A year and a half ago, when Reid took me to Canada for my birthday, we stumbled across a really cool beer related gift. It was an advent calendar, but instead of chocolate or trinkets, you got beer. It was large, bulky, made of cardboard, and included beer from only one Canadian brewery. We declined to purchase it, but the idea stuck. 

This summer we were able to begin construction on what someday will become the ultimate advent box. But for now it is little more than a slightly-precarious-but-still-getting-the-job-done number. 

We knew whatever we packaged the beer in would need to be sturdy enough and big enough to hold 25 bottles, so we opted for the ever useful PVC. Reid even took a bomber with him to the hardware store to make sure we got the right size. It is 3" PVC that Reid cut into lengths of 12" each, which was plenty of room for bottles, cans and bombers alike. He then taped them into rows of five, stacked them on top of each other, and taped them again. This configuration worked great right up until I had all the beers inside and needed to move it. The weight of the beers caused it to slant a bit. I took all the beers out, moved it, supported it against a wall, and then stuck them all back in. 

Ultimately we would like to get a sturdy box built to house the pipes, for easy transport and storage, but that is just going to have to wait. 

This is what the calendar looked like after I wrapped it. Yes, I meticulously planned which beers would go where and how I wanted them to be revealed. And no, I didn't put the numbers in order because that would be boring. 

The wrapping paper idea was a good one, but needs a little refinement. As Reid sliced through the numbers, the paper started peeling away from the front, almost exposing the unopened ones. If I were a master-craftsman, or a close friend of Nick Offerman, I would design a box that had separate doors for each of the 25 slots, eliminating the need for the paper and streamlining both the stocking and opening for each day. But I am not either of those things, so this is what it looked like by Christmas: 

Not ideal. But workable for the time being. (Also if any of you are master-craftsmen or know Nick Offerman, hit me up.) 

But on to the important stuff- the beer. I could not afford to get Reid 25 different beers, but I was able to do a decent variety, from quite a few breweries, including some of Reid's favorites. I also threw in two ciders as palate cleansers of a sort. 

Next year's beer selection will be a little bit different, and I have already started taking notes on what to include, and what not to repeat. This was a very fun gift that I had a great time putting together for Reid, and he had a great time opening. If you would like more information about how we put it together, just ask! 

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of these breweries and was not paid or compensated by any of them to review or include their beers. 

Welcome to our family two new additions! 

This is Drogo, Reid's plant. He picked out the plant, the vessel and the name. We just finished watching four seasons of Game of Thrones and Reid is sad that Drogo had to die so soon and in such an ignominious manner. He deserved a warrior's death. I told Reid that was kind of the point of GoT. Everyone strives so hard and schemes and plans and in the end none of it matters. Because they die. They all die.  

Hopefully this Drogo doesn't die. I wonder if Reid thought of that....

This is Eikou. It means 'glory' in Japanese. Eikou is much smaller than Drogo and planted in a delicate Japanese lusterware teacup. 

These are the first succulents I've ever owned. I only recently have come to appreciate them and someday hope to own many more. 

Both plants were potted using a small amount of potting soil to supplement what they were packaged with, but the majority of the empty space was filled in with horticultural sand. 

Thank you to all the friends and family who made our wedding day one of joy and perfection! And especially to those of you who helped capture it, since I couldn't be behind the camera myself. Thanks for letting me use your pictures! 

Real, professional photos will be coming in a couple of weeks, thanks to our wonderful photographer, Mandy Chiappini. I will make sure to inform everyone when those pictures go up for perusal and sale! 

Thanks again to everyone who made our relationship, and wedding, possible! 

As many of you may already know, I very recently got engaged to the man I will spend the rest of my life with. Although the engagement wasn't necessarily a surprise, I did find myself tearing up a bit when he got down on one knee and told me how much he loved me. I'm ready to make this commitment, something I never thought possible until I met Reid. And I have to say, our love is not what I always expected Love to look like, but I'm so glad I was wrong. 

Reid and I are a perfect blend of similarities and total opposites. He is very outdoorsy: he loves camping and hiking, climbing mountains and running around with cold air in his lungs. I love staying indoors, watching endless episodes of TV on my laptop and staying carefully climate controlled. I'm a night owl and Reid is an early bird. But all of these things are rather superficial. Even though our general interests don't align, we still find plenty of hobbies we can share and play in. We go for walks together, we play card games together, and we watch movies together. Cooking is a hobby we both love and one of the joys of our relationship. Reid loves to cook for me and I love that we both approach food with a sense of adventure. And we will always have coffee and tea to share. 

However, not all of our differences are spare-time preferences. I am a planner. I like to be prepared and have plans A, B, and C just in case. I like to make allowances for bad weather and other unexpecteds, whether that be extra traffic or running out of half-and-half. Playing with situational sequencing is what I love about writing stories and it has logical applications for real life. Reid is more of a spontaneous spirit, preferring to see where the day takes him. It's hard to ruffle him up, so if something does go wrong, it is easy for him to take it in stride. In this we are opposites. I know that my need for control and his occasional lack of foresight is frustrating for one another at times. But I also believe it is one of the things that makes our relationship strong. We balance each other out and within that balance find happiness. 

Despite all of these differences, there is also a lot we see eye-to-eye on. We both agree that life is there to be enjoyed; every day is an adventure, regardless of how "exciting" it might seem to others. Love is a very serious thing, but it fails if you take it too seriously. Our relationship has seen its share of tears, but more than that it has seen lots of laughter. We love to goof off and play around. On our first Valentine's Day we spent the night playing Battleship. We value the environment and living within our means. We believe in good food and good coffee. We like our furniture second hand and our cars reliable. And, obviously, we like each other. 

I love that Reid enjoys the outdoors and wants to scale mountains. I love that he is a do-er and gets up early to get stuff done. And I love that on the days when I need to relax and not leave the house, he understands. 

Our love isn't crazy epic but that doesn't mean our love is cheap. In fact, it is the exact opposite. Which is why we are in it, happily, joyfully, for the long haul. 

One of the things I regret in my life is that I have no true green thumb. I love growing things and pretending like I am a master horticulturist. I am not. But that hasn't stopped me from trying. And out here in Seattle, where I am constantly surrounded by greenery, I get a hankering to bring it indoors. Especially on days when it is too hard to enjoy except from behind glass. Now that I have moved back to the PNW and will likely be here for a while, I can finally commit to owning plants. In the past I have shied away from owning them because I know I will have to abandon them before my next cross-country whim. But not anymore. 

My first plant this time around is a little pine tree that Reid got as a Christmas present from his work. His name is Alexei. I kept him in his sad little plastic container for a month because it needed the perfect planter. And one day inspiration struck and voila! A silver champagne ice bucket was all I could think about. Reid and I went looking for one at an antiques store in Gig Harbor and although they didn't have one that day, they did have one in storage, which they graciously found and held for me. In the meantime I bought both of the other planters from the same store! If for some reason you ever find yourself in Gig Harbor, I highly recommend them: Misty Meadow. 

Unlike my Alexei situation, the other two planters I had before I had plants to put in them. I actually prefer it that way, because then it is easier to pair them. This little brass teapot came without a lid, so it was perfect for planting. I knew I would need a plant that would bring a little height to help balance out the rotund bottom of the pot, but it also had to be something full, so I chose an English ivy. I think it creates the perfect amount of movement around the short and stout little teapot. Her name is Brigid. 

This little guy is Caliban, the cacti collective. At first I was thinking about doing just one large cactus, but when I went to the nursery they just looked wrong in the pot. The pot is very round and solid looking, so I needed the plants to create a little dynamic space, something the large cactus I was looking at couldn't provide; it would have been squat and solid on top of squat and solid. I did have my heart set on some cacti though, so instead I chose three little guys! This one is full of visual interest, with varying colours and heights. I think it is the perfect little home garden. (side note- cacti are difficult to plant. invest in some work gloves if you are thinking about messing around with those spikes) 

One of the things I look for in my plants is what kind of light they need. It is almost impossible to use plants that need full sun as indoor plants, at least here. The cacti need as much light as I can give them, but require little else. The ivy is a great container plant and only needs partial sun, same with the pine. 

My goal this year is to get up to five plants, which would be "E" for those of you following along. Also I highly encourage you all to think outside the box when it comes to your planters! Thrift and antique stores might provide you just the inspiration you need! And I think it is much better to recycle than to buy any old generic ceramic planter. However, that being said, I will note that I did absolutely zero research on whether or not the metals in these pots could leach into my soil and potentially harm my plants. If they do, well, ce la vie. This shouldn't deter you though, as you could easily line the insides before planting. 

Despite winter still raging along, spring is coming, which is the perfect time to add some new greenery to your life! If you have any questions about my plants/planters, just ask! And happy horticulturing! 

I love Disney princess movies. I always have and probably always will. But lately they have gotten a lot of flack, especially from the feminist community, for teaching little girls the 'wrong things.' Sure, I could claim that they gave me unrealistic expectations as well. I'm always disappointed when my hair doesn't flow around my head gracefully, never getting into my eyes but managing to flounce with beautiful gravity-defying volume. And let's just say that I have been on the look-out for a prince charming/street rat since age 5 or so. However, the positive things they did teach me far outweigh the bad. 

To start, let me clarify that there is a hierarchy of princesses that stems mostly from the era in which they were dedicated to film. Snow White is at the bottom of my list. I've never really liked Snow White and she was the first Disney princess. She enters the public consciousness at a time when women were still expected to grow up to be homemakers and child bearers. Nearly a decade earlier women were eating pizza in bathing suits just to annoy men. Snow White would never do anything as indelicate as eat pizza. But you know what she did teach me? That in a frightening situation, after your initial panic, things are almost never as bad as they seem. You are allowed your terror and your tears. But if you give yourself a little time, the calm will set in and you can rally. I also learned that hard work can be enjoyable if you do it with whimsy. I'm not much for whistling, but blasting some Skrillex while washing dishes definitely does the trick. 

Next up are Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. I like both of these movies more than I ever liked Snow White, but they are still weak in the strong women department. But do you know what? When I was little and had to do chores I used to pretend I was Cinderella. It was my way of coping with unwanted tasks with grace instead of complaining. (Who am I kidding, I totally complained too. I'm a complainer. But I felt like I was taking it more gracefully when pretending.) I never quite expected to get a fairy godmother, but I did realise that good things come to those who wait. If you finish your chores you can go to the ball. Sleeping Beauty was...I don't think I have anything to say about Sleeping Beauty. She has very little agency in her own story. But I am excited for the new Maleficent movie! Woooo female villains. But that's another post entirely.....

Now is when we start getting to the good stuff. The Little Mermaid and Jasmine and Belle. All these women (or girls depending on how you want to look at them) long to be somewhere other than where they are. They want to experience life. I've read some disparaging things about that type of escapist thinking. How it teaches girls to disdain the present; it makes them ungrateful for the lives they've been provided with. Well, most children and teenagers are going to think like that, Disney movies or not. There is nothing wrong with longing for an adventure! For desiring something more. It may be a small world after all, but it's still worth trying to see. Belle is a reader, like I was. Books open the mind and heart to things you might not otherwise come across. Is that wrong? Should all books be therefore banned? NO. Belle might begrudge Gaston his boorish ways, but she doesn't look down on the townspeople for their narrow lives. She just knows it isn't for her. Same with Ariel and Jasmine. They are princesses and privileged. They should be happy and grateful for their palace lives. But a life of privilege like that also has its restrictions, its walls and guards and etiquette and expectations. It is true that they are very naive of the hardships that accompany common life, but I don't think we can fault them that. Hell, Jasmine would have lost her hand 20 minutes into the movie if it hadn't been for Aladdin. I guess what I mean to say is that desiring to live life, to have adventures and take risks is ultimately a trait that is worth praising. The pioneering spirit should be praised in women as well as men, despite what form it takes. And if you just so happen to fall in love at the same time, congratulations! The universe is smiling down on you. But you'll notice these women didn't want to see those other worlds originally for the sole purpose of finding a man. After all, Ariel sings Part of Your World before she meets Eric. 

Jasmine also finds love on her adventure. And it is a hard love, a love that defies expectations. She is out of Aladdin's league and Aladdin is beneath her. But isn't it a powerful message to girls everywhere that love can help overcome society's pressure to marry someone who is 'worthy' of you in terms of wealth and standing? Marry someone who is worthy of you in spirit! Love is your choice, not society's. Prince William just married a commoner. And if Prince Charles had been allowed to do the same maybe there could have been a little less tragedy and scandal in the British monarchy. 

And then there is Mulan. Mulan, like Jasmine, is running away from an arranged marriage. She doesn't want adventure though, she wants influence and respect. She wants to be in a position to help her family. Do you think she scorns her family for the life they have given her? No! She loves her family very deeply. That is her motivation. Her actions may be foolish, but they are done for the sake of her family. She chooses how best to live her life and secure her family's safety. I used the word agency previously in this post and I'm going to bring it up again. Mulan seeks agency for her and her family's future. Isn't that a gift worth giving girls? The right to decide their own path in life? Maybe they don't want to marry into wealthy, upstanding families. Maybe they would rather be poor and single, teaching other young people what it means to be human. Maybe they would rather run their own business than entertain their husband's business partners. Maybe they want it all- children, a career, wealth, happiness and health. It's not up to us to deny this to anyone. All options are valid. As long as it is what they want, and are willing to work for it. 

There is nothing wrong with a happy ending, or an ending that includes marriage. Just look at Jane Austen's novels. Her women are representative, but they are not flat stereotypes. They are well rounded individuals who just happen to find love in the course of their stories. And while it may be true that love and marriage may be the focus of the novels, you can tell that it is not the only thing that defines those women. Elizabeth Bennet, god bless her, wants to be married, but quite frankly doesn't spend every waking hour hoping for it. She reads. She walks. She shops and gossips and loves her family, even her ridiculous mother. Her inner life is much more rich than we ever see on paper. And isn't that the true measure of a person? 

So go ahead and let your children watch the Disney Princess movies. Maybe someday they will have to come to grips with the disappointment that is discovering mice will never talk and sew fancy dresses for them. And maybe that will prompt them to learn to sew for themselves. Or maybe they will finally accept that a prince will never come and spontaneously join their duet. And maybe that will prompt them to stop waiting and instead help others sing their own songs. Or maybe girls will learn that all humans are equal and capable of doing jobs that were once reserved for others. There are lessons to be learned everywhere. Instead of sheltering children and thereby narrowing their development, why not expand it, and let them choose for themselves. Being a princess isn't everyone's one true desire, even for those who grew up watching them. But if they do want to be a princess (I wanted to be one for the longest time), don't disparage them from that either.   

Happy 2014 everybody! 

This year has seen many changes for me, but most of them for the good. I started dating the love of my life, moved back to the Pacific Northwest, secured a job in the industry I one day hope to make my future career, and finally visited Canada. This has been a year of many blessings as well as a few challenges. But overall I feel as though I have grown much in love and understanding. But best of all, I find myself looking forward to all that 2014 will bring!!

In addition to everything else I did in 2013, one of the things I am most proud of is the blog that Lis and I started. We managed to each write one original fairy tale a month and publish them online. This has been a big deal for us and I am happy to announce that we plan to continue doing so! Here is a link for those who are interested to see what kind of creative fantasies 2013 brought: http://thedragonandthephoenix.wordpress.com/ Be sure to check back every month on the new moon for new posts! 

So friends, here is to the past year, the hard days we lived through, the summer months and winter moments. And here is to a new year- may it be full of life and wonder! 

Cheers. 

Yesterday Reid and I went on an adventure to get our very first Christmas tree! It was a chilly 25* outside, but we were armed with eggnog coffee and my favourite Christmas albums. We had to do a bit of trudging but we finally found the perfect tree! 

As most of you know, I had a birthday recently. 26! Last year I celebrated by throwing a tea party and declaring that I was "growing up but not growing old." I feel much the same this year but with greater strides at the whole "adulthood" thing. It's true that I may still live in a house with three roommates, work a job where I make slightly more than minimum wage, and still eat ramen a few times a month; but I also own my own car (by which I mean I am paying down a loan) and look forward to the day when I can be a homeowner (read: decorator). But I digress- what I wanted to talk about was the lovely way I celebrated my birthday this year. My wonderful boyfriend took me to Victoria for a short weekend of window shopping, tea drinking, beer imbibing, and relaxing. 

We took an early morning ferry over the water from Port Angeles. The weather was beautiful but alas, I get slightly motion-sick on boats, so I'm afraid I spent most of the ride staring out the window at the waves, concentrating on feeling normal.

We did spend most of the trip wandering around, especially since we had such good weather. But the one big expenditure we gave in to, and the only thing I really required out of the trip, was having afternoon tea at The Empress hotel. For those of you who don't know, tea and afternoon tea have kind of become my thing. It was a delicious menu in a beautiful setting and the perfect way to say hello to another year older. 

Fall has always been my favourite season, not just because of my birthday, but it certainly helps that I get an extra excuse to enjoy it! The first two days were gorgeous and sunny, with a chill in the air perfect for tea and pub fare. The last day was overcast and much colder but it did not dull the brilliant leaves or the great time we had. 

Thank you, Reid, for giving me a fantastic birthday weekend. Here's to growing old but not growing up (at least not all the way)! 

It took me nearly three years to finish this rug. Mostly because I would work on it, get bored, and forget about it. Repeat. But I finally decided that I had had enough of long, loose braiding taking up space in my room. I wanted that braid wound up and secure on my floor! 

Unfortunately for those who have asked, I don't have a website I used as a guide. I'm pretty sure when I first got the idea I just googled "how to make a braided rug," read the first few instructions, figured out what were the common elements, then just went for it. I don't think I consulted anything in the interim between my impulsive plan and the final few stitches. That is not to say I didn't pick up a few tricks and tips along the way. 

1. Google "how to make a braided rug" and read the first few hits you get. Decide what their common elements are and manipulate those to your own vision. 

2. Pick out your fabric. I used: 1 bedsheet, 5 shirts, 1 pair of jeans, and 1 skirt. I highly recommend the bedsheet and the skirt, but for god sakes stay away from jeans unless you have good thimbles and the patience to wear them. 

3. Cut everything in as long of strips as possible. (Hence the recommendation for bedsheets.) I think the website I first consulted suggested I cut the strips into 2-in widths. Let's just say there is no way I actually managed to do this. Cut them no thinner than 2in (unless you're doing jeans, but again, don't.) But the widths and the resulting braids kind of depend on the thickness of the actual material, not just the width of the fabric. If your rug is going to be made from all one material, then you're probably ok. But if your rug is anything like mine, you're going to kind of have to adjust as you go. I don't know if you can tell from the picture above, but the first inner rows are all of braids made from the sheet, which turned out really thin. The rows around the outside have stiffer fabrics and ended up with much wider braiding. 

4. Braid. Braid and braid and braid and braid. I actually made one SUPER long braid before I even started stitching the rug together. When a strip ran out I simply stitched another one onto the end of it and kept braided. This made for some interesting lumps, most of which I was able to conceal on the underside of the rug. However, I think it would be possible to simply include the next piece of fabric by overlapping it with the previous piece and using the braid to hold it in place. This is also where it kind of comes in handy to have all your pieces cut the same width. It's not a huge deal if you don't (like mine), but again, it does result in some weird lumps and extra flappy bits of fabric. 

5. Start stitching together. I started by folding the end of the braid in on itself and securing it. Then I wound it around and stitched some more, making sure the braid curved in a circular pattern. Honestly, my stitching on the back of the rug is a total mess. I'm not very particular when it comes to stuff like that, so some of my stitches are far apart and some of them are super close together. It's helpful to do them closer so your rug is more secure, but it takes way more time. I used a single piece of thread and just did a simple loop between the two side-by-side braids. 

As you can see, I didn't go all the way through the center of the braid nor did i repeat the stitching on the top side of the rug. As a result my rug is pretty loose (partly due to the fabric and the loose nature of the braids), which makes it fold pretty easy. But if you stitch it too loose the braids will push apart from each other when you set on them. 

7. Make sure you do all your stitching on a flat surface. If the rug isn't totally flat while you try and do this, you will end up stitching it too tight, causing it to curl. I learned this the hard way. So if you're not up for hunching over on the floor or making sure you can have a cleared table big enough for a rug, I don't think this is the craft for you. 

8. To finish off the rug I cut my fabric widths by half and made the braid tighter. This allowed for me to overlap it and stitch the very end of it onto the back, and makes it look like the braid just melts into the rug. 

9. Because my braids and stitching were pretty loose I did a few spiderweb reinforcing stitches that started at the center and radiated out to the edges. I made these from double stranded thread for extra hold. 

That's pretty much it! Clearly an amateur attempt and something I probably won't be repeating any time soon. But it was fun and now I have something cool to show for it! Also please forgive the lame pictures: I don't know where my camera charger is and I wanted to do this quickly. Feel free to facebook or comment with any other questions you might have!