Back to School Book Week: Fiction Books

How many of you remember when I was digging around looking for podcasts to listen to, and completely forgot the fact the my own husband has a podcast that I never listened to?  Ok, well you can file this post in that category, too.

I was discussing Book Week with Neil, wondering what I was going to post about today, given the fact that I haven’t read any fiction in something like five years, and he just looked at me.  It was one of those “you are forgetting something very important” looks that he likes to give me.

You see, I happen to be married to the editor and founder of Clarkesworld Magazine, an award-winning online publication that delights in bringing you quality short stories every month in the genre of science fiction.  (Notice the word “fiction” there?)  Not only that, but the products of my husband’s other venture, Wyrm Publishing, currently occupy my van’s old spot in the garage.  Guess what those books are full of.  More fiction.

I’ve even read some of the short stories in the magazine.  I just seem to have some kind of mental block about it.  Just call me Wife of the Year.

I hope I can make up for it today by mentioning that a new issue was published yesterday, it’s free, and you should go check it out.

How’s that, Neil, did I manage to redeem myself?

Back to School Book Week: Non-Fiction Books

I can’t really pick a favorite non-fiction book for Back to School Book Week today.  Last year I got hooked on the memoir thing that’s been going around – you know, the “my year of doing something really interesting/noble/crazy and then writing about it” genre?  And, well, I’ve been plowing through those books so quickly that they are all blurring together in my mind.

My most recently-completed of these was Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine.  And although I don’t think I will be swearing off all non-essential shopping any time soon, I did enjoy the book.  The conclusions she drew by the last chapter were not exactly earth-shattering to me, but they might have been eye-opening to the less “mindful-shopper” me of 3 or 4 years ago.  It was more of an encouragement to keep doing what I’m doing.

If you’d like to see some of my favorite reads in this genre, I’ve collected a list of them here.

How about you?  Any favorite non-fiction reads?

P.S. See Eren’s original post about Back to School Book Week here.

Back to School Book Week: Cookbooks

Today’s theme for Back to School Book Week is “Cookbooks.”  I have a lot of favorites (you know I’ve talked about my can’t-live-without bread machine cookbook before) but in terms of my most recent love? That would have to be this one:

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.  We’re not vegetarians, but I’ve been slowly reducing my meat intake over the last few years, and trying to enjoy fruits and vegetables more.  I felt the need to expand my meatless repertoire this summer, and so I grabbed this book from the library, loved it, and bought my own copy (you might remember this amusing communication?)

This is one hugely thick book – I haven’t even made it all the way through yet.  The first part has some useful general ideas, and the second (massive) part is a vegetable-by-vegetable reference that I imagine would be really handy for someone trying to figure out how to use some of the more unusual items in their CSA box.   I don’t have a CSA box, but I could always do with a good idea or two that might encourage me to try something new from the farmers market.

So far, I’ve made quesadillas from the book (yum!).  I’ve got a handful of delicious-sounding potato recipes bookmarked, too.

How about you?  Any favorite cookbooks to share?

P.S. See Eren’s original post about Back to School Book Week here.

Back to School Book Week: Craft Books

I hope you’ll forgive me for posting twice today, but Vintage Chica Eren had a fun idea that I wanted to get in on, and it means a-post-a-day for the next five days.  This book junkie just couldn’t resist.

So here’s the deal – in honor of school starting up again (just over a week to go, here) we’re going to talk about the books that we’re loving right now.  Each day features a different type of book, and today it’s craft books – a favorite genre of mine, if ever there was one!

I have to admit that this summer has not been as full of crafty goodness as usual, but I have at least been reading about crafts.  My most highly-anticipated read has been Alicia Paulson’s Embroidery Companion.  I totally want that skirt on the cover.

The book arrived here a few weeks ago, and I really thought I would dive right into it, but I got stalled by a few things:

1. I wanted to get my photo-centric Etsy shop off the ground before changing gears, and
2. I couldn’t find the embroidery hoops I picked up at a yard sale specifically in anticipation of this book.

So, I haven’t actually done any of the projects yet, but I do gaze longingly at the cover every couple of days.  I plan to write up a full-blown review very very soon, but I want to hold off until I’ve done at least one of the projects.

What I can tell you is the photography is beautiful, and the words poetic, in true Posie Gets Cozy style, and even if I never do get around to embroidering my initials on a pillowcase, I will still be glad to have this book in my collection.

Now pardon me, while I go tear my house apart in search of those elusive embroidery hoops…

P.S. Go check out Eren’s original post here, and get in on the action if you like!

Morning Coffee with Elaine Robitaille

Good morning!  Today I am happy to present the second of three reader interviews.  Grab a mug and a chair, and join me for Morning Coffee with Elaine Robitaille.

Too Aquarius

Elaine is one of a small handful of people who has been actively commenting on my blog since those long ago LiveJournal days.  Our mutual interest is polymer clay, and even though somewhere along the line I went from polymer artist to ADD crafter, I’m so happy she’s stuck around.

Q&A With Elaine Robitaille

When and why did you start your blog?

I’ve had a blog of some sort for around 10 years but the current incarnation of my  blog, at Tooaquarius, is 4 years and counting. Past the terrible twos. How fast they grow up!

I like writing, chatting and showing what I’m doing. Having a theme to it – in this case, my polymer clay art and business – helps me be more coherent and creative and still get the therapy and networking jolt.

How does blogging (reading and writing) fit in to your daily life?

I read my feed list every morning. Religiously. Some of it indepth, some of it is a quick scan but every morning. So that I’m ritualistic about. And usually before everyone else is up, with coffee cup in hand.

Writing my blog is something I TRY to schedule in but invariably it’s a by-the-seat-of-my-pants thing.

What kind of a reader are you?

I read a lot. Online, offline, books, magazines, cereal boxes, blogs… you name it. For blogs specifically, I read primarily in Google reader. I do visit blogs to leave or read comments but I read the feeds first.

I love the variety you can have with blogs. There are news items in my reader. There are market research (shop feeds for colleagues) ones. There are comic strips. There are blogs by artists I know (like Lisa!) in fields I’m a part of. There are artists, moms, comedians, computer geeks, productivity bloggers, personal finance bloggers, who I read just to fill my brain up with good things.

I also tend to read the corporate blogs of about a dozen sites I sell on or buy from just to keep an eye on my work world.

How important are reader comments to you?

I would blog without comments though I love comments. Discussion is important. Networking is important. I am a reclusive craft-geek and at my worst I am downright hermit like. I find that blogging is good communication.

I try to comment on a few blogs every day though I find it too easy to just read and move on. I watch people without talking, too. Working on that.

In what ways has your involvement in the blogosphere enhanced your life, if any?

oh boy! The short list: I’ve met many, many customers at shows who found me through my blog so that rocks. I’ve met friends I made online through blogging. I’ve been picked up for promotions, product testing, gallery showings, classes because I am a reasonably prolific blogger.

Most humbling though, is that I’ve been able to see that I have a nice chatty spot in a whole world of nice but different chatty spots and that all of this talking, chatting and visiting will truly shape the world. It is hard to hate or even to really dislike people once you learn about them and get to know them. And the blogosphere brings that right to you.

If you could only visit three blogs today, what would they be?

Boringly then, because I read the “”work”" related ones first:

• Polymer Clay Daily by Cynthia Tinapple
• The Storque, Etsy’s mix of articles
• The Art Bead Scene

Do you have a theme or a reason to blog? Like are you a tech blogger or a mommy blogger?

I blog about my work as a polymer clay artist. I try to keep my personal life sort of as the side notes. I try to keep my technical work out of it for the most part. So the bulk of my blog is craft related to keep it cohesive.

Just like you’ve found some of the good of the blogosphere, have you noticed negative aspects?

Sometimes the blogosphere is like any group of highly opinionated people (given that bloggers are going to be people who have opinions AND the willingness to express them). It’s loud. It’s rude. It can be mob-like. Rumours get spread. It amplifies the worst parts of gossip and blaming. And once you write it, it’s out there, so your reputation follows you.

Thank you, Elaine, for taking the time to answer my questions!  It’s been fun reading your answers and recognizing some of my own tendencies in the habits you describe…

Want more?  You can find Elaine in the following places:

• Blog: Too Aquarius
• Artfire Shop: Too Aquarius

Friday Photo Love. and gadgets.

I’m feeling like some kind of addict for the last week or so – I can’t get enough of widgets and gadgets and refreshing my pages… it’s getting out of hand.  So, I’m just going to show you my favorite photos for the week, point you to a few of the widgetey things you might want to know about, and then turn this computer completely off.  Usually I just leave the laptop on, and walk away from it.  Today, I think it requires an actual shutdown to keep me honest.

I don’t know what it is about this week, but I almost feel the need for a  social networking 12-step program!  Geez.

So, here’s my flickr mosaic:

Maybe it’s the crisp air these last few nights & mornings talking, but I see some colors of fall creeping into my favorites…  Note to self: a vase of late summer wildflowers would really hit the spot – maybe some zinnias?

My own favorite photo for the week:

I don’t really know why I like this one so much – I took it on a day that felt gloomy and gray, one day in a string of several rainy days, but I don’t get that dreary feeling when I look at it.  It has a softness to it, and yet the raindrops on the leaves are still crisp.

Ok, so quickly before I cut myself off here, these are a few things you might want to know about:

• A new “sharing” area at the bottom of each post.  I attempted to include the most obvious social bookmarking options, but if your favorite is missing, let me know.  You can also just hover over the green ShareThis button, and it will give you a larger list of sharing sites.
• I added a Google Friend Connect gadget to the sidebar. I don’t know if any of you use that regularly on other sites, but if you do, it’s there for you.  At least, it’s there unless I decide it is being under-used.  Then it goes.  That sidebar real estate is precious!
• I am thoughtful lately about Facebook’s role in my life.  I’m leaning towards less is more, at this point, and a personal page should be a personal page. In that spirit, I decided to create a separate fan page for this blog.  If you read Polka Dot Cottage via my Facebook profile, and would miss it if it went away (which it likely will), then you should “like” this page.  Actually, any of you who are active on Facebook (whether you have friended my personal profile or not) are welcome to like Polka Dot Cottage on Facebook.

Ok, that’s it.  I am going to obsessively reload this page for 30 minutes waiting for comments and seeing if anyone added themselves to the fan boxes.  Er, I mean I’m going to shut down the computer and do something in the Real World.

Definitely the second thing I said.  Probably.  Maybe?  Definitely.  I think.

Argh. 

Peek-a-boo!

I never showed you the photo books I made earlier this summer, did I? Fresh from our annual Ocean City trip, Flickr’s “Print & Create” tab sucked me in and forced me to have an album of our adventure printed and delivered to my doorstep. I was powerless to resist, I tell you!

It was kind of a rush seeing my photos in print – I rarely have printed anything since switching to digital when Eamonn was an infant – and before I knew it, I was having another book made.  This time a baby book for Eamonn.  Yes, I know the poor boy is seven already, I just never made the time to do it before.

Anyway, those two books whet my appetite and got me thinking about all of the other albums that would be fun to print: family photos (an album for every year since going digital), my project 365, favorite blog photos…

I like the two books I got through Snapfish via Flickr just fine, but I recently came across Picaboo, which kind of blew me away a little bit.  Want to see a few pages from the book I ordered from them last week?  It is here already!

Unlike the other online photo processors, Picaboo has software that you download in order to create your book.  I like this a lot better than the online interfaces I’ve used elsewhere.  It’s nice to work locally, I think, and speedier.  Plus, it seems easier to take your time and do it in bits and pieces – a few pages today, a few pages tomorrow.  It’s nice not to have to do it all in one sitting.

I was curious to see how some of my favorite blog photos from this year looked when blown up to 8×10, so for this book, I filled each page with a single large photo.

If I had wanted to, though, I could have fit several photos on a page, and arranged them in any number of ways.  The software has very few limits in terms of layout.

It all strikes me as so very versatile, with something for all skill levels (and levels of patience!)

I am so thrilled to have this book full of some of my favorite blog photos from the past year!  And here’s the coolest part: it was free.  Yep.  Picaboo has a coupon right now for a free 20-page photo book.  You do still have to pay shipping, but even so, it feels like a bargain.

I’m a happy customer, and I definitely plan to make more books, starting with a family album for 2009.  I’d really like to make one for every year since we went digital, but I plan to work backwards and take my time with that.

By the way, the coupon expires on August 31st, which is less than a week away, so if you think you might like to make a photo book, you should probably hightail it over there.

And on a completely unrelated note, thanks for sharing my van experience with me yesterday.  I’m happy to report it was only the glass of the window that was affected, and I’ve already had it replaced.  Whew.  I’m out a few hundred dollars, but we’re all safe and sound, and no longer have a precarious branch hanging overhead!

Damage Magnet

Remember the infamous Huge Tree Uproots Itself and Deposits Branch Through Van’s Back Door event from 2008?

Or how about 2009′s laugh-a-minute escapade, Distracted Driver Plows into Van’s Recently-Replaced Back Door?

Well, allow me to present, brand new for 2010, If I’d Only Parked a Few Inches to the Left, I’d Still Have a Passenger Side Window.

Ah, yes, the tradition continues.  I’ve never known a vehicle to sustain so much damage so often merely by being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This was the scene shortly after a craaack/THUD woke me at 4:57am.  That’s a sound combination that we’ve come to easily recognize around here as the shedding of tree limbs, and is almost always followed by someone uttering the words, “I hope that didn’t hit the van.”

These van damage posts are starting to become such a predictable series that perhaps I should consider making a sidebar button for them.  Geez!

Cold-Press Coffee, or, How I Reclaimed Some Precious Counter Space

I recently took my coffeemaker off of the counter top and regained about a square foot of space.  In my kitchen, that’s a big deal.  It’s not that I’ve given up coffee – I still have my morning cup most days – it’s just that I’ve found a new way to make that cup, and it is about as low-tech as it gets: cold-brewing.

I make mine a concentrated strength.  Add 1 part of the concentrate to 2 or 3 parts boiling water, and you’ve got a deliciously smooth cup o’ joe.  The usual methods of dripping and percolating can bring out bitterness in coffee, but cold-brewing keeps bitter flavors at bay.  Plus, it’s incredibly easy to use the resulting concentrate in cold drinks (it is the middle of August right now, after all).  Add it to cold milk, throw in a couple of ice cubes, and you’ve got a nice iced coffee.  Blend it with milk, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate syrup, and you’ve got a simple Frappuccino substitute.  Mmmmmmm!

Gather your supplies

First you need coffee, naturally.  I just recently discovered Equal Exchange, and my first order showed-up yesterday.  It’s fair trade, organic, and it saved me a trip to the grocery store.  What’s not to like about that?  You can, of course, use your own favorite brand.  Course grinds are recommended, but I often ignore that with no ill effects aside from the occasional specs of coffee grit in my cup. This current batch was made with Equal Exchange Organic Breakfast Blend, and it was quite good.

You also need a french press.  I have a Bodum Brazil 8-Cup, which I love. Be forewarned if you are in the market for one of these, that’s eight four ounce cups.  I don’t know anyone who drinks such a small cup, although it hardly matters when you’re making a concentrate, anyway.  The press is great for making regular non-concentrate coffee, too, and I’ve also used mine for loose teas.  (Just in case you’re trying to justify buying one – it’s great for more than just concentrates).

Cold brew your coffee concentrate

Put about a cup of grinds into the press, and then fill the rest of the press with cold water until it’s about 3/4 full – just enough to leave some room for the plunger.

Stir the grinds with a plastic or wooden spoon until they are all wet.  Put the plunger on the press, but only push it down until it reaches the water, no further.

Put the press into the refrigerator and let it sit 12 hours or so.  It’s not an exact science.  I have left mine for less and for more.  Different steeping times result in different strengths of concentrate.

Process the concentrate

Once the steeping is complete, press down the plunger as far as it will go.  This will trap the grinds on the bottom of the press while letting the brewed coffee flow freely out the spout.   Fill up your coffee cup about 1/4 of the way with the concentrate, and pour the rest of it into an airtight container.

Label the container so you know what type of coffee is inside, and add the date, just so you know when it’s over-the-hill.  Keep the container refrigerated, and discard the contents after two weeks.  (Tomorrow, you’ll take the container out of the fridge and pour about a quarter cup of the concentrate into your mug, just like you did today with the freshly-pressed stuff.)

Enjoy your cup

Add boiling water to the concentrate in your mug, and there you have it – a piping hot cup of cold-pressed coffee.  Add whatever it is you usually add to your coffee to make it palatable (I’m a whole milk or half & half girl, myself) and enjoy!

This process really has improved my morning coffee experience, saved me counter space, and made it super easy to whip up a frozen coffee drink cheaply and on demand.  I also imagine that it will be useful during get-togethers.  Having two containers of make-ahead concentrate in the fridge (one regular, one decaf), requires me only to boil water – something I do anyway for the tea-drinkers.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Have you tried something similar? Have any tips? Have a great recipe that requires cold coffee?  Leave them all in the comments!

P.S. My thanks go to whoever it was that tweeted about this article, which led me to this one, and got me interested in trying this cold-brewing thing in the first place.

Morning Coffee with Becky Jorgensen

Good morning!  Hope you had a restful weekend.

I have always thought that one of the things that makes this blogging thing fun for me is all of the participation from those of you who come here and read, comment, or even carry on the conversation on your own blogs.  It’s the community aspect that really does it for me.  So it occurred to me that it might be nice to get to know some readers better, and maybe you might enjoy that, too.

A few weeks ago, I checked the comment stats, picked the three readers who had commented the most in the last several months, and approached them about participating in the Morning Coffee series.  Happily, they all said yes, and today I am sharing with you the first of these interviews.

Welcome Becky!

Q&A With Becky Jorgensen

When and why did you start your blog?

I have been blogging for 2 years and love it! I really do like to share and meet others– I am a sewer and that is what I blog about.  I found the online community interesting, and entertaining. There is a big long list of blogs that I read and love.  After searching and reading for a bit I thought- hey, I could totally do this.  I jumped into blogger and switched this year over to wordpress.  I did a few tutorials at the beginning of my blogging career that got picked up by a few big sites and my readership spiked.  I loved that! I found out that I need outside approval to be happy. {not really, but it is nice}

How does blogging (reading and writing) fit in to your daily life?

I usually write the post the evening before, or if I am in the groove, i write a few and then have them scheduled.  I wish I had a routine….when school starts again I will have to follow something. My blog is on sewing and so that is what I share. I do a lot of it, so sharing it is pretty easy.  I guess it isn’t the posting time that is hard, it is keeping up with the projects.

I find myself on the computer A LOT. ugh…. but I do like it there.   I sometimes have to say -outloud- get off the computer. hee hee.  Then I go sew. lol. What to do. what to do.

Flying by the seat of your pants is totally me too.  I think that makes it a bit spunky and keeps your readers entertained.

What kind of a reader are you?

Ok. I am not a big fan of the feed reader. Not sure why. I just don’t use it.  I have my favorites saved on my computer and hop down the list every once in awhile.  Because of my obsessive behavior with my sewing group website {tweaking and adding a few things} I have slacked in the readership lately.  I am catching up though— and making comments. Those are totally important {to me on my blog- love them} so I make them on others.

I love reading about others experiences and photos. love photos. I wish my computer ran better so I could do more things with my photos…other than slapping them into the post.  {It’s on the wishlist}  I love great tutorials, and project ideas. I love reading about mistakes and faults too- nice to know we are all human.  Oh, and I love reading others comments.  There is usually an abundance of good opinions and knowledge stuck in the comment sections.  someone was offering good luck and commented– ‘break a needle’ on anothers sewing blog. got the giggles on that one.

Another thought– when I find a blog that I truly love and enjoy I check out their reading list.  They are usually full of great blogs and links.

How important are reader comments to you?

It is totally important!!! And guess what?, I don’t get many. I am not sure why….my followers are not chatty. Maybe because I say too much. Who knows. I know there are 8,000 monthly readers….google analytics tells me this… but I get maybe 5 comments a week. That really stinks. I like comments and comment back when they are made. It can be discouraging sometimes– hello, anyone there? — but, hey this is for fun and for me…so does it really matter? {um, yes} anyways.

I love to comment on others blogs and do when I hop onto their site. Sometimes when searching and I pop in on it and jump out I go back and make a comment. I have to remind myself to share the comment love.

Remind yourself that you like to get comments….why wouldn’t they?

In what ways has your involvement in the blogosphere enhanced your life, if any?

I have a store. I design patterns and sell them.  I love to be cheap too.  I get lectures from everyone..but hey after they buy the pattern they still have to buy the supplies- so I try to keep this in mind.  Plus, I am totally a cheapskate too. I don’t buy expensive patterns! hee hee.

I also sell my goods at Art Market 3 times a year in Utah.  Other boutiques have asked also- but I have kept with 1.  I am not a big mass producer, so this works out good for me.

I think that one of the best things is that I have a way of making some fun money for myself.  I can use it for whatever without having to answer to the honey.

Because I hop all over the place on projects–In January I just started an online sewing/quilt group.  I belong to a few groups locally and thought– wouldn’t it be fun to have one that is worldwide?  So, this is why I started it. I have teamed up with a bunch of talented designers.  I love the group!  Each month we ‘meet’ and have a guest, maybe an interview and of course a fabulous pattern.  We have a block of the month, mystery and quilt shows. Everyone is able to share photos, a bit of themself and of course everyone there loves to sew!  The group is slowing growing, kind of like the blog…it takes time.

I also {because I am crazy like that} started another blog, Sew Help Me Design. Really it was for me– to help me keep organized sort of. I listen to webinars on growing your blog, and find great articles, and have a to-do list for myself for the week. This is where I can share it and help others translate that info to their crafty blog. I also wrote an e-book — 20 easy steps to boost your crafty blog.  Man, I am all over the place!

If you could only visit three blogs today, what would they be?

Let’s see- 3 seriously? I am so full of variety that is a hard one!  I might have a few more- ok?

1. The Boiled Peanut -  short posts. quick read. but fun variety.
2. Wee Wonderfuls – I love her stuff and a few of her items have springboarded some of mine.
3. The Twiddletails Blog – she has a great block of the month. very friendly
4. Little Black Crow Studio – spunky! she also changes what she is working on and jumps around just like me.
5. I of course love One Pretty Thing — hi Rachel!
6. and Swapdex

What are your thoughts on consistency in blogging?

I found that I like to have consistency with some of the posts. This year I have started Focus Friday where each month there is a topic and every friday there is a post on that topic.  This helps with mental post blocking.

I also try to do 1 tutorial every 10 days or so.

I love to do swaps. I search the dex every once in awhile and pick up the ones I like. This helps me get links out there for my blog + I meet some great people. A few of them are designers for the sewing group!  How great is that?!

Any last bits of advice?

Just remember it is like the indoor plants that I love to kill….it takes time, a lot of consistancy, patience, and there will definitly be times when you are ready to just toss it- but keep on working on it…and it will flourish.

I love mine.  I love blogging. I love making new friends, finding new things, and growing from others experiences.  I find it a great ‘me time’ where I get to make visits around the world to others living rooms and chat for just the quick moment that I have.  Love it.

Thank you, Becky!  I am so glad you agreed to be interviewed.  It was nice getting to know you better, and I hope that everyone drops by and checks out your websites when they’re done here!

Want more?  You can find Becky in the following places:

• Blog: Patchwork Posse
• Shop: Patchwork Posse
• Online Sewing Group: Patchwork Posse
• Crafty blog advice: Sew Help Me Design