Holiday Gift Idea #21

Electronics aren't a bad gift, but if the recipient is a woman who did not specifically ask for something that plugs into the wall, then think very carefully about your decision. It isn't to say they won't use and appreciate it...eventually. Just beware.

Cuisinart 12 Cup Brew Central Coffeemaker. Yes, it is worth it. I love ours.

Electric Pepper Mill. These are so, so great, especially when you are adding pepper to a dish while cooking.

Brookstone 4-in-1 Charger for Cell Phones, Smartphones and iPod

Brookstone Wine Opener. I know they have been around and were a big gift a few years ago, but I think they are the perfect type of gift. Who wants to spend the money for one themselves?

Brookstone 80-Hour Rechargeable Battery


One of my favorite Christmas gifts from Anthony was a camera. He'd done all the research and picked out the best camera for my needs. But, here's the thing: it was what I wanted.

Blog Search Bar

Ummmm, I didn't know there is a blog search bar at the top of blogger blogs!

Look up to the top left, type in Micky, hit search blog and you'll see all the posts with his smiling mug.

Thanks Marta!

I Hate Twitter

I am pro-social media. Pro-sharing ideas, thoughts and unfettered/unapologetic viewpoints. Many a deal, super great recipe, decorating idea or outfit inspiration has been found through social media. But I have to tell you. I really hate Twitter.

The thing I hate is how disjointed a page looks with re-tweets and one-sided conversations that make no sense. Some people are terrible spellers and/or haven’t thought through what they are trying to say. I’m annoyed by Twitter scrolls on news networks (that goes for you too, E!).

Twitter-speak is very insider-y and isolating with Tweeps and Tweet-ups. It is personal and impersonal at the same time. People are literally having a conversation in front of you, but it is totally two-sided. No way to join the debate or throw your in two cents worth.

But sometimes, depending on the person, it can be clever. I am loath to admit this.

I have mad respect for people who can be clever, enlightening, funny and/or succinct with 140 characters. And then I start to think about it like a Facebook status. We all like when people comment on our statuses, right? But not all Facebook statuses are equal. Some just elicit a mental head nod or a cursory quick read. But the good ones, man, the good ones!

And then I start to think about brevity. The need to get to the point. Not bore people and to make it clear what you are trying to get them to do or need. But still make it accessible and interesting. Which is a good life lesson. How often are we truly able to get out what we really want to say?

And that's all I have to say about Twitter.

P.S. Jezebel's Tweet Beat is a riot. P.P.S Tweet, tweet.

Library Thing Book Recommendations

I found a super cool book suggestion tool yesterday and it made my day. Similar to Goodreads and Shelfari, Library Thing is a book sharing community and its suggestion tool is just like the iTunes Genius Bar. Pop in a favorite book and get 20+ similar recommendations.I put in one my favorites, Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver, and got these suggestions:

Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver*
The Bean Trees: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver*
Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver*
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver*
The Rosewood Casket by Sharyn McCrumb
She Walks These Hills by Sharyn McCrumb
A Map of The World by Jane Hamilton
The Ballad of Frankie Silver by Sharyn McCrumb
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett*
Three Junes by Julia Glass*
Ghost Riders by Sharyn McCrumb
Way Out in the Desert by T. J. Marsh
Seasons of the Coyote: The Legend and Lore of an American Icon by Philip L. Harrison
Clay's Quilt by Silas House
Serena: A Novel by Ron Rash
Timesong by Bill Branon
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd*
The Dollmaker by Harriette Simpson Arnow
The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Night Comes to the Cumberlands: A Biography of a Depressed Area by Harry M. Caudill

I starred the ones I've read, but certainly seems like I need to check out Sharyn McCrumb, huh?

Google Notes

I read a lot of blogs. Mostly design, home, artsy-fartsy related but also more personal ones of people I know (or it feels like I know). I keep track of all my blogs (as well as other sites with rss feeds) on google reader. Not exactly earth shattering, but I just started using the notes feature today.

The notes feature allows me to flag websites that I want to visit later, as opposed to my current method where I find links during the day (shhh, don't tell anyone) and then email them home to myself. A crap way to keep track of a recipe for bakery frosting or an etsy shop I like. And you can share your notes with other people.

I added a notes feed to the side bar of the blog with links of projects I want to do, resources for products and ideas I want to share but may not get around to blogging about. You can also see my shared items here.

Like I said, its not earth shattering, especially since there are lots of other sites that do these kinds of things. What I like is that it is a feature of something I use on a daily basis.