Tuesday Music

My pal Heidi over at Row House 14 loves music and loves to share her finds, and so she's decided to host a link-up of musical posts with a different theme from week to week.  Of course I wanted to join in- I love music.  There's nothing like a good song to get you in the mood for cleaning the house, or to help you through that exercise, or to keep you company in the kitchen (hmm...I see a theme here).  So here we go! 

This week's theme is music from the year you were born, which for me is 1980.  Ah, the 80's- so much great music!  Now, I admit I had to Google the year because I had no idea which songs came out in 1980, but I was happily surprised to see one of my all-time favorites on the list: Blondie.  I have one of their greatest hits albums and have always loved listening to it.  For me, I won't buy an album unless I can listen to at least 90% of it straight through.  I won't buy something just for a single- I want to be able to put something on and listen.  Now there are artists we buy regardless, but in general that's the rule. (My ipod- remember those?- is full of great singles, though.)

Anyway, one of my favorite Blondie songs from 1980 is Rapture, which features what is believed to be the first ever recorded mainstream rap, which is funny because it's not who you would think of in terms of rap, and it's the most random rap you've ever heard.  Look for it around the 1:53 mark.



They've got some other great hits- One Way or Another, Call Me, Heart of Glass- so check them out!

Others from the top ten of the year:

Once in a Lifetime- The Talking Heads


Another One Bites the Dust- Queen


And Whip It by Devo, but they wouldn't let me share that one with you. Not too bad overall!

What's a great song from the year you were born? Share it here, or link up with Heidi, and make sure you check in with her for next week's theme!

Meet Fair Ivy

Have you ever wanted to be part of one of those "of the month" clubs?  You know the ones- they send you a different something every month?  Fruit of the month.  Beer of the month.  Bacon of the month.  (Mmmm....bacon.)

Anyway, I found a really fun handmade-of-the-month:

fair ivy designs monthly surprise packages chock full of handmade goodies for you to send to someone as a fun gift or to send to yourself, because who wouldn't love a little package like this:

or this:

Talk about a fun little pick-me-up!  fair ivy has four different types of packages you can send: fair ivy for ladies, fred ivy for men, fun ivy for girls and the young at heart, and fur ivy for your furry cat and dog pals.  Take a look at some of the types of lovely items that may be included in the box:

(dog not included)

Pretty neat stuff, right?  And you don't know exactly what you're going to get, so that's half the fun!  Each gift category offers a one- to four-month subscription of surprise packages, and each month contains something different.  The best part: fair ivy supports handmade shops and small businesses, and they are eco-friendly, using recycled-material boxes and krinkle paper and trying to purchase locally to reduce travel emissions.

And the best best part?  fair ivy wants to give you something!  One of you very lucky readers will win a fair ivy one-month mini package.  Woo hoo!  Here's what you need to do to enter (and you don't need to be a follower of this blog, although I would love it if you decided to hang out):

1. Please visit fair ivy's website and sign up for their newsletter right at the top of the page.  It's simple and easy and they aren't spammy.

2. Please post a reply to this question in the comments below: What is the best surprise you've either given or received?

That's your entry!  If you would like some additional entries, you can also follow fair ivy on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest (one entry for each).  Please post a comment for each one you follow in order for them to be counted.

The fine print: This giveaway is for US and Canada residents only.  Enter to win between now and next Sunday, February 5 at 6pm EST.  Winner will be announced here on the blog on Monday, February 6.  Please leave an e-mail for me to contact you.  Photos courtesy of fairivy.com.

And remember, even if you don't win, you can always go to the fair ivy website and order yourself a surprise!

Friday Fun

A few things to end the week:

1. This was not the original number one, but I had to share because I am super excited and Twitter is not loading properly!  I woke up to 44 views in my shop according to Etsy shop stats, which is highly unusual for 7:30 am, so I look at the sources and it says "Etsy Holidays".  Whaaaaa?????  A little research and MY garland kit is in the DIY Valentine section!!!!!!!!!  I have no idea how to take a screen shot, so you'll just have to try and find it if you want to see it.  BUT, if you click on the "More DIY ideas" I am on the first page at the bottom!

Ok, on to the originally-intended stuff.

2. Make sure you come back Monday for a super-duper-awesome-you're-going-to-love-it giveaway.  And it's not an Etsy shop!!  Have I piqued your interest??

3. My posts now have a little "Pin It" button over there on the bottom right, just in case you see something you'd like to pin and come back to later or share with others.  Thanks to JulieAnnArt for the tutorial!  Go check it out- it's so easy.

4. Tricia at mama marchand's musings has a great linky going to help us highlight each other as a handmade community.  Her challenge is to make a treasury featuring Etsy items you own.  Mine is here and I was actually surprised that I filled the board, with more to spare!  Between trades, giveaways, gifts, and a few actual purchases, I've gotten a lot of great treasures.  Spread the love and make one of your own!

5. This is the coolest mug ever:

by kngo

6. Hubs and I are fans of 90's alternative music- Red Hot Chili Peppers, Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Temple Pilots, and so on- and we've apparently passed it on to Gus, who will request these bands when we're in the car.  Here's his current favorite song (and video- it's so cool), Tonight, Tonight by the Smashing Pumpkins from Mellon Chollie and the Infinite Sadness (anyone remember that one?)



Happy Friday!

Pinterest: I Tried It (Cheesy Quinoa Bites)

Welcome pinners and friends!  If you've tried something from one of you pin boards this week and blogged about it, you can link up your post at the bottom of this one.  I love to see what everyone's been working on! (Note: I think next week we are going to do an any kind of project link-up; doesn't have to be Pinterest related necessarily.  I would like to get some more participation!)

This week I decided to try another recipe that I saw and pinned and then looked at the ingredients and decided to make them right away:

Cheesy Quinoa Bites

Becky over at So Very Blessed has this recipe posted, and I was excited to try it because I had just bought a box of quinoa and was looking for something to make with it, and really, anything "cheesy" sounds good in my book.  They were very easy to make and came together pretty quickly.

Other than the very dark picture, they look pretty much the same!  However, they are not exactly the best thing I've ever tasted.  "Cheesy" might not be the right word for them, although they do have Parmesan cheese in them.  They were a little dry, although we didn't use a dipping sauce like Becky did.  Hubs thought they were ok, and we're making our way through the batch, but I think maybe I'll try them with something like cheddar cheese the next time and try to make them a little cheesier.  I think they'd be pretty good for you health-wise this way, though, because quinoa is one of those super-grains they talk about now and there's vegetables in there, so if you're looking for a filling good-for-you snack, these are pretty decent.

So how about you?  How were your pinning experiments this week?  Link up below or leave a comment!  And remember- same time next week!  I had a lot of fun trying this one out and may stick to the sewing board for a little while.

Feel free to grab a botton to add to your post to share this link-up with your readers!

<div align="center"><a href="http://bythebookpaper.blogspot.com" title="life by the book"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-awha857MxnA/TyCzpwuwLFI/AAAAAAAABa8/B0Dl8VaU9mU/s1600/Pinterest+Button.jpg" alt="life by the book" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Chevron Apron

After my crayon wallet post, I got talking to my friend Paige over at the newly re-Christened little nostalgia (formerly Final Clothes-Out) about making vendor aprons.  Paige makes lovely jewelry, in case you haven't checked out her shops (here and here), and was looking for an apron to wear to shows.  Back and forth we went- Could I do it? What colors and style?- until we arrived at a common idea.  And so I was left with trying to figure out how to make an apron since I've never made one before.  I'm sure I have one pinned on my boards because it was something I wanted to try, but I had to sort of pattern it out for myself.  The best part, though?  I got to go fabric shopping!  Together we found this lovely neutral chevron stripe, so I ordered it, and away I went!

The results:

Success!  It really wasn't bad at all except for matching up those chevrons, which are somehow not straight.  I am not a sewer who uses a lot of pins and I had to pin the heck out of this thing to make sure the stripes stayed put.  But, I am completely and totally pleased with how it turned out and amazed at how straight my sewing lines have become.  I'm super excited about it, actually.  One of my 2012 goals was to become a more confident sewer, and I this project is certainly helping me on my way!  I listed one in my shop (here) and I also found (on my trip to find backing fabric) a lovely black and white chain-link pattern that I want to make one out of.  Hooray!

Now go stop by little nostalgia and congratulate Paige on her new look!

It's a Giveaway!

My friend Liz over at Here's To Handy Andy just made it to 100 followers, so to help her celebrate, I'm giving away a set of my flat dragonfly stationery.  Go enter to win!  There are two other awesome prizes up for grabs as well.

Humor and a Winner!

Thanks to all who left happy birthday wishes last week and for entering the giveaway!  After counting up all of the entries, Mr. Random chose number 11, which means that Heidi is the winner!  Congratulations!!

Ok, now it's time for some end of the week humor!  Some of my favorites this week, which happen to coincide with some of my posts:

Oh, hair.  (source)

Cocktail party awkwardness.  Coincidentally, we are invited to a football viewing party with these same people on Sunday.  Unless that's code for ball gowns, I think I'll be ok.  Wish me luck.  (source)

source

We are only on step 6.  (source)

Happy Friday!

Pinterest: I Tried It

Welcome pinners and friends!  If you've tried something from one of you pin boards this week and blogged about it, you can link up your post at the bottom of this one.  I love to see what everyone's been working on!  This week I have not had a chance to try anything!  I've been under the weather and dragging myself around doing the bare minimum, and while I've thought of trying something several times, nothing came to be.  But, I really do love to read your posts so I'm still having the link party!  Please add your link to the list below with your Pinterest project from the week and I will stop by and say hi.  I hope you'll grab a button and add it to your post!  (And don't forget to enter the giveaway!! It ends tonight!)

<div align="center"><a href="http://bythebookpaper.blogspot.com/2012/01/pinterest-i-tried-it.html" title="life by the book"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0OZKysZtcoA/Txf1tyX0jVI/AAAAAAAABZs/4RjcmYwM0o8/s1600/Pinterest+Button.jpg" alt="life by the book" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Fab Finds

I have taken to perusing Etsy lately while I am sitting and feeding Greta or, my new favorite thing, looking for supplies (why wasn't I doing that earlier??), and in doing so have come across a lot of fun and interesting things, so I decided to share a few with you.

Green Bean Toys.  Gus would go crazy over this tractor.  And the helicopter.  And the train.

Hubs was on the hunt for beef jerky this week, so naturally we checked out Etsy.

PaPabears Jerky looks pretty good.

Lovely stamped items from Simply Sweet Studio like this vintage sugar spoon.

This incredible sampler of baker's twine from Hobbies from the Heart

And this amazing magnetic wooden map of the USA by PipeDreams2010.  Incredible!

Found anything good while searching the Internet this week?

Oh, Hair.

If you can remember back to almost a year (seriously), I posted about my hair and what a problem it can be.  To refresh your memory, it's generally long, thick, and out of control.  My last cut was in May.  Yes, May.  As in May 2011.  Let's just say that "rat's nest" could easily apply to me even on a somewhat good hair day.  Then I saw this on People.com and pinned it:

source

Now, there are so many things wrong with this idea, namely 1: I am afraid to death of short hair.  Not even just super-short, short in general.  2: I do not look like Michelle Williams and I would probably turn out looking like a boy.  You have to have the right face for the right cut, that's for sure.

But there is something about this idea of hair short enough that I don't have to worry about doing much to it.  If I want to flat-iron my hair right now (ha. ha.) it takes about 30 minutes.  If it were that much shorter, it might take 10.  20 minutes saved- bam!- and I could do it all the time, not just every third day or whatever.  My line to my hair stylist (who is never the same because why would I try and maintain a stylist??) has always been, "I have to be able to pull it up."  And then I started thinking, why?  Why do I need to pull it up?  If it's short enough to not need to be pulled up, then isn't that good?

So I started searching Pinterest and pinning, which I don't often do:

source

source

source

Now, granted, I don't have those faces either (or Keri's curls) but I like the length on them and it's not so extreme, right?  Anyone pondering a new 'do?

19 Questions

Yesterday Liz at The Blue-Eyed Owl held a link party for us to get to know each other better as bloggers, and I have to tell you that I found some really neat new places to visit.  One is my dear watson, and I'm stealing this post from Chrissy, who had some very fun answers. (And I wrote it last night, if that helps it make more sense.)

1. Find the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, find the fourth sentence.  Write down what it says.

"Everyone knows who she is!" from The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can.  What do you touch first?

The hubs.

3. What is the last thing you watched on tele?


The beginning of Sesame Street, before I was off and running to get stuff done.

4. Without looking, guess what time it is.

9:30 pm.

5. Now look at the clock.  What is the actual time?

9:30 on the dot.  Seriously!  I'm not making it up!  

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?

Hubs turning the page of his book and yawning.

7. When did you last step outside?  What were you doing?

This morning.  We went to Home Depot to order carpet for our getting-close-to-being-finished master bedroom.  Hooray!

8. What are you wearing?

Long sleeved white t-shirt, white pj pants with little green twinkle stars on them.

9. Did you dream last night?

Most likely.

10. When did you last laugh?

Earlier today when Gus said or did something funny, I'm sure.

11. What is on the walls of the room you are in?

One of the only rooms in the house with stuff on the walls....three cross stitches that I've done.

12. Seen anything weird lately?

I go to Wal-mart all the time.

13. What do you think of this quiz?

I would rather read other people's answers than answer them myself.

14. What is the last film you saw?

We got Everything Must Go with Will Ferrell for Friday movie night this week.  It was really good.

15. If you became a multi-millionaire overnight what would you buy first?

My dream home in a lovely town.

16. If you could change one thing about the world regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?


No more terrorism and resulting war.

17. Do you like to dance?

In the privacy of my own home.

18. Imagine your first child is a girl?  What do you call her?

Well, I already have her and you know her as Greta.  Her actual name is pretty cute, too.

19. would you ever consider living abroad?

Hmm...maybe as a snow bird, but not really.  Jeez I'm boring.

Please feel free to borrow this post and answer it yourself.  Let me know if you do- I'll come by and check it out!

Happy Birthday by the book!

One year ago today I listed the first item in my little Etsy shop, a set of three stamped dragonfly magnetic bookmarks:

My first sale came six days later, and after I finished jumping up and down I was off and running.  I started the shop with the idea and plan of selling different styles of bookmarks (hence the name "by the book"), but then I wanted to offer more.  As of today I have expanded into note cards, garlands, gift tags, magnets, and fabric items, with more things planned (of course).  In August, I set myself a goal of 100 sales by the end of the first year.  I very, very nearly made it, sitting at 96 sales as I write this, which is pretty darn close and way closer than I actually thought I would be.

An unexpected benefit of having an Etsy shop and being part of that community is the friendships I have made with people that I have never even met!  I have enjoyed getting to know people, chatting and sharing and trading with other sellers, custom order customers, team members.....it's been a lot of fun.

So to celebrate and thank you all for tuning in with me through my first shop year, I've decided to have a giveaway!  What can I win, you ask?  One lucky reader will win a set of my new flat stationery cards.  There are currently four designs in my shop, but there may be more before the giveaway is over, so you'll just have to check back!

Check them out more here!

Along with a set of cards, you will also win your choice of new Valentine's bookmarks, either in red or in purple:

Keep them for yourself or give them as a gift!

In order to enter please leave a comment telling me you'd like to win!  Simple!

But, you can also do one or more of the following (leave a comment for each one, please!):

1. You can visit my shop and favorite it.

2. You can visit my shop and favorite an item..

3. You can follow my blog (Up there at the top on the left!  I'm so close to 200- I'd love to hit that mark!)

4. Tweet, pin on Pinterest, or blog about this giveway and leave me a link (one for each).

Please leave me a way to get in touch with you, too!

And just because I'm feeling so proud to have made it to one year, I'm also offering you, my dear blog readers, free shipping on any purchase from the shop with coupon code HAPPYBIRTHDAY.

Good luck to those who enter, and thanks for celebrating with me!

*Giveaway open to U.S. and Canada residents and will close on Thursday, January 19 at midnight Eastern time. Winner will be announced Friday, January 20 here on the blog.  Please check back to see if you've won!