happy stuff.

one of my jobs at work is purchasing children’s music cd’s.  my budget is very small (probably due to the fact that for a few years, they sort of forgot to assign anyone to purchase music and the budget got raided for other things) so i search high and low for the very best music [...]

once or twice a year, i try to create a new flannel story for whatever storytime theme kit i’m building at work (we each build 1-3 kits, then rotate among branches to lessen each individual’s workload.  it’s brilliant.)  this season, i’m building “grumpy day” and “in my pocket.”  “grumpy day” was my idea (ironic, considering [...]

ahhh… i needed that. so many beautiful bits this last weekend. first, this weekend was the annual local festival that culminates in an aerial dance performance suspended from the trees by a troupe called cycropia. i’ve blogged about them before and they’re probably my favorite local entertainers. their act is just so unique! a friend [...]

due to a last minute schedule switch, i found myself with the day off yesterday.  i’d bought a case of peaches the day before, thinking maybe i’d get to can them sometime on friday (my original day off this week).  but since i had the whole day off and the peaches were already ripe and [...]

so, i’m trying my hand at canning food again this year.  the last time (and also the first time) i tried to can tomatoes was just after college.  i’d planted way too many tomato plants in the backyard of my rental house and didn’t want them to go to waste, so i canned some.  it [...]

yesterday was the library’s second annual summer library (huge, enormous) carnival. with the help of 22 volunteers and seven paid performers/artists, we entertained about 1350 people between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. there were games, prizes, crafts, jugglers, facepainters, balloon sculpture towers, and this hilarious duo: *added later*–see some great photos of the event here.

my could-do list has a few things on it that have been there for quite some time.  today, i had the distinct pleasure of finally crossing one of those things off my list–making new cushions for the chair in my living room.  here’s the before picture: in this photo, it doesn’t look that bad, but [...]

remember my blogiversary giveaway? i finally finished the last part of the prize–a tote bag, featuring my most recent original needlepoint piece. this is the first time that i’ve combined needlepoint and patchwork and i love, love, love the way it turned out!  here’s the back: and the inside: the strap is actually a belt [...]

on thursday’s bike ride home from work, i got a flat tire.  i wasn’t even halfway home and i didn’t really want to walk six miles, so i called mr. happy stuff to see if he could come pick me up.  i have changed my own flat tires in the past, but the sheer physical [...]