Cabin in the City

Books, cats and midwestern charm.

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#Gratitude30 // Week 3

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Day 17: Weather

Milwaukee's First Snow

As much as I hate the darkness that comes with late fall, I have to say that I love the cooler temperatures and the regular dusting of snow we’ve been getting. It’s honestly a relief to me when it starts to get cold because I don’t feel the stress of taking advantage of every outdoor moment. Instead, I’m thankful to stay inside, put on my softest socks and start a new project.

Day 18: Food

I say it all the time, but I think it’s true: Food is one of the greatest joys in life. And I believe it to be true because a good meal, a delicious treat or a sip of something nice is an easy way to lift your spirits or warm the hearts of others. This year, I’m feeling pretty thankful that I get to make a living writing about, tasting and making all kinds of wonderful foods – be they homey, sinful or just plain good.

One of my favorite pieces this year was a definitive ranking of Pepperidge Farm cookies. It’s silly, but it was so much fun (also Milanos are the best)!

Day 19: Beauty

This is a hard one! But I will say that when we got to Jamaica, I cried. I cried at how absolutely stunning the landscape was. I had never been anywhere tropical like that before, so it definitely took my breath away. Getting to visit is something I’m truly thankful for.

Day 20: Friendship

Gosh, am I lucky to have friends like these! I’ve known these gals (and a lot of my close friends) for a long, long time – like 15+ years long! We don’t see one another every day anymore, but it’s such a heartwarming feeling when we finally do meet up and it’s like hardly any time has passed. And, seriously, it’s so wonderful to just shoot the shit and have them know exactly who, where and what you’re talking about. Plus, they’re a blast. Desperate for another gals trip soon!

Day 21: Technology

Sometimes I joke that our home is a graveyard of technologies of yore. I’ve got a handful of old cameras from the ’60s and ’70s, the 50s-era hi-fi and two typewriters – a Royal courtesy of one of my good friends and an old Remington 12 typewriter that belonged to my great-grandfather.

I’m happy I get to surround myself with these relics at home. They’re sort of comforting! Plus, they’re a lot of fun to tinker around with.

Day 22: Family

I love my family. They’re the folks that really helped me become who I am. My parents and my sisters have always been endlessly encouraging to me (though, they aren’t afraid to tell me to get a grip either!). The whole lot of them are talented, funny and exceptionally warm. I’m thankful to get to be a part of that kind of family.

And I’m thankful that Michael gets to be my family, too. He might not have the Kaminski laugh down yet or the training you need to track five simultaneous conversations, but he’ll get there! I love all of you!

Day 23: Scent

Transitioning from family to scent is a bit odd to me, but that’s OK!

While I’m most partial to woodsy scents, a nice bouquet is always welcome in my home (unless it has lilies – that’s one scent I’m not thankful for).

• • •

Thanks for tuning in for another week of #Gratitude30! I appreciate you all for reading.

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Keeping Holiday Burnout at Bay

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@notallgeminis 

It’s the holiday season. We all know what that means – holiday burnout time!

Personally, I’m well on my way. I’m prepping for this Black Friday Market + Pub-Crawl like there’s no tomorrow. And I’ve got pie crusts to make. And stuffing. Plus, a cake. Not to mention a house to clean and errands to run. But you know what, I’m doing OK.

And I think that has a lot to do with budgeting in free time.

Last year as I prepped for my first-ever fair, I was a disaster. I was getting up at 5:30 in the morning to stitch and then stitching the second I got home until I went to bed. Not to mention working my regular 9-5. I was giving myself zero time to relax, zero time just to sit and watch the latest season of Bake Off.

But this year, as we roll into Thanksgiving, I’ve been allowing myself some free moments. I took a break from stitching last night and got my nails done. It was amazing. And this past weekend, I sat down and actually enjoyed some GBBO without any interruption. Total bliss!

And while it’s tempting to just go, go, go (that is my MO after all), I realize that taking a bit of rest – even just an hour at the salon or 30 minutes of TV – can do a world of good when it comes to productivity. When I come back refreshed from these breaks, I’m a lot more focused on the tasks I need to accomplish.

It’s definitely going against my Aries nature (see meme), but it’s working out pretty well so far! So to all you folks out there that have agreed to make one too many Thanksgiving dishes or run a few too many errands, I feel you, but I also encourage you to take a break – even if it’s just a 15-minute coffee run. You’ll come back more refreshed and ready to take the holidays head on!

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#Gratitude30 // Week 2

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Day 10: Music

Several years ago now, my aunt had my vintage hi-fi refurbished (thank you, Mary!). And I use “my” loosely here – this record player was in my mom’s house when she was a child and then made its way to my great-aunt’s home where it served as a nightstand of all things for many years.

At any rate, this hi-fi is a total treasure to me. When I first moved into my house (and had no cable or internet), it kept me company. Now that it’s fixed up, this stereo gets even more use. I love putting on an album while I cook dinner or clean up around the house. I also like to show it off during book clubs and parties – I think people get a kick out of it and how great it sounds after 60+ years! But I have to say, I love this record player most during the holidays when I stack my favorite Christmas albums high and let it fill up the house as we ready for guests.

Day 11: Gift

One of the most touching gifts I’ve ever received was a wooden bead necklace from Michael. On its face, it’s a bit of chunky, funky jewelry (which is great!), but really this necklace is so special. It’s so special because Hillary Clinton owns the same necklace. See, when she was campaigning back in 2016, she stopped by Anthology, one of my favorite shops in Madison. There she bought this red necklace and she was photographed wearing it later that week.

The Christmas following the 2016 election, I opened up that same necklace and I cried. It was such a thoughtful and moving gift, and I’m so thankful that I’m married to someone that would ever put all those pieces together to find the perfect present.

Day 12: Wisdom

As much as I sometimes think I’m with it, that I’ve got a handle on the world (as if), I often get tidbits of wisdom that blow my mind. Most recently I was in a yoga class with a new instructor. As we were bending into our forward folds, she said, “Don’t push this pose to your limits in the first go. By rushing to the end, you can do more harm than good.” This resonated with me in such a huge way.

I am the kind of person that wants to push everything to its end as quickly as possible (I am nothing if not impatient). But those words really set my mind right and encouraged me to exercise a little patience and softness. So to this yoga instructor (a new face to me), a big thanks!

Day 13: Art

I can hardly express how thankful I am to have this piece of art in my home. I first saw this painting hanging up in the world’s craziest and scariest antique shop (R.I.P. Hoarders World). Over the course of several months, that painting moved from room to room there, though I never worked up the nerve to buy it. Eventually, my aunt purchased it for me as the world’s best birthday present.

It wasn’t until years later that I found out this is the most reproduced print in the 20th century and pretty much the kitsch version of the Mona Lisa. I don’t care what it is – I love this piece of art so much. It feels like home.

Day 14: Routine

I’ll be truthful: I’m not huge on routine (it’s the Aries in me). I am, however, big on traditions which are their own kind of routines, right?

Right. So let me say a big thank you to my family and Michael for indulging me when it comes to all the traditions I insist upon, like standing next to the Garfield cutout at the apple orchard (Michael’s favorite).

Day 15: Clothing

One of my most satisfying hobbies is sewing. Being able to take a few yards of fabric and have something to wear a few hours later is pretty cool to me. I’m thankful to my mom for teaching me to sew and for my sewing classes at school. Those were so satisfying! If only I could manage to dedicate an hour a day to a project like that again! Until then, I’ll just make simple stuff like this ridiculous cat skirt.

Day 16: Novelty

As much as I like tradition and dislike change, I sure do like a bit of novelty in life. I’m constantly picking up (and dropping) all sorts of new hobbies, like making paper flowers, latch hooking, building putz houses, making these plastic canvas villages and all sorts of stuff. I love trying my hand at something new and craft-related. I used to think of this as some sort of character flaw, like why can’t you just be into one or two things, but now I see it as a strength of sorts. So I’m thankful that I haven’t run out of weird, novel crafts yet and I’m thankful that I’ve got the personality that makes embracing them fun!

• • •

See you next Friday with another round of #Gratitude30. Also, next Friday is the Madison Makers Black Friday Market + Pub-Crawl. Local folks, I’ll see you there!

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#Gratitude30 // Week 1 (+Some)

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I’ve said it before, Thanksgiving isn’t much my holiday. This has everything to do with the food (not my favorite dishes) and absolutely nothing to do with the sentiment behind the holiday. In fact, that’s the part I love the most about Thanksgiving – being around my family and spending some extra time together. But instead of just being extra thankful for them for one day (I’m truly thankful for them all the time), I figured I’d spend the whole month putting a few more grateful vibes into the world.

I’m following @positivelypresent’s Instagram challenge for this one despite this not being Instagram. I’ll be posting Fridays the rest of the month. Now, on with the show!

Day 1: Home

A cabin in the city

Words cannot express how happy my home makes me. It’s tiny, funky and it manages to contain my greatest loves: my husband, our cats and our cozy life. Truly, there’s nothing better to me than cozying up on the couch with the three of them, a few fluffy blankets and an episode of Bob’s Burgers. It’s how I know things are right in our world.

Day 2: Inspiration

When it comes to my day job (and life, too!), I get unending inspiration from my family. Without my mom, I’d never been able to hack it at Taste of Home. She taught me almost everything I know about cooking and baking. And without my family’s stories and history, I’d never be able to write nice pieces like this one about my great-grandma’s long-lost cookbook.

Day 3: Love

Michael is my true love. Again, words can’t adequately express how wonderful this man is. He makes up for all I lack with his tender heart, incredible patience and boundless talent. He’s also encouraging, thoughtful and generous. I couldn’t ask for anyone better to have as a life partner.

Day 4: Color

OK, this is where the challenge is more suited for Instagram, but hey, I can groove with it. I am grateful for color after all and how it punctuates the best parts of my life. My home’s most prominent feature: decidedly not trendy avocado green carpet (which I love). My bedroom walls: a too-green green that my dad dutifully painted for me – all three coats worth (thank you, Dad!). My garden: full of magentas, ruby reds, violets, indigos and golds.

Day 5: Happiness

Happiness isn’t an all-day, everyday kind of thing, which is why when it comes along in a big way, I try to be thankful for those moments. I have to say seeing the Pacific for the first time this September, was a moment of pure happiness and joy for me, and I’m thankful I got the opportunity to do it!

Day 6: Words

I’m just happy that words play such a huge part in my life. Words are the reason I met Michael (thank you, college newspaper!), they’re how I make a living (hey, Taste of Home!) and how I derive a lot of joy.

Day 7: Memories

In the words of Demetri Martin, “I remember when I was into nostalgia.” It’s totally true, though. I’m a big time reminiscer. And I’m thankful that I’ve got a lot of great memories to look back on after just 29 years. I can’t pick a favorite, because we’d be here all day, but I love the memories that come along with our annual post-Christmas party and I’m so thankful that I get to carry on this tradition that my aunt started years and years ago!

Day 8: Nature

I am so thankful to live in a state with as much natural beauty as Wisconsin. As much as I love the dense forests of northern Wisconsin and the Kettle Moraine, I have to say I love the Great Lakes the most. Sitting on their shores is really centering, most especially alongside Lake Superior. It’s harsh and cold, but it’s also humbling and calming.

Day 9: Laughter

This is my dad telling a very bad joke, but we all still laughed. I’m glad that I’ve got a great dad that likes to shoot the shit, tell stupid jokes and doesn’t mind it when I imitate his distinctive laugh. Thankful to you, Dad!

• • •

I’ll be back next Friday with more #Gratitude30!

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Coming Soon // Black Friday Market + Pub Crawl

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Good news, everyone! Madison Makers Market is back with another makers fair and pub crawl event. And you know Kaminski Handicraft had to be there! I had so much fun at the spring show that it was easy to accept the invitation to be in the Black Friday one. I’ll be back at Old Sugar Distillery, too, which is, in my opinion, the best spot on the pub crawl route. They’ve got some really terrific craft cocktails – perfect for sipping while you shop.

I’m so excited that this event is on Black Friday! I’m not a Black Friday shopper myself – I just can’t handle the chaos. But I really love this alternative for shoppers that want to support small businesses and also take the biggest shopping day of the year just a bit slower. And seriously, what a fun thing to do with family and friends who have come in from out of town!Hope to see you there!

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Small Goals // November 2018

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What’s up, witches! October was quite the productive month!

  1. List my Halloween hoops. Done. I decided to only list one (I wasn’t quite happy with the second). Check it out here.
  2. Start a new spooky series. Done several times over. The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell was probably my favorite! Spooky baking? It’s like the show was made for me. I also started the new Sabrina, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (only 20 years late to the party) and picked up Riverdale again.
  3. Read something scary, creepy or thrilling (and finish it). I finished We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson and The Silent Companions by Laura Purcell. Could not put down the latter!
  4. Do something scary or spine-tingling. Check! My book club took a tour with Gothic Milwaukee. I loved every second.
  5. Think of a fun and easy Halloween costume. Yes! The costumes turned out really great, I think!

5/5. I think a month of fun goals was exactly what I needed! Especially for one of my favorite months of the year. I’m really happy I was able to pack in a lot of spooky Halloween stuff.

For November, I’m going to get a little more serious, though. I’ve got to tee myself up for a successful holiday season and ready myself for another craft fair. I’m really excited to get one in earlier in the shopping season so I can relax and enjoy more of the Christmas season. Honestly, most of my November goals are about setting me up for a meltdown-free December. Holiday burnout happens!

  1. Bulk up my Kaminski Handicraft inventory to 50+ hoops. I’ve got another show coming up and I want to be ready!
  2. Get organized with my stitching. It was Ben Franklin that said, “For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.” I want to put that to the test when it comes to my stitching spreadsheets (and lack thereof). And yes, I know this is a boring goal.
  3. Get at least 50% of my holiday shopping done. I hate the pressure of last-minute gifts. I plan on getting some gifts scouted out early and doing a little damage come Cyber Monday.
  4. Visit my aunt Pat. I haven’t been down to my aunt’s convent for a minute! I hope to see her and catch all the great fall color early on in the month.
  5. Center myself. This one’s pretty personal, but it’s worth tossing out in the world. October has been full of highs and lows. Time to come back down to earth and get my mind right.

These are pretty darn boring, but after a month of nonstop fun goals, it might be exactly what I need. We’ll find out!

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Alriiiiight! // Being Linda Belcher

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You read about it in my Small Goals for October, and then I made it happen. That’s right – I am (or was) Linda Belcher! Alriiiight!

The last few years I’ve been really digging closet costumes – you know, the kind that are 75% things you already own plus 25% add-ons from Goodwill and Amazon. They really take the stress out of Halloween and are just as fun as the entirely original getups I used to sew.

This costume was easy for me. All I did was pull out some jeans and a red shirt I owned and topped it off with big hair, black hairspray and a pair of $8 glasses. Michael committed hard to being Bob – that mustache is the real damn deal. This is why the man is such a gem (and also a Bob). He agreed to this silly costume to make me happy but grumbled a bit about getting rid of his beard. If that’s not a Bob OK, fine. But I’m going to complain the whole time mentality, I don’t know what is.

As for me, I definitely have some Linda in me. Saying stuff like, “Wine helps me drink” or “Sorry we’re late. Bob had diarrhea” (Michael loved that one) comes pretty easily to me. And when you’ve got a glass of wine in your hand or a raccoon lawn ornament playing the part of Little King Trash Mouth, well, those props make it all the better.

My one regret: We didn’t win the costume contest (oh, or get good photos). We haven’t managed to top our Scully and Mulder…yet.

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Spooky Podcasts for October Nights

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The second October hits, I’m in full-on spooky mode. Pretty much everything I watch, read or listen to for the whole month will need to be supernatural, otherworldly or generally eerie. Sure, I’m interested in these things all year, but I like having a special occasion excuse.

One of my favorite ways to bask in all the glory of Halloween is to cue up some scary podcats. I’ll put these on as I stitch in the morning or on my way to work. It’s a great way to sneak in some haunted vibes in what would normally be downtime. Here’s what I’m listening to this year (and always):

Lore

Obviously! This is the essential spooky podcast if you ask me. Aaron Mahnke digs up unusual stories from history and tells them in a way that is at times tedious (I find he uses about ten words when one would do) but almost always spinetingling. I love how this podcast has exposed me to some of the lesser known haunts and legends of the world, and I like how they run about 20 to 30 minutes, perfect for a commute.

Here are my essential episodes:

  • Black Stockings: This is as good as Lore gets, in my opinion. A tragic story about an Irish woman and changelings.
  • The King: A story about an island off the coast of Mexico and how it was overthrown by a terrifying lighthouse keeper – and then how women took it back. I find this tale really fascinating. If anyone writes a book based on this story, let me know!
  • On the Farm: There aren’t a lot of concrete details about the Hinterkaifeck murders, but Mahnke doesn’t mind. He made a whole episode about it (and I gobbled it up whole).
  • Mary, Mary: I thought about this one for days.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

This was the first podcast I ever listened to. While it’s not categorically spooky, there are special Halloween-themed episodes every year. This is a great podcast for when you’re in the mood for creepy stuff but don’t necessarily want to be scared out of your wits.

Welcome to Nightvale

A pal of mine recommended this to me years ago. At the time I scoffed at the idea of a fiction podcast. And then I scoffed after listening to the first episode. But then I listened to about a dozen last year and loved it. Definitely weird in that Twilight Zone way (that’s a good way). I don’t have any recommended episodes here. Just start at the beginning and see how far it takes you.

• • •

I think that’s a pretty good start for anyone looking to jump into the scary podcast world! If you have any recommendations, let me know – I’m dying to hear them.

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Small Goals // October 2018

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September last for about five days, I swear. Let’s see how I did on what I thought were pretty relaxed goals.

  1. Get some California-cool pieces. Fail on this one! I ordered a Stitch Fix box but it was a flop. I ordered a few things from Mata Traders but they didn’t come in time! But I did get a Kindle for the trip and it made all the difference.
  2. Check out Cedarburg’s Wine & Harvest Fest. Done! I went with my mom and we had a great time.
  3. Host my Tupperware party like a pro. Done! We had a lot of fun!
  4. Hit the gym six times (or more). Ugh! I went five times. So close.
  5. Finish up all my stitching to-dos. I’ve still got two in the queue. Drat.

2/5. I feel like September was more stressful than I anticipated it to be! My goal was to be productive, but instead, I was overwhelmed a lot of the time. I need to chill out! So for October, I’m going to focus on some more relaxed goals. Yes, I still want to go to the gym and stay on top of my stitching, but I need space for fun stuff just as much.

Plus, October is one of my favorite months of the year. It’s 31 days where I get to embrace all the weird occult stuff I love. That means scary movies, creepy podcasts, wearing head-to-toe black and enjoying staying inside while the winds howl. So let’s get moving on October and Halloween-adjacent goals!

  1. List my Halloween hoops. I’ve got one productive goal on here. I’ve got two new Halloween hoops. Got to list them now!
  2. Start a new spooky series. Picnic at Hanging Rock popped up as a recommendation on Amazon for me, and I’m intrigued. Also, there’s a lighthouse-centric Ghost Adventures coming to the Travel Channel. It’s going to be awful but I will watch it. Also a scary Sabrina reboot is coming to Netflix. It’s a dream come true!
  3. Read something scary, creepy or thrilling (and finish it). I’m in the middle of Affinity by Sarah Waters right now (it’s a slow start), but I’ve really got my eye on The Witches of New York by Ami McKay and The End of Temperance Dare by Wendy Webb.
  4. Do something scary or spine-tingling. My friends and I visited Shakers (a haunted cigar bar in Milwaukee) for a quick drink one night. The waitress tipped us off to some regular tarot readings there. Maybe that’s in the future (or a ghost tour or a trip to Old World Wisconsin).
  5. Think of a fun and easy Halloween costume. I’m really angling for Bob and Linda from Bob’s Burgers right now. Let’s see if Michael will agree. (Also very open to being Gayle and Linda!)

Well, here’s to easy, seasonal goals this month! If you’ve got goals, let me know! I love to see what everyone else is up to.

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It Turns Out I Love My Kindle

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I never thought I’d be an e-reader person. I own plenty of books, I visit the library all the time. What need would I have for a Kindle?

But as I prepared for my trip to California, I looked at my carryon and thought there’s no way I can fit enough books in here. I’m not an over-packer, but the thought of shoving three paperbacks into a small bag full of essentials seemed like too much. And in retrospect, bringing a milk crate full of books up north every year for my marathon read was too much. So after much deliberation, I dove in and bought a Kindle.

And I love it. Sometimes I surprise myself.

What I ordered

After exhausting all my friends and coworkers, I decided to opt for the Kindle Paperwhite (the ad-free version). The $150 price tag gave me some serious pause, but some Amazon Rewards and $50 in lottery winnings (thanks, Aunt Debby!) made clicking “buy now” a bit easier. At the end of the day, I only had to kick in about $40.

The Paperwhite is the Kindle with the nice backlit screen for reading in low or no light. I opted for the ad-free version – even though it was $20 more – because I didn’t want to be distracted.

Initial thoughts

I’ll admit, I opened up the box telling myself if it’s not for you, you can just return it. When took it out of the package I was honestly shocked at how small it was – about 6½ x 4½”. It was also surprisingly thin and lightweight.

Once I booted it up and connected it to the internet, I downloaded my first book with the credit Amazon provided. I pulled it up, and my first thought was oh wow, the pages seem so small. And they are compared to a normal hardcover book, but really they aren’t that much different than a paperback. After a few pages, I was used to the quicker page turning and was loving the lightness!

After poking around for another 20 minutes, I downloaded a handful of books from the library and connected my Goodreads account (my new favorite thing!).

Really getting into it

I, of course, downloaded even more library books – gotta have options – and wrapped up my new toy in a case. I tossed my Kindle in my purse and headed to the airport. On my 5:30AM flight to Chicago, I fired it up with the backlight. The folks around me got to sleep without the annoying overhead light and I got to enjoy the second novel from Paula Hawkins – win-win!

I kept up the momentum on my layover and next flight, too. But what I really loved was being able to stash it in my bag and walk around San Francisco with it. It weighs almost nothing, so there wasn’t that bookbag shoulder strain. Instead, I got to carry a nice, little purse while also being ready to read whenever I found a café with a decent bakery selection.

The verdict

I think you know this one: I love it. Having the ability to bring dozens of books anywhere is a big deal to me! It saves space at home and on the go. And I can still rent plenty of books, too!

Also, I notice that it’s changed my reading habits a bit. I’m reading more often. Sure, this could be the novelty – I mean, who doesn’t love a new toy – but I think just being able to carry it anywhere means that books are just more available at any given moment.

So, to all you e-reader skeptics out there, I say definitely give one a try. You might surprise yourself!