Dreaming of Plastic Free. Wait....that's plastic?

Note: Apparently CTRL + P automatically posts your entry without you clicking "post." This made for this hilarious post:

I'm reading
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First, an update on stress. I know what it feels to be stress free. Sadly, I've lost that feeling within 2 days before my vacation ended. I've had "moments" in the last few days, but I'm suddenly fried on a bunch of stuff going on.

Apparently, I know a limit, but I don't completely. I'll get there I think. I know what relieves stress at this point and I'm trying to find ways to sneak it into my life. I'm more hopeful about this than I have been in AGES.

What I'm reading now though. I'm reading [CTRL+U, that's what I meant] Plastic Free - How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too by Beth Terry. I've been following her blog since it was "Fake Plastic Fish." I'm not sure how I wound up on it, but I've been following her for a while now. For the last few months, I've been interested in the "Show Your Plastic Challenge." I've been trying to see how My Guy feels about it. He's convinced it'd be hard/impossible/basically hasn't been very supportive of it as a couple thing. So I've been trying to read the book this week and decided, heck, starting yesterday, I'm going to do it! (Gotta register in a big).

I've had an epiphany.

Back story: I decided I deserved chocolate today. I stood in the grocery store with him on the way to work and was trying to decide between Hershey Kisses or 3 Musketeers Brand. I wanted 3 Musketeers so, after discussion of price, I picked it. I think it was more expensive but less dangerous in terms of consuming 1 lb of chocolate in 2-5 days versus 11 oz in that time.

I'm in my office, breaking into the chocolate in the first 20 minutes I'm there and I realized something as I ripped the first one open. Crap. There are a bunch of these minis, wrapped in plastic that came in a plastic bag (that part I knew) and I am going to have to actually save each and every one.

I have been in denial that I have a chocolate problem, but now, I will have to save each of those wrappers and look at the damage when I tally.

I don't know what I thought, but I never thought those candy wrappers were plastic. I thought they were foil like or some other compound. I don't know, but plastic? Oh. Man.

Now that I'm looking for it, I have a feeling I'm going to find it in various places I didn't expect. This should be an interesting journey.

Lesson Learned:

• CRTL+P is a nifty shortcut to posting entries.
• Most candy is wrapped in plastic. My mind is blown.

In Which I Lied and Now, May I Introduce My Garden

Well, I thought that was a break only for the shop and not the blog. I decided to focus on my review blog and that is all fine and dandy, but I forgot, sorta about this one.

Well, I'm back. I guess and hope.

I was talking to The Philosopher Musician and I said "I guess I should be journaling all this stuff I'm doing" regarding my poor attempts at gardening (and self-sufficient living in a place it seems nearly impossible to do). I had thought, I'll grab one of my journals and turn it into that, but lately I've been craving some sort of online outlet for my thoughts. I'm even considering attempting something for work, but it doesn't seem prudent. Someone gave me a journal and I just need to start using it more.

Now, regarding the gardening attempt which I think I'll focus on today. Out of 8 seedling attempts (8 types at 4 per container at [1st mistake] 5 seeds a thing), only 3 plants have managed to survive somehow by luck. I had a fourth, but that was a random coincidence and it ultimately died. I'm on seedlings round number 2, just two tomato plant types, and so far all good. I all ready have sprouts and it has been three days. I'm trying hard not to dream about what I'm going to do with the tomatoes (Brandywine and Mortgage Lifter), but I'm just excited that my makeshift seed starter really works. I honestly just used cheap dirt, egg cartons (cardboard), and old takeout containers that snapped shut. I'll post pictures eventually. Oh, and also, the seeds are kinda old, like 2 years and older, so that's also pretty impressive.

Lesson Recap Here:

• Seed starting kits can be made with plastic takeout containers, cheap dirt, and paper/card egg cartons. Don't forget to water them before you snap it shut. Seeds will still grow and survive.
• Seedlings are actually pretty weak and not all seedlings can be treated the same.
• On this round, I need to deal with the seedlings when I start seeing mold, which I think is a product of the egg cartons.
• Refrigerate seeds and feel free to try growing them even if the package says "best by 2008." Chances are they might still grow and be fine! I should check the age of the zucchini packet (the thriving survivor of that seedling attempt) and eggplants (I got 2 of those to make it!). Although, I suspect that might also be the mold problem...and really I can't say that I've been successful until I've got a food but I'm hopeful.
• Don't start dreaming about a bountiful harvest.

In terms of apartment gardening where all you have access to is your balcony (which I also call the patio), zucchini and tomatoes, according to The New Kitchen Garden by Anna Pavord, are good starts. Reading about the eggplant though...they like tropical conditions so...this could prove interesting. I'm now determined. From The New Kitchen Garden by Anna Pavord (DK publishing, which I LOVE, 1996), I learned:

• Zucchini love water. And sunlight. That might explain why I think Zucchini 1 has been taking forever to grow and has yet to bloom. OOOOOH.
• Eggplant like heat and humidity, which might explain why they seem to be taking forever to grow, but the glass jar terrarium idea is still good.. Guess I need to add more water and move them to the patio where there is almost full sun (which might be a problem for other things later).

Actually, that's it. I didn't learn much about scallions, which we're going to be experimenting with. The Internet (multiple sites including LifeHacker) told us we could chop the green bits we need off, stick the white bit in water and it'll grow. It does, but now I want to know if we could make a cycle out of it: cut scallion, some green on it, move from water to dirt, pull from dirt, start cycle over. Only thing to do is try. We certainly have enough to experiment with.

Next steps:

• Figure out how to grow carrots. I have big pots I scavenged and wonder if they'll be deep enough to get at least a 6 inch carrot from.
• Test Scallion Theory.
• Locate a drill to make a compost bin for the patio. I have an 18 gal tub that I don't plan to use for storage, so I think that'll work nicely for compost at the moment (unless I locate a smallish trash can to drill holes into). I am determined to start a compost bin. The amount of compostable food waste we pitch is starting to bug me.
• Figure out or (hopefully) scavenge a window box to plant lettuce into so that we can have a "revolving" salad garden. We'd enjoy that very much I think.
• Remember to write about how the garden is doing and more about attempts at reducing stuff in general.

Star Wars - Library Crafts

I'm currently working my way through Darth Paper Strikes Back: An Origami Yoda Book which is the sequel to the very popular (and one of my personal favorites for boys) The Strange Case of Origami Yoda, both by Tom Angleberger. Well, working through my back log of subscriptions through my RSS Reader of Choice, I've stumbled upon two really great, really easy, affordable, library tie-ins.

First, Lego Star Wars Ornaments (via CraftZine).

Second, Star Wars Napkin Rings out of FELT (via Craftzine)! Everything looks better with googly eyes!

Craft Activism - LibraryElfReads

Title: Craft Activism: People, Ideas, and Projects From the New Community of Handmade and How You Can Join In
By: Joan Tapper
Photography by: Gale Zucker
Publisher: Potter Craft
Date: 2011
ISBN: 978-0-307586629
Source: Library

Craft Activism is not exactly what I thought it would be. What I thought it would be includes: projects, some inspirational stories, and ways to use your craft to promote your personal causes, possibly politically. That's not exactly what it was.

Craft Activism is a collection of crafter profiles from around the country (USA) who have, in some way or another, challenged the craft scene and changed it. The five areas the book focuses on are: statement (more arty, 5 profiles), the past (3 profiles), a cause (1 profile), to recycle (3 profiles), and community (1 profile, and you'll never guess who).  Based on those profiles of those people, is a collection of projects that you, yes, you, could do. Not every profile has a project, but sprinkled throughout the profiles are snippets of other people out there related to the causes.

Now, the last "crafter profile" book I checked out bored me. I had to return it to the library because, while I loved the first crafter who was profiled, it just wasn't an appealing book. This one was. I actually finished it. Everyone in this book is spunky, arty, and has something to inspire me some how. For example, the woman who knitted tons of sweaters with statements? Awesome. The project for her has a sweater/cardigan that features bikes. Very cool. Another I enjoyed reading about was the artist who made plastic mandalas with scotch tape! The skirt project doesn't seem feasible (I skipped reading the directions...that might explain it), but I'm very interested in that. Basically, it was stories like these that kept me interested and going, "Oh! What's next?"

Now my qualms. First, I hadn't realized how unbalanced the sections were until I wrote this up. I thought the community section could have benefited with another awesome crafter community aside from Ravelry. I know Ravelry's story. I lived it. I'd like to read about the awesome craft groups that I know are out there, or something else. Second, there's a good amount of projects in here, but if I had to say at a glance what craft the editor/compiler was partial to? Knitting. Too many knitting projects. One crochet project. One quilting project. Maybe I'm missing something though, but I think by now, knitting isn't the only thing on the scene. Also, I don't knit so the majority of the projects, while pretty, I can't exactly do (unless I convert it or finally break down and learn to knit). I crochet, I sew, and I experiment.

If you're looking for how to use your craft in your activism, you might be disappointed. If you're looking for how others did it or for some inspiration, this will probably fit the bill.