2013 Week 50: Be an elf yourself – don’t sit on a shelf

Posted on December 24, 2013 by Leigh

So far, this year was the best Be an Elf me, Z, and our friends have done. It’s where you go to USPS and pick a Letter to Santa to answer and follow through. This is the third year we have done it and we did good for this single mom Fanchon and her two kids, which in turn makes us feel good. Our friends are awesome and we love doing this with them! Highly encourage anyone in a major city to look this up for next year.

This week: birthday cake @ Alison & Ian’s. Christmas Cookie Throwdown @ Kimmi’s. White Elephant swap @ work. Christkindlmarket with Z. Target with 2 Jens. Dimo’s with Z and Shanleys. Mailed off my #FOLswap package – I hope she loves it! Our holiday party. Last Chance Holiday Sale @ Hideout. Drop off Katniss @ Hannigan Household. Drop Be an Elf boxes at USPS. Show Beth’s apartment while writing our holiday cards. A very productive week!

Films watched 50th week of the year:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower
The White Ribbon ** [ Austria ]
I Am an Animal *

* documentary
** foreign language

I was really excited about TPOBAW. It was actually fairly good, but it was one of my favorite novels growing up, so it couldn’t hold a candle. Makes me want to re-read the book though! Man, The White Ribbon – I definitely did not grasp all the layers, but it was pretty to watch.

Ingrid Newkirk is not a role model for me in her style of animal activism, but I did gain respect for her in I am an Animal. I do realize that her and PETA’s sensationalism sometimes benefits the greater good, but it pushes a bit too far. The documentary did capture Newkirk’s deep empathy for animals, which I fully support.

2013 Week 49: Don’t let them shoot my kite down…

Posted on December 18, 2013 by Leigh

First political card I’ve made and most likely my last. Our Mayor has done a lot of stuff to rub me the wrong way though and that deserved a card. Available in the Rhymes with Twee Etsy shop as a single card of as a set of 5.

This week: Hopleaf with Cindy Paper Parasol Press and a group of her lovely friends. Takito Tuesday with Stacy & Jen L. Z’s work Holiday Party. Leah & Tim’s Party. Lunch Buffet @ Tava. My Trunk Show @ Local Goods. Shopping for Letters to Santa gifts.

On Sunday night, I made grapefruit sandwich cookies filled with grapefruit (& malÃ¶rt) buttercream frosting for Kimmi’s cookie exchange. They took FOREVER to make, but these were some of the best cookies I have ever made – they are freakin’ tasty. I followed this recipe exactly except for the grapefruit juice in the frosting, I subbed in half malÃ¶rt and the bake time was only 9 minutes somehow? I burnt the first batch.

Films watched 49th week of the year:

Foodfight!
The Watch
From One Second to the Next *
The Kite (2003) [ Lebanon ]

* documentary
** foreign language

At Show of Hands, I was talking to a customer about The Room and they told me and Z about a “film” called “Food Fight!” and they assured us it was a similar so bad it’s good movie. Well, they are liars! Z and I are both convinced that this was the worst thing we have ever watched. So much is wrong with it! Upskirt after upskirt of weird sexy lady cat. Worst plot ever. I could not even deal with it! No redeeming qualities. DO NOT WATCH. The rest of the films this week ranged from OK to good. I have not read the history as to why Werner chose texting as a documentary subject for From One Second to the Next, but he did a good job. This film should be shown to every single person who gets behind a wheel. My foreign film new year’s resolution has done a really good job educating me about world affairs that I admit I did not know much about. Watching these films has made me do a lot more reading about international conflict. The Kite made me read more as well.

2013 Week 48: Rene-made!

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Leigh

Booth Setup @ Renegade Craft Fair Chicago Holiday

This week: Katniss follow-up appointment. Z and I picked out our Letter to Santa to answer for Be An Elf. Went to Quesadilla with Ian and dropped off stock for him to sell at Handmade Arcade. Went to OOAK Show at Merchandise Mart. Sold at Renegade Saturday & Sunday. Celebratory dinner @ Bite.

Renegade was great for me, but a bummer for my boothmate. Jessica of diPalermo Body shipped 4 boxes priority mail that were set to arrive earlier in the week, but not a one made it there. She only had what was in her suitcase, but at least she made the booth fee back with those items. She wasn’t going to come back on Sunday, so I sold her stuff for her. Seriously, what happened to her was every single maker’s nightmare. So, basically, if you want high quality soaps and sugar scrubs that smell fantastic, here is your gal: diPalermo Body.

Films watched 48th week of the year:

Project Nim *
Vanishing Waves ** [ Lithuania ]

* documentary
** foreign language

Project Nim was not what we thought it would be at all. Thought-provoking and heart-breaking. So hard to watch. At least he got a semi-happy ending after bouncing around from caretaker to caretaker.

2013 Week 47: ThankFILLED

Posted on December 4, 2013 by Leigh

The Wreath of Katniss – new postcard

I am thankful for my partner in love & life, Zachary. I am thankful for my family, which has now tripled in the last 10 years, with finding my birth mom Lauri and marrying Zachary. I am thankful for my absolutely spectacular friends who help to make my life even happier. I am thankful that I am in good health, have a day job I love, a roof over my head, food to eat, and some money left at the end of the day. I am thankful that I have a creative outlet that I am starting to learn how to do correctly (fun AND profit) with Rhymes with Twee. I cannot be more thankful for my wonderful customers who I think the world of. I am thankful for a lot of things always, but this year especially.

Week wrap: Baths for our furry babies. Dropped stock off with Eliza to take to White Rabbit (Iowa City, IA). Z and I dropped Amanda & Derek off in Toledo and then got a flat tire about 40 minutes outside of Cleveland. It was a comedy of errors, truly, but we made it into Berea, OH a bit after 1am. Thanksgiving lunch @ Don’s Pomeroy House. Melt! Dante with family! Thanksgiving Saturday dinner (Christmas, celebrated) with Hansens. Many amazing presents! Jess & Eli were so happy with their matching Megan Lee Designs shirt/onesie! Waffle Christmas @ Kate & Brian’s! Drove back to Chicago, dropped off our stuff, headed to Dimo’s, dropped off Amanda & Derek, bought a Christmas tree @ the fantastic Christy Webber Gardens, came home and decorated our tree and put up the rest of our decor. What a whirlwind of a weekend – it was one of the best homecomings we’ve had yet!

All kinds of awesome stuff going on in Rhymes with Twee land. Two brand new Katniss postcards up in the Etsy shop. Old version of the tea towels is back in stock. Love my supplier ACS Home and Work (formerly they went by only American Chair Store). They are based in Coopersville, MI and they are great to work with. Thankful for the amazing vendors I work with!

Films watched 47th week of the year:

What’s the Matter with Kansas? *
Escape from Tomorrow
Trances ** [ Morocco ]

* documentary
** foreign language

Kind of a MEH movie week. Can’t recommend any of the above, really. Trances was enjoyable for the music. Perhaps I’m becoming jaded after watching so many music documentaries? Escape from Tomorrow was an epic idea, but executed on a mediocre level. There were some pretty neat moments, but the cohesiveness was not there.