-
Favorites
-
Tweets
- Wow if I accidentally wake my sister up from farting & trying to eat leftovers in the dark in our hotel room, that'll really be a new low
- Wow if anyone needs a good cry I can't recommend Dionne Warwick's version of "That's What Friends are For" highly enough.
- New York City is most beautiful when you're driving through it en route to anywhere else.
- Internet Explorer: Fulfilling all your Chrome and Firefox downloading needs since 1995
- DIY compact dish drying rack, for the lazy idiots in us all: http://t.co/K2IFnwJaMay 15, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
- My fashion sense is "Timeless" aka old high school & college clothes bc I don't have time or money for shopping who me are you kidding
- Life goal = be a guest on the Daily Show who Jon Stewart asks if I can stick around for 5 minutes and he'll throw it up on the web
- Dutch-ovened a sheepskin blanket #bucketlist
- #KNOPE2012 OMGYAY!
- I pledge to never raise kids in NYC out of respect for all future adults trying to tuck into a nice novel on the subway
- It's like they always say, change your gmail theme, change your lifeMay 10, 12 from web Reply, Retweet, Favorite
-
Photos
-
WRITING
- COMEDY WRITING:Check out QUIRKY CRAFTY THINGS for great quirky crafty DIYs and life tips!!! (Warning: sarcasm abounds.)READING GROUP GUIDES:Simon & Schuster:**RIN TIN TIN by Susan Orlean**GABBY by Gabrielle Giffords and Mark KellyCITY OF PROMISE by Beverly SwerlingTHE BUTTERFLY CABINET by Bernie McGillGIRL READING by Katie WardABDICATION by Juliet NicholsonMY LONG TRIP HOME by Mark WhitakerRED RAIN by R.L. Stine (pub Oct '12)FINE COLOR OF RUST by P.A. O'Reilly (pub Sep '12)THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER by Stephen Chbosky (reprint pub Aug '12)Hyperion Books:A YEAR AND SIX SECONDS by Isabel GilliesTHE WILD ROSE by Jennifer DonnellyWAYWARD SAINTS by Suzzy RocheKNIT ONE PEARL ONE by Gil McNeilFORBIDDEN LESSONS by Suraya Sadeed (PDF file)THOSE WE LOVE MOST by Lee Woodruff (pub Sep '12)
-
Posts
- May 15, 12
Not to brag but I’ve been bringing lots of home-cooked lunches to work lately, AND I’ve been using sustainable materials such as bowls and forks to lessen my impact on the earth. It’s hard and really inconvenient, but it’s the most important work we can do :)
Of course, all that goodness comes with a big fat downside… DISHES. Who wants to lug sustainable materials from home, to work, back home for a wash every day?! What a chore! So I strapped on my DIY thinking cap and came up with this ingenious solution: Wash and dry my dishes at work!!!! With this DIY compact dish drying rack, you can dry a lunch setting’s worth of sustainable materials right at your desk. The earth AND your purse shoulder will thank you!!
Supplies: Sustainable materials (bowls, mugs, silverware, etc); several sheets of thick paper towel from your kitchen at work
1. Wash all your sustainable materials at work in the sink
2. Spread out the paper towels on a flat surface at your desk, stacking at least 3-4 towels thick
3. Place your sustainable materials on the towel stack
4. Voila!!! Just sit back, relax, and let airflow do all the work… And enjoy lunch tomorrow! ;)
Tagged: career, DIY, sustainability, warriorette - Apr 12, 12
Spring is here, and you know what that means… ICED COFFEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You literally cannot buy iced coffee in the winter, did you know that?? It’s true :p
One of my absolute favorite things to make is DIY mason jar iced coffee. Call me crazy, but it’s soooooo much more refreshing than iced coffee from a plastic cup. It’s surprisingly easy, and surprisingly impressive!! I love to make mason jar iced coffee and then kick back, toss my feet up, and sip on my tasty treat while gazing out the window at trees, or birds. Ahhhh, spring :) :) :)
Supplies: One mason jar; one plastic cup of iced coffee from a deli or Starbucks or wherever; one straw (this should come with your iced coffee)
1. Make sure your cup of iced coffee isn’t bigger than your mason jar — overflow alert!!! :)
2. Remove lid from plastic cup of iced coffee
3. Carefully pour the iced coffee (including ice) into the mason jar
4. Put straw in the mason jar for easy sipping
Voila! DIY mason jar iced coffee! Three cheers for spring!!
Tagged: DIY, iced coffee, impressive, mason jar, spring - Feb 08, 12
It may seem like there’s nowhere to turn when it comes to hanging purses. Your closets are stuffed, your dresser is overflowing, and your bathroom is a little stinky ;) Well I have two words for you: DOOR KNOBS! I invented this DIY way to hang and organize my purses, and I wanted to pass along my knowledge to you. As Susan B. Anthony said, “Organize, agitate, educate, must be our war cry.” At least my post will cover two of those things! Cry out with me, woman warriors! :)
SUPPLIES: Your purses, a door knob
1. Find a good sturdy door knob that is ideally not in your bathroom
2. Hang your purses on the door knob, layering from biggest to smallest for maximum effect :)
3. Voila — it’s like a living, breathing art installation! You’re welcome, Susan B.!!
Tagged: DIY, homerenter, organize, purses - Feb 06, 12
Hey everyone!!! Oh my gosh, I’ve been working up a storm at my job these days. And you all know what goes along with working up a storm… EATING up a storm! Now I don’t know about you, but I just don’t have time to eat breakfast at home before work. (Holler at me, working girlies!) So I came up with this clever breakfast bowl idea to fill up my belly, without filling up my schedule.
Ingredients: Granola (you can make it yourself OR, even better, buy some!!); mini yogurt cup (I like Chobani but anything will work here)
1. Find a nice big bowl or oversized mug
2. Spoon your yogurt into your bowl (ignore the disgusting gloppy sounds, it’ll all be worth it)
3. Pour your granola on top of the yogurt
4. Stir and eat!
It’s so yummy, I blacked out while I ate and couldn’t get a snap until the bowl was empty! :)
Tagged: artsy, food, photo, quick - Dec 14, 11
Not to brag but I’m feeling poetic and inspired today, so I wanted to write some haikus inspired by this artsy snap I took of some pots and pans on my kitchen stove. Warning, you might cry or feel strengthened by my words ;)
My kitchen stove
A light, a force, a fire:
Supper for my soul.
I want to feed you
Boil water for pasta
Tell me of your day.
Grease, oil, splatter:
A mess goes untended-to,
And life moves along.
Three pans and one lid
Man I cooked a big-ass meal
Martha would be proud.
I hope you feel inspired for your day! Wow, I didn’t know I had that in me ;)
Tagged: haiku, kitchen, photo, poetry - Dec 13, 11
As my loyal girlies will know, I looooooooove iced coffee in the summers–it’s such a refreshing, cooling, easy-breezy summer drink! It just doesn’t feel like summertime until your first cold plastic cup of iced coffee with a soggy napkin wrapped around it, you know??
Well, it should come as no surprise to you then that, drumroll please, now’s the season for HOT COFFEE!!! What a perfectly cozy, warming, cuddly winter drink! I just got my first hot coffee of the season and it made me feel so wintry and delightful, like Frank Sinatra and chestnuts on a roasting fire, that I had to take a snap and share the wintertidings with you. I hope that when you look at the photo below, you also think of caroling and presents and gently falling snow. Magic is everywhere, you just have to look for it ;)
Tagged: food, Frank Sinatra, winter, wintertidings - Dec 12, 11
Raise your hand if you love pens and pencils! (Everyone should be raising their hand!) Okay, now raise your hand if your idea of fun is twenty pens and pencils rolling around willy nilly on your desk. No one, right? ME EITHER. There is nothing more annoying than loose writing utensils… Except for all of those super-pricey pencil holders out there! $20 for a hand-carved egret-themed cherry oak pencil holder?! Let’s be smart, ladies!! (Also, Christmas is soon, hint hint!)
Anyway, here’s a fabulous DIY pencil holder to rein in your writing implements (did I use that word right? :-P) until Santa comes to his senses. It’s cheap, it’s easy, and best of all, it’s sleek!!
Supplies: A paper cup and all your pens, pencils, scissors, highlighters, markers, etc… Think big!!
1. Look around for a paper cup. Plain white cups work best, but feel free to highlight your design sensibilities here! Possible places include: work kitchens, coffee shops, delis, and bagel shops.
2. DO NOT PUT LIQUIDS IN YOUR CUP!!!! This is very important!!!!!!!!!
3. Put all your desk supplies in the cup.
4. Voila! Your desk is tamed AND is stylish! You’re welcome!
Tagged: DIY, impressive, office, sleek - Dec 11, 11
I know I haven’t posted a DIY in a few days, but bear with me because I got these booties yesterday and I just HAD to share!!! My bestest old roomie had them in real down, but I wasn’t ready for the price commitment… Until I saw these fake down ones at Ikea for only $15!!! What a STEAL!!!! I can pair them with so many different kinds of outfits, from leggings and a cardigan (below) for a cozy-chic look, to leggings and a hoodie (use your minds) for a more down-to-earth feel. They keep my feet toasty warm, they go with everything, and best of all, with the red foot and dainty diamond-dot trim, they’re comfy yet feminine at the same time. Three cheers for my fake-down booties!!!
Tagged: chic, clothes, cozy, fashion - Dec 09, 11
I love wearing my hair down as much as the next girlie, but from doing dishes to attending a gala screening of The Muppets at AMC Theater (why is no one else in a ballgown?!), there are many occasions that call for an UPDO!!! Some people go to salons for updos, but I say pish posh, and also what are your financial secrets? Anyway, I came up with this effortless, chic home updo and I wanted to share it with you, my cheap yet glamorous reader (no offense)!
Supplies: Your hair, your hands, one (1) hair binder
1. Pull your hair back into a ponytail.
2. Loop your hair through the binder once.
3. On the second loop, don’t pull your hair completely through the binder. Instead, let it flow into a graceful loop (or a swoop, I like to say) of hair.
4. Voila! You’re ready to take center stage!
P.S. I hope you like my hair modeling debut below!!! I really tried to capture the delicate yet powerful feeling of the updo. Hope you’re as impressed as I am!
Tagged: DIY, fashion, hair, modeling - Dec 06, 11
Okay, call me crazy, but keeping all my shower goodies on the floor of my tub gets so annoying after a while. Not to mention super dangerous for us klutzy girlies! After I tripped on my Suave shampoo bottle and split my chin on the edge of the bathtub AGAIN last week, I finally said ENOUGH!!! And I came up with this clever DIY shower shelf to get my goodies out from underfoot.
Ingredients: All your shower goodies, a window ledge in your shower
1. Take all your shower goodies (shampoo, conditioner, body wash, razor) out of your tub
2. Re-arrange all your goodies on the window ledge
3. If you’re feeling really crafty, use a pumice block to prop open your window (see below for inspiration).
4. Voila! Crafty AND effective!!
Tagged: clever, DIY, impressive, shower - Dec 06, 11
I was standing in my kitchen this morning eating leftover Reeses Pieces and making oatmeal (healthy breakfasts are so important!) when I looked down at my sinkful of dirty dishes and saw this beautiful tableau. “But this picture is just a photo of dirty dishes!” you must be thinking. Well, I like to see beauty in the everyday, so to me, it’s a frozen moment of time, a flurry of solitude, a humming tribute to the life we lead through objects all around us, an ode to the material belongings and the relationships we carry in our hearts for all time. Sorry, I’m just feeling emotional yet strengthened today ;)
Tagged: artsy, contemplative, dirty dishes, photo - Dec 02, 11
It’s really been a stressful past few months, what with trying to take showers regularly, so I thought I’d kick back and unwind last night with a little ALCOHOL!! Don’t worry, I’m legal!! :-p I don’t know about you, but sometimes doing tequila shooters alone on the sofa just doesn’t feel like a treat, you know? So I came up with this amazing cocktail invention that I wanted to share with you. Don’t worry if you’re not quite a mixologist yet—you’ll get the hang of it!
Ingredients: Smirnoff Vodka, Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail with a Hint of Lime*, glass, your finger
1. Pour vodka into the glass
2. Pour cranberry juice into the glass
3. Mix the ingredients with your finger
4. Voila! Now THAT’S what I call a real tastebud splurge!!
*Hint of Lime is crucial to getting a subtle yet bold lime infusion in your cocktail! Trust me!
Tagged: drinks, exotic, quirky, tip - Dec 02, 11
I love coming up with quirky new cooking ideas, like toasting eggplants on a tray in the oven. But I’m not a magician, so I need an oven mitt to help me out! It’s frustrating having to rummage through drawers looking for your mitt while your eggplants are screaming “Get me out of here, I’m burning!!”, so I came up with a great DIY tip to keep my trusty mitt nearby. The big window next to my oven has curtain rod brackets, but no rod or curtains because that’s a serious fire hazard, am I right ladies?! So I just took my oven mitt and hung it on the bracket, and voila! If you don’t have a curtain rod bracket near your oven, just hammer a nail into the wall—double voila! You’re welcome for the inspiration!!
Tagged: cooking, DIY, eggplant, tip - Dec 02, 11
Things have been a little slow here at Quirky Crafty Things because, drumroll please… I’ve been busy moving! It’s always stressful to pack up your entire life and move to a new home. It’s ESPECIALLY stressful when you have fragile things to move, like poster artwork! Thankfully, being crafty doesn’t disappear when you’re packing. Here’s a great DIY way to protect your framed artwork during a big move, no expensive furniture pads needed!!
1. Gather your supplies: Poster artwork, a towel, and packing tape.
2. Lay your towel down on the floor and put your framed art on top of it.
3. Fold the towel up around the frame, being sure to pull the towel snug.
4. Tape up the edges of the towel. Wrap tape around the whole package a few times for extra security.
5. Voila! You’re ready to move! And you have one less towel to pack, too!! IMPORTANT: Don’t forget to wash your towel before you use it on your body.
Tagged: DIY, moving, quick, tip - Dec 02, 11
Let’s get real: Not all of us can afford fancy kitchen supplies. Sure, we all need bowls and forks for pasta meals. But can you really get luxury items like small plates, dish towels, and cutting boards without paying steep Crate&Barrel prices? YES is the answer!! Take this crafty DIY cutting board, for example. It’s the epitome of luxury on a dime! Here’s how to make it:
1. Take a sheet of paper towel (or two sheets for a big cutting job).
2. Fold it in half and put it on your counter.
3. Put your zucchini or other crudites on the cutting board.
4. IMPORTANT: Cut very gently, being careful not to rip your cutting board.
Voila! Zucchini slices and a happy counter!
Tagged: cooking, DIY, food - Dec 02, 11
I self-pedicured my toenails this adorable red color about a month and a half ago, and I just had to share! Thankfully, red polish never goes out of style. The polish is by Cover Girl, but I can’t read the color name because the bottle is from 2007 and the label is totally worn off. Let’s just pretend that it’s called “Vivacious Red” because I am a vivacious twentysomething! Not to brag but I really love that name. Also, does anyone else have hairy toes? Anyway, hope this post inspires you!
Tagged: fashion, impressive, summer - Dec 02, 11
This photo is reflective to me because it makes me reflect on my life, and also because it is a photo of a cord tangle reflected in a mirror. Our world is infinite, but then again, are we all just looking into mirrors, you know? Does this yellow ethernet cord exist once, or twice? If I climbed into this mirror world, would I get stuck in the mirror crack and be trapped in limbo forever? Do I look prettier in the mirror world, like how I think I look better in the mirror than I do in photos because I’m used to seeing my reverse reflection?! OW, MY HEAD HURTS!!!
Tagged: contemplative, philosophy, photo, reflective - Dec 02, 11
I woke up today at my cabin in the woods and just threw on this ensemble. Not to brag but the outfit is really adorable (see below), so I wanted to share it with you! I think the heather brown t-shirt captures the casual feeling of porch-sitting in the woods, but the dark denim says that even though I’m drinking a Heineken at 2pm on a Wednesday, I’m still serious about looking my best. I hope you’re inspired by my ensemble!
T-shirt by Gap (vintage 2009), denim by Old Navy, Heineken by the Dutch.
Tagged: beer, clothes, cute, outfit - Dec 02, 11
I AM WOMAN, HEAR ME ROAR! Is what I think when I lift these six-pound weights every so often. For my fellow workout warriorettes, here’s a great idea for a weight rack to store your irons. It’s easy, it’s quick, and if you have a radiator at home (which you really should), it’s free!
1. Find a radiator in your home. Hopefully this is not too hard for you.
2. Bring your weights to the radiator. (Hello, incidental workout!)
3. Rest your weights on your radiator.
Doesn’t that look great? You’re welcome! Now go lift those weights!!
Tagged: DIY, impressive, warriorette, workout - Dec 02, 11
HOLY MOLY IT’S HOT OUTSIDE!!! What is it, summer?! Just kidding, I know it’s summer because of all the iced coffees I’ve been drinking. Anyway, my poor shins were getting too sweaty in pants, but I can’t afford new shorts right now. (Iced coffees aren’t cheap, right guys?!) So I decided to spend some creativity instead and make my own cutoffs. Here’s how!
Supplies: Jeans, scissors, this post
1. Put on your pants and pinch the fabric where you want your shorts to end.
2. Take off your pants while keeping the fabric pinched.
3. Lay your pants flat.
4. Take out your scissors and cut the legs off at your pinchmark.
5. For added flair, fold up the bottoms (see below).
Phew! Feel the breeze on your shins and say “thank you, quirky crafty things”!
Tagged: clothes, DIY, impressive, summer
-
EDITING / RESEARCH
- EDITING:Acquired and edited, from manuscript to press, the humanitarian memoir FORBIDDEN LESSONS IN A KABUL GUESTHOUSE by Suraya Sadeed (Hyperion Books, June 2011).Praise for FORBIDDEN LESSONS:
- “An eloquent appeal for understanding... A moving message from a courageous humanitarian, and more timely than ever.” –Kirkus Reviews
- "A rare gem of a book... This is no humanitarian missive; it is a riveting real-life adventure story, told with honesty, humility and heart." –Progressive Book Club
- "An absorbing memoir." –Booklist
- "A well plotted, fluid narrative." –Publishers Weekly
Pre-production editing work:A YEAR AND SIX SECONDS by Isabel GilliesBEST STAGED PLANS by Claire CookRESEARCH:Editorial support:Marketing research:JACQUELINE KENNEDY by Caroline Kennedy
-
ABOUT
- Betsy is a NYC-based comedian, writer, and producer. She's worked with the Upright Citizens Brigade, VH1, Simon & Schuster, Huffington Post/AOL, Hyperion Books/ABC, and her own dang self.Betsy graduated from Brown University and has studied at the NYU Center for Publishing, UCB, and the Sorbonne in Paris. (Miss you, baguettes.)You can see more of her comedy stuff here.
