Joey is planning to have gallbladder surgery in July. Since his gallbladder is not infected and he doesn't have stones but instead has diminished function, we have a little time to get our ducks in a row. He's tentatively scheduled the surgery for July 20th.
We're also working on some new items for the shop, a section called "Little Whims" for items $20 or less. We will also be discontinuing the peyote rings. You can still purchase rings through the Little Whims section and use the JOEY20 coupon for 20% off.
We're gearing up at my work, since the fiscal year end is on 6-30-11. I may not be able to update as much as I'd like, but I'll try to put some interesting things here on the blog to read and enjoy.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Customer Service - You're Doing It Wrong, the Legacy Edition
Many years ago, Joey was friends with an older lady who left him a number of paintings on silk that she and her husband brought home with them from the Philippines. They dated from about the time of the Vietnam war, and Joey thought they might be worth something as antiques. So, being young, naive and this being prior to the era of being able to research companies on the internet before you actually go there, we found the names of several antiques dealers in town in the phone book and set out with a few of the paintings in hand to see if they were worth anything.
It was then that I learned some vital lessons on customer service, the first one being that you should never, EVER become complacent, regardless of the all positive hype about your company and two, that a bad customer service experience leaves a longer-lasting mark than you think.
You see, Joey and I had the misfortune of stopping at Zee Faulkner Antiques. We had the second misfortune of dealing with the lady herself.
Zee Faulkner is quite the local character around here, and her downtown mansion/gallery was impossible to miss, painted a shade of powder pink that stood out among the more traditional buildings in that neighborhood. While Ms. Faulker had mastered the art of self promotion and the art of appealing to the local members of the Great and the Good, she apparently never mastered that prized art of Southern Hospitality. Instead she had all the charm of a bitchy head cheerleader of a two-bit rural school who makes sure to sign your yearbook noting the page that shows her off to her rah-rah best so you won't forget it. In fact, that pretty much sums up the customer service Ms. Faulkner had on offer to the two bewildered young folks standing in the midst of her vainglorious mansion. She literally sneered down her nose at the both of us without a greeting, then turned away to flip the pages of the magazine on prominent display in the foyer, to make sure that it was showing the article on her favorite subject - her. After that, she was done with us and waved us to the servant's entrance door, where her office manager quietly suggested we try another antiques dealer just down the road.
The other antiques dealer was a kindly gent, and he explained that the paintings weren't worth much of anything other than sentimental value, which was all we were trying to find out in the first place. Ms. Faulkner's lesson in what not to do when it comes to giving good customer service was a side bonus of the trip, but even after all this time, it still sets my teeth on edge.
It was then that I learned some vital lessons on customer service, the first one being that you should never, EVER become complacent, regardless of the all positive hype about your company and two, that a bad customer service experience leaves a longer-lasting mark than you think.
You see, Joey and I had the misfortune of stopping at Zee Faulkner Antiques. We had the second misfortune of dealing with the lady herself.
Zee Faulkner is quite the local character around here, and her downtown mansion/gallery was impossible to miss, painted a shade of powder pink that stood out among the more traditional buildings in that neighborhood. While Ms. Faulker had mastered the art of self promotion and the art of appealing to the local members of the Great and the Good, she apparently never mastered that prized art of Southern Hospitality. Instead she had all the charm of a bitchy head cheerleader of a two-bit rural school who makes sure to sign your yearbook noting the page that shows her off to her rah-rah best so you won't forget it. In fact, that pretty much sums up the customer service Ms. Faulkner had on offer to the two bewildered young folks standing in the midst of her vainglorious mansion. She literally sneered down her nose at the both of us without a greeting, then turned away to flip the pages of the magazine on prominent display in the foyer, to make sure that it was showing the article on her favorite subject - her. After that, she was done with us and waved us to the servant's entrance door, where her office manager quietly suggested we try another antiques dealer just down the road.
The other antiques dealer was a kindly gent, and he explained that the paintings weren't worth much of anything other than sentimental value, which was all we were trying to find out in the first place. Ms. Faulkner's lesson in what not to do when it comes to giving good customer service was a side bonus of the trip, but even after all this time, it still sets my teeth on edge.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
An update on Joey
This morning we were up at way-too-frickin-early to go to the diagnostics center to have Joey's gallbladder radiation scan. Which, thanks to the lovely loophole in Joey's health insurance was not covered AT ALL, so we're on the hook for the costs of the scan.
For whatever reason, I was not allowed to go back to the room to be with Joey during the scan, though other couples were allowed to go back together. Still, after two hours of sitting in an aesthetically pleasing but frankly uncomfortable chair, the test was over and we went home. Joey was feeling a little crappy, so I stayed with him and took my lunchtime so we could both rest and relax a bit before heading out to our respective days of work/school/work.
I was in a work meeting most of the afternoon, but when I got back to my desk, Joey had called. Our doctor had his scan results, and it shows that his gallbladder function is abnormal. So, our next meeting is with a surgeon to consult about his upcoming gallbladder surgery. Wish us luck.
To help offset the financial hit of this, I am once again putting many, many needle holes in my fingers to make you lovely folks items at a discounted price. Head over to The Whimsy Beading Etsy Shop and purchase anything you desire or request a custom item for 20% off. Just use coupon code JOEY20 at checkout.
For whatever reason, I was not allowed to go back to the room to be with Joey during the scan, though other couples were allowed to go back together. Still, after two hours of sitting in an aesthetically pleasing but frankly uncomfortable chair, the test was over and we went home. Joey was feeling a little crappy, so I stayed with him and took my lunchtime so we could both rest and relax a bit before heading out to our respective days of work/school/work.
I was in a work meeting most of the afternoon, but when I got back to my desk, Joey had called. Our doctor had his scan results, and it shows that his gallbladder function is abnormal. So, our next meeting is with a surgeon to consult about his upcoming gallbladder surgery. Wish us luck.
To help offset the financial hit of this, I am once again putting many, many needle holes in my fingers to make you lovely folks items at a discounted price. Head over to The Whimsy Beading Etsy Shop and purchase anything you desire or request a custom item for 20% off. Just use coupon code JOEY20 at checkout.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Maybelline, I wasn't born with this
Ever the optimist, I picked up Maybelline's Eye Studio Color Gleam Cream Eyeshadow Palette in Purple Possibilities. (I feel like I need a run up and a nap after typing out that link!)
It is in a word, and in the words of several other beauty bloggers and makeup lovers who've posted about this product before me - URGH. The cream shadows feel nice enough, and they go on nicely enough, although to get the level of saturation shown on the model's face, you'd have to use a frickin' garden trowel.
I applied the lighter lilac/purple shade this morning over a well dried coat of UD's "Sin" primer. Within two hours, my eyes were a greasy-looking, creasy mess, even worse than the E.L.F. Color Stick. For those of you scoring at home, that's pretty damn bad. I wouldn't recommend the Eye Studio Palette to anyone, regardless of their skin tone. If you want to waste about six bucks, there are more fun things to waste it on, like this stuff.
On the upside, though, the lilac shade did convince me that I need the Makeup Forever Aqua Cream shadow in the same shade, which I plan on picking up very soon.
It is in a word, and in the words of several other beauty bloggers and makeup lovers who've posted about this product before me - URGH. The cream shadows feel nice enough, and they go on nicely enough, although to get the level of saturation shown on the model's face, you'd have to use a frickin' garden trowel.
I applied the lighter lilac/purple shade this morning over a well dried coat of UD's "Sin" primer. Within two hours, my eyes were a greasy-looking, creasy mess, even worse than the E.L.F. Color Stick. For those of you scoring at home, that's pretty damn bad. I wouldn't recommend the Eye Studio Palette to anyone, regardless of their skin tone. If you want to waste about six bucks, there are more fun things to waste it on, like this stuff.
On the upside, though, the lilac shade did convince me that I need the Makeup Forever Aqua Cream shadow in the same shade, which I plan on picking up very soon.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Marketing - You're doing it wrong
This evening I ran out to the grocery store to pick up some quick meals and other staple items. When I got back to my car, there was a yellow full page flyer under my windshield wiper. It was for a local church's spring craft fair.
This makes me really sad. I'm all for supporting local craft fairs, but the organizers of this one just happened to hit on one of the most annoying, obnoxious methods of marketing short of blog and Facebook page spamming.
DO NOT LEAVE CRAP ON MY CAR.
I absolutely hate it when companies use the "flyer under the windshield" method of marketing. It's invasive, and all it does is piss the car owner off to the point that they throw your flyer on the ground. So instead of getting your marketing message out in a positive, inviting way, you've pissed off a lot of customers who were just trying to pick up something at a store and littered the store's parking lot with a bunch of flyers. You've wasted money, time, and a lot of goodwill.
So bottom line, local craft show, you've had a marketing fail, and lost a potential customer.
This makes me really sad. I'm all for supporting local craft fairs, but the organizers of this one just happened to hit on one of the most annoying, obnoxious methods of marketing short of blog and Facebook page spamming.
DO NOT LEAVE CRAP ON MY CAR.
I absolutely hate it when companies use the "flyer under the windshield" method of marketing. It's invasive, and all it does is piss the car owner off to the point that they throw your flyer on the ground. So instead of getting your marketing message out in a positive, inviting way, you've pissed off a lot of customers who were just trying to pick up something at a store and littered the store's parking lot with a bunch of flyers. You've wasted money, time, and a lot of goodwill.
So bottom line, local craft show, you've had a marketing fail, and lost a potential customer.
To Whimsy Beading Customers - An issue of privacy
While the forum debates have been going on for a little while now, as you may have found out, yesterday the news started breaking through the internet that Etsy had made changes to their feedback and privacy policies that were upsetting to sellers and buyers.
Here's the Ars Technica article on the subject, with plenty of debating going on in the comments section.
I firmly encourage all of you to check your account settings to make sure the new default settings are something you agree to. I also encourage everyone to read both sides of the story and making up your own mind on what action(s), if any, you take next.
As for Whimsy Beading, we're not leaving Etsy. I don't agree with everything Etsy management has done, and I think they've handled it poorly. I'm willing to allow them the chance to make it right, and I think management should spend more time listening to what their customers, both sellers and buyers really want before implementing broad changes.
Whimsy Beading also promises all our customers that we will not sell, rent, lease, lend, or in any other way release any of your customer information or use it for any other purpose than to use it to conclude a business transaction or contact you with information about a transaction you initiated. In other words, you have to opt-in for us to contact you. It's how I would want to be treated, and I think it's the way to do business.
For some people, this latest Etsy issue is the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. I understand that stance too. So what do you do if you decide to leave Etsy, but you still wish to make a Whimsy Beading purchase?
1. Artfire. We still have a basic level Artfire account. If you have a purchase you wish to make but you do not want to use Etsy, contact us at whimsy dot wearables at gmail dot com and let us know. We'll list it on Artfire so you can make your purchase there.
2. Paypal Invoice. If you don't want to use Etsy or Artfire, we can invoice you through Paypal. Again, contact us at whimsy dot wearables at gmail dot com to request this.
Whatever you do, do not contact us through Etsy convo to request an off-Etsy sale. We will not be able to assist you. Please contact us through email only.
As always, we're willing to work with you on making sure you get the Whimsy Beading items you love at a good price and in a method that you feel comfortable. Our customers are our greatest assets, and we want you to feel safe making a purchase from us, no matter which method of purchase you choose.
Kelly and Joey
Here's the Ars Technica article on the subject, with plenty of debating going on in the comments section.
I firmly encourage all of you to check your account settings to make sure the new default settings are something you agree to. I also encourage everyone to read both sides of the story and making up your own mind on what action(s), if any, you take next.
As for Whimsy Beading, we're not leaving Etsy. I don't agree with everything Etsy management has done, and I think they've handled it poorly. I'm willing to allow them the chance to make it right, and I think management should spend more time listening to what their customers, both sellers and buyers really want before implementing broad changes.
Whimsy Beading also promises all our customers that we will not sell, rent, lease, lend, or in any other way release any of your customer information or use it for any other purpose than to use it to conclude a business transaction or contact you with information about a transaction you initiated. In other words, you have to opt-in for us to contact you. It's how I would want to be treated, and I think it's the way to do business.
For some people, this latest Etsy issue is the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. I understand that stance too. So what do you do if you decide to leave Etsy, but you still wish to make a Whimsy Beading purchase?
1. Artfire. We still have a basic level Artfire account. If you have a purchase you wish to make but you do not want to use Etsy, contact us at whimsy dot wearables at gmail dot com and let us know. We'll list it on Artfire so you can make your purchase there.
2. Paypal Invoice. If you don't want to use Etsy or Artfire, we can invoice you through Paypal. Again, contact us at whimsy dot wearables at gmail dot com to request this.
Whatever you do, do not contact us through Etsy convo to request an off-Etsy sale. We will not be able to assist you. Please contact us through email only.
As always, we're willing to work with you on making sure you get the Whimsy Beading items you love at a good price and in a method that you feel comfortable. Our customers are our greatest assets, and we want you to feel safe making a purchase from us, no matter which method of purchase you choose.
Kelly and Joey
For Halee
I was recently given an Stylish Blogger Award by my friend Halee. And out of my great affection for her, I'm going to complete this award meme - mostly. I don't normally do these chain-letter style award things, but Halee can be oh so persuasive. So, here's the rules:
1. Link back and thank the person that gave you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 5 recently discovered blogs.
4. Contact them and tell them about their award.
1. Thank you, Halee
2a. I don't like food to touch on my plate. I never have. I deal with it as an adult, but my inner 5-year-old doesn't like it much. I should probably invest in these ceramic sectioned plates.
2b. I enjoy singing, even though the clear soprano voice I had as a kid and young adult is mostly gone. Chronic tonsilitis, a nicked artery during my tonsilectomy/adenoidectomy and later chronic low-grade irritation due to thyroid disease has rendered my soprano voice mostly gone. Even if I hit the note and can hold it, I squeak and I can hear the damage. I get by singing in the alto range.
2c. I hated avocados until the age of 30, but now I love them.
2d. My father taught me to drive, and my first car was a sports car. My father was once an amateur stock car race driver.
2e. I have a fascination with and a terror of tornadoes.
2f. Almost all of my celebrity crushes are close to my father's age. My parents find this hilarious.
2g. I have one older sister, but I also have four "brothers." When I was growing up, my father's niece and her family lived on the same street we did. She was only a few years younger than my dad (Almost all of Dad's sisters have 20 years on him), so her boys were my age. When my parents had to work nights or weren't home, they would take me to my cousin's house and she would keep me overnight. The boys and I would stay up late and watch horrible B movies together, squabble and in general do all the things siblings do when you're growing up. We've all grown up and got our own families now, but they'll always be my brothers.
3. This is the part where I fall flat. If you want to award this to your blog, go for it! If you don't, don't.
4. Consider part 3 the whole notification part.
1. Link back and thank the person that gave you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award 5 recently discovered blogs.
4. Contact them and tell them about their award.
1. Thank you, Halee
2a. I don't like food to touch on my plate. I never have. I deal with it as an adult, but my inner 5-year-old doesn't like it much. I should probably invest in these ceramic sectioned plates.
2b. I enjoy singing, even though the clear soprano voice I had as a kid and young adult is mostly gone. Chronic tonsilitis, a nicked artery during my tonsilectomy/adenoidectomy and later chronic low-grade irritation due to thyroid disease has rendered my soprano voice mostly gone. Even if I hit the note and can hold it, I squeak and I can hear the damage. I get by singing in the alto range.
2c. I hated avocados until the age of 30, but now I love them.
2d. My father taught me to drive, and my first car was a sports car. My father was once an amateur stock car race driver.
2e. I have a fascination with and a terror of tornadoes.
2f. Almost all of my celebrity crushes are close to my father's age. My parents find this hilarious.
2g. I have one older sister, but I also have four "brothers." When I was growing up, my father's niece and her family lived on the same street we did. She was only a few years younger than my dad (Almost all of Dad's sisters have 20 years on him), so her boys were my age. When my parents had to work nights or weren't home, they would take me to my cousin's house and she would keep me overnight. The boys and I would stay up late and watch horrible B movies together, squabble and in general do all the things siblings do when you're growing up. We've all grown up and got our own families now, but they'll always be my brothers.
3. This is the part where I fall flat. If you want to award this to your blog, go for it! If you don't, don't.
4. Consider part 3 the whole notification part.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Musical Musings of a New Wave Kid
This post is not about my rather extensive (and altogether geeky) collection of musical boyfriends, but rather the sudden explosion of the video that has been dubbed in some circles as the "Worst Video Ever", Rebecca Black's 13-year-old tribute to the weekend, "Friday." Behold, but be warned that I didn't make it through more than 15 seconds of the video, due to an overload of Auto-Tune.
My love of Auto-Tune The News aside, I just can't take that much flat, monotonous, obvious Auto-Tune. If you're still not quite sure what Auto-Tune is, let Weird Al explain it. Because really, who doesn't love Weird Al saying "shawty"?
But is "Friday" the worst video ever? Doubtful. I grew up during MTV's 1980s heyday (I used to glitch our old VCR into unscrambling the MTV signal from our cable company when some local parents complained about the channel and had it blocked - this was oh, about 1982 or so). I also know that my beloved proto-musical-boyfriend Mike Nesmith of The Monkees was the real brain behind the music video industry when he invented PopClips. So, I've seen my share of crappy music videos in my life. I've also seen videos that never fail to make me grin like an idiot.
I was a pretty lucky kid musically. My sister, who is seven years my senior had a great collection of late '70s rock and pop in her collection, such as E.L.O., Queen, Van Halen, ZZ Top as well as some absolute stinkers, such as The Hooters, but I've almost forgiven her for subjecting me to that so often. I was able to get into New Wave right on the front end, before I even knew what New Wave was. I asked for Culture Club and Cyndi Lauper albums for my birthdays. Granted, I liked my share of crap, like that godawful Starship album in the late '80s, but everybody liked it back then. Still, by the age of 13 or so, my taste in music had gone well past the pop music on offer to kids my age and was listening to They Might Be Giants, and my all time favorite band, XTC. I snuck out of bed to watch PostModern MTV and by the time I was 17, my beloved Andy Partridge would sometimes guest host the show. I adored The Smiths and Morrissey, jangled right along with R.E.M. and sneered down my teenage nose at New Kids on the Block and other popular bands. (while blissfully unaware of the irony of loving The Monkees for the exact same reasons my peers loved N.K.O.T.B.)
I have never stopped listening to the bands I loved at 13. I have never stopped loving the bands I loved at 13. But I'm really glad that when I was 13, we didn't have Auto-Tune.
My love of Auto-Tune The News aside, I just can't take that much flat, monotonous, obvious Auto-Tune. If you're still not quite sure what Auto-Tune is, let Weird Al explain it. Because really, who doesn't love Weird Al saying "shawty"?
But is "Friday" the worst video ever? Doubtful. I grew up during MTV's 1980s heyday (I used to glitch our old VCR into unscrambling the MTV signal from our cable company when some local parents complained about the channel and had it blocked - this was oh, about 1982 or so). I also know that my beloved proto-musical-boyfriend Mike Nesmith of The Monkees was the real brain behind the music video industry when he invented PopClips. So, I've seen my share of crappy music videos in my life. I've also seen videos that never fail to make me grin like an idiot.
I was a pretty lucky kid musically. My sister, who is seven years my senior had a great collection of late '70s rock and pop in her collection, such as E.L.O., Queen, Van Halen, ZZ Top as well as some absolute stinkers, such as The Hooters, but I've almost forgiven her for subjecting me to that so often. I was able to get into New Wave right on the front end, before I even knew what New Wave was. I asked for Culture Club and Cyndi Lauper albums for my birthdays. Granted, I liked my share of crap, like that godawful Starship album in the late '80s, but everybody liked it back then. Still, by the age of 13 or so, my taste in music had gone well past the pop music on offer to kids my age and was listening to They Might Be Giants, and my all time favorite band, XTC. I snuck out of bed to watch PostModern MTV and by the time I was 17, my beloved Andy Partridge would sometimes guest host the show. I adored The Smiths and Morrissey, jangled right along with R.E.M. and sneered down my teenage nose at New Kids on the Block and other popular bands. (while blissfully unaware of the irony of loving The Monkees for the exact same reasons my peers loved N.K.O.T.B.)
I have never stopped listening to the bands I loved at 13. I have never stopped loving the bands I loved at 13. But I'm really glad that when I was 13, we didn't have Auto-Tune.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Grey's AL Valentine's Goodies and other stuff
The lovely Grey of Le Gothique held a Valentine's poetry giveaway, and I was one of the lucky winners of some Aromaleigh limited edition 2011 Valentine's eyeshadows and other goodies. Take a look for yourself!
I also splurged and got myself Benefit's "Get Figgy" cream eyeshadow. It's a soft medium heather purple, a little darker than I normally use on daytime eye looks, but the purple really shows the green in my eyes. My eyes are normally called "hazel" but instead of the usual brown/green, mine are grey/green with brown centers. I used to wish I had a different eye color (such as Joey's lovely bottle green - seriously, my husband has pretty, pretty eyes), but I have come to love my own eye color, even though it doesn't fall under cosmetic makers set definitions of green or hazel.
And lastly, I have two promises for this weekend. One, we're going for Indian food tomorrow night at my favorite locally owned Indian restaurant, and two, after my hair cut yesterday (a maintenance cut as my hair grows out), I'm in desperate need of new color and highlights. I can't decide which color to use for my highlights, though. I have three shades of red/pinks, one hot pink, and a purple. I'm ready for spring, so I'm thinking it's going to be the hot pink, even thought it's Manic Panic, and Manic Panic doesn't stay in my hair worth a crap.
What say you, readers? Does hot pink and black strike your fancy?
I also splurged and got myself Benefit's "Get Figgy" cream eyeshadow. It's a soft medium heather purple, a little darker than I normally use on daytime eye looks, but the purple really shows the green in my eyes. My eyes are normally called "hazel" but instead of the usual brown/green, mine are grey/green with brown centers. I used to wish I had a different eye color (such as Joey's lovely bottle green - seriously, my husband has pretty, pretty eyes), but I have come to love my own eye color, even though it doesn't fall under cosmetic makers set definitions of green or hazel.
And lastly, I have two promises for this weekend. One, we're going for Indian food tomorrow night at my favorite locally owned Indian restaurant, and two, after my hair cut yesterday (a maintenance cut as my hair grows out), I'm in desperate need of new color and highlights. I can't decide which color to use for my highlights, though. I have three shades of red/pinks, one hot pink, and a purple. I'm ready for spring, so I'm thinking it's going to be the hot pink, even thought it's Manic Panic, and Manic Panic doesn't stay in my hair worth a crap.
What say you, readers? Does hot pink and black strike your fancy?
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Medical stuff update - no stones
Joey's ultrasound went as scheduled today. Although the techs weren't supposed to tell him the results, they did say it looks like there are no stones in his gallbladder. So yay for that, but now we need to find out what's wrong so we can fix it.
Medical...stuff
Joey has a gallbladder ultrasound tomorrow morning. I think a surgery will soon follow, but we'll know more tomorrow.
All good wishes are appreciated.
All good wishes are appreciated.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
It's people!!
Joey just sent this picture to me to me. If you don't get the reference, then watch the video clip below. Back in the day, it was a huge shocker to the sci-fi dystopian theater goers.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Monday musings
I'm telling myself I need to take a shower and go on to bed because I'm working the late night data entry shift at work as part of our annual fund drive for two days this week and two days next week. It's the least I can do for our fund drives. Maybe I'll do a phone bank taping too, but I haven't the last two times. I don't think I'm very photogenic!
I'm still loving my MUFE Aqua Cream eye shadow, and I'm fighting the urge to go buy the other three shades I know I would use on a regular basis, and Benefit's "Get Figgy" color.
I'm thinking about culling some of my mineral pigments and shipping them out to interested parties for the cost of postage. Since they've been opened, I don't think it's fair to ask people to pay for them. Would any of you fine people be interested?
I'm still loving my MUFE Aqua Cream eye shadow, and I'm fighting the urge to go buy the other three shades I know I would use on a regular basis, and Benefit's "Get Figgy" color.
I'm thinking about culling some of my mineral pigments and shipping them out to interested parties for the cost of postage. Since they've been opened, I don't think it's fair to ask people to pay for them. Would any of you fine people be interested?
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Adventures in Trashy Eats: Cheeseburger Soup
I'm a big believer in whole food and ingredients that don't take a doctorate in chemistry to understand, but sometimes, my '80s middle-class, white bread, Midwestern-meets-Southern upbringing comes out and I make something with more "cream of" soups in it than can possibly be good for you, such as this recipe for Cheeseburger Soup. Eaten in moderation, you can indulge every now and then. I'm also compensating for the huge amount of salt in the soups by not adding a lot of it anywhere else, and getting products that are low/no salt. You can also use low/no fat soups and Velveeta.
Trashy Eats Cheeseburger Soup
1 - 1.5 pound(s) of hamburger
1 medium sweet onion, chopped fine
1 can cream of onion condensed soup
1 can cream of chicken condensed soup
2 cans cheddar cheese condensed soup
32 oz. unsalted chicken stock
1 - 2 cans petite diced unsalted tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 pound Velveeta, cubed
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Salt free seasoning mix (like Ms. Dash)
2 - 3 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat butter or oil for five minutes. Add onions and a pinch of salt and sweat the onions until they are translucent. Season the hamburger with salt, pepper and seasoning mix, and add to the skillet, breaking the meat up well and cooking until just browned. Add the Worchestershire sauce and allow most of the liquid to evaporate. Set the hamburger mixture aside and turn the burner down to very low heat.
In a stock pot on the same burner, combine all four cans of condensed soup and whisk gently to combine. SLOWLY add the chicken stock, whisking gently to incorporate. (DO NOT add all the stock at one time, or you will end up with a lumpy soup!) When the condensed soup mixture has taken all the stock, add the tomatoes, ketchup and beef mixture. Return heat to medium and allow it to simmer for half an hour.
After half an hour, remove the soup from the heat and add in the cubed Velveeta, stirring well. Return the soup to the heat and keep stirring until the Velveeta has completely melted.
Serve immediately with bread or yeast rolls, sweet gherkin pickles, and lettuce, if you like. I like to have the leftovers with basmati rice.
Serves: Lots.
Trashy Eats Cheeseburger Soup
1 - 1.5 pound(s) of hamburger
1 medium sweet onion, chopped fine
1 can cream of onion condensed soup
1 can cream of chicken condensed soup
2 cans cheddar cheese condensed soup
32 oz. unsalted chicken stock
1 - 2 cans petite diced unsalted tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato ketchup
1 pound Velveeta, cubed
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
Salt free seasoning mix (like Ms. Dash)
2 - 3 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat butter or oil for five minutes. Add onions and a pinch of salt and sweat the onions until they are translucent. Season the hamburger with salt, pepper and seasoning mix, and add to the skillet, breaking the meat up well and cooking until just browned. Add the Worchestershire sauce and allow most of the liquid to evaporate. Set the hamburger mixture aside and turn the burner down to very low heat.
In a stock pot on the same burner, combine all four cans of condensed soup and whisk gently to combine. SLOWLY add the chicken stock, whisking gently to incorporate. (DO NOT add all the stock at one time, or you will end up with a lumpy soup!) When the condensed soup mixture has taken all the stock, add the tomatoes, ketchup and beef mixture. Return heat to medium and allow it to simmer for half an hour.
After half an hour, remove the soup from the heat and add in the cubed Velveeta, stirring well. Return the soup to the heat and keep stirring until the Velveeta has completely melted.
Serve immediately with bread or yeast rolls, sweet gherkin pickles, and lettuce, if you like. I like to have the leftovers with basmati rice.
Serves: Lots.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
River Stones (Wherein Kelly talks about music and makes a necklace)
Last summer, in my glut of catching up with my liking of The Decemberists, I discovered their concept album The Hazards of Love, and went from "Oh, I really like this band" to "ZOMG I LOVE THIS BAND!"
What can I say? I'm a sucker for concept albums. I think between Joey and I, we own most of the big concept albums of the last thirty or so years, including Tommy, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Wall, and Kilroy Was Here. I don't think we have a copy of The Battle of Evermore, but I've heard it so many times that I don't think I really need one. So when you hand me a concept album with archaic language, a story of medieval magic,evil queens (especially an evil queen with the pipes of the fabulous Shara Worden!), a gallant hero, nefarious villan, doomed love and Nashville guitar, well, if I weren't a slavering fangirl of the album and the band, you'd need to check and make sure I wasn't dead.
My favorite track from all the fabulous tracks that make up Hazards of Love is the last track, which brings the story of our lovers to its inevitable conclusion. It's mournful and beautiful and I could listen to it over and over again to wallow in the pleasant melancholy it brings. It's also the inspiration for the necklace I just finished as a personal jewelry piece, so without any more wittering on about music and doomed love, I present you with River Stones:
I'm using those gorgeous heat-treated blue quartz "pebble" beads I bought at our trip to the Intergalactic Bead Show, the ones that made me gulp at the price, even after getting them half off. I had originally intended to string them into a single necklace, but this piece is really more my style. I don't think the picture really captures just how beautiful these beads are (they look like luminescent water drops), but it's the best I can do with my phone camera for now.
What do you think of it?
And just so I don't let my musical boyfriend Colin Meloy down, I'll also share with you The Hazards of Love 4, The Drowned. Enjoy the wonderful moping.
What can I say? I'm a sucker for concept albums. I think between Joey and I, we own most of the big concept albums of the last thirty or so years, including Tommy, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Wall, and Kilroy Was Here. I don't think we have a copy of The Battle of Evermore, but I've heard it so many times that I don't think I really need one. So when you hand me a concept album with archaic language, a story of medieval magic,evil queens (especially an evil queen with the pipes of the fabulous Shara Worden!), a gallant hero, nefarious villan, doomed love and Nashville guitar, well, if I weren't a slavering fangirl of the album and the band, you'd need to check and make sure I wasn't dead.
My favorite track from all the fabulous tracks that make up Hazards of Love is the last track, which brings the story of our lovers to its inevitable conclusion. It's mournful and beautiful and I could listen to it over and over again to wallow in the pleasant melancholy it brings. It's also the inspiration for the necklace I just finished as a personal jewelry piece, so without any more wittering on about music and doomed love, I present you with River Stones:
I'm using those gorgeous heat-treated blue quartz "pebble" beads I bought at our trip to the Intergalactic Bead Show, the ones that made me gulp at the price, even after getting them half off. I had originally intended to string them into a single necklace, but this piece is really more my style. I don't think the picture really captures just how beautiful these beads are (they look like luminescent water drops), but it's the best I can do with my phone camera for now.
What do you think of it?
And just so I don't let my musical boyfriend Colin Meloy down, I'll also share with you The Hazards of Love 4, The Drowned. Enjoy the wonderful moping.
Opening a Window(s) to the Past
When I was a senior in high school, I was the teacher's assistant for Mr. E., our school's French teacher. While he could never teach me to parle français with any skill (not his fault, BTW), he gave me an immeasurable gift by forcing me to learn how to navigate a computer so he wouldn't have to. Up until that time, I hadn't had any exposure to computers and hadn't the slightest idea of how they worked, what they could do, or how to use one. My "computer time" in the fifth grade was always taken by the teacher's assistant because my last name back then was at the back of the alphabet. Sucky but true. In our small town in the late '80s and early '90s, computers were seen more as fancy toys that only certain people would ever need to use than an integral part of our education before going to college. It's kind of quaint that educators ever thought that way, isn't it? I started with DOS 2.1 and I've never looked back. From knowing nothing at all about a computer, I sped through learning about DOS, Windows, and anything else I could find or that people would show me. A computer wasn't some horribly nasty machine I'd never understand, it all made perfect sense and I could make it all work*! I went from barely being able to type to writing my term papers and homework assignments in LeadingEdge. Mr. E., I thank you from the bottom of my heart. For the rest of you, I give you this awesome video:
(Scottish!) Man Installs Windows 1.0 through Windows 7 To See What Happens
Not only is it some fine geekery at work, but it's done with a wonderful Scots brouge, increasing the Awesome score by an exponential factor of ten.
*Just don't ask me to code in Virtual Basic or do any other kind of coding at all, really. I'm a great end user, but I have some kind of mental block about programming languages that I've never been able to shake. My HTML coding skills stop at about 1995. I'm not proud of that, but there you are.
(Scottish!) Man Installs Windows 1.0 through Windows 7 To See What Happens
Not only is it some fine geekery at work, but it's done with a wonderful Scots brouge, increasing the Awesome score by an exponential factor of ten.
*Just don't ask me to code in Virtual Basic or do any other kind of coding at all, really. I'm a great end user, but I have some kind of mental block about programming languages that I've never been able to shake. My HTML coding skills stop at about 1995. I'm not proud of that, but there you are.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Furlough Day Sale!
Okay, so my actual furlough day is almost over, but I'm holding a sale in the Whimsy Beading Etsy Shop. Coupon code DAYOFF25 gets you 25% off everything in the shop. The coupon's good through Sunday at midnight.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Mother-in-Law Musings
Sometimes I indulge my train wreck addiction and read my way through advice columns for an hour or two. There are plenty of stories of a new wife who just can't get along with her mother-in-law, and I have to stop and say a little "thank you" to the universe that I am blessed with a fantastic mother-in-law.
From the very first, Joey's mother treated me like I was one of her own. I'll never forget the first Christmas I spent with his family, and she had gone out that day to purchase a gift for me to put under their Christmas tree, just so I'd have something to open when I got there. It was a kindness that I definitely didn't expect.
My mother-in-law supported Joey and I in our wedding - she even demanded that Joey get my engagement ring early! She's supported Joey and I in our marriage, and she has been a very strong supporter in our decision to not have children, even before she knew I had a fertility disease that made having children nearly impossible.
So while I'm eternally grateful to her for raising the man I love beyond reason, I'm also thrilled beyond belief that when I married Joey, I got more than just a husband, but a second loving family, and a wonderful second mother.
From the very first, Joey's mother treated me like I was one of her own. I'll never forget the first Christmas I spent with his family, and she had gone out that day to purchase a gift for me to put under their Christmas tree, just so I'd have something to open when I got there. It was a kindness that I definitely didn't expect.
My mother-in-law supported Joey and I in our wedding - she even demanded that Joey get my engagement ring early! She's supported Joey and I in our marriage, and she has been a very strong supporter in our decision to not have children, even before she knew I had a fertility disease that made having children nearly impossible.
So while I'm eternally grateful to her for raising the man I love beyond reason, I'm also thrilled beyond belief that when I married Joey, I got more than just a husband, but a second loving family, and a wonderful second mother.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Leather Snob
I have a weakness for Coach purses. I treated myself to my first Coach when I graduated from college, and have carried them almost exclusively ever since. But lest you think that I have more money than sense to spend that kind of money on a purse, I'll freely and fully admit that the styles I tend to like in Coach bags leans toward the conservative, and I have no problems at all buying them at an outlet store or even *gasp* eBay. I do research the model number and the serial number if I buy from an eBay seller, though. Luckily, the bags I like are the ones that are least likely to be copied. I've never been a fan of the "Signature" series items. Just put the name on the hangtag, but the hangtag had better darned well be there!
Sometimes, though, I am unfaithful to my handbag love. While shopping online, I ran into a good deal on an Etienne Aigner bag that was in a style I liked at a very good price, so I bought it. And while it's a good handbag on its own, the leather did not have the same feel as a Coach bag, and I found myself wishing I'd held out for a Coach bag, just so I could have that wonderful feeling leather again.
I tried to make it work out with Etienne, I really did. We lasted just over a month. Then I had a reconciliation date with my Coach Legacy small bag I use when going to bead shows, and the attraction was too strong to deny. I found myself scouring eBay listings to find a welcoming bag, and I found it in a Bleeker Medium Hobo Bag in Chocolate Brown. It arrived today.
Alas, poor Etienne. It was a fast, but brutal breakup.
Sometimes, though, I am unfaithful to my handbag love. While shopping online, I ran into a good deal on an Etienne Aigner bag that was in a style I liked at a very good price, so I bought it. And while it's a good handbag on its own, the leather did not have the same feel as a Coach bag, and I found myself wishing I'd held out for a Coach bag, just so I could have that wonderful feeling leather again.
I tried to make it work out with Etienne, I really did. We lasted just over a month. Then I had a reconciliation date with my Coach Legacy small bag I use when going to bead shows, and the attraction was too strong to deny. I found myself scouring eBay listings to find a welcoming bag, and I found it in a Bleeker Medium Hobo Bag in Chocolate Brown. It arrived today.
Alas, poor Etienne. It was a fast, but brutal breakup.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Dead Island Controversy
Someone I like very much and respect posted to her Facebook over the weekend about her upset in viewing the Dead Island Trailer, which I am linking out to rather than embedding in my blog so that you can choose whether or not you want to see it. You might want to read on a bit more before you decide to click.
Dead Island is an upcoming video game, and like many video games, it generates buzz by releasing a theatrical style trailer. This has been going on in the video game industry for quite some time now. It's in the zombie/apocalypse genre, and it looks to be a first-person action game, which are not my particular favorites, but I digress.
My friend was upset because she felt that children should not be viewing these kinds of games. I completely agree with that, but I disagree that "video game" automatically equals "children." It doesn't. Not by a very long shot. In fact, according to The Entertainment Software Association, the average age of a video game player is 34. That's a far cry from impressionable child. Nor was Dead Island ever presenting itself as a game suitable for children, so the upset and censure to my mind was unwarranted.
The first thing you see when the Dead Island trailer begins is the pegi 18 visual, which stands for the game's age rating in the Pan European Game Information system. Right at the start, you're told that Dead Island is a game developed for and targeted to adults.
So what's so bad about this trailer? Well, it's a child. The death of a child, as a matter of fact. The death is used as children and pets often are in horror films - as a sucker punch to the viewer. On an emotional level, it's very effective, but it's not new. Zombie children have been used since the original Night of the Living Dead.
So, bottom line, while I understand someone not liking the subject matter of Dead Island, I can also appreciate it for what it is - an adult trailer, made for an adult game, created for adult players. I don't doubt that some kids will be exposed to the subject matter, but I also feel that it's the game buyer's responsibility to use the evaluation tools available to them before making that game purchase. For my money, Dead Island isn't a game I'll purchase or play, but it's because I don't particularly like first-person games. And to make sure that this post doesn't end on a downer, I hereby present to you Jonathan Coulton's Re:Your Brains. Enjoy.
Dead Island is an upcoming video game, and like many video games, it generates buzz by releasing a theatrical style trailer. This has been going on in the video game industry for quite some time now. It's in the zombie/apocalypse genre, and it looks to be a first-person action game, which are not my particular favorites, but I digress.
My friend was upset because she felt that children should not be viewing these kinds of games. I completely agree with that, but I disagree that "video game" automatically equals "children." It doesn't. Not by a very long shot. In fact, according to The Entertainment Software Association, the average age of a video game player is 34. That's a far cry from impressionable child. Nor was Dead Island ever presenting itself as a game suitable for children, so the upset and censure to my mind was unwarranted.
The first thing you see when the Dead Island trailer begins is the pegi 18 visual, which stands for the game's age rating in the Pan European Game Information system. Right at the start, you're told that Dead Island is a game developed for and targeted to adults.
So what's so bad about this trailer? Well, it's a child. The death of a child, as a matter of fact. The death is used as children and pets often are in horror films - as a sucker punch to the viewer. On an emotional level, it's very effective, but it's not new. Zombie children have been used since the original Night of the Living Dead.
So, bottom line, while I understand someone not liking the subject matter of Dead Island, I can also appreciate it for what it is - an adult trailer, made for an adult game, created for adult players. I don't doubt that some kids will be exposed to the subject matter, but I also feel that it's the game buyer's responsibility to use the evaluation tools available to them before making that game purchase. For my money, Dead Island isn't a game I'll purchase or play, but it's because I don't particularly like first-person games. And to make sure that this post doesn't end on a downer, I hereby present to you Jonathan Coulton's Re:Your Brains. Enjoy.
In Memory of Nigel
For those of you who don't know me, know this one thing. I was raised in a small town in KY, which considers itself a Southern state, but we are ever-so-pointedly sniffed at when the "real" Southern states get together to talk over iced tea on the front porch, bless our hearts. (Protip: You can never say nasty things about someone in the South if you say "bless his/her heart" before or after saying the nasty thing.)
One of the oddities of living here are the back window memorials, like these. You'll be driving down the road in that traffic zen fugue that takes over every driver, when all of a sudden a big "muddin'" truck cuts you off and on the back there states that the driver had a beloved Pawpaw who lived from 1937 to 2003 and their favorite appropriate Bible quotation.
I don't get it. It seems like it's a pretty recent thing but I just don't get it. To me it's like driving every day of the rest of your life with your lights on in the daytime, going 15 miles an hour because that's what you did in the funeral procession. I can't imagine a person passing on and having their last wish to be that their epitaph be pasted on their loved ones' cars. There's even an entire Facebook page devoted to how tacky folks think these stickers are.
I doubt that I'll ever get the urge to immortalize my loved ones on my car (for one thing, explaining it to my two Grannies is not a prospect I relish when I see them again), but if I ever do, I'm going to make it appropriate and pay homage to my first car, a 1987 Buick Skyhawk T-Type Sports Coupe that my mother named "Ladyhawke" and I renamed "Nigel." I have never loved any car as much as I loved Nigel, even though he had a terrible habit of blowing through expensive aluminum head gaskets. I eventually had to turn Nigel over to my uncle, a GM master mechanic and all around automotive genius because I couldn't afford to keep him. So here's my proposed automotive memorial sticker:
One of the oddities of living here are the back window memorials, like these. You'll be driving down the road in that traffic zen fugue that takes over every driver, when all of a sudden a big "muddin'" truck cuts you off and on the back there states that the driver had a beloved Pawpaw who lived from 1937 to 2003 and their favorite appropriate Bible quotation.
I don't get it. It seems like it's a pretty recent thing but I just don't get it. To me it's like driving every day of the rest of your life with your lights on in the daytime, going 15 miles an hour because that's what you did in the funeral procession. I can't imagine a person passing on and having their last wish to be that their epitaph be pasted on their loved ones' cars. There's even an entire Facebook page devoted to how tacky folks think these stickers are.
I doubt that I'll ever get the urge to immortalize my loved ones on my car (for one thing, explaining it to my two Grannies is not a prospect I relish when I see them again), but if I ever do, I'm going to make it appropriate and pay homage to my first car, a 1987 Buick Skyhawk T-Type Sports Coupe that my mother named "Ladyhawke" and I renamed "Nigel." I have never loved any car as much as I loved Nigel, even though he had a terrible habit of blowing through expensive aluminum head gaskets. I eventually had to turn Nigel over to my uncle, a GM master mechanic and all around automotive genius because I couldn't afford to keep him. So here's my proposed automotive memorial sticker:
Nigel
1987-1996
You could've won that drag race if it hadn't been for the State Trooper
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
