so many possibilities – make your own coasters out of resin, at atomic tonic. and check out the other stuff in how.

More soup! Simple Ham & Bean Soup by Jennie, Simple Vegetable Soup at Nobody’s Fool, and a whole site: The Joy Of Soup.

Daily Candy featured these neat knitted bags a few days ago. Thanks for link Ellen! Yesterday they had these button extenders, I was surprised to see them as my father has had one of those sitting on his dresser longer than I’ve been alive.

mmmmmm. Digs Magazine on how to make homemade soup, including non-intimidating directions for chicken stock (with instructions for veggie stock too). Perfect for these extra cold days.

My love affair with Plum Party continues – the kiss me frog chocolates are adorable and they have a rubber heart ice cube tray which would make a great mold for little heart soaps. If you havn’t checked out thier Valentine’s Day stuff yet go, it’s all great.

I’ve been meaning to redo some projects. I have some actually good smelling fragrance oils to try in soaps and bath bombs, I want to re-shoot pictures for the surprise ball, try solid bubble bath again, re-do my jean skirt and add a panel in front so I can walk more easily in it, and make some new melted crayon things because I never did properly cover our view of the naked television watching neighbors, and I just bought a set of oversized crayons from Ikea. And I want to make some salt scrub. I have some of the ginger scrub from Origins, but I find that the salt is too large to be of much use so I want to grind some salts finer to see how that works.

I think I found the first sweater I’m going to attempt (in a while from now, once I learn to decrease with confidence). I want one of these for sitting around the cold apartment. I like it because I won’t have to worry much about gauge. I mean, look at it. A few inches here or there won’t even be noticed. I adore Rebecca magainze.

Last night I tried the dessert shell in this month’s Living. It worked! If you don’t have the magazine it’s just a partially inflated balloon dipped 1/3rd of the way in chocolate and let cool to form a small chocolate bowl. I used cheap regular size balloons so when inflated only a little weren’t very round, I bet smaller balloons, water balloons? would work better.

Duh. Last week I wrote about wanting a solid perfume which smells like soap, or something clean and fresh. Pick*y cosmetics is way ahead of me. They have solid perfumes which smell like roses, laundry, grass, lavendar and spearmint, salad and mint. Oh thank you Pick*y!

I love the Valentine’s Day Boutique at Pisces Soap! [note: not for kids] Look! Corsets, yummy smelling hearts, girl in the tub, the pill, condoms, and um, big kitties. And don’t forget my favorite, Venus of Marmalade shaped like the Venus of Willendorf.

ugly green chair posted pictures and a pattern for her ugly green scarf!

and glitterkitty keeps a knitting blog, check out her first sweater and this adorable knitted bunny

tips for headache-free yarn substitutions at knitter’s review

I’ve been looking for a one piece suit to wear for yoga, but all I can find are tops and bottoms (ok, so I’ve just looked at Gaiam and Nuala). Why would I not want a (dare I say it?) unitard for sitting on the floor and bending, while portions of my lower back which I don’t want exposed are? What am I missing here?

And while I’m at it, the standard set of blue, teal and purple yoga mats don’t appeal to me. Where is all the other yoga gear hiding? Where oh where?

new project: ridiculously easy wine glass charms

new article at Get Crafty – home canning: make yer own damn jam

Jennie has an Amazon wish list of materials the school library she runs needs. “Not included on the list, but still much-needed: Pencils, black stick pens, Scotch tape dispensers, double-sided tape, mounted/chained (“bank”) pens, color and b/w cartridges for HP840C printers. Not necessities, but nice: cardboard chess/checker sets, educational window clings, feather dusters, any YA literature-themed posters, small can of white semi-gloss paint.” And it’s tax deductible too! I’m getting Chess For Kids for the lunchtime chess club. Help out?