Thursday, November 27, 2008

Fish: The Kittens of the Sea

So I recently discovered "Sea Kittens" on the PETA website. Normally I find PETA to be really extreme and wacky, but the sea kittens are really cute.

Monday, October 20, 2008

Paperback Swap Meeting

PaperBackSwap.com - Our online book club offers free books when you swap, trade, or exchange your used books with other book club members for free. Saturday was a great day!!! I met the girls from the MASS chapter of Paperback Swap for lunch at Panera, then a few of us went to the discounted book store. I have been on PBS for a while now, but I had never been to a meeting before - it was really fun! I got to make a few new friends, too, and I am really happy about it. While I was at the bookstore I got a "Learn to Crochet" kit for only $9 - and a book called "I Love Crochet" for $6. Last night I learned how to chain stich!
For anyone who isn't a member of PBS yet you should give it a try - as long as you like books hehe!!
Please visit DawnOctopus.com for all of your kawaii stationery needs.

Monday, September 8, 2008

Tiny Polyclay Foods

I have been asked by a few people recently to see my little tiny polyclay foods...Here are some pictures I took tonight of little cookies, cakes, melty ice cream, and cupcakes!











Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Foster Parents

Well, tomorrow is the big day. My husband and I decided that we are going to try fostering a child, and tomorrow is the first visit by a social worker. She is going to do a 'Physical Standards Check', which hopefully we will pass with flying colors! From what I have read on-line, it seems that she will be checking to make sure we have hot&cold running water, a room for the child, smoke dectectors, basic stuff. After we pass that I think we are sent to MAPP parenting classes for 8 weeks, and during that time our social worker makes a homestudy for us. After that we will be certified to foster or adopt in Massachusetts, and we just sit back and wait for a child who needs a home. Wish us luck!





Monday, August 18, 2008

Wii Fit!!!


So as much as I made fun of the Wii Fit before it came out, I got one this past Friday!! I have to admit, it was a little embarrassing when it told me what my BMI is... And I *swear* it said "Ouch!" when I stepped on it. However, after using it for 3 days, I lost 1 pound! YAY! Only mumblemumblethirtymumble left to go!

I was pretty surprised when I first tried it, it was actually kind of fun! I think that the secret is all of the activities are less than 5 minutes long, so you don't really get too out of breath or tired all at once.

Here's what's included on the disc that comes with your balance board:

Yoga exercises
Push ups
Step aerobics, including a game in which the player must step on and off the Wii Balance Board in rhythm to the background music
Heading on-coming soccer balls and avoiding other objects by leaning forward and back
A ball-rolling mini-game
Hula hooping
Ski jumping, whereby the player squats as low as possible, whilst maintaining his or her balance, and then quickly stands as fast as possible in order to gain a good jump
Jogging
Tightrope walking



Friday, August 8, 2008

Hello Kitty Bento Boxes!

Growing up in the Southern United States, I never expierenced the amazingness that is BENTO until I moved to Boston. Now, 4 years later, I am finally discovering Hello Kitty bento!!! This one is from HelloKittyHell.com, and I really don't know how the "artist" was able to create this awesomeness! Not only is it HK, she is dressed up as a bunny (?)



This next one seems more do-able, but I am wondering, is the HK face cut out of the nori with scissors, or is there some kind of HK hole punch type tool you can use to cut food??




I'm pretty sure I will still be hungry after eating this one. Unless I ate the plastic box, too.






Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Paperback Swap!

I love Paperback Swap!!!!!!!!!! Have you heard of this book-swapping website? I have been a member to this site for almost a year, and I have recieved 120 books!!! Er, don't tell my husband, though :) The best part about this website is that it's really, truly FREE.
All you have to do is sign up and post 10 books, and you get a FREE credit to order a book. Whenever someone requests one of the books that you have posted you simply mail it to them, and when they recieve it you get a credit to order another book. The sender always pays the postage. Almost all of the books can go Media Mail, and the average cost to ship one book is around $2.30 or so, but more if the book is heavier.
One of the great parts about PBS (as it's called by members) is the *wish*list* function. You can have up to 200 books on your wish list, and whenever someone posts a book on your wish list you get an email telling you to log in and claim it. Or, you can set it up as an "auto-request" and it will be immediately sent to you, as long as you have a credit in your account.
There is also a *reminder*list* that I think is unlimited -- I have over 200 books on it, and I can still add more. I kind of use it as a secondary wish list, I just have to remember to check it to see if any of the books I want have been added to the system.
I bet you are wondering why I am sharing this website with you, right? You are saying "Sounds good, but what's the catch?" My reason for telling you about it is so there are MORE books posted into the system! For every person that joins and posts books, there's more of a chance one of my wish list books will pop up! So join! Please! And post cool books :)








Monday, August 4, 2008


Guess what I did after work! I test drove a 2009 VW Tiguan! What do you think? Should I get it?

Anyone who is even slightly affiliated with my knows that I have been struggling to learn Mandarin Chinese the past year or two. I think that I am making the tiniest bit of progress! It's all thanks to ChinesePod.com -- I am going to attempt to embed a lesson, it's learning how to be rude to telemarketers :)










Friday, August 1, 2008

Barnes & Noble

Guess what!! There is a 3-Day only sale going on at Barnes & Noble!

There are *lots* of books that are "red-dotted" and are $1 each! I got some "Disney Print" software (that I will probably give to my bosses' daughter, a novel, and a book on knitting for a dog (which I will probably give away in a Craftster swap). There were also some puzzle books, some educational stuff, and lost of novels.

They also have some carts outside, and all of the books on the carts are marked $3.98. I saw some cookbooks, novels, humor books, and more.

Check it out if you want some deals this weekend!






Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Panda-Monium!


Er, how many times do you think that title has been used? Haha. Anyway, I just wanted to share some of my favorite panda pictures today. This first one came from cuteoverload.com, one of my very most favorite sites.






This next one is from a greeting card.







This is Tare Panda! I collect stuff with him on it - My best Tare Panda item is car seatcovers that I got while Jian and I were in China last summer.







This is a panda that I took a picture of at the Beijing Zoo --- Look at his cute little fat rolls on his back!!




Please check out my auctions on Ebay -- I have a few things ending today including a New England Patriots toddler jersey and some scrapbooking stencils. http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/dawnoctopus_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZ

Thursday, July 24, 2008


Hello Kitty psychoanalysis test! For all you Hello Kitty nuts... Let's see if you really are nuts!

http://www.sanriotown.com/psycho/psycho6/psycho6_us.htm

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Craftster Make a Friend Swap Package 1

Adoption News

Well, guess what? Yesterday I finally finished my pre-adoption application, yay! It was only the beginning of tons of paperwork and waiting, though. It was the first step, no looking back now.

It's amazing how many things that they ask you on just your pre-application---- Work references, personal references, physician references, the list goes on! However, luckily, I think that we will pass all of those things.

The next step in the process is a "Home Physical Standards" test. This includes making sure that you have hot & cold running water, heat, at least 50 square feet in the prospective child's bedroom, and other things. I hope that we will pass that one, too.

After you pass the house test they send you to parenting classes. I believe that it's 2 months of classes every Saturday. Hubbles is *not* going to be happy about that. I forgot to ask the lady if BOTH of us have to be at EVERY single class. I have no problems with going every weekend, but he has a lot of stuff to do with his volunteer work.

After you pass your parenting classes I think that you are all set to be certified as an adoptive family, and then they start trying to match you with prospective children. Hubbles and I are hoping that we will be able to get either an Asian child, Caucasian, or a mix of the two. He wants the child to look at least a *little* like us, but I told him that is silly-- You should love whichever child that they give you. And I'm sure he would... It just may take a few days! If it were a perfect world, they would give us a boy under the age of 2. I know it's not like ordering lunch though, you have to be flexible.

Hopefully if you are reading this it might have helped you start thinking about the adoption process. It sounds like a lot of work and it takes a long time, but in the end it's worth it.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Old School Nintendo!

Who loves Nintendo????

I am a big fan of Classic and Super Nintendo. One of my very few happy childhood memories is my parents driving to Toys R Us and getting me Super-Mario 3. I remember how freakin excited I was on the drive home, reading the instructions, finding out that Mario could FLY in SM3! It was also the second game that I was able to beat! The first game, of course, was Super Mario 1. I have never finished Super Mario 2, though, I guess that's why it's still my favorite :)

Anyway, enough memory lane. This week I have :
Tiny Toon Adventures, Konami Ending July 23rd. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250271364140&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=015

and

Jackal Ending at the same time http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250271364577&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=015



Thursday, July 17, 2008

I <3 IKEA

Who loves IKEA???? Everyone I have ever met!

Last night after work I took the looonngggg and traffic-filled journey to Stoughton, MA to visit the 'kea. I got there shortly before closing, but luckily had enough time to visit the cafe and have some of the meatballs with that delicious, mysterious loodenberry sauce. YUM.
After shoveling down the meatballs I took a quick tour of the kids section-- last time I was there they had big stuffed octopus, and I was hoping to pick up a friend for the one I already bought, perhaps in a different color. It wasn't in the cards though - they still had the octopus, but only in blue, the same one that I already have.
It was on to the bathroom accessories section after that, I picked up a few shower curtain liners, and I was also going to get a new outer curtain, but they were out of stock in the one that I liked :( So far the only part I enjoyed about my visit was the meatballs!
Luckily on my way out I had to go though the lighting section, and it reminded me to get one of those light sockets on a cord, for a hanging lamp. I had gotten the MOST ADORABLE hanging light with koi fish on it at the mall the other day but neglected to get a cord. Until now.
I also picked up a small table for hubby to put his Xbox 360 on, but when I got home he didn't like it! He said it was too big... and too pink.
On the way home I came about 5 feet from death. I was on a backroad, going about 40. There was a smaller road off to the side with a stopsign, and a big van came barreling up to it, not stopping or even SLOWING. I started trying to break and swerve into the other lane, leaning on the horn-- The idiot finally realized he was supposed to stop, and we both came to a screetching, swerving halt in the middle of the road. He got more horn and a finger as I drove off, trying to stop my heart from beating out of my chest.

On to the auctions!
BOSTON RED SOX Bosox kids/youth jersey 12-14 med/medium
Kids Red Sox jersey ends this evening, and is at $2.95 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250269322903&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=015




Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Library book sales


You know what I love?? Book sales at the library!!!!!


The last library book sale that I went to was at the Bedford Public Library-- In Bedford, of course! They had the great idea of $10 bags of books. Anything you could stuff into a paper grocery bag was yours for $10, and that included the CDs, videos, and magazines, too. I was able to get a full bag of Sci-Fi and horror books, some of them quite rare. If I had been smarter, I think that I would have grabbed more than one bag full!

The book sale that I went to previously to the Bedford one was in Somerville. I got some good things there, too, but they were selling the books seperately instead of by the bag. I don't like it when they do it that way because I am less likely to take a chance on getting a book if I don't know if it's rare or not. I was however able to get a book called "Knitting Without Tears" for $ .50, and I made my craftster.com swap partner very happy. She seemed happy anyway!!!

I'll wrap this up with an auction, of course!

STALKERS edited by Gorman Currently at $1.95, and includes a short story by my personal favorite, RICHARD LAYMON!
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250270307400&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=015

Monday, July 14, 2008

New Thift Store!!

Have you ever been to Savers? I took a trip there this weekend, if you're in the Boston area, it's located in West Roxbury. I got a few books and some other assorted stuff, but the *best* find there was their flyer! It turns out that there is a NEW Savers opening in Danvers, MA on July 31st!!! That's good news to me, because I am more comfortable driving to Danvers than West Roxbury, and also my Toyota dealer is really close by, so maybe I can hit the Savers when my car gets it's servicing! YAY! When I was at Savers I picked up a few things for auction...

kids/youth shortie wetsuit black/green s/small Deep See Brand

Currently at $4.95, ends July 20th http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250270294179&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=015


Colorfusion Festival Flameless Color Candle SKULL


Currently at $3.95, ends July 20th.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250270312121&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=015

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Thrifting!

My favorite place to thrift in my town is the Salvation Army! A long time ago when I lived in New Jersey (1999-2002) I worked at a Salvation Army. Everything about that job was great except for the pay! I worked in the back taking donations from people, sorted them, priced them, and put them on the shelf. Originally I was hired to price clothing, but I found the "things" to be more interesting, and since I had a great boss she let me do pretty much what I wanted. We had "volunteers" to wheel the clothes out and put them on the racks. The volunteers were men from the Salvation Amy alcohol rehabilitation program. They lived in men's dorms there, and were bussed to the store every morning for forced volunteering. You might think that these guys would have been a little creepy to work with, but that wasn't the case at all! They were really nice, and never did anything that made me uncomfortable. That's saying a lot, because I am easily made uncomfortable. Anyway, I know that the Salvation Army does great things for people down on their luck, and I am very happy to support them.
There are some other great thrift stores in the Boston area, but I find them to be more expensive than the SA, and some of them are really difficult to find parking close enough to the store. I always feel dumb carrying giant bags of used clothing down the sidewalk, so I try to park close.
I find yard sales to be hit-or-miss with great things to re-sell, but sometimes you can get lucky and find a church sale with clothes for $10 per bag. I actually hit one of these 2 weekends ago, but unfortunately the parishioners of this church weren't very trendy so I wasn't able to get many good things.

Anyway, I have some really good things ending on Ebay tonight!!

22,000 PERLER/HAMA/activity/melt/fuse beads +1 pegboard
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250267165124&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=015
At $24.50 with 10 bids!

BBW bath body works SUN RIPENED RASPBERRY body wash 8oz
Ends tonight, NO BIDS YET!http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=250267168832&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT&ih=015