Anodyne Design » About Me

Vertigo Exercises

Shannon — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 03:05:08 +0000

Apparently I have vertigo because I’ve angered the crystals in my ears. Or they’re out of alignment or something. It’s hard to understand, because I didn’t even realize I had crystals in my ears until my doctor told me I’d messed them up. I feel like I have align my chakras now. But I don’t even know what that means.

Actually, what I need to do are the exercises illustrated above. There’s no medication for vertigo (except meclizine for motion sickness, which I seem to be immune to.) Instead, you do these rolling-around-in-bed exercises, which make your ears happy, and re-align your ear crystals. Maybe. In a few days.

Creative Networking

Shannon — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:10:26 +0000

(I liked Liesl’s post title, so I’m borrowing it for my own.)

I was recently nominated for this sweet Kreativ Blogger Award by Liesl, from Liesl Made. I love reading Liesl’s blog, so I’m delighted that she sent this award my way. Her blog has struck (for me) a good balance between the creative and the personal, and she’s a very talented person. I recently bought one of her bag holders, and it’s really been a stylish way to get my bag collection under control. (Seriously, I should have taken a “before” photo. You have no idea how out of control this collection was.) Liesl Made is definitely one of my favorite blogs to visit. Thank you, Liesl!

The rules of this award are as follows:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might not know.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

Seven Things You Might Not Know About Me

I have a master’s degree in a field unrelated to being crafty. And I’m working on a Ph.D. Craftiness is a lot more fun.
My hazel eyes seem to change color to match my attire. If I can’t have green eyes, this is a good second.
I have played cards on a nuclear submarine.
I recently discovered I have a special love for daschund-golden retriever mixes (they exist!).
I had a blog before it was cool. Like, in 1996.
I have a stuffed monkey named Mswaki, or “Toothbrush” in Swahili.
I feel guilty when I eat meat, and I’m slowly moving towards a more vegetarian diet.

I never like to play by the rules, so I will list seven creative bloggers I like, but they are free to decide if they want to play by these rules or not.

Seven Kreativ Bloggers

Michelle of Cicada Daydream
Sarah of My Spare Time
Chia of Chia’s House of Stir Fry
Manda of Tree Fall Design
Lindsey of Leaf and Letter Handmade
Laural of Thimble
Wendy of Flying Shoes

All of these women and their blogs are wonderful. Check them out!

Photo Tag Meme

Shannon — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:10:53 +0000

I am not a fan of internet memes, and I generally don’t participate. But what can I do when I’m tagged by family? My aunt thinks I’ve been away from blogging for too long–and she’s right, my inadvertant break has been too long–so she’s decided to force my hand with a meme. Essentially, she posted a picture of herself on her blog, Flying Shoes, and then tagged me to do the same. So here I am in the moment, participating in a meme. But as usual, I’m not tagging anyone else. Call me a party pooper and consider yourself tagged if you want to be.

You may notice the beginnings of a quilt in the background. I’ll be blogging about that project soon.

Priorities

Shannon — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:00:43 +0000

I have noticed that many of the sellers on Etsy have very full lives on top of their Etsy stores. Etsy on it’s own can take up so much time (promoting, blogging, creating, photographing, listing, packing, and shipping sound like enough for a full-time job to me!). I’ve noticed that many sellers are parents, hold down full-time “regular” jobs, and have lives, too. I have the same problem. I started selling on Etsy this past summer, but I’m still a full-time graduate student with some work I need to get finished. Etsy provided a nice, substantial change of pace from the type of work I do at school, which made for a wonderful break. And sometimes, I’d rather be doing Etsy than homework. And I have.

I’ve been doing some thinking, though, and if I really want to devote a fair amount of time to creating and Etsy, I need to get some other things, those things I had on my plate before I got into all this sewing stuff, finished. It’s difficult to do, but I’ve committed my true priorities to paper, and I am going to do my best to allocate my time in a way that reflects what I really need to do most. So, my shop may be a little sparse for awhile as I finish the school work that’s been hanging over my head (and poor SciFi Man’s head) and the sewing projects I’ve already committed to (like the fabulous bridesmaid’s bags I’m making for a friend’s May wedding). Once I’ve cleared the deck, I can give Etsy the attention it deserves.

2008 Goals: First Quarter Check-In

Shannon — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 13:00:01 +0000

Back in January, I set some goals for myself for the year. As we are now well into March, I thought it would be wise to look back at my goals and see what progress I’ve made so far. I figure this will help me to keep on track, and to be honest, I don’t remember all my specific goals. If I don’t check in now, I won’t be surprised when it’s January 2009 and I have to set the same goals again!

Continue to make changes and choices that are healthier for me and the environment.
- I am going to make myself a set of canvas grocery bags, to cut down on plastic waste.
  This one is still a work in progress. I posted my plans for making bags a couple weeks ago and shared a bunch of links to different grocery bag patterns, and then when I actually got to the store, I was overwhelmed by the price of canvas. So no bags yet, although I’ve found a source for affordable canvas online, but I’ve got the patterns and I’m getting closer to achieving this goal. Until then, you should see my amazing plastic bag collection. I never through those things away… they always get at least a second life.
- I am going to continue to try to clean my home with natural ingredients. If you haven’t already, I recommend that you pick up a copy of Michael De Jong’s Clean: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing. It’s a wonderful, affordable little book.
  I’ve got gallons of vinegar (white and apple cider), borax, salt, and baking soda to clean with, and I usually have fresh lemons waiting. I’m still trying to use up the last of my purchased cleaning products, too. (I struggle with finding a balance between adopting new cleaning behaviors and frugality–I hate wasting things I already have!) I love how easily I can clean my stove-top with baking soda and lemon juice, and SciFi Man has a borax vinegar mixture that does a great job on our tub.
- I will try to use more recycled packaging when I ship my Etsy orders.
  All my new envelopes are made with 100% recycled materials. It’s also pretty easy to recycle tissue paper. I have also re-used actual envelopes that are in good condition. And I have used Erin’s tip of covering old envelopes with scrapbook paper scraps, which looks quite pretty. I have used recycled packaging when sending out non-Etsy orders, too. I’ve gotten to the point where I feel frustrated when I don’t have a used envelope in my stash to re-use.
- Check out Broomhuggers great eco-friendly suggestions for 2008.
  I guess this one wasn’t really a goal, but I’m still reading Broomhuggers and implementing their suggestions (or at least becoming a little wiser) when I can.
Reach 100 Etsy sales.
As of today, I have sold 63 items on Etsy. Back in January, I had sold 32. That means I have sold in 3 months what took me 6 months to sell last year. If I continue at this pace, I should meet my goal by the end of the summer. I’m glad that it looks like I’ll have a little cushion, as I expect May to be particularly hectic, and I don’t know how much I will be able to add to my shop.
Develop a time management plan.
- I have never been particularly good at managing my time. I stay up too late and, consequently, get up too late. (Or get up early because I have to and spend the day exhausted.) I know this directly affects how much I am able to accomplish. I have a lot of personal and professional things I want to accomplish this year, and I already know I can’t do that if I continue to sally forth without a plan. So this year, I’m going to make a plan and follow it.
  I started out the year going to bed at a regular, reasonable time. Something has happened, though, and I’ve drifted back to my old habit of staying up way too late and functioning less-than-optimally in the morning. More than the morning, really, my whole day feels different when I’m actually sufficiently rested. I’m back to step one on this one–I need to re-establish a reasonable sleep schedule. Once I’ve mastered that, I can work on scheduling the rest of my life.
Finish outstanding 2007 projects before committing myself to new 2008 projects.
- KT’s bag.
- Sheetal’s bag.
- Grandpa’s quilt.
- Double wedding ring quilt.
- That school stuff I don’t like to think about.
  Oh yeah, this goal. I sort of forgot about this one and went ahead and committed to more projects. I agreed to make a tote bag for my friend to carry her teaching materials in, to make a bag for another friend, and to make all the bridesmaids bags for my friend’s wedding in May. Plus that outstanding stuff. I will work hard on goal number three (which I think will help me to accomplish goal number four) and try to remember not to commit to more projects until I finish this list.

So that’s where I stand on my 2008 goals three months in. I’ll check in with them again in June. How are you doing with your new year’s resolutions?

My Treasures

Shannon — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:00:17 +0000

A couple days ago, SciFi Man and I cleaned out our dressers and closet. We came up with bags and bags of stuff to give to Goodwill, much of which was easy (and satisfying) to part with. I have been thinking lately about the things in my home that I would call “treasures,” the things that mean the most to me, that would be the hardest to part with. With this brewing away in the back of my mind, I’ve found myself looking at my belongings through different eyes, and I have noticed that many of my treasures are handmade, or have a story behind them, or both. I’ve been thinking I would like to share a few of them with you, and today I’ll start with a framed picture I keep by my desk and look at often.

Admittedly, this one isn’t handmade, although I did have to track down the particular image (it wasn’t that easy!), and I did have to find the perfect frame for it (it reminds me of the black lines between pieces of stained glass). It’s a postcard of a Tiffany stained glass window. A peacock, with so many beautiful feathers. It reminds me of my favorite quote, from Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, “People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” It’s a quote that helps me think about who I am and want to be, and the people with whom I would like surround myself.

It’s 2008 Already?

Shannon — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 20:09:40 +0000

With all that’s been going on in my life lately, 2008 has snuck up on me. So, 5 days late, I’m thinking about the year ahead and what I would like to do with it. I’ve read other blog posts about resolutions and I think I should set some down, too. It’s easier to get where you’re going if you have an idea of where that is.

Continue to make changes and choices that are healthier for me and the environment.
- I am going to make myself a set of canvas grocery bags, to cut down on plastic waste.
- I am going to continue to try to clean my home with natural ingredients. If you haven’t already, I recommend that you pick up a copy of Michael De Jong’s Clean: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing. It’s a wonderful, affordable little book.
- I will try to use more recycled packaging when I ship my Etsy orders.
- Check out Broomhuggers great eco-friendly suggestions for 2008.
Reach 100 Etsy sales.
Develop a time management plan.
- I have never been particularly good at managing my time. I stay up too late and, consequently, get up too late. (Or get up early because I have to and spend the day exhausted.) I know this directly affects how much I am able to accomplish. I have a lot of personal and professional things I want to accomplish this year, and I already know I can’t do that if I continue to sally forth without a plan. So this year, I’m going to make a plan and follow it.
Finish outstanding 2007 projects before committing myself to new 2008 projects.
- KT’s bag.
- Sheetal’s bag.
- Grandpa’s quilt.
- Double wedding ring quilt.
- That school stuff I don’t like to think about.

Anniversary

Shannon — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 13:00:20 +0000

SciFi Man and I have been married for five years today. I feel as though the time has flown by, but I also feel like we’ve been together for ages. We celebrated yesterday by going to a couple wineries on the Shawnee Wine Trail. We stopped at Hedman Orchard and Vineyard to drink a bottle of peach wine and eat Swedish food in their cafe. (If you get the chance, I recommend you try it. It’s delicious.) We finished off our wine outside, overlooking a peaceful pond and wondering what the next five years will bring. We’re both glad we’ll be finding out together.

Everyday Internet Use

Shannon — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 13:00:50 +0000

What are the things you do or use everytime you go online? Do you have a regular site you have to visit or a web-based email you have to check?

I’m a creature of habit, and I’ve been thinking about my Internet habits lately. I’ve noticed that there are a few things I do everyday. Since I’m also a list-making creature, I thought it would be a good idea to make a list of the things I always do online.

Everyday I:

Check Gmail – “Check” may not be the most accurate word. More accurately, I run Gmail notifier in my system tray, so my computer is automatically checking my email for me every minute I’m in front of the computer.
Check Google Reader – I love being able to consolidate all my favorite blog feeds in one place, and knowing when there’s a new post to read!
Visit Etsy – I check my shop for new hearts and see what’s going on in the forums. If it’s a weekday, I look for the daily blog love post to announce to the world that there’s a new post on Anodyne Design.
Check the news – I read CNN.com and AZCentral.
Check MySpace.
Check any waiting stumbles on StumbleUpon (and if I don’t have any waiting, I stumble a few random pages.)
Chastizing myself for “checking” so many things when I could be doing something productive.
Repeat.

So that’s what I do online everyday. What are you doing?

1000 Words

Shannon — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 13:00:54 +0000

Suds Muffin has tagged me to share some more facts about myself. Since I’ve been tagged quite a bit lately, and am running about of interesting things to share about myself, I thought it would be wise to blend this tagging exercise into Photo Monday. Instead of more facts about me, here are a few photos that I have taken that I love. There’s that old saying that pictures are worth 1000 words – perhaps these photos can tell you a few things about me.