How do I make Steve buy a tiny house on wheels?

OK, so Steve has been given acreage in the woods where he grew up, with access to the gorgeous, icy mountain stream that runs through it. It's void of all infrastructure, and he's thinking about what kind of house to build, on the cheap. We've had many discussions. The land is heavily wooded, and I favor an Ewok type village of raised paths -- docks really -- between the trees, with little structures perched here and there. Hither and yon, if you will. They would all lead to a large communal deck. This kind of plan can grow over time, and minimizes the effect on the trees and landscape, and, not incidentally, is based on a public bathroom on the roadside in southern New Mexico. So there's that.

Anyway, clicking around I found THIS marvelous structure -- ready to go and just $20,000. It's about 7 X 13, is on a trailer, and is already plumbed and electrified. I LOVE it. There is a sleeping loft above, a generous desk below, a kitchenette and a bathroom with a shower. What could be better? tow it inot the woods and structure 1 is done. Done done done. Observe:

Leave it to me to only download pics of the kitchen. sigh. Pink fridge!

There's a remarkable amount of light thanks to big windows, a skylight, and lofted ceilings. I refuse to give you a link because I want HIM to buy it. And furnish it thusly: everything is collapsible, moveable. The teak chairs can be dining chairs inside in inclement weather, but can live outside on the communal deck most all the other times.

Also, how about that sauna? he loves saunas. $7,000.

I rule. You're welcome, Steve.

How to make your house smell like green heaven:

You know what the best smell in the world is? No, not Pumpkin Spice Latte or whatever it is you people drink.

It's the smell of the green leaves on a tomato plant. It's so clean and fresh, the very essence of what green should smell like. I think its the smell of chlorophyl. It's just... perfect. Wonderful. Smells nothing like a tomato itself... And its only something you can enjoy if you bother to grow tomatoes yourself.

Remarkably, Jonathan Adler understands this, and has somehow captured the scent in his (ahem) $38 candle. Worth every penny. Now if I only had the pennies.

I am normally a sucker for all things grapefruit -- but this. Heavy sigh. I'd roll in it if I could.

I Loves Me Some Hooks

I think this might be what Martha calls a Good Thing?

I have issues with coats and jackets (too many of them and I love them all and my coat closet is beyond full of coats) and shoes (hate to wear them) and bags (several, hate to throw them out, usually hanging over my banister).

So this is my answer! a few hooks on the stairway... the entry to the house is the stairwell just below. It's where I kick everything off (shoes, coats, bags). One of the hooks is for my keys, one for bags (gym bag, work purse, casual purse), and the other is for the jacket of the day. Except there are at least 3 jackets on each hook currently. It's a problem. But hooray! a place to hang shizzle up! I feel very proud. Only took 2 minutes per hook and I think it looks cool. Shippy. As in a ship captain might like it.

Ha. I love how loopy this girl is. New recommended blog. new to me, anyway.

http://anythingologyblog.blogspot.com/

be warned: there are a lot of projects involving feathers and studded pumpkins.

Why don't I live in Finland? Because then I could buy everything in this catalog

http://www.hkliving.nl/content/data/Catalogus%20HKliving%202012lr.pdf

Especially this:

found via decor8

I need a medicine ball pouf, for reals.

How to Make New Friends

One of the pleasures of being a journalist is you have the absolute imperative to talk to people. Don't and you'll be out a job. And it's quite easy when you have a deadline... you have a snese of urgency that allows you to overcome any sense of shyness.

So talking to strangers not a problem for me.

Separately, I've always been very interested about how adults make friends outside of work or other organized activities. Massive studying has ensued, mostly by asking people how they may friends outside of work.

Further separately, I'm interested in barflies -- people who hang out at bars alone and chat up strangers and bartenders. What do they say? I know some of these people, so I've asked them.

Here's what I've come up with. It's kind of stupid. But it works.

"Hello!"

It helps if it's said in kind of a singsong voice, not like a scary aggressive hello.

You say hello. Not hi -- hi is overly familiar, assertive, seems to expect something. Simiarly, hey is offputting too -- it can precede either hey, how are you, or hey I was sitting there. You don't know where it's going.

Hello is polite, and funnily formal, and necessitates nothing more than a hello back. But because of that, you often get a lot more back than just hello -- you get interest, an ear, a potential new friend... a person who likes that you have acknowledged them, and done so in a friendly way, and not overly familiarly. Hello checks so many wonderful boxes.

Most people are desperate to be talked to, and are usually too shy to reach out themselves, and are so consumed with how they are being perceived etc. So dont worry about how you will be perceived yourself -- because they are so busy worrying about themselves, they dont have time to judge you.

Truth!

Try it, report back. I am making my friend Erin my guinea pig. She has to say hello to five people (of the male persuasion, in her case) next week.

How to Be Fancy in the Bathroom

Silverplate, bought for a song at garage sales. Tarnish, schmarnish.

My toothbrushes are standing up in mini salt and pepper shakers, without the tops and my tampons are hiding in that gorgeous flasky-shaped piece.

With God as my witness I will never be not fancy again!