Since my last post, I have parted ways with Facebook. Kinda. I use to spend waaaaay too much time on there, so I cut myself off. I only log on once a day, if that, for a quick check of certain peoples' updates. I don't comment, I don't do status updates, I don't "share" things anymore. I've also deleted the Facebook app from my Blackberry, and it's VERY liberating! If I do feel the absolute desire to send a little quip into the world wide web, I use Twitter, which limits me to like 140 characters. And, no one reads or responds to it, so it works well.

     Apparently my husband, who was the first to suggest I leave Facebook, has notice quite a difference in me. I do feel less obsessive compulsive about it. I also feel less regected, as stupid as that sounds. I mean, I had like 175 friends on my Facebook, but whenever I posted something I go little to no response. Like Drew Barrymore's character in He's Just Not That Into You: "Now you just have to go around checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies. It's exhausting." I am a very much introverted person, but when it came to Facebook and all forms of social networking, I am an extrovert. I have no idea why. I suppose it's the same reason I write this blog. I know no one cares, but I feel like I have something to say, and being that I am so painfully shy, I never get an opportunity to say these things out loud.

      I have been abandoning popular websites for a while now. Around 2003-ish, my friends and I were posting all over LiveJournal. Same story there: Me writing way too much and WAY too much drama developing. So, I jumped ship for Myspace at a friends recommendation. Rinse and Repeat. Myspace was getting out of control! So, I retreated to Facebook [around 2006/2007], which at the time was for college students only, so it was nice to go somewhere simple and quiet to connect with old school mates. Then they went public, and I thought it was SO awesome that all my current friends were leaving Myspace and joining me in my new world. And now, with all that's going on in the world, I can no longer stand the negativity that overwhelms my "Friends List." Sometimes Twitter makes me feeling like I'm shouting in to a HUGE mob of people yelling a lot louder than me, but I think that might be better for me, to keep me from getting obsessed. Really, I just use Twitter to follow Dita Von Teese, Michael Sheen, and Peter Facinelli. I think it's fascinating! I mean come on, Dita tweeting a photo of her ironing in her Paris apartment, which just happens to have a french door balcony looking out onto the Eiffel Tower?!

       SO! Instead of me smearing my personal business all over the internet [with the exception of this blog post], my husband treated me by taking me to Books a Million and pick out a pretty journal! I got this cute little red one with the old British Propaganda slogan "Keep Calm and Carry On" on it. We thought it was appropriate as well as being perfectly "me." I also got a FABULOUS bookmark to keep my place in it. Why is it fabulous, you ask? Because it has a picture of a zombie, a pile of yarn, and says "Zombies are crap at knitting." *pause for laughter* It makes me smile every time I open my journal. That right there is a step in the right direction. Any time I need to talk about something that doesn't belong anywhere public, it's going in this journal. I feel better already!

     Ultimately, all this has boiled down to me making an effort to kick myself in to gear. I mentioned in my last entry that I was doing a lot of thinking about the future. We recently went to Michael's and stocked up on a few supplies: canvases for my upcoming personal project [which my husband is actually rather excited about], and some new mediums to try for my etsy store. And yes, I am STILLLLLL working on that damn knitted bag, but LOOK! I've finally finished the face! It should go a lot lot LOT quicker now. I'm a little scared that I mucked up the dimensions, but... well.... meh!


And now, for your viewing pleasure, a couple snapshots from the spontaneous and goofy photoshoot that started whilst shopping in Michaels:

This Bob Bag sure is going slooowwwwww! I've just started on his mouth, and all I have to say is this: I will never EVER work with polyester yarn again! I got it because it was not only the cheapest, but also the sturdiest yarn to use for a big project that's not going to be worn but suffer a fair amount of physical abuse... ICK! I can barely stand to touch it at this point.

Not only do I have a growing animosity towards this particular knitting project, but there is another project I'm anxious to get started on - a *gasp* PERSONAL project! I want to do some painting on a big canvas. I've got an idea in mind, and I'm just excited to get going on it. Also, my plan is to lose weight and reward myself with a new homemade dress... in my favourite colour - deep purple!

Personal projects aside, I've also got aspirations and new ideas for my etsy store. And maybe, just MAYBE, even open another store just for the scrub caps I sew, and perhaps some other bits 'n bobs. *shrug* We'll see... Basically what all this means is that I need to go to Michael's and stock on supplies! w00t!


By the way, if you're looking for something totally cute and unique and/or feel like treating yourself, check out this etsy store, Hearts for Haiti, where all sorts of wonderful etsy sellers have donated items to sell with 100% of profits going to Doctors Without Borders to aid them in their work with Haiti! So far they have raised OVER $12,000, which I think is just AMAZING!!!!

Pfft. As if it were cold enough in Central Florida to warrant hibernation. Well, actually, it kinda is. Brace yourselves readers, this might shock you - We have SNOW in our forecast. Please, please - simmer down! Any Northern readers will no doubt be, at this moment, snorting at my use of the word snow. No, we won't be getting anything that will actually stick to the ground, but still - Doesn't the fact that there will be actual, real-life SNOWFLAKES falling down from the sky in FLORIDA deserve some attention? What was that nonsense about Global Warming? Nahhhh. It's just a conspiracy... Keep calm and carry on.


[Editing Note: I woke up at 5am to sleet against my window, so I walked outside to investigate and THIS is what I saw - Yes, the sleet was collecting on my plants and forming a snow-like appearance!]

Anyway. The purpose of this post may not be entirely to inform you of my latest crafting adventures... I know, I'm sorry. Well, it's just that, you know - with the holidays and all - I've not really done much... as in, I've done a fat load of NOTHING but get fatter! Ok, so that's not ENTIRELY true....

Right before Christmas, the always wonderful Miss Kelly came to me for more scrub caps... with some Christmas themed fabric. So, I spent a couple of days frantically trying to get those done for her to actually wear in time for Christmas. I finished those just in time to begin the mad bake-off for Christmas. I made Chocolate Covered Cookie Dough truffles, which tasted remarkably like cookie dough, despite not actually being made from cookie dough. [One more time for good measure: "cookie dough."] That's right - safe to devour without the risk of the nasties that come along with consuming raw egg! All there was to worry about was caloric intake, but since we all know that calories don't actually exist during Christmas, we were all free to gorge ourselves. They ended up being little festively bagged favours placed at everyone's table setting.

The other brand new, never attempted, edible crafting I did was to make biscotti! I wanted to make something that I could actually finish the night before Christmas, but that we could eat on Christmas morning [you know, before we broke into our stockings and started on the chocolate]. First of all, I have to admit that the author of this recipe [Biscotti with Cranberry and Almonds, dipped in White Chocolate] was none other than that HORRIBLE "Everyday Italian" Giada woman from the Food Network. Oh, how I loathe her! Her and her huge, toothy white smile and over-Italian-pronunciation. Blech! So whilst I secretly hoped that the recipe was horrible and icky, alas, it was delicious and simple. GRANTED, she tried to over complicate it with her usual, so-called "only the best" ingredients. Pfft. Maybe if I was married to a wealthy business man and had my own tv show on the Food Network I could afford to use only THE BEST white chocolate and FRESH dried, chopped cranberries - but then again, if I was, you wouldn't be reading this blog now, would you? And we all know how much you love reading this blog, so there you go! Anyway, despite her annoying me to death, even on paper, the damn stuff was delicious and I didn't burn the house down. I even bought a cute little glass tree shaped jar from - aw crap, caught again - WALMART to store them in! 'Tis the season to sell your soul for convenience.

So, where does that leave us - ah yes, Christmas day was a food-induced coma.... as was Boxing day... I honestly don't remember when my memory came back... So let's just write the whole week after Christmas off, shall we? I mean, honestly - who actually accomplishes anything between Christmas and New Years? Ah yes, New Year's Eve! Whilst I was busy getting my butt electronically handed to me on the Wii, apparently some people were shopping! I got a notification on my phone a couple hours before midnight of a sale on etsy! Pretty sweet way to bring in the New Year, if you ask me!

Unfortunately, stores apparently close early on New Year's DAY, which happened to be a Friday this year, so I couldn't get out to get any of my shipping supplies until the following Monday. I took everything I needed with me so I could package the order up in the car and drop it off at the Post Office on the way home. I also got some of the supplies I discovered I needed in order to finish the rest of Kelly's non-Christmas scrub caps - which I finally did today. I feel bad that it took me so long, but between the various holidays, coinciding shenanigans, lack of supplies, and sick days... well, the point is they are done now.

So there you have it! A nice long blog about absolutely nothing, really, to keep you entertained for a few minutes. It was just the combination of GUILT from not updating and the insomnia that has recently developed. I blame television. No, seriously. I watched the Season Four Finale of Dexter this past week and I'm absolutely TRAUMATIZED! I can't fall asleep because I just lie there, wrapped up in the fetal position, convincing myself it was a lie. You might also remember in my last post that I mentioned I was begining to watch Dr. Who... well, the Mayburys came over and schooled me on all things Doctor via DVDs. Just in time to get into it, and start figuring out just why Michelle is oh-so in love with David Tennant/ The 10th Doctor, and he's leaving the show! Nope. It's not happening. I've stuck my head in between the sofa cushions. If I haven't seen the 10th Doctor regenerate, well then it just hasn't happened! LA-LA-LA-LA!!!! .... Crap.

*estimated time of consciousness

Ahhh... it's a great feeling to have accomplished your goals. They may have been little, short-term goals, but it feels good none the less!

After finishing the eight butterfly dishcloths, I went to work on the four True Blood bookmarks that I mentioned I was commissioned for on etsy in my last blog. Once they were finished and sent off, I then went straight into the "Secret project." I actually SURPASSED that goal because I ended up deciding to double the amount I was planning on. Since I handed it over yesterday I can now reveal the secret!

FOUR DR. WHO THEMED DISHCLOTHS! Two Daleks, and two Tardis'! One of each made in a multi-green striped cotton yarn and the other two made with a natural cotton yarn, both of the Sugar 'n Cream brand.You can check more photos out here.

Like I said, at first I was only going to make one of each in the green yarn, but since I whipped them up pretty fast, I decided to make two more so that my good friend Michelle and her hubby could share them for their birthdays which were only a couple weeks apart. There was a [couple] Dr. Who marathons on BBC America whilst I was working on them, too, so it worked out sort of perfect, hehe.

The icing on the cake? The Birthday card! I printed out the Tardis on heavyweight photo paper and cut it out. On the inside, I put a photo manipulation I had made where Michelle's face was on the body of one of the Doctor's companions. I cut the doors open on the Tardis, glued the photo underneath, and WAH-LA! Michelle was traveling through space and time with the Doctor! hehehe. I glued it all to some cardboard and then put some blue paper on the back to give it some substance. I also made a little envelope type-thing to put the Tardis card in and attached it to the gift bag with the same blue ribbon I used to wrap up the dishcloths together.

So that's that. All deadline driven objectives finished. All I have left at the moment is that bag, which, like I said, I was taking my time with because a.) there was no deadline and b.) it's going to be tough and time-consuming. I'm going to get to work on it real soon, but after knitting for pretty much three weeks straight my poor, poor hands need a little rest. But hey, I'm not complaining - I LOVE IT!

Happy Holidays!!

Just a quick update on the situation:

The spray paint was continuing to give me problems even after going about it a different way and a serious brain-storming session with my artistic husband. I was ready to throw in the towel on my whole darn shop! No point in painfully painting those damn little tiles, only to be ruined by the damn sealer! Finally, I gave up on the spray paint and gave in to his suggestion of... CLEAR NAIL POLISH!

Oh my gosh - I'm a total believer! It's perfect! It's easy to apply, damn-near flawless, super glossy, and dries super duper fast! The only downside is, because it's a much smaller amount in a bottle, it's more expensive. But, at the rate I was going through spray paint just trying to get the desired results, it doesn't really make much of a difference! I'm going to put some on a raw piece and then submerge it in water, and just generally beat the crap out of it, to find out just how well it does seal and protect.

Anyway, the point is, I finished the bookmark! YAY!

*SIGH*

Hear that? That was a HUGE sigh of relief...

In other news, I am just about to finish up number 7 of the dishcloths! I'm going to stop at 8, switch to another project [a hush-hush Christmas present], and then if Cindy needs more, get back to work on those. I've cut a couple projects from my to-do list, which I'm a little sad about, but I just felt like I was taking too much on. If I somehow, miraculously, finish everything with time to spare [which I won't], then we'll see... but I'm not holding my breath. I get light-headed very easily....

So all in all, I'm feeling MUCH better.


[Now if only people who bought things from my etsy actually PAID...]


ps - UPDATE! I listed the bookmark as a reserved listing on my etsy, and within the hour I've had someone contact me because they want FOUR of them! lol Many many MANY thanks to Angela for being so awesomely supportive, for without her request I would have never made such a cute bookmark, which seems to be so popular!

At this very moment I am extremely frustrated with a project, so I'm distracting myself by watching Graham Norton and moaning about it on the internet of course!

I'm not talking about the dishcloths, which yes I'm still working on [there was a fiasco of going to the store and buying the wrong SHADE of "ecru" which set me back a few days]. In between the knitting I've had Christmas shopping and custom orders from my etsy... which is what brings me to the aforementioned frustration...

A friend of mine asked me to make a special bookmark for someone. It seemed simple enough, I've cranked out many things like it. So I said, NO PROBS! I'll have it done in a day or two.... 5 days later I'm still working on it. I feel like such a miserable failure! I use a clear spray paint to seal the things I make on those little bamboo tiles: It's glossy, quick, flawless, and durable. Recently I've been having problems with the spray paint leaving little dimples on the surface. They've grown progressively worse from project to project, too. For this project it absolutely ruined it. I thought maybe it was because I was running low on the can, so I bought a brand new one and made a new decorated bamboo tile. I went out to spray it... BUBBLES! *headdesk*

I just don't know what to do. I've tried different things to try and single out the problem, but nothing's working! And now of course I'm not only wasting lots of materials, but I'm running out of time! Stupid Christmas! lol Seriously, though - I don't know if I should just say "sorry I tried but I don't think I'll be able to" or continue trying, apologize for taking so long, and running the risk of my friend getting it too late. There is absolutely NO reason why I shouldn't be able to do this, as I've done this particular method many many times, so I'm probably not going to just throw in the towel - I have to find a solution eventually anyway! [If anyone has any tips, please share!]

Ugh! It's a huge flaw of mine that I get really pissed off when I can't do/figure out something... especially when I know I've done it perfectly before.