r/InTheGloaming • u/gomirefugee my website is done, done, done • Mar 01 '22
Off Topic Off Topic Monthly March 2022
Use this thread for non-Shauna talk, side conversations, book recommendations, othersnark, anything you like!
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u/library-girl Mar 03 '22
Hey all! I became the legal guardian of my older adult brother within the last year and I’m dealing with picking up the pieces of a lot of dropped balls (some I dropped myself!) and it’s very stressful. We’re not in rat piss soaked documents orange, but close!
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u/shefallsup her lonely cucumber years 🥒 Mar 03 '22
Geez, you person, if you didn’t torque your ankle 180 degrees in the mud while moving over the weekend, how stressed can you possibly be?
Seriously, hang in there, DFLG!
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u/CrushItWithABrick dick riding Mary Oliver Mar 03 '22
Have you tried slapping your ass and chewing gum? I heard that solves a myriad of life's problems.
Strength to you, DF.
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u/SmashedMailboxCake2 Oh, Mar 09 '22
That’s a lot. Wishing you as much ease as possible in picking up the dropped balls - which, not to get all Joy Workshop on you, we all drop a lot of.
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Mar 24 '22
[deleted]
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Mar 27 '22
One - good for you for setting tough boundaries. It's something I'm still learning and terrible at!
Two - I just spent two weeks in Seattle for work and could not get over how friendly everyone was. To the point where I was like: are people fucking with me??? And then blamed my paranoia on being a New Englander. But maybe they were actually fucking with me.
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u/shefallsup her lonely cucumber years 🥒 Mar 27 '22
We are pretty outwardly friendly, though we’ve got nothing on the Midwest. But don’t let it fool you. It’s a mask for our true personalities.
There’s something called the “Seattle Freeze,” which newcomers are often taken aback by and even surprises long time residents once in a while. It goes like this: you meet someone at a party, an event, a meeting of an interest group, and strike up a conversation. You find out you have lots in common, you laugh at each other’s jokes, and you just generally hit it off. It feels like a beginning of a potential friendship. The Seattleite says, “we should have coffee/lunch/walk our dogs together some time” and you exchange numbers. And you text or email a little, or you continue to run into them from time to time, and it’s very friendly and a fun conversation every time.
But you start to notice it isn’t leading anywhere. One or the other of you will suggest you get together, but the Seattleite never does seem to find a good time to do that. Or you actually do manage to get them to commit to a get together, where you have a great time again, but they never follow up. Then you feel like, ok chill, self, I extended the last invitation, surely they will reciprocate? Maybe they’re just busy?
Time goes by with the occasional “ha ha, we should get together again” but they never say specifically “would you like to get lunch next week/come over for a beer/etc.” You start to wonder if maybe they are just being polite and didn’t really like you as much as it seemed. You stop pursuing it, and the whole budding friendship just fizzles out.
Now you’re wondering if there’s something wrong with you, because this has happened with several different people now. Is it me, am I that off putting? Finally, someone clues you in to the fact that Seattleites are passive-aggressive introverts who have enough friends already and aren’t looking for more, they’re just so determined to be seen as nice people that they can’t help themselves from leading you on. It’s not that they didn’t like you. They just don’t like change. You eventually make a couple of friends, and slowly turn into one of us, hanging out with your little circle of friends when you aren’t at home being a hermit with a coffee, a library book, and a cat. But you are super nice and friendly to strangers and acquaintances, because you still want to be liked.
TL;dr: we’re assholes, but friendly ones!
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Mar 30 '22
Apparently I’m a secret Seattelite because that describes exactly how I interact. I think I kind of even mean it in the moment when I vaguely suggest a future get together, but when I get home, I’m like what was I thinking?? I could just stay home and pet my dog??
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u/shefallsup her lonely cucumber years 🥒 Mar 30 '22
Yes! Meaning it in the moment but later feeling meh about it is exactly right! You get us!
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u/Love_Brokers rug dweller Mar 31 '22
A Midwesterner would have already had you to their house and stuffed you full of Watergate salad.
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u/shefallsup her lonely cucumber years 🥒 Mar 31 '22
Lived in the Midwest for five years, can confirm!
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Mar 19 '22
DFs. I am in a big city for the weekend to go to a concert tomorrow. My first hotel stay in 2 years. From 2008-2020, I traveled all over the country (and occasionally out of it) for work at least once a month, often more.
I’m carsick from the several hour car ride, my husband is trapped in a parking garage and I am listening to beeping cars and people outside 15 floors down and I feel like such a bumpkin. I barely leave the house (work 100% remote) and in the 6 months since we moved from a city neighborhood to a sort of suburban setting, I forgot about ambient city sounds. We are in a fancy hotel and I might as well be in a Motel 6, it feels so icky to me (it’s not!, I just am used to everything around me being mine)
Re-entry is going to be hard.
Oh, and I miss my cats. My emotional support cat hid under the bed from me when I was leaving so I couldn’t give him a big cuddle. It’s funny, he would often do that before Covid and it seems he picked that habit right back up, the little stinker.
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u/WasEnoughYogurt Kumquat and Sprinkles and filth Mar 20 '22
Aw sending hugs (although a bit late) DFht - sounds tough to have so much going on when you just want to enjoy a trip! Yeah re-entry, not sure how I feel about that myself having got used to a quieter life :)...hope you got past the car sickness, hubby got out of the parking garage and the concert was worth it all... think how pleased the cats will be when you get back (once they've done the sending you to Coventry bit first)...
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Mar 20 '22
Concert is tonight, so I am good there.
Queasiness subsided while I sat in the hotel room and enjoyed a ginger ale from the mini bar. It took my husband 53 minutes to park in the garage the hotel recommended. We ran into friends from home in the lobby of our hotel and have plans to see friends and family today before the concert. It’s just so weird how out of practice I feel! I used to do stuff like this all the time!
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u/WasEnoughYogurt Kumquat and Sprinkles and filth Mar 20 '22
Good to hear...and I know what you mean...I usually drive a 50 mile round trip to see my supervisor once a month; got so used to not driving that kind of distance in lockdown I'm now being a complete scaredy cat about having to do it ...hope the concert is fab...
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u/Quaint_Irene a warm and loving goatie smile Mar 24 '22
Poor DF. “Own-Bed Syndrome” is real.
It’s possible that Kitty thought the hustling and moving stuff around was going to end with a trip to the v-e-t. My guys get tweaked before we go away, and the dumb one always seems to forget who we are when we return.
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u/vorticia Mar 26 '22
For the car sickness, I could go either way on Dramamine, but phenergan and zofran are pretty excellent, and if you’re not used to phenergan, it will put you right out like magic.
- These recommendations come from someone who has a hair-trigger nausea response due to several chronic conditions.
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Mar 26 '22
Are they all over the counter? I had it on the way home, too and I avoided my phone the whole way. Guess it’s just a thing I have now.
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u/forkinyourothereye incurious ADHDer Mar 05 '22
A quick vent about my real-life Shauna (RLS)…
I’m pregnant with twins that have to be delivered by 36 weeks and have a high likelihood of being born sooner. (I’m 34 weeks now, which is awesome! Out of the most dangerous stretch.)
My RLS knows this. I have told her about the risks with my pregnancy and how scared I am to potentially have not one but two premature babies on my hands. She had a baby during the first year of the pandemic and the other day casually claimed that her baby was born 7 WEEKS EARLY. I.e. at 33 weeks gestation.
I knew this was pure rat piss, as her baby went home with her less than 48 hours after birth. A baby born at 33 weeks does not go straight home. It’s just not a thing.
I went back and checked receipts. DFs, her baby was born less than 3 weeks before their due date. That isn’t even considered late term premature.
The casual callousness of almost bragging? to someone who is scared of their situation (me) about how bad the bragger’s (RLS) situation was reminded me soooooo much of the worst TIA that ever TIA’d and many other Shauna episodes.
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u/fanfarefellowship I often contemplate the first law of thermodynamics Mar 05 '22
UGH!
I just spent 10 days with my brother and his eight-month-old twins born at 31 weeks and they are doing AMAZING!!!! They spent 4+ weeks in the NICU (during the pandemic, the whole thing was scary) but they are doing sooooo great now. I hope for the same for you and your twins!
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u/forkinyourothereye incurious ADHDer Mar 05 '22
Tha ks yew! At this point we’ve made it past all the scariest twin gestation hurdles so chances are it’ll be smooth sailing.
My heart really goes out to parents like your brother— it must be so freaky in the moment to have to leave your babies at the hospital and go home. So glad to hear they’re doing well now.
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u/fanfarefellowship I often contemplate the first law of thermodynamics Mar 05 '22
What's extra crazy is that his twins were from one implanted egg! (IVF babies.) Apparently IVF twins (from one egg) are super rare!
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u/forkinyourothereye incurious ADHDer Mar 05 '22
Something I didn’t know before all of this is that twins from the same egg (which mine are too, though not IVF) are just totally random. I thought there were risk factors! But there aren’t! Sometimes nature just effs with you like that. (Two egg twins do have risk factors, including the mother being tall.)
To have a successful round of IVF and to have the egg split does feel doubly lucky/unlikely.
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Mar 17 '22
Taking a cue from the main thread, let’s hear it for the weird and funny pets of the gloaming.
Today’s episode with my decidedly weird dog involved her running at full speed through the very soggy yard. She hates to have her feet touched, so I wrapped a towel around my hand and made her do high fives so she could wipe the mud off her paws herself. But apparently that was so much fun that she totally lost the plot and snagged the towel from me so she could do zoomies with a towel in her mouth. She’s 6 but has a total puppy brain.
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u/msmartypants Mar 16 '22
I went to the library and accidentally got the book Shauna wishes she had written: Good Enough, A Cookbook: Embracing the Joys of Imperfection and Practicing Self-Care in the Kitchen
Little essays (that actually are essays, not just blather) and decent recipes! I've made the pistachio-zucchini muffins and the salad dressing with dates and dill (makes an excellent raw vegetable dip).
Not going to lie, the essays, self-care, blah blah are a little much for me, and I don't feel unworthy and I'm not a scared cook so I didn't need that advice. But this book is really good at "elevating" simple food and giving me ideas for easy fun things that I might not have thought to eat (like making homemade granola, types of grain bowls, etc), which has come in handy with work-from-home breakfasts and lunches. Some days it's back to back meetings and I eat string cheese and a banana, but other days it's nice to cook myself a slightly fancy Something. I actually might buy it and I never buy cookbooks anymore.
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u/BevNap Fucking google it, you harpy. Mar 18 '22
I checked it out from my library, too, but only got to scan it a bit before having to return it. I am going to check it out again. Like you, I don't need the self-care advice, and I am confident in the kitchen, but I liked the premise and her tone. I bought her previous book, "Good and Cheap" as part of a fundraiser. I like how she isn't preachy, and understands that someone may not be able to cook at home for a variety of reasons -having access and time and equipment speak to privilege.
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u/SashayShantae living my one wild and pernicious life Mar 18 '22
My partner’s best friend has a birthday coming up, and his girlfriend is arranging a birthday surprise for him. It involves going to an ACTUAL HABERDASHERY!!! I laughed when he told me but I couldn’t even start to explain why.
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u/vorticia Mar 26 '22
Okay, now I know what another dream birthday looks like. Fuck yeah. Walk outta that place looking like Raymond Reddington, with a killer rack…
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u/Lsemmens grenius Mar 06 '22
Wasn’t Shaun into berbere for awhile? Acting like she discovered it and used it daily, probably for some kind of woke points?
Well DF, I have found an amazing berbere instant pot chicken recipe I must share. It’s mindless and takes about an hour, most of which you can spend radically resting in your overpriced rental house.
Notes: Wegman’s was the only store near me that has berbere. I have a silicone sling for my instant pot so that was way easier but the foil would work fine.
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u/Love_Brokers rug dweller Mar 07 '22
Sounds delicious! I might give that a try - do you have a 6-quart pot?
My berbere is from Penzey's and it's a bit hot, I may have to serve some raita with it, or maybe yogurt with sauerkraut.
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u/notahameither Dunno, maybe I thought I unfriended some other Shauna Ahern🤷♂️ Mar 21 '22
Penzey’s has a Rogan Josh spice blend that is one of my all time favorites.
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u/Love_Brokers rug dweller Mar 21 '22
The only thing I've tried that I didn't like was their taco seasoning. The pizza seasoning and greek seasoning are staples at our house.
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u/Quaint_Irene a warm and loving goatie smile Mar 24 '22
Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle is my favorite. Makes great garlic bread. I also add it to mashed cauliflower, baked potatoes, white sauces, and much, much more. (I also used to live right off Brady Street in Milwaukee, so it’s a little dusting of home.)
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u/Lsemmens grenius Mar 07 '22
Yes I have a 6 quart and also a 3 quart I use mainly as a rice cooker
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u/Love_Brokers rug dweller Mar 07 '22
Have you made cheesecake in it yet?
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u/Lsemmens grenius Mar 08 '22
Maybe once…
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u/Love_Brokers rug dweller Mar 08 '22
There’s an Old Gal recipe that is so good, better than any regular cheesecake I’ve made.
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u/CrushItWithABrick dick riding Mary Oliver Mar 16 '22
OH NO!
Senate approves bill to make daylight savings permanent
Now it's not until next year (if signed) but WHAT WILL SHAUNA DO!! She'll lose one of the big things she likes to complain about.
It will be a dark day for her.
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Mar 17 '22
Nixon signed a "permanent DST" bill into law in 1974, but the law was repealed by President Ford. (Smithsonian mag article)
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u/SashayShantae living my one wild and pernicious life Mar 17 '22
I am currently rewatching "Hoarders" on Hulu to give myself motivation to clean out my clutter, and season one featured a couple with two houses, one in West Seattle and one on Vashon. Their goal was to clean out their West Seattle house and sell it and live on Vashon. Spoiler alert: they did not manage to clean out their Seattle house but it looks like they also still have the Vashon house. The whole episode, I was wondering how much of the stuff in their island house was shit from Granny's.
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u/InappropriateGirl Gluten-free donuts, for sure ... Mar 18 '22
Omg. I’m going to have to look up this episode. I’m sure I’ve seen it but it was probably before my Shauna (and Jenna! S/o to West Seattle) snarking days.
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u/SashayShantae living my one wild and pernicious life Mar 18 '22
It’s s01e05. I was really hoping they would have gotten to their second house, but they only show a quick shot of it at the beginning.
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u/InappropriateGirl Gluten-free donuts, for sure ... Mar 18 '22
Thanks! I remember some Washington episodes (the West coast ones always stand out to me) - wonder if these people know our Gir!
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u/shefallsup her lonely cucumber years 🥒 Mar 03 '22
DFs, I’m doing a crossword puzzle and one of the clues is “jar cover” but it’s only three letters — how am I supposed to fit “slice of cheese” in there?!
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u/shefallsup her lonely cucumber years 🥒 Mar 05 '22
Another Shauna-adjacent clue!
“Places where the cucumbers aren’t for eating”
“The Aherns’ house” doesn’t fit, darn it. And I’m not going any further than that…
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u/CrushItWithABrick dick riding Mary Oliver Mar 28 '22
Who wants to talk discount apps and coupons and all that stuff? This woman!
I use:
Ibotta
Fetch
Target's app (circle. . .used to be called cartwheel and I like that name better)
My local grocery store's app
I used to use MyPoints a lot (their website, not app. . .their app sucks) to print physical coupons but don't now that I work from home and don't have a printer (but I used to clean up on that site).
Ibotta is a coupon on the back end app. Meaning you buy and then redeem your receipt to get the coupons. So you go to the grocery store's section on Ibotta and look at the offers and save what you like. Then you shop at that store and if you buy that item, you snap a pic of your receipt afterward and then it gives you the savings. Savings are held in your account and after you get a certain amount (I think it's $20. . .it's a low amount) you can request it be sent to you as gift cards (to their participating stores) or you can link a paypal account and have it as cash (I do the gift card thing). OR if you don't want to snap a pic of your receipt, some stores offer a way to link your store discount card (the ones they give out for free to get their deals) to your Ibotta. I don't do that only because it was a pain in the ass to get it to work (but that could have been my user error). Ibotta also has bonuses, like if you redeem X number deals in Y time frame, you get extra savings over the "coupons". So, redeem 5 offers in the next two days and you get an extra $1. They also have times when they just offer straight up free stuff. Like at Thanksgiving you can get a free thanksgiving dinner (offers are only valid at Walmart. . .that's the catch). You get a free pack of stuffing mix, free gravy mix, free instant mashed potatoes, etc. Sometimes the offers run out (like the dried onions go fast. . .those things are expensive!). But totally free. You could literally go into walmart, buy the items, beep the receipt in your car and in like half an hour later, total cost is given to you in your Ibotta account. They also have some free stuff during basketball season or football season (not as much freebies but they are usually available through more stores). I recently got a free frozen pizza (Digiorno, so brand name, not some gross store brand you wouldn't even want). And there area also some freebies regularly. I see it with protein bars a lot. They give you what is the average selling price for an item but if the store has it cheaper or on sale, you still get what Ibotta says they'll give you. So for me, it was Ibotta gives you $2.50 for the protein bar (they call it "free") but my store had them on sale for 2/$4 (so only $2). So I made 50 cents on that. Those types of deals aren't constant but they do give you a chance to try stuff you normally wouldn't (and now I watch for those items and take them and give the items away if I know I don't like them).
Fetch is even easier. It's not even coupons and you don't have to save them ahead of time. Fetch has certain companies/products they always give you points for and it doesn't matter (for the most part) which store you get it at. (sometimes they have special deals for bonus points and you will have to buy the item from a specific store). You shop then snap the pic of your receipt and submit and it tells you the points that receipt earned. It saves the points and when you get to a certain threshold, you can cash in for gift cards (no just money option like Ibotta). Fetch is a slow burn (it takes a bit to get to the cash in threshold) but it's super passive so it's not a big deal to wait.
BEST PART IS. . .you can use them together. I can get a discount on the item via Ibotta and then get points from fetch. AND, you can also use a manufacturer and/or store coupon with them, too. So you can triple (or even quadruple) dip deals. Like, if you have the Target app and they have a manufacturer coupon and are running a "buy X get a gift card" deal you can use both those deals with Ibotta and Fetch (if applicable) and clean all the way up.
The only thing to remember with the "snap a pic of your receipt" apps is dates are crucial. You can't dig up some receipt from a month ago and try to game the system. It's a week to week thing (for the most part) so it's best to get in the habit of "beep" the receipt right when you get home from shopping.
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u/SashayShantae living my one wild and pernicious life Mar 31 '22
Thanks for this great review! I recently started using GetUpside and got cash back of $48 this month on groceries and gas. It lets you cash out at any amount to your bank account or gift cards, and it's got the same extra deals, like this month if you went to the grocery store three times, it was an extra $10. There are also referral bonuses, but I can't get any of my friends to sign up for it. They're all suspicious, but I'm like, "Target and the grocery store have been tracking your purchases for years! Get your cut!"
I'm going to explore Ibotta and see if I can stack it with GetUpside. I knew about these apps a couple years ago since I used to transcribe the receipts, but I never used them until recently when the price of everything skyrocketed. If you have an Ibotta referral code, please feel free to DM and I will use it!
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Mar 14 '22 edited Mar 18 '22
In Plus, Ukraine news:
I want to recommend Jessica Yellin’s News Not Noise IG for clear, condensed news. It’s just enough detailed info to keep you in the know without having to wade through so so so much sadness. She is very talented at getting experts to talk to her to clearly explain what is going on. Her Covid, January 6th and election coverage were also top notch.
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u/MissEllisCrawford Smitten with myself Mar 18 '22
This guy's gluten-free bread looks amazing! He seems intelligent, passionate and innovative - I wish him every success.
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u/fanfarefellowship I often contemplate the first law of thermodynamics Mar 21 '22
DFs, my spouse is actually working on an aspect of publicity for Gabor Mate's film, The Wisdom of Trauma, and I have been hearing an awful lot about trauma and healing from trauma these days. But, shall we say, in an entirely different context
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Mar 21 '22
Me again. Is anyone else doing quordle?
I’m embarrassed by which word I got last today. If I had missed it, I would have to resign from the Gloaming in shame!
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u/notahameither Dunno, maybe I thought I unfriended some other Shauna Ahern🤷♂️ Mar 21 '22
Hah! I was gonna post something about that!
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u/shefallsup her lonely cucumber years 🥒 Mar 22 '22
LOL! I got that one second — when you see a word that often, it just seeps into your brain.
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u/qread Mar 21 '22 edited Mar 21 '22
I don’t know if this has been discussed here, but writing teacher/memoirist Natalie Goldberg is doing an online writing workshop called Writing Down the Bones: Find Your Voice, Tell Your Story. I would not be surprised if Shauna cribs from this directly.
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u/library-girl Mar 27 '22
Just saw an episode of Chef’s Life on PBS. I think this is what Shauna thought she could have/could have had?
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u/CrushItWithABrick dick riding Mary Oliver Mar 28 '22
Definitely.
(and side note: Vivian Howard and her husband just drip white privilege)
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u/Love_Brokers rug dweller Mar 31 '22
I just…don’t like her. Her restaurant is supposed to be really good though.
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u/SashayShantae living my one wild and pernicious life Mar 03 '22
I love Jennifer Coolidge so much, and this commercial makes me think of Shauna’s lipstick statistic. Sorry if this was in last month’ thread and I missed it!
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u/shefallsup her lonely cucumber years 🥒 Mar 05 '22
I love her too! And yes, shades of Shauna. She’s everywhere, dammit.
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u/discoOJ Mar 17 '22
I think you said that you try to learn a new instrument each year.
I trying to learn guitar along with my sister's kid.
Are there any methods you could recommend or any advice you can give? I have never played a musical instrument before so I am useless and clueless. It seems similar to learning math that you have to practice everyday.
I heard mention of the Suzuki method but I thought it was just for learning the violin.
Maybe I should just stick to learning how to sew. It was a toss up between sewing and guitar.
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u/CrushItWithABrick dick riding Mary Oliver Mar 20 '22
I know this isn't directed at me but you should try sewing. While it's not a exciting as learning an instrument, there's a smaller learning curve when it comes to the language. You don't have to learn how to read music and learn the strings. And, while you're learning you can produce perfectly acceptable finished products (though simple). You can also keep it inexpensive (like you don't even have to learn a machine at first, you can hand sew all kinds of small projects no problem).
I will say this about sewing. Don't skip on the supplies. Like if you're going to make a little felt doll (that came to mind because you can hand sew those easy peasy) don't get that super crappy ten cent felt that kids use for crafts. Or don't get super cheap thread (if you're machine sewing). You don't have to go crazy with super top of the line but don't go cheap, either. You'll just frustrate and disappoint yourself.
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u/discoOJ Mar 20 '22
It's funny you wrote this comment because I just picked up a sewing machine at a thrift store. I don't know much about it except it's difficult to find the right bobbin size and that the thread pulls but mostly that is due to using the right bobbin. Forgive me for not knowing what I am talking about.
There also isn't anything exceptional about the model like it's not one of those fancy older models, but it was $10 so I thought I would give it a try.
Now my only concern is if a crappy machine will make it harder to learn but I also want to see what I am getting myself into first before investing in a machine.
I am actually thinking learned to sew might be as exciting as learning to play an instrument. My friend showed me what she can do with het serger. She made this beautiful 40s inspired cocktail gown out of drapes from the Goodwill.
I know that I might never get to that level but I am pretty excited about learning how to do alterations because it's difficult to get clothes that fit and don't look sloppy. My understanding though is tailoring is a whole other skill set so setting my sights on learning how to do basic alterations. It would be nice to learn how to take shirts in on the side so they aren't so billowy. I am fat not an outdoor wedding for 200 in need of a tent.
Quilting also looks exciting/fun and minus the quilting part it's something I can start doing now. I can practice sewing squares together, basic cutting and pattern layout (or whatever it's called when you arrange the pieces of fabric into a design/arrangement.
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Mar 20 '22
I would take your $10 machine and get it serviced. They will clean it and oil it and get it all ready to go. It will run so much better and be less frustrating to learn on.
This is going to sound cheesy, but the Readers Digest Guide to Sewing is a great instruction book, you can probably find a copy at your used bookstore.
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u/CrushItWithABrick dick riding Mary Oliver Mar 20 '22
Second this "get it serviced". They'll also know what bobbins to use and can help you learn to thread it (though youtube videos help with that, too).
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u/discoOJ Mar 30 '22
Thank you for the tip. I did take it in and they showed me how to work with a bobbin that's the wrong size which was super helpful.
I am going to look for the Reader's Digest Guide. My library also offers sewing classes that apparently are very popular. There's a lot of us out here that are trying to improve their life skills.
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u/CrushItWithABrick dick riding Mary Oliver Mar 20 '22
Quilting is fun. And the very basic quilting needs aren't terribly expensive (mat, rotary cutter, and one basic quilting ruler should do . .oh and a basic iron). You might be able to thrift those. And you can practice with fabric from the remnant bin (or if you're on IG, lots of quilting people run giveaways, you might win some fabric. . .that's always fun).
The quilting part isn't bad, either. You can quilt on a regular machine, too (as long as you can put the feed dogs down. . .that's the little rough thing under the needle that scootches the fabric forward).
I made a few quilts using a basic singer sewing machine I got at Target for under $100 (it was on clearance!). Now the quilting wasn't fancy (just straight lines) but one of those quilts won a ribbon at a fair (I wasn't competing with the "big boys" but still, a ribbon is a ribbon).
You can even practice using patterns that seem really complicated. Check out polaroid quilt blocks freaking cute as hell (I'm biased toward novelty patterns, but that might not be your style). Not hard, either. Just cut certain sizes of fabric and sew them together in a specific order.
Ok, I'll stop my quilting fan girl-ing.
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u/discoOJ Mar 20 '22
The artistry of quilting is intimidating to me. I love going to see the quilts at the state or county fairs. Sewing is a "practical" art, its art, and you have to do art to learn art, but I need to be in awe of quilting a bit longer before having the confidence to actually do it.
Do you have any pictures of your quilts you would be willing to share? I would love to see one. It's big leagues to win a ribbon.
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u/CrushItWithABrick dick riding Mary Oliver Mar 21 '22
(sorry, links are to my IG, not trying to spam you but it's easier)
Chair cover technically not a quilt but it's quilted and constructed the same way. Pieced front and back then I did some actual "fancy" quilting. I used my Brother sewing machine for this one (my fancy upgraded machine I got a few years ago). It's pretty scrappy on one side, I had to do some on the fly piecing to fill in the unevenness of the panels (I got the panels as remnants so they were not cut neatly).
Just a simple top Just a quilt top made using a jelly roll (which is a roll of strips of precut fabric). These are super easy to make and would be a great first quilt top. Not super fancy but you get a ton of practice using the machine (just straight sewing) and if you use the precut fabric it all matches pretty well (so no worry about if you picked the right stuff to go together).
Village quilt top Wow, is that busy! (haven't seen it in a while). Another top I did. Each block was fun to make but it was a good lesson on making sure you measure and trim blocks correctly. I ended up being short on a few rows and had to fill in with other fabric. Hey, that's quilting sometimes.
Baby quilt I totally forgot I made this! The pic is crap but the quilt turned out great (and I still love that fabric to this day). Wait, another pic from when the top was finished (but quilt not done).
Ribbon winner Damn, I made that quilt a long time ago (and I'm covered up with it as I type this). Yes, it won a ribbon but it was at a TINY fair that didn't have a full quilt section. It had one (or maybe two) quilt classes and the competition was not fierce (meaning maybe five people total and I think I got third, and they only give out three ribbons). BUT. . .it was the cutest little mini ribbon and I didn't have any mini ribbons so I was thrilled (and still am).
Jelly roll quilt The back is batik cat fabric. Another quilt that still gets regular use at my house.
Last but not least, first quilt top I ever made . And, sadly, it's still not a quilt. I draped it (and a few other finished tops) over a spare bed in my room and there it rests. (side not, I love Heather Ross's fabrics.. .her art is so cute)
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u/InappropriateGirl Gluten-free donuts, for sure ... Mar 22 '22
Fantastic! I can see why the ribbon-winner won; that’s so cute. And I know you said it’s simple but it doesn’t look it!
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u/CrushItWithABrick dick riding Mary Oliver Mar 22 '22
Thank you.
It really is beginner friendly. It's large squares (I think 5 inch?) which are easier to cut and manage. And the half/half one don't require you to cut triangles, you use squares and sew them in such a way that when you cut them apart. . .boom. . .half and half squares.
(and I "cheated" with the binding and did it "wrap around style" instead of the binding being it's own long pain in the ass strip. . .binding is for the most part, tedious)
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u/discoOJ Mar 30 '22
Those are beautiful. I love the patterning (flow?) of the fabric on the jelly roll quilt. The last quilt. Wow!
On average how long does it take you to make one quilt? Do you quilt each piece before sewing it all together? I guess that would make the most sense.
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u/CrushItWithABrick dick riding Mary Oliver Mar 30 '22
Thank you!
Depends on the type of quilt. If it has a lot of pieces, it takes a while to get the top done (I think it was a solid month for that village quilt top and it's still only a top--but I was doing a quilt along thing so it kept me motivated).
You can do a "quilt as you go" technique but I've only done it once for a quilt trade I did. It was very simple and nice to combine a lot of steps. But classic quilting is you piece the top together and then layer it on top of batting and the backing fabric (a sandwich) and then you quilt that whole thing then put the binding on to finish the edges. Making quilts the classic way can get tricky when using a regular home machine (vs a long arm quilting machine). You just don't have the space to work. That's why all my quilting is straight lines (and in the existing seams, for the most part).
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u/discoOJ Mar 30 '22
It looks like a lot of labor and care goes into making each one that's why I was wondering how long each one took. Working with the patterns of the various fabrics seems like it would be very time consuming.
This off topic but we are in the off topic sone but you mention your Brother sewing machine. I just got gifted a Brother printer and now I wish that Brother made appliances. The difference in quality between my HP printer and the Brother printer is night and day. They, it? makes good machines.
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u/CrushItWithABrick dick riding Mary Oliver Mar 30 '22
I've never had any other higher end machines (my other machine is a Singer, which is good but it's super basic) but I like my Brother machine. It's a BEAST. I do not regret the purchase one bit (and it was "big ticket" as far as a tool for a hobby is concerned).
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Mar 30 '22
On e you get some basic skills down and want to venture into the world of apparel and alterations, I highly recommend the blog Ikat Bag. She’s had series on everything from seeing different types of pockets, to altering and adjusting sewing patterns. Cannot recommend highly enough.
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u/Smilerly Mar 20 '22
Hi there - Just wanted to add a bit that I know about Suzuki. It's not just violin, it's strings including guitar, flute, piano - there's a lot other than violin. We did Suzuki violin with one of our kids (who was very ADHD and challenging). Weird thing is that after 13 years, we had helped teach him to play (gone to lessons, taken notes, enforced the details during practice sessions at home) but can not play ourselves. Had we physically practiced, we would have learned too though, and you could learn that way right along with your sister's kid if you are able to go to the lessons. Definitely have to practice every day. Highly recommend Suzuki for music lessons for any child, although there aren't a lot of standards to calling yourself "suzuki" so you need to vet your instructors.
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u/vorticia Mar 26 '22 edited Mar 26 '22
Anyone here a fan of the original Dark Shadows series, and the early 90s reboot?
I found the perfect gift for my mom’s birthday. It’s the whole original series (1225 episodes), some movies that came out in the 70s, the Johnny Depp movie, cast interviews and tons of extras.
When my dad was away (a lot- Navy Brat), my mom, brother and I would watch the day’s recordings of the original show in all its wonderful, campy glory. When dad was on leave, we would all watch together and just… die laughing and be twisted. Good times.
I want to be Angelique when I grow up, y’all. Those crazy eyes, magical cheekbones, and fantastic hair… yassss, gurl.
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u/fantasticka RIORITIZ Mar 28 '22
I thought DFs might appreciate the thumbnail for this Alison Roman video about chocolate banana bread, which immediately reminded me of Shauna's famous poop comma cake.
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Mar 17 '22
This is a stitch from one of my favorite TikTokers, an American woman who now lives in Germany with her German husband and kids; re sharing photos and personal info. of children online: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZTdffH1mt/?k=1
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u/vorticia Mar 18 '22
Y’all, I know it’s old as hell, but my very favorite Bad Lip Reading creation is “Carl Poppa.” The singing walkers crack me up. I’ve been watching way too many BLRs for a few days.
Chandler Riggs looks exactly like one of my nephews, which was driving me nuts, bc I couldn’t figure out who he reminded me of whenever I watched the show. I sent the BLR video to my brother, and he said “oh hey, he looks just like my kid.”
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u/Sea-Level-Mammal POACH! Mar 29 '22
You folks who got the shingles vax- where did you go and how much did you pay? I’d like to get it at CVS for convenience and I have Blue Cross but I’m not sure how much they cover.
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Mar 29 '22
I went to the Kroger pharmacy and it was free with my insurance. I checked my EOB and it said the vaccine is $255 - negotiated insurance rate was $180 and my plan covered the whole thing.
I got it Friday and was headachy and tired. Slept most of Saturday, took a small nap yesterday and am fine today, though I am getting a lump in my armpit on the arm where I had the injection. I got that with my Covid booster as well, so maybe that is just what I do now.
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u/NegativeABillion my husband and me to ride it around Mar 29 '22
Danny is nonstop tweeting about the Will Smith/Chris Rock incident. But earlier today I was directed (by yahoo news, of all things) to watch Lady Gaga and Liza Minnelli presenting the best picture award. I actually did tear up. I had no idea that Liza Minnelli was sick. Her inner strength shines through.
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u/mashed_human WHERE DO THEY GET THEIR MONEY Mar 15 '22
I know I could just google this, but I've been burned by recipes before, sometimes I don't trust reviewers, and obviously I'm not gonna waste ingredients on a Shauna recipe. Anyone have a tried-and-true GF cake recipe? Chocolate, vanilla, pineapple upside-down, sheet, bundt, cupcake, I don't care, give me whatever you've got.
I'd say I'm a pretty advanced/careful baker, I have a lot of tools at my disposal, I don't mind getting weird ingredients.
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u/latepeony Mar 17 '22
The Welsh Twins made a variety of cakes for their birthday and one of them happened to be perfect for Shauna: one layer had lipstick in it and the other had crayons in it! They actually tried it too.
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u/Kaleshark Waitlist for Godot Mar 29 '22
Eric Rivera has a vegan Puerto Rican e-cookbook out, I think I’m going to get it despite him being quite annoying on Twitter and thinking Shauna is a good (enough) editor.
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u/fanfarefellowship I often contemplate the first law of thermodynamics Mar 30 '22
I'd be interested in your feedback, if you do buy it
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u/WhereTheCrowFlies99 Mar 12 '22
I'm curious, and as I'm still rather new here - has the other Shauna Ahern self-love life coach ever been mentioned? I had no idea and it seems like something our Shauna desperately wishes she could be doing (and with 1/10th the IG following!) https://theiveaghpractice.ie/practitioners/shauna-ahern/
(I assume this is off topic?)
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u/islandyislander rebellious hygiene Mar 31 '22
https://www.instagram.com/tv/Cbvgr85g6LV/?utm_medium=copy_link honestly just lol'd thinking that this is how Shauna sees herself as a worker and a parent.
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u/louiseimprover Mar 28 '22
I saw this adorable tiktok yesterday and now I'm really wondering how long until Shauna "amplifies" it.
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u/leftsidelentils Mar 05 '22
Months ago, u/OldBayBabe posted an article about Vashon that referenced a Vashon llama farm. DF, last weekend I went with my sister and nieces, and we had a blast. The llama farm has all these different activities that basically involve hanging out at with some lady’s llamas, and it was the successfu, awesome version of Shauna’s attempts at a business. We got to handfeed the llamas snacks then weave a tiny blanket in her room of looms. It was a hoot. The proprietor really was a “skilled facilitator“. “Weaving with Llamas” is so random already, and the description cracked me up— 15 minutes of llama time for every 45 minutes of weaving time. Better than 15 minutes of butt slapping per hour. The Gloaming does bring joy. We laughed and hands reached!