I finished and sent off all the things I made for my partner in our World of Warcraft Swap. I sent off late Wednesday afternoon and MUCH to our surprise it arrived in Sweden on Monday morning! Holy crow, that's fast!

      After seeing some of the other packages in the swap gallery, I was starting to feel VERY anxious that I didn't make enough stuff, but my partner insist her fiancee is happy with everything so hopefully she's not just being nice ;)

      Anyway, now that she's received I can post what I made here!

      First, I painted one of those cardboard book boxes. I tried my best to make it look like a rugged leather book - something that you might actually find in the halls of Orgrimmar. The idea was to make it Thrall's [the leader of the Orcs in Orgrimmar] little secret box.

     In fan lore, it's believed he is "very close" with a Human leader named Jaina Proudmoore, so I stuffed the book with goodies from Disney and made it seem like they were sent to Thrall from Jaina on her trip to Walt Disney World.



     I even made her send him a postcard.

Ok, ok, ok. I'll stop procrastinating and blog a little about the bag and show you how it turned out. But, because I'm a.) lazy, b.) troubled, c.) busy, and most of all d.) anxious to start gorging on the Girl Scout Cookies in the kitchen, I'm just pasting in what I wrote about it on Craftster.org. I added a little on the end... 'cause... well I was just trying to be cool and polite, so I didn't include much ranting. Fortunately, this is MY blog, so I can rant here! MWUAHAHAHAHA!

"A good friend of mine, and follower of the Church of the SubGenius practically BEGGED me once he found out I had a pattern for their icon, J.R. "Bob" Dobbs. He didn't care what, he just wanted something! I wasn't prepared to devote myself to making an entire sweater, so I just made a bag... a huge, oddly oblong bag.

The pattern came from the Domiknitrix book, which you can find more about here: http://www.domiknitrix.com

It was the first time I had tried knitting an image and the first time using multiple strands of different colour yarn... and it just might be the last. hahaha. In all seriousness, I'm glad I did it. I proved to myself I COULD, and know I have that knowledge under my belt. 

 

Since it was the first time I was attempting translating and knitting an image, I wasn't even going to try and adjust the size... The original size being intended for a man's sweater. So, it was HUGE, took [what seemed like] forever, and made for a VERY odd shape. In hind-sight [which of course is always crystal clear], I should have just added more stitches to the sides and just embraced a MASSIVE, but proportionate bag.

 

The other thing I will never, EVER do again is use a sewing machine to sew something that took me weeks to knit. I just can't stand the pressure! My machine [Betsy] decided to have a hissy fit THE.SECOND. I started sewing the lining to my knit piece. I froze. I cried. I CONQUERED!

(back, after sewing up side seams)

BUT! I finally finished it! It's not perfect, but all things considered.... *pats self on back*

(I swear the top edging isn't as wonky as it looks)

(I added some pocket-age)

There you have it! Whatcha' think then??"

Some things I didn't mention in my Craftster post:

• I over-ironed the son-of-a-bitch. Bob, that is. I was trying to iron out the edges because they were of course curling under, as knitting does, but I over did it up by Bob's face and it came out all wonky. I kind of fixed it by sort of rubbing it back into shape with hot water.
• The comments I got on the post were quite sweet - things like, "Wow you're brave;" "Kudos, I would never try anything like that;" [both of which in knitting terms I think mean "what in the hell made you think you could do THAT?!"] "looks great;" and my personal favourite "Epic." Haha.
• And most important, let me reiterate : NEVER.AGAIN. Seriously, if anyone ever hears me say I'm going to start knitting something that has to be sewn, PUNCH ME. PUNCH ME HARD. I will never ever EVER again try to sew something with a sewing maching that took me DAYS to knit. It's nerve wracking. I almost died. Ok, so I'm exaggerating, but BETSY [my sewing machine] almost died!

I mailed off this bad boy on.... erm.... uh.... Tuesday? Crap, I can't remember. Anyway, he should have it by now. No word yet though. I swear to God.... if the mail loses it.... BEWARE.

Alright well, time for an update!

The relief that came from the emergency room visit and associated meds did NOT last. I went to my regular doctor, came out with a new load of meds, and still no real relief. He gave me a referral to a specialist, and I'm anxious to call and make an appointment. Sometimes it hurts, sometimes it doesn't. Most of the time it's just an annoying ache. Other times it makes me want to cut my own head off. By the way, the day I went to visit my doctor, I developed a cold! So for about a week I was snotty, sneezy, heavily medicated, and just generally feeling shitty.

My doctor ordered me to get blood work. Did I mention that not only am I afraid of needles, but DEATHLY afraid of blood? It's a big deal, but, I am resolved to feel better, so I went. I had to fast from 9pm the night before until the time of my blood test, which I was aiming to be at about 10am. My body, as usual, had other plans. As it turns out, taking all of my meds and the usual ibuprofen and not having anything to eat for almost 12 hours does not work well, so at 7am-ish I woke up.... and threw up. I'm sure you all know what it feels like to throw up when you don't actually have any food in your stomach, so I won't go in to any more detail. So I threw on some clothes and off we went to the hospital for my blood test. You can imagine how awful I felt, from not only being physically ill, but also FREAKING OUT about the blood test. I was in and out much quicker than anticipated, but that doesn't mean it went well. It didn't go terribly, but I did get real ill and violently shaky. However, staying conscious is an achievement in my book, so all things considered it went ok. The nurse was amazing, also - she even got the needle in in ONE GO! Normally it takes them three of four tries! Unfortunately, afterward I was still extremely nauseas. I couldn't fathom the idea of eating anything and not even toast could help me through. I ended up finally falling asleep on the couch, and when I woke up a couple hours later I felt much better.

Needless to say, it has been a REALLY ROUGH couple of weeks. That said, somehow I did manage to get the Bob bag FINISHED and sent off AND finished two items for the Warcraft swap! I'll post about the Bob bag later.... I PROMISE this will get back to being a craft blog as soon as I get back to feeling like a crafty human being and less like a trampled pin cushion :(

Since I posted yesterday about what was presumed to be TMJ, there has been a development. And no, this post has nothing to do with crafting.

Right after I finished writing my last entry, I had some cereal, and ended up in agony. My husband has been trying to get me to go to the hospital for a while now, and since I was in so much pain yesterday, I gave in. He left work early to come home and pick me up. We got to the Celebration Hospital around 3:30pm, and at 6:00pm I was finally seen. The Doctor gave me a little look and decided it was in fact TMJ. He ordered an injection of steroids, a course of steroid pills, pain relievers, and muscle relaxers. The shot idea had me panicing, and the doctor feeling around made my jaw feel INCREDIBLY painful, so I was being a big crying baby. Then the nurse came in, gave me the shot in my bum, and I was still a crying baby... because I'm deathly afraid of needles and I was feeling very very faint. Eventually I got myself together enough to walk out, ALMOST passed out on the way to the waiting room, and sat my sore butt down while my hubby sorted out the financials. My signature after shots is to gently slip out of consciousness whilst in the waiting room, but my jaw [and butt] were so painful, and I was so shaky, that I managed to avoid it.

On the way home we stopped by Target to fill all my prescriptions. By then my jaw was almost COMPLETELY painless! I cannot even describe what relief that was. I was literally getting to the point where I would look of photographs from earlier and I could not remember what it felt like NOT to be in pain all day everyday. Now, I'm just mad at myself for not listening to my husband and going to the hospital sooner.

I took the muscle relaxer before bed, as instructed, and I am very pleased to say that I slept the entire night through... for eleven hours!!! I cannot even remember the last time I slept through the night. I'm amazed. Doc said to take it easy today, so that's what I'll do! I'm not sure if I can knit, because in the past that did contribute to my jaw pain, but we'll see. It's a great excuse to cuddle up on the couch and watch Turner Class Movies all day! So far today I feel a little pressure, but relatively no pain, and I'm assuming that as I go through this steroid treatment, the pressure [caused by the inflammation] will go away. Gosh, I hope this lasts. Now I know what to do the SECOND it comes back next time.

Epic news, people - I have finished knitting the giant monstrosity known as the Bob Bag! I am now knitting the strap, which is obviously a breeze.... but still VERY boring. *sigh* It's almost over!

However, I have been stricken with an illness that is keeping me from being terribly productive. I don't know what it is - At first I thought it was a cold, maybe allergies, and now I'm thinking it's just plain old T.M.J. I've been struggling with this for about two or three years now, on and off, but usually it's at it's worst this time of year. It's horrible. All day, every day. No sleep. Sooooo many pills. And I'm gaining weight like crazy because I can't take all these pills on empty stomach. Picture it: it's like five o'clock in the morning, I'm in agony, I need to take pills, so I grab something quick and carb-y [meaning fattening]. Ugh. It's insult to injury, really.

Anyway, despite all of this I did manage to bake my butt off yesterday. My husband and I don't really celebrate Valentine's Day. Instead, we celebrate our relationship on February 13th. He made me heart-shaped pink pancakes [raspberry and chocolate chip] for breakfast in bed, took me shopping, and then we went out for a really nice Indian dinner. It was great. I wanted to do something kinda special for him, so I spent all day in the kitchen. Don't let anyone tell you any different - the way to a man's heart IS through his stomach. Let's face it - besides expensive gadgets, they don't really care about anything else, haha.

I made white and pink white chocolate drizzled brownie biscotti, which is one of my favourite things to make these days. And for the first time ever, I made flan. BUTTERSCOTCH flan, which is my hubbies favourite sticky goodness. I had two little heart-shaped ramekins, for an added touch of cuteness. And finally - a heart shaped pizza! It was semi-homemade: I bought the dough from the grocery store and rolled it out into it's heart shape, then PILED on the cheese, hehe. Hubs brought home some wine, I put the flowers he gave me on the table, and it turned into quite a cute dinner!

Unfortunately for me, all the tension of baking [haha] really did a number on my jaw so I was in agony by the time I was eating. The wine helped, but the benadryl.... oh yeah. I was feelin' good! ...For like an hour. *sigh*

Picture Time:

Butterscotch Flan












           White Chocolate Drizzled Brownie Biscotti

     What does everyone think to the new layout? Pretty, huh? I had a tough time choosing between this one and this one. I think the pinup girl is REALLY cute, and REALLY "me" and would have been PERFECT whilst I was blogging about my Sailor Dress, but ultimately I thought the actual blog part was too hard to read and too boring. Who knows, maybe I'll change it one day, but for now I think the one I'm using is just too cute. Not boring, not busy, just cute!

     As for what I'm working on... yup, you've guessed it - The Bob Bag [still]! I know, I know, it's taking me forever and you're sick of hearing about it! Trust me, I'm sick of knitting it! haha. I've just been rather busy and/or distracted lately, and haven't really had a chance to sit and knit. I PROMISE I'll be done soon! I have to be, anyway!

     I've just signed up for a World of Warcraft themed Craft Swap on my favourite website of all time: Crafster.org! This will be my second craft swap there, my previous one being a huge Disney swap, where I made such things as this Maleficent backpack, Pirates of the Carribean t-shirts, and various other goodies found at my Myspace page album. I know - Myspace! It's so three years ago! lol I just can't be bothered to keep moving my photos around, honestly. Anyway - I got my partner [she lives in Sweden! *squeee!*], and I've already got it planned what I'm going to make! I can't tell you, of course, in case she e-stalks me and stumbles across my blog, so I'll have to be uber secretive and keep you all in suspense! The deadline for finishing and sending off is mid March, so it's not too long to wait. Exciting! I can't wait to see what she makes me! haha

     I also signed up to make a couple of items for a Celebrity Gift Basket that will be placed in their greenroom at the TwiCon in Las Vegas! I couldn't resist! There are going to be stars from Twilight, Vampire Diaries, and [wait for it...] TRUE BLOOD! *dies* Sam wearing something I made him!? *dies again* Plan is to paint a leather cuff and/or leather wallet.... Don't know what I'll paint on said leather items, but I thought that's what those kind of men might like. Can you see Peter Facinelli tweeting a picture of his new wallet - painted by yours truly?! No, I can't either - but a girl can dream!

     I love having a deadline. Sure, I freak out about it for a good long while, but I always get it done in time. Having a deadline keeps me from stalling [*ahem*Bob Bag*ahem*]. The guilt of not being productive usually weighs so heavily on me that I could never just waste away on the couch watching soaps. Not that I do anyway. Maybe I should say "...farming away in War Craft." Oh God, I am so horribly addicted!

     Besides stalling on my knitting, signing myself up into a couple different projects, creating a "musical listening experience" mix CD for my BFF, and spending hours fishing in War Craft to get a rare Sea Turtle mount [you heard me], I have also been working hard to get myself back on track! As in, a life path, or whatever you want to call it. I have gathered the information on what I need to apply for Financial Aid so that I can get back in to school and finish getting my Bachelor's in Fine Art [I'm three years into it]. For the longest time I have felt resentful at the art school establishment and was seriously rethinking my major, but a week or so ago it all just CLICKED.


      Does anyone remember me talking about opening up another etsy store? *crickets* No? Well, I did! I decided to open an etsy store to sell prints of my photography. Said etsy can be found here, or at linkage to the right. I'm not trying make millions here, but I thought why not? It doesn't cost anything to open a shop, and just pennies to list, so I'm giving it a go! I am currently entertaining the idea of taking my prints to craft fairs. Not only to sell prints, but to start advertising myself as a pet portrait artist, which was what I wanted to do with myself whilst I was still in school. It was only after my school-appointed photography mentor reviewed my portfolio and told me there was no future in pet photography [which is crap, because there is a now famous pet photographer that most famously takes photos of Perez Hilton's pup - which has inspired me] that I tossed the idea. Along with the idea of art school in general... which brings us back full circle! My thinking is that a degree in anything is a good thing, and since I'm a.) already over half way through my photography degree b.) more knowledgeable in the photography field that anything else and c.) actually kind of missing taking photographs, I'm going back in! I'm hoping I could at least get a job at an Art Gallery after I'm out.... and, if I was to REALLY think big, wild, CRAZY dreams - open my OWN gallery! Day dreaming is what I'm best at, and ideas I always have in abundance. It's motivation, knowledge, and means that I always seem to be lacking....

... So yeah, there's that.

      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: