curious living
I love the cheerfulness of balloons. Who doesn’t? They are bubbly and fun and colorful! However, my love of using them has started to deflate – as I learn more and more about the devastating environmental impact they have on wildlife (esp. sea creatures) and the coming helium shortage (which turns out to be a […]
One of my guilty pleasures is having a subscription to a lovely British magazine called The Simple Things. Besides learning a lot about British culture and cuisine (is there EVER any recipe they won’t stuff full of fruit and nuts?), there are a lot of other fun features that have caused me to continue to […]
I have been digitizing old photos, and in the process of going through old papers, I came across this letter I received from Fred Rogers, aka. “Mr. Rogers,” in 2001. I had written him a quick note of thanks, spurred on by the news I had heard locally in Pittsburgh that he was no longer […]
I came back across this pic I snapped back when we were in Austin. Don’t know the owner, but I can tell they’re my kinda guy or gal! A post shared by Elayne Crain (@elaynecrain) on Feb 23, 2018 at 9:17pm PST What’s the best bumper sticker or vehicle décor you’ve seen lately? Hey-you-guys, Freckles
I bought this lovely Sam Wilson tea towel at Cornflower and Calico, a beautifully curated housewares shop in the lovely village of Stroud, in Gloucestershire, England, to have “on hand” for a gift…turns out that gift was actually destined for myself. Once I had it in my kitchen, I couldn’t just let it leave. Sorry, […]
Stroopwafels are popping up everywhere. And by everywhere, I don’t just mean in the usual hipster haunts–Target now carries the Daelmans brand in their cookies aisle, nestled next to the shortbread and Petit Ecolier offerings. And why not? These delicious, strangely-satisfying treats from Holland have all the hallmarks of the American palette: sweet, relatively large, and completely filled […]
If you are an Austinite, or have even visited the Violet Crown, you probably interacted with a grackle. Grackles strong-minded birds, who are not about to take backseat to people just because people are bigger and can purchase food. In fact, grackles see people as useful patsies, and I have had them literally work as […]
Or, “croissants with a bunch of yummy chocolate in the middle” if you prefer. Either way…heaven! Thankfully, they are becoming more common here in the States. I find it incredibly hard to turn down a chance to buy one, even if it’s from a chain store and not a cute bakery somewhere. A not-so-hot pain […]
This video makes me want to get out there and pan myself! Which is bat-guano level crazy, most likely. But what an interesting story! A big thanks to my main squeeze, Nick, for sharing. Good luck with the gold rush! Have you ever found a treasured freebie on the street? Hoping it’s not just a […]
So, here’s a confession. I love pretending I’m Weird Al. I love singing, and almost as much, I love purposefully butchering songs. Here’s one I came up with in the car with Nick. Don’t take it personally…it’s not about you….it’s about someone else. I pinky swear. Ahem. Sung to the tune of Randy Newman’s, “You’ve […]
Okay, if you EVER wondered…which city has the most adorable pets magazine?…you may now rest your weary grey cells. It’s Tulsa, OK. What is it that makes it the most adorable? Is it that the photographer actually captured what appears to be a smile on the strawberry-gnawing cutie’s little guinea lips? Or, the fact that […]
Make it clear why you left the random article or message on your colleague’s work desk (or just use them for easy notation on staff meeting agendas) with these fun stamps. And, with the “dislike” button, you get twice the functionality (with paper and ink) over Facebook’s own features. Just when are they going to […]