A Few of My Favourite Things

Stuff I’m loving:

1.) New doormat (from Target):

So tacky it’s hip.

2.) western gals jersey sheets, from Nick and Nora:

What did I do before t-shirt sheets?

3.) BWC Moisturizer and Alba Facial Cleanser:

My new, hassle-free skincare regimen.

4.) The Present I got from the Gigglebox when he returned from his vacation:

A little background on this- Every year since we have been friends, the Gigglebox goes to the beach for vacation. The first year, I jokingly said, “Bring me something tacky!” When he returned, he presented me with a stack of turtles made of sea shells with googly eyes glued on them. It’s become a bit of a tradition, and each year when I receive my gift, I’m convinced that he has finally found the tackiest thing ever, and won’t possibly be able to top himself the next time. I’ve been wrong every year.

5.) Pillow Talk and Anchors Aweigh:

Two movies I’ve been watching repeatedly in the past few weeks. I’m kind of missing not having cable here at the new house. I really don’t need 80-some channels, just TCM and AMC. I’ve been going to the movie store and renting movies every week, but the selection of older movies is decidedly small, and I suspect I’ll soon have seen all the ones which interest me. Luckily, my birthday is coming up, so I can justify a smallish movie-buying spree.

6.) Progress (slow but steady) on the new, colors-finally-decided-upon-and-it’s-too-late-to-change-my-mind granny afghan:
Since I took this foto, I’ve gotten quite a bit done. The afghan will be 16 rows of 12 squares each, and as of right now, I have 6 rows done, but not sewn together. I suppose I ought to start on that tomorrow, as waiting til all the squares are done would mean a whole lot o’ sewing, and faced with such a large task, I might flee.

Home Sweet Home!

I’m finally settled in to the new (old) house, and my first day of the new job starts tomorrow. I’ve been busy with interviews, packing, and what have you for the last week and a half, but things are finally calmed down and the internet is up and running, so here are some snaps of the bedroom, before:

And after:

All the furniture is moved in, the cats are at home in their new digs, and things are looking peachy! I have a few projects to do yet, like making some artwork for the walls (I have this irrational compulsion to hang pictures on every wall), painting a dresser that’s in the studio, and reupholstering a chair in the living room to finish up soon, and my big “long-term” project is to build an entertainment center to hold all the video game systems, movies, etc. that have managed to collect themselves in the “media” side of the living room. That’s going to be a fall project, because I’ve made absolutely no progress on either of the granny square afghans, and my grandmother, who is to receive one of them, has already moved in, so her housewarming present is going to be a bit late. I’m sure she won’t mind.

I’m excited to start my new job tomorrow morning! I went shopping with my mom and grandmother this Saturday. We spent money like drunken sailors. It was fantastic. I got new scrubs, clogs, pants, and a new watch for work (actually, my grandmother insisted on buying me the watch.) She also bought me a pack of those plastic rainbow-colored necklaces that little girls usually have at their birthday parties. She said, “I saw them and thought of you.” I think no matter how old I get, to her I will always be a little girl. I think I’m OK with that!

Change of Plans II: Balls of Fuzz

Here’s a little something I whipped up the other day for no reason whatsoever. Frivolity, thy name is Pulltaffy.

The great thing about plans is that they can change at any time- sometimes for the worse, but sometimes for the better. And every now and then, for the best better ever. Here are some recent changes of plan that threw themselves my way:

I went back to work two weeks ago, because someone quit unexpectedly and they needed my help. I went back dutifully, to the same job, the same customers, and the same coworkers. Everything was the same, except for one thing: My longing to walk out the door and never ever come back. I absolutely cannot stand being there. My skin itches when I think about heading off to work. So I’ve quit. My last day is next Thursday. What shall I do with myself until then? I had a very promising interview yesterday morn at a well-respected nursing home which my grandmother just so happens to be moving into at the end of the month. I’m beyond excited about this job, and I really hope my interview batting average of 1000 holds up just this once more.

The other recent change is that while my plan to move in a week or two is still a go, the plans for paint-and-carpet-ing are on hold for a few months, unless a generous benefactor appears to bankroll the undertaking. I’ve decided to spend my money on something else instead:

I’d much rather have a cat than a lavender bedroom. A week ago Saturday, my mom was grilling chicken. I heard her shriek, and ran outside to see what was wrong. She said, “An animal came out from under the porch. I think it was a cat.” We investigated, and sure enough, a smallish feline had taken up residence under the deck. Mom said that hopefully it would go back to where it came from when it realised we weren’t going to feed it.

Well, it’s a week later and it’s still here. What my mom didn’t know, until my stepdad spilled the beans this evening, was that each night after they go to bed, I’ve been sneaking out to feed, water, and cuddle the poor dear. I’d mentioned that, when I pack up to move, I could just as easily pack up two cats as one. Mom said that wasn’t a good idea. After tonight’s revelation, she seems resigned to the fact that I, Defender of the Universe (as my real dad used to mockingly refer to me) was hopelessly attached to the cat under the deck, and gave the go-ahead. As far as I’m concerned, a cat is just about the best graduation present any gal could hope for. Now, to name her!

Change of Plans.

Unfortunately, because of circumstances beyond my control and also because I am a big softie and I can’t say no when someone asks for help, I’ve been back at work for almost a week, and moving to the new house is going to have to wait about a month, as I won’t have time to pack until mid-June.

The weekend before my last final, my good friend from work called and told me he was thinking of quitting because of various discriminatory statements made about him to fellow employees by a manager, and by deteriorating conditions within our department. Being the good friend that I am, I told him that if he felt so strongly about it, and he really was so miserable, that he should go ahead and quit, even though I would miss him terribly. I didn’t even consider what that would mean to me.

Fast forward to last Monday, and my phone rings. It’s one of the specialists, and he is calling to see if I can come back to work sooner rather than later, because my friend’s departure meant that there was only one person left in our department. I hadn’t realised that, of course, or I would have perhaps encouraged him to stay and try to sort things out. I tried to tell him that I wanted time to relax for a bit and celebrate finishing college, and also to pack up and move to my new house, but he begged and pleaded and guilt tripped me into saying yes.

So, I went back to work as soon as I got home. I was there for approximately half an hour before I regretted my decision. Mostly, because I was planning to use my time off to find a new job, and tell them that I wouldn’t be returning after all. So now I have to squeeze in my job search between working full time and taking two four-week, three-credit apiece classes. I suspect it’s just going to have to wait until I’m done with the classes and settled into my new digs, and that’s unfortunate because I honestly can’t stand being there. Things have gotten much, much worse since I took leave in January, and I have little hope that they will improve in the near future.

Enough bitching, onto crafty news! My grey granny project is on hold, since I’m out of yarn and money is a bit tight for now after buying books for what I suspect are the two most expensive college classes I’ve ever taken, so I took a gander at what I *did* have, and came up with this new project, which will become an afghan for my grandmother, who is moving to a new senior home at the end of the month:

Grannython 2007

Well, well, well. I’ve started my first ever granny square afghan. I’ve figured out that to make it the size I want, to fit on a double bed, i will need 15 rows of 13 squares, or 195 squares. I’ve not made anything this big before in the needlecraft persuasion. I did make a quilt this size when I was 15 years old. It took me all freaking summer, but I’m hopeful that this will be faster. I’m ten years older and wiser and I am a pretty speedy crotchet-er. I will, however, be working and taking two classes at two different colleges, so perhaps my optimism is misplaced. Nevertheless, here is the Beginning:

 

I also have a boatload of a bright cheery teal colour, and I’d planned to have a row of that as well, but when I made one square, the teal was overpowering. These squares are cheerful but also sophisticated, I think, and will work well in my bedroom. So, I’ve decided to scrap the teal and use it and a brown I have on hand to make pillows for the couch downstairs.

Monday I have finals, and a quick portfolio critique on Tuesday, and then it’s home for good! I simply cannot wait. The last two years have sped by, as school and other projects have kept me busy, but there just isn’t anything else like being home. I don’t go back to work until the end of the month, so I should have plenty of time to paint and put in carpet and clean the house top to bottom. It’s going to be hard work, but very much worth it!

Pantalones en Fuego!*

I know, I know. I said I wasn’t going to post til finals are over, but I’ve been procrastinating (surprise!) I have a good reason, though: when I move home from school I’m moving to a new house. Actually, it’s an old house, and a house that I lived in for 12 years. But when I came to college, I moved my stuff and my pets in with my folks so they could take care of my critters for me. But now, in only 4 short days, I’ll be headed back to my old house! I can’t wait. I loved that house so much. My friend and I did a ton of painting and redecorating and made it a pretty spectacular place to be, and I’ve missed it. I love my parents, but their house (which they did not decorate, by the way, so it’s not their fault, really) has entirely too much floral wallpaper for my taste.

And so, I’ve been thinking about how I want my new (old) room to be set up. I know 2 things for certain:

1. I am going to repaint the walls a light lavender-ish colour (I think)

2. 3 words: Chocolate coloured carpet

Beyond that, I’m still considering. I know I want to repaint at least some of my furniture. But for now, I whipped up this little schematic:

The bedspread is actually the same colour as the door on the left side of the pic, but the near wall superimposed over it makes it look washed out, which is a bummer.

Any thoughts?

Oh and I started my granny square afghan. I’ll have pics of that sometime this weekend.

*It is entirely possible that my 3 years of repeating Spanish 1 in high school (10 years ago) has led me astray. This is supposed to translate to “Pants on Fire!” Apologies if I’m wrong.

Guess Who?

 

 

 

Posting is going to be slow for the next week or so. Finals are upon us, and despite my best efforts to avoid any classes with actual *work*, I have real live tests that need studying for. Also, this weekend is our senior exhibition. That’s going to be a riot.

The Itty Bitty Kitty Committee

Here is a picture of my little cat project, the Itty Bitty Kitty Committee. Though I have to say, the blue one on the right looks more like an Itty Bitty Piggie because the nose just isn’t working. Mayhaps I’ll redo it.

Decisions, Decisions

Here are some more granny squares. I’m in love with this blue. It’s so bright and cheerful! Just what I need to help me get over being sick. I’ve made a decision and settled my earlier dilemma re: make a granny afghan or make little things to use up the bits of yarn in my stash. I’ve decided to do both! But my “use up the extras” project is not granny squares, it’s something else entirely. I’ll post pics tomorrow of that, as the first phase of it should be done by then. I’m excited about it, and I think I invented it on my own, but I’m always worried when I have an idea if it might perhaps be something I’ve seen before and stored away in the back of my mind to spring up on me later as “my” idea.

Bag-a-rific

Woo Hoo! My granny square crochet bag is officially done! I even sewed a liner into it (actually made from a pair of khakis that don’t fit anymore, which was convenient because the pockets were built-in).

I’m happy with how it came out, but I’m almost considering making another bigger bag, for going to the farmer’s market this summer. But then I think how neat it would be to make an afghan, and I reconsider the shopping bag idea. An afghan would be a super summertime project, one which I always said “Someday I’ll do it,” and “someday” could easily be “summer.” An afghan would mean I need to buy more yarn, which is fun because I love yarn shopping, but also bad because then I still need to come up with a use for my odd scraps of yarn. It’s quite the dilemma.