Saving Nine

I Meant To...

2010-01-31T17:31:00.002-07:00

I meant to take pictures of my current knitting today. I really did. The day went by too quickly once again, though, and now the light outside is too crappy to take photos. I will do it soon. Currently I am working on a scarf for my sister which is really cool and very interesting in its construction, as well as another scarf for myself in a beautiful yarn that I absolutely LOVE. I don't think I am working on anything else currently. Of course there are a pile of WIP's that I feel really guilty about. I should really be working on those. Also, trying to figure out what I want to do for the upcoming Ravelympics (basically knitting olympics, for those non-fibery people out there, or non-Ravelry users.)

Also, trying to work up the motivation to drastically change my eating habits. I am heavier than I ahve ever been, and I hate it. A few counseling sessions with the school psychologist last term at school also brought to the surface that there is a good possibility that I have an overeating type of eating disorder. Unfortunately, I can't really afford long-term therapy, so this is something I need to try to figure out on my own. Either way, I need to change how I eat. Same with the boyfriend- he is diabetic, and it is getting worse. So, tough changes need to be made. For now, though, I will continue to enjoy the fresh baked banana bread I made yesterday and try to ignore the fact that I am fat. Blegh.

Have a bunch of reading and a paper to write tonight after The Monsterette goes to bed. Going to have to do some catching up on homework this week. Just writing that I can feel the stress sinking in. Not really looking forward to the late night tonight, followed by an early morning and yet another Monday. Friday is disbursement day for financial aid as well as the day I am supposed to get my tax return, so things to look forward to, at least!

Friday Fill-Ins #161

2010-01-28T22:30:00.003-07:00

1. Wouldn't it be easy to just ignore everything and do what you really want to do?
2. LOVE is better than ever!
3. I love the taste of cheesecake in the morning.
4. My "spot" is on the recliner, in the living room.
5. The first thing we're going to do is buy a Wii.
6.The annoying sound of drip, drip, drip; fix the leaky faucet or go crazy.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sleeping without crazy back pain, tomorrow my plans include testing for a job, talking to an academic advisor, and getting started on my homework and Sunday, I want to just knit all day (in reality, though, will be doing more homework. Sigh!)

Bad Blogger. No Cookie.

2010-01-28T18:24:00.002-07:00

It's amazing how quickly life can sweep you up in all of its craziness, and before you know it you've completely neglected the little things, like this blog. Life has definitely been crazy and hectic here, although maybe not as much as I think. I do still time to play stupid games on Facebook and peruse Ravelry for large chunks of time. So why not the blog?

I have been thinking about this blog. No longer the back and forth about whether or not I really want to continue blogging- I have definitely decided that I do. But more contemplation about what I want this blog to be. I have pretty much concluded that this blog is for ME. While I love having readers, love that sense of community, know that somewhere out there there are a few people that are pulling for me or interested in what I have to say, my main purpose for this blog is get the stuff out. I think I began this blog as a place to share and showcase my knitting, which I would still like to do. Knitting is still a big part of my life, and it brings me a lot of joy. Not to mention the wonderful things I have been able to create and the excellent friends that I have made through knitting.

Anyways, I think I would really like to be more candid here. Share more of my life, even the nitty gritty shit. Sometimes I just need to get things off of my chest, or share my joy with another person, even if that person doesn't really exist outside of my comment box. So, if you are a faithful reader, be prepared for more LIFE here. More stories. Definitely more rambling. There will still, of course, be knitting content. I really miss taking photos of my new yarn and knitting progress, sharing that stuff with everyone. Showing off, maybe. So there should be more content, knitting content included.

Ah, life. It has been a little crazy. School eats up a large chunk of my time. I'm taking five classes this term, all but one of I am really, truly enjoying. (The one I am not enjoying so much is Intro to Physics, and I mainly don't like it because a) I know pretty much everything we are learning already and b) my teacher does this weird nasally breathing thing that really gets on my nerves.) I am loving my Honors class, which is focusing on race, racism, culture, and societies. It is super interesting, and the whole class period is spent just having discussions. It is GREAT. I love to have intelligent discussions, so I really look forward to this class.

I am also take two history classes, one of them Western Civilization and one Architectural History. While both are straight lecture classes, I am really enjoying both of them. For me, that's kind of a big thing. I used to really hate history classes. I think as I have grown older I have more of an appreciation for other people's cultures, and learning about them is incredibly fascinating. I am debating now switching my major from Architecture to something in the anthropology field (anthropology is basically the study of humans.) I've always loved other cultures, been fascinated by their practices, and I think I would really enjoy majoring in it. There are some other factors playing into it, but it is something I have been giving serious thought to lately.

Anyways, school is keeping me busy. Lots of homework, more reading than I really think is possible, and lots of projects to think about. I do still squeeze in some time for knitting, and will definitely be sharing some of that with you guys soon.

Also been mulling over some goals for the year, and will hopefully be able to put those into writing and get working on them soon.

Enough rambling for one day, adios!

Friday Fill-Ins #159

2010-01-15T18:28:00.003-07:00

1. The lesson I learned yesterday was that good friends are priceless.
2.The kitchen is inevitably where friends and family meet.
3. All these years I have been a mom already- wow! What a crazy ride.
4.October 14th is when I arrived.
5. The truth is, I wish I had more time and energy to knit.
6. Monsterette's daycare recital is what I remember most from that day.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to avoiding my homework with Sims 3 and internet, tomorrow my plans include still avoiding my homework and maybe a trip to the park and Sunday, I want to watch playoffs and get that pesky homework finished!

More blogging soon. I swear.

Friday Fill-Ins

2010-01-08T11:27:00.003-07:00

1. There are places that I wish I were, but alas, I am not.
2. Some cuddling and hot chocolate would blow those clouds away.
3. Standing in the kitchen, doing dishes.
4. Classes start on Monday- oh boy.
5. He went out tiger hunting ended up tiger lunch.
6. I am not trying to keep my mind from wandering .
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to watching my latest netflix and knitting, tomorrow my plans include sleeping in and more knitting, and Sunday, I want to watch some playoffs with my wonderful boyfriend!

Home Again, Home Again

2010-01-07T11:01:00.003-07:00

Hello again, and happy new year! I hope everyone had a great holiday season. The Monsterette and I went on a cruise to Cozumel, Mexico with my family, and then headed up to Minnesota to spend more time with family and see some friends. We had a really great time exploring the Mayan ruins of Tulum, swimming in the ocean, sledding (Monsterette's first time!), staying up until midnight to ring in the new year, and relaxing with family. We also celebrated her fourth birthday- I can't believe how much she has grown! All in all, is was a great trip. It is good to be home and back in the arms of my dearest and settling into real life again. School starts again on Monday, so I have been getting myself ready for that. My books are purchased, my binder organized, and just a few things left to get from the bookstore before classes begin. I have to make the daycare arrangements, but otherwise I am planning on relaxing and enjoying my free time before my hectic schedule kicks into full swing. I have been thinking about my knitting goals for this year, as well as some personal goals. A lot of plans to be made, including planning a spring break vacation. Doc and I are thinking about going on a cruise to the Mexican Riviera, which would be a lot of fun. It was great to have some computer-free time, but it is nice to feel connected again. For now, though, I think I am going to go amuse myself with some Sims 3 while The Monsterette watches a movie.

How were your holidays? Do you do anything special this year?

Snow Day

2009-12-10T18:03:00.003-07:00

On Tuesday, we had a 2 hour delay because of snow here in Albuquerque. it snowed about 1/2 and inch overnight. People in the southwest are so silly! It made me miss Minnesota, though. Most people would think that living in the warm southwest, with out mild winters and general lack of winteryness, that I would not miss the bitter cold and piles of snow that come with living in the midwest. But I DO miss it. Not the cold, so much, but sometimes it makes that cup of hot chocolate or a steamy bowl of chili that much more enjoyable. I miss sledding, and the peace of waking up in the morning to the stillness and quiet of a snow that has been gently tumbling from the sky all night. I love seeing the trees covered in powder, the pristineness of freshly fallen snow, the joy of making a snowman. I've never been able to take my daughter sledding or play in the snow with her until our cheeks were frosty and pink, and then head inside for some chicken noodle soup and a movie on the sofa under a big fleece blanket.

I think that all of the bad things about real winter- the cold, the crappy driving conditions, the shoveling, would all be completely worth it for the joy that I get from real winter. Call me crazy.

I am so close to being done with this term! One little final on Tuesday, and I am done. Then I can freak out about the gift knitting I have not completed, the Christmas shopping, the packing for our big trip, and all the other fun holiday stuff. It is going to be a pretty packed and mildy crazy break, so hopefully I can get a little bit of relaxing done in there, too. I am really excited to take the Monsterette sledding in Minnesota and to take her to the ocean for the first time. So many memories and new experiences and wonders, it should be an excellent vacation, even if it is a little stressful. I just need to remember to find the joy and happiness and relax and smile. Ride the wave, Nichole. Ride the wave.

What are your plans for the holidays? How is the gift knitting coming, if any?

2009-12-07T14:59:00.003-07:00

Well, I made it through NaBloPoMo, which I'm pretty glad I did. It was a good way to get back in the habit of blogging. Part of me still feels like calling it quits on the blog. I don't really blog for me, I blog so I can share my world and my knitting and bitch and air my dirty laundry and all that stuff, and it just doesn't feel as worth it when I know there are not many readers out there. I feel like I am being whiny. I guess I just don't feel connected to the blogging world as much as I used to. Maybe it is the blogging world that has changed, who knows. I do still enjoy reading other people's blogs, I am really glad I got back into that. It is a nice way to spend a half hour on an afternoon like today- cold, rainy, and quiet in the house. For now, I'll keep up the blogging as much as I can.

Alright, done whining about the blog.

School is almost done! One class is over, I will be turning in my final assignment for another class tomorrow, and that leaves me with just two short afternoon classes and one final next Tuesday. I am really looking forward to the time off- this term just seemed like it took forever and was really stressful.

I really, REALLY need to get my knit on. There are Christmas gifts that need to be knitted, and I ahve been putting it off too long. Christmas is only two weeks away! I still don't think that has really sunk in. At least with school out of the way I will have a few days to sit around all day and watch movies and knit. Maybe an audio book would help do the trick!

Thinking about goals, knitting and non-knitting alike, that I would like to accomplish next year. Next year will be another fresh start, more adventures to be had, things to learn, and memories to be made.

Remind me to blog about soap soon. I've been mulling over a Soap Wars post in my head for a while now.

Also, I would just like everyone to know that I have the most wonderful, awesome, sweet, caring, excellent boyfriend, and that I love him to pieces, and that he makes me SOSOSO happy, and that I do not know what I am going to do when we have to be apart for two weeks when I go vacationing for the holidays. I am sad about that. I almost was in tears today because he had to go to work early, and I really just wanted to spend another hour with him. Is that really lame?

What Ever Happened to the Meme?

2009-11-30T18:21:00.003-07:00

When I first started blogging, meme's were all the rage. What ever happened to them? I kind of liked them.

Anyways. It was So. Hard. To get up for class this morning. It was so nice to just sit around all day for a few days. Winter break is so close I can taste it! It'll be a welcome break, especially with my class load next term.

Oh, next term. I have a feeling I am over loading myself, but I am determined to do it. I'm all registered and I am planning on taking five classes next term. Really, not that many, but they are going to be pretty homework heavy, and I've been pretty spoiled my last few terms with not having a lot of homework. In addition to trying to get into the work study program (basically working for the college) next term, I am taking Intro to Physics (should be a breeze for me), Western Civilization, Architectural History, Building Materials and Methods II, and an honors class- Legacies of Color. I'm also registered for Intro to Chemistry, which would give me 18 credit hours next term. I'm not sure yet if I am going to drop Chemistry or not.

Hopefully my winter break provides enough R&R for me to tackle everything. I'll be rewarding myself, if I make it through, with a nice and mellow summer term. That should be good motivation!

Nerd Sadness

2009-11-29T16:16:00.002-07:00

So, yesterday I was messing around (where I probably shouldn't have been messing around) on my computer, trying to get a game to work, and apparently did something wonky. After I restarted my computer, I couldn't log in. It was all, well, wonky. So, I ended up reinstalling Ubuntu from scratch. I didn't really lose anything, since Pretty much everything is still on my external hard drive, but I spent a lot of time making it look all pretty and installing programs and stuff. So, mild sadness. Oh well. Lessons learned the hard way, I guess. Also? need to look in to how to make a restore disc or something. Kind of bummed, though, because I would rather be knitting instead of messing around with my computer crap all over again. I really need to get cranking on the knitting- it's almost December!

Are you knitting Christmas gifts this year?

Cop Out

2009-11-28T17:24:00.002-07:00

Too busy knitting, watching chick flicks (Nights in Rodanthe is first on the list), and eating leftover pie to blog right now. If you haven't checked out Cake Wrecks, go, now! Laugh! Subscribe!

Friday Fill-ins

2009-11-27T18:25:00.002-07:00

1. Wait! Wait, don't forget to remember what you are thankful for every day.
2. Thanksgiving dinner was followed at once by getting a wretched cold.
3. The trouble is that I just got over having bronchitis a few weeks ago.
4.My great family is many miles away.
5. With a faint pop ???.
6. The books I am reading, "The Death Gate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman, are shadowy and ominous.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward torelaxing, knitting, and recovering, tomorrow my plans include more of the same and Sunday, I want to throw a little football in the mix!

Any post-Thanksgiving weekend plans?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T13:45:00.002-07:00

Again, a few things I am thankful for today:

- My first homemade Thanksgiving dinner was a success!
- Spending the afternoon with my wonderful boyfriend
- Monsterette being a great this morning before going with her dad- she played in the leaves, helped me cook, and looked super cute in a new outfit and after a bath.
- Comcast now includes the NFL Network, and I can watch my team tonight! Woot!
- Ubuntu!

Hope that everyone out there has a wonderful day filled with love, family, friends, and good food!

Three Thousand Words

2009-11-25T19:37:00.001-07:00

Ten on Tuesday

2009-11-24T19:02:00.002-07:00

Ten Things I am Thankful For

1. My amazing daughter. Every day she does something that makes me smile.
2. My wonderful boyfriend.
3. The fact that said boyfriend is an excellent cook.
4. My friends.
5. My awesome family. I am really blessed to have such great people in my life.
6. The opportunity to go to college.
7. Vacation!
8. Time to knit, sew, read, craft, bake, or just RELAX.
9. Bloglines. I seriously would probably never read the blogs I love without some sort of feed subscriber.
10. Ravelry. This has become an indispensable tool for knitting and crocheting.

Random Thoughts 11.23.09

2009-11-23T19:50:00.002-07:00

- WHY do they call it "word verification" when it is just a random string of letters and NOT a word? That bugs the hell out of me.

- It really sucks that they put the Thursday night football game on the NFL Network and the Monday night game on ESPN. I don't really think that is fair for those people who don't have cable or satellite.

- The Monsterette has been quite excited lately that she is finally wiping her own butt. She runs around the house declaring it, and every time I giggle because it reminds me of that Adam Sandler movie.

- I hate doing homework in my house. It is SO HARD for me to focus and it takes me forever. In a crazy coffee shop, though, no problem. I know, it doesn't make any sense.

Mosaic Bag

2009-11-22T14:52:00.003-07:00

I made this over the summer. It's a little bag for stuff. I use it all the time, actually. I really love the organicness that is created with the combination of the tweed yarn and the pattern:

The pattern is from the book 1000 Knitting Motifs, which a really excellent book if you find yourself wanting to add some colorwork to a project, but not sure what. I've used it a few times, and will definitely use it again. I love that it is spiral bound so it lays flat, and that the motifs are organized by origin. some close-up pictures:

The cord is just a braid made from the blue yarn. The yarn is Plymouth Tweed, which is my favorite tweed because the tweedy bits match the color of the yarn. I love that! I'm really happy with the way this bag came out.

Blah.

2009-11-21T16:49:00.004-07:00

Feeling a little blah today, so not really in a mood to post much. Here's a few things I'm thankful for today.

- The Monsterette cleaning her room.
- Having ALL of the laundry done.
- My wonderful mom. She is so sweet, and such a great woman. I have a ton of respect and love for her.

Friday Fill-ins

2009-11-20T13:42:00.002-07:00

1. We need a nice long vacation.
2. Doc made me pancakes this morning and it made me smile.
3. If you want things done right, you got to do them yourself.
4. I have been really tired lately because I can't seem to get to bed before 11.
5. Massachusetts has a proposed 5% sales tax on elective cosmetic surgery; I think that is a brilliant idea.
6. Family and freinds makes for a happy holiday.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to hopefully getting some knitting done, tomorrow my plans include relax, relax, relax and Sunday, I want to watch football and make some chili!

LINUX

2009-11-19T22:12:00.002-07:00

A few days ago I decided to switch to a LINUX operating system called Ubuntu. (non-nerds, this isn't going to get any less nerdy, so feel free to vacate if you want to, guilt-free. Promise. Knitting content tomorrow.) Actually, let me backtrack a little bit, because I really do not make major decisions like this on whims.

About a month and a half ago, a friend told me about this "great operating system! it's LINUX! I'ts fast and pretty and awesome!" (Okay, that might not be his EXACT words. Sue me.) I checked out the website repeatedly for about two weeks. By "repeatedly" I mean that I probably wasted at least 10 hours of my life just researching this silly thing. Then I took a week or two off, and did that all over. About a week before I decided to make the change, I was looking up all kinds of crap. What programs could I not live without that don't have equivalents? What the bloody hell is an emulator? What makes LINUX so special? You get the picture. Finally, one day, I decided to make the leap. I carefully scoured my computer for anything that needed to be be backed up onto the external hard drive and did so. Then I started installation. (My first thought was to partition hard drives, just in case, but decided to just go for the fresh start.)

So, now we are back where we started. I installed Ubuntu, blah blah blah. So far, though, I really like it. I think it is pretty user friendly, even for a non-nerd. There are TONS of helpful resources out there whenever I get stuck doing something. It is super-duper fast, and I found out how to customize and make pretty much everything a lovely shade of bubblegum pink. There is NOTHING on my desktop. (SQUEEEE!) the only major snag that I have run into (and yes, this is pretty major) is that I can't seem to get my printer to work with the OS. Sadly, Lexmark (my printer manufacturer) doesn't really have printer support for LINUX operating systems. Which, really, is just sad. I searched briefly for a workaround of some sort, but gave up pretty quickly, since I had homework to do.

Anyways, besides the whole printer thing, I really, really like it. I am looking forward to spending more time in the Terminal (kind of like DOS) and playing around there. I think I am forever a LINUX convert already, though, and you would have to have some pretty compelling stuff to get me to go back to Windows or to shell out the major bucks for a Mac.

I'm off to look for LINUX related knitting patterns. Tee Hee!

Any of you use LINUX?

Knitting!

2009-11-18T15:14:00.003-07:00

I know I've been promising some knitting content, and I finally got around to taking some pictures today! Woohoo!

Today I'm going to share a hat I made sometime last year, I'm pretty sure in the fall:

The pattern is called Opus Spicatum, and it was a lot of fun to knit:

The yarn I used was either Paton's Classic Merino or Lion's Wool. It might even be both, but I'm really not sure. The pattern was a simple fair isle knit, and went pretty quickly. I absolutely love the cast-on in the second color:

This hat is so, so cozy. There are definitely more colorwork hats in my future. Probably somewhere down the road, I'll make another one of these! I also want to make matching mittens and a matching scarf. The herringbone pattern is so simple, but looks so great! I really love this hat.

Do you have a favorite hat pattern?

Ten on Tuesday

2009-11-17T16:42:00.002-07:00

No new T.O.T. this week, so I went and found an old one that I never did.

Ten Favorite Things to do During "Me" Time

1. Knit, crochet, sew...
2. Give myself a pedicure
3. Waste time on the internet
4. Sims 3
5. Take a long hot bath...often preceding number 2
6. Talk on the phone for hours
7. Curl up with a good book
8. Crank up the music!
9. Organize stuff (I know this sounds a lot like cleaning, but I really like to organize)
10. Browse the craft/fabric store

What is your favorite "me time" activity?

Thankful

2009-11-16T19:43:00.002-07:00

A few things I am thankful for today:

-My amazing daughter. Every day she puts a smile on my face.
-My wonderful boyfriend. I am so blessed to have him in my life.
-College! Even though it is stressful at times, I really love being a student, and I am so grateful that I have the opportunity.

What are you thankful for today?

Weekends are Never Long Enough

2009-11-15T14:38:00.002-07:00

It's Sunday already! Gah! I hate how fast the weekends go.

Doc and I had a great time in Santa Fe for our anniversary. Drinks, dinner, and much love and fun was had. He really is a great guy. I took him to one of my favorite places for breakfast this morning, and that was really yummy. I wish we didn't live an hour from there!

Today is just a mellow day, watching football, doing some knitting. Hope you all had a good weekend!

2009-11-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

Since I was out of town on Saturday and no internet, I hand-wrote my post. Here's what I wrote:

Happy anniversary to me and my wonderful boyfriend! I can't believe it has already been one year. it's been a crazy wonderful adventure so far, and I cannot wait for the years to come. Hopefully there is lots of them! He makes me so happy, and is such a wonderful man. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful guy in my life!

We are up in Santa Fe celebrating, and I am starting on my first drink- a yummy margarita in the hotel room. I'm sure there will be much more drinking, some yummy food, and lots of fun! See you guys back on the interwebs tomorrow.

Friday Fill-Ins

2009-11-13T13:52:00.003-07:00

Sara does this, and I'm going to start doing it, as well! Here is the site if you would like to do it, too! The part that is in bold is what I have filled in.

1. The last band I saw live was TOOL a few months ago.
2. What I look forward to most on Thanksgiving is being with my family and friends.
3. My Christmas/holiday shopping is barely started.
4. Thoughts of knitting fill my head.
5. I wish I could wear pajamas all day, every day.
6. Bagpipes are cool.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to knitting and girl movies, tomorrow my plans include our one year anniversary celebration in Santa Fe and Sunday, I want to go to the bar and watch football all day!

Hmmmm.

2009-11-12T17:01:00.002-07:00

Not really sure what to blog about tonight. I have a quiet night at home tonight, planning to watch Across the Universe and have some yummy pizza. There may be ice cream, too. We'll see. Ah, who am I kidding, there will definitely be ice cream. There will definitely be knitting, too. And even though it's lame, I'm kind of looking forward to getting to bed at a decent hour tonight.

Oh, and something worth mentioning! I found Grace in Small Things through Donyale's blog, Indulging my Inner Thinker. I think it is a fantastic idea to reflect at the end of the day on the things that bring you joy. I think we tend to get lost in the negative a lot of the time. I know I definitely do! I don't think I will be posting my "small things" here every day, but maybe once a week. I did grab a cute little journal from the $1 bins at Micheals the other day, though, that would be perfect to keep bedside for just this purpose. I would love to know if any of you get into this!

See you tomorrow!

Veteran's Day

2009-11-11T18:46:00.002-07:00

First off, a huge thanks to those who have served or continue to serve our country. We would not be the nation that we are without those who chose to lay their lives on the line for us. For that, we are truly blessed.

This is the first year that my grandpa, a Korean War veteran, is not here to be thanked. I didn't really even think about it until I tried to go to the bank. I really, really miss my grandpa, and I wish he was still here.

Knitting content soon!

Ten on Tuesday

2009-11-10T08:16:00.003-07:00

Ten Favorite Song Covers

1. Alien Ant Farm's version of "Smooth Criminal" by Micheal Jackson

2. Richard Cheese's version of "Rape Me" by Nirvana (Really, anything by Richard Cheese! Check him out!)

3. Hayseed Dixie's version of "War Pigs" by Black Sabbath (Hayseed is awesome, too!)

4. Dynamite Hack's version of "Boyz in da Hood" by Easy E

5. White and Nerdy" by Weird Al (originally "Ridin' Dirty" by Chamillionare)

6. Anything Apocalyptica did with the cellos (their new original stuff is SHIT)

7. Cake's version of "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor

8. Perfect Circle's version of "Fiddle and the Drum" by Joni Mitchell

9. Jimi Hendrix playing the national anthem.

10. TOOL's version of "No Quarter" by Led Zeppelin

Handmade Holidays

2009-11-09T18:42:00.002-07:00

Alright, I know I said I would get knitting pics up soon, and I promise, they are coming! Maybe tomorrow, if there is enough light for pictures when I get home from class. And if I remember. Heh.
Moving on...

In addition to my (alleged) knitting, I enjoy a few other crafty endeavours, like sewing. I don't do a ton of it, but every once in a while I get on a sewing kick. I am always surprised by the near instant (compared to knitting, anyway) gratification that I get from sewing something. I am thinking about whipping up some hand-sewn gifts this Christmas. Not entirely sure what yet, but I've got my eye on some things! The Sew, Mama, Sew! blog is having their Handmade Holidays series for the third year now. Every day in November they post a handful of tutorials, mostly for sewing projects, for things that would make great gifts. I've been scouring the last two years' posts, as well, and starting to kind of overwhelm myself with ideas. I suppose I should settle down and pick a few and get to work!

Speaking of work, I need to get back on my homework and studying. I'll leave you guys (is there really more than one of you??) with a few of my favorite tutorials from today's searching!

Simple Keychains (how fun would it be to let Monsterette "personalize" these?)

Beanbag Chair (Monsterette would LOVE this in her room)

No-Sew Laptop Cozy (I want one of these! It would be great for my college-faring bro and sis, too. How cute would some applique or simple embroidery be on these?)

Home Again

2009-11-08T19:02:00.004-07:00

Back home from a short visit to the mountains. Spent some time at the local park. Got some knitting done, and had fun playing cards over a few tequila sunrises. Relaxed a little bit. Got in some political debates. Had some yummy food, and there was no car sickness on the drive there OR the drive home! Woot! (The Monsterette is quite known for her car sickness. Major suck.)

So, have I mentioned that my Grandpa is paying for the entire family, including me and The Monsterette, to go on a Christmas cruise to Cozumel? Pretty nice of him, huh? I'm actually kind of bummed- this means missing Christmas with my boyfriend. Also, I am a big of fan of a traditional Christmas. This will definitely be a little weird. I'm also stressing out because of money and the joys (SARCASM) of traveling with a toddler. Anywho, hopefully it'll be fun. It'll be good to see the family, at any rate, even if I will have to cram my fat pasty ass into a swimsuit in December. Blegh.

Have you ever been to Cozumel, or that area of Mexico?

Heading Out

2009-11-07T08:11:00.002-07:00

All packed for the overnight in Taos, getting ready to hop into the car for the 3 hour drive up into the mountains. Looking forward to the nice cool weather and some quiet time (well, as quiet as it gets with a toddler running around). Should be home tomorrow night, will probably blog again then. Knitting updates soon if I can get some pictures, and if I decide to continue the blogging adventure.

2009-11-06T20:33:00.002-07:00

I'm thinking about taking a break from blogging. I know I have only been back in the blogging world for a short time, but I just feel like my blog is really... empty. The warmth and comfort I used to get from sharing, from being part of the online knitting community, from feeling like I had friends out there in this weird online world, all of that feels like it is gone now. I don't know.

I'll be heading out of town for the weekend and going up to Taos, and won't have any computer access. I'll be doing some old school blogging (aka journaling) if I decide I'm going to keep up this whole blogging business. Otherwise it should be a nice relaxing weekend in the mountains with my wonderful boyfriend and my daughter and my knitting. See you Monday. Maybe.

2009-11-05T18:17:00.002-07:00

Some days I really don't know why I try. I feel so lost sometimes. Like I don't know who I am, or what I am doing, or if I am being true to myself, or if I can. I think I am more fucked up than I think I am. Sometimes all this inner anger and hurt and turmoil and hate just comes bubbling to the surface, and I'm not really sure what to do besides try to smother it, cover it up, shove it away where it can quietly simmer, out of sight and out of mind, until something turns up the heat and it gets out of control again. I wonder if I have made the right decisions, if this is the life I want, if I even know what I want. Am I hurting everyone around me? Am I living a lie? Is my life really what I want? Sometimes I am so happy, so in love, so peaceful. Why can't I be like that all the time? What do I need to do to get rid of all the dark, secretive, horrible feelings inside so I can just be happy? Why can't I enjoy things? What the fuck is wrong with me? I really don't know what to do sometimes. Somehow, though, this is the shit I need to conquer. I just don't know if I can find the strength to do that. the strength the overcome myself. To become the person I want to be, instead of the person I act to be.

Vintage

2009-11-04T18:32:00.002-07:00

I've always had a place in my heart for all things vintage. Buttons, post cards, seed packets, jewelry, you name it, especially if it's art deco. I was pretty overjoyed when I stumbled upon this blog. She also had a love for vintage, and finds the coolest ways to incorporate vintage stuff into her crafts. it's got my mind working for some vintage inspired Christmas gifts- maybe ornaments? Little stockings? Printed sachets? Not quite sure yet... A contest may be in order! Do I have enough readers left for a contest? I guess we'll see.

So, here's the deal. Leave a comment with your suggestion for a smallish vintage Christmas gift. Everyone who leaves a comment with a suggestion will be entered, and I'll do a random pick for a winner. Winner will get some of whatever I decide to make for Christmas, and some other little goodies, probably yarn since most of you are knitters. If you're not a knitter, I'll figure something else out.

Check out The Vintage Moth and Vintage Printable for some more inspiration or to get some vintage images for yourself!

Ten on Tuesday

2009-11-03T08:20:00.002-07:00

Ten (Favorite) Ways to Waste Time on the Internet

1. Ravelry! (For those of you who don't know what that is, it's an internet heaven for knitters and crocheters.)
2. FaceBook
3. Searching for new recipes
4. Reading blogs (I use Bloglines)
5. Pogo
6. Searching for craft ideas
7. Adding to my Amazon wishlist
8. Browsing Etsy
9. Did I already say FaceBook?
10. Yarn Shopping

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Halloween Pictures

2009-11-02T18:17:00.002-07:00

The Monsterette as a princess:

Me and Doc:

I really love the mask I made! I got one of those plastic masks from Hobby Lobby. I covered it with some cool textured felt, added some sparklies, the pretty pink butterflies, feathers, and some ties. super easy, and I think it came out great! Some close-up pictures:

Hope you all had a good Halloween! I think we are still recovering from the sugar coma over here. See you tomorrow!

NaBloPoMo

2009-11-01T15:53:00.003-07:00

Yep. It's that time again. Another year where I am going to try to blog for the entire month of November. Yep. Every day. I think I can make it, and hopefully won't bore everyone to death!

Finally uploaded my pictures of the Balloon Glow, so that will be coming up, and planning on posting some Halloween pictures tomorrow. I'm also planning to share some knitting, and thought I would visit some of my older projects and give updates on them. November sounds like a good time to start Soap Wars, too. Sounds like it should be an interesting month!

Anything you guys would like me to blog about?

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T23:25:00.003-07:00

It's the night before Halloween, and we had our kind of "grown-up" Halloween. We went to see a scary movie (Paranormal Activity) and went to a pretty decent haunted house. To keep up the vibe, I decided it would be a good time to get caught up on Ghost Hunters. Tomorrow night we'll start early since we have The Monsterette tomorrow night. We were thinking either the zoo or Old Town before some trick-or-treating. I think tomorrow I'm going to decorate a cool Venetian style mask to wear trick-or-treating. Should be a good time! Pictures soon, after we all come out of our sugar-induced comas.

What are you're plans for Halloween? Hope you have a great time, no matter what you do!

Some Hippy Stuff

2009-10-26T20:09:00.002-07:00

I've been going through my blog lately, kind of like looking through an old journal. Remembering things I created, projects I started, memories I made, things I did. I thought I would give you old readers a little update on some of my greener endeavors, and some new readers a little more information about me. Assuming, of course, there is actually still someone reading this out there.

Anyways, in the summer of 2008, I decided to quit using shampoo and go for a more natural option. I now use baking soda dissolved in a glass of water, and some diluted cider vinegar if I feel like I need a little conditioning. (Side note: the vinegar is actually good for balancing the Ph of your scalp, too!) Looking back, I've been doing this for over a year now! The benefits of this are great. I save a TON of money, because baking soda is rediculously cheap, I'm not exposing myself to anything unnatural just by washing my hair, and my hair is a lot healthier for it. I do, on occasion, use some shampoo. It is all-natural, and is made by Alba. Really, the only reason I use it is because it was a gift from my boyfriend for Christmas. I use it very rarely, though- that bottle, which is not very big, should last me through this Christmas. So, yes, a decision I am glad that I made!

I also decided to start making my own laundry detergent. I still think this works great, it is a much less expensive alternative, and I really like being able to use something less polluting and more natural here, as well. I still have not found a good alternative to stain remover though, and that's kind of neccessary with a toddler. Always searching, though!

I am still on the search for the perfect (for me, at least) natural soap. I always thought I would do a big test, but of course, since a bar of soap lasts quite a while, it would be slow going. Maybe "Soap Wars" is still in the works, though. Maybe I should figure that out...

Hmmm, what else... I have switched to an all-natural deoderant (I refer to it as my "hippy deoderant"). It took me a few tries to find my favorite one there, too. I also use all-natural toothpaste, and try to use all-natural lotions and what-nots as well. Lotion I am not so picky on, mostly because a lot of what I have isn't natural, and I'm not one to throw something out just because. I'll use it until it's gone. Waste not, want not and all that jazz.

(Another side note: The Boyfriend says "'What's up!" He also want's me to say something all mushy and gross, but that's another day.)

I use diluted white vinegar to disinfect and clean around the house. I find it works pretty well, maybe a little more elbow grease required. I don't mind that, though. It's also really cheap, I'm not having to deal with packaging waste, it's 100% food safe, and it's not harmful to people or the environment. Woot!

Hmmm. I'm also trying to do my part to recycle (The Retro Palace is in part of the Albuquerque test market area!), working on cutting back on processed foods, and thinking about starting composting. I would also like to have a little garden next year! I think that would be so cool!

So, that's pretty much what's been going on in my life as far as "green" goes. I'm making small steps to making less of an impact, not only on the environment, but also on myself and my family. I feel pretty good about all of it, and most of it is just second nature now.

Do you have any "green" habits, or things that you do to lessen your impact?

Balloon Fiesta 2009

2009-10-25T13:52:00.002-07:00

Every year in Albuquerque, there is a massive festival of hot air balloons. Our tourist areas fill, traffic gets crappy, and dogs all over the city freak out. Really, though, there is no way to explain how magical it is to go down to the big, grassy field of Balloon Fiesta Park, congregating in the cold early morning (5:30 AM is a good time to get there) with masses of people from all over the world, watching as that first balloon goes up in the dark, glowing with every blast of the burner, to check the weather conditions, and then the awesome experience of hearing and seeing and being surrounded by hundreds of hot air balloons filling, rising, slowly taking to the air. The whole experience fills me with joy and happiness and child-like wonder. It really is amazing. This was the first year that The Monsterette was really excited to go, too, and she had such a great time. Also, my mom, two aunts, and my grandparents were here for the festival, which was great, too! It was a lot of fun to share with my family.

I always take TONS of pictures at the Balloon Fiesta, and this year was no exception. Here are my Top 10 from the morning sessions, in somewhat chronological order:

The first balloons of the day, all lined up and ready to launch:

The Monsterette, with some cinnamon roll on her face:

One picture was enough, mom:

The balloons up before the sun:

The balloons that stray from the conventional shape are called "special shape" balloons:

That little white spot is the moon:

One of the special shape balloons, right after launch:

They also do a special event at night, called a Balloon Glow. This year was the first time I have been able to go, and it was a blast! They start filling the balloons right before dark, and they are all inflated and tethered across the field. Once it gets dark, a blast from the burner will light up the balloon. Also a very magical experience! I haven't uploaded those pictures yet, but will share as soon as I do.

If you're bored, check out my pictures from 2007 Balloon Fiesta! Apparently last year I didn't post pictures of it. Oh well.

Oops.

2009-10-24T15:06:00.002-07:00

Once again, blogging got away from me. A lot of family was here, a big festival of balloons, a surprise trip to Minnesota with The Monsterette, and of course the general business of my life- being a mom, going to class, doing my homework, and trying to squeeze in time for a few friends, my wonderful boyfriend, and Facebook. But here I am, on a chilly Saturday, and all day I have been pretending like there isn't homework or laundry or dishes, that the really the only thing needing to be done is to lounge around in my pajamas and catch up on the blogs that I used to read and miss dearly! This evening The Boyfriend is at work, so it'll be a quiet house- maybe a stop at my friend Devon's gallery to hang out for a bit, and then a night to myself. Since I'm neglecting all of the things I should be doing, I suppose I could continue that into the evening, instead of working on the refinishing projects in the garage or picking up the mess all over the house. I would much rather sit and watch a movie, maybe do some knitting, or curl up with my book and some hot herbal tea. Sometime this week, hopefully in the next few days, I'll post my pictures from Balloon Fiesta- Always a great time, and a great chance to take some cool pictures!

See you soon...

NM State Fair

2009-09-24T17:53:00.002-07:00

Lots of fun at the State Fair this year. I do wish I could go back, I missed most of the exhibits and didn't get any free crap! With the move, though, don't think I'll be going back. We'll see. Anyways, we had fun with what we did do! the Ferris Wheel whas the first request:

After that we got some yummy funnel cakes and headed over to the petting zoo:

The Monsterette had a lot of fun petting and feeding all the animals, and I'm always happy to pet a sheep! After a good handwashing, we took a break for some ice cream. Doc and I already finished ours:

The Monsterette decided the best way to eat her cone was from the sides:

Next was the Midway. I'll admit, I really don't care about the rides and games and all that crap. I generally avoid the Midway when I go to the fair, but Doc and his kids were all excited about it, so I took Joie on her first big kid ride:

The Tilt-A-Whirl was always my favorite when I was younger! She looked scared pretty much the entire ride, but was pretty excited about it after we got off. And even after half of a funnel cake, an ice cream cone, some cheese fries, and cotton candy she managed to NOT get sick! I was pretty happy about that! She went on a few more rides, and then her and I sat down for a few minutes to let the "big kids" go on a few rides. Mommy took pictures:

Well after bedtime and barreling into a major sugar crash, we all stumbled back to van to head home. All in all, a pretty good fair visit. I think my tummy is still recovering, though!

Quick Update

2009-09-21T07:24:00.003-07:00

Hi again! Thought I would pop in before I headed off to class and started a busy, busy week. Feeling a little better now, I think the antibiotics are helping, yay! Still pretty tired, though, I just wish I could get caught up on sleep!

On Saturday me and Doc and The Monsterette and his two (teenage) kids went to the State Fair and had a blast- pictures of that coming soon!

We officially started moving our crap into The Retro Palace yesterday! There is still a TON of packing and stuff to be moved, but we'll get through it. It'll be nice to finally be settled in and not have to worry about moving for a few years!

Well, that's about it for now, I guess. I'll go through my Fair pictures soon and get those up!

Oh and who's still reading this? I have this odd feeling that everyone has given up on my blog...

Sick & Tired.

2009-09-18T18:03:00.002-07:00

I went to the Student Health Services center on campus yesterday to get my nasty cough checked out. Apparently I have bronchitis. The nurse gave me a prescription for some antibiotics which I meant to pick up today, but of course The Monsterette barfed all over herself as soon as we got into the Wal-Mart parking lot. Joy. So, I'll pick that up tomorrow. Hopefully it will make me feel better. Today I was planning on catching up on some much needed R&R, but no go. Oh well. There's always next Friday. I haven't been sleeping well because of my waking up frequently with coughing fits, and some craziness going on in my life. Oh hell, let's skip to the good stuff.

My mom and dad are getting a divorce. Really, it's been a while coming, and it's for the better. But in the last week or so, a LOT of really messed up stuff about my dad has been coming into light. Apparently, he's been living a double life. I don't really want to get into the nitty gritty details, and most of you close to me already know them, anyways. But he's done some really hurtful stuff, not just to my mom, but to me and my siblings, as well. He's being a really big asshole, and I'm questioning if I really ever want to see or talk to him again. So that's been pretty rough. I'm not really sure how to deal with it all, I'm still in shock about a lot of it.

All in all, it's been a really long week. Hopefully I'll be able to muster the energy to go to the State Fair tomorrow.

On a more postive note, I did get new shoes today. Woot for new shoes!

The Retro Palace

2009-09-15T16:10:00.002-07:00

We have been looking for a house to rent to get out of our tiny little apartment. After some searching and one heartbreaking denial, we found it. A roomy 3 bedroom house in the NE Heights, 1 3/4 bathrooms, 2 car garage, great yard (needs grass, though- more on that in a minute), wood floors, a fireplace.. All around, a really great house. The house, though, was built in 1965, and that is a little bit apparent throughout. Take, for example, the original oven that (allegedly) still works:

All in all, though, the kitchen isn't bad:

The counters are a not-too-bad golden yellow color, and all the cabinet hardware is copper colored. Really, though, not too bad, and with some cute curtains, I think it'll be a decent kitchen.

The living room is pretty awesome:

The fireplace wall is the only wall with wood paneling, thank jeebus, and I think that the built-in bookshelves make up for that. The beautiful (insert eye rolling) orange velour curtains are going to get replaced with some nice blinds. On the wall opposite the window, which you can't see in this picture, is a big ol' chunk of mirror tiles. Totally fug, and must go. it looks like the installers of said gross mirrors at least had the common sense to put them on a board and then attatch it to the wall, so removal of that should be pretty painless. I think the mirror above the firelace is going to go, too.

The master bath is pretty small and just has a shower, but I love the colors:

This is the shower, and is actually pale yellow and black. I'm planning on doing black bathroom accessories, which should make it look pretty cool!

And now, the grand finale, my favorite part of the whole house. Let me introduce to you what I have fondly dubbed The Pink Bathroom:

I love this little bathroom! The pink toilet makes me smile and giggle, all at the same time. I think it is so cute! Planning on getting rugs and towels and whatnot in a light grey color and stainless steel accessories. I think it'll look really great! Of course, I will take pictures of the house when it is all settled and little updated. There's lots more to show, too!

Anyways, we're moving into The Retro Palace in 10 days. Yaay! I'm really excited!

See you guys soon!

Let's Try This Again...

2009-09-14T19:15:00.002-07:00

I really miss blogging! I was thinking tonight that I really do have time to blog at least three times a week, if not more. And I like blogging. And I miss you guys, if there's anyone left out there! So, here I am. Blogging. Feels good. Hopefully I'll be able to peel myself away from Facebook long enough to start reading some of my favorite blogs again, too!

Well, let's see what's going on in my life. Still doing the whole college thing, that's going well. Still planning on getting a divorce, but me and the ex are getting along realy well, which is great. He's really a good friend. Me and Doc (the new beau) have been together 10 months as of today! Yay! We have been harmoniously coexisting for about 6 months now, and it's a really great relationship. He makes me happy. Now, I'd love to write lots about Doc, and I most likely will. I know that some of my readers out there (if they ARE still out there) are good friends of The Ex-Hubbster, so if you don't want to hear all about my new relationship, you might be better off not reading. Consider yourself disclaimed! Anywho. What, else... knitting! Have been getting my knitting mojo back, slowly. No photos yet, I need to try to buy my favorite photagraphy table bench thingy from The Ex-Hubbster. It was so perfect! Hmmm. Maybe I should call him and ask... OH! And Doc and I just signed a lease for an awesome house to rent for the next few years whilst we stick around here in Albuquerque. That's a blog post in itself, though! So, anyways, I'm back. And hopefully it's not a false alarm this time.

Making an Effort

2009-03-27T11:13:00.002-07:00

Hey, guys! Any readers still out there?

Anyways, I'm going to be trying to blog more. Life is sort of settling down here. Monsterette and I got all moved in to our new place, and I really like it. The space is excellent, and it's mine, which is great. I lost my job about a month ago, and thank goodness for the extra money from my student loans, which has carried me up until this point. I'm still looking for another job, though- as most of us in the US know, the job market here pretty much blows. I had a good interview today, though, and am keeping my fingers crossed that I get it, because now I'm really struggling for money.

The whole divorce thing is still wierd. We haven't filed yet, but getting there, working out all the stupid paperwork and stuff. Ex-Hubbster and I are on friendly terms, which is good. I'm dating again, but don't want to get too much into that here. But I'm happy, just incredibly stressed about life and money. I've had a few really bad points the last few weeks, but have struggled through them. Things are definitely hard, but looking better every day.

One good thing that has come from all this is getting back in touch with my faith. I've been away from it too long, and getting active in it again has really brought my some much needed peace of mind.

Knitting has been scarce, mostly because I'm still trying to get a routine down for my life, which is hard without a job. But I have been knitting. I'll try to take some pictures of stuff for you guys and get them up here.

OH! And the Boyfriend and I went to Las Vegas, Nevada for Valentine's Day! It was my first time in Vegas- we had SO much fun! It was really great. I can't wait to go back. Maybe I'll post some pictures of that, too.

I feel so disconnected from all you guys- all my far away friends, the people I love, but I really only have a connection with here and on Ravelry. I miss reading blogs! Please, leave me a comment or shoot me an email with what's been going on in your life. I miss my friends!!

Oh, and Sarah, I AM working on the amigurumi. I feel SOOOOOOOOO bad about it. The guilt is killing me! I promise that I'll have them done before next Christmas. ;)

Anyways, email me, write to me, comment to me, call me, something! I'm lonely!

Getting back to life.

2009-02-01T21:56:00.003-07:00

Alright, I know it's been FOREVER, and I never did reply to some of your comments. Please know that even if I did not get back to you, I really appreciated all the support and everything that you guys poured my way. It really helped.

Anyways, LIFE. I've been working full-time, and also still doing the full-time student thing, which keeps me busy enough. Throw in all the other chaos (being sick, a divorce, sick baby, driving all over the place) and life gets pretty hectic. I've been managing, though, but really, really busy. I've also found a GREAT place to live near Old Town Albuquerque, which is really awesome. it's affordable, and the perfect size for me and the Monsterette.

On that note, things are kind of weird. I miss the stability of my life, miss being part of a family. It's odd to think that next weekend when I move into my new place, I'll officially be a "single mom." Well, the divorce isn't final on paper, but yeah. Still. Weird. I'm kind of struggling with it, but I really don't have any time to be stressed about it or dwell on it too long, which I suppose is a good thing. It sucks that I have pretty much lost half of my family and most of my friends- none of EX-Hubbster's family is talking to me AT ALL, and the few mutual friends that were hanging on by a thread after the divorce stuff came around have all disappeared into the ether. So I really appreciate the few friends I have left in town and around the world.

Surprisingly, I have found a tiny bit of time to knit here and there. I've been working on a cute hat in colorwork, which I'm really enjoying. I'll try to get some knitting updates here soon- I would like to get the ol' blog dusted off and running again, if I still have any readers left.

Once again, thanks so much for the support and well wishes and happy thoughts sent my way. Even if I don't have time to respond, know that it is very much appreciated, and I consider you guys my friends.

Oh, and I haven't read a blog in MONTHS, so don't feel bad if you feel like I'm not responding or talking to you- it's not you. Really. It's me. Once the dust settles, I'll sit down and read blogs for two days straight and get all caught up on your lives. Miss you all!

Life.

2008-11-27T17:13:00.002-07:00

Life is more than a little crazy here right now. I'm getting a divorce. Things have kind of crumbled around me, and not quite sure what I am doing yet. I'll try to post here, but I'm just not sure what to post about. I will respond to comments and emails when I get the chance to. Not much knitting or anything going on.

Hey, Look!

2008-11-14T09:44:00.002-07:00

I'm posting before noon! It's not a few minutes before midnight! Imagine that...

Ummmm, not really sure what to blog about today.

Do you guys read PostSecret? If not, you should go check it out. I live the mornings I sit quitely with my tea, reading through the secrets of other people, just letting the emotions wash over me- sadness, happiness, fear, pain, love. Kind of amazing, really.

So, I've been listening to a lot of hip hop lately, mostly just a mix cd that I made. I like it because it's all upbeat, and I can dance around to it. I don't know if any of you listen to any hip hop at all, but have you noticed (if you do listen to it) that they come up with some of the weirdest shit in the lyrics? Like "I got so much chips you can have a bag if you're a snacker." Huh? And what about "Them birthday cakes, they stole the show." Ummm, right. Seriously, I don't get it sometimes. Remember "I love you like a fat kid loves cake"? Hee hee.

Oooooh, so much work to do this weekend. School is hard. Blegh.

Alright, should go get ready for class.

Speaking of! Have I mentioned that I have to wear ugly navy blue scrubs to all of my cosmetology classes? Weird, isn't it? At least I'm comfortable and don't have to think about what I'm wearing. But man are they fug.

Alright, really going to get ready for class now.

Randomosities

2008-11-13T23:58:00.003-07:00

Remember, tomorrow is the last day of the Army of Women contest. Get your blogs posted and let me know! Also, if you wanted to donate a prize for the goodie box, please get in touch with me. It would be much appreciated!

Thought I would give a short "life" update. School has been going really well, and keeping me pretty busy. tomorrow I register for next semester's classes, which I am excited about. Been hunting for a job and a daycare for the Monsterette. I've been dealing with some rougher stuff, like my grandpa having cancer again, that is making life just a bit more stressful and not so fun at times.

I got glasses. I was getting really bad headaches with all the time I've been spending at the computer, and I knew it had to be vision-related. They've helped wonders, and I'm getting over how old having to wear glasses makes me feel, and starting to kind of like them.

I've been knitting on a hellacious project for The Hubbster. It's very cool, and he'll love it, but it has been driving me crazy. I just can't seem to get in the groove with this one. I'll be blogging more about that in the future, though.

I think that's about it for tonight, it is late and I need to get some sleep! See you tomorrow!

Because I'm Being Lame today

2008-11-12T20:28:00.004-07:00

Really, you knew this was coming.

more animals

Ten on Tuesday

2008-11-11T14:40:00.002-07:00

Ten Predictions for the Next Four Years

1. I'll get at least one degree in college.
2. We'll move out of state, probably back to Minnesota.
3. I'll finally get back to my pre-pregnancy weight.
4. My grandpa is probably going to die.
5. At least one assassination attempt.
6. Monsterette's first day of school.

Bah, that's all I got. I think this was supposed to be more...national, but really, I try to keep politics off of my blog. I get sick of it everywhere else, so I try not to bring it here.

Happy Tuesdays, see you tomorrow!

Taos Wool Festival Haul

2008-11-10T19:06:00.005-07:00

Blah.

2008-11-09T23:33:00.000-07:00

I was all ready to blog about Taos Wool Festival, but after going through all my pictures, I'm kind of just tired. So you get a crappy post instead.

We pawned off the Monsterette on grandma until Wednesday, which is heaven. James and I had a date tonight andwent to the bar to watch my foorball team beat the Eagles. Had some dinner, a couple beers, it was good fun. I am looking forward to not waking up to her harrassing me at 6 am tomorrow.

Will be blogging about Taos Wool Festival tomorrow- it'll be good, promise! Now it's off to bed for me...See you tomorrow!

More Random Yarn

2008-11-08T22:21:00.002-07:00

the lovely and incredibly talented Sarah traded me some yarn for some amigurumi. I, um, haven't finished the amigurumi yet, but I'm close to finishing them. I do feel guilty about it, especially since this gorgeous yarn is sitting in my stash already:

This is Sarah's "Ode to the Sea" sock yarn, which is a merino/tencel blend. it is deliciously soft and yummy! The colorway is "Jungle". I think this yarn is going to become a pair of Monkey socks. The colors are perfect for the pattern, and really? Monkey socks? Jungle colorway? It's practically begging for it!

Sarah does some beautiful work, folks, and you should go snatch up what you can. You can find her amazing creations in yarn over at Perfect Day Yarns.

Thanks so much, Sarah!

One Last Question

2008-11-07T23:49:00.000-07:00

I forgot one of the questions on yesterday's interview, so here it is. Sorry, Katie!

Me: If you could go out to dinner with one person from history, who would it be, and where would you go eat?

James: I'm going to have to say Jesus. Well, all the people there at the last supper.

Me: But the question says just one person.

James: Fine. Jesus.

Me: And where would you go eat?

James: Ummmm.... Denny's.

Me: *Laughs uncontrollably*

James: If I could have all the disciples, I would go somewhere fancier, just so I could here them say "Jesus, party of 14?"

Interview With The Hubbster

2008-11-06T16:45:00.002-07:00

Alright, I recored this and am going to just write exactly what was said. Enjoy!

Me: So James, what is the meaning of life?

James: The meaning of life is to live.

Me: Would you rather be a beautiful, talented, and happy drag queen in a stable relationship with a partner of similar traits, or would you rather be beautiful, in a straight relationship, but unhappy for the rest of your life?

James: Well I guess it's all about happiness, so I'd go with the happy drag queen aspect.

Me: James, would you rather have glorious, beautiful locks of luscious flowing hair and never be able to cut it, or would you rather be completely bald, but handsome?

James: Completely bald and handsome.

Me: Knit or crochet?

James: Knit.

Me: If Pinocchio said "My nose is about to grow," what would happen?

James: Who asked that?

Me: Autumn.

James: Well that means he'd be lying or excited. One of the two.

Me: *uncontrollable laughter*

Me: Do you know the muffin man?

James: The muffin man?

Me: The muffin man.

James: On mulberry lane, or something like that?

Me: *more laughing*

Me: If olive oil comes from smashed olives, where does baby oil come from?

James: Alright, this isn't the James' obscure knowledge test! ...Smashed babies?

Me: if a smurf is chocking, what color does he turn?

James: White? I guess it depends on the race of the smurf.

Me: Why do they have braille on drive-thru ATMs?

James: For those blind drivers.

Me: Tattoos? Have any?

James: No. (side note: he wants to get one, though.)

Me: New Mexico or Minnesota? Details.

James: New Mexico for the mountains and the chile, Minnesota for the better education and United States. (side note for clarification: NM is kind of like a third-world country in some ways. That's what he means.)

Me: What was the one silly/funny/serious thing that made you decide to marry your wife?

James: That would have to be how fun and interesting our first date was.

Me: No, I'm not elaborating.

Me: if a hippo pooed while under water, would it float?

James: The hippo or the poop?

Me: Both.

James: Is that on there?

Me: No.

James: I'm not answering that.

Me: James, would you rather love and not be loved back, or be loved but never love?

James: Who asked that one?

Me: Autumn.

James: Did she ask all of these questions?

Me: *dirty look*

James: I would rather be loved and never love.

Me: What is your favorite color?

James: It all depends on my mood. I don't really have a favorite color. It's somewhere on the cool side, greens and blues, but it all depends on what its on. If...well like I love the color of autumn leaves, I love the color of a sunset, those are all warm colors of course, but it all depends.

Me: What is the weight of an unladen swallow?

James: African or European?

Me: Way to go baby! *high five*

James: As a footnote to all of this, those were not the most informative questions about me at all. Very disappointed in you blog readers.

Me: You can't insult my readers!

James: Oh. Nevermind.

Me: Well that was fun, don't you think?

James: Like having teeth pulled without Novocaine.

Ten on Tuesday

2008-11-05T08:30:00.002-07:00

Ten Things I Love Talking About

1. The Monsterette. Really, what parent can resist talking about their child whenever given the oppertunity?

2. Movies.

3. Knitting, of course!

4. Books and other readings- I love to get in discussions about this stuff.

5. Nerdy stuff- computers, RPGs, math, physics, and so on.

6. Weird or funny things I find on the internet.

7. The Hubbster. I know a lot of the times I talk about him, it's bitching about something, but hey, we all need that, right? I really do love the guy. Yes, even if he does leave cupboards open all the time and refuses to put dirty dishes in the dishwasher and still doesn't know where the pans live and leaves the cap off of the toothpaste...

8. Anything creative or crafty.

9. My ideas and thoughts on anything. (Okay, I know that was kind of vague, but I sometimes love to just babble about what's in my head.)

10. Alright, fine. I like to talk about sex. Well, not just about sex, stuff that revolves around it. Most of you who know me even a little are aware I'm a little lewd at times. But you love it, and you know it.

See you tomorrow, with more yarn pictures! Oh, and the questions for Hubbster are great so far, I'm getting excited for the interview, are you?

Did You Vote?

2008-11-04T17:42:00.002-07:00

Are you sick of hearing that, yet? The Hubbster and I voted this morning. Went pretty well.

Keep the awesome questions coming for The Hubbster! Ask two, if you want to! I'm excited to do the interview with him. I think it is going to be frickin' hilarious.

So, I started a new knitting project, but I'm not ready to share it. Soon, though.

That's it from me tonight, off to knit!

See you tomorrow!

Random Yarn P0rn

2008-11-03T19:49:00.003-07:00

I got some good yarn from Tuesday Morning, of all places, a few weeks ago. (for those of You who don't know Tuesday Morning is a kind of discount store.) I picked up these three balls of Ella Rae Palermo for half price:

It's 100% Wool. I just couldn't resist the beautiful pinks and greys together! And it's soft and smooshy. Yum!

I also got this Laines Du Nord Cashsilk for over half off:

Sorry for the kind of crappy picture on that one. This is a luscious blend of 50% extrafine merino, 25% silk, and 25% cashmere. YUM. And a gorgeous raspberry color I totally didn't do justice with my photo. I only got two balls, so only about 130 yards, but I think it'll make a very yummy neckwarmer, don't you?

And really, folks, let's get some more questions for The Hubbster, please?! I guarantee it'll be frickin' hilarious to read his responses. He's a funny guy. And weird. Seriously, ask ANYTHING!

More Yarn and Other Stuff

2008-11-02T21:17:00.002-07:00

A few weeks ago, I picked up some yummy orange Shibu silk from the clearance wall at the LYS:

I just couldn't resist it, I loved the juicy colors and the soft rawness of it. I have no idea what I'm going to make with it, but I bet it'll be scarfy. Any ideas? I bet it drapes like a dream!

Hubbster has kindly offered to be the subject of my blog for one day, so let's ask him all kinds of weird stuff! He asked that I give a little background so we don't get a bunch of the same questions over and over. So, here's the general dirt on The Hubbster: He's 34, and is currently working on his bachelor's degree in Fine Arts. He loves painting, drawing, photography, reading, playing devil's advocate, discussing non-PC topics, and me. I told him that I would tell you guys you can ask ANYTHING, and he has to answer! And really, he's a funny guy, so this should be fun. Leave your question(s) in the comments, and I'll start making a list! You guys will also get the bonus of a few HILARIOUS pictures of him when I blog the answers. So go crazy!

See you tomorrow!

That Time Again

2008-11-01T14:24:00.003-07:00

November first again, folks, and that means time for NaBloPoMo! I know that I kind of fell off the planet for a while there, but hopefully NaBloPoMo will be the kick I need to get back on track with regular blogging. As a sign of good faith, I photographed all my previously unshared yarn today! Here's just a little peek, the beautiful yarn I got from (blogless) Margaret for my birthday:

This is one gorgeous hank of Malabrigo Lace, in the color "Snow Bird." I am completely in love with it! I already looooove the Malabrigo, and the colors in this are stunning. You can admit it- You're a little jealous. Is she not the bestest friend ever, to actually give this to me and not hoard it?!

So, there will be Ten on Tuesdays again, and pictures of yarny goodness, (maybe) finally finishing my Selfabet, and maybe even an FO or two along the way.

Oh, and I have this odd feeling all of my readers are gone. Are You guys still there? Can I have a show of hands, or something? anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Recruiting

2008-10-26T09:20:00.003-07:00

Hello again, folks! I got an email this morning from a good friend, and I think that it is an amazing idea. So, women out there, I want to recruit you to the Army of Women. (Please, click the link!) This is going to be a massive study for breast cancer research and prevention, something that should be important to each and every one of us. So go sign up, spread the word to your mom, your sister, your daughter, your friends. Because I think this is ridiculously important, I want you guys to spread the word! So, if you post a similar message of support on your blog with a link to the Army of Women site, you'll be entered into a drawing for a box of knitterly goodies (unless you're not a knitter, then we'll figure something out). Just leave me a comment and let me know you've posted it! Send your friends here to participate in the contest, too! And if you'd like to donate a goodie for the box, leave a comment for that, too! GO SPREAD THE WORD! I'll keep the contest open until November 14th.

So. Tired.

2008-10-20T18:28:00.002-07:00

Midterms should not be called "midterms". It should be called "that one week in the middle of the semester where you're so tired you can hardly stand it and you're studying so hard you want to die and sometimes you wish you could just cry or punch yourself in the face or both but you can't because you have to study more" week. Although that doesn't have quite the same ring to it.

Hee, even writing that made me giggle a little. Might be the lack of sleep, might be that I'm so damn funny I can't help but laugh at my own jokes. Hardy har har.

I really want to relax. one of my favorite things to do is lie on the couch and "motivate". today I told The Hubbster, "Dammit, I never get to motivate any more. All I do now is stuff, and it sucks."

I want to take yarn pictures. I want to knit more. I want to motivate on the couch. I want to watch television and go to bed at 9 (or earlier!) if I want to. As i always say, though, you can want in one hand and shit in the other, and see which fills up first!

Now that I think about that statement, it's kind of gross. i think I'm done here.

How's your week going? Will you all please do some motivating for me?

No Pictures Yet...

2008-10-17T21:52:00.002-07:00

...but at least I'm blogging, right? Gah. Sometimes being so busy sucks. Oh well.

My dear friend Erin offered to let me celebrate my birthday at her awesome house on Saturday, which ROCKS! Isn't she the sweetest?! (Oh, and Trent too, of course.) So, yaay for birthday celebrations!

I'm actually done with all my homework for this week! WOO! Now I just need to figure out a study schedule for midterms. That should be loads of fun. Let's give that another "woo". Ahem.

I REALLY want to show you guys what I got at the Wool Festival! That, and all the other pretty yarns I've accumulated in the last few months. Ooooh, and the birthday yarn! YUM! OOH OOH! I got a $40 amazon.com gift card for my birthday, too (thanks Cathy and Loren!) and squeezed four books out of that! Two are knitting, one is amigurumi, and one is embroidery. I'm excited to get them! It'll be like a little more birthday fun when each one comes.

Hmmm, what else... I got a new tattoo! It's one of nicknames from the Hubbster in Latin. No, you can't see it. And you probably don't want to know what it means. But it's cool, I promise!

This has been a good week. A really good week, in fact. Good good good. Maybe even great. Yeah, great.

Okay, enough blathering from me, I need to go catch up on my blog reading now!

A Rainy Birthday

2008-10-14T12:01:00.002-07:00

Who's birthday? Well, mine! Having a pretty good day so far, even if it is cold and rainy here today. I had a great time at the Balloon Fiesta, and it was really awesome to see all the family that came to visit me last week. I know I said I'd have pictures soon, and I will!

Still busy with school and just life in general, but it's going well. Life is pretty good, I guess. I'm a little bummed that my family left, but it's always hard when they do. I sure don't get enough time with them any more. Also a little bummed because I like the big, crazy party for my birthday (hey, I'm only 24!), but with no babysitter this year, and a tiny apartment, and living a good hour from all of our friends, I don't think it's going to happen this year. I guess this weekend will just be a mellow, quiet one with gaming on Saturday and football on Sunday and no partying.

Oh, and if you want to send me a birthday present, just let me know. I'll be more than happy to give you my address. Heh heh heh.

A Quick Hello

2008-10-06T09:54:00.003-07:00

Hi! Life has been consistently crazy, with the added bonus of a lack of sleep lately. School's been good, and I've been cleaning like a mad woman in preparation for a mass of family that is coming to visit this week. Went to the Taos Wool Festival on Saturday with some blogless friends, met the Ravelry folks, and spent a lot of money. I got some AWESOME stuff, though! I promise to share it soon. Hmmm, what else... Oh! Balloon Fiesta started on Saturday, as well, and today the wind was just right and blew all the balloons right over our apartment. Monsterette was pretty excited about that, and it was great to get our first glimpse of the balloons. Fall is getting into gear here, as well, with a bit cooler temperatures and the leaves finally starting to change color. Knitting here and there, and a new scarf on the needles.

Less boring updates soon, with pictures!

Updates

2008-09-30T09:49:00.004-07:00

Wow, it's been a long time. Too long. I do miss blogging, hopefully you guys miss me too! Here's what's been going on in my life.

1. Going to college full-time! School is going well, I like my classes and my teachers. I'm currently going to finish the Cosmetology degree that I started like 4 years ago. I should be able to finish up this summer, and that start working on a degree in Architectural Drafting. I'm really busy, but I'm also really happy. I'm really enjoying learning and classes and homework and all that jazz, and it keeps me really busy.

2. Crafting! I'm still squeezing in knitting and crocheting, but definitely not as much as I used to, or would like to. I'm currently working on a crochet project, and of course have a few knits on the needles. I have some crochet obligations to finish, and I'm also going to be participating in Socktoberfest. hopefully I'll finish the pair of socks I have on the needles and start a new pair!

3. Falling behind on Ravelry, reading blogs, and writing in my own blog. I've been so busy! I do still get on Ravelry every day, but it's usually after I've done some homework and been online for class stuff (I'm taking two distance learning classes).

4. Getting ready for the Taos Wool Festival this weekend! I'm SO excited about this. It'll be my first wool festival, and I'm going with (blogless) Margaret from my knitting group. The Ravelry folks are going to be there, too! how cool is that?!

5. Getting ready for some family to come visit. My mom, maternal grandparents, aunt, and great-aunt are coming to visit next week, just in time for the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. I love going to Balloon Fiesta, and it'll be a lot of fun to share it with my family.

6. My favorite time of year is coming up! It kick-starts with my birthday (Oct. 14th), and then it's a whirlwind- Halloween, Thanksgiving, Wedding Anniversary, Christmas, Monsterette's Birthday, and finally winding down with New Year's. I love the fall and winter, and the magic of the holiday season.

Well, that's my life in a nutshell. There, of course, is a lot of little things going on here and there, which hopefully I'll get to sharing too! There's also some awesome new goodies (fiber-related and otherwise!) I've got to share, too! I'm setting a goal for myself to get back into blogging- I'm aiming for 3-4 times a week for now. Hopefully I can get back into the swing of things! See you soon. Promise.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

2008-08-24T08:29:00.002-07:00

Ugh, it's been a while since I've blogged. Sorry. Life has been REALLY hectic and busy, but really awesome, as well. A few weeks ago, The Hubbster quit his job. He really hated it there, and rightfully so. That, though, is a whole different story.

So, a few weeks ago, we found ourselves with one last check in the mail, enough money to get us through August, and no income at all. Kind of scary. We sat down and talked about what we wanted to do- should we both try to work? Should he try to find a job that paid as well as the last one? We struggled with the ideas a bit, then came to the perfect decision for both of us. We're both going back to school. We might try to find part-time jobs, but we'll both be full-time students at the local community college. It looks like our student loans will be able to support us through the summer. Monsterette won't have to go into daycare at all, unless we decide to work. All in all, we're really happy with it, and family and friends have been very supportive.

All of this has been a little stressful, but we're thisclose to being done with everything. I have very little left to do, just getting my student ID and that stuff. I'm officially a registered, full-time student. (For those of you wondering, I'm really close to finishing my classes for Cosmetology. Not what I want to do forever, but it's a great option for me right now.) I'm a little scared. A little excited. A LOT happy. We both are, and that makes life much more easy to deal with. So, until classes start on the 2nd, we'll been doing a lot of running around, filling out forms, and standing in lines. But it's good.

I do feel bad about not blogging. More for myself than for you guys, even though I do love you guys. Blogging was a lot of my stress relief, my outlet to the world, my place to share my life with whoever wants to read it. to put myself out there, and to take a moment every day to write or share. So, I'm REALLY going to try to blog more. Life is going to be crazy, but I think everything will be okay. I hope so. I'll try to keep you all updated!

Ten on Tuesday

2008-08-12T16:15:00.002-07:00

This week's Ten on Tuesday is supposed to be your Ten Favorite Movie Villains, but I can hardly think of one! Instead I'll be doing last week's topic...

Ten Events That Should be in the Olympics

1. Speed knitting. How much fun would it be to watch this and hear the commentary?
2. Toddler Wrangling. You'd get low marks for crying or pulling out your hair.
3. Knife Throwing. I just think this would be fun to watch, really.
4. SCA-style Fighting. Those guys are bad ass.
5. Hide and Seek
6. Pizza Dough Tossing
7. Bowling
8. Curling, just because it's my favorite Winter Olympics sport and I'd like to be able to watch it more than once every four years.
9. Sheep/Alpaca Shearing
10. Egg Balancing Relay. you know, egg goes on a spoon, you try to walk as fast as you can without it falling off...

Trying to blog more. See you soon!

The Color, not the Flower

2008-08-06T07:16:00.003-07:00

you are orchid
#DA70D6

Your dominant hues are red and blue. You're confident and like showing people new ideas. You play well with others and can be very influential if you want to be.

Your saturation level is lower than average - You don't stress out over things and don't understand people who do. Finishing projects may sometimes be a challenge, but you schedule time as you see fit and the important things all happen in the end, even if not everyone sees your grand master plan.

Your outlook on life is bright. You see good things in situations where others may not be able to, and it frustrates you to see them get down on everything.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

Seen around bloglandia quite a bit, most recently at Monster Croche t and Twitchysticks (formerly Crochet all Day). What color are you?

Shitty.

2008-07-29T10:34:00.003-07:00

Today I am having a really shitty day. No, I don't really want to talk about why. As a result, though, I'm way stressed out and destroyed the low-carb diet I've been doing by devouring a bag (a full-size one, even) of Chili Cheese Fritos and four ice cream bars. Now I'm suffering from not only the stress of a shitty day, but a sugar crash, general sickish feelings, and the guilt of totally failing my eating healthy. I choked down my disgusting can of V-8 juice this morning for NOTHING. I'm all bummed and mopey now, and don't really have the motivation to get done what needs to be, but I'll do it anyways, because I have to. And pr0obably continue to be crabby. and then maybe take a really long shower and cry for a bit. I'll most likely continue to be pissy and mopey until I get to leave for Stitch n' bitch tonight, which usually cheers me up. I fucking hate days like this.

Socks!

2008-07-25T13:00:00.003-07:00

A few days ago, I finally finished my Desert Jaywalkers! WOO! They came out great, and fit like a dream. See for yourself:

I love these socks. They're super comfy and cozy and soft. LOVE! The pattern was really great, and I am beyond stoked that they fit so well. Awesomeness all around!

Once I finished those, I wasted no time getting started on another pair of socks. (Is this one of the signs of sock addiction? I didn't even CONSIDER any other project.) I decided to copy Sara, for once, and started a pair of the RPM socks in some Panda Wool (Her's were actually Panda Cotton, but whatevs). (I'd link to her project, but um, Sara? I cannot for the life of me figure out how to pull up an individual post from your blog. It hates me.) Anyways, I'll quit with the ellipses now (maybe) and get on with a photo:

This pattern is ridiculously simple. I think these socks are going to be great, too! Yaay for socks!

Okay, on a crappy note- something weird is going on with my elbow, and knitting seems to be aggravating it. so, I'm trying really, really hard to not knit for a couple of days. I don't think I'm going to last the rest of the afternoon...

Epic Fail.

2008-07-24T06:13:00.004-07:00

I totally dropped the ball on blogging. A few weeks ago, in my mad preparation for our SCA event, I decided to forgo blogging for a few days. It turned into a multi-week stand-off with the blog. Yep, I've failed at my blogging duties. Sorry.

I'm going to try to get back on track here, I promise! I've kind of missed blogging every day, but it's definitely been hard to get back into the groove. Well, consider me grooving. I have a TON of stuff to blog about! SCA, knitting, Soap Wars...These things need to get out of my head and onto the hypothetical paper of my online journal here. Stay tuned, folks, we're getting back into the swing of things here at Chez Saving Nine. See you tomorrow! (Maybe this afternoon, if you're lucky. don't push it, though.)

Ten on Tuesday

2008-07-08T06:16:00.002-07:00

My Ten Favorite Movie Characters

1. Ariel, The Little Mermaid
2. Donnie, Donnie Darko
3. Tim, Monty Python and the Holy Grail
4. Dory, Finding Nemo
5. Leonidus, 300 (YUM.)
6. Bob, What About Bob?
7. Gladys Leeman, Drop Dead Gorgeous (played by Kirstie Alley)
8. Marge Gunderson, Fargo
9. Ghost Dog, Ghost Dog
10. Velma Kelly, Chicago

Sloppy Joes

2008-07-07T23:07:00.001-07:00

I made sloppy joes for dinner tonight, and thought you guys might like the recipe! I've always made mine from scratch, using this recipe from my grandma. They really are excellent. Enjoy!

Sloppy Joes

2 lbs. ground beef
1 1/2 C. Ketchup
1/2 C. chopped onion
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
2 Tbsp. mustard

Brown beef and drain. Mix all ingredients together, add water if needed to thin the sauce. Simmer about half an hour on stovetop, or in a crockpot for 4-5 hours.

This recipe can be halved pretty easily, too. Yum!

Urf.

2008-07-06T22:55:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this little blog comic strip, and thought I would share. It's actually rather funny. Go check it out!

Saturday, July 5th, 2008

2008-07-05T17:52:00.000-07:00

Yep, we're in Santa Fe again. We came up yesterday for the fourth, and it was pretty mellow. Good food, hanging out with friends, that sort of thing. Hubbster and I also quit smoking, cold turkey, yesterday. I didn't think quitting would be this miserable. Here's to hoping it gets better. I hope this publishes, because this computer sucks. (I really wish my mother-in-law would just get a new one already!)

2008-07-04T09:27:00.000-07:00

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY, EVERYONE!

Stuff.

2008-07-03T21:21:00.002-07:00

Another busy day- Hubbster was home a little early from work, so we decided to go get some supplies for the upcoming SCA event. We both want a rosary to wear, so we got supplies for that. I also made myself two necklaces today- a pearl one, and another with red glass beads. Both turned out great! I'll have to post pictures soon. My rosary is going to be a little, delicate one, with dark blue jasper beads. Should be very pretty, and go well with my dress (it's light blue).

I did some more sewing, and all of the sewing on the bodice of my dress is done, and I pieced together the skirt tonight. All that's left for the dress is pleating and attaching the skirt, hemming, and putting eyelets on the bodice for lacing up the front. I'm getting close to being done, which is good, considering the event is next weekend! I'm planning to make a cloak, too, in case it gets cold and yucky. That should be a one-day project, though. I need to do the sleeves, too, but those should go quickly. Then more eyelets on those. I need to order some ribbon for lacing, finish the edges on my under-bodice...jeez, I still have a lot of work to do! Should be well worth it, though. I'm excited.

Well, that's about it- see you tomorrow!

Good Finds

2008-07-02T16:52:00.003-07:00

Now that it's summer, the Hubbster and I like to go garage sale-ing on Sundays. Last week was our first real morning going out, but we hit a few good sales, and came away with some cool stuff. Among the finds were a little bag of dress-up beads for the Monsterette and a nice bag for me, probably a secondary knitting bag- when the big one is too big, and the small one is too small.

The last garage sale we hit was a really nice lady with some cool stuff. (This is where I got the bag.) She had a whole box of yarn, most of it acrylic. I did, how ever, dig for some treasure, and got an entire bag of this for a buck:

That, my friends, is Reynold's Lopi Wool. I got a little over 500 yards. For only a dollar! I was soooo stoked. I know I'm not supposed to be buying any more yarn, but that was just too good to pass up.

I got to talking to her, and she knew me from my Etsy site. on thing lead to another, and I mentioned that I was trying to find good, natural soaps. Well, turns out she has an Etsy shop for that, as well! She gave me a whole bar of her lavender oatmeal soap for free, to try out. Is that awesome, or what?!

All in all, it was a great Sunday.

Ten on Tuesday

2008-07-01T10:14:00.002-07:00

Ten Favorite Sports to Play or Watch

To Play:

1. Volleyball
2. Badminton
3. Football
4. Pool

To Watch:

1. Football (Gooooo Giants!)
2. Baseball
3. Soccer
4. Curling (I know, it's weird. oddly fascinating, though.)
5. Gymnastics
6. Is Texas Hold 'Em a sport?

See you tomorrow!

Reorganizing

2008-06-30T18:17:00.002-07:00

Today I got a bit of a bug up my ass, as they say. I decided I need to make my craft crap more "grown up". Before this afternoon, this is what it looked like:

Cluttered, messy, and hard to find shit, mostly. I figured I would take the "purse approach"- It should only fit the essentials, and be pretty and grown-up looking. So, this is what I came up with:

Tada!! I like it. A lot. I've decided to keep my WIP's in the knitting bag, and extra crap in a drawer or my other knitting bag. The only stuff on the shelves is pretty yarns, books, and all my other crafty things. Oh, and my vase with vintage needles and my drop spindle. And a few little friends that I've gotten over the last few years.

At any rate, I should actually try and do some stuff that I have to do, like SCA sewing and things like that, instead of doing random, time-consuming, but mildly useless organizing. See you tomorrow- I'm off to sew!

Hope.

2008-06-29T19:19:00.002-07:00

Every Sunday, I faithfully read PostSecret. It is my first stop on the blogroll. I know that PostSecret is a huge supporter of Hopeline, which is a suicide hotline run by volunteers. Right now, they need a little help to keep this hotline out of the hands of the federal government, which really, is how it should be. Please take two minutes, watch this video, and help if you can.

'Poo Free, Day 18

2008-06-28T10:17:00.002-07:00

Time for another no 'poo update! (Are you getting sick of them yet??) It feels like it's been longer than 18 days, for sure. Anyways. on with the reporting.

So, I think I have my formula and process down. Currently, I've been washing about once a week, on Fridays. My hair is definitely still transitioning some, but I have noticed it's getting less and less greasy in between washings. I think I'm going to wait until it's adjusted before trying to go a little longer between the washings.

So, here's what I've found works the best for my hair. Just a reminder, my hair is really straight, and fine, but thick. It's long- a few inches past my shoulders.

1. I mix a double batch of baking soda wash, which is 4 teaspoons of baking soda and 2 cups of water. I stir it all up in a plastic cup.

2. Before I get in the shower, I comb my hair with a wide-toothed comb, to loosen any dirt or whatnot.

3. I bring my cup and comb into the shower with me. I pour the baking soda mix onto my DRY hair, starting with the scalp. I use about half the mix on my scalp, and the rest on the ends of my hair. My hair is totally saturated.

4. I let the mix sit for about a minute, and then scrub it around on my scalp. When I feel good and scrubbed, I comb it fairly well, and then rinse.

And that's it! I haven't been doing the vinegar rinse, because my hair hasn't really needed the extra moisture.

today was a bit of a glimmer of hope that this would work well for me- my hair looked and felt really nice after I washed it today. Clean, manageable, soft, and pretty! YAAY! Hopefully it'll continue down this road, and I'll have nice, soft, beautiful hair! Woo!

This is EXACTLY How They Are.

2008-06-27T20:45:00.001-07:00

more cat pictures

Off to Santa Fe again tomorrow. Another busy weekend. I'm excited to run my Serenity RPG campaign, though!

Doin' Stuff

2008-06-26T14:26:00.002-07:00

Gah. Still insanely busy. Enjoying it, though! Here's a little bit of what I've been up to, at least today:

Knitting! I do still knit! I started the second jaywalker (one of my goals, ya know!), and that's going along well enough. I definitely haven't been knitting as much as I'd like to. Hopefully after this upcoming SCA event, that'll change a bit- I should have more time to knit.

Speaking of SCA, I have my chemise done, which I'll be wearing under my dress, and then a corded bodice, which will go over that. The corded bodice is kind of like a corset, but not so stuffy and hard to wear. The one I made is functional, but not perfect- If I have time, I might do it over. I also drafted the pattern for the bodice of my dress today- yaay! It took forever, but now I should ahve a decent idea of how to make a bodice. I'll be doing a little test bodice tonight with some leftover muslin, and then on to my dress! Woo!

On that note, I should be doing a formal dress diary post soonish.

Hmmm, what else have I been doing....oh! SANDING! I'm actually getting close to finishing the sanding on the coffee table. Hopefully soon I'll be able prime it and paint it, and we'll be able to use it again. That'll be nice, since the coffee table does double duty as our dining room table. our actual dining room table is my sewing table, and when I'm not sewing, it holds crap. We don't have any chairs for it, though, hence why we don't ever use it for eating at.

I don't know if I mentioned this or not, but I've also been running a gaming session for the Hubbster and Erin on Saturday nights. A lot of me little bits of free time go into planning for that. It's been a lot of fun, though, and I ahve a TON of stuff to do before this Saturday! I'm going to try to be nice, since I almost killed them last weekend. MWAHAHAHAHA.

I think I'm going to arse around on the computer for a bit. (That's for you, Katie!)

I Got Nothing.

2008-06-25T20:37:00.001-07:00

Life has been CRAZY busy! Kind of nice, but kind of...well, crazy. Amidst all the craziness, I don't really have anything blog-worthy today. Or, maybe I don't want to make the effort. So, here's a LOLbunneh.

more cat pictures

Ten on Tuesday

2008-06-24T09:51:00.002-07:00

Ten Inventions That Have Made Life Easier

1. Sewing machines.
2. Electric sanders- my coffee table would stay exactly the way it was without it!
3. The internet- I love having a wealth of knowledge and entertainment and everything right at my fingertips.
4. Digital cameras. It is so nice to be able to take tons of pictures, and only print the ones that are actually good, instead of the crap-shoot we had to deal with with traditional film.
5. Indoor plumbing. 'Nuff said.
6. Modern printing. I love being able to collect books and have access to so many of them.
7. Diapers. I can't even imagine what life would be like with non-disposable diapers.
8. Dishwashers.
9. Can openers.
10. Crock Pots. Seriously, I don't know what I would do without it sometimes.

Obviously, I left out some of the "duh" ones, like electricity and cars. Anyways, see you tomorrow!

Natural Cleansing

2008-06-23T15:36:00.002-07:00

Since I made the switch to no 'poo, I've been reading the unsavory facts about some of the chemicals in every day things, like soaps and toothpaste. I've decided to make an effort to use all-natural products instead of the usual, which will hopefully reduce my family's exposure to these chemicals, and be better for the environment. My first major switches (not including shampoo, of course) are going to be toothpaste and soap. I'm not sure what I want to use for soap, and plan on testing a few bars from different places. I currently have an all-natural bar that was a gift that I'll try first. There's some all-natural soap available at my local grocery store, and I'd like to try something from Etsy sellers, as well. (I'm all about supporting a small, home-operated business.) I'll do reviews for the next few months, and let you guys know what I think. Who knows, there may be something AMAZING out there! I'm definitely open to more suggestions, and will be sure to try the ones you all have already suggested, as well.

On that note, are there any natural facial cleansers or soaps you know of that would work well for my face? I've thought about trying the oil-cleansing method, but it seems so time consuming. Would love some alternatives!

A Day in Santa Fe

2008-06-22T20:24:00.002-07:00

'Poo Free, Day 10

2008-06-21T07:41:00.000-07:00

I washed my hair yesterday, and noticed my ends we're still kind of greasy, so I washed just them again, with the same mixture of 2 tsp. baking soda mixed in 1 cup of water. It worked well! I didn't do the vinegar rinse, because my hair didn't seem to need any extra moisture anywhere. The whole thing is still going well, but my hair seems to be trying to adjust. I'm going to try to hold off on washing it until Saturday- We'll see how it goes. I'm really hoping my hair is going to adjust to this, and balance out, and not be so gross. We'll see. I may need to just increase my washings to twice a week or something- we'll see! I'll be keeping you all updated.

This n' That

2008-06-20T20:12:00.002-07:00

So, life has been kind of a busy mish-mash of things lately. It's been crazy busy, but I've been enjoying it! So, here's a sampling of what I've been up to!

Sewing, as you know. I've been working pretty consistently on my SCA garb, and I'm almost done with my camicia, which is basically underwear. It looks like a nightgown, sort of, I guess. I'll be taking pictures soon. I get to start my dress next, and I'm super excited about that!

Last night I started tackling the sanding of out coffee table. It's big and bulky and octagon-y. The finish on it is not very cute. So, Hubbster and I decided that we would refinish it. We're planning to do a chalkboard top in black, and paint the rest a nice dark pinkish grey. It'll be awesome when it's finished, but it's a LOT of sanding. Thank goodness for power sanders is all I can say about THAT.

All the little projects, and knitting, and crocheting, on top of all my day-to-day stuff, Adds up pretty quickly! I'm enjoying myself.

Hubbster wanted me to tell you all "hi" from him. Yes, he's a little odd.

off to order new cell phones- yaaay!

Baa.

2008-06-19T20:46:00.002-07:00

Ooooooh, I want one of these. Badly. Now, please. Go. Buy me squishies! Alternatively, go buy something pretty for yourself (or your knitting needles) at my Etsy shop, so I can get one.

Well, what're you waiting for?! I WANT A SQUISHY SHEEP!

'Poo Free, Day 7

2008-06-18T20:55:00.002-07:00

No 'poo update time! I washed my hair on Sunday, and used 1/2 a teaspoon less baking soda, to see if it helped with the greasiness. It didn't. I think (HOPE) that my hair is going through and adjustment phase, because it's kind of gross. Not horrible, but not super pleasant. I'll be washing again on Friday, and we'll see how it goes after that. All in all, though, I'm happy with my decision to go 'poo free so far, and I hope it works out. I think it will.

Since going 'poo free, I'd like to start going natural with my soap and toothpaste, as well. Thanks everyone who gave recommendations for this stuff! I've been looking into things, and I'll see how that goes, too.

In knitting news, I FINALLY cast on for my second Jaywalker sock last night at Stitch n' Bitch. Yaay! I haven't been knitting as much because of the sewing, but I'm still doing it here and there. OH! If I'm going to switch to all-natural soap soon, I'd like to make some "soap socks", since it's typically in bars. Know of any cute patterns out there? What yarn would YOU use? I look forward to your suggestions again. You guys really do rock!

Ten on Tuesday

2008-06-17T14:11:00.003-07:00

I don't really like this week's topic for ten on Tuesday, so I thought I would do my own.

Ten Things That Make Me Really Happy

1. The Monsterette's laugh.
2. My Hubbster.
3. finishing a project- be it knitting, crochet, sewing, etc.
4. Not having to clean.
5. Driving with the windows down, the music cranked, all by myself, and jamming out.
6. Talking to my mom and sister almost every day.
7. Sweets!
8. Learning something new, and being good at it!
9. How awesome my friends are, even the just-online ones.
10. My new swanky top-of-the-line Sonicare toothbrush my mom got me. Practically effortless, and leaves my teeth SUPAH-CLEAN! I love it.

What's Knitting (And Crocheting!)

2008-06-16T20:36:00.003-07:00

Contrary to the recent activity on this blog, it is still about the crafting! I have been knitting, but not as much, since I have this huge sewing project going on. (FYI: I don't think I'm going to do a separate dress diary, but just put posts for it in their own category, and make you guys deal with it.) Conducive to my summer knitting goals, I've been working on some projects that have been sitting waaay too long. First off was finishing this amigurumi:

I've had the bits and bobs for this one all done for a while, just needed to finish stuffing and sewing her together. Cute, huh? I originally had planned to send her off to someone, but Monsterette took an instant liking to her, and has claimed her as her own. (No kidding, I had to wait until she was asleep and sneak it out of the bed to take pictures.) The yarn is Caron Simply Soft in lavender. I suppose if you really want the pattern info and are too lazy to go look at my Ravelry projects page for it (or don't have Ravelry), I'll give it to you.

Next up is one of three or four preemie hats I crocheted, all which just needed the ends woven in:

They're all identical, so I only took pictures of one. Kind of cute, though! And they're itty bitty! It's hard to imagine there are wee little babies born with heads that small. I should've put a quarter or something in the picture for reference, but I didn't. You'll just have to imagine. They do fit inside the palm of my hand, though.

Last, but definitely not least, is my new favorite project. I'm stunned by it every time I pick it up, and I know it's going to be gorgeous when all is said and done:

This is the Celtic Cable Neckwarmer pattern, and it ROCKS. The little cables are actually kind of fun, and I love how it is turning out. I actually started this the first time at one of my Tuesday night Stitch n' Bitch meetings, but had to rip it out, due to cable-reversing wonkiness. (Ah, what we lefty knitters have to do to make cables look right!) At any rate, it's a nice, challenging knit that I'm enjoying. Now, because I can, a few close-ups to say goodbye:

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-15T20:41:00.002-07:00