it was inevitable. last night i noticed my nose running quite a bit and then this morning the sore throat, the body aches, the strange groggy lethargy. z feels bad that he got me sick, but i sorta knew that was going to happen. we've figured out it's just a bad head cold and nothing more, which we're glad about. i went out and bought a thermometer and neither of us has a fever, nor have we lost any appetite. if he had the flu his symptoms would've been much worse by now anyway. he stayed home from work again. my limbs feel like lead. half finished crochet necklace next to me and i keep saying "oh, i'll finish that" but whenever i pick it up to work i barely do anything. so i waver between watching tv, browsing online, and making poladroids of photos.

( photos and such )

though i went out for a run, i didn't go as far as i thought i would. my head felt fuzzy, though part of me thinks it's due to not having any tea or coffee today. i came home and had some fruit. i've been trying to make sure i keep eating normally because any loss of appetite would definitely mean i'm getting sick. luckily z hasn't lost his appetite much so he thinks he's got an awful cold that's making him feel so miserable, which we hope it's just that.

yesterday i cut my right forefinger and have been quite put out for not being able to crochet. i'm left handed so i use the hook in left hand and use my right hand for the thread and my right forefinger as a guide for the thread and holding the work i'm making. those who crochet will understand this and realize how awful it is having a cut right along the part of my finger where i guide the hook and wind round the thread is terribly annoying. it's a sorta deep cut too so whenever i do anything with my hand i keep opening it. argh. i tried crocheting with a band aid on it last night, but that was very awkward.

z bought star trek and heat on blu ray. both showed up rather fast and tonight i got to watch star trek again. that film was so amazingly good. we're saving the second disc of extras goodies for another night, but we've heard good things about them already.

my chocolate muffin i bought from whole foods yesterday has raisins in it, which i'm none too happy with. not that i don't like raisins, but i don't want them in my chocolate muffin.

z is officially sick. he called out today from work and has been flipping through channels on the tv this morning, usually stopping to watch a bit of the price is right. he's very achey and gross feeling he says. i don't know if i'm having sympathy aches or if i'm catching what he's catching, so i'm being extra careful and taking stuff like emergen-c and vitamins and such.

last night we had a thunderstorm - in november. i know that happens, because i was used to it when i lived in oklahoma, but on the east coast? at one point a bright flash lit up the whole room and then a loud crash. the lightning was very close to the apartment and made both of us jump in bed. other than that i had the theme song to inspector gadget stuck in my head and we hummed that a bit until we fell asleep. what was the dog's name? i can't remember now. i remember penny and dr. claw, but i can't remember the dog's name. i want to say spike, but i don't think that was it.


i took lots of random photos around the apartment last night. this is my thread stash for the necklaces and scarves and other projects.

( a couple more )

everyone seems to be getting sick! my dad told me he has shingles again (he's on meds for a kidney transplant so his immune system is shot) and z has been fighting a cold that feels like something much more sickly now. he's said lately there's been some plague of sorts going round the shop. argh!

last night we met up with our friend paul at kingdom of vegetarians for some deliciousness. all the meat there is veggie. i had my favorite duck with veggies (square pouches of fried bean curd with mushrooms), paul got some sort of shredded pork with veggies and z got chicken in garlic sauce, which we now have a lot of as leftovers. pumpkin and chocolate slices of vegan cheesecake for dessert.

when we got home i immediately got on the xbox to play peggle nights, which did in fact come out yesterday. they did it rather oddly though - or so i think. when i went to play peggle i noticed that there's an option for peggle nights in the menu, instead of on the main xbox marketplace page where new releases are usually shown. so i got to play the new peggle, which made me rather happy. i think it's been out on pc for a while now, so i guess it's not new, but it was to me. the levels were much more interesting and in some cases easier. i thought the final stage of levels was relatively easy, except the very last one, which was definitely hard. the PN challenges look harder though than the regular version. i hadn't realized how long i was playing and so z didn't get to play his MW2 at all. i was rather surprised he didn't bug me about it and thankful so tonight the xbox is all his.

off to whole foods with me now for a few things.

our scheduled time was for 11am to 1 pm. considering it's stupid comcast, the company with the worst customer service possible and curmudgeony technicians, i kept telling z he'll either show up at 9:30 am or 5pm. i wasn't far from wrong at all. we set the alarm to wake up before he arrived, but of course he showed up at 10 am before the alarm went off. as soon as we heard the buzzer the first thing i mumbled to z from under the covers was, "i told you." of course the cable guy grimaced and frowned and looked put out when he looked at what work he had to do, which i found ridiculous because it really wasn't that bad at all. other than that he was ok and by noon he was gone. i'd made coffee and downed a bowl of granola for breakfast. i just now had lunch, which was what i had for breakfast yesterday. biji was quite put out by the fact that someone disrupted her breakfast routine of dry food and then tuna. she was really hungry so i placed some tuna under the bed for her where she hides when people come over.

so now we have cable. not that we needed it at all, but z decided he's done with how slow dsl is for downloading (mostly for the xbox), but also so we'd finally get the stupid ABC channel because they are retards and it doesn't show up with a simple digital antennae - LIKE ALL THE OTHER CHANNELS DO. z said he'd watch tv today and i laughed, telling him that daytime cable television was as worthless for watching as it was before with just the antennae. i was right, again. after flipping through all the channels he turned the tv off and conceded there was nothing on. despite the worthlessness of cable television it has been nice for internet. all the sites i read, particularly the design ones, which are full of photos, usually took a rather eye-rolling amount of time to load, but now they are much faster. we even downloaded the latest wallace & gromit game for xbox, which was much faster as well. i'm anxiously awaiting the new peggle game to become available as well. the release date is today, but we think it's later this afternoon or evening.

now to bide the time until this evening when we meet up with paul for dinner at kingdom of vegetarians. z's been wanting maple ice cream with spice cookie bits so i guess i'll make that.

after several hours of working and editing this afternoon and evening, i finished the breakfast book and ordered copies for myself. i want to receive those copies to look them over first before making the book public. it's taken longer than i thought it would, but i'm glad i'm finally done with it. hopefully i can have it available for purchase by black friday.

it's 80 pages long and there's 73 photos. not so much text as i originally thought, but i'm happy with that. there's only a few recipes - mostly ones i've posted here, though improved. and other blurbs about making breakfast in general. i wanted the book to be more about the photos than anything else. part of me is cringing a little because i'm not a professional photographer at all and this is merely a hobby for me, so to make this public so people can buy it has me worried about the critics coming through the woodwork - if there are any.


i went for an early run today and on the way home picked up this leaf. i love the shape of it.

still crocheting as well. i'm not certain if i want to start a new shop with the coriandersea name on it or if i should just keep louveciennes. what do you think? if i want goods to be available by black friday then i should just keep louveciennes, but i don't know. i'm being rather silly about it.

lately i've been putting on the ipod while crocheting - mostly to drown out the gunfire and bombs from z playing modern warfare 2 on xbox. i keep coming back to The Gentle Waves, which is the pseudonym of isobel campbell from the band belle & sebastian. i only have the first two albums and just now found out she's had a few more out i'll need to get. i think campbell is an acquired taste, just like joanna newsom. for those who can appreciate newsom's nails-on-chalkboard screeching (i can't), there are those who can appreciate the sickeningly sugar sweet, whispering of campbell. i'll say this now: i don't think neither campbell nor newsom can sing well at all, it's just a matter of personal preference. i happen to prefer campbell's somewhat singing over newsom's. the first album, green fields of foreverland is a jukebox mix of melancholy lullaby sounding songs about love, nature, and friendship with be-bop and country western influences. the second album, swansong for you - is the exact same at the first album, only with more atmosphere and slightly more somber lyrics. i tend to like the second album better, though i'm going to get the rest of her work now so that may change.
and the other night i listened to the nutcracker.

tomorrow we're getting cable.

i've had to restart my acorn collection. the ones i had in the blue glass jar got moldy. z said i shouldn't have kept the cork lid on them, which is true. but i also think i put something in there from my wanderings that hadn't completely dried out - i think it was some sort of twig like thing, maybe a strange blossom from a tree. i can picture it, but i don't know exactly what it's called. so it all had to be thrown out and now i'm more discerning about my acorns and going to keep them in an open jar. actually i just threw out the cork lid to the one i had because it was moldy too.


the past couple times i've been to tyler i've collected some acorns. i'm noticing all the more how many kinds of acorns there are and all the interesting shapes and sizes. i rather like the smaller ones in this picture. they were rather green when gathered them. the grey green hue of some as they've dried out and aged is quite beautiful. also, the lines across the acorns from where their "hats" used to be is fun to notice.


been rather domestic today. cleaning jars and organizing craft goods. winding yarn balls and sorting buttons. also working on the breakfast book. so far i've got 46 pages and no where near done. realizing the muffin recipes may need some tweaking for the book i've been baking them constantly lately. i've improved so many of them now that i feel ashamed of the ones i've posted before. i may go back through my recipes list and make the corrections to them. the apple cinnamon with nut crunch topping and blueberry recipes have been greatly improved. they are so much fluffier and moist now, whereas they were rather dense and not as light as i'd hoped before.

tomorrow the rain finally leaves!

today is one of those days where looking frumpish isn't so bad because at least i'm comfortable and warm. i've nowhere to go anyway. i have a brown sweater, i call it my BUBS (Big Ugly Brown Sweater) that i've had for ages it seems. i think i got it at a second hand store in '95. it's too big for me, but it's soft and comforting to wear. i look completely swallowed in it, but i don't really care. wearing that over my anthropologie lounge dress with the big floral patterns. black tights and my man slippers.


yesterday i got into one of my moods. the kind where i'm wanting to change everything in the apartment. reorganize, rearrange, simplify. some of the kitchen cabinets got rearranged to better situate the dishes we use more often. z said it was so that i wouldn't have to reach on tippy-toe so much and thereby taking away the "cute" factor he likes about it.

all my mugs are now in the same cabinet with the glasses and tea things, which i'm glad of. but then i started thinking of all my jars. over the years i've collected vintage jars and love using them for various things. some of them held tea. one of them is currently keeping my brandied figs, which i'll probably open in the new year. but i don't know what to do with the rest of them now. we don't have much shelving so putting cereal and grains and such in them for general display and use won't work. i'll have to think about this a bit....


rather savory breakfast today.

so very chilly out today.
z bought some new jackets from the dickies website and he actually went for the heavy one in the closet today. normally i'm scolding him for not wearing long sleeves or a hat or a scarf or gloves, let alone a jacket heavy enough for the colder temperatures.

i wish it wasn't so cold. i want to go running so badly. i used to run when i was in high school and then stopped and haven't run since and now i am again and i forgot all the symptoms that come with doing this sort of exercise. the need to get up and do some sort of bodily movement. the crack-addiction-like desire to run anywhere and everywhere. it's called runner's high i guess. i have so much excess energy now. yesterday i stayed indoors the whole day and was completely fidgety by bedtime - at 1 am. i felt bad for feeling like i was keeping z up because i couldn't settle down. this morning i was going bonkers just lying in bed and despite the windchill being 38F outside with lots of wind and drizzling rain my head is in a debate with itself: sure! just bundle up, go out! vs. are you nuts? you'll freeze and worse yet you'll sweat after running and then be chilled to the bone while walking home and catch cold or worse. z says i should do my indoor exercises, but those feel so mediocre to actually being outside and running now.

it's a cool drizzly day out. i'm a bit put out that there's a chance of rain because i planned on jogging, but perhaps it's better to stay indoors and crochet.

i know i keep talking about the crocheting i'm doing and not showing anything. the perfectionist says i shouldn't show anything until it's all done and i'm ready. but the instant-gratification says i should just throw things out during the process and get feedback, etc... so i'll compromise and state what i'm making.

i'm expanding on the pansy chain necklace idea to include bracelets and rings. the necklace has 42 pansies on it, whereas the bracelets only have 8 and the rings have one. there will be a variety of colors including purple, pink, blue and green as well as the neutral. i'm also working on making a purse/clutch out of fine mercerized cotton with a fabric lining. fabric either from old clothes being repurposed or some scraps of stuff i find at craft stores/thrift stores, etc.... and i've got 2 lace scarves in the works. the scarves are keeping me busy for the most part because i'm using the fine bamboo thread and 1.5 mm crochet hook. the jewelry is done in 1.75 mm, but because they aren't so big, they work out much faster. the bamboo thread only comes in white or neutral colors and i'm making a scarf in each one.

so far i 'm delighted by the little pansy rings. they are adorable and fun to wear. i've also got a leaf chain necklace idea, but not certain how well it'll look. also i'm thinking of making a multicolored flower necklace. different flower motifs on a chain, which will be a bit of work changing out the colors, but i think it'll look nice when finished. i'm also throwing around the idea of making blankets and cushion/pillow covers. i've written it all down in my notebook and there are so many ideas expounded on and brainstormed, and even crossed out. last night i had the strange (maybe?) idea of making all sorts of crochet motifs and then framing them as pictures. or even making a garland because garlands seem to be all the rage now.

btw, breakfast was french toast with almond butter and maple syrup.

i'm always so attracted by natural light that sometimes i forget how nice things can look in different kinds of light. especially candles and low light lamps.

( more )

what a day. it's not even over and i've already been pissed off to the point of wanting this entire city to burn down. it seems every time i go out grocery shopping in south philly i'm nearly hit by some other car doing something stupid. and i was yelled at by a guy who was walking with his family who thought i was going to hit him, but in actuality my car was not even close to him. he wanted to be melodramatic, to have someone to yell at and scowled at me. he kept turning back and glaring at me so i finally called him an asshole and said i wasn't even close to him.

i feel like interacting with too many people in this way completely poisons me. this city is poisonous because there are so many unhappy pathetic jerks like that guy. they just want to bring someone else down. take out their anger and frustration so any chance they get they pounce and it's so exasperating because it happens so often. these pathetic souls. i would say i pity them, but i don't. they probably deserve their misery because they bring it upon themselves and want to see that misery just so they have something to talk about and feel self righteous for. something to smugly smile about when someone asks them what kind of day they've had.

i went out and jogged 2.5 miles today to get my angst out of my system. luckily the annoying high school kids weren't running today so i mostly had the river to myself. it was quiet and close from all the clouds creating a hazy film over the scene before me. as i reached a gravel path and finally stopped my jog a man jogging towards me nodded and smiled in that understood way. the kind, understood meaning that he knows how nice it is to finish with the run and walk slowly, breathing deeply, letting the muscles finally loosen. that kind nod and smile helped dispel the scowls of the idiot from earlier in the day. for every prick there's also someone nice, though the nice ones seem much more hidden and not as noticeable.

realizing i don't have too much to say lately. been "working" on crochet stuffs and happy with results. focusing on what i want to do. that's about all really.

*after dinner at a restaurant with a friend of ours*

me: oof. food coma. fooooood coooomaaaaa. i think i need to play peggle to stay awake.
him: um, actually i was going to play forza.
me: *glare*
him: *frowny face glare*
me: *glare*
him: should we play marvel?
me: is that going to be our median?
him: yes.

Note: peggle, forza (car racing), and marvel (ultimate alliance multiplayer - comic book characters) are all xbox games and for a split second i wondered whether or not in time we'd need another tv and xbox.

things i'm loving:


tiny toadstool

i don't think an outfit gets much better than that. wish i could pull it off. the hats in that shop are fantastic.

honey never spoils
a blog started by my friend temma. it's all about old recipes from her grandmother. endearing and lovely.

dear golden vintage
love this shop as well, though she always has such little shoes for sale. hrmph!


i'm also completely drawn towards plaid button down shirts, preferably flannel. i've not worn a button down (aside from a formal one for work) in ages and i kinda miss them. i've been more of a pull-over shirt/sweater type for a long time now. i need to get back into button-downs. i saw this one when z and i wandered about a mall after seeing zombieland the other day.


also loving vintage icelandic/danish styled sweaters. the kinds with all sorts of crazy colors up top in diamond/diagonal patterns. i came extremely close to buying this one from verhext, but didn't. and then someone else bought it.

what to do with bad photos that still have potential? give 'em the 'roid treatment with the poladroid.net program.

yesterday i was quite productive with crochet stuffs, which makes me happy, but i'm not ready to show what i've been making yet. some of it isn't much different than what i've already had in the shop so even when i do show it some people may be "meh" about it, but it makes me happy that i've expanded on some things and they've worked out to my liking.

reworked a muffin recipe because i want to make sure i put good ones in the book i'm working on. this one ended up being fantastic. they are apple cinnamon muffins and ended up much better than the ones i made around a week ago.

( more )

made apple pie this evening. i was never a pie fan until i started making my own. now i love them. like clockwork i tend to make an apple one each autumn from the apples we pick and a peach pie in summer.

due to daylight savings completely confusing me i've been waking up earlier. or so i think, but maybe it really isn't earlier if it wasn't daylight savings? hmmm... anyway, i managed to go out jogging today at a ridiculously early time for me. i've exchanged the length of my walk/jog now for the amount of energy exerted. instead of walking the 8 mile loop i now do a roughly 5 3/4 miles with around 2/3 of that being steady jogging, which i'm rather proud of considering i never thought i'd ever do such an exercise willingly again after high school.

in regards to my crochet projects bouncing about in my head, i've surprised myself. so incredibly happy to discover the end product made exactly matched the image in my head.

head exploding with ideas. sometimes it seems i won't be able to create them fast enough before my head switches gears onto something else.

woke up early, confused. wind knocked the pine cones off the radiator by the window, which i forgot was left open. what time is it really? because i don't believe the clocks. not even the automatically updated on on my computer.

last night was the usual for us. we don't go to halloween parties. neither of us are fans of that sort of thing now. we're very much the home bodies. considering all the mayhem going on around us with the prison haunted house, we're sorta trapped in this area anyway.

we watched It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, which is one of my all time favorite holiday shows. we also carved a pumpkin and i toasted the seeds.


for the past few years we've gotten very thick skinned pumpkins, so doing any sort of fancy designs on them have been nearly impossible. we're lucky we can get the knife through at times. this year's pumpkin was the thickest we've gotten. a solid 2.5 inches! are there specific carving pumpkins we don't know about? ones with thinner walls to make it easier for carving? if we get any more thick ones like we did this year we may invest in getting a chainsaw.


yesterday i pulled a chair up to the window and crocheted. i've got 2 lace scarves in the works and finished another pansy chain necklace. listening to the leaves rustle about with all the wind and stormy weather we had yesterday completely relaxed me, which i think is how i managed to get so much work done.