Something for the weekend

The kids in the bath earlier tonight. Think they're having fun?

Friday is finally here! Do you have any fun plans for the weekend? I am spouseless until tomorrow afternoon while Nick volunteers his precious time off camping with the scouts, so here I sit with a bag of salt and vinegar crisps/chips and a couple of episodes of House Hunters International! I miss Nick terribly when he's gone, but for an introvert/hermit like me, it is nice to have a little bit of me-time. Up next: a book and a bubble bath. Gosh, I'm a wild one.

It's been a couple of weeks since I've done one of these, so I thought I'd put together a quick list of this and that from the past week:

• I loved this compilation of different bookshops from around the world! I'm partial to a dusty old bookshop, not least because my mum co-owns a lovely one in Norway (go buy her stuff here - they ship all over the world!), but now I think I've gained an ambition to be a driver for Tell a Story in Portugal too! Maybe they'll consider a Utah-branch?
• I'm still trying to work out how to be a gardener so we can take care of our big, empty yard, so this Fall Bulb Planting 101 post on Design Sponge was just the thing. It's a bit of work now, but I like the idea of snowdrops and daffodils popping up effortlessly in the spring. Oh, it's weird being a grownup and having to think about these things!
• I was looking for something on the laptop the other day, and stumbled over this article about me and my Granny's pasty recipe that was published in a local newspaper when we were first married. I had completely forgotten it had ever happened, so it was a fun thing to rediscover. 
• Someone actually shared this little essay as part of a lesson at church, but I looked it up when I got home, and liked it so much I thought I'd share it with you. I love the idea that we are all the perfect parents for our children precisely because we are their parents. 
• I saw this video on Facebook this morning, and am still laughing. Be warned that you may get a few funny looks when you catch yourself wandering around singing "Jesus is a friend of mine - Jesus is my friend!" And you will. 
• So what do you think of this? Amal Alamuddin (the lucky lady lawyer who just married George Clooney) has come under fire for changing her last name from Alamuddin to Clooney. Some people feel like taking your husband's name signifies that you are now his property, and that it's anti-feminist to give up your own name in favor of his. Not what you would expect from a highly successful human rights attorney! Here's what I think: I consider myself a feminist, and I do see the point - to an extent. But when I married my husband, I felt that we were jointly creating a new family together, and I wanted our names to signify that we belong together. I especially wanted our children to share their last name with both of us. And my maiden name is a bit of a beast (Robøle, if you were curious), so it made sense to go with my husband's last name of North. Plus I've always thought that Tamsin North sounded like a good name for a designer, or something cool like that. But, when push came to shove, I found it really hard to completely part with my maiden name, so I kept Robøle as my legal middle name. Basically, Amal, if you want to be Mrs. Clooney (and who wouldn't?), then you be Mrs. Clooney. And if you want to stay Alamuddin, then stay Alamuddin. You life your life, and we the people, will live ours. (Wouldn't that be nice?)
• This is pretty great! Architect and designer Katerina Kamprani of kkstudio has created a series of objects called "The Uncomfortable Project" where each item is designed to be as useless, uncomfortable and impractical as possible. The open-toed wellington boots are my favorite, with the spoon a close second. Take the time to click around and figure them all out because they are so clever and funny! Furry plate, anyone?
• Gwen's 2nd birthday is coming up next month, and I am plotting and planning what we are going to get her. She's a bit obsessed with dolls at the moment (serious understatement), and I am longing to get her a doll house. She might still be a little bit on the young side, but I'm thinking this one from Hape or this one from Melissa and Doug might be good for starters. We can always hide the teeny tiniest pieces (did you see the pots and pans in the Hape one?!?) until she's less likely to chomp on them. 

By the way, if you've noticed an increase in posts from Project Project lately, it's because I just noticed that I am 29 posts away from 500, so I am trying to hit that mark by the end of the year. Which means about three posts a week! Brace yourself, my friend.