TPS makes a box

how to make an eye-catching box without spending a lot and getting frazzled in the process? let my friend PseudoShrink, whose eclectic range of interests is an unending source of local wonder, show you how...


okay, so this is the finished product. the real nuts-and-bolts details i will leave to TPS, who really likes to do these things.

for a more detailed step-by-step discussion of how a few simple items had morphed into this box, check out this link. and if you have time to spare, you can browse around her site for interesting recipes, quirky how-to's, kikay stuff, useful recommendations and her refreshingly candid take on things.

listening to josh groban

i don't know why but for some reason, listening to josh groban has a calming effect on me especially when i'm buried in my work and desperately racing to meet a deadline.

this admission, coming from a person who prefers listening to Alternative songs, is something of a surprise to those who know me rather well. i don't really have a particular favorite (in fact, i have a hard remember the titles of his songs) but when i hear his voice, my jumbled thoughts just seem to tamely rearrange themselves into a tranquil plane. and no, i wasn't an instant fan.

it took me years to warm up to his style (and a lot of indirect prodding from an office mate who really liked him) -- it just sort of crept up on me.

i was working hard one day and had a difficult time concentrating when suddenly one of his songs ("Alla Luce del Sole") blared out on the radio. then i got curious and asked for a copy of my friend's playlist, and the rest -- as they say -- is history...

i still have to go out and buy josh groban's latest album (Illuminations), of course, but i'm pretty sure i'm going to like it and will likely include all of his songs in my iTouch playlist.