is taken aback by your bluntness and obvious unwilling-ness to take crap from them. Perhaps they even realize that they've been a total ass and are only making themselves look bad. Whatever the reasons, it did not work in this case.<br /><br />While violently slamming her credit card on the counter she screams, "I told you to stop talking. Now just ring up the damn book".<br /><br />I repeat, "Ma'am, there's no reason to speak to me that way."<br /><br />Then, here it comes, the inevitable, "What's the name of your supervisor, JENNY?!" As if my daring to ask her to speak in the tone, volume, and level of sanity of a normal human being were breaking some unspoken retail barrier where you, the worker, are meant to assume that every word out of their, the shopper's, mouth was ordained by God and must be obeyed accordingly lest you be smote by the molten fires of His wrath.<br /><br />What most people don't know is that it's almost impossible for a customer to get an employee fired or even reprimanded beyond a light, "Maybe next time you should just pass it off to a manager." I've never seen anyone lose a job this way. A manager/supervisor has likely been working in retail for quite a while and has seen their share of crazies. They know it's part of the business and are far more likely to believe an employee they've known for a while than stranger whose raving like a banshee at them.<br /><br />Anyway, you have to take it in stride, and it won't have any long-term effects. I just felt like getting it out of my system. Also, although I know none of you are jerks, if you're ever in a situation at a retail store where you can feel yourself becoming frustrated about something, stop and think about what you're doing and who you're talking to. More likely than not the store clerk has no power and yelling at them for something beyond their control will only make you look like an ass. If you feel strongly enough about the situation, politely ask to see a manager who will probably give you what you want because that's what they're paid to do.<br /><br />That's my rant.<br /><br />Tip your servers.Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-57519379140290717582010-03-06T17:24:00.008-05:002010-03-08T16:43:51.932-05:00Vintage DelightsI love shopping handmade on Etsy, but there's also another equally awesome group of sellers who devote their lives to hunting down those dusty gems and bringing them to light. Here are some treasures I found . . . <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.80973807.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 280px;" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.80973807.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I've become somewhat obsessed with these vintage pyrex Cinderella bowls. My sister and I bought a set for my mom for Christmas in a different pattern. This is probably my favorite pattern/color combination. The pattern is called Amish Butterprint and is super adorable. You can get this set for yourself (or me) at <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28106430">Jen's Closet</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.128340054.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 500px;" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.128340054.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I love these little yellow kitchen containers. If I had any counter space I would get them for myself. Find them at the <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=37794608&ref=sr_list_19&&ga_search_query=yellow&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_page=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title">Art Deco <br />Dame'</a>s shop.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.128338966.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 580px;" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.128338966.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Come on, this is adoorbale, right? It might even fit me. Maybe. Even a size 13from the 60s might be bit snug. I tried on my grandmother's gorgeous wedding dress which was labeled a size 8 or 10 I think. I couldn't even get a leg in it. It's a dress. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating, but you get the idea. Find this awesome dress <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42145433&ref=sr_list_7&&ga_search_query=blue+dress&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_page=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title">here</a>.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.128341783.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 375px; height: 500px;" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_fullxfull.128341783.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I think this little jacket would look amazing on the right person. It's pretty Victorian, but I think you could turn it really modern with the right look. Find it <a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=42146541&ref=sr_list_12&&ga_search_query=+jacket&ga_search_type=vintage&ga_page=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title">here</a>.<br /><br />Okay, that's it for now. I hope you enjoy my picks. I'll be back blogging soon with some original stuff and some pics of my new "studio".Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-31947165792651272282010-02-23T19:05:00.007-05:002010-02-23T19:59:03.178-05:00Among the Bearded Ones<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3zJFUtBxYlAzMb2bURnV_ZLzfrXpyptjbON6Kl669MHYkT4L7Kodpr8REi8MRfLBf4JvZl5smrOXlp44yq2bklv7DHGeizA4bPa41-zlCB4zMtWalD1xpj46SiwcFQtWzSvS9k2bw-M/s1600-h/866ff74e7c_f.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3zJFUtBxYlAzMb2bURnV_ZLzfrXpyptjbON6Kl669MHYkT4L7Kodpr8REi8MRfLBf4JvZl5smrOXlp44yq2bklv7DHGeizA4bPa41-zlCB4zMtWalD1xpj46SiwcFQtWzSvS9k2bw-M/s320/866ff74e7c_f.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441607300503397746" /></a><br /><br />Probably not many of you will ever get to experience hair growth to the level of obsession, but I'm one of the lucky ones. For the last four months my lovely Tim has participated in what can best be described as a social networking site for beard growers (Whiskerino.org). The challenge: shave your face clean at the end of October and let it grow. The goal: No trimming, shaving, or cutting for four months while posting a photo of your progressive beard growth at least once a week.<br /><br />At last the saga is almost over, and somehow I was conned into to accompanying said boyfriend to the ultimate beard party of the century. It was definitely an interesting time filled with lots of eating and drinking, lots of beard admiring, some good music, ridiculous amounts of photography, and a stuffed sheep named Roy who came home with us when Tim insisted on buying him for me after an excessive amount of "celebrating".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVMgMdkOWNRr_Ej9v3XNMggBS4-d457_5JHTruRG4e4AzaYpgSeTjhMxyizTs7VwQ1IyZFDz3nuLk5YmOzIKJ2q8nCAy27qsoTnSvZ1EsHj4LXp00X4EchOo1gwixxdtmZSYPtUoJqKM/s1600-h/120dfde7f1_f.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlVMgMdkOWNRr_Ej9v3XNMggBS4-d457_5JHTruRG4e4AzaYpgSeTjhMxyizTs7VwQ1IyZFDz3nuLk5YmOzIKJ2q8nCAy27qsoTnSvZ1EsHj4LXp00X4EchOo1gwixxdtmZSYPtUoJqKM/s320/120dfde7f1_f.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441606668868306658" /></a><br /><br />The last day was relatively beard free although there were two amazing and unplanned beard run-ins throughout the city. We hung around Nashville for a while and ate some awesome brunch at a place called Marche which I'd highly recommend if you're ever in the area. I tried to drink a cup of the house-made hot chocolate but it was way too thick and rich to finish after having gorged myself on some delicious pastries followed by scrumptious french toast.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJ9AVFNhtjIcC15DB0Xb90JIkbQhX7_gML4EIJuMSGBcIBpy_vv93NhzX5kfizBi1HKPx0MCs_Vmq_Rf5E-jrS0cx_lc-vi5Br3xEigawC1buIJAiOPwFBPEwqOaQ6pkRcJNdpSxLaWI/s1600-h/PICT0317.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJ9AVFNhtjIcC15DB0Xb90JIkbQhX7_gML4EIJuMSGBcIBpy_vv93NhzX5kfizBi1HKPx0MCs_Vmq_Rf5E-jrS0cx_lc-vi5Br3xEigawC1buIJAiOPwFBPEwqOaQ6pkRcJNdpSxLaWI/s320/PICT0317.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441607621079347090" /></a><br /><br />Good times were had by all.<br /><br />Thanks for the memories, Nashville.Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-20586794059766334052010-02-11T20:14:00.008-05:002010-02-11T20:59:45.029-05:00Felt-Up #2<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCNNRjaZKKliBPcXkd-Nh8mppJmHoHLiyaiBwpmvtJd012sz9WC6fGXvCUvPXTuY2iEDxLhduBmVXwpVg6PQmx7QsNWbjnSQFhiL2ZLSxWomsQgBS1zqQXFbyV7DtswWZhSXJcaDLy6A/s1600-h/PICT0275.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdCNNRjaZKKliBPcXkd-Nh8mppJmHoHLiyaiBwpmvtJd012sz9WC6fGXvCUvPXTuY2iEDxLhduBmVXwpVg6PQmx7QsNWbjnSQFhiL2ZLSxWomsQgBS1zqQXFbyV7DtswWZhSXJcaDLy6A/s320/PICT0275.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437168817809950866" /></a><br /><br />Success! Sort of. Ok, maybe not success per se, but better than last time, right? Right. I knew you'd agree with me. I actually think the gray looks rather sophisticated. And, although the lace pattern didn't show up as visibly as maybe I was planning, I think it adds a nice textural flare. Blah blah blah.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2m-zwPq_OePKKXfnbcP8k_E1_FAf5bVXN-lHlDdfLp7C8r7lQdW55sPM1uH7sCTlCfsxEgLx_OQtYzz17SalYho4HqI9IiZYJpl-hFTt44XaycB8lGPJx2ohshG-kU0Yt_4boDzkvs8/s1600-h/PICT0297.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO2m-zwPq_OePKKXfnbcP8k_E1_FAf5bVXN-lHlDdfLp7C8r7lQdW55sPM1uH7sCTlCfsxEgLx_OQtYzz17SalYho4HqI9IiZYJpl-hFTt44XaycB8lGPJx2ohshG-kU0Yt_4boDzkvs8/s320/PICT0297.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437169088328578754" /></a><br /><br />Anyway, I sent it to Detroit so you Detroiters should go to City Bird and buy it. All of you buy it! <br /><br />Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the hilarious train of badly felted items is chugging along and some pretty awful things are beginning to accumulate around my house. For example, this "hat" which resembles something like a tea cozy and I didn't even use a pattern for, thank you very much! I think I'd better just toss it, but if growing up during the great depression taught me anything, it was to eat anything I can find and don't throw anything away. So, any suggestions for what I should do with this? <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSx4GyruqYjTC0E9HBHuTn2bGu_KFYPEpcCnxyvT7TZAU956Doj5XXinuVpC1whZeUhx_-IFl0xVKM_WCVHRJOVojYI6H864ez5pJou7Sb386k2RKj0BY0mIcIz2G0GeqiugvpjcLBlE/s1600-h/PICT0322.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzSx4GyruqYjTC0E9HBHuTn2bGu_KFYPEpcCnxyvT7TZAU956Doj5XXinuVpC1whZeUhx_-IFl0xVKM_WCVHRJOVojYI6H864ez5pJou7Sb386k2RKj0BY0mIcIz2G0GeqiugvpjcLBlE/s320/PICT0322.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437169488591493570" /></a><br /><br />Here's what I've come up with: pillow, cat saddle. Okay, that's it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHK2UeN8HjRG5ae-7gtWONntepckmhgzZ40-ws57qagKzo2iMV-lRXClJf2xwFdKGJaiVVVRXRrtT5L8bkqmrk7a1UzIRLJdC2IZxOhBSD8KbLtrm2XmYEfhE7dgYMrDBpgGMqYNmK1g/s1600-h/PICT0328.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGHK2UeN8HjRG5ae-7gtWONntepckmhgzZ40-ws57qagKzo2iMV-lRXClJf2xwFdKGJaiVVVRXRrtT5L8bkqmrk7a1UzIRLJdC2IZxOhBSD8KbLtrm2XmYEfhE7dgYMrDBpgGMqYNmK1g/s320/PICT0328.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437169953925502050" /></a><br /><br />I've actually started to enjoy getting ideas from other people and using them as my own, so anything you guys could come up with would be much appreciated.<br /><br /><br />Cat stare:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxpjE9jQlkC2ow1Y14FD3D6EyTuESK0ry5C2SO6tCjBr5Reu_SqiLvxXg21owCGqV7o31CHb2qchKGAlJs4aKGaWK3YNvC-lAwIX1NCsz11YqD050pok4M5rB9I2CCHhPM9nK_40NOtU/s1600-h/PICT0341.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaxpjE9jQlkC2ow1Y14FD3D6EyTuESK0ry5C2SO6tCjBr5Reu_SqiLvxXg21owCGqV7o31CHb2qchKGAlJs4aKGaWK3YNvC-lAwIX1NCsz11YqD050pok4M5rB9I2CCHhPM9nK_40NOtU/s320/PICT0341.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437170193482489778" /></a>Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-66453269200098135942010-02-01T01:09:00.004-05:002010-02-01T01:14:39.625-05:00And the Winner is . . .<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFOdAzXsmCNr6zJkvcQUGiiKD471aja4GGI3XnFHLFvWBHtDsYinllrvmMK0GuBHfGxJxRsDOYmaqT9BKbiUdfdBCdPjanD_lFnRpEgApDxz6ItFOirzQTyH7V4LUkQYPDrECNy7xq2I/s1600-h/CRab.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFOdAzXsmCNr6zJkvcQUGiiKD471aja4GGI3XnFHLFvWBHtDsYinllrvmMK0GuBHfGxJxRsDOYmaqT9BKbiUdfdBCdPjanD_lFnRpEgApDxz6ItFOirzQTyH7V4LUkQYPDrECNy7xq2I/s320/CRab.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5433153515286410674" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />MIKE!<br /><br />I thought there were a lot of awesomely hilarious suggestions, but I really liked the idea of this crab being in a business meeting, maybe wearing a suit, especially with the way his arms (claws) are folded.<br /><br />I'll probably have more contests in the future so visit often to see what's new and what you could win.<br /><br />Mike, I'll get your crab drawing to you very shortly.Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-72691906118323026752010-01-26T17:54:00.007-05:002010-01-26T18:34:28.609-05:00Crab Say What?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvyf9HfMjtMRIRfFkU4svTN6JGHiNKf0gapK6NsRkTT6tePboWefblYN0VytCrlInXPFK4Qjpo6HAXE2wxYBISeRwXFb-315O81zpgiHIvF-Qtj4e2HZIyC_eVIARpeHvUP_eBkqVMJg/s1600-h/image-7.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvyf9HfMjtMRIRfFkU4svTN6JGHiNKf0gapK6NsRkTT6tePboWefblYN0VytCrlInXPFK4Qjpo6HAXE2wxYBISeRwXFb-315O81zpgiHIvF-Qtj4e2HZIyC_eVIARpeHvUP_eBkqVMJg/s320/image-7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431192360053541138" border="0" /></a><br />Ok, this is all you, readers. And by readers I mean my sister and my boyfriend if I tell him to. You've gotta help me out here. As you probably know if you're one of the two people previously mentioned, I've been working on a series of animal drawings in which the animal depicted is saying something completely out of context and thus hilarious. The hippo and bear are some examples of what I've done in the past.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnY-uzd4DvNlRqJ01XCKAH3iD_1osj5TK6szfByYtKSzsmxtddkqhBsc_rYmhqkzdvSvawd0ydGEHJYXHNUhMo2GqS7H0xnpnrMVFBvAbecDxZYSkuHYKXtgTd3bSaLZ5dxat7Dxlym0/s1600-h/image-9.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 243px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnY-uzd4DvNlRqJ01XCKAH3iD_1osj5TK6szfByYtKSzsmxtddkqhBsc_rYmhqkzdvSvawd0ydGEHJYXHNUhMo2GqS7H0xnpnrMVFBvAbecDxZYSkuHYKXtgTd3bSaLZ5dxat7Dxlym0/s320/image-9.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431192710053346482" border="0" /></a>So here's the deal. I've got this crab here and he's drawings a blank. Please leave a comment with the funny thing you think the crab should be saying. If I pick you, I'll send you the original drawing with your saying added. I will also be making these into cards and prints so you're saying will be famous! FAMOUS! Here's the crab so get going being hilarious and get back to me soon. I'll give you until Thursday at midnight to submit something. Ok, go!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij37pydFmT-KA2GR0gzbg8qh9FuiweB3-YPPZXMKSm7gSlPEE4z7tg9RWotxY5_HV_FzMlt116c1ZfWTUUgZ-DaYNRZJd4wTwQCaBabTj6B6aP_16N0ko_Yn3-BoQjDBbXVshuVmgMtEE/s1600-h/PICT0160.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij37pydFmT-KA2GR0gzbg8qh9FuiweB3-YPPZXMKSm7gSlPEE4z7tg9RWotxY5_HV_FzMlt116c1ZfWTUUgZ-DaYNRZJd4wTwQCaBabTj6B6aP_16N0ko_Yn3-BoQjDBbXVshuVmgMtEE/s320/PICT0160.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5431195500637611970" border="0" /></a>Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-72567562770826591052010-01-24T21:30:00.005-05:002010-01-24T22:02:33.284-05:00Felt-Up #1So I believe I mentioned in a previous blog that I was planning on experimenting with some felting techniques. Well, the results have started filing in and let me tell you, I'm far more capable of making something truly ugly than I ever thought possible.<br /><br />I mean, let's be truthful, I've made some ugly things in my life. I have some art school horrors hiding out in a box in my closet, hiding from the light of day. However, I'm not sure if I've ever worked so hard to make something that's trying itself so hard to be cute, but falls short so drastically. This is what an awesome felted scarf is supposed to look like . . .<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://kpixie.com/catalog/images/naturalknits/feltbetter8.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 319px;" src="http://kpixie.com/catalog/images/naturalknits/feltbetter8.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>This is what the turd that I came up with looks like, keeping in mind that I tried to photograph it in as pleasing a light as possible . . .<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHF4OeWH3AxnDgjwLunjuKHitHtXfMn6fHGmX0elXkFWE9Ddo5eRqlMGg6bIJI3OJgfHagEypN2IHJWE9Zqh9lO_VyLr8RnJuwYBDOC4Cv2abbK7XHYkajmW7U2HJACVYVIdJLQw-8DHY/s1600-h/PICT0156.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHF4OeWH3AxnDgjwLunjuKHitHtXfMn6fHGmX0elXkFWE9Ddo5eRqlMGg6bIJI3OJgfHagEypN2IHJWE9Zqh9lO_VyLr8RnJuwYBDOC4Cv2abbK7XHYkajmW7U2HJACVYVIdJLQw-8DHY/s320/PICT0156.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430503050633255266" border="0" /></a>I know what you're thinking. That doesn't look that bad. I might wear that on a day that I'm not going to see anyone I know. Here are some things to note: it's too short. It shrunk much more than I thought it would so it won't even fit around your neck a few times. Also, the little bobbles aren't really evenly placed so there's a sort of pattern but not really. Plus, it's brown, which I usually like, but in this case increases the turd factor by a degree of at least 17.5.<br /><br />Don't pity me though. This useless swath of thick wool gives me a glimmer of hope for the future. It's strengthened my resolve to move ahead pig-headedly, despite all signs that I will fail miserably and waste lots of yarn.<br /><br />If you can think of anything I can do with this please comment and let me know. Possibilities have thus far included; lining for cat bed, firewood carrier, abstract wall art, loin cloth, "fashion sling".<br /><br />Cat:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdjRjVXZiM9E4qxW84XXF2C7wAeqatY1PKE3SRBGhEE2x5S8v8niEfGIMh0G8SGx8VXzZz3BurAPAUQ8tDqgNLI8ruWSJWvCLX3Wh6ZFaMnJdvbArpEi985HY6ALZFCqa9Pb5f8k5sfA/s1600-h/PICT0167.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdjRjVXZiM9E4qxW84XXF2C7wAeqatY1PKE3SRBGhEE2x5S8v8niEfGIMh0G8SGx8VXzZz3BurAPAUQ8tDqgNLI8ruWSJWvCLX3Wh6ZFaMnJdvbArpEi985HY6ALZFCqa9Pb5f8k5sfA/s320/PICT0167.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5430506456739515458" border="0" /></a>Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-90610114819581914622010-01-18T21:53:00.005-05:002010-01-18T22:36:17.085-05:00Um, Yes Please.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com//il_fullxfull.115061226.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 399px; height: 399px;" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com//il_fullxfull.115061226.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />So, here's some cute stuff. I decided I was too lazy to be creatively bloggy today so I'm just going to post some things I found on Etsy that are awesome and deserve some notice. This, for example is an adorable bag by<a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/Deadworry"> Deadworry</a>. I bought a t-shirt of this same design for Tim for Christmas. Who can resist Mr. Fancy Rabbit? Nobody, I say, nobody! Go and buy this, and buy one for me while you're at it.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image1.etsy.com//il_fullxfull.116886813.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 425px; height: 313px;" src="http://ny-image1.etsy.com//il_fullxfull.116886813.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />These adorable illustrations by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/matteart">Matteart</a> remind me of old Disney movies, especially 101 Dalmatians. Don't you want to live in one of these little townhouses? Can't you imagine taking your groceries up in brown bags?<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com//il_fullxfull.110801106.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 376px; height: 250px;" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com//il_fullxfull.110801106.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Um, if you consider yourself an adorable person, as I'm sure you are, you're probably going to want to get one of these adorable hair clips and wear it every day. They're from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/modernbean">Modernbean</a> and they have a bunch of other cute things as well. Check it out!<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://ny-image2.etsy.com//il_fullxfull.111526494.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 387px; height: 358px;" src="http://ny-image2.etsy.com//il_fullxfull.111526494.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Okay, I don't wear belts myself, but my boyfriend does and I'm pretty sure he would love this one. This is from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/buncombebuckles">Buncombe Buckles</a>.<br /><br />Okay, that's all for this edition of things you should buy me. See you next time!Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-53931614398759877422010-01-09T18:15:00.002-05:002010-01-09T18:42:13.186-05:00Some Helpful Advice<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00434/donts_434013a.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 384px; height: 249px;" src="http://img.thesun.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00434/donts_434013a.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>I noticed these books at work the other day and had to take a peek at them. The language is hilariously uptight, although that's not too surprising for the time period. At one point she refers to sex as "overtures". She must had been a satisfied woman.<br /><br />Anyway, here are some quotes I thought you might find amusing. These books were written by Blanche Ebbutt in 1913 and while most of her advice is absurdly archaic some of it is rather timeless.<br /><br />For Wives:<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);" class="postbody"><em>Don't manage your husband too visibly. Of course he may require the most careful management but you don't want your friends to think of him as a hen pecked husband. Above all, never let him think you manage him.<br /><br /></em></span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Don't say it's a waste of time to make marmalade at home when you can get it better made from the stores. Your husband and children never like any so well as yours, and it is worth the trouble of making it to see how they enjoy eating it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Don’t let your husband think it is a matter of indifference to you if he wears his socks wrong side out, or odd boots on his feet. Some men are absent-minded enough even for this; and if they can’t keep a valet, their wives should see that they are dressed properly.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Don't be satisfied to let your husband work overtime to earn money for frocks for you. Manage with fewer frocks</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Don't interpret too literally the 'obey' of the Marriage Service. Your husband has no right to control your individuality</span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span> <br /><br />For Husbands:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Don’t be afraid of lending a hand in the house during a temporary servant difficulty.</span><br /><br /> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Don't be conceited about your good looks. It is more than probable that no one but yourself is aware of them</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Don't try to be a Sultan. This is the West and you can't shut your wife away from all the other men</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic;">Don't be too exacting about your food. If you can't afford an accomplished cook, don't demand accomplished dishes</span><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">.</span>Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8242733926962369411.post-81337895229484407242010-01-07T23:28:00.006-05:002010-01-08T00:13:11.355-05:00New Year, New Blog, New Unnecessary Pictures of My CatWell, what can I say? I've made blogging my New Year's resolution and already it's taken me until almost midnight at the end of the first week of the year to even BEGIN accomplishing my goal of posting regularly. But you know, I feel good. This is gonna happen.<br /><br />I'm like one of those plucky heroines in movies who leads a listlessly dull life until something sparks her to become ambitious and confident, and then she moves to New York or Paris or something and becomes a top pastry chef or frees someone wrongfully imprisoned or finds the cure for a rare disease. Ok, actually I'm not that person at all. I'm just blogging and crafting over here, there's no reason to get carried away. But, still, I'm confident that I'll cure Lupus by the end of the year.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Knitting-Never-Felt-Better-Definitive/dp/1933027118"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 240px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ns-XstvtL._SL500_AA240_.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Also, I'm going to create some really awesome felted things. I got this book for free because they were throwing it away at day job (Barnes and Noble) and have now become fascinated with the idea of putting nuts or marbles into wool, rubber-banding them securely and felting the heck out of it. It sounds insane but this book makes it seem like a REALLY good idea. I'm not finished with the scarf I'm going to try it on and I have to be sure it's still long enough to be a scarf after I felt it so I have to make it extra long. If it turns out well I think I'll send it to Detroit where I'm selling some things at<a href="http://citybirddetroit.blogspot.com/"> City Bird</a>. So, if you live in Detroit you may one day have the opportunity to BUY one of these crazy experiments of mine.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit8FizxEj3BzQJCtrF9IpZgd6RCyHOMafu7Y2mcVusz1UGYDEcOzsY_3pgExaaEPUAu4Qn5TLZ6EtGCVxTZZk7VFLwWZHOgV36cz1OXUdzWPWCer9Bsh1XOepisAIJboAMM7prUJyZoV0/s1600-h/PICT0149.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit8FizxEj3BzQJCtrF9IpZgd6RCyHOMafu7Y2mcVusz1UGYDEcOzsY_3pgExaaEPUAu4Qn5TLZ6EtGCVxTZZk7VFLwWZHOgV36cz1OXUdzWPWCer9Bsh1XOepisAIJboAMM7prUJyZoV0/s400/PICT0149.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424231488326809858" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I think I also may try to knit an actual garment, like a little sweater or something. This idea terrifies me. I'm imagining spending hours and days and weeks sweating over this project only to end up with a useless mass of knotted yarn only suitable for a toddler to suck on. But I feel it's a challenge I must take on if I'm to call myself a knitter.<br /><br />Ok, here's the picture of my cat as promised. I got a light box for Christmas to photograph crafts to put up in the shop. I unfolded the structure and went into the other room to get the camera. I came back to find Rilke(cat) looking at me curiously from inside the tent. She loves things like this. Every time I do laundry she ends up pulling the basket over herself. Anyway, when she would sit still I got some pretty cute shots. Here's one:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXYf3NCNXzrDKVh30JelrNEN_weKCbedaUR8PV-MvbgImJ3nT6L_2SAJ-cBTmljPF_LhPi9S6MaeNkP0Y9fEfCJgjOeLg-y7MSe-xc7wxnNtLZJsGzEr38DeW7L1j2poZnyRJzLHBY8c/s1600-h/PICT0157.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXYf3NCNXzrDKVh30JelrNEN_weKCbedaUR8PV-MvbgImJ3nT6L_2SAJ-cBTmljPF_LhPi9S6MaeNkP0Y9fEfCJgjOeLg-y7MSe-xc7wxnNtLZJsGzEr38DeW7L1j2poZnyRJzLHBY8c/s400/PICT0157.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424231842976887266" border="0" /></a><br /> Rilke says Happy New Year and demands adoration for her photogenic adorable-ness.Prairie Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15163246701472034284noreply@blogger.com0