am i a bad sister if my 14 yo (half) sister posts on facebook that she needs a hug and my first thought is "then you shouldn't have pissed off yr mom so bad that she sent you to stay with dad, and then pissed off dad in exactly the same manner" ? I didn't actually tell her that, just thought it. Hard.

Seska, I ususally just cut the whole foot off the cuff, and use the cuff part--it's short and does the job. I also sometimes cut off the toe, make (or enlarge the one that's already worn there) a hole in the heel for my thumb, and have a longer "mitt". But usually it's just the cuff, which is often ribbed and stretchy and thicker knit than the foot.

I do the dust-mitt thing too. And they make fabulous brass polishing mitts, as well, if one is silly enough to own a veritable thicket of brass candlesticks or the odd silver piece. The dusting and warmth ones I chuck in the laundry, the polishing ones I store in plastic bags labeled "brass" and "silver" (because brasso is damagingly caustic for silver) in a kitchen drawer between uses.

I would imagine the socks would make awesome, and easily washed, liners for wrist or hand braces. Luckily my braces are the knit-and-velcro type and hand-wash easily and dry overnight.

e-o, I wouldn't call that a *bad* sister, just an honest one. Of course that sounds pretty standard behavior for fourteen, too.

Erin, I'm geeking so much on all you're getting done around your house. I especially loved the photos you posted of your office. Now I want photos of the "new" nightstand!

H is taking over the living room all day tomorrow for phutball, so my plan is to finally clear off my desk and boot up the desktop computer, load a bajillion photos to HD and Flickr. So maybe I'll have some to share here. And then perform other, deskly things that I haven't done for a while, like update my paper planner, and scribble by hand in my paper journals.

Or you know, not. But right now that's the plan.

Bev, happy to show! [link]

It's FAR from fancy, but it's so much less crowded. All we do in the bedroom is sleep and read, so I like it to be fairly emptyish. The dresser is at the foot of the bed; with two dressers, it was just...fug. Wall o' mismatched dressers.

I would also like a headboard or facsimile thereof, but, ah, time and patience, deco-hopper....

Ages ago, when Jon and I were broke, and he worked for a liquor distributor, we took two wooden palates, cleaned and stained them and hung them at the right height for a headboard.

Coolest bedside table ever.

Erin, looks great! Don't know if you have such a thing kicking around, but I have used a lovely card table tablecloth as a headboard-type replacement, hung with thin nails and silver binder clips for I am classy like that.

Very cool bedside table.

The salsa that I bought is marked "New Tamper-proof! and Leak-proof packaging!" Who do they think is going to be tampering with salsa?

Seska, I recycle sock cuffs.

That's a great idea! I recycle the socks with rubber tread on the sole as clog socks - cut 'em off behind the ball of the foot area; the tread keeps them from sliding my foot out of the clogs as I walk.

the coke-vanquished vampire

After all, Coke adds life.

Bwahaha!

I love repurposed stuff. Furniture, clothing, it just makes me happy, somehow.

I want to just get a pretty cloth and hand it from a thin curtain rod, with pretty holders and finials. It's just a matter of finding the right cloth. And you know, le cash.

Thanks! I am very pleased with it.