Wishful Thinking Part 01

I'm a big fan of Pinterest and If you haven't already, you should defiantly check it out. It's full of great ideas and projects, including a lot of things I call wishful thinking. As great as all these ideas are, at least in theory, actually finding the time and energy to complete a few, or even one for that matter is somewhat impossible for me. By the time I get around to it, I either don't have the right stuff, I have all the stuff, but by the time I've collected it all I don't really want to do it anymore, or I have everything but one crucial component. By then I've over doing it, and that's when I move on to more important things like crocheting while watching Downton Abbey. So I've decided to dedicate a few entries to all those great projects that I think would be so awesome to do, if only... I had my own house, had the time, had the money, didn't have to go to the store, etc etc. 

A great idea for Valentine's Day.

 You cut heart shapes out of maps of all the places you've been, then mount and frame them. Super easy and unique right? The Problem: This requires me to set up my new printer so I can print out map sections, and buy ink (p.s. if you haven't gotten out lately apparently printer ink is liquid gold). 

Affordable DIY art. 

All you have to do is 1. Get a canvas, Spray paint (any color, doesn't have to be white), and Letters, or Whatever 3D object you want to be on the canvas (object should have  a flat surface to attach to the canvas). 2. Get out your hot glue gun and attach your objects to the canvas as you please. Watch those fingers though! 3. Spray your entire canvas with selected paint. Do a few thin coats, as thicker coats are prone to drip and pool. The Problem: I would have to go buy spray paint and have to wait for 5 managers to check and make sure I'm of age and then be interrogated to make sure I'm not using it as a drug. Then I have to decide on an object and I have yet to find just the right thing.

Great way to Budget.

This is a cute idea for grown-ups or for teaching kids to save. Get a shadow box, get a picture of your item, you could cut it out of a magazine, photocopy it or print off the web. Then start saving. The Problem: I am horrible at budgeting, I would be ripping that 20 bucks out of there within 2 weeks to pay for my coffee habit.

So get excited, grab a cup of coffee, or your drink of choice, and waste a few hours look at all the projects you should defiantly do. If you do end up doing any let me know, I promise I'll actually do one soon too, but for now I'll dream.

The Sickness

I came home today to find this...

I think I need a new place to live for a while; at least until the infected are better. Then I need to invent a type of bug bomb that is disinfectant instead, so we can just bomb the whole house. For now I will hide in my studio, so more new creations soon!

Stay healthy out there.

Beer Oh Beer

I guess I should explain my job a little better other than I just dress in crazy amounts of wool. I work for Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, MA, and my official job title is Colonial Foodways Specialist. Which means I spend half my time in "old time-y" clothes, with a funny accent, and I pretend not to know what the internet is, or what iPhones are, etc.etc.

Being part of Foodways means I get to make things like this Gooseberry Tart for our recreation of a 17th century wedding this past summer.

I also roasted a pig on a spit, with fellow interpreters in our museums colonial village site.

Sorry about the blurry picture, it's hard to sneak pictures while a pilgrim (Picture courtesy of Sally Rothemich).

Now that it's the winter, and we're closed, we get a chance to do things like research, and classes which isn't as easy when we're open to the public. And do you know what a lot of people think of, other than Thanksgiving when they think pilgrims?

BEER!

"Monday the 25 being Christmas day, we began to drink water aboard, but at night the master caused us to have some beer, and so on board we had divers times now and then some beer, but on shore none at all."

-1622. Mourt’s Relation. Caleb Johnson, ed.  p. 472.

Poor pilgrims, they knew the wilderness would suck, but I bet they thought they'd at least have beer. Which leads me to my latest adventure; a couple days ago I headed to Beer & Wine Hobby in Woburn, MA for a home brewing class. It was in hopes to get more detailed information on modern brewing, how we can make it like the pilgrims, and of course to buy supplies. My wallet was not too happy about this adventure; I got a bunch of extra supplies for a kit I previously bought, and a new book, much recommended:

Long story short, brewing beer is pretty easy, (well that's what I was told), and now all that's left to do is read, and brew. So check back and see if I brew amazing beer, or just beer bombs (over carbonated beer can make your bottles explode and create a giant mess. I'm aiming not to do this).

If you want to learn more about beer or what beer to drink, or not to drink you should check out my friends The Two Kyles. They try beers and tell you who awesome or not so awesome they are. Here is one of their episodes:

CHEERS!