Philotic Web

Cream soda > root beer.

It doesn't *taste* minty to me but it smells like wintergreen. But I'm kind of a freak when it comes to smell. I think skunk smells like concentrated lemon juice (those little fake plastic lemons filled with juice).

And I have very little sense of smell, so that would explain why I've never noticed it.

I'm sorry for the derailing of the thread! I loved your pictures and particularly the view from your kitchen window. It looks so stereotypically british (in a good way).

I like A&W or Mug best. Which one tends to depend, but I think I generally go for Mug, if it came down to it.

oh sprecher here in wisconsin makes a hella good cream soda. good root beer too.

EL, is there any purple in that teapot? I can't figure out if the stripe below the red and above the darkest blue is light blue or lilac.

It's lilac, but very pale/bluish lilac.

It's lilac, but very pale/bluish lilac.

I had to check - it just didn't make sense to me that a rainbow tea set had three different shades of blue but no purple. Also for some ridiculous reason, I feel affirmed? vindicated? right? that the purple (on the teapot I insisted Brent buy for you) could pass for blue. I hope you'll think of me whenever you see that teapot - especially the very pale/bluish lilac stripe!

Ali, I know you've posted pictures of it before, but the quilt your mother made you (I believe she made the "stained glass" quilt as a wedding present for you and Brent, yes?) is really beautiful.

Do you mind cooking in a community kitchen? I find myself thinking that I'd far rather share a bathroom than a kitchen. The one time I had a kitchen that I shared with a large number of people I was living in the dorms in college, and wasn't cooking at all at that point. Are the utensils and pans and things all community items, or do people use their own tools exclusively? I find it terrifying and fascinating, both.

Ali, I know you've posted pictures of it before, but the quilt your mother made you (I believe she made the "stained glass" quilt as a wedding present for you and Brent, yes?) is really beautiful.

It really is. I'm so lucky to have my mom.

Do you mind cooking in a community kitchen? I find myself thinking that I'd far rather share a bathroom than a kitchen. The one time I had a kitchen that I shared with a large number of people I was living in the dorms in college, and wasn't cooking at all at that point. Are the utensils and pans and things all community items, or do people use their own tools exclusively? I find it terrifying and fascinating, both.

I cook in the communal kitchen because there's no option. It's not my favourite thing. People (or a particular person, we think) tend to leave mess, and it's hard not to get irritated. The recycling is just downstairs! Why do we have to have milk jugs stacked by the garbage bin! Can't you wipe the counter up when you're done! Argh. But everyone seems to wash their dishes, and I haven't seen a stack left in the sink yet, which is good. There are communal pots, pans, and dishes, but I prefer to use my own, and we keep them in our room with us. I always know they're cleaned properly, and not being abused. I think most people just use the communal stuff, though.

A real issue is space. There's a lot of junk built up over time, as people leave and leave their dishes and utensils behind. But no one ever throws stuff away, really, so it just accumulates. If it were my own kitchen, most of the stuff in the picture would be GONE, and it would be more organised and tidier. But I can't just toss other people's stuff.

I really look forward to my own kitchen. Really. A LOT.

but he's got sioux city sodas and that's where i tried the birch beer first. i don't know which i like more, the soda or the sandwiches.

Just hijacking the thread once more.

I got their birch and root beers the other night. The birch beer definitely smells like toothpaste or mouthwash, but it quite good. The root beer definitely ranks up there.

you, sir, should be in advertising.


i guess i've never associated the way it smells with anything.

interestingly i think one of my favorite smells though would have to be Dr. Pepper poured on ice in a glass. hold that fizz up to your face and it's instant childhood.

I've never associated rootbeer with anything external. It's just the taste of rootbeer.

I've been avoiding posting pictures of my "new" apartment because I really don't think it feels home-y at all (I'm probably moving downtown in a month or so, so I shall try again!) but I'm just a bit too excited about my new movie poster.

I know that the trick to making places feel lived-in is things on the wall, so I should really get more things like that, but I'm too self-conscious. I've had this empty movie frame sitting around until I figured out the perfect movie for it.

But then someone mentioned Six-String Samurai, and I remembered how that movie changed my life for the awesome.

I've never even heard of Six String Samurai but I wholeheartedly approve of you having my husband on your wall (Mr. Norton).

By the way, from what I have seen of your place (not much at all), it looked considerably more homey than most places I've been in where men are the decorator, so kudos on that.

I keep wanting to put art or posters up. I'd love it if we had an Ursula Vernon print here, or a print of a medieval illumination to put up. I'm jealous of your wall decorations, Mich.

In related news, we've acquired a set of coasters. Residents' Weekend was last weekend, and the museums and city attractions were all free. Local guilds and groups take the opportunity to do outreach, and the Company of Cordwainers had a stack of black leather coasters with gold embossing. I think we were only supposed to take one each, but it was the end of the day and they had a huge stack still and they're odd enough that we'll probably hang onto them a long time (and thus lots of people will come to know about cordwainers).

Exciting, I know.

Strangely enough, I got a set of coasters for Christmas, from my brother. I don't really need them, and they're easy enough to acquire on your own, I suppose, but I guess I mentioned it to my mom. So now I have coasters with a W on all of them! Only problem with having a last name that starts with a W is you can turn it upside-down to make it not-so-representative of your last name.

Our coasters are SO UGLY but they were given to David as a gift and they're serviceable and I can't bring myself to spend money on something as frivolous as aesthetically-pleasing coasters when there are so many other things that come first.

But they're fabric and embroidered with harsh metallic threads that scratch up our (cheap, Ikea) coffee table and they're a mix of both primary and neon colors and I LOATHE them.

I keep wanting to put art or posters up. I'd love it if we had an Ursula Vernon print here, or a print of a medieval illumination to put up. I'm jealous of your wall decorations, Mich.

In related news, we've acquired a set of coasters. Residents' Weekend was last weekend, and the museums and city attractions were all free. Local guilds and groups take the opportunity to do outreach, and the Company of Cordwainers had a stack of black leather coasters with gold embossing. I think we were only supposed to take one each, but it was the end of the day and they had a huge stack still and they're odd enough that we'll probably hang onto them a long time (and thus lots of people will come to know about cordwainers).

Exciting, I know.

Okay, I think that is exciting! I love decor items that have a story behind them. So they're not just coasters that you'll got because you'll needed them and the Dollar Store had a blowout sale. In 10 years (when I hope that you'll are in Canada again), they'll be lying around and someone will comment on them, and you'll can say, "Yeah, we got those in England..." & then have a whole conversation on Resident's Weeks (what a neat idea!) and the Company of Cordwainers and who knows what else! (well, I'd probably start talking about missing out on the lavender ice-cream, but that's just me)

(well, I'd probably start talking about missing out on the lavender ice-cream, but that's just me)

On which note, we popped by the ice cream shop and they said that so long as we gave them 24 hours' notice, they could make it for us on request once it is in season.

I keep wanting to put art or posters up. I'd love it if we had an Ursula Vernon print here, or a print of a medieval illumination to put up. I'm jealous of your wall decorations, Mich.

In related news, we've acquired a set of coasters. Residents' Weekend was last weekend, and the museums and city attractions were all free. Local guilds and groups take the opportunity to do outreach, and the Company of Cordwainers had a stack of black leather coasters with gold embossing. I think we were only supposed to take one each, but it was the end of the day and they had a huge stack still and they're odd enough that we'll probably hang onto them a long time (and thus lots of people will come to know about cordwainers).

Exciting, I know.

Okay, I think that is exciting! I love decor items that have a story behind them. So they're not just coasters that you'll got because you'll needed them and the Dollar Store had a blowout sale. In 10 years (when I hope that you'll are in Canada again), they'll be lying around and someone will comment on them, and you'll can say, "Yeah, we got those in England..." & then have a whole conversation on Resident's Weeks (what a neat idea!) and the Company of Cordwainers and who knows what else! (well, I'd probably start talking about missing out on the lavender ice-cream, but that's just me)

I know, that's why I didn't feel so bad about taking a whole set! Ten years from now, we'll still be telling people about cordwainers.

Know who else got into Residents' Weekend? Bettys. Free pot of tea with a York library card. Sweet!

(well, I'd probably start talking about missing out on the lavender ice-cream, but that's just me)

On which note, we popped by the ice cream shop and they said that so long as we gave them 24 hours' notice, they could make it for us on request once it is in season.

Not fair. Now I want Icecream.

Of course, that probably has something to do with the temperature around here as well, but it's easier to blame you guys.

On which note, we popped by the ice cream shop and they said that so long as we gave them 24 hours' notice, they could make it for us on request once it is in season.

YAAYY!!! When I get a job, I'm going to set up a travel fund, and as soon as I've enough money in that and zero balance on my line of credit, I'm coming for lavender ice-cream! And to visit you guys, I guess

Know who else got into Residents' Weekend? Bettys. Free pot of tea with a York library card. Sweet!

Sweet!

Not fair. Now I want Icecream.

Of course, that probably has something to do with the temperature around here as well, but it's easier to blame you guys.

I'll take the blame for anything involving ice-cream, unless it's garlic ice-cream or something.

Look look look my new apartment!



Of course, the floorplan is nearly identical to my last one, but now it has DRAMATIC LIGHTING. (Not pictured: Alea's husbando. He's just to the left of the image). Since it was almost identical to my last one, I tried to not place anything in the same spot. I also had the goal of being able to view the TV and my computer screen at the same time. Goal: accomplished.

No worries about Mr. Alea; I'll see him, and your apartment, and you in October! Geez, is 2011 the greatest year ever, or what?

Your window rocks, by the way.

Our mural is finally done, as of today! Here it is, in its full glory!

That's awesome, Steph! I have a serious case of mural envy.

It's perfect!

Thanks, guys! I am SO in love with it!

That's kind of amazing.

If I had made it, I would be able to do little but sit in the room and admire my work all day. People would say that I was full of myself, but would have to admit that it looks awesome.

Ooh, I've been meaning to post these pics for awhile. Our original idea for our apartment was steampunk, but that didn't really pan out (due to budget and artistic ability restraints), but what we did decide to do was embrace Paul's studies.
We have decided to make our walls look like the margins in medieval manuscripts. We are slowly building our designs, but this is some of what we have so far:



We've tried to do abstract, with a few little characters/things scattered throughout, like this bird.



And the man pushing out on our horseshoe.



And this is a bigger shot of part of our wall, and our action figures... and pweb on my computer...

We've hidden a few things, too. There's a couple of subtle monkeys (monkeys are big on medieval manuscript margins - they represent the monks) as well as tributes to Buffy and Superman.

We keep adding more as we go, and I love it.

I call for jousting monkeys and penis trees!


(Yes, the margins of medieval prayer books were... fascinating places.)

Are those Legos on your key holder thingie?

Are those Legos on your key holder thingie?

Yes! It's a Lego Keyholder. The keychains are lego pieces and the holder is a strip of lego, so you just stick your keys on. It's the awesomest thing ever.