Spicing Things Up

I love to cook. Growing up I very rarely if ever saw anyone cook that much except on the holidays. When I moved out on my own, I taught myself to cook and then got some help from a neighbor friend who was Arab. Thus my love of spices was born and when my ex and I bought our own house the first thing I did to the kitchen was install a spice rack. One of the things I love about living overseas is the wide variety of spices you can find. There are spices available here that I never existed and  they mostly are sold in bulk. So when you go to the store you get all of these little bags of spices. 

This led to my dilemma of what to do with the spices once I got home. I am an utter clutz so keeping them in the bags wasn't an option. I was constantly spilling things and finding jars small enough or similar enough that my OCD didn't freak out because the cinnamom jar was totally different to the turmeric jar. 

This would be why my husband built me a wall spice rack. Our kitchen is small and no cabinets so the majority of pots and pans are not in the kitchen so having a kitchen spice rack makes my life so much easier. Before he built it, I was running back and forth and now I just grab and throw something in the pot. He even said the food tastes better. That would be because sometimes I'd be a bit lazy and not want to go to the other room and get the spices. Now everything tastes like it's suppose to.

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That Time of Year

It seems the stores start putting out Christmas gifts and decor earlier every year. While I don't celebrate Christmas I can't help but laugh at some of the novelty gifts they seem to come out with each year, like the cure for farting in bed. Really?! People buy stuff like that? I would kill someone if they bought me that. When I was little I remember one year as a joke my mom put one sock in  a barbie dream car box. I had been waiting and waiting MONTHS for that car. I was so not laughing when they let me in on the "joke". But I got my barbie convertible so I didn't stay mad for long.

I'd start celebrating if someone bought me this pampered massage gift. Oh that would be awesome. Now that is the kind of gift I'd love to receive, but most likely I'll get the other sock.

Soon I think shops will just have Christmas gifts out all year round. Considering they already start in July in some shops and keep them out til January already I don't see why they even bother to put them away. There really is no point. Just leave them out and then maybe it'll be less of a shock to see santa sitting beside the skeleton on Halloween.

Online Courses

The last few months I've been pondering with the idea of possibly studying online. I'd love to finish off my degree, but attending uni doesn't fit into my schedule. It definitely doesn't fit into my wallet so I've been searching for some inexpensive online courses I could take. I truly had no idea there was so much available to study online. I wish these options had been available when I started my degree years ago. Most likely I would have done it all online and would have completed it by now. Instead I'm still working jobs I don't necessarily like because I don't have the time or money to complete my degree.

Some of the courses I found most surprising online were for the gp exam. I never would have imagined you could find anything in the medical field online, but they have numerous courses and training available from the gp application all the way up to gpst stage 3 interview training. Even though I'm not going into the medical field. I still find it amazing that you can study and get your degree online. It makes me wonder what advances will be made ten years from now. Soon I'm certain all of the studying will be done via online classes. Wouldn't that be great? You could have homeroom in your PJ's.

Providing Translation Services

I don’t talk about it too often, but besides our graphic design business, my husband and I offer translations services to a local independent book publisher. We’ve been doing this for about two years now and I must say I’ve learned a tremendous amount in that time. Not only about translating, but about book publishing as well.  One way I learn is by visiting sites of those who offer professional translation companies. 

One site I recently found was for a London translation agency. They offered a vast array of services and products at affordable prices. My husband and I have discussed expanding our small business to a larger one, but there really isn’t that much of a market here where we are for translation service This is the main reason we stay with the book publisher.  It provides us with a steady stream of income while having a low overhead.

Most o f the online translation agencies I found offer various forms of certification that he and I aren’t able to provide. This is another reason why we don’t expand the translation side of our business and instead focus more on the graphic design side. Even though I prefer the translation work, at the moment, we have to focus our energies on the side of things that is providing the most work, and that is the graphic design. 

I hope that one day we could provide the services like other translation agencies do but for now we are limited to our small book publisher. 

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Officially Moved

Ok so technically it's been awhile but I keep forgetting to do this post. I'm now officially at my new place so if you want to check me out I'll be over there.

There's book features, blogger/wordpress how to's, contests, and lots of free stuff so make sure to come see me at my new blog

Indie Designz

updated to add: Thanks to the wonderful Alex I've added a GFC follower button unfortunately you all will have to refollow me there. So if anyone wants to take pity on me and be a follower I would so appreciate it.