Links and Things

I have links to share…

I’m a sucker for lists. 

And lists of links? Oh man.

I kind of think I might not be alone, and I like to be helpful, so here’s where I’ve been recently:

Quick note – NONE of these links are affiliate. I’m just sharing because I want to.

  1. So last month I posted my mini bujo, and my the algorithm  that feeds my social media accounts flooded with real bullet journal information. Somehow I never read the actual instructions from the original founder of the system, and it turns out it’s not all about making pretty layouts to share on the ‘gram.

2. My feeds are also full of some $99 face brush that vibrates and promises to keep your pores clean. I’m in my mid-fifties (OMG that hurt to type!) and still struggle with acne . I bought these which are not sonic powered but are also a fraction of the cost. I keep one in the shower and one at the sink and I feel super influencer-like when I use them. No wait. I feel like my skin is clearer than it used to be, and that’s a good value for 9 bucks in my view.

3. I have made this recipe before many times, and it’s great as written, but if you want a much quicker version to make on a worknight, just use a jar of good pasta sauce, a can of white beans and a bag of shredded cheese.  Mix in proportions that make you (or your cheese-loving family member) happy (reserve some cheese for the last broil) and bake in a casserole pan until bubbly. Add that last cheese and broil until until golden brown and volcanic hot.

4. Have you been using Canva for creating artwork? If not, you should check it out. The free version has a ton of features, and some great templates for setting up web art for social media or even flyers and logos. I’m an Adobe snob because of work, and even I liked it. And now, Adobe has a competitor product which also looks like it would be worth checking out. 

5. We are super late to the party, but we finally installed a video doorbell. If you happen to have a Ring, you might be interested in this little spare parts kit.

It’s the Little Things

How was your weekend?

Since the Pandemic Started, I’ve been trying to focus on restoration and relaxing on the weekends. The weekdays have too much extra stress on them already, and I didn’t want to become a slave to my To Do list just because we weren’t going anywhere.

Along the way, I’ve been noticing a lot of little things that can make life better.

Here are three:

  1. The Pinterest Gods dropped this pin about adding corner ties to duvets into my feed, and at the time I was scrolling Pinterest in bed, kicking around the covers because they had become all lumpy at the bottom again. As soon as I finished my coffee, I took our Ikea duvet and cover downstairs, rummaged around and found some ribbon and in less than fifteen minutes had solved an irritation I didn’t realize I had. It’s also now even easier to make the bed in the morning because I don’t have to keep fluffing the covers.

2.  Did you know there’s a difference between purple and golden raisins, and it’s not the color of the grapes they come from? For many, many, many years I’ve been not eating raisins because I didn’t think I liked them. Recently I used golden raisins in a recipe, and it was a game changer. In my opinion, much better flavor and texture, which makes sense, because the difference is in how they are dried.  

3. I’ve posted earlier about my light therapy lamp and I’m happy to report it brought me a lot of ease this winter. This week I added a sunrise alarm to my arsenal of morning systems, and I’m only two days in, but it’s already a big hit. The concept is the light starts up as a low orange and gradually changes to a bright yellow white, simulating sunrise. I have mine set up to start up 20 minutes before my actual wake up time, with a beeping back up alarm set to go off if the light doesn’t do the trick. So far I’ve been up 10 minutes earlier than usual, and not as cranky. I bought mine at Amazon, and they have quite a range – I opted for a low end one so if it wasn’t what I hoped for I’d only be out 35 dollars, but you can go in for over $200.00 if want more bells and whistles.

Marching on

SuzerSpace is mostly a craft blog where I share my projects and tips and tricks.

But the last year has been a tough one for just about everyone, and I’ve found myself with less enthusiasm for crafting. 

When the safety protocols started for COVID-19 and I was under a stay-at-home order, I found myself filling my time reading all I could about the science behind the virus, plus a lot of long form journalism that was extremely well written but gut wrenchingly accurate about the cost of the pandemic in turns of economic and human tragedies. 

I soon realized this wasn’t really a good coping mechanism – normally I like to learn everything I can about a topic, but having a jillion tabs open with each one bringing sad news, bad news or politically charged opinions was definitely NOT what I craved.

So I searched for something more uplifting. Not syrupy feel good postivity that didn’t take into account what was going on around me. That would have made me equally miserable.

Below are links to some of the places I found for reading and viewing that would fill my brain and heart with skills to weather this storm in particular, and probably all sorts of other difficult times.

A quick, but important note: 

None of these links are ads or affiliate, and I’m not endorsing any particular platform.

Your mental health is a serious topic, and I’m not a doctor, so this is not advice to be used in place of professional help.

Calm, a developer of a Mediation and Mindfulness app (which I don’t use) has a variety of free resources that do not require you to download their app or provide any contact information (not even an email). 

Of the above, I have really enjoyed this online generator of intention cards (kind of like and affirmation magic eight ball).

In addition, Calm has have added a page of resources specifically designed for Covid 19 stress – meditations, lectures and stories to listen to lull yourself (or someone else in your house) to sleep: 

Instead of binge watching bad TV, I signed up for this Science of Happiness Course ,  which is online, free and self paced class taught by Professor Laurie Santos of Yale. It “reveals misconceptions about happiness, annoying features of the mind that lead us to think the way we do, and the research that can help us change.”

Have you watched EVERYTHING on Netflix, Prime, Hulu and Disney? TED has a neat searching tool for their talks which let you search by content, speaker or time.

If the above is all too serious for consideration, here are two more links that are pure diversion:

A nice assortment of Live Webcams featuring beautiful views, adorable puppies and aquariums (there are also bats, alligators and cats if that is more your thing).

A free download of a coloring book that you can print out for yourself or others in your household, or import into a drawing or painting program so you can color with whatever medium you prefer.

Again – these links are just things I’ve found online that I personally enjoy and they help me not spend my time doom scrolling (endlessly reading bad news about the virus or politics).

If you have any good bookmarks you’d like to share, please leave them in the comments below!

Top 5 Back to School Craft Ideas

Back to school craft ideas | SuzerSpace

Nerd alert: I really liked school.

Well, parts of it 😉 .

One of the best was picking out those school supplies. I’m somewhat convinced that my love for paper and pens led me on a long and windy road that ended up with a career in the prepress department of a commercial printer.

These days, just regular notebooks and pencil holders won’t do. You need to step up your back to school craft game to have the best, and I’ve been reading and pinning some really great ideas.

Here are my top five back to school craft ideas for this year:

Here’s an easy tutorial on covering composition books with a printable and washi tape to make a custom notebook.

How about some really custom pencils? Although I’m still obsessed with hand lettering with my brush pens (and iPad), I’m a pencil devotee – as long as the eraser is a good one.

This crayon design is listed as a teacher gift, but how cute would it be to make a child’s name for their art area?

Another teacher gift project that I think would be super cute (and useful) in a homework area at home. I’d fill it with pencils and scissors, not plants.

I don’t remember teacher gifts being a thing when I went to school. In fact, I’m really hoping they weren’t, because if they were, then I totally didn’t participate and that would be kind of rude/sad. But if you’ve suddenly realized that school starts this week (it does in Kansas City) and you aren’t in the mood to craft up a ton of projects, a printable card might be exactly what you need!

Silk plant decorating

Quality silk plants are a bullet proof way to add greenery to your home | suzerspace

Disclosure: I received a silk plant to keep as part of a product review.

A couple of years ago I finally figured out the best way to stop killing houseplants was to stop buying them.

I know I’m not alone struggling to keep plants alive – I have good intentions, but most of my house windows face North, which isn’t good for sunlight, and the ones that do face good sun have furniture near them that isn’t suitable for supporting a plant.

Paper Cactus plants are cute, easy to make and require no maintenance.

PAPER CACTUS: EASY TO MAKE, EVEN EASIER TO TAKE CARE OF!

Paper succulents are fun to make, and while they do brighten the corner they live in, they are no substitute for the look of a real plant.

I was happy to hear from Commercial Silk, a leading designer, manufacturer and wholesale supplier of artificial trees and plants. Their website  boasts an extensive list of plants that can be used in indoor or outdoor situations, and they have great photos and case studies to help architects and designers find exactly what they need for hotel, office, restaurant or other commercial projects. Continue reading…