Posts (page 2)
Where is this quote from? Google isn't helping. Seems no one knows for sure.
“What are you going to do, spoon me to death?”
I swear I've heard it recently, maybe even read it on Vox. It's driving me nuts and I must know.
a la Penny Arcade. I don't care if this is old now 'cause I don't keep up with the comic. It's still funny.
What do you think is your best physical attribute?
Submitted by Nacwolin.
Why, my :D smile of course. Or my who me? innocent face ;)
Audio: Share a song with powerful lyrics.
still as powerful and fitting today.
Based on previous experience purchasing Apple products, this will become a reality right after I purchase a Modbook.
How far from your last home do you live? Why did you move and are you glad you did?
Submitted by Matthew 25.
2 blocks.
What's the best gift you received this year?
a lengthy conversation with someone i've missed and haven't spoken to like this in a longlong time.
We were looking at Edible Arrangements the other day, which led to my brilliant idea of making my own fruit bouquet as my Christmas contribution (since I didn't have any presents). It looked easy enough; I could de-construct how it was done from looking at the catalog pictures. I also have experience with floral arrangements, and I'm naturally creative – so how hard can it be? My first one will come out awesome.
Step 1: Get Supplies
It turns out the hardest part was what should have been the easiest – finding cookie cutters. I know I've seen Christmas cookie cutters at Walgreens before; just not this time. And they didn't have any at the grocery store, the 99cents store, or the kitchen section of Mervyn's. The craft store had a few, but plastic and not quite the selection I was hoping for – they did have a flower-shaped one though. Bed, Bath, & Beyond had sturdier ones, but they all came in sets – I got a pack of star-shaped ones.
The right fruit was hard to find too – and expensive. If I do this again, it'll be in the summer. I went to 2 different grocery stores. There were no regular round grapes, just those big ones with seeds. And no box of strawberries had them all in the same size.
But I got everything I thought I needed: cookie cutters, skewer sticks, lettuce (or cabbage, I'm not really sure), pineapple, cantaloupe, strawberries, and grapes.
Step 2: Slicing and Dicing to Shape
So... I'm really glad I got the pineapple because I had forgotten about the empty seed hole in the cantaloupe; I was thinking I'd slice it up flat and stamp out stars in various sizes to stack on top of each other. Not so easy with the curvature; I could only use the smallest star and most of them came out with missing points. Next time, I'm getting a melon baller and balling melons like the pros do.
After the cantaloupe, I thought the pineapple flowers would be a piece of cake, since that would actually be flat. This was my first time cutting a pineapple (I have no idea what the right way to do it is), and I didn't get each piece sliced the right thickness. That wouldn't have really mattered if I had a better cookie cutter... this left some frayed edges.
The strawberries were easy to shape though! Quick V-cuts to give the appearance of tulips.
Step 3: Assembly
And it all comes together.
I couldn't figure out how to cut the lettuce into the right shape for the Christmas mug I was using for the base. I kept halving it and halving it, then just trying to pack it in there. At this point, I was thinking I should have just gotten floral foam, and wondering why I thought lettuce would work.
Step 4: Putting it Together
I started sticking in the sticks and the lettuce worked great! Then I started getting paranoid about it all falling apart because the flower pieces weighed too much, and oh, no, I don't have enough for a bouquet.
Skewer sticks are harder to arrange than flower stems. And if I ruined any of them, that was it; there weren't replacements in the back. This was definitely more challenging than flowers, but I think I did good.
I didn't have filler though. I tried bits of lettuce but that looked weird. Next time, I'll have parsley or some other dark green leafy material.
Start to finish was about 3 hours, and most of that was the cantaloupe. I am quite happy with the results.
The catalog photos don't tell me how to wrap it up for transport. I assume they do something that looks pretty, but I just threw on saran-wrap, which worked.
When we were walking down the street, a couple was getting out of the car and into a house, but the guy lingered a bit and looked. I bet I could have sold him the bouquet. I think I'll have to do that next year.
Anyway, we got to J's parents' for Christmas dinner, and it was a huge hit with everyone, especially Meredith. She thought we bought it *g*. And everyone ate it and said it was delicious too! I was surprised because I thought the pineapple was still too sour. Maybe I'm just spoiled from when I was living in Hawaii.
This is what was left when we were leaving:
I'm happy that everyone liked it. And dinner (& dessert) was awesome, and the tree and presents were gorgeous. Another merry Christmas this year.
Were your holiday cards store bought, handmade, online, TBD or MIA?
handmade and MIA at the moment. to get them out before christmas though, it'll probably be online...
