happy monday!

a repairman just came to fix my washing machine. i've been without for nearly a week. i had a different repairman out last week and he said fixing it was beyond him (imagine that), so i had to wait for this guy from the manufacturer to show up. and show up he did--he was punctual and smelled strongly of fabric softener, which i suppose is comforting when one is fixing your washing machine. he was in and out in about 12 minutes and it's working perfectly now. i am amazed. but let me tell you, three people can create an awful lot of laundry in one week, so i'll be busy for the rest of the day and into tomorrow. (our washing machines here take a lot longer than north american ones--because they heat the water themselves, rather than taking hot water from the boiler.)

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my list for this week looks like this:

1. photograph eyeball pillows (if sun ever shines).
2. make 3rd eyeball pillow.
3. list the damn pillows on etsy at last, girl.
4. teach self to crochet using youtube videos (already started this one and it looks promising--easier than knitting, far less retarded monkey stance).
5. locate and remove child's candy stash from her bedroom.
6. learn to use D300 in order to stop feeling unworthy of it.
7. laundry.
8. actually put away laundry rather than being tempted to just buy new laundry baskets.
   
9. go to swimming pool at least once.
10. finish sabin's fairy costume.
11. finish dress i started for sabin, but got stuck on some pleats around the neck and didn't finish.
12. pick up some of those great pressed firewood thingies to reduce risk of chopping off limbs in firewood splitting incident (husband is away this week, attending a course).
13. go for a photo walk every day (related to 6).
14. play with fabulous wide angle lens that came with D300.
15. locate and make sure work clothes are ready for official start next week.
16. finish started paintings.
17. finish mom's birthday present (and send).
18. make tote(s) for trips to the swimming pool.
19. eat vegetarian all week.
20. make a plan for what to create for the october artfreak show.

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don't you just love the themes you can apply in gmail these days? they're what's made me think google is controlling the weather--because they show snow if it's snowing and sunshine when the sun is shining. right now, i'm using the "desk" theme. it has an ever-changing array of objects on the desk and i love what's there this morning:

so funny with an apple and a planet ticket. but it does worry me a little bit that google knows me a bit too well. tho' they should know that i'm rarely back as far as row 23 in the plane, they're spot on with the aisle seat. :-)

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i'm so excited about the positive responses to The Julie Project. keep checking over there this week, as we'll be getting started on all of the fun things we've got planned! i find myself feeling just a tad impatient with the 9 hour time difference (tho' i think it went to 8 this weekend, as we haven't switched to daylight savings time yet). but that's mostly because it's all fresh and new and exciting, i hope i calm down about it a bit!

p.s. i must apologize for the mundaneness of this post. it's apparently mundane monday in my world.

a day for women

today is international women's day. it's a holiday that i wasn't actually aware of until i studied in kazan in 1994. there, i learned that it was a pretty big deal. and how can you go wrong with an entire day that celebrates the achievements and well woman-ness of women--mothers, career women, daughters, professors, politicans, princesses, peace activists--strong, capable, wonderful women.

and so, it seemed like a most appropriate day to launch a little project that i've been working on for awhile behind the scenes (mostly on gmail chat) with the ever-fabulous tangobaby. it's a little something we've dubbed The Julie Project.

after seeing lots of collaborative blogs out there, we decided to have a go. check it out and see what's happening in julieland.  two julies - one mission. the julie project.