tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52215032012-02-13T21:54:59.014-05:00Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comBlogger9841100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-25397934503699437952012-02-13T21:54:00.000-05:002012-02-13T21:54:59.022-05:00

After a long break, my interest cycle has revolved back to miniatures.  I'm STILL pondering the making of mini books and the steampunk library.  It dawned on me that I had a perfect vessel already - a jewelry box I got at Bombay Company that I no longer use.  I'm not sure that it would be big enough for what I'm envisioning, and it's still at my parent's house, so I need to go get it and measure.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-51987176200295548392012-01-12T18:18:00.000-05:002012-01-12T18:18:43.175-05:00

I started off the New Year by attacking the kitchen. I packed away glassware we never used, extracted pots and pans that SHOULDN'T be used, and added some wire shelving to increase storage in random places. I keep hoping that one day I'll magically create enough room for a crock pot, bread machine, and a super-fancy mixer. One of the things I had the most problems finding room for was the

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-90250231441558761032012-01-12T14:50:00.001-05:002012-01-12T18:41:01.197-05:00

Now that I have a full size house to decorate, I've spent a lot of time climbing up and down ladders, stools and chairs, hanging things. My workout is tripled by the fact that I frequently need to retrieve a different tool, which, of course, is in the tool box. On the floor. Over there. I finally decided I should invest in a tool belt and just carry everything up with me at once. I would

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-88486951119368446372011-12-16T20:40:00.001-05:002011-12-16T20:42:30.813-05:00

I saw this on Pinterest this year, and couldn't resist making them. The original instructions can be found on the Magic Bean blog. I made a few alterations as detailed below. But first: pictures! I used photos of family members to make my silhouettes, and was lucky enough to find sticky-backed felt with a protective paper backing onto which I could draw the outlines. I had to track down

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-32112321683254916892011-12-15T15:28:00.001-05:002011-12-15T15:36:50.370-05:00

That's right. The space between our front door and the glass security door gets hot enough to melt fake Christmas wreaths. I am appalled and amused, and now wondering what would happen if I were to string bacon there on a sunny day. I am also ready to tackle the unique challenge of figuring out what I can safely decorate my front door with! Any suggestions? Here's a before photo.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-66325879547015561882011-10-27T20:51:00.002-04:002011-10-28T10:54:41.239-04:00

Soon after getting into my yarn hobby I realized I needed better storage for my tools, so I started looking around for ideas. I wasn't really pleased with what I saw. I didn't want a fabric rollup needle case, it just didn't seem secure enough to me. I wanted everything in one container. And by everything I meant crochet hooks, knitting needles, all the various accessories and tools, and

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-28840876243710746982011-10-11T23:32:00.000-04:002011-10-11T23:32:32.861-04:00

I took a break from yarn to acknowledge the season. I wanted a little bit of Fall color for the house, and had a wooden basket, and found some pretty flowers half off at Michaels, and got this: The basket in itself is awesome. Brian's Grandpa Leitner made it. It collapses flat! And as far as I can tell, it's only three pieces. The handle, the narrow base that runs underneath, and the

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-90452342361295451242011-09-16T19:51:00.005-04:002011-10-27T21:07:56.782-04:00

  Ta da! No no, not the camera, the sweater! (in future years, historians will look at all these photos of people holding cameras and wonder, 'what the heck?' and then create complex theories regarding them.) Anyway. I only got 1 non-blurry shot before my camera battery died again. Naturally I'll post more later. I haven't washed or blocked it yet, but I'll get to that eventually. This

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-62835599386397856892011-09-15T22:39:00.001-04:002011-09-15T22:49:49.939-04:00

So the fall semester starts, and I'm on the downward spiral towards graduation, with my dreaded 499 writing intensive course present and lurking.  So what do I do?  Take up crochet!  Growing up, my mother tried with varying degrees of success to teach me to crochet.  Her being right handed, and me left handed, we usually only ended up confusing each other.  Eventually I got the hang of it, but

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-77353892856130945092011-08-28T18:30:00.003-04:002011-08-31T11:13:41.911-04:00

Easy yellow cake in a cup! My miniatures group has been discussing microwave cake for a while now, but this is the first time I tried it.  You can use a microwave safe mug or a ramekin.  I used a bouillon bowl, because that's all I could find in the store.  It's kind of like a small soup bowl.  The cake ends up about two inches high in this bowl. Here are my two favorite recipes.  I

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-18952912729989892872011-08-23T17:57:00.000-04:002011-08-23T17:57:07.136-04:00

There I was, shopping in Walmart.  I needed a dish pan, because filling up our cavernous sink is a chore.  I wanted to try the ammonia and ziploc bag technique to clean our burners, and maybe a pan.  I wanted a cheap pitcher, and to look at storage for the craft room.  Walmart was all screwed up due to reconstruction.  Temporary entrance, all the windows boarded up, everything all over the

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-33817245251108448792011-08-22T17:25:00.000-04:002011-08-22T17:25:12.138-04:00

Moberg Gallery: Artist Portfolios I'm dazzled. and I have so much useless wall space . . .

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-49294971466457882012011-08-11T11:05:00.003-04:002011-08-28T18:40:38.384-04:00

I thought perhaps if I gave Robin a new set of shoes (considering the condition of the old pair) she might relax a little. I found that working with cloth to make shoes turned out to be a bit better than working with leather, but as you can see, I'm still terrible at getting glue everywhere. that's the bad thing about the macro setting on my camera! I don't see the glue at all when I look at

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-48134596004484739182011-08-07T15:28:00.002-04:002011-08-07T15:35:44.283-04:00

My shoemaking skills have not improved, but at least I got something that will work, and minimizes his duck feet. Robin may get a new pair of shoes, as the current pair don't seem to be holding up too well. "Now THAT's a knife!" Here's a better lit shot, with Theo doing his Crocodile Dundee impression. (I'm glad he didn't notice the mitre box saw.  He would have been doing a Sagara Sanosuke

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-65485960079554702332011-08-06T19:50:00.002-04:002011-08-06T19:55:40.403-04:00

This is another Heidi Ott doll, one of the early generation dollhouse dolls. (I've seen the later ones. I want them.) It's probably pointless to say that he's been in my stash a while. ALL of my dolls have been in my stash a while at this point. His story is bizarre, possibly because I was watching Highlander at the time I acquired him. Netflix reruns, anyway. Yep, that's right. Robin and her

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-24247650278993949132011-08-02T14:35:00.004-04:002011-08-02T17:36:07.289-04:00

My photos of my Archaeologist's study are actually quite old. Since I moved, they are no longer in the same room, or on the same bookshelf. The bookshelf I did move it to is actually bigger, meaning that not only do I have more space to spread out, but I also HAVE to make changes. It's looked strange for a while, and finally I decided I needed to make those changes. I wanted to add some

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-7065316212303795962011-07-18T20:39:00.001-04:002011-08-02T14:50:14.663-04:00

More books made! The top shelf features books from Treefeathers on the left, and the rest are from one of those big classical literature book kits. The bottom two shelves are all new and handmade. These are not the only books I have made, but are pretty representative of what they look all look like. for the moment I've given up on decorating them and am just covering with papers. I'll make

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-80167846712213763372011-07-03T20:39:00.002-04:002011-07-03T21:19:29.518-04:00

"We should go to the Green Valley Book Fair!" After two years of saying this, we finally went!  I had been as a teenager with my family, where we always found something to satisfy our reading habits at a fair price.  I certainly wanted to go back! We made a weekend trip of it, planning out a route, eating places, and other touristy stops.In particular was Luray Caverns and Eidelweiss, a German

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-748965620670014892011-06-26T20:28:00.001-04:002011-08-14T21:28:31.135-04:00

Yep.  Now I'm on a book-making binge.  Finally back to miniatures!  Needs more books!  Harken back to my Archaeologist's Study.  I designed a huge shelf for display items and books, but never managed to fill up the shelves.  Then I decided I was going to create a steampunk library, which, of course, needs books.  And then, the other week, I saw an online idea for a wall-hanging 'window box,

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-15990945868900835682011-06-09T15:45:00.001-04:002011-06-09T15:47:07.759-04:00

Local Neighborhood Information for Centreville, Chantilly and Fairfax County, Virginia Provided by Spencer Marker I'm hopping up and down inside. I grew up in Herndon, where the historical society is very active and vociferous. I had the opportunity to work with them in my position at the local TV station, and so got to know Herndon history very well. Yes, it was a hokey little dairy town on

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-12574504576205305662011-06-05T16:38:00.002-04:002011-06-09T15:49:11.767-04:00

The first movie is still the best.  This one lacked  the energy, although I do admire the historical details.  The premise is a race to the Fountain of Youth, stopping to collect all the items needed to make it work.  I sense a video game in the future.  The racers? Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard, for whom Sparrow worked under duress, our old friend Barbossa, now sporting a pegleg and technically

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-59390840040691226822011-05-31T21:52:00.003-04:002011-06-04T01:19:09.750-04:00

Yup.  We went on another cruise. 9 days, Royal Caribbean, out of Baltimore on Enchantment of the Seas. Pictures are here, here, here, here, there, here, and here. I was going to do a play by play, but 9 days is a long time.  Let's see if I can sum up. Day 1-3: Baltimore and at sea.  Got a US coast guard escort down the Chesapeake.  Teeny boat with a mounted machine gun.  Got oriented on the

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-25465077840683900122011-05-29T19:45:00.001-04:002011-05-29T19:46:07.026-04:00

The True Cost of A Wedding Knot at Credit Sesame Blog Average cost is 27k? I don't think we spent much more than 8. AND we had a church, a restaurant dinner reception for over 80 people, a dance floor with DJ, a 1940 Rolls Royce to cart us around, and a photographer. In June! Where did we save money? My mother made the gowns and the pew bows. I made the invitations, the favors, the place

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-5213226437935320462011-05-18T16:13:00.001-04:002011-05-18T16:30:14.691-04:00

 I added a flap today in the middle of running around doing all sorts of random last minute things.  It's rather useless and just handstitched on.  I cut off the back of the brass button and glued it on for a decorative bit.  I hope it holds!  I have some brown ribbon somewhere that I need to find and test. I also found a belt strap at the thrift shop that goes ok with it, although it's a little

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-62088995078757537972011-05-17T22:21:00.001-04:002011-05-18T16:36:17.015-04:00

Having been successful with not one, but two owl bags, I decided I was going to branch out and design my own bag. I wanted a hip bag, not the bulky fanny packs of my childhood, but something sleeker, streamlined.  It would hold EXACTLY the vitals and nothing else.  What are the vitals?  Stuff I would likely need on our upcoming cruise without having to deal with a purse.  I couldn't find a

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-76817474671011364212011-05-14T19:31:00.000-04:002011-05-14T19:31:49.902-04:00

Inspiration Bag - visit her blog! While browsing for bag patterns one day, I came across A Wednesday Afternoon and the wonderful tutorial on making an owl bag.  It hopped up and down and hooted "make ME! make ME!"  After sharing on Facebook, my sister subtly hinted that she'd like one.  Why not?  This looked doable!  And I could always make two . . . My finished bag Off I went to JoAnns,

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-25220880493160572562011-05-03T18:39:00.000-04:002011-05-07T20:02:51.583-04:00

It finally dawned on me that my blog looks awful.  I had stubbornly tried to change it to make it match my web site and it just didn't want to work.  So I'll be playing with it for a few days until I find something that's more satisfying. I suppose I should work on my web site, too. 

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-29513979037596928782011-04-24T00:18:00.001-04:002011-05-07T19:58:08.733-04:00

Travel Safely: Create your own DIY first aid kit for the road | Gadling.com I've been thinking about the last few trips I've been on in preparation for our next cruise. The bad thing about a cruise is you can't always find some essentials, like when I developed a canker sore. I could find deodorant and mouthwash in the souvenir shop on board, but nothing for mouth pain! I was recommended to

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-38977142944538123522011-04-12T19:40:00.001-04:002011-04-12T19:40:53.907-04:00

I think I've been planning this ever since we had the house painted.  I know how I wanted it to look, but it took well over a year to get it produced! I found the fabric at JoAnn's, and fell in love.  I was even more excited to discover that it would work well with the color in the master bathroom.  It's a kind of greeny blue that I can't describe and can't photograph accurately, but it feels

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-18784669151482391492011-04-09T23:53:00.002-04:002011-04-10T21:22:31.879-04:00

Everybody keeps reassuring me that it's OK to not totally decorate a room/house all at once.  Sometimes it takes time to find that right piece, and to just relax and keep my eyes open. Lately I've been concentrating on the bedroom.  It's a big room, fairly bare, and yellow.  Very, very yellow.  Daffodil yellow, in fact.   I hate it.  Mostly what I'm trying to do is make it seem less yellow.  I

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-4927789751792154482011-03-22T17:19:00.005-04:002011-03-25T10:55:34.167-04:00

I admit, I have lots of tools.  Not just screwdrivers and hammers and glue guns and my don't-call-me-girly yellow DeWalt drill, but little tools, scissors, and X-Acto knives, and tools that really aren't tools, but I use them to create things so they're now designated as tools.  I have a hard time keeping them organized due to their widely varying shapes and sizes.  Now that I have a big work

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-40466169107034178802011-02-27T15:10:00.002-05:002011-08-07T11:57:13.840-04:00

And here's the finished doll!  Inspiration Gown She decided she wanted to be called Igraine.  Not after King Arthur's mother, but the time period is hopefully about right. Her hair gave me some problems, and is still giving me some problems.  The doll had a hole cut out of the top of her head so you can use it for hanks of hair, but I couldn't get it to work right.  I stuffed it with paper

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-35247492071399236232011-02-20T21:37:00.002-05:002011-08-07T11:55:21.281-04:00

After ages of not doing any miniatures, I've finally been able to  finish one doll, Jane, and have started another.  Both dolls have been heads that I have owned for many, many years.  Jane I sculpted by hand, and the current project was the medieval doll kit I bought from Swallowhill Dolls, my first porcelain acquisition.  (sadly they seem to have gone out of business.)  I've tried for years to

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-86101287703089478722011-01-17T14:24:00.000-05:002011-01-17T14:24:09.457-05:00

So over the holidays I decided to branch out into an area I feel more comfortable with - making cookies.  Growing up, cookie making was a major part of the winter celebrations.  We'd go all out, turning the kitchen and dining room into a production site, playing Christmas carols, or watching related movies as we worked.  Mom had given me several recipes that I wanted to try and/or perfect.  I was

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-30772619557447744712011-01-09T00:50:00.000-05:002011-01-09T00:50:13.400-05:00

What are the first words you learn when you study a new language?  Yes, no, thank you, hello, sir, ma'am, numbers and colors, right?  And you're EXCITED to be able to use them.  I know how to say something without having to think hard!  So here's my rant.  In movies and on TV, whenever you encounter a 'foreigner,'  he speaks perfect English, except for those basic words!  "Si, Senor, the

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-52432256341670294832010-11-10T21:03:00.003-05:002011-08-07T12:10:42.559-04:00

When we bought the Monster Bed, there were a few issues we encountered. Issue 1:  Height.  It comes up to my waist.  I had problems getting in it, and was reluctant to step on the side rail for fear of weakening it.  Solved by tracking down bedsteps.  Most annoying part?  The influx of bedsteps available in stores/catalogs AFTER I stopped looking.  It's like they were just waiting for us to give

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-57875068891369873262010-10-31T00:34:00.001-04:002010-10-31T00:35:13.899-04:00

So far, I'm grateful to say, my kitchen experiments have been edible.  I've even managed several cakes and cookies.  Brian and I have been sharing meals back and forth.  He's more interested in heavier meals with it getting colder out, and I'm not very good with big hunks of meat.  I did help to make beef stew in a preparatory sort of way, although the little shallot onions thought it would be

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-59889296715723425372010-10-15T22:33:00.001-04:002010-10-15T22:34:17.994-04:00

I had a wild, crazy inspiration that won't go away. Isaiah Mustafa . . . on a pumpkin.  Sadly, I don't think I have the talent for it, but I did have fun doing this, at least. Following the very useful instructions on The Okuda Family website I was able to create a visual for my madness.    While I enjoy carving pumpkins, I have never been brave enough to attempt the three level layering effect.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-22082456536570809312010-10-06T21:31:00.002-04:002010-10-06T21:32:55.983-04:00

A growing problem with my website is that it has been growing. For every new project page I add, I also have to add a link to a number of pages. On the plus side it means less clicking for my three visitors, but it's a lot of work on my part, trying to make sure that I've added the proper link to every page, particularly in the Miniatures section. After conducting some research, I came to the

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-45920130619938126402010-09-30T19:11:00.001-04:002011-05-07T19:58:54.646-04:00

Now we need to get our area to pass something like this.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-37048349240283664242010-09-21T19:06:00.000-04:002010-09-21T19:06:47.828-04:00

I hate gyms. I feel like I'm on display, which is a guaranteed 'ok I'm leaving now' situation. I'm glared at by the older women, eye-rolled at by the permanent resident gym bunnies, ogled by the men, and peeping tommed in the showers by three year olds whose mothers don't bother to teach them any sort of locker room etiquette or to even stay by their side in public. I thought maybe going with

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-51454306968958151382010-09-19T18:47:00.001-04:002010-09-19T18:48:23.314-04:00

I've never been much of a kitchen person. Sure, it was where the food was, but food never interested me all that much. I took a home ec course in middle school, and was generally around to help make desserts, but otherwise I had no interest in being in the kitchen. Sometimes I wondered if it was just that the kitchen was not a place I felt welcome. Sure, my mom tried to encourage me to use

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-19528669917164416052010-07-17T14:51:00.006-04:002011-03-22T17:44:02.518-04:00

Yet another photo altering attempt.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-24755190307543327672010-06-30T21:38:00.006-04:002010-09-19T18:12:53.240-04:00

1. Oh good, it's not as heavy as I expected. 2. So that's what new sewing machine smells like. It's not at all like that new computer smell. 3. Ooh, shiny. Ooh, accessories! Wow. Lots of accessories. Look at all the feet! and needles! and bobbins! And what the heck is this? And that? Oh boy, a seam ripper! 4. Instruction book! Nice instruction book. Impressive. In order, from

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-35502650350576858472010-05-21T21:55:00.002-04:002010-09-21T09:40:31.890-04:00

This bears investigating.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-22997778842240206702010-05-13T13:29:00.002-04:002010-09-21T09:44:12.367-04:00

A few years ago, Brian, in a fit of creativity, built a storage ottoman out of plywood. He wanted it padded and covered in navy blue canvas, with a big padded lid. We accomplished both, eventually, but a slight miscalculation led to the bottom of the ottoman slightly wider all around than the lid. (he forgot to allow for padding in the dimensions between the lid and the box.) Another

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-11088035276428373072010-04-29T13:04:00.001-04:002011-05-07T20:02:51.584-04:00

This blog is now located at http://elaineziman.blogspot.com/. You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here. For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to http://elaineziman.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-8734552620296102752010-01-18T21:17:00.001-05:002010-09-21T09:40:47.432-04:00

Dandyism.net I'm not sure what to make of this site, but what an awesome resource!

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-61508232076304092022009-12-14T22:39:00.003-05:002010-09-19T18:14:15.753-04:00

I've always struggled with learning languages. Sure, I can count to ten in french and spanish, and say hello and goodbye and thank you and other basics, but my brain freezes after that. I am in awe of polyglots like my husband, who randomly interjects foreign words into his sentences and doesn't even realize it. I laughed when my french teacher expressed surprise when I said I struggled with

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-22471490392696049962009-11-03T21:44:00.002-05:002010-09-21T09:41:08.827-04:00

Drift� Ground Cover Roses — The Next Big Thing for Small Gardens These are the roses we planted in our front yard. They're supposed to be REALLY hardy. We'll have to see if we can kill them.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-30792579931191884852009-09-07T20:49:00.000-04:002009-09-07T20:50:16.168-04:00

HAH! Found the lyrics again, finally. Posting them here so I don't lose them again.Lyrics to La Ziguezon (AKA Hero):M'en va t'à la fontainePour y pêcher du poissonLa Ziguezon zin zon (bis)La fontaine est profondeJe m'suis coulé au fondLa ziguezon zin zonRefrainFille en haut, fille en basFille, fille, fille, femmeFemme, femme, femme aussi!Pis la bottine - tine - tinePis le rigolet ha! ha!| Son

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-70316300413867214482009-08-14T22:23:00.006-04:002011-08-07T12:25:15.500-04:00

I never expected to be married, so wedding gowns were never anything I paid attention to. All I knew was that I wanted my mother to make it, and it would probably have to be white and long. When the time came, I found myself doing a mad research rush on wedding dresses in order to figure out what I wanted. SO many gowns. So many websites. SO many ugly dresses. So few patterns. In the end,

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-5286928319544318382009-07-20T12:29:00.001-04:002010-09-21T09:41:48.919-04:00

A Paper Craft Castle On the Ocean � Tokyobling’s Blog

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-5525729185730738032008-10-19T13:14:00.001-04:002010-09-21T09:41:27.039-04:00

Reminiscent of TIM. Prepare to waste your afternoon!

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-1242131706870298422008-10-04T21:18:00.006-04:002011-05-07T19:46:09.115-04:00

Happy birthday to me. I'm exhausted. For my birthday this year, I celebrated by considering alternate modes of transportation. This was not my original plan but Brian's, who kept me in the dark til the last possible second. We first drove out to Edinburg, where I had a blast cruising at high speeds with no stoplights and light traffic bordering down to minimal traffic. It was a wrench

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-2501303150095324812008-09-25T23:20:00.001-04:002010-09-21T09:42:03.393-04:00

I'm not sure which is cooler, the artistic talent and creativity of Kratzer, or the 3D image that rotates around the room. I'd totally be drawing on my walls if I could just figure out WHAT to draw on them . . . Hey, it beats climbing them.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-3780944597395072492008-09-18T17:32:00.001-04:002010-09-21T09:42:38.950-04:00

I want this. I wish I had the room for it.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-83629120783419572762008-09-11T21:48:00.001-04:002010-09-21T09:42:19.190-04:00

And here's me thinking our family rabbit cake was cheesy . . . .

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-32707989517068808162008-08-03T23:12:00.003-04:002010-09-21T09:42:58.636-04:00

Movie Review: Hellboy 2 - The Golden Army Worthy, beautiful, interesting bad guys pitted against our misfit heroes. The resolution was far too quick and simple. Liz's angst continued. Abe demonstrated what happens when a brain falls in love and does stupid things. Laughed my head off at the Barry Manilow scene and the fight scene in the locker room. This was a no-brainer movie, but I do

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-77044312415690423172008-07-27T21:49:00.003-04:002010-09-21T09:43:12.837-04:00

Movie Review: Batman - Dark Knight Creepy and depressing. I hate downer movies, because they send me plunging down into gloomy blahs, and it takes a while to recover. While this movie was creepy gloom, it was SUPPOSED to be creepy gloom, so they hit their mark beautifully. Heath Ledger's final role was a masterpiece of insanity. I was highly impressed and repulsed by the character, and by

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-41146519215606488262008-07-22T09:25:00.001-04:002010-09-21T09:45:00.574-04:00

Because I am a geek.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-58097258063980654082008-07-17T16:59:00.001-04:002010-09-21T09:45:31.549-04:00

Um. Live action hamster video game. It can't be explained. Just watch.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-23072660654372910882008-07-04T12:03:00.001-04:002010-09-21T09:45:46.017-04:00

You've got to admit it's a unique way to remember your journeys . . . and a great way to bond with the natives!

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-22936611405692836572008-07-03T22:34:00.003-04:002010-09-21T09:43:40.222-04:00

Movie Review: Hancock Will Smith is awesome. This movie . . . wasn't. It was more of a biography with some bits exaggerated more than others. It's not your typical superhero movie, because for most of the film Hancock is the anti-hero. There's no villain. Or rather, they had a hint of a villain, but compared to the hero he was just a blip on the screen, a nothing. There was NO POINT to

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-51416806584428542502008-06-30T20:57:00.001-04:002010-09-21T09:45:15.168-04:00

Ian's Shoelace Site Because I am a geek. And I use the Straight(Bar) lacing method for my shoes.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-62978605410497824512008-06-29T22:32:00.004-04:002010-09-21T09:44:39.531-04:00

Movie Review: Wall-e Pixar does it again! They have the amazing ability to tell a story with minimal dialog. The captain of the Axiom spoke the most, but I noticed they managed to sneak John Ratzenberger into the film as a minor character. Lots of good details. Strong messages about taking care of the planet, and not letting yourself become a fat useless slug constantly being fed useless

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-85417504607264922362008-06-28T10:26:00.004-04:002011-05-07T19:39:56.678-04:00

Movie Review: Wanted Wanted: Angelina Jolie, tattooed, with a gun. Lots of guns, in fact. And not so much attitude as smirky mystery. Y'know, standard Angelina. Clothing optional. Blood, gore, and CGI package included. Oh, and give her a nerd to play with. So's movie goers can pretend they're him. Um, were there other actors in this movie? Yeah. Wesley Gibson was played by the same

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-46072113191144142522008-06-22T10:24:00.004-04:002011-05-07T19:40:15.300-04:00

Movie Review: Kung Fu Panda The typical story of a bumbling nobody becoming a hero. Very well done, the plot simple but sincere. Excellent casting. I was only vaguely aware of who the voices were, but when I saw the credits at the end I kept nodding. Jackie Chan as a monkey? I can totally see that. Angelina Jolie as a tigress? Definitely. Lucy Liu a snake? Oh yeah. Master Shifu was a red

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-44689142229451140342008-06-11T01:20:00.001-04:002011-05-07T19:43:01.759-04:00

Impressive work by David Malcolm Rose! "Photorealistic scale models." Gotta remember that one.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-41773086155066480632008-06-01T00:11:00.003-04:002011-05-07T19:40:59.147-04:00

Indiana Jones Addendum I watched Raiders of the Lost Ark last night, and had a realization. They're action films with an archaeological veneer, not archaeological films with some action. (you're thinking, well duh! aren't you?) Raiders of the Lost Ark is a simple film with a simple plot. Lots of fights and a few surreal special effects. Very little brain power is involved. Indy already knows

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-71572636773319236252008-05-26T12:46:00.004-04:002011-05-07T19:41:24.891-04:00

Movie Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull I somehow didn't think that they could do it and have it be as good as the others, but I was proven wrong. An excellent, fun film. Very 1950's, with hints of the cold war, McCarthyism, Roswell, and greasers. Suitable crypt creepiness. Capoeira style fighting. Other movies crept in - Stargate, Star Wars, Raiders, even a little

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-52361201728647779262008-05-26T12:40:00.003-04:002011-05-07T19:41:54.368-04:00

Movie Review: Prince Caspian Love love love the costumes. and the scenery. And architecture. And Aslan's mane. I want to bury my face in that mane. Music was good too. It's the reason I go to these movies. The costumes and Aslan's incredible CGI-ness. I really don't like the Narnia stories. Yes, I know they're supposed to be very moral, and I do admire the strong female roles, but it just

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-75082311722217238952008-05-19T23:06:00.001-04:002011-05-07T19:58:39.104-04:00

This poor 14 year old boy is suffering exactly what happened to my grandfather (except his wasn't caused by a baseball.) I wish the family the best, they're in for some rough times.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-48258549946548897402008-05-03T23:48:00.002-04:002008-05-03T23:59:58.580-04:00

Tylenol Cold Medicine.How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.I love thee for the way you make my head stop feeling like it's about to explode, filling the surrounding area with the mucus that was constantly pouring from my nose.I love thee for the amusing way you advertisethat you can be a cough expectorant and suppressantat the same time.I love thee for your timely appearanceafter two days

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-64707895557317601192008-04-17T21:02:00.001-04:002011-05-07T19:56:56.572-04:00

Loved the piano solo in The Corpse Bride, but was always extremely irritated by the lack of ending. Apparently I'm not the only one - check out this guy's rendition. Beautifully done!

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-48362977001366561442008-04-13T14:30:00.001-04:002011-05-07T19:59:24.634-04:00

More steampunk stuff. I need to go back and explore more later.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-43590485961035427812008-04-10T22:02:00.001-04:002011-05-07T19:53:07.024-04:00

Oak Island Treasure - home of the Oak Island Money Pit mystery - Home Looks like they're going to start digging again in the near future. I find it fascinating - hope they're able to solve the mystery!

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-27989827831845159552008-03-30T17:04:00.011-04:002011-05-07T19:44:23.935-04:00

I have been incredibly slow in updating the miniatures section of my web site. The problem is mainly that I want all new pictures of my dolls, using a similar 'professional' background. First, I have to learn how to do that. This is time consuming, because I seem to want to do it the hard way - try various things until I get a result I like. Second, I have to drag all my dolls out and set

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-37182382522430490582008-03-28T12:48:00.001-04:002011-05-07T19:59:59.838-04:00

It's about time! I'll have to check it out and see how it differs from my current Photoshop version. Free Web version of Photoshop launches - Yahoo! News

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-39783200235418414902008-03-21T08:18:00.001-04:002011-05-07T19:57:24.791-04:00

someecards.com | ecards for when you care enough to hit send | home Definitely not your average smarmy, flash filled e-cards. Prepare to laugh or be offended. (I fixed my blogThis! feature!)

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-83823843885686870072008-03-20T21:40:00.002-04:002011-05-07T20:02:51.584-04:00

Thought I'd abandoned this, did you? Sort of did, I guess. I've been busy. Sorry.Because it doesn't seem likely that I'll be able to do lots of updates, I figured I should just do one major update so that I can leave it for ages and not worry about rushing to update the sidebar girl. It was fun while it lasted, though! This is your sneak peak at the latest design. It's by Andrew Strojny,

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-70951917913963085712008-01-02T01:46:00.002-05:002011-05-07T20:01:21.855-04:00

The Automata / Automaton Blog And thus, with a single click, I destroy whatever plans you had for the next hour or so. Because you'll be reading this.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-59170444314914980982007-12-26T21:30:00.000-05:002007-12-26T21:34:33.334-05:00

Merry Christmas, everyone! I just popped in to show off my sister's birthday present to me - a handmade set of stained glass bookends. (Yes, a bit belated, but well worth the time!)Thank you!

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-7176593577462233592007-11-25T13:04:00.000-05:002007-11-25T13:04:34.989-05:00

Now this . . . THIS is the type of bathroom I'd like.PictureTrail - Half Scale Bathroom by Sandra Manring

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-90440834600364564262007-11-23T00:29:00.003-05:002011-08-07T11:46:52.055-04:00

I've been quietly planning a new roombox. I seem to have temporarily given up on refinishing that dollhouse. (sigh). I wanted to do something with a distinct steampunk flair. I have a doll that has a rather young face, I think would look fantastic dressed up in that style. Obviously she needs a setting. For both, I'm having a terrible time coming up with images online, so I've been floating

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-15270990363194272322007-11-18T00:00:00.001-05:002011-05-07T20:00:28.805-04:00

So after a month of hard work and bouts of cluelessness and genius, my birthday challenge is completed. I realize I'm doing this totally backwards, but I'll post a page about it and write it up properly. In the meantime, I'm sharing my totally awesome handmade present. Yes, it's a one inch scale katana. The impossible-to-find-in-miniature sword. I couldn't figure out how to make it myself,

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-50316832020854469532007-10-28T11:19:00.000-04:002007-10-29T12:45:51.255-04:00

Part one of my birthday challenge showed up - a gift. A book. THIS book, in fact. Should I be afraid? It's definitely ominous.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-23323316698345270562007-10-28T10:51:00.000-04:002007-10-29T12:48:04.861-04:00

Dear Pepto Bismol;Thank you for existing. Your bright pinkness and whatever it is you do once swallowed amazes me. You make bad meal choices and small stomach bugs bearable. You're useful even when you don't even know what part of your digestive system is upset, and don't really care, you just want your body to stop the violent protests. You bring relief quickly in the night, which always

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-19424475881881591812007-10-23T23:00:00.000-04:002007-10-23T23:00:18.126-04:00

mollyringwraith: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, condensed, part 1 of 2The incredible Molly Ringwraith. SPOILER ALERT! Don't click unless you've read the book.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-87326527299822359802007-10-12T19:59:00.000-04:002007-10-12T19:59:22.412-04:00

InsideNova.com | Taking a hammer to ComcastI'm sure we all dream of doing this . . .

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-50606881713042060152007-10-07T22:56:00.000-04:002007-10-08T00:32:52.097-04:00

Bad, bad news.My grandfather died today.I don't know how to write this. Do I write about how I remember him as a child? Or about the last 14 years, suffering from brain damage, in a wheel chair, unable to walk or speak, yet still very much aware and alive? Do I write about the wonderful strength and courage of his wife, taking care of him? Or his caring daughters and son, rearranging their

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-33653979704223854332007-10-03T08:29:00.000-04:002007-10-03T08:31:13.373-04:00

Yet another birthday. This one I started out by attempting to rehang that miniature bulletin board on its wall. (It falls off once in a while.) I knocked over the ENTIRE bookshelf. Stuff has flown everywhere. I don't think anything has broken, but it will take ages to put it all back. *sigh*Granted, this could be an opportunity to see if it will all fit in that record cabinet . . .

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-71629299882453300252007-09-28T23:41:00.001-04:002011-05-07T19:51:23.796-04:00

*note* I realize this posts backwards, so scroll down to Friday and read up! An unexpected side effect of traveling without family is that, when you get back, they all want to know every detail of your trip. Even relatives I rarely talk to anymore insist on seeing all the pictures! (If you were really that interested you would have gone with me when I asked!) As an appeasement, I'm posting a

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-2833380962111345222007-09-27T18:18:00.001-04:002011-05-07T19:47:56.681-04:00

An unexpected side effect of traveling without family is that, when you get back, they all want to know every detail of your trip. Even relatives I rarely talk to anymore insist on seeing all the pictures! (If you were really that interested you would have gone with me when I asked!) As an appeasement, I'm posting a play by play. Saturday Tour #1 Or, OMG, poniezz!!!11!! Saturday we were up

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-35736631694544401022007-09-27T18:17:00.002-04:002011-05-07T19:46:35.907-04:00

An unexpected side effect of traveling without family is that, when you get back, they all want to know every detail of your trip. Even relatives I rarely talk to anymore insist on seeing all the pictures! (If you were really that interested you would have gone with me when I asked!) As an appeasement, I'm posting a play by play. Friday, part 2 I nearly forgot about the wine and chocolate tour!

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-22146891544880094312007-09-26T22:45:00.001-04:002011-05-07T19:45:46.638-04:00

An unexpected side effect of traveling without family is that, when you get back, they all want to know every detail of your trip. Even relatives I rarely talk to anymore insist on seeing all the pictures! (If you were really that interested you would have gone with me when I asked!) As an appeasement, I'm posting a play by play. Friday Someone (not me) was running behind, and showed up after

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-3403390096204846542007-09-21T07:11:00.001-04:002007-09-21T07:11:17.846-04:00

I'm going to Asheville, NC for a few days. This is my first vacation in five years. My first vacation without a relative along. My first time on a plane in over 8 years. The first time I ever got to PICK where I wanted to go. (I know. I am SO far behind everyone else.) Now that I realize that yes, this is actually happening, I'm excited. The only proper way to express my excitement is in

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-21662077763328196882007-09-17T21:40:00.000-04:002007-09-17T21:40:29.774-04:00

City of toothpicks (21 pics) (//STATiC)I seem to be collecting toothpick artists.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-56127606136138781732007-09-14T18:52:00.000-04:002007-09-14T18:56:27.893-04:00

Puh-leease play with me?Snoopy finally grew into his ears. Alas. Testing my new camera. The nice thing about this picture - I finally got one of his FACE. With my old camera, I'd aim for his face, but by the time the picture finally took . . . it would be a butt shot. Or a side shot. Or just his tail as he raced away. And yes, it's a Bobo. Well loved, and he's nearly got the ears off.

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5221503.post-74083410059166598382007-09-12T08:29:00.000-04:002007-09-12T08:29:46.304-04:00

Live streaming video of African animals from Pete's Pond in Botswana - National Geographic MagazineWhat is says. See what kind of animals YOU can spot!

Elaine Z,noreply@blogger.com