Cute!!!

Tiny succulents in painted Altoid tins. Oy vey! Check out Craftzine for this and more.

Oh Yes...The Drive to the E-book Has Begun

After more than one person asked how I got my little biz off the ground, I went ahead and wrote this post. Check it out! Do subscribe if you are interested so I can add you to my list when I get the newsletter and e-book up and runnin'!

What else? Yippee! Mad Men has started, though it is very cryptic (and I'm pleased as punch that Peggy has turned into such a randy little thing).

For those who don't already know, I am a LIBRARY WHORE. Cincinnati's phenom library is the only metro library in the state who doesn't receive local funding at all. There's a levy coming up. VOTE FOR IT. Also, turns out the Kenton County, Kentucky library system is pretty awesome too (though they don't have Boston Legal on DVD..wtf?).

Getting excited about SXSWi again this year. Started voting for panels. Another reason to head to Austin. Well, for me, the only reason. M and I will stay longer and better this time and I will NOT be sick.

I'm reading Kathleen Norris's thought-provoking Acedia & Me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer's Life. She is simply a phenomenal writer and this speaks to that mood that isn't quite depression, isn't quite laziness and the struggle writers (and anyone self-employed working from home) face.

Ciao for now! P.S. I forget where the photo originated from. It is not mine and when I find out, I'll credit.

New Post at AROnetworking: But What Do You Do...Exactly?

Read all about this crazy work life here.

Stencil Madness

Oh. A lovely art site that is making me want to spend the $25 for the stenciling class. The piece shown is from one of the students....so fab. Check out more of Mary Ann Moss at her blog Dispatches from LA.

Fabulous Quote

"Money and desire--all that is going to collapse, and wild green grasses are going to take over." -Hayao Miyazaki

Photo: Kevin Dooley

5 Things Every Single Gal (on a budget) Needs

I live alone (with 3 cats). This is a state I never expected to find myself in and was/am ill-equipped for. However, I am increasingly comfortable with it and I have a few tips that I've learned in my almost 2 years of flying solo. After 27 years of living with assorted someones and very little break in between them, it has been a lot of trial and error. Here, in no particular order, are my 5 MUST HAVE's. (#6 is not listed. My father and son read this blog).

1. A George Foreman grill with removable plates. Don't skimp! The removable grill plates are the difference between loving and hating this indispensable tool. One of the biggest issues with living alone is food. I cooked for kids and family for a lotta years. I don't want to do it anymore. Unlike a lot of single folks, I undereat when alone. Laziness trumps hunger. Still, sometimes I gotta. I always grill 2 pieces of meat, unless it's fish, on the Foreman so I can reheat one later. OR I grill meat and veggies (peppers, onions, mushrooms, asparagus).

2. A wide selection of cereal. Milk is a struggle. Despite having many cereal-only meals I can rarely use even a 1/2 gallon of 1-2% without it going bad. I checked into alternatives. It is still cheaper to throw the remainder away. There are TWO TYPES OF CEREAL: entree and dessert. Entree favs for me are Multi-Grain Cheerios, regular Total with banana (you can pretend you are a healthy eater), raisin bran and Life. Dessert cereal includes Lucky Charms (the Quaker Oat brand in a bag is just as good and cheaper) and Corn Pops (yum! I haven't had those in awhile).

There is one switch-hitter: Post Blueberry Morning. It has blueberries in it (they always end up at the bottom though) so it qualifies as an entree cereal. BUT it is so sweet and yummy, it often ends up as dessert.

3. Furniture moving sliders. Why, why, why did I wait so long to buy these? I moved a very large bookshelf and desk from one room to another with these and it was easier than with another person. I think non-singles should have these too.

4. The library. Actually this is for everyone. And I won't belabor it here. You know how I feel (but, that said, you can watch every episode of nearly every TV show known to man when you cannot find real company to hang with-and it's free!).

5. A best friend who is single as well. One must must must have someone with whom to

• bitch about being single and the dearth of available, smart, funny, sexy men or women
• fall apart on the phone
• pick apart every sexual nuance of an encounter
• spend the night when you think you can't take one more night alone
• hit "singles" events so you can trash them later
• there's more but Stephanie Spanja-here's to you! Mary had Rhoda. I have you...