Monthly Archive for December, 2007

It Don’t Snow Here, It Stays Pretty Green

Published
by
Girl Friday
on December 24, 2007
in Listmaking and Random
. 2 Comments

It’s Christmas Eve and I’m just sitting here after my meal of take out spaghetti and meatballs wondering what I can say…  I wasn’t feeling totally in the holiday spirit this week.  Typical of most holidays was that things have not gone as planned.  Try as I might to be organized, there were some snafus and in Girl Friday fashion I’ve done my best to take them with grace and aplomb.  (Read:  I panicked and then proceeded to talk things to death.)  But now I’m really enjoying my time off.  I’m reading Harry Potter, sipping wine, and I’m not in a hurry for anything!

With so much leisure time on my hands I thought I’d impart some silly things that I learned lately:

1.  Jessica Simpson only has 48 fans!  Apparently my blog gets more people excited than her latest flick Blonde Ambition.  I bet the Gilmore girls would rent this and gorge themselves on Tater Tots, Easy Mac, and Red Vines.  I’d need at least that much junk food to be persuaded to sit and watch it!

2.  I finally learned about Boxing Day!  When I say learn I mean I now have a vague idea as opposed to not an inkling.  Basically, what I got from Snopes is that Boxing Day is a much more convenient way to say “the day after Christmas.”  It seems like every day in the month of December is described in relation to Christmas and that’s just really not fair to all those unique days that also only happen once a year.  I’m not sure how I’d go about observing the holiday, but since I live in the U.S. and don’t get the day off anyway I think I’ll just be a party pooper.

3.  Apparently curling is a sport.  Seriously.  I’d never heard of it until yesterday’s Korbel Curling Challenge on NBC.  (Why a champagne company would want to sponsor this I don’t know!?)  It’s an Olympic sport, and according to the sportscaster, it’s more popular in Canada than ice skating or hockey!  I find this hard to believe, because to me it looks like a cross between bowling and pushing dust busters and brooms across the ice.

I’m glad I have this time off to catch up on my random facts.  I hope you, my loyal readers (according to my daily stats–about 126 of you), found this post and all the others during 2007 fun and fabulous.

Merry Christmas!

A Fabulous Mixed Bag

Published
by
Girl Friday
on December 13, 2007
in Diary 1.0, Goodies, Homegirl, How To and Listmaking
. 2 Comments

Favorite Things, Part VI

(…continued from Part I, II, III, IV, and V)

Right about now you should be done with holiday shopping, right? Well, you would be if you took the hints from retailers in October! If you’re like me, then you’re still scrambling for some things. The thought of entering another store in the hopes that you’ll find the perfect gift for so-and-so can be daunting. I had a few people on my list who are particularly troublesome, so I made a list of their favorite things and solved my mini-crisis in seconds. Do it. No, seriously, write down some things (right now!). Your list might look like this: candy, nature walks, recycling, and medieval times. All of these things seem like potential shopping woes. Not so with Etsy! Just search for your items in “tags, titles, descriptions.”

Seemingly unrelated favorite things are easy to find on Etsy:

1. Clever Girl makes sweet jewelry. It’s playful and makes me crave candy!

This pendant is darling!

2. If living a healthy life outdoors is more your speed, check out The Full Spectrum’s line of tees and totes. The artist screen prints flowers, sea life, and even bikes on an array of colorful cottons.

Don’t worry, not every artist I like caters to just women! The Full Spectrum also has men’s shirts!

3. If you’re worried about the waste that the holidays produce, consider Easy Being Green’s Eco-Conscious note card set.

The message is snarky, but well meaning! Educations is key, people!

I also love Remade’s creations using materials with a former life. The artist makes beanies out of beloved sweaters and cuffs out of vintage belts.

I think this would be another great gift for a stylin’ guy.

4. If you’re looking for art with old world charm, then look no further than Emily Balivet. Her artwork is stunning. I’m in love with the Twelve Women with Birds print!

It reminds me of the story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses that I used to read as a child.

Finding the unusual is really quite simple. Shopping always takes longer than one expects, but the benefits of our hard work is absolutely evident when a friend opens up his or her treasure. Take the time to find something just right. Be considerate and buy handmade.

Peace!

I’ll Take Two, Thanks

Published
by
Girl Friday
on December 4, 2007
in Homegirl, How To, Listmaking and Shopping
. 1 Comment

Favorite Things, Part V

(…continued from Part I, II, III, and IV)

So by now I should be preaching to the choir, right? Etsy is the best thing since sliced bread! The holiday shopping season isn’t just about buying gifts for other people. While searching for nice things for friends and family, don’t feel bad if you want a few things for yourself, too! Etsy sellers make guilt-free buying simple. The shops are run by people like you and me who understand the plight of the online shopper—shipping charges! Most sellers will combine shipping costs if you buy more than one item, so it helps if you know what you want to buy instead of browsing endlessly. Another cool offer I’ve seen is free shipping for repeat customers or free shipping within the continental U.S. This thoughtful consideration is what keeps me shopping at Etsy. Plus, just like other retailers, Etsy sellers put their items on sale!

Guilt free favorites:

1. Christmas decorations really help me get in the mood, especially since I live in a place that’s currently 68 degrees at almost 10 o’clock at night! Since there is no snow here, I have a great appreciation for nontraditional looking holiday decor. I love Rikrak’s stockings! I needed a little one for my new kitty, but naturally I wanted to upgrade mine and The BF’s also.

2. The tree could always use some new trimmings. Even better are some vintage looking things. Brandywine Boutique crafts some very pretty things using delicately distressed papers, paint, and glitter. You can never have enough glitter during this time of year!

3. Buying stationary always satisfies my need to shop. Empty George has cool graphics and doesn’t shy away from fun colors.

Don’t forget thank you cards! (P.S. Take a look at the humor section!)

4. Gifts with purpose go along way. In order to lug around my holiday goodies to and from work, I sure could use one of these! Three Dog Party captures the look of a classic girl Friday on this canvas tote.

Another find that’s perfect for someone’s stocking and also for yourself are these nifty bookplates. Organization is very important, whatever time of year!