It’s Happy Homemaker Monday here on this blog, a project which is hosted by Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Hop over there to see what’s happening in the lives of many other great women. Here’s what is going on right now in my world.

The weather:::

Something to know about San Francisco is that it’s basically always in the 50s, 60s or 70s but it can feel very cool or very warm depending upon wind and fog.

On my reading pile:::  

Colors: What They Mean and How to Make Them

99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim, and Tie Your T-Shirt into Something Special

On my TV:::

I’m on a classic romance movie kick via Netflix. I just watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s for the first time and loved it.

Any recommendations?

On the menu for this week:::

• Pot roast. Yummy – a fave that I almost  never make.
• Homemade super spicy pho soup.
• Lots of salads.
• Mushroom spinach tamales.
• Fresh fruit and veggies.

On my to do list:::

I’m finishing up the draft of my most recent book, which is on the health benefits of crochet, so most of my To Dos are related to that.

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

Crocheting:

• Fingerless gloves from my own new pattern
• Doggie Sweater
• Scarf for donation to victims of sexual violence

Looking around the house:::

I’m writing this morning from a lazy cozy spot in bed so all I see right now is the dimly lit bedroom that is thankfully actually clean.

From the camera:::

Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Made to Order

(I got super yummy fresh mint chip.)

Something fun to share:::

The crochet art in this video is from artist Sarah Applebaum

Inspirational Quote:::

“I have stretched ropes from steeple to steeple; garlands from window to window; golden chains from star to star, and I dance.” – Rimbaud

Happy Monday everyone!

I kind of love this craze that everyone’s all about on Facebook and Twitter right now called #donothingfor2minutes. If you go to the website (http://www.donothingfor2minutes.com/) you’ll find lovely relaxing ocean sounds and a two minute countdown. I think it’s a nice idea to take two minutes to just chill. But I’m curious whether the people who are RT-ing this and posting it as a status are actually really doing nothing for two minutes. I confess, I didn’t. Have you tried it?

I’m working on changing my apartment. I’m trying to get it to the point where all of the things that I own are things that I truly love. That means getting rid of all of the secondhand junk and things that I’ve outgrown and replacing it with truly lovable stuff. I’m not planning to spend tons of money or to make huge dramatic changes. I’m just tweaking things here and there to create a space that really means something to me.

Most of the house is a mess while it undergoes these changes. However, I’ve finally gotten to the point where at least one room in my apartment is filled with things I love. It’s my bathroom. Hey, you have to start somewhere right.

Ten things I love in my bathroom are:

1. My flower girl vase. You’ve seen it pictured here before. I found it a thrift store in Ohio last year and totally love it. It’s an old Gibson girl vase that I keep fresh flowers in on the sink in the bathroom.
2. Vintage mouthwash bottle. I just added this to the sink’s countertop as well. It’s silly but I hated the big Listerine bottle that doesn’t fit quite right in the medicine cabinet. My new vintage mouthwash holder is small and cute.
3. Pretty soap dispenser. For the first three years that I lived here, I used throw-away plastic dispensers from the store. Now I have a pretty grey-and-white soap dispenser that’s so much nicerh.
4. Lips shower curtain. I have a totally flirty, fun shower curtain. See it in the picture of my bathroom shown above.
5. Pin-up girl towels. I love the new towels that from Sin in Linen that I bought. They’re grey with pinup girls on them. Pricey for towels but totally worth it since I love them so very much.
6. Pin-up girl pictures. Sticking to a theme here, I have a few cheap framed pinup girl photos in the bathroom as well. They were one of the first things I changed to make the bathroom more lovable.
7. Bathmat and toilet seat cover. They’re a pretty purple pink color that matches the shower curtain. I do wish the bathmat was bigger and more comfy than it is though.
8. Sugar body scrub. I don’t use fancy soaps but I found this sugar body scrub from Trader Joe’s that smells like tangerine and I adore it.
9. Space heater. I like to use a space heater to keep warm when I get out of the shower.
10. Bathrobe. And I like to cuddle up in a big warm black bathrobe when I leave this room so it hangs right on the door at all times.

Tags: bathroom, decor, home, house, kathryn vercillo

We’re all using the major social networks today to stay in touch with people. Many of us are even meeting new people through these sites. However, it’s hard to form true friendships with strangers when you’re communicating on a huge network like Facebook or Twitter. People who are interested in really connecting with others online may find that the key to doing this is to work on niche social networks that really link you to people who share your interests.

For example, let’s say that you really enjoy shopping and saving money with online coupons. You can join the niche social networks on Internet coupon sites which allow you to connect with a community of people who all share these same interests. You’ll converse with them about this specific topic which allows you to really form a bond with these people. Your online conversations will be much more meaningful because you’re linked through something that you are truly interested in.

If you don’t want to spend a lot of time on niche social networks but you do like the idea of having these improved online connections then your best bet is to work with the groups that are available through sites like Facebook. By joining and participating in groups that reflect your interests, you can improve the quality of your Internet conversations and start to make long-lasting friends.

Tags: internet, kathryn vercillo, online friends, Social Networking

Being a SmartChick doesn’t mean that you always know everything that there is to know about a topic. In fact, being a SmartChick often means that you know that you don’t do. Instead of pretending that you do, you make sure that you figure out where to get the knowledge that you’re seeking.

For example, you may be interested in dressing like a celebrity. However, you don’t want to spend a lot of money so you’re looking to recreate celebrity looks for less. It’s okay if this is something that you can’t figure out yourself. You just need to know where to look for that kind of information or how to ask people to help you.

This definitely applies to certain style stuff for me. I don’t necessarily have any interest in recreating celebrity styles but I do have an interest in other fashion and style stuff. It’s not something that I naturally know or find easy to learn but I know where to look. There are online and in print resources for that kind of stuff. Plus I’ve got cool people in my life who can help me. (For example, the photographer of my recent photo shoot helped me with my makeup).

Often it is the ability to find the right people to help us to learn things that distinguishes the SmartChick from the average girl. We are resourceful. We meet people in many different ways. And we give back to those people with our own knowledge so that it’s not just a one-sided exchange. Yes, I may not know everything but I know that finding great smart friends is one of the most important things in life!

Tags: celebrity looks for less, Fashion, frugal blog, kathryn vercillo, know that you don't know, looks for less, save money, smart women, smartchick, style