Aspire to everything Inspired

Have you heard? OPERATION SANTA

Read the full article here. 

No wonder we have these cool 'Santa delivering presents' stamps this year!

This might end up being a Christmas Card photo (just so you know)

New summer blouses and long Kurtas purchased in India?  six.  wait, no - make that seven.  possibly eight.

Things I've been doing...

Dear Trader Joe's,

Dear Trader Joe's,

These Milk Chocolate Mini bars taste funny.  A little fruity.  Is that normal?  I've now sampled several from the same package and can confirm that they all have the same, slightly fruity flavor.  I think perhaps it would be wise to compare them to a different package in order to ensure a wider product sampling. 

Accordingly, please send chocolate for review.

Sincerely yours,

C.M. Nielsen
Chocolate taster

Time to vote!

Just in from the US Postal Service blog, Beyond the Perf...

 

Now is the time to vote for Best U.S. Stamp of 2011!  Which will you vote for friends... ? 

Those bright, fun new Love stamps?  The clean modern look of Industrial Design?  The beautiful artwork of the Mark Twain or Edward Hopper issues?  The Pixar Hello stamps that evidently I can't get enough of?  The classically elegant George Washington?  So many gorgeous stamps to choose from! 

Really, it's been a good philatelic year here in the USA, don't you think?  (Please tell me you're not still using just the ol' same vending machine-issued flags and Liberty Bells.  Please, oh please...)

So, what's your vote?  Tell me your pick and I'll tell you mine!

Want to vote for real too?  Go here!

[Saw this item first via a Beyond the Perf subscription email from USPS.  Go vote!!]

The view from over here, No. 22

How long does it take to hang a picture?

Three years, evidently.

I've been wanting... planning... intending, to hang this picture on this wall since I moved here.  But the picture frame had 'teeth', not a wire.  And right in the middle of this wall space is the fuse box -- which sticks out from the wall.  And so a wired frame is required to hang something there, not teeth.  A simple adjustment to wire the frame, right?  And I've had ALL the supplies to do it.

Plus, it's an excuse to use the power drill.

And any reason to use the power drill about the house is usually a good thing, in my book.

So.  Time it took to actually get it done?

Uh, three years.

So, what household projects have you had laying around for simply ages?  Go ahead - confess share one...  I'm sure it will make me feel a teensy-bit better about having taken three years to do a 5 minute job.  LOL!

Getting ready for winter

Are you ready for winter, friends?

Those chill breezes... the falling leaves... the six inches of snow...   all are good indications that winter is well and truly here.

I'm stocking up on hot chocolate, to make sure we don't have a sudden supply shortage mid-snow storm or anything.  I mean, really, how APPALLING would that be!?  So...

• Four canisters of Godiva Dark Chocolate, ordered from Godiva.com? 
• Two large canisters of the new Starbuck's Cocoa Powder picked up at Costco? 
• Three enormous canisters of Stevens' Dark Chocolate (ditto Costco)? 

Check, Check, and Check!!

It might be enough to see me through the winter, or at least January.  But I don't know what we'll do if you drop by.  Maybe I should pick up some more?

The view from over here, No. 21

I'm in love with this idea of creating hand-stamped book inscriptions...

gift books for Christmas?  Check

A Scratch-off Calendar? Sign me up!

We have our scratch-off tickets, and those "do NOT scratch this" tickets, but what about ... a world map?  Why didn't we think of this before!?

Yes, Yes!  A world map!  How awesome would this be to have framed - no glass! - and hanging on the wall?  You could scratch off travels to foreign lands as they occur...

Oh, soooo awesome!

I'm rushing to put this gem on my Not-so-Imaginary Christmas List.  right. now. 

Get it here.  Or should I put down an extra one for you on my List too?

[Saw this item first via the Restoration Hardware catalog.  And then Marta reminded me when she posted about it today too - so fabulous!]

The Dutch word for mustard is "Mosterd", in case you were wondering

Here's proof that that I work with some truly amazing people:

Several weeks ago, I was introduced to a new colleague who was visiting from The Netherlands.  We had a brief, but cheerful chat about working together in the future, how she was enjoying her visit to the USA, and my last visit to her beautiful country.  Five minutes, maybe seven - tops.  I happened to mention that I needed to visit The Netherlands again soon, as my favorite Dutch mustard was almost gone. I know -- of all the reasons to visit a country... because I need more mustard?  LOL!  We had a good laugh at that.

Well.

Flash forward to October...  she's back in the U.S. for a customer visit and guess what I discover on my desk one morning?  A beautiful jar of her favorite Dutch mustard!

Now that is one thoughtful colleague, don't you agree?  I work with some truly awesome people.

And obviously, she's much smarter about transporting mustard than I am too!