Volumizing Dry Shampoo by Big Sexy Hair. I use this for days when I’m going to be exercising later but I just need to get one thing at the drugstore and don’t want my hair to scream “I have not been washed in at least 24 hours”. It works just great. The directions have you brush it out after a few minutes but I usually just spray it on like hairspray and leave it.

Puzzle Bots. This really delightful and funny point and click adventure game from indie developer Erin Robinson is now available from Steam for $4.99. I was sent a review copy and played part of the way through before finding it had a time limit, oops, so I didn’t finish. I’ll be buying this to finish it.

Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s. I love these seasonal cookies from Trader Joe’s, they have a sharp and refreshing peppermint flavor. Note: kids don’t generally like them, I heard one precocious girl say they were “too spicy” for her liking. That’s just fine, more for me.

OXO mini clips. I use these to hold recipes on the wall near my counter, to hold takeout menus on the fridge, and to hold little bags of baking ingredients closed. They have a strong magnet on the back and have rubber bits inside the clamp which means it holds tight to everything. Whenever I need an item to make up a total to get free shipping on Amazon I can usually manage to find a pack of these on sale so at this point I have a lot and I use them all. They also come in steel.

The Walking Dead. This is a really nicely done zombie show created from a series of graphic novels. It’s only two episodes in and I’m hooked. It seems to also be making fans of the original graphic novels happy as well.

eating:
Dave’s Killer Bread
Tasty bread with no weird ingredients. This stuff is substantial and organic. Right now we have the Powerseed.

watching:
How I Met Your Mother
People have recommended this show in the past and I didn’t listen, I’m so sorry we waited this long to get into it. It’s lighthearted and funny and sharp and I’ve become a devoted fan. Bonus if you can spot the Whedonverse actors who pop up for an episode or two.

reading:
Ladies of Grace Adeiu
I picked this book up from the library because the cover was interestingly vintage/old middle school cloth and screenprint looking. A library sticker was covering up the front of the book so that all I saw was “Susanna _____, author of the bestselling Jonathan _____”. That tured out to actually be “Susanna Clarke, author of the bestselling Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell“. The Ladies of Grace Adieu is a collection of retold fairy tales and I find them to be completely enchanting. There are illustrations by Charles Vess which could be taken from the pages of your favorite old storybook. This has been an unexpectedly, magically, lovely impulse.

loving:
wrap sweaters
It started with a marked down DKNY sweater from TJ Maxx which I wore so often I went and bought a similar one from Target to wear around the house so I could keep the first one nice. Now I want more because they are very cozy.

playing:
Bobby Carrot Forever
(For the iPhone.) This is among the Chip’s Challenge style of games. It’s been surprisingly engaging and fun.

anticipating:
Project Runway Season Five
The last one in New York, love it before it all changes. I’m with the Project Rungay boys – why did they release all the guests and challenges in advance this season? No fun spoiling the surprise. (I have not peeked.)

loving:
L’Oreal Bare Minerals Gentle Lip Conditioner
My previous favorite lip balm was changed and is now unbearably sweet, so this might just be my new favorite. We’re still in the getting to know you stages but it’s showing promise so far, no strong taste or smell, shiny but not too glossy.

eating:
Vicolo Corn Meal Pizza Crusts
These come in the freezer section of my local market. You take it straight out of the freezer, add pizza toppings (please allow me to suggest something in the olive oil/greens/sausage family of combinations) and put it in the oven, very easy. I think these will be a staple in our house.

using:
Neutrogena Sunblock Stick
Tiny enough to keep in my bag for those unexpected berry picking moments when I’ll want to double up on the SPF.

avoiding:
Peanut Butter M&Ms
I’m not normally a candy person but I’ve had a wicked M&M desire for weeks now. These are ok but the peanut flavor is inconsistent and every once in a while I get a strange taste. Oh well, they’re a colorful decoration at least.

loving:
Maybelline Express Finish nail polish in Plum Intense
The color turns out more red than the bottle suggests, but I love the outcome. It’s a nice balance between plum and wine, and is dramatic but not too dark against my pale skin. A reviewer at Makeupalley.com said the color turns out very much like Vamp. Also, the quick dry formula really does, and I managed to avoid bubbles even though I put on three coats.

using:
Bambu compostable, single use veneerware
An eco-friendly alternative to plastic silverware, and it’s awfully cool looking. It’s equally good for twirling sesame noodles and spreading Nutella on baguette while lounging on a picnic blanket.

looking forward to:
Bottle Shock
A movie about the 1976 Paris Tasting that rocked the wine world? Starring Alan Rickman? Oh, yes please.

watching:
Ultraviolet
An old UK mini series about a secret part of the government that fights vampires. We’re half way through and the V-word hasn’t been used yet. It’s good despite being a bit dated, and it’s filling some of my X-Files nostalgia. (Note for anybody who might Netflix it – the sleeve it comes in describes the Milla Jovovich movie, but the disc inside is the BBC series, very confusing.)

disliking:
red quinoa
I love regular quinoa, and an egg over quinoa has become my standard breakfast. But red quinoa? Yuck. Here are words that were used our table while trying this: “dirt”, “tastes like hippies”, “socks, dirty socks”, “it tastes… good for me”. Sorry, red quinoa, I gave you a shot.

sipping:
GUS Soda
It stands for Grown-up Soda, which isn’t too sweet, and I like it. Right now I have the grapefruit but I’m curious to taste the other flavors.

watching:
Meerkat Manor
I’m late to this show, but I was hooked after ten seconds. I couldn’t place the narrator’s voice at first, it’s Sean Astin.

loving:
Kerrygold butter
After using to make Irish Soda Bread I cannot go back to normal sticks of butter.

being amused by:
Garmin Nuvi
We were given this as a gift and I love watching it recalculate as we drive home the way we know is easiest, even if it’s not the most direct. Sadly, we have yet to get to use it when we’re headed someplace we don’t know how to get to already.

disliking:
Tanqueray Rangpur gin
It’s a flavored gin that I find far too sweet, yuck. Read tasting notes at Slashfood.

buying:
bargain sunglasses from Target
After the tragic loss of my favorite sunglasses last week I went hunting for more. These ones from Target are big sunglasses that give me the combination of glare reduction and peripheral vision I like, and they’re $6 or $7 so I won’t weep when I, inevitably, lose them. These were more comfortable than the branded sunglasses I found on nearby racks, and at this price they are perfect for being the extra pair stashed in the car or desk at the office.

eating:
Revels chocolates
Some dear friends in the UK brought these for us. The chocolates inside all have different flavors in the center and apparantly everybody has at least one flavor they don’t like, which of course makes you keep eaing them. Like Bertie Bott’s but chocolate and witout the fear of finding a vomit flavored one. H2G2 calls them chocolate roulette.

liking:
Cover Girl Lash Exact Mascara
This formula doesn’t run on me, and the smaller brush means I don’t smudge it around my eyes when trying to apply it pre-coffee (I’m looking at you, Lash Blast and Bad Gal). It’s a very good daytime mascara, and a second coat is dramatic enough for the evening too.

drinking:
Maritime Pacific Brewing Company Imperial Pale Ale
A really good citrusy, hoppy beer. I hope I can find this one in bottles. Their Jolly Roger Taproom in Ballard has a giant pirate map painted on the floor, it’s pretty darn cool.

disliking:
Tic Tac Bold Mint
Truly horrible, tastes like mouthwash.

growing:
canary bird vine
We planted one of these, along with a bunch of other stuff, in planters on our deck a few weeks back and it’s grown like crazy. It’s been a lot of fun to watch.

buying:
GroBal Baby
I’m getting one as a seven-year blog anniversary present. Also because I’d like to try to keep a Maidenhair Fern alive and it’s got a much better chance without depending entirely on me.

testing:
Martha Stewart Crafts glue pens
I bought two, a ball tip and a felt tip. Both go on blue and dry clear. I’m constantly trying to find things that need to be glued around here.

replacing:
big sunglasses
I, sniff, lost my fabulous, large, comfortable and functional Sarah Jessica Parker BITTEN sunglasses last weekend. I’ve found similar pairs but the new ones just aren’t, you know, the same.

playing:
M.I.L.O.
The straightforward game is amusing, but there is more to be done so pay attention.

reading:
Into the Wild
A funny, sweet book. It’s more related to Into the Woods the musical and not at all Krakauer. The sequel, Out of the Wild, will be available in June.

making:
chex mix
What is perfect for bringing along on a weekend trip that involves ferry rides? A huge bag of homemade chex mix, that’s what.

considering:
Land’s End wedge slides
Having grown up in the Midwest I have a rebellious aversion to anything Land’s End, but seeing as how I have trouble wearing flip flops and they have these foam slide thingies, I might have to break my rule. Thank you Rebecca for pointing them out to me!

buying:
Philosophy the supernatural, poreless flawless, spf 15
Previously I had considered Clinique Pore Minimizer but people recommended trying this one because it has an spf of 15.

studying:
No Sheep For You
When this book first came out I wasn’t knitting sweaters yet, but now that I am the patterns are extra appealing. The book covers non-animal fibers and substitutions for wool yarns. They even recommend putting your swatches through a sag test, brilliant.

cooking:
chili chicken
This recipe from My Feasts more than satisfied my craving for something spicy and I got to cook with dried chilies for the first time. Found on TasteSpotting.

deciding:
on a color for throw pillows
I need new pillows for a dark gray couch (ok, futon) but I have not decorated the room at all, so I’m having trouble figuring out what color to get. Different shades of gray perhaps? Uh.

browsing:
Alchemy
Etsy’s service where customers request something and Etsy sellers put bids in on the work, it’s fascinating. I have found a few thing I’ve always wanted as well.

watching:
Family Guy Blue Harvest
When this aired we were watching it in an empty middle-of-nowhere hotel bar and a few guys on staff wandered in to watch it with us. This memory is not as bleak as I’ve made it sound.

popping:
sour gummi bear vitamins
Apparently I’m so much more likely to remember a daily vitamin if I’m pretending I’m six years old.

considering:
L.L. Bean Weather Challenger Jacket
A friend of mine has this jacket and gives it high marks, and I love that it comes in a gray/black combination, so many jackets for women only come in sherbet colors.

waxing:
my eyebrows
I had my eyebrows shaped for the first time. I went to the Wax Bar here in Seattle and it was a good experience. Also, they can serve alcohol, so if you’re feeling nervous this is a nice place to be.

loving:
Blue Sky Alpacas Dyed Cotton yarn
This is lovely and soft and comes in colors fit for grown ups. I was lucky enough to get this at a recent 50% off yarn sale, and I think it was worth battling the crowds.

eating:
Manischewitz barley shape egg noodles
When thrown into soup they are like teeny tiny dumplings.

playing:
Dwarf Complete
This is a fun puzzle game created by On of Eyemaze. It was commissioned by the onine RPG game Lineage II, but you don’t have to be into that to enjoy this game. If you get stuck you can find help at JIG Casual Gameplay. This was a good distraction for a rainy Sunday afternoon.

reading:
Boss of You: Everything a Woman Needs to Know to Start, Run, and Maintain Her Own Busness
I have a proof of this book (so exciting!), but it will be available to order April 28th and you can pre-order at Amazon. This is written by Emira Mears and Lauren Bacon, the two women behind Raised Eyebrow Web Studio, and whose old site, Soapbox Girls, I used to read while working at my first job where I had a computer ane internet access, this is before I had my own computer and internet access at home. Also check out their site Boss Lady.

sipping:
coffee made in a Clover
The Clover is a hi-tech coffee maker that allows the barista to adjust grind size, dose, water temperature and contact time for each cup of coffee. This means good coffee. You can find a coffee shop that has a Clover. Happily, there are a bunch here in Seattle, I had coffee made it on at Trabant Coffee in the U-District last weekend.

making:
tissue paper flowers
I bought a kit from Martha Stewart Crafts because I still regret not buying the Crepe Paper Flowers kits from years ago. Also to see: crepe paper rose bouquet and double-sided crepe paper in spring flower colors, autumn flower colors, and red rose colors.

watching:
Juno
Great little movie, with characters you want to hang out with and story with a happy ending. Hooray.

listening:
World War Z
This audiobook contains “unabridged selections” so it’s not the full book, but the readers, including Alan Alda, Carl Reiner, and Mark Hamill, are stellar. This is the story of the zombie war as told by the survivors and it’s surprisingly rich and engaging, while still being creepy. I’m also going to read the book as I find myself eager to read the parts that didn’t make it into the audiobook.

sipping:
Rising Moon Spring Ale
With Kieffer limes leaves and lime peel. I get what they are trying to do here, but I’d skip it unless you’re really into special ales.

playing:
Chain Factor
Back in December I had finally, finally gotten over this game only to get re-hooked when Kottke mentioned it last week. Apparently it has something to do with the TV show Numb3rs, but it doesn’t really influence the game play.

loving:
1-Day Acuvue Moist contacts
These are the only contacts I’ve found so far that aren’t stuck to my eyeballs at the end of the day.

using:
teeny tiny bobby pins
I’m fairly sure these 1.25-inch bobby pins were meant to be decorative, but they are tiny and lightweight and work with my fine hair when I need to pin my bangs out of the way. I’ve been losing them one by one and hope these at Sally Beauty are the same size. Or maybe these rubberized mini bobby pins would work even better?

buying:
titanium drill bits
This weekend the combination of an old house and new Ikea ceiling light fixtures required that we drill a few new holes in the metal back in order to secure it in place. Then we discovered the Ikea low energy bulb did not fit in the fixture we’d bought. Why? Oh why?

liking:
L’Oreal High Intensity Pigments Cream Eyeliner
I have never had luck with pencil eyeliners, and was considering getting some MAC Fluidline when I stumbled across this in a store. It comes with a small brush but I prefer my fine Sonia Kashuk eyeliner brush. It’s a very dark and true black and I find it easier to apply than liquid or pencil eyeliner.

using:
Cover Girl Lash Blast
This comes with one of those new types of brushes, and a few coats makes decent lashes for daytime. Cover Girl mascaras are the only drug store brand I’ve found so far that don’t run on me, and it comes off cleanly when I wash with my usual Cetaphil. I like it but I’m not overwhelmed with joy that it exists.

dabbing:
Rosebud Salve
I’ve been rubbing this on a rough spot on my ankle before I got to bed and I like the gentle scent.

loving:
Hollywood Fashion Tape
I used this on my low cut dress and was expecting to have to figure out a way to get the adhesive off the fabric at the end of the night. But, happily, it held securely and came of cleanly. I got the Red Carpet Assortment that comes with five different shapes. You can find it in Joann stores as well as at Amazon.

finding useful:
Post-it lined 4×6 pads
I, um, borrowed one of these from Scott and find myself using it for all those lists I like to keep all over the house.

using:
KitchenAid 750 food processor
This is the model that was recommended by Cook’s Illustrated magazine. This photo was taken shortly before I used it for the first time and it will never look this shiny or clean again, I’m sure. Verdict: it rocks. Homemade hummus here I come.

reading:
Subversive Seamster
I love what they are doing with pin tucks in this book. Like the first book, there are great instructions on how to alter thrifted clothing or turn it into something else completely.

buying:
Apex mechanical pencil
This is my favorite mechanical pencil which I stumbled upon after buying a few brands in a frenzy of new mechanical pencil neediness. It’s also been given the stamp of a-ok-ness by Cool Tools. I found some of these on sale the other day so I have a stash of them in silver and black, they come in 0.7 lead as well.

reading:
Postsingular
Scott and I have been recommending books to each other and he keeps asking if I’ve finished this yet so we can talk about it. I’m only a few chapters in but the earth has nearly ended once so I suspect there will be a lot to discuss.

buying:
a dress for a party
Besides fighting the post-holiday let down, a good thing about a fancy party after the holidays is shopping for a dress during all the sales. This dress is very flattering and was 70% off, yay!

sniffing:
Yosh Luxury Elements collection
Scott got me the Yosh perfume sampler for Christmas and I’ve been trying on the scents. You can read my initial notes here at Flickr. The reviews on Makeup Alley are mixed but my impression so far is that these are made with really, really good oils. I like them a lot, though the ginger ones don’t do so well on my skin, sadly.

eating:
chocolate chip cookies
Scott made these using the Toll House recipe but with one cup of nuts and half the amount of chocolate chips, which is a nice balance. We scooped out the dough onto cookie sheets and froze it, then put it into bags in the freezer and now we can bake one cookie at a time, or as needed.

reading:
Vampirates
I’m not very far along, but a great title, no?

trying:
to make Scotch Eggs
Interesting. Maybe they’re best eaten with a hangover?

making me happy:
hand shaven noodles from Shanghai Garden
The barleygreen handshaven noodles are good as well. This is work-some-magic comfort food.