Before I forget again: For spiced cider I have taken to sticking the cloves in a small apple and floating that in the cider. Otherwise, I find the cloves floating in my cup annoying. I saw this somewhere but I cannot find it again, so credit is due to somone out there. It looks neat too. recycled link: recipe for a cute sounding cider bug. I'm not so sure about all the sugar involved however.

I was recently looking for those teensy tiny rare earth magnets, and I found some at Radio Shack of all places. But in my search I came across this variety of magnets at Lee Valley Hardware (they of the many glass topped containers as usually seen for wedding favor containers). This pin and needle retriever looks very handy, as does most of the stuff on this page. The magnetic parts tray reminds me of something I saw on Martha a while ago - magnetic pin dish. I saw something like these on sale at a quilt show recently, they were pretty expensive considering.

There is some pretty cool stuff over at Museum of Cakes (which is a business, not actually a museum). Reading the Meet the Chef I see he does gingerbread too, I want pictures of the gingerbread creations. Warning: Flash.

I never really paid much attention to Marshall Field's, but I got a catalog and it's a funny store. Sort of a cross between the in-flight catalog and the museum shop catalog. Anyway, there were a few things I liked:

• coinstruction something to do with all those pennies
• magnetic spice board
• copper treasure box I just like round container thingies
• champagne bouquet set This reminds me of a story I heard somewhere about a glass blower who blew a bunch of drink horns for a community party. Because you couldn't put the glass down it added to fun of the gathering. Or something like that... it sounded a lot better the way they told it. And it reminds me of these teensy plastic toast glasses cake toppers at Archie McPhee.

There is one particular thing in Budget Living magazine which has caught my attention - the light fixture in the center of this spread. Click on the little green square at the bottom to read it. I didn't realize that they made half-silvered bulbs. I hate (hate) direct down light, I feel like I'm being interrogated. I wonder if these bulbs would make me happier?

Check out Jennie's Pocket Shrine to Hellenic St. Christopher, patron saint of travel. She works off of this project, and I've seen lots of stuff about mini shrines on Glitter.

I was slicing an avacado the other night and I was kind of excited to use the Martha way to take out the pit - tap whack the knife into the pit, then twist a little and the pit comes right out still sticking into the knife. Except in my world the knife won't stick into the pit and after a few times the avacado is face down on the floor in front of me, the knife is somewhere on the floor to my left, and the pit has flown all the way across the kitchen and bounced off the fridge door.

Oh my. This place will make personalized confetti with your photos. I am immediately torn between thinking this a the greatest thing ever, and this is the most ridiculous thing ever. Via not my dissertation.