The Game "In a Nevada desert, the ultimate fantasy adventure suddenly stopped being fun." at the Seattle Times

The New South Ferry Terminal: See It Split, See It Change at Cool Hunting

Costume drama/Period film/tv recommendations? at Ask Metafilter

Brilliant but cancelled? What are some great, blink-and-you-missed them TV shows? at Ask Metafilter

A dialogue with Sarah, aged 3: in which it is shown that if your dad is a chemistry professor, asking "why" can be dangerous. at Kottke. My own dad is a chemistry professor turned engineer and I can tell you I feared having to ask questions about math or science homework because he would lean back and start with the teachings of Greek scholars and work his way up from there. Slightly related collection of fun chemistry videos.

Christine at Bodies in Motivation on the experience of hydrodensitometry weighing.

Defective Yeti on Mindfuck Movies

How do I get the happy pills? a question about the special Tylenol in Canada

The Untold Story of the World's Biggest Diamond Heist at Wired

We're lazy about weeknight dinners (too cranky to chop!) but find we're really happy if we cook a bit on the weekends and have things like bolognese, prepped kale and pot pies in the freezer. In an effort to expand this I just picked up the Spring 2009 Cook's Illustrated issue of Make-Ahead Recipes but I note with interest that there is also a The Best Make-Ahead Recipe book which I'll have to add to my wishlist.

ribbon flower tutorial at The Storque, via Craftzine

DIY Origami Cherry Blossoms at Curbly

new: hable construction fabrics at Design*Sponge

fabric covered magnets at How About Orange

Sweet Art: A Tutorial on How To Make Fake Cupcakes at Cakespy. She leaves these around Seattle as nice-as-can-be guerilla marketing, genius.

This holiday came so quickly this year that I'm completely unprepared. In fact, I didn't realize it was already mid-March until we encountered a St. Patrick's Day parade crossing our path downtown last weekend. We have plans to seek out some Irish whiskey and a few beers later on in the evening but otherwise it's too late for me to make anything. So I'll just look at the picture of the Irish Soda Bread I made last year:

There are three upcoming events you might be interested in if you have or want to start a small business and just happen to live in Seattle:

Grassroots Business Association Meetup - Blogging for Small Business
Wednesday, March 18th, 7 p.m. at Vermillion

The next meetup for the Grassroots Business Association will feature Kristen Rask and myself talking about blogging for small business. We'll be focusing on the basics for somebody who has not kept a blog before, free tools, basic etiquette and ways to draw traffic.

The Lab at Velocity - Creative Business Growth
Thursday, March 19th, 6 p.m. inside of Velocity

Creative Business Growth: A Workshop With Local Experts will feature Grassroots' own Andrea Porter and Kristen Rask along with other speakers.

Crave Business Shop Symposium
Monday, March 23rd

Kristen Rask, Andrea Porter and myself will be representing the Grassroots Business Association at the lunchtime event. Jessie from Cakespy will also be among the speakers.

Morsoe Wood Stove at Cool Tools

Emira's home, in a design tour at Design*Sponge. I love that Martin has made all that special furniture and has taken the care to put circular windows in doors, amazing.

What do you wish you had done to your new house before you moved in? at Ask Metafilter

How To: Make Shades Out of Mini Blinds at AT

Oto Rug Collection from the Nought Collective at AT

Taco Truck Prints to Brighten Up a Kitchen Wall at Chow

multi-talented bay leaves keep pests away at Shelterrific

diy project: window films at Design*Sponge

DIY globe cluster lamps at Door Sixteen

A bottle of St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram caught my eye the other day and I made a note to look into it. From the importer: "The allspice liqueur, known in classic cocktails as "Pimento Dram," brings together the fine pot-still rum and classic allspice berries of Jamaica. Enjoy St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram in classic cocktails, Wassail and other punches, mulled wine, continental and island cuisine." (ed. note: Wassail!) Two At The Most has a recipe that uses it in Black River Sidecar. Drink Boston calls it a lost cocktail ingredient that is being found again and includes recipes from various sources for Passenger Pigeon, None But the Brave, and Lion’s Tail. I'll have to grab that bottle when we go back.

Your Morning Pizza, Mark Bittman on savory breakfasts

Savory Oatmeal at Tea and Food

Help me transition to a healthy, low fat/low calorie breakfast that is more "salty" than "sweet"... at Ask Metafilter

OH MY GOODNESS! Donut Pies! at Cakespy, Genius.

Big Shott's Edible Shooters at Uncrate

LJC's most amaing tube Pyrex bread baker, I really want one of these

Eating Cleveland declares the Death of Bacon, but at least my bacon cups are called a good idea

Creme Fraiche Quiche at Joy the Baker

Carri Lambert's amazingly cute heart crackers

Modern Seamster is a new quarterly magazine that "fills the needs for a smarter, fresher, and more innovative sewing magazine" and brings together domestic sewing and fashion design. The first issue is available to download for free as a PDF. I'm enamored. The first issue is filled with familiar things from Seattle, an interview with the Seattle Craft Mafia and story about R.E. Load Baggage, and San Francisco, a tour of Britex Fabrics (including a picture of the only employee who was kind to me there, looking sharp as ever on the ladder). The magazine is well balanced with articles about high design, music culture, an advice column and sewing practice. So far it's love. via Pink of Perfection.

Urban Craft Uprising here in Seattle has announced that they'll be holding a summer show and they are currently accepting vendor applications which you can find right here, and if you have questions there is a Vendor FAQ. The winter show this year was fantastic and I'm looking forward to seeing what summer has in store.

The Handmade Nation movie has started screenings and Faythe Levine is currently in Australia with the movie (congrats!). There is a film event in San Francisco with the ladies from Rare Device. Upcoming showings are in Chicago, Madison, Eureka, Portland OR, Vancouver BC, West Bend WI. More information can be found on the Handmade Nation blog.

I didn't get far with my improvised top-down raglan before I found the arms were going to be too wide and I was going to run out of yarn, so I started over. This time I'm improvising something similar to a top-down version of the Button On Blanket, except not ribbed all around and with the button band worked as I go along.

As I got further down and found I nearly had all the width for the body I wanted, but not for the sleeves I started skipping every other row of increases for the body and it seems to have worked out well. I'm nearly to the point where I'll be working on the body itself.

I moved the points where the increases start close to the tops of the shoulders, like the B.O.B. has them, but I lined them up with the ribbing on my collar. So far so good.

how to make your own Benetint, at Busywork

cute idea: Big Day Chains, paper chains that you rip one link off of when counting down to a wedding, birthday or due date

desktop campfire at Design*Sponge

hollow half dollar for hiding love notes or spy messages at Mighty Goods. I could keep this with my squirting nickle.

I'm in love with the Suzy Fairchild Lace Mesh Dress.

eco buttons at Mighty Goods

Coming and Going Jacket by Smoking Lily