Reading Update

I stopped reading Under the Dome. It just made me feel icky inside, and having read 1/4 of the book, I feel I gave it a fair chance. Someone should tell Mr. King that perversion in prose is barely tolerable when it is purposeful to the plot, but entirely inexcusable when used to flesh out what began as a truly intriguing yarn. Most disappointed to have to quit a novel, something generally against my principle.

Five Great Things Friday: I Want Candy!

One of my new year's resolutions is to be more playful, even in decorating! I love all five of these not-too-expensive, candy-colored ideas. Feel free to comment on which one you think is best (or worst) and enjoy!:

1) These decorative hexapods just make me happy. I would take a slab of plexiglass and put it over the tops of them to make little tables (I could even strap the plexiglass on through the bars of the pod with brightly colored yarn). I even thought of hanging them from a hook from the ceiling (taking it a step futher, I could hang a bulb in the middle of them and cover the outside with tissue for a soft glow)...the possibilties are endless!

2) It's no pipedream, these industrial-chic vases can be a cheap DIY project! Go to Apartment Therapy to find out how.

3) I imagine the warm glow this would give a room and it's a nice pop of color for just $17. Comes in other colors and patterns.

4) I've broken a lot of glass in my life so I swear by acrylic tumblers in my kitchen. Mine have been with me for over two years now though, so when it comes time to upgrade, I'll head to Target and get one of these lovelies, just $20 for a set of six:


4) Want want WANT WANT! "What is it?," you ask? It's a pantry queen! You stick foil, waxed paper, cellophane in each of the two compartments and the pantry queen will cut it for you with her razor-sharp teeth. I love the creamy, avocado color too. For $30, it's not so bad. Keep shopping Etsy.com and support artists!



5) Still too steep? For those of us who are totally broke after the holidays (I'm with ya), how about a free, up-cycle project? Find out how you can make a pretty cheap, pretty cute table covering!

2010 Reads

Currently Reading: Under the Dome by Stephen King
This is my first Stephen King novel! Everyone knows him to be the "King" of horror, but he's also penned non-scary novels like Hearts in Atlantis and The Green Mile. I would never permit myself to read one of his horror novels (my curiosity is too strong to indulge it); especially since I truly think there's a touch of evil about this guy. However, when I learned that he'd released a sci-fi, I was intrigued.
This novel has been brewing in his mind since the 70s, but it wasn't until November 2009 that King published this sci-fi novel molded around a small town in his home state of Maine.
I won't tell you anything you won't learn on the back cover, but the story is about how, inexplicably, a small town becomes isolated by a dome. The dome itself is invisible, so no one sees it when it appears, but they immediately witness the horrific effects of its presence: a woodchuck is suddenly severed in half, a plane flying innocently through the sky crashes into thin air, a woman's hand is amputated as she's gardening when the dome suddenly encloses the community.
The town is faced with more than just the immediate disasters though as food, energy, and water all become quickly diminishing resources and the community is forced to look to each other for survival.

It is a genuinely thrilling plot to me, but continue to be thrilled by the plot but I am disappointed to find that King is actually a much trashier writer than I thought. He could be great, but he opts to be publishable as he dirties up the story with a graphic domestic abuse incident, and overtly sexual/perverted asides. It remains to be seen if the plot is worth mucking through these parts of the story. If things don't turn around soon, I will desist reading the book; for now, I'm wondering if his purpose for making these people so unlikeable is b/c he plans to kill them off later...that would at least make sense. Will let you know if I finish it or not.

Just finished reading: The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
It's worth the time it takes to get through this brick of a book. The end is a little drawn out, but all in all, Rand had given us a dazzling novel in The Fountainhead. I haven't read anything this original in a very long time, if ever. Her philosophy is realized in her protagonist, Howard Roarke, who will forever stand out as one of the greats in modern literature. There's much more I could say about the novel, but suffice it to say that I enjoyed it without agreeing with its overarching philosophy. Read it and you'll see what I mean.
(Also, it's really a quite easy read; don't let its size intimidate you. It has good momentum and it's well written without being too lofty.)

Also Reading:
Searching for God Knows What by Donald Miller
Have much to go yet, so far as I can tell, it's an extension of Blue Like Jazz, which is just fine with me.
Possession by A.S. Bryatt
I'd read her short story collection, Little Black Book of Stories, which were totally quirky and not exactly enjoyable, more experiential. However, Possession is shaping up to be a wonderfully cerebral, high-brow literary mystery/romance that waxes poetic, but in good ways (one will find a variety of yummy little poems and short stories sprinkled throughout the novel that all lend to the richness of the real, ongoing plot). So far I really like it, it was hard to get into and it takes more mental investment than some of the other things I'm reading, but it's worth the effort so far (about one quarter into the book, it's long: 576 pages).
Still Reading: Julie and Julia I'll get through it, but it's somewhat overrated in my mind.
Forever Reading: The God Delusion I just have to sit down and do it. I am so unused to nonfiction that I've just made getting through this book harder for myself. New year's resolution: read more nonfiction...but read T.G.D. first. I owe it to a good friend and to myself as a way to evaluate and validate my beliefs.

Frothy New Year

My coworkers and I are, in a word, obsessed with a gadget that cost $1.99 proving all over again that it truly is the little things in life.
At approximately 8:30 a.m. we gathered en mass in the lunch room; a circle of adults eagerly clutching their coffee mugs stood around a single beaming twenty something holding a magic wand: an Ikea battery-operated milk frother.
The twenty-something coworker graciously allowed a new member of the froth society into the circle; our thirty-something coworker had asked for the little gem for Christmas and we could now make office not-lattes at twice the haste as we could before. I even have one of these stupid things at home (bought at $12.00...flippin' gourmet food stores...) and have had since May but the magic lies in the dreamy looks on my colleagues' faces as the oxidized milk doubles, triples in height.
Meg: "Look at how big it gets!"
Steph/Christy/Todd: "That's what she said!" (snickers and snorts ensue)
Meg: (admonishingly) "Stay classy, San Diego." (frowns and leaves)

Never in December

Time has flown this winter and the blog has suffered much. You can bet on finding many-a-new post following January 1 as improving and updating my blog will be a priority on my new year's resolution list.
Until then, Merry Christmas. God bless whoever may stumble upon or diligently read this blog and I send love to you all!

Belly Up with Landon Pigg & A Fine Frenzy

I almost didn't go, I was feeling so rotten, but then a red-haired angel named Sarah Shreves came and picked me up in her 1992 white Saturn and whisked me and her friend off to Belly Up in Solana Beach (on Cedros Avenue, the design district, which I very much intend to visit) to go hear Landon Pigg and A Fine Frenzy. Landon Pigg opened with "Falling in Love in a Coffee Shop," a song with this contrived a theme has no right sounding that gorgeous. It was fabulous.
He called out to the crowd after that song asking if we were a more rock or folky crew. I yelled "Folk!" about four feet from him in front but I was drowned out by the rockers. He apologized to the folkies and proceeded to perform a song that featured the band's fantastic drummer, she was ah-mazing. Afterword he looked down and addressed me directly, "Was that too 'rock' for you?" I laughed and called up, "I'm a believer!," and he sang a line from the song written by Niel Diamond.
We're pretty much dating.

Then A Fine Frenzy came up and Alison Sudol gave an outrageous performance, I had no idea what a fantastic entertainer she is! I also have to admit that she's one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen. Seriously. She is striking with her long lush bright red hair and the personality to back it up. She wore a fantastic outfit, brought tons of energy and dramatic flair to each of her pieces and her voice was absolutely amazing. I would totally pay to go hear her again and highly recommend you do so if you like this group's music. Enjoy the videos and have a harmonious day!
P.S. These photos are just space holders until I get the jpegs from Miss Sarah Shreves, photographer extraordinaire. Can't wait to see them!



This is her live-only cover, I loved it and wanted to share the video I found of it!

Short Shots

If you had been me this last week, here are some things you would've seen:

[—My dad, the world traveler, looking at the ocean as if he'd never seen it before; it makes itself new to him everytime he visits it.
—]An extra-slow-moving school bus with the words "NEVER TARDY" stenciled on the side.
[—An old lady dressed up as Michael Jackson on Halloween (she had everything right except that she had on a Jewish costume hat on (a fedora/top hat with two large brown curls coming out at the temples of the hat on each side, separated out to look like Michael's.
—]This guy position his skateboard on the sidewalk just so, then push off to ride it sitting down all the way down this huge hill by Rose Canyon.
[—A small section of my morning commute where there's not a palm in sight and a few of the trees are turning. When it's cloudy, it could be Nebraska.
—]You would've felt first then seen a little boy walking with his mom at the mall, and stick out his arm just in time to brush your calve as you passed one another, look down, then back at him as he looks back at you too grinning and waving.
[—My coworker coming into my cubicle to feel her baby doing flips in her tummy, my face and hand on her belly.
—]The scottie dog, Angus, I'm going to dog sit for the rest of the month who has a haircut that leaves his tail fluffy, his face hair long, and his back buzzed with a fringe of hair like a bed's dust ruffle that swings and swishes when he walks (not sure there are even feet under there.
[—A little kid ordering chocolate at See's Candy at the mall.
Kid: I need one chocolate cream.
See's Lady: Just the one?
Kid: It's not for me, it's for my Mom (as he counts out change from his pocket)
See's Lady: Do you like milk or dark chocolate?
Kid: I like mil...I mean, my Mom likes milk chocolate.
See's Lady: Got it! Here you go.
(She sets down the milk chocolate on the counter and slides the change into her palm and starts the arduous task of counting it. The kid spins the chocolate in its wrapper on the counter, rustling the wrapper paper and squeezing the chocolate through it as the lady slowly counts the change. She watches him.)
See's Lady: You know what? A girl can never have enough chocolate, why don't you give her this one too.
(The kid just looks at her.)
See's Lady: It's free.
(Kid smiles broadly at her and uses a cupped hand to slide the new chocolate next to the one he's been fussing with and stares at his wealth of chocolate.)
See's Lady: Ah, ah, ah...don't mix them up. I made sure to get one with nuts for your Mom. She'll want to know which is which when you give them to her.
(Kid nods sagely and puts one in each hand and thanks the lady and leaves.)
See's Lady: Welcome to See's Candy, what can I do for you?
Meg: I need a quarter pound of key lime truffles, and they're for my mother too.
(And they were, but I did got a delightful sample for me (dark chocolate shell around pineapple truffle.))