Spokane Airport, Redux

Picking up my daughter today. She's been
in California camping and visiting Chico
friends. I pick her up at 12:30 and then
we're going school clothes shopping in
downtown Spokane. We have never had an
official school-clothes-shopping event so
should be fun.

Lucky Saturday

You know how you can have weeks and weeks
of pitiful yard sales, and then one day,
everything goes right? That's how Saturday
was for me.










It was one of those lucky mornings where
everything I wanted appeared and treasures
I couldn't imagine were waiting for me.
I have been wanting wicker furniture for
my back porch and I purchased a nice set
of white wicker for SEVEN dollars. No -ty-
at the end. Just SEVEN for two wicker
chairs, an oval table and a love seat.
That would have made my day but at the
same sale I got a mirror that looks like
it should be in a church and a nice old
print of a long admired Paul Berthon print
called L'ermitage.













One block away I picked up a very cute purse
and a sleeping bag with two of my daughter's
favorite things on it: peace signs and VWs.











Then at my last yard sale I purchased a groovy
metal file box, three pretty rectangular
pillows and a beautiful stained glass floor
lamp with a dimmer (below). A few other sundry
items go unmentioned here because they pale in
comparison to what I have mentioned. Yard
sale days like these make all the sucky days
worth while.

Uh-oh. Shopping Binge.

Not exactly a binge because I bid on some
auctions but I could still lose them. Here's
what I have bought so far.














I'm craving shopping like I usually crave potato
chips. I think need a new good book to read. That's
the best cure for a shopping urge.

Potter Comments

Well I finished the book and will
try to comment without spoiling
anything for anyone:

1. I've always liked Neville and felt
JKR was not using hin enough. Nice
to see him in a more active role.

2. If one is moving from one house
to another, why pack the owl? Why
not have him fly on his own and meet
you there later?

3. I guessed the truth about Dumbledore's
death when reading the 6th book. Glad I
was right.

4. I was also right about Snape, though I
never would have guessed about his childhood
friend. Interesting. Didn't like the snake
part.

5. A. S. P. - Nice name. Nice touch.

Another Online Purchase

The book, Myth of Measurability, was a work
related expense, but I'll count it anyway.
I think normally I would have spent more
by now but having to post my purchases is
reining me in.

Cursed by JK

I'm finding it difficult to post due to
the Obsessus Librus Curse which has been
placed upon me. I expect it to wear off
by tonight when I have finished the book.

Kurta Queen

My shipment of Kurtas arrived! Very exciting!



The company did not
have a list of colors
or anything that showed
the colors of the Kurtas
so I had to guess and
hope they would turn out
okay. The colors I got
are: red, light blue,
dark blue, teal, black,
white, brown, yellow,
wine, purple and olive. The purple is a bit
darker than I expected but all the other colors
are great.

My goal is to start a small store called Tienda
Viva. I came up with the idea for purely selfish
reasons. After I moved to this town, many of
the things I like to buy, e.g. kurtas, hot sox,
were no longer available to me. So now I'll
just provide them myself.

Time to figure it all out is of course, hard to
find due to my 40 hour work week but at least
with the arrival of the kurtas I can start to
put things in motion.

Childless

My daughter left Saturday for her annual trek
back to California. She'll spend most of her
time in Chico and will be gone for ten days.

I vascillate between missing her and enjoying
my time alone.













After dropping her and best friend Brixie at
the airport, I swung past the Spokane Goodwill,
which is a huge store. They had a white wicker
breakfast-in-bed tray/shelf but it had some sort
of food imbedded in a good wuarter of the top
surface. And it was $18. Too much I thought,
considering I would have to clean up so much of it.

Blogs I Read Every Morning

Every morning I faithfully visit five blogs to see
what’s up. Then later, throughout the day - on
breaks or when things are slow or when I am taking
client calls (where they talk for 45 minutes) I visit
many others. But the five below are my mainstays,
for various reasons.

In no particular order:

1. Boing Boing, the blogger’s Mothership.

2. Radio Free Blogistan
One of the first blogs I started reading on a
regular basis many years ago. I read it to try
to understand techie things. For about four years
I had a literary blog (which has ceased due to its
being infected with a Paypal phishing site that I
don’t know how to get rid of) and this blog really
taught me a lot about blogging years ago. Plus the
author is a creative and bright person who lives in
the Bay Area so reading it makes me feel like home.
It's not as active as it used to be though.

3. Not Martha.
I always learn something new and interesting here.
This blog has probably cost me more than any other in
terms of cool things I feel I really need. Most recent
example - Window films with tree branches.

4. Posie Gets Cozy.
I read this daily because I envy her life. She lives
in my favorite city (Portland), seems to have an
understanding and supportive family, is very creative,
has an innate color sense and is about to own a Welsh
Corgi puppy.

5. Elizabeth Holcombe is the newest addition to this list.
We have very similar tastes - buttons, sewing, vintage
fabric. She always has great photos and interesting posts.

Knitting and Discontentedness

Another addition to my online total spent. This one
is for vintage fabric which I needed for my Vintage
iPod Pouches which I sell at my Etsy shop. Vintage
buttons and fabrics I can buy guiltfree since they are
for items that I sell instead of things I buy for myself.













The yarn, though, I’m overdoing on the yarn a bit.
Knitting (and newly learned crocheting) are my therapy
against job doldrums. Working 8 - 5 in an office
where the windows don’t open is depressing. It’s a law
office and it’s a dysfunctional office. I really am
grateful to be employed. Really. But I know that this
isn’t what I am supposed to be doing. So I knit away
my discontent.

Boucle Yarn

Had fun in Couer d’Alene yesterday. First
we stopped to pick up Brixie at the Spokane
airport. we couldn’t believe how tall she
is now.














Then we had lunch at the dockside restaurant.
Then walked around the downtown area. There
is a very cool yarnstore in Couer d’Alene
called Boucle on 4th street. I picked up
some pretty hand spun yarn there and drooled
over all beautiful colors and textures. They
have lots of classes too. Great shop!

Yard Sale Envy

Ms. Holcombe went to the best yard sale ever it
looks like from her post today. (Those pins! Those
buttons!!) I too went to yard sales this weekend but
in a town with a population of 24,000 the pickings
are somewhat slimmer than most places. I did find a
few nice skeins of yarn but my best buy was this little
wicker trash (or other) basket. I started out the
morning with a wicker vibe - and then literally stumbled
across this little basket sitting on the ground behind
some suitcases.













so what do I do when there isn’t much to find at yard
sales - I hit the internet. I bought 10 balls of yarn
in my daughter’s favorite color to start on a christmas
present and more jewelry to work on. My total (see
sidebar) is rising. Still - 10 balls of cotton yarn
for $23 - worth it. And a deco-ish moon pin for $4.25
- that’s almost a yard sale price.

Still I’m only half way through July and my total so far
is $ 97.56. That would be ok for a monthly total but seems
high for a two-week total.

To the Airport

Today we are driving up to the Spokane Airport
to pick up Brixie, my daughter’s best friend since
the age of 2. Then we will head over to Couer
d’Alene, have lunch there, maybe walk around their
downtown area, and a quick stop at their yarn store
before heading south, back to Moscow. Brixie will
be here till Sunday, then both girls fly back to
Chico together. I love company from home. Especially
Brixie!

New Purchases

I’ve added to my July expenditures at right. I bought
a lot of jewelry on eBay for 10.20 (includes shipping)
One of the necklaces I will keep, the others are for
jewelry refashioned items to sell on Etsy.












I also spent 39.15 buying yarn on eBay and I hold
Posie and the Ripplers (wouldn’t that make a great
band name) personally responsible for this expense.
The yarn is for my slow moving ripple blanket. I
thought I’d just use leftovers but I’m craving certain
colors for my blanket so.. Shopping I go (or went.)

Still, I don’t think my July expenses are too
unreasonable so far.

Back to Business

Pain free at last! Back to business. What business is
that? The business of finding somthing to supplement
and eventually replace the income from my current
job.

I have an underdeveloped etsy store here but I also
need a place to sell a few items that are not handmade.
For example, I’m going to start selling Kurtas because
I love them and they are hard to find if you live in a
small town.













I placed an order today for lots of the amazingly
comfortable shirts in lots of colors. I hope to
eventually have a store site but need to do some
research on that first. I suppose I’ll start with eBay
until something else comes up.

Do people use Blogger to sell?

The View From Here

Had a tooth that broke off near the bottom
and had to have it taken out by an oral
surgeon today. I have been laying on my
bed dozing but abandoned that for the couch
a couple of hours ago and have been enjoying
the pretty view. One of the nice things
about the location of my house is the large
number of trees.

Necklace Hanger

I bought an old oak coat rack with no hooks
at a yard sale this weekend. Then bought
an assortment of hooks, put them on, and
am using it as a necklace hanger. I didn't
have room to hang coats - too bulky for the
corner of my room, but necklaces work great.
The bottom of the coat rack is my favorite part.

A Package in the Mail!

My pearl earrings arrived from Laura Crow’s
etsy shop. Not only were the earrings
even prettier in person, but the package
itself was exciting. Pretty pink satin
ribbon and a card and a coupon for next
time and a business card with a geisha.
Made me think about how I’ll package my
ipod pouches when I start sending them out.
Shopping online is fun but getting a package
like this adds a whole new dimension to it.
I’m going to order something from her near
my birthday just for the excitment of the
packaging.

A toothache AND hot weather. Double drag. The best tip
I ever learned for dealing with hot weather was from Love
in the Time of Cholera. Dr. Juvenal Urbino and Fermina
Daza would close their windows and curtains every morning
to keep out the heat, then open up the house at night after
the sun had set to fill the house with cool air.

This really works well. Also, wearing wet shirts if things get
really bad.

Love in the Time of Cholera is being made into a movie this
year. Benjamin Bratt plays Dr. Juvenal Urbino. The book
was so good I might have to pass on the movie.

out

out with a toothache
hopefully back soon

Photostudy

Got up early and got my photo card and
have already been experimenting -
daughter was asleep so dogs graciously
filled in as models. Took a few around
the house. took enough to know that
the camera is good but I need work.



















Bits and Pieces always has interesting
photos and she recently posted a
link to selfportraitchallenge.net. So
there I went and they have a challenge
for each month and ideas for it. “ The theme
for this month is about the earth and your
connection with it. More specifically the
element that you most connect with.
Water - Air - Earth - Fire ” Water is my
element but there isn’t a lot around here,
still, I’ve got all of July and we’ll be in
Couer d’Alene at least once this month so
I’ll see what I can whip up.

And I’ll be reading and practicing and
perusing the camera manual all with the
goal of improving my photos.

More Shopping

OK. I bought something else. And I don't
know why. It was only 5.99 including
shipping. Not bad. ANd it's really pretty.
I'm sure I'll find something creative or
useful to do with it.

Darn Post Office

So I bought this pretty little camera and love it! It is
the Lumix DMC FX-07. I first read about it here.
The problem is that it only holds four photos. Silly
me, forgot to buy a media card. So after receiving
the camera I ordered the card online right away
because I wanted to start snapping but - it’s been two
weeks and the damn 1 GB card has not yet arrived.

I might have to break down and but one because I
don’t think I can wait anymore. I bought this camera
weeks ago, thank goodness, so it will not be showing
up on my running tally of internet expenses.

Keeping Track

So I'm going to keep track of everything
I buy online for the month of July. I
started with the earrings I bought last
week - technically they're from June but
since they spurred on this train of thought
I figured I'd include them.

Maybe keeping track of what I spend will
be like keeping a food diary which supposedly
makes people curtail their eating habits.
We'll see.