The Merits of Using the Right Glue

As an avid crafter, I tend to obsess over adhesives more than the average person. I'm going to admit here and now that I have an entire drawer devoted to glues of a million varieties. Rubber cement, Elmer's, wood glue, super glue, Super 77 spray adhesive, and Aleene's (in original, quick dry, clear gel and fabric varieties)! The list could go on forever. Friends and family even know about my thing for glue. That's why Lydia thought it was absolutely necessary to give me a tiny .66 ounce bottle of Aleene's original Tacky Glue as a Christmas gift. It's the tiniest glue ever, but so practical to keep in my purse for my everyday gluing needs. And I just refill the bottle when I need to!
But sometimes, in a world of a million different glues, how do you know which one to use? This website, This to That provides the answers. Select your two mediums from drop-down boxes and they'll tell you exactly what kind of glue to use. And they might give you a little tidbit about why you should use that glue and some tips for ultimate sticking power. It's a crafter's dream.

And frankly, who doesn't need to know more about glue?

Listography

I'm a list maker. I think I got it from my mother. She makes lists. Grocery lists, things to do... I remember her once making a list of back-to-school clothes that I needed before a trip to the mall.

I love the way a list looks. I love the way it feels to cross something of a to-do list. I love the way it feels to look at a list of things you've done or things you love. Writing down goals makes them more reachable, more tangible. Writing down memories makes them fade slower.

I have an entire notebook full of lists from wedding planning. Lists of people, times, phone numbers, vendors, flowers, groups of people for pictures, songs for the reception, things to take, things to remember, things to do .... it all got a bit ridiculous.

List making helps me blog quite often. When I'm at a loss for anything else to say, I think of a list of things. 10 things I think are pretty. 5 songs I love right now. 25 things to do before I turn 26. 10 things you don't know about me. See, I'm listing right now!

That's why Listography is awesome. You can make lists! Tons of lists! And they're all stored there, safe and sound. And if you're stumped about what to make a list of, there's a list topic generator!

So now that I've told you all about a place to make and keep your lists, I should share one, right?

15 Things I Do at Work (That Aren't Working)

1. facebook
2. tweet that I'm bored
3. watch youtube videos
4. crochet scarves
5. text family and friends
6. try to make the perfect station on Pandora
7. send Chris emails with links to silly articles
8. crossword puzzles
9. get up to date on blogs on Google Reader
10. read really bad fanfiction
11. put pieces of tape on my arm to see how much dead skin comes off
12. stare out the window
13. post blog entries
14. read 26 pages on fmylife.com
15. make this list

What do you list?

MLK on SSI

Some pictures from the weekend. Chris and I spent Sunday night and Monday (MLK Day) on St. Simons just to get away for a while. We realized that neither of us had been to Fort Frederica in forever, so we paid our $3 each and walked around for a while.









We also went down to the village on Sunday night. It was VERY windy, but the light was really pretty, so I took a few pictures.







That's all for today, I think.

New Things

I'm working on something new tonight. It's not finished, but here's a little peek:

I should be able to show off (non-cell phone) pictures tomorrow night. I'm really excited about it. You should be too.

Also, here's a picture of the fun nail polish I got for $2/bottle tonight. My nails will indeed be glittery silver tomorrow. EXCITED.


And now... Bonnie Raitt sings really pretty:

Leaving the Window Open

I read this article on NPR today and it made me think about how I approach music, movies, television, etc.

(Now would be the time to read the article if you plan on it.)

I am completely guilty of pop culture snobbery. I'm a music snob, tv snob, movie snob, and sometimes even a craft snob. I don't listen to Lady Gaga because everybody else does, even though "Just Dance" is supercatchy and I jam out to it every time I hear it on the radio. I roll my eyes at reality tv/ competition shows, but I'm just as guilty as the next guy about getting caught up in an episode of American Idol or Dancing with the Stars. Chris and I watched almost every episode of last season's America's Got Talent. We looked forward to it, even. I wanted to see The Hangover really really bad when I first saw the trailer for it. I never did because everybody was talking about it. When I overheard a girl (most likely a college student) at Hobby Lobby ask if she could just use "fabric and that self-adhesive velcro stuff" to cover her couch, I laughed at her under my breath instead of offering advice.

I tell people they've probably never heard of the music I listen to. I don't readily share my love for a certain teen vampire book franchise. I stop listening to music the second I hear it on the radio. Hey There Delilah played constantly on my iPod a month before it came out on the radio. Then it got deleted from iTunes entirely.

This article made me think about all of this. When something is uber-popular, didn't it get that way for a reason? Can't I listen to Neko Case and Taylor Swift? I say yes. Yes I can.

I didn't really make any New Year's resolutions this year, since I made my 25 Before 26 list, so I'm making one now. Leave the window open. Just leave it cracked a bit. As the article says "... just in case there's a breeze."

And to show my good faith, here's a song (Jessica, aren't you proud of me?):

Embroidering Wood

I made this for Lydia & Bruce as a Christmas gift and thought I'd share.


I wanted to do something more elaborate, but drilling hundreds of holes and breaking drill-bits kinda limited what I could do. With more time (and patience) I could probably do something a bit more visually interesting. However, I thought it was pretty awesome.

Think that's cool? Check out Claire Coles embroidered teacups:

Vampire Weekend

You can listen to the ENTIRE new Vampire Weekend album on their website (or below) before it officially comes out on Tuesday. If it were possible to wear out an mp3, I would have worn out their previous (self-titled) album. You should probably go out and get both of their albums if you haven't already.

PS... (for Emily)...