Typewriter

Check out this beauty.




That's right, I got a manual typewriter.

It's a Smith-Corona Corsair Deluxe portable typewriter from the 60s.



Notice it is my favorite color, Martha Stewart blue.

Yes that is a real color.

My Kitchen Aid mixer is in the same color.

Google it if you don't believe me.

It's the perfect shade of Robin's egg blue and aqua.

Don't get me started, I could go on and on about that perfect shade.

Moving on..

I can't remember how I came to want a typewriter, but I do remember that it was sudden.

As soon as the idea of owning a manual typewriter entered my silly red head I was all over it.

I researched different kinds and what would serve my purpose best at the lowest cost.

What purpose is it to serve you may ask...

Good question...

Uh...

Anything and everything I can think of.

I found this typewriter on Etsy for $45.

It is in great condition, it just needs a new ink ribbon (which I ordered online for $10).

I have never in my life put my fingers on a manual type writer.

I had no idea how hard you have to hit the keys.

(Here is a close up of one of the keys)



I have discovered that beyond looking adorable on its own and having an awesome font and look to it, it makes the best noises.

The "thwack!" of the keys.

The rolling ticking noise when you move the paper back to the starting position.

And best of all, the ding at the end of each line.

That ding is the best sound ever!

Well, since I can't show the noises, here is the other awesome parts.



Writing on a typewriter makes me want to be more literary in my writing.

It makes me one to write things such as...



Now I just have to wait (very impatiently) to get the new ribbon and I will be typing away

...on something

..anything

...everything.

"Come here Willy"

"Come here Willy"

That is all my husband has to say.

With a particular tone of voice.

No matter where he, I or Willow (AKA Willy) are, Willow will run to me and hide behind my legs.

He has conditioned her (think Pavlov) by saying that phrase and then torturing her when she would come to him.

Now wait, hold the phone, before you call the humane society on us, let me define "torture" for you.

By "torture" I mean Stephen putting his t-shirt on her (after which she will run to me knowing I will take it off).

By "torture" I mean Stephen holding her face and barking at her.

By "torture" I mean Stephen fitting one of his dirty socks over her nose.

By "torture" I mean Stephen telling Willow to jump on him and then holding on to her front legs and making her dance.

This is why, the smart dog, runs to me when Stephen says "Come here Willy" at which point I tell him to leave her alone.

Lilo on the other hand

(This ridiculous dog, just in case you forgot)


receives the same "torture" but loves every minute of it.

That's why she is Stephen's dog and Willow is mine.

The end.

Clever Apple: Custom work

So I have just finished putting all my new custom items in my shop.

For each one I had to make the sample and then another set ready to go for when I get an order.

For each sample, I tried to use the name a birthdate of someone I knew so that I could give it to them.

Because everyone I know have girls, I did have to make up one.

Here they are.






I was very excited yesterday to have my first sale.

Guess who the customer was?

My mom.

Hey, it still counts!

Now just a couple more sales and I may just cover the cost of all the supplies :o)

Making money or not, I'm still having fun doing it!

Take a look at all my work at,

cleverapple.etsy.com

Stay Clever!

Wow, that's really cheesy.

I had better work on a better sign off.

(suggestions welcome)

Meet Hamlet

When we moved to our house about 10 months ago I noticed a stray cat.

I would see this cat occasionally peeping out from the gutter in front of our house.

He was very skittish and I only caught a glimpse of him every now and then.

What made me take notice of him is that he had huge fluffy cheeks.

A few months ago Stephen got it into his head to befriend this cat.

(The things that man gets into his head!)

In case you didn't already know, Stephen is the Cat Whisperer.

No joke, that is how we got Bagheera.

(you can read the tale in the post from Aug 2008)

Stephen, with the patience of a master, spent the last few months trying to tame the cat.

Because of his huge cheeks (see exhibit A) and pompous, aristocratic demeanor, I named him Hamlet.

Exhibit A



Though we call him Fat Face a lot of the time.

Stephen started by putting food out for him on the path to our house and would stand in the doorway while he ate.

Then it was on the step.

Then onto the porch.



Then Hamlet would eat on the porch with Stephen standing nearby.



Then most recently Stephen has been able to pet him while he is eating.

His next step is to try and pet him with no food present.

Stephen is a very good cat whisperer. By next month he will probably have Hamlet on his lap.

Until then, Hamlet sure appreciates the food.



(Notice his L shaped tail, it is permanently that way, its pretty silly looking)

We plan to get a trap from the Humane Society soon and trap him and get him fixed.

Just to do our part to reduce the stray cat population.

And no, we have no plans to ever let him in the house or keep him.

For now though, we can make his life a little happier.