Quick Takes: Better late than never?

One Friday I forgot to blog, the next Friday I just had some things I needed to finish up - a logo proof, a brochure quote, good stuff like that. Today I'm sneaking this in real quick while I wait for approval on an ad. So some of these items are a little overdue, but, still, here are my quick takes on this week the last few weeks:

(1)
Thanks to everyone who stopped by my blogiversary party! You made me smile and smile! I definitely felt the love! I hope you enjoyed "meeting" each other, too.

(2)
Also thanks to those of you who wrote a poem or chimed in for our Quatrain edition of Perfectly Poetical Tuesday!

(3)
The next PerPoTues is three weeks from Tuesday. Since the style is haiku, you could write one line each week and totally be done in time.

(4)
Work is still staying busy. I'm grateful. And tired.

(5)
The Hubs was pretty disappointed he didn't get to execute his meal plan last week. So he told me he'd take care of dinner this week. Have I mentioned lately that he's awesome?

(6)
We had a nice, relaxed Independence Day celebration with part of the Hubs side of the family. We didn't go see fireworks, but we did - at the insistence of his cousin's four-year-old - put candles on a cake and sing happy birthday to America. The kids blew out the candles on the country's behalf.

(7)
I'm pretty far behind on dealing with photos - getting them off the camera, posting them, etc. There's also a few things I've felt like I should post about, but haven't for one reason or another. I'm thinking of instituting Things I've Been Meaning To Tell You Thursdays. What do you think?


What are your 7 Quick Takes? Dish it at Conversion Diary!

Blog FAIL!

Just realized I forgot to blog today. I had a list of quick take ideas I just needed to write up, and I got busy with my day, and it completely slipped my mind. Guess I'll have to save 'em for another time.

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Quick Takes: heroic poets to free parking

1)
A big thanks to heroic epic poets Megan@SortaCrunchy and Noteverstill! Thanks, also, to everyone who stopped by, read and commented. (Looks like there was even a last-minute entry from Noteverstill's "Gramps"!)

2)
The next Perfectly Poetical Tuesday is July 14. (Details here.) Holler in the comments if you want to be on the email reminder list.

3)
Ended up being too bogged down by a work project to get coffee with Chanelle last week, so no Coffee Shop reviews for you yet. We'll try again next week.

4)
If you homeschool or have school-aged kids, check out this giveaway of A Child's Geography: Explore His Earth by Ann Voskamp (who you may know from Holy Experience). I haven't read it, but I've heard great things about it and it looks amazing. And if you're interested in homeschooling in general, there are a series of guest posts going up on the topic over at SortaCrunchy.

5)
Remember how last May we went out to the Orange County (CA) area for my cousin Ally's graduation? Since then, she got married! She had a little teeny wedding, but the BIG celebration is next week! So we've got another California road trip in the works! Hopefully, we can avoid $4 gas this time.

6)
I have to say I'm excited about the new birthday cards I designed.

7)
And I'm really excited about the free National Park weekends! I think we should go to a National Park each of the weekends. Since we'll be going to California during one of them, we'll have even more options. Fun stuff!


What are your Quick Takes on the week? Share them and then link up at Conversion Diary.

Quick takes: Yesterday's post to the expected unexpected

This week's Quick Takes:

1. So what did you think of yesterday's post by the Hubs? It was The Little Stuff of Life's first guest post and the first blog post he's actually written, and I think he did a great job!
2. I've really been wanting to go to the Desert Botanical Gardens while the Chihuly exhibit was there. Felipe's day off yesterday was the perfect opportunity. We went in the morning before it got super hot. We walked in just in time for a fabulous tour by a funny and informative retiree who's been volunteering there since the '60's, had lunch at the cafe, and then wandered around enjoying the plants and nature-inspired glass art. It was a beautiful place and a beautiful day. Chihuly's sculptures will be there through the end of the month, I would highly recommend you go if you can!
3. While I'm recommending places you should go....the place to be tonight is the Urban Tea Loft in Chandler. My friend (and very talented photographer) Chanelle Richardson will have some of her fine art prints on display there. So from 6-8 p.m. tonight (5/8), you can check them out, say hi to her, eat and/or drink something delicious, and...yeah...all kinds of good stuff!
4. Here's something you can do from anywhere: I have a new web project in the works that I'd love for you to check out! It's called Trends and Topics, and it pairs current news with relevant t-shirts. There's also a couple extra things like places to debate whether you think taxes should go up or down, or why you're a Mac or a PC. The headlines are updated every 30 minutes, and I'll be changing up the topics regularly, as well. I'd love to know what you think! If you have a suggestion for topics or products, you can email topics[at]boldavenue[dot]com.
5. Things have been busybusy lately (as you've probably heard me mention some time or another), which is fabulous. Having work = good. But it also means I'm doing some serious thinking about time and that includes evaluating of this whole blogging thing. Not that it's gonna stop. But just thinking about how LSL should look in the months to come. I'll keep you posted, of course. Just wanted to give you a heads up.
6. Are you working on your poem for Perfectly Poetical Tuesday yet? It relaunches this coming Tuesday, and the poem style is your choice this month. (But save those epic poems for June! ;) In case you're wondering, I wrote mine with the poetry magnets on my fridge.
7. Today seems like it would've been a good day for the Mother's Day post that's rolling around and taking shape in my head. But I think I'll actually do it after Mother's Day. Since when do I do what you expect? ;)

More Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.

Edited to add: Chanelle's awesome art (see #3), which we did go see last night and confirmed its in-person awesomeness, will be displayed at the Urban Tea Loft through the end of May. If you're too far away to go see it, this is the next best thing to being there.

Quick Takes: May Day migrants to migraine magnets

1. Happy May Day! Did you know that May 1st represents all kinds of very different holidays - from celebrating spring to migrant workers' rights? Yep. You can read about all that here.
2. If, however, you're just into cute May Day/spring crafts, then this is the site you're looking for.
3. Speaking of workers' rights, May 9 is World Free Trade Day, which is about producers and laborers around the world getting fair compensation for their goods and services. There's more info about that on my organic clothing page (but ya gotta scroll down to "World Fair Trade Day"). Anyway, I just wanted to give you a heads up, in case you wanted to hold or attend a Free Trade Day event.
   
4. I usually read blogs via something called a feed reader, which I would (normally) recommend. (Basically, it brings blogs, news, etc. to you rather than you having to go all over the internet to visit them.) However, if my feed reader doesn't deliver feeds, I get behind on my blog reading. I thought you bloggers had been awfully quiet. So, if I haven't stopped by your blog in awhile, don't think I'm mad at you or something. It's not you, it's Google.
   
5. As an addendum to yesterday's poetry links, I saw something very cool on Craftzine today: Poetry Reels. There are poems printed on ribbon and wrapped around wooden spools. So clever and beautiful!
   
6. Wednesday my cousin's babysitter fell through at the last minute (no, she didn't get the swine flu - she got American Idol tickets), so I ended up watching his son, E.J. (namesake of E.J. Peak) at my parents' house for about half the day. We had a fun time building blocks, feeding apples to Mom's chickens, trying in vain to make Weebles fall down, and watching Aladdin. He even took a nap! :)
   
7. Migraine-suffers might like to know they're working on a crazy new treatment that involves magnetic stimulation. Yeah. I can't even really wrap my head around that. But, hey, if they can find something - anything - that gets rid of those, more power to them, right?!
   

More Quick Take fun is at the Conversion Diary!

Quick Takes: possible poetical burnout to general awesomeness

I feel like we have some catching up to do! After Monday's menu plan, Perfectly Poetical Tuesday, Earth Day and Earth Day overflow, there's just been some things I haven't been able to get to. Good thing I have 7 of these Quick Takes!

1. Ok, is it just me or am I sensing some Poetical burnout? I think this poem-a-week project may be a little more challenging than we figured. There's one week left in April, and we're scheduled for an epic poem. What I want to know: are we up for the challenge? Would Perfectly Poetical work better as a monthly event (say, every second Tuesday)? If so, would you like to reschedule the epic poem for a couple weeks from now? Would you like to just say "Yay! That was fun for three weeks!" and forget about the epic altogether? I would really love your feedback on this! What sounds fun to you?
   
2. Tuesday was my sweet Mom's birthday (if you're thinking didn't you just have a parent with a birthday? You're right - Dad's was just a couple weeks ago.) Happy (belated) birthday to my brilliant, beautiful, kind, loving Mom!
   
3. Girl time update #1: Last week I went with my Aunt Roberta to NU at the Heard Museum - that's the monthly event where the museum (devoted to Native American art and cultures) stays open late, has live music and guest speakers, etc. We met up on the light rail (I got a few stops after she did), sat in the courtyard and had dinner, then went on a whirlwind tour of museum highlights. She knows the museum well, and it was fun to see some of her favorite exhibits.
   
4. Girl time update #2: Last night my sister-in-law Liz and I went to This American Life - Live! We had a great time going, and then a great time coming back and sitting in my living room chatting, long after the Hubs had given up on us and gone to bed. She and I haven't done anything like that since...well...actually, I don't think we've ever gone out just the two of us. We'll have to do it again! Of course, it's great to have the guys and/or the fam hanging out with us too, but there's something special about one-on-one time, don't you think?
   
5. I don't know if you've headed over to SortaCrunchy yet, but she's having a Bold Avenue gift certificate giveaway. And, really, you should stop on over there anyway. 'Cuz she writes a fun, thought-provoking blog that's full of insights on life and parenting and is always a delight to read. Also? In case you needed further proof of Megan's general awesomeness: when BlogHer made it so that she was no longer allowed to let me sponsor a giveaway on her blog, she generously volunteered to it on her own dime. Yeah. For reals. Just to help spread the word about my little biz. How generous is that?!! Sooo, seriously....go check it out! And best of luck to you on the giveaway!
6. Very good, very convicting list of real priorities - Drowning in Home Management
   on Preschoolers and Peace. I had never visited that site before, but would like to check it out more. (The link came from Holy Experience.)
7. I'm cheating here, but I just ran out of things to tell you. Who would've thought that'd happen - ever??
   

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary.

Quick Takes: Putting the "good" back in Friday to furry fun

My quick takes on this week:


Happy Good Friday! I was looking around for a good summary of what Good Friday is (for someone who may not be familiar with it), and do you know where I found one? Wikipedia.


Conversion Diary is actually not hosting Quick Takes this week, since it's Good Friday. But this is such a good format for me to tell you lots of different things that I'm quick takin' anyway!

We still aren't sure what we're doing for Easter. Something. With some part of the family. And probably some church mixed in. (Although I'm really not sure which church at this point, since our family goes to all different churches.) There's just been so much to figure out lately, that we just haven't quite gotten to that one yet.


Thanks to everyone who participated in our first Perfectly Poetical Tuesday! You guys are brilliant! Such beautiful poems (and such kind shout outs on your blogs)! I can't wait to see what kind of limericks you come up with next week!

Speaking of limerick week on Perfectly Poetical Tuesday, this is a great one to get the kids involved in! Heather and I were talking about how even pre-readers could join in. Just make up a "template" and have them fill in the blanks. Here's a sample (which you don't have to follow):

There once was a _____ from ____ (A)
Who loved to ___________ (A)
Until __________ (B)
When __________ (B)
And then ______ was ________ (A)

You can help them come up with rhyming words (all the "A" lines should rhyme with each other and all the "B" lines should rhyme with each other but not the "A lines) (but don't tell them that or they'll just get confused), or, if they don't get that concept yet, you can come up with all the rhyming words and have them fill in what comes before.


I'd like to do a roundup of fabulous posts about poetry before the month is out, so I'm on the lookout for those. If you happen to write or read something poetry-related that you'd like to share, feel free to email me at stephanie [at] boldavenue [dot] com to make sure I don't miss it! :)


Kitten update: We were kind of concerned about the kittens' new digs on the patio of an unoccupied unit that's getting remodeled. But we weren't sure what - if anything - we should do about it. Then our neighbor talked to this couple across the street, and they arranged to take in mama cat AND the kittens. They will probably keep Mama and a kitten or two and adopt out the rest, once they're old enough. If you're local and looking for a bundle of adorable furry fun, let me know.

Quick Takes: birthday wishes to maybe camping

It's Friday. You know what that means: time for quick takes - the post where I wrap up the week, catch you up on my plants, and sometimes wax poetic about recent laundry adventures. Good times!


First of all and most importantly: happy birthday to my dad, who makes us laugh with his brilliant sense of humor but always offers a shoulder (and a hug!) when someone needs to cry, who is my friend, teacher, encourager, adviser, and the absolute best father a daughter could wish for! Love you, Dad!


One thing I forgot to mention last week was that the Hubs and I were working on (and now have finished) a Lord of the Rings puzzle, which you may think is kind of a nerdy thing to do, and I'm fine with that. Here's the thing. Sometimes, especially during allergy season, I get too tired at the end of the day to even read a book. I end up in front of the TV, even though I don't want that to be a really big habit for me. So when Liz and Matt said, "Do you guys want this puzzle?" A light bulb went on and I said yes. The Hubs and I had fun putting it together. And it was a great non-TV activity for those tired days. I could just zone out and try to figure out which part of the Ring of Power I was holding in my hand. So I think we'll do another one. Thanks, you two! :)


Rufus is doing great! He's sprouting up, and it looks like he might bloom.


In case you missed it, I did finally get a (real) post up yesterday. Well, it was yesterday in some parts of the world. Anyhoo, it was all about Perfectly Poetical Tuesdays, so you'll wanna check that out.


So this has been a week of late posts, hasn't it? It got me thinking, what if I just started posting later? Not as late as yesterday, but maybe in the early afternoon instead of the morning? What would you all think of that? Hmmm....


When I talk about being busy with work stuff, are you wondering what I'm up to? Wellll, I won't bore you with details, but here's a little overview: quoting (for design projects mostly), following up on quotes, getting my product info/client info/project info organized, learning about organic apparel, adding it to my shop and promoting my new stuff, trying to figure out what I'm going to do with my website, planning all kinds of poemy funness, designing coupons to be given out at the Heard Museum's NU event in May (if you're in Phoenix - mark your calendar for May 15 - I'll tell you more when the date gets closer), and...yeah...that should give you an idea of what I've been up to workwise.


For my dad's birthday, Dad, Mom, E, Christine, the Hubs and I were all going to go camping. We still might. Or we might just do a day trip. It's kinda up in the air right now. Either way, I'm sure we'll have fun, and there will be pics next week.

Make sure to check out the 7 Quick Takes headquarters!

Quick Takes: time flies to secret crayon-fighting weapon

My quick takes on this week...

How is it already Friday again? Didn't we just do this? It seems like not enough has been crossed off my to-do list for another week to have gone by already. Sigh.


We came home the other day, and the cat and kittens were gone. The Hubs did some investigating and found them behind an unoccupied unit a couple doors down. Well, he found most of them. Two of the kittens didn't make it. We're pretty sure that another cat attacked and that's what prompted the move. It's very sad.


Tonight we say good-bye to our friends Ali, Zach and Rory (who, you'll remember, taught us how to properly drink tea - through a straw!). They are going on an epic road trip and moving to New York. So far away! I am sad but excited for them and for what's ahead. Best wishes, friends, and know you'll be in our thoughts and prayers - especially whenever we eat pancakes!


Some people are Unplugging today - from the computer or other electronic distractions in their lives. A great idea, but even harder to do when you run a business. And I just found out about the whole deal last night (probably because I'm kind of behind on my blog reading), so I didn't want to randomly spring it on you here. So...maybe another time.


I'm in the process of adding these really fabulous organic tees (and onesies!) to my shop. I'll let you know more when they're all in there!


CheapTweet is a website that tries to find all the deals that people have mentioned on Twitter and collect them in one place. (Saying something on Twitter = tweeting, hence the name.) They listed yesterday's post (because it was about good deals), and I realized that they had a whole page of sale/special offer kinda things I had tweeted. So I put a little button linking to those in my sidebar. Or here's a link if you're curious.


I'm going to tell you the secret I learned this week for getting crayon off tile floors: water. That's right, you heard it here first. Depending on the floor and the tile, you might have to get more serious than that, but if water does the trick, you might as well save the Magic Eraser for something really messy.

More Quick Takes at today's Conversion Diary.

Quick Takes: Out for a pack to IKEA hazards

So it's time for this week's Quick Takes. I have some photos for you, but I'm unable to post them now, so look for them tomorrow.

1. Mama Cat has decided the kittens can live without her constantly on top of them (literally), so we've gotten a better look at the teeny kitties - who are doing just fine - when she goes out for food. Or whatever she's doing. Hopefully, it's food. I'd hate to see her come back with a pack of cigarettes or something.
2. A lot of people are on spring break this week. I didn't take the week off, but it has been a break from my normal routine. I've had some things I've had to take care of, some fun times with Mom (who is off this week) and lots of time to think and rethink about life, business and all that little stuff. ;)
   
3. Had a lovely morning coffee/tea date with my mom, sitting on the patio outside Liberty Market.
4. I was on jury duty Wednesday. Pretty uneventful. The most exciting part was when the group that I was with got lost on the elevator. We couldn't figure out what floor we needed to go to. And, on the third try, when the doors opened and we were finally in the right place, spontaneous cheers erupted. (I am not making this up.) The people waiting to get on the elevator were pretty baffled.
5. I'm getting excited about National Poetry Month! I have some fun ideas cooking!
   
6. I created a page (actually, it's a Squidoo lens) about gardening in the desert southwest. I'd love for you to stop by, check it out, and let me know what you think. Also, if you want to create your own Squidoo page/lens, click here, and let me know if you have any questions.
   
7. Have I mentioned before the hazards of the kids' section at IKEA? The whole place is filled with dangerously adorable toys. Brooke Shields may be concerned about children being born so parents have an excuse to buy a minivan. But I think there's an even greater threat than German engineering - Swedish whimsy.

More Quick Takes at today's Conversion Diary post.

*****

Edited to add photos I took of my beautiful mom and those cute little kitties!

Shrimp van to Rufus the plant

7 Quick Takes - the (almost) weekly post where I share random stuff from my week that doesn't fit anywhere else.

Ready? OK!


If you're driving south from Phoenix on Maricopa Road, you'll start to see handmade signs along the side of the road advertising "Rocky Point Shrimp." Eventually, you'll get to the place of business: a large white van on a rural corner. The weirdest part is that I've seen bunches of cars parked around it more than once. You have to be pretty brave to buy stuff out of some random van. Especially sea food. That came from 5 hours away. In Mexico. All I can say to both business owners and customers: Buena suerte.


I'm still planning on doing more cloth diaper definitions, I just haven't had the time to put that together yet. Hopefully I can post that this week. (Keep your fingers crossed!)


The pastors at my church have started fasting and praying on Thursdays, and they've invited the rest of us to do the same, if we feel lead to do so. Skipping a meal (or even eating a meal that doesn't have enough protein) is physically a problem for me. (I get huge headaches, dizziness...blahblahblah....won't bore you with all the details.) So I've been thinking about what really is the essence of fasting and how to set aside time to focus on prayer without making myself sick. I've skimmed John Piper's "The Crazy Idea of Fasting in '09" and this other article, "Biblical Fasting - What It Is and How To Do It," I randomly came across. I'd like to take more time to read through those. Oh yes, and I read a post on the Girl Talk blog too. Any other recommendations?


Ladies: I heard about month.ly.info from SortaCrunchy Megan a couple months ago. It's a great tool for tracking your monthly cycle, which might turn out not to be as random as you think it is. Very simple, very handy - especially if you're specifically trying to have or avoid having children right now.


Sometimes there are cool things going on here locally that I want to make sure the Phoenix-area peeps know about, but I know that you are not all in Arizona (or anywhere near it). I guess I figure maybe it'll give you an idea for something to do in your own town. Like "oh, I can't go that art show, but I wonder what local artists around here are doing." Or maybe you'll come visit. That's my thinking anyway. What do you guys think? Does the Phoenix stuff get on your nerves?


Hubs is sick today. So I'm working in between saying things like, "Have you taken an aspirin yet?" and "Why don't you drink some more water?" but trying not to be a nag.


When the Hubs picked up his prescription yesterday (hey, I offered to go, but he went on the way home from the doctor), he also picked up this tiny, adorable little plant. His name is Rufus.


****

Take time for more quick takes at Conversion Diary.

Hitting a hundred to that special kind of paranoid

Yes, folks, it's time for another 7 Quick Takes Friday - the part of the show where I share my fascinating interesting amusing thoughts on the week. So, without further, adieu, here are this week's quick takes:



When is it going to hit 100 degrees in Phoenix? I'm not asking in a wistful way, like "When am I going to win the lottery?" I'm wondering because the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association (SMACNA) is sponsoring a contest to see who can guess correctly guess the date that the temperature at Sky Harbor Airport will take off into triple digits. Think you know? The prize is a weekend at a Scottsdale resort.



Since the weather is still gorgeous, the Hubs and I took a spontaneous little hike at South Mountain last weekend, where I decided I needed to photograph trail markers and signs for today's post*. And in the spirit of quick takes (and because it was starting to get dark), they were taken quickly. (Sorry they're a bit shaky. But makes you feel like you're hiking right along with us, doesn't it?)


Our freesia bulbs came back this year. And this week, they bloomed! The pics are on Flickr. Yes, our plants have their own photo set now.


Kinda tested the limits this week with stuffing more bedding, etc. in our small stack washer-and-dryer unit at one time than I probably should have. I was afraid it would overflow. (Remember Freaky Friday? No, the old one.) So I kept an eye on it. And refrained from chewing gum or listening to groovy music on my headphones until I was sure insane amounts of bubbles would not come pouring out the top. I lucked out. That thing sure beats the laundromat!


Also, we are busy, busy here in Phoenix this weekend! There's a lot going on, but here are my top event picks:

• Art Detour - walk through art galleries in downtown Phoenix (if you're into abstract photography, check out "3" at Jordre Studio). | Sat. (3/7) 10a-6p, Sun. (3/8) 12p-6p | free
  
• Arts & Flowers exhibition at Phoenix Art Museum - innovative floral designs created to complement works of art | Thr. - Sun. (3/5-3/8) 10a-5p | included with admission, free Fri. 6p-10p
  
• Heard Museum Indian Market - American Indian crafts, music and dance (most kid-friendly event) | Sat. + Sun. (3/7-8) 9:30a-5p | adults: $15, children under 16: free

The Hubs got his braces adjusted Tuesday, and, much to our relief, he has been able to eat without putting anything unusual in the blender or food processor.



Our neighbors a few doors down got broken into this week. So I've been that special kind of paranoid that results from those kind of events. Yesterday, I kept hearing noises. No, really. I jumped up and went to the window ten or twenty times. Every time, it was my next door neighbor unloading his car.

His method went something like this: throw open door, throw open creaky gate (which slams shut), rummage around in the car (preferably slamming trunk and/or doors), dog whines, open gate (preferably hard enough that it slams against the fence), fling open door, bang around inside of house, repeat. At some point in the process, I would think, "What was that?! I don't think that was the neighbor." But it was. Every time.

****
P.S. If see numbers and not photos, you probably are blocking images or reading this through a feed that doesn't allow images. Don't worry. You're not missing much.


Photos by me. But you knew that. ;)