It’s officially Flip Flop Envy season here at Casa De Megan. I cannot wear flip flops, the traditional thing between the toes variety. (Or well, anything at all between my toes.) And I am bitterly jealous about this. I have tried to wean myself on to flip flops. I bought a pair of cute ones and brought them with me to work and changed into them when I got there. Oh my god the pain, it was unbelievable. And when it didn’t feel like some super sharp new material composite turned into toe torture device was stuck in there, like when I was sitting at my desk, the feeling was something more like “omigod what is this? this is not good. Take this right out of there. Now. I’m serious, this was not meant to be. No. Really I mean it. Get it out of there.” So I am relegated to the “slides” category and so many of them are not cute, and way more expensive. (Side note to the Gap: I know you’re evil but whatever, about two summers ago you carried these non-thong flip flop things and they were perfect and instantly comfortable and oh dear I would do anything if you would sell them again, pretty please. I lost one shoe of a pair last year and phoned every place I had been that day and desperately miss it and still think longingly of my missing anti-flip flop.) Flip flop wearers, cherish every flip flop wearing moment, you lucky little things.

It seems like everyone is deeply relating to their Pantone Birthday Color, except me. My month, October, is Lavender – Peaceful, Poised, Balanced. I don’t like lavender, and I’m just about the most anxious, awkward and unsteady person I know. And my day color, the ninth, I like even less. Smoky Grape. I don’t like purple, or even the flavor grape. Just thinking about it makes me grumpy, I’m so far away from anything smoky or purple. Maybe I was adopted and they didn’t know my real birthday so they just picked a day, maybe my real birthday is April 10th, or May 10th, or June 13th or the 23rd.

Some things I saw at Target:

• beaded lightbulb hanging fixture thingy, also one with pretty pink flowers
• purse with a light inside that lights when you open it and shuts off when you close it via a magnet contraption, not on the web site.

Help – I need a recommendation for a small lawn mowing service in Seattle (Wallingford neighborhood). Our grass is obscenely long and I’m just too intimidated to phone some random place from the phone book because I always get some gruff guy who leaves me feeling all man-hater. We have a very small lawn, but one that has grown enthusiastically ever since spring hit. Anyone have a service that makes them happy?

Someday I’m going to have to buy a mattress, when that day arrives this thread at Ask Metafilter is going to be helpful.

There is a nice community garden near us and during a little walk around yesterday I was so so happy to see that someone is setting up an herb spiral (scroll down a bit). I first heard of herb spirals from Loobylu, a few years back I think, and find the whole thing charming.

There was also a bed which was filled with clover while it was resting for a while, I found a few four leaf clovers that were to so big I couldn’t bring myself to pick them, so I took photos instead. Click here (pop up) to see more.

more goodness from boing boing – how to make a soft boiled egg cake* and Kaze was inspired by the dress at the umbrella project, and made one of her own in a Gothic Lolita style, very nice.

* This is a series of cakes in a Is My Blog Burning? theme (? not sure what to call it) and they are all drool worthy, I’ll track them all down later.

you are now a ninja, how to transform an ordinary t-shirt, via kottke

how to paint your floors and not screw it up, via megnut

Last night Scott and Michael opened for Josh Kelley. It was a good show, the crowd was enthusiastic and responsive, we sold lots of cds (I got to be merch girl!), and Josh was great. He had one guy onstage with him, Ben Peeler, who was amazing. For one of the last songs Ben pulled Michael onstage to play mandoline, which turned into a duel. They sounded fantastic, and a good time was had by all.

Things I’m interested in – pens with a light source (for signing up for email lists in the dark) and, completely unrelated, mini kites, or tiny kites. I first saw little kites at in Santa Cruz near the boardwalk, they were called pocket kites I think. Does anyone know where I could buy them around Seattle or online from the US? The only places to order online I can find are in the UK – tiny kite and kite company.

And, check out Michael’s Interactive Guide to Home Brewing (Flash).

These Snacks panties are super cute! But even better* are the adorable little cupcake containers! I want cupcake containers for all of my undies. Via Evany, the bestest.

* no offense to the panties I just have a strange sense of focus

Phil Kasper, a friend of mine who is very talented and funny has been putting on Shakespeare skits in bars in Bloomington, IN as Tavern Shakespeare. This year he is getting ready to launch the Indiana Shakespeare Festival and is holding a fundraiser: Taking A Dive For The Bard. In honor of Shakespeare’s 440th birthday Phil will perform an accelerated skydive freefall in the late afternoon, at Skydive Greensburg, in Greensburg, IN. If you live in the area I encourage you to go see the Indiana Shakespeare Festival this summer, and to dontate if you can, they are set up to accept donations via mail or Paypal. I mean, the man is throwing himself out of a plane just to get your attention, this is someone dedicated to entertaining you.

The first time I met Phil he was auditioning. The director had him take the What Light Is This scene from Romeo and Juliet and pretend he was a wino praising a girl on a nudie poster. We were still laughing after scores of auditions that night. Phil is hilarious, passionate about theatre, and is utterly deserving of support. Phil, I wish you the best!

I want some glow in the dark yarn, I’m looking for worsted weight, something for #8 needles. My initial searches turn up obscure stuff, or places in Japan. Anyone know of a glow in the dark yarn source?

via daily candy
• very different cakes
• anti-panti

  via npr

• why special batch Coca-cola made for Passover is coveted
• a story on letterboxing

More things:

• Last night Scott brought home a small pile of Chocodiles (!!!). He unexpectedly found them at some drugstore around here (Seattle). The expiration date on them is April 16 so we’re eating them furiously. The search for Chocodiles has been well documented elsewhere, see: The Chocodile Hunter at Pop Culture Junk Mail and The Mystery of Hostess Chocodiles at X-Entertainment.
• I finally saw Matrix Revolutions and boy did that suck. The effects were all amazing, of course, but what a disappointing story.

A few things.

• While I was living in Cleveland, one of the things that made it feel like there was there there is the workings of David Hansen and the Bad Epitaph Theater Company. Right now they are raising money, one dollar at a time, for their production of The American Revolution. So if you live in Northeast Ohio (you know who you are), want to support local theater, or just like to donate to worthwhile stuff, here is how you can donate.
• Scott is playing a gig at the Hotwire cafe this Saturday, and if you live in Seattle I invite you to come on out. The cafe is wonderful, free wireless, and lots of computers you can use, good sound, comfortable seating. I’ll be knitting, and probably manning the cd selling table. Saturday, April 10th, 7 – 10 p.m., 17551 15th Ave NE, Shoreline WA.
• A while back, somewhere (I forget where), there was a discussion of what undergarments to wear under skirts to address the problem of thighs rubbing together (I have that body type) and pantyline erasing. Spanx were brought up and I can second the recommendation, they are comfortable, don’t pull up, and the waistband is blissfully nonbinding and doesn’t roll.
• Get Crafty has changed? stolen? grown? moved? taken away to? SuperNaturale. The message at getcrafty.com seems to have changed, anyone know the real story? Are the old Glitter boards gone forever?
• I actually managed to make the oldest of laundry mistakes and washed a red sweater with some white towels.
• The neighborhood cats who hang out and walk with you to your car are back out for the season! yay!