florida, baby, we're finally getting out of the ghetto

This being the New Year and all, my ambitions are running quite high. That it's the second week of the year and I'm still feeling present and enthusiastic about the things I am resolved to do is very encouraging. Most years my resolutions have faded into darkness by this time. But let's focus on the Good, shall we?

I love all things blog. Other people's blogs. My blog. The act of blogging. The way blogging has changed -- some say rescued from stagnation -- the Internet. So I've decided to get a little more involved with some of the things folks are doing here in blogland, particularly when it comes to two of my favorite things, knitting and photography .

As I mentioned, I'm participating in Knit From Your Stash 2007. These are the rules I am laying down for myself:

1) Knit From Your Stash will run from January 1 through December 31, 2007. Oh yes. The entire year. I'm feeling frisky.

2) I will not buy any yarn during this period, with the following exceptions --

• If someone loses a limb or a loved one and I just have to knit for that person and don't have the proper yarn, I am allowed to buy it.

• I am allowed to purchase yarn to complete a project when I find I don't have enough.
  

• I get three "Get Out of Jail Free" cards for the entire year -- I can buy to my delight but I'm thinking I'd best not start using them in January.
  

• Trips are freebies, up to three times, and do not count against the above. I am only human and cannot give up my love of exploring out-of-town yarn stores (and I might want to discover the joy of a fiber festival or two). However, this does not mean that when I'm out of town I can take the opportunity to order stuff on the Internet. This should go without saying, but I'm a shifty one.

• Yarn gifts are allowed. Please send right away.

• I am allowed to trade and barter stash. The whole point is that no money can leave my hands unless it's under one of the above conditions.

3) Needles are exempt. Magazines are exempt. Patterns are exempt. I would put the brakes on craft books, but instead I'll vow to buy no more than 10 this year. Is that a lot?

4) I will not replace crack with heroin. I may buy fabric and such, but I must complete 3 sewing projects for every new project I buy materials for.

I think that covers everything. I feel better already. It's like I've put on protection whereas before I was just freeballin'. I thank the people who started this KAL.

I have also decided to do Eye Candy Friday, started by Sundara over at Purly Whites. I don't go in to work on Fridays, but I do often find myself engaged in heavy procrastination on Friday afternoons. Maybe posting a little eye candy will jolt me into productivity. Ha ha.

I'm a sucker for themes. The idea of visually and verbally pontificating on a theme each month fills me with such grandiosity and self-importance that I've got no choice but to participate in Snap a Dozen Days over at Unwind.

And because I'm trying my best to stay present with the food thing, here's a recent good eat.

How can something so bad be "good"? you wonder. Well. It's from one of my favorite LA eateries, Mani's Bakery. ("Eatery." Talk about words I never used when I was down on the farm in Ohio.) I live walking distance from Mani's so I eat there a lot. The food's great, though the atmosphere can get a little yuppified on some days, a little hipsterfied on others. And it's pretty small, so not the sharpest choice if your stomach is touching your back during lunch or dinner or brunch rush. Oh, yeah, the treats. Fruit juice sweetened and otherwise wholesome (as much as things covered in chocolate and cream cheese can be). What I love about Mani's desserts is that everything tastes like it's supposed to. Ever eaten so-called healthier desserts and found the gingerbread tasting like the sugar cookie tasting like the peanut butter bar tasting like the macaroon? Ick. I don't know how Mani's does it, but I'm glad they do. So glad that I bought waaay too much for girls' night with my friend Carol (the cupcake alone was the size of my head). It was only the two of us watching Devil Wears Prada and tackling all this tastiness. Carol laid back, but me, I showed those treats who was boss.