This memory was resurrected at work tonight:
A friend of mine (I won't name names like DAVID) SWEARS that when he was in high school, his coach didn't want to discriminate against disabled kids and forced a boy to wrestle a kid with no arms and no legs.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Random funny story #1
Recently, I told Husband that I am going to take his shirts to the cleaners because I don't have time to deal with ironing them. I work full time, I am taking three classes, and I have lots of hobbies, which I think I deserve to do in my spare time.
He didn't like this idea and said it's not worth the money. I told him that it's worth the money to me because it is, after all, my time involved and my effort. He offered to pay me, and always being in need of money, I gave in. It's actually worked to my advantage because he handed me a $20 to iron a couple of shirts.
But then one day I said, "Remind me again why you can't just learn to iron your own shirts?"
He growled strangely and ran away. I take that to mean he has no good answer for my most excellent question.
He didn't like this idea and said it's not worth the money. I told him that it's worth the money to me because it is, after all, my time involved and my effort. He offered to pay me, and always being in need of money, I gave in. It's actually worked to my advantage because he handed me a $20 to iron a couple of shirts.
But then one day I said, "Remind me again why you can't just learn to iron your own shirts?"
He growled strangely and ran away. I take that to mean he has no good answer for my most excellent question.
Happy Birthday to me!
Have you been feeling like "Lost" would never resume? Me too! But it's about to start again -- on my birthday! I can't think of a better gift. Thanks, ABC!
I got into "Lost" during the second season and became addicted. I bothered my co-worker by constantly asking for help understanding the plots, and she finally brought me season one on DVD. I got so hooked that I begged Mark to watch it. I told him that if he'd just watch the pilot, he could decide if he wanted to continue. After the pilot he said, "That show's dumb." (Quote paraprhased.) So I said, "OK, I guess you don't want to see anymore." He panicked and admitted he MUST have more "Lost."
I am certain that when "Lost" isn't on, which is most of the time, that things are still happening on that island. I'm just missing out, and it drives me crazy. One thing that makes me feel like I'm not a "true" fan is that no matter how much I try, I can't memorize "the numbers."
Mark and I initially agreed that we hated the Tailies. We only liked the original cast members. And when an extra would pop into a scene, we'd yell at them to get off our show. But I have always been fascinated with the Others, so when this season delved deeper into their lives, I was really excited. Mark's just annoyed. He wants to go back to the beach now, which is where it's apparently headed when it starts up again on FEBRUARY 7!!!
I got into "Lost" during the second season and became addicted. I bothered my co-worker by constantly asking for help understanding the plots, and she finally brought me season one on DVD. I got so hooked that I begged Mark to watch it. I told him that if he'd just watch the pilot, he could decide if he wanted to continue. After the pilot he said, "That show's dumb." (Quote paraprhased.) So I said, "OK, I guess you don't want to see anymore." He panicked and admitted he MUST have more "Lost."
I am certain that when "Lost" isn't on, which is most of the time, that things are still happening on that island. I'm just missing out, and it drives me crazy. One thing that makes me feel like I'm not a "true" fan is that no matter how much I try, I can't memorize "the numbers."
Mark and I initially agreed that we hated the Tailies. We only liked the original cast members. And when an extra would pop into a scene, we'd yell at them to get off our show. But I have always been fascinated with the Others, so when this season delved deeper into their lives, I was really excited. Mark's just annoyed. He wants to go back to the beach now, which is where it's apparently headed when it starts up again on FEBRUARY 7!!!
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Everything I know about New Mexico I learned from the movies
Have you ever been to New Mexico? You're probably about to say, "I drove through there once, but didn't stop." I heard that a hundred times when I lived in California. It's so weird. Everyone says that word for word. Why doesn't anybody stop? I think I might have the answer: The movies.
Have you ever seen a movie that takes place in New Mexico that doesn't make us look like the creepiest, most backward place? Ever? As far as Hollywood is concerned, the state consists of nothing but tiny, tiny towns with dirt roads and dilapidated trailers full of creepy people that remind you of the family in "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." We all have chickens running around in our yards and sit around with scary toothless grins and glazed-over eyes. We're the kind of place where if you go to jail, you're in even more danger because the cops are a bunch of inbred freaks who want to kill you and feed you to Grandma.
Case in point: "The Hitcher," at a theater near you now! It takes place in good ol' Torrance County, N.M. Actually, I think Torrance County is kinda full of dirt roads and broken down trailer homes, come to think of it. And maybe there ARE some toothless people. Hmmmmm. I'm not so sure anymore where I'm going with this blog entry.
OK, well if you drive through New Mexico, stop in at Albuquerque. We won't eat you! We might shoot at you, but we definitely WON'T eat you.
Have you ever seen a movie that takes place in New Mexico that doesn't make us look like the creepiest, most backward place? Ever? As far as Hollywood is concerned, the state consists of nothing but tiny, tiny towns with dirt roads and dilapidated trailers full of creepy people that remind you of the family in "Texas Chainsaw Massacre." We all have chickens running around in our yards and sit around with scary toothless grins and glazed-over eyes. We're the kind of place where if you go to jail, you're in even more danger because the cops are a bunch of inbred freaks who want to kill you and feed you to Grandma.
Case in point: "The Hitcher," at a theater near you now! It takes place in good ol' Torrance County, N.M. Actually, I think Torrance County is kinda full of dirt roads and broken down trailer homes, come to think of it. And maybe there ARE some toothless people. Hmmmmm. I'm not so sure anymore where I'm going with this blog entry.
OK, well if you drive through New Mexico, stop in at Albuquerque. We won't eat you! We might shoot at you, but we definitely WON'T eat you.
Those silly kids
I visited my best friend, Tamara's, third-grade class today to talk about being a copy editor. On my way, I stopped by the paper to grab some copies for the kids. As I handed them out, they were so thrilled that they acted like I gave them all Xboxes or something. I was so happy to see them get so excited about a newspaper.
I admit that I was kind of worried about what I would say to take up time. I wondered what could be more boring to a bunch of 8-year-olds than a lecture from a copy editor about double checking your work and being careful about spelling.
These kids were so full of questions that I never really even had time for that stuff. They had a zillion (yes, a zillion) questions about the paper and how everything worked. They were incredibly curious.
Some of my favorite questions included:
"How much do you make?" (I figured I should be honest; they're just kids)
"Well, how much is that a DAY?"
"How much does your husband make?"
"Are you the boss of anyone?" (No)
"Oh, so you're like the lowest person..."
One boy said he asks for the newspaper but his mom won't get it. She probably can't afford it, but I felt bad that he really is interested in reading the paper at that age and he can't get his hands on it.
Several teachers also attended and had lots of questions. One of them had a daughter in journalism school.
I had a lovely time and was thrilled that these kids were so interested in the newspaper and how it works. I felt like the most popular girl in school.
I admit that I was kind of worried about what I would say to take up time. I wondered what could be more boring to a bunch of 8-year-olds than a lecture from a copy editor about double checking your work and being careful about spelling.
These kids were so full of questions that I never really even had time for that stuff. They had a zillion (yes, a zillion) questions about the paper and how everything worked. They were incredibly curious.
Some of my favorite questions included:
"How much do you make?" (I figured I should be honest; they're just kids)
"Well, how much is that a DAY?"
"How much does your husband make?"
"Are you the boss of anyone?" (No)
"Oh, so you're like the lowest person..."
One boy said he asks for the newspaper but his mom won't get it. She probably can't afford it, but I felt bad that he really is interested in reading the paper at that age and he can't get his hands on it.
Several teachers also attended and had lots of questions. One of them had a daughter in journalism school.
I had a lovely time and was thrilled that these kids were so interested in the newspaper and how it works. I felt like the most popular girl in school.
First sale!!!
I sold my first item on etsy.com after a month and a half! It's a pillow, the rectangular copper one below.
I'm also on my way to teach third-graders about being an editor at my friend's classroom!
I'm also on my way to teach third-graders about being an editor at my friend's classroom!
Monday, January 29, 2007
Sunday, January 28, 2007
This is my blog and I can say what I want about myself no matter how stupid.
I used to work out religiously. This all started when I lived in Bakersfield and had no friends. This is so sad, but the thing is, my days off seemed like an eternity. I didn't have interactions with other humans and I thought my days off would never end. So I started working out like crazy as a means to occupy myself for the weekend. I reached a point where I had to force myself to take time off. I wouldn't say I looked amazing, because I didn't do enough cardio and I still had more body fat than I wanted, but I had really well-toned muscles.
Fast-forward and I'm engaged. Wedding planning took over my life for a year. If you haven't done it, you probably don't understand how it could possibly be so time consuming. The worst part is, this is the time when people want to really lose weight. You just don't have time to work out if you are planning a wedding AND have a job. Lucky for me, I discovered that stress just makes me skinny.
After the wedding I jumped from 103 pounds to 116 in no time. I'm small boned, so a 15-pound weight gain in a few months seemed obvious to me. I never did get back into the work-out mood. I would eye the skinny, tall girl at work (Carla, I'm talking to you) with envy while reminding myself that she runs all the time and eats carrots all day. I, on the other hand, didn't exercise and ate McDonald's way too often.
I reached a point where I felt so down on myself. I tried to tell myself that I couldn't look that bad if I fit in a size 2 still, but I still felt my jiggly thighs rubbing together. Now, don't even go there with the eating disorder thing because as I said before, I ate plenty of McDonald's. There are two things I can't stand in life: being hungry and throwing up. I started thinking about the movie "The Sweetest Thing" where Christina Applegate starts shaking her arm and asking where that jiggling flab came from. I felt like that. I'm too young to let myself go. All of a sudden, your body is changing in little ways and it's so unfair. I think, "I only have so many years left that I can look hot, so why am I wasting any of them?"
Anyway, I ran for the past three days in a row and it's so amazing what a difference it makes in how you feel about yourself. I know it hasn't changed anything about me yet, but I feel like I look good now anyway. Every day I remind myself that I can spare that 30 minutes of my day because it's worth it for the confidence boost it gives.
I also owe a shout out to Willie J., who has so many kind words for me when I'm down on myself. You're a good man, Willie J.
Fast-forward and I'm engaged. Wedding planning took over my life for a year. If you haven't done it, you probably don't understand how it could possibly be so time consuming. The worst part is, this is the time when people want to really lose weight. You just don't have time to work out if you are planning a wedding AND have a job. Lucky for me, I discovered that stress just makes me skinny.
After the wedding I jumped from 103 pounds to 116 in no time. I'm small boned, so a 15-pound weight gain in a few months seemed obvious to me. I never did get back into the work-out mood. I would eye the skinny, tall girl at work (Carla, I'm talking to you) with envy while reminding myself that she runs all the time and eats carrots all day. I, on the other hand, didn't exercise and ate McDonald's way too often.
I reached a point where I felt so down on myself. I tried to tell myself that I couldn't look that bad if I fit in a size 2 still, but I still felt my jiggly thighs rubbing together. Now, don't even go there with the eating disorder thing because as I said before, I ate plenty of McDonald's. There are two things I can't stand in life: being hungry and throwing up. I started thinking about the movie "The Sweetest Thing" where Christina Applegate starts shaking her arm and asking where that jiggling flab came from. I felt like that. I'm too young to let myself go. All of a sudden, your body is changing in little ways and it's so unfair. I think, "I only have so many years left that I can look hot, so why am I wasting any of them?"
Anyway, I ran for the past three days in a row and it's so amazing what a difference it makes in how you feel about yourself. I know it hasn't changed anything about me yet, but I feel like I look good now anyway. Every day I remind myself that I can spare that 30 minutes of my day because it's worth it for the confidence boost it gives.
I also owe a shout out to Willie J., who has so many kind words for me when I'm down on myself. You're a good man, Willie J.
I suck a little less than I thought
Good news! I showed my dreadful knitting to an experienced knitter and she said it was perfectly normal. The reason it didn't look like the photos below is because it's all knit rows and no purl rows. In the photo it's alternating knit and purl rows. Phew! Not to say it still doesn't look like doodie because my tension is off, but I feel better now.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Branching out into new territory
As I said before, I'm going to make some other, less size-specific items for my shop.
This is also a good way to use up leftover material.
Tonight's projects:
black eyelet pillow with pink lining and pink piping
Brown brocade bolster with contrasting end pieces
Brown brocade throw pillow
This is also a good way to use up leftover material.
Tonight's projects:
black eyelet pillow with pink lining and pink piping
Brown brocade bolster with contrasting end pieces
Brown brocade throw pillow
Fashion time machine
Remember the days when everybody dressed nicely all the time? When jeans would never be seen at a wedding? Neither do I, because I was born in the '70s and grew up in N.M. Everytime I look at clothes from the 1970s, I want to cry because it's not fair that I came from that time. For 10 entire years, nobody looked good.
But in the 1950s, and early-'60s, people always looked good. At least it seems that way, since I wasn't there to witness it. I liked that women always wore high heels and dresses, although I don't believe they really wore them while vacuuming and cleaning bathrooms like on TV.
For my draping and flat pattern classes I have to think of a project to design. "Dreamgirls" really inspired me to do something modest, ladylike and elegant. I want to update it by not having an overly full skirt. I'm thinking a combination of these things (bad scans):
Yes, I hate to admit that I'm finding inspiration in a Payless Shoe Source ad. I'm going for the pleated skirt and the fitted bodice with a v-back and modest front.
But in the 1950s, and early-'60s, people always looked good. At least it seems that way, since I wasn't there to witness it. I liked that women always wore high heels and dresses, although I don't believe they really wore them while vacuuming and cleaning bathrooms like on TV.
For my draping and flat pattern classes I have to think of a project to design. "Dreamgirls" really inspired me to do something modest, ladylike and elegant. I want to update it by not having an overly full skirt. I'm thinking a combination of these things (bad scans):
Yes, I hate to admit that I'm finding inspiration in a Payless Shoe Source ad. I'm going for the pleated skirt and the fitted bodice with a v-back and modest front.
Don't be expecting a sweater any time soon
I have given myself three knitting lessons so far. I bought a book that looks really great on the outside, but doesn't explain things very well on the inside. It's called "Knitting." That sounds like a book that doesn't mess around.
It's so much harder than I expected. The book doesn't really explain exactly what to do. I mean, it has to be very precise and "loop the yarn around" doesn't quite get me there. This is what I ended up with, and no matter which way you turn it, the stitches don't look anything like the stitches on the book cover. Maybe they shouldn't look even and perfect yet, but they should have some resemblance.
(bad pictures, as usual!)
It's so much harder than I expected. The book doesn't really explain exactly what to do. I mean, it has to be very precise and "loop the yarn around" doesn't quite get me there. This is what I ended up with, and no matter which way you turn it, the stitches don't look anything like the stitches on the book cover. Maybe they shouldn't look even and perfect yet, but they should have some resemblance.
(bad pictures, as usual!)
Friday, January 26, 2007
Inspiration discovered right here on Burst of Happiness
I spent the last week previewing shops on etsy.com. I did this as an advertising opportunity for other sellers. I have a shop on etsy that has yet to sell anything, but I'm waiting patiently.
If you haven't figured it out by now, etsy is a place for crafters to sell their handmade items. The handmade rule weeds out all the crap that's sold on eBay. It can be hard to sell on eBay when there is so much really cheap, mass-produced junk on there. Plus the fees are awful.
Anyway, my etsy store features skirts, but doing these profiles of other sellers has inspired me to try other things. Not only am I trying knitting, which is much harder than I expected -- harder than crocheting, in my opinion -- but I'm also going to make some cute pillows and pouches (like makeup bags). I might also do some purses. I think this will help my shop because these things aren't size-related and therefore can appeal to more people.
It takes a while to make things, especially with school going on, but I'll get there.
www.burstofhappiness.etsy.com.
If you haven't figured it out by now, etsy is a place for crafters to sell their handmade items. The handmade rule weeds out all the crap that's sold on eBay. It can be hard to sell on eBay when there is so much really cheap, mass-produced junk on there. Plus the fees are awful.
Anyway, my etsy store features skirts, but doing these profiles of other sellers has inspired me to try other things. Not only am I trying knitting, which is much harder than I expected -- harder than crocheting, in my opinion -- but I'm also going to make some cute pillows and pouches (like makeup bags). I might also do some purses. I think this will help my shop because these things aren't size-related and therefore can appeal to more people.
It takes a while to make things, especially with school going on, but I'll get there.
www.burstofhappiness.etsy.com.
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Don't hate me just because poems suck
First things first: I think I just made a blog discovery. Apparently when you make a blog and then save it as a draft to publish later, it publishes under the date on which it was written. I was featuring Etsy.com sellers this week and I wrote them up the other day and was posting them one by one. Well, I noticed some of the later ones got buried because I guess they posted for the date I actually wrote them and not for the date I hit "publish." Sorry to the sellers for not getting the top of the page!
Anyway, today was the first day of school. It was mostly short classes -- no real work. I worked till midnight last night and then watched "American Idol," of course. Then I couldn't sleep worth a damn and tossed and turned until it was time to get up at the crack of dawn (7:30!). I drove the hour to Santa Fe, attended an abbreviated first class from 10-10:30. Then my next class was at 5:30. Not wanting to drive home and back, I went to see "Dreamgirls." I think my expectations were set too high with all the Academy Award talk. Don't get me wrong, it was good, the singing was amazing and Beyonce is to-die-for beautiful, but I wasn't blown away. It was a semi-musical. I only occasionally like musicals because it's just annoying when they have to break into song every 5 minutes. You get 5 minutes of movie and then 5 minutes of song, etc. I just feel like, "Get ON with the story."
That's kind of how I feel about poems. They are just a way to beat around the bush about what you're feeling. Just SAY what you're feeling plain and simple. Don't make me guess through a bunch of metaphors and fancy-pants words. I'm sure I'm the only person on Earth who actually admits they hate poetry. Fine, I said it. I don't like poems.
Anyway, today was the first day of school. It was mostly short classes -- no real work. I worked till midnight last night and then watched "American Idol," of course. Then I couldn't sleep worth a damn and tossed and turned until it was time to get up at the crack of dawn (7:30!). I drove the hour to Santa Fe, attended an abbreviated first class from 10-10:30. Then my next class was at 5:30. Not wanting to drive home and back, I went to see "Dreamgirls." I think my expectations were set too high with all the Academy Award talk. Don't get me wrong, it was good, the singing was amazing and Beyonce is to-die-for beautiful, but I wasn't blown away. It was a semi-musical. I only occasionally like musicals because it's just annoying when they have to break into song every 5 minutes. You get 5 minutes of movie and then 5 minutes of song, etc. I just feel like, "Get ON with the story."
That's kind of how I feel about poems. They are just a way to beat around the bush about what you're feeling. Just SAY what you're feeling plain and simple. Don't make me guess through a bunch of metaphors and fancy-pants words. I'm sure I'm the only person on Earth who actually admits they hate poetry. Fine, I said it. I don't like poems.
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Confidential to My Computer:
10100001010111101010111010101010000001010111111010101010100000001110011000101110101010001010101010101. 0111101011100010101111101000, 01111010101011111010000011111001010001001!
Back to school!
School starts tomorrow! It means long, long Thursdays. I have to work late on Wednesdays (till midnightish) and then get up at 7:30 (yeah, yeah, well it's hard for ME) and drive to Santa Fe. I have class from 10-12:30 and then again from 5:30-8. Then I drive home. I have a horrible gap in there, but I think I can keep occupied with homework, my freelance work and attempted knitting. I can also read! Tomorrow, though, I figure there won't be any homework yet, so I will take the opportunity to see "Dreamgirls."
I can thank David for that. At last year's Gala, I was being photographed on the red carpet (see below) when I was informed that I had won movie tickets.
I haven't had much time for movies, so I still haven't used them. The time has come!
I can thank David for that. At last year's Gala, I was being photographed on the red carpet (see below) when I was informed that I had won movie tickets.
I haven't had much time for movies, so I still haven't used them. The time has come!
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Check It Out, part VII: Abacus
Today's featured www.etsy.com seller is Abacus. Abacus makes colorful, beautiful, feminine jewelry. The purples and blues jump out at me, particularly. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the colors of this one:
Abacus is self-taught and started making jewelry about 10 years ago for herself. She ended up with so much jewelry that she couldn't wear them all (I know how that goes. Hence MY etsy store!)
Abacus hit the craft show circuit "in order to finance a growing bead addiction. Love to find little bead stores where ever I travel. Can't resist acquiring something I've never seen before. It's led to a pretty quirky and eclectic mix in my bead stash. I work with beads of stone, wood, metal, glass, shell, pretty much anything that strikes me. My own taste runs to small beads and dainty, classic pieces but every once in a while I like to break out and try something 'out of character.'"
Abacus discovered etsy through her daughter, whose store on etsy is www.cascade.etsy.com. She says an online store is "oh-so-different from what I am used to at craft fairs. I've only sold one small item, but I'm in the most crowded category so I'm trying to be patient and meanwhile learning as much as I can from fellow etsiers who are incredibly generous with advice."
"I have joined a fantasticly talented and motivated street team, EJA (eclectic jewelry artisans) dedicated to improving our visibility and success on the site. The team has its own Web site: www.eeja.org.
I plan to continue craft fairs but see etsy as a way of expanding my horizons and extending my selling season. My etsy shop serves as a convenient gallery when I apply to juried shows and allows me to accept credit card sales (too expensive for me otherwise)."
If you're looking for something pretty and completely unique, pay Abacus a visit at www.abacus.etsy.com.
Abacus is self-taught and started making jewelry about 10 years ago for herself. She ended up with so much jewelry that she couldn't wear them all (I know how that goes. Hence MY etsy store!)
Abacus hit the craft show circuit "in order to finance a growing bead addiction. Love to find little bead stores where ever I travel. Can't resist acquiring something I've never seen before. It's led to a pretty quirky and eclectic mix in my bead stash. I work with beads of stone, wood, metal, glass, shell, pretty much anything that strikes me. My own taste runs to small beads and dainty, classic pieces but every once in a while I like to break out and try something 'out of character.'"
Abacus discovered etsy through her daughter, whose store on etsy is www.cascade.etsy.com. She says an online store is "oh-so-different from what I am used to at craft fairs. I've only sold one small item, but I'm in the most crowded category so I'm trying to be patient and meanwhile learning as much as I can from fellow etsiers who are incredibly generous with advice."
"I have joined a fantasticly talented and motivated street team, EJA (eclectic jewelry artisans) dedicated to improving our visibility and success on the site. The team has its own Web site: www.eeja.org.
I plan to continue craft fairs but see etsy as a way of expanding my horizons and extending my selling season. My etsy shop serves as a convenient gallery when I apply to juried shows and allows me to accept credit card sales (too expensive for me otherwise)."
If you're looking for something pretty and completely unique, pay Abacus a visit at www.abacus.etsy.com.
Check It Out, part VI: Why Not
Martha, aka Whynot, says she mainly does crochet, but also does notecards "when the inspiration hits me."
OK, if this isn't the cutest thing I have ever seen ...
"I prefer projects like baby blankets and sweaters, because they make adorable gift items. I'm in NJ except for August, when I'm in Puerto Rico."
She welcomes custom orders, which is perfect for gift giving.
Here is an example of her cards, which are just as cute as her crochet work:
If you know someone who is having a baby and you want to get them something they'll keep forever, visit www.whynot.etsy.com.
OK, if this isn't the cutest thing I have ever seen ...
"I prefer projects like baby blankets and sweaters, because they make adorable gift items. I'm in NJ except for August, when I'm in Puerto Rico."
She welcomes custom orders, which is perfect for gift giving.
Here is an example of her cards, which are just as cute as her crochet work:
If you know someone who is having a baby and you want to get them something they'll keep forever, visit www.whynot.etsy.com.
Check It Out, part V: athaclena
Today's featured etsy.com seller is athaclena. She lives in Israel, and is 25 years old and a mother of a baby. She's Israeli and Jewish ("orthodox, so weird religious practices"). Athaclena makes cards with cut-outs and does bead work. She has neat square items with geometrical shapes.
"I used to make all sorts of patterns at school when I was bored, some of those same patterns are now being used for my cards, others are new ones I still create.
I still love beads but have less time for them - I get the feeling it's not worth getting them out unless I can bead for over an hour at one sitting.
I'm thinking about new and different things to do all of the time and also getting better at what I do."
"I'm hoping to sell and make more things for my shop and for my own enjoyment, and would like to make custom orders (it sounds like fun)."
Valentine's Day is coming up, and here's a cool card for your sweetheart:
www.athaclena.etsy.com.
"I used to make all sorts of patterns at school when I was bored, some of those same patterns are now being used for my cards, others are new ones I still create.
I still love beads but have less time for them - I get the feeling it's not worth getting them out unless I can bead for over an hour at one sitting.
I'm thinking about new and different things to do all of the time and also getting better at what I do."
"I'm hoping to sell and make more things for my shop and for my own enjoyment, and would like to make custom orders (it sounds like fun)."
Valentine's Day is coming up, and here's a cool card for your sweetheart:
www.athaclena.etsy.com.
Check It Out, part IV: Happy Bee
Here is part IV of featured Etsy.com sellers. Etsy.com is a place for crafters to sell their stuff. All you will find there (ideally) is handmade stuff. Today we meet Happy Bee.
Oh, Happy Bee. Your stuff is so adorable. And judging from your name, you're a girl after my own heart. But not in a weird way.
Happy Bee is an etsy.com seller who makes the cutest stuff, like little flowery bags and pillows.
Happy Bee is a secretary by day and a crafter by night. She lives in Italy and is married. She makes a lot of her items as gifts for friends and family. I want to be her friend.
Go check out her stuff and support a great crafter! At the same time, you'll look just precious with one of her little bags on your shoulder. Everybody wins.
www.happybee.etsy.com
Oh, Happy Bee. Your stuff is so adorable. And judging from your name, you're a girl after my own heart. But not in a weird way.
Happy Bee is an etsy.com seller who makes the cutest stuff, like little flowery bags and pillows.
Happy Bee is a secretary by day and a crafter by night. She lives in Italy and is married. She makes a lot of her items as gifts for friends and family. I want to be her friend.
Go check out her stuff and support a great crafter! At the same time, you'll look just precious with one of her little bags on your shoulder. Everybody wins.
www.happybee.etsy.com
Check It Out, part III: Design by Lara
Today's featured Etsy seller is Design by Lara. She has absolutely gorgeous jewelry, from necklaces to earrings. Her designs range from delicate to chunky. I love the feel of this turquoise necklace, but maybe that's the New Mexican in me.
Lara photographs her products beautifully, which makes you want to open up every item for sale and examine it.
Lara is a mother of four and a grandmother to one boy. She speaks highly of her family, "I have the best husband ever!! My family is my strength, inspiration and sanity...well they can be my insanity at times as well! I have heard that through insanity the most significant creations can be formed..."
She says she left teaching for a while to further her education and found that "I had a lot of extra time on my hands, too much time! My daughter and I began beading as a pastime and a way of spending time together. Soon, we had so many pieces that a friend encouraged me to have a home party. It was a great success.
"Since then I have continued to have home parties, I participate in festivals, I have created my own web site, and now I am here.
"I completely enjoy designing and creating jewelry. I started making my jewelry with natural precious and semi-precious stones and have moved on to include wire and metal work(silver and copper).
"I am a jeans and t-shirt girl myself, but occasionally I like to get dressed up for a night out. This is why I design a variety of pieces that can be dressed up or down. I have found that even a pair of old jeans can look great in pearls and semi-precious stones!"
Visit Lara's Etsy site:
www.designbylara.etsy.com
or her regular Web site:
www.designbylara.com
Lara photographs her products beautifully, which makes you want to open up every item for sale and examine it.
Lara is a mother of four and a grandmother to one boy. She speaks highly of her family, "I have the best husband ever!! My family is my strength, inspiration and sanity...well they can be my insanity at times as well! I have heard that through insanity the most significant creations can be formed..."
She says she left teaching for a while to further her education and found that "I had a lot of extra time on my hands, too much time! My daughter and I began beading as a pastime and a way of spending time together. Soon, we had so many pieces that a friend encouraged me to have a home party. It was a great success.
"Since then I have continued to have home parties, I participate in festivals, I have created my own web site, and now I am here.
"I completely enjoy designing and creating jewelry. I started making my jewelry with natural precious and semi-precious stones and have moved on to include wire and metal work(silver and copper).
"I am a jeans and t-shirt girl myself, but occasionally I like to get dressed up for a night out. This is why I design a variety of pieces that can be dressed up or down. I have found that even a pair of old jeans can look great in pearls and semi-precious stones!"
Visit Lara's Etsy site:
www.designbylara.etsy.com
or her regular Web site:
www.designbylara.com
Check It Out, part II: Artnoose
I'm still on my mission of featuring cool Etsy shops. Today's shop is Artnoose - Crafty Cards.
I'll let Artnoose speak a little for herself:
"My shop name and my actual name are in fact both `artnoose.' I do letterpress printing, and it runs the gamut of individual zines, artist books, and announcements. Letterpress is also my day job, and I make my living printing custom wedding invitations. When not working, I like to draw, ride my bike, and bake cookies. I also am involved in several unpaid, volunteer projects. I hope to be able to focus more time in the coming few years on some larger projects such as a handmade pop-up book as well as writing a novel."
This store is full of cool issues of Artnoose's zine. Stolen from the store page is a good description, "Ker-bloom! has been published bimonthly by one vegan anarchist since 1996. It has been featured in clamor, the Utne Reader and Morbid Curiosity magazines."
It sounds super-cool, so check it out. Click on the photos to visit her store or go to www.artnoose.etsy.com.
All hail Queen Roady
Roady's new daddy can't stand to see her cold. So he always strives to make the best fort possible out of pillows and blankets in an effort to keep her warm. She seems to like it. SPOILED, I say.
UPDATED 1/25/07:
To avoid the trouble of building a tent all the time and the trouble of Roady not grasping the concept and sometimes climbing on the "roof" of the tent and thereby collapsing it, we got Queen Roady her own cubby. She actually is using it! Usually, cats will refuse to use something the way it's supposed to be used.
Check It Out, part I: Indulging Scentsations
As a seller (or wanna be seller) on etsy.com, I am going to promote other sellers on my blog. Etsy is a place for crafters to sell handmade stuff, and it's a wonderful place to shop. You can find unique, affordable gifts AND support people who love to make things.
Indulging Scentsations can be found at www.bradli.etsy.com. You are going to want to eat these products because they have scents such as kiwi, champagne, strawberries and cream and creme brulee.
Products include Vegan lip gloss, whipped shea butter, linen spray and more.
Crystal's profile says she's a stay at home mother who has had her business for 7 years but just started really trying to sell her products in the past year. Crystal says, "I love making quality bath and body products. My goal is for every woman to be able to afford great products and reasonable prices."
So slather up, everybody, and make the world smell sweeter.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
A knit fit!
I started talking to this fellow Etsy seller who lives in Albuquerque and is part of a crafting group - www.abqcraftistas.com. I'm going to join them for an upcoming girl's night, and I think it's going to be really fun. I really don't spend a lot of time hanging out with other women, and it will be nice to get to know some other girls with similar interests.
Right now, I'm a sewer. I love to sew, and if I had my choice, it's all I would do. But as I look over the blogs on this Web site, I'm feeling inspired to learn to knit.
I have tried crocheting in the past and just ended up frustrated and didn't much care for it. But a coworker I have says she hates sewing and crocheting but loves to knit, so I thought maybe there's hope for me! It seems like a relatively cheap endeavor -- a couple of knitting needles, a book and some yarn to start out. With sewing (and especially patternmaking), you have to invest a small fortune: sewing machine, serger, vary form curve, 2x18 clear ruler, hip curve, French curves, dress form, fabric, thread, pattern paper, etc. So if I don't like knitting, it shouldn't be too big of a loss.
I suppose one thing I don't need right now is another thing to do, what with school starting and everything else (see post below), but what the heck. You know what I really want to make?
This:
I'm referring to the center ones -- short sleeves. So cute. This is from a stitchdiva.com and it's not the sweater for sale, but the pattern. What if I could someday whip something like this together!?!
The other appealing thing about knitting is its portability. You can't exactly take your sewing machine with you to occupy your extra time during the day. Or to craftista meetings, I suppose.
I'll keep you posted. All zero readers of my blog.
Right now, I'm a sewer. I love to sew, and if I had my choice, it's all I would do. But as I look over the blogs on this Web site, I'm feeling inspired to learn to knit.
I have tried crocheting in the past and just ended up frustrated and didn't much care for it. But a coworker I have says she hates sewing and crocheting but loves to knit, so I thought maybe there's hope for me! It seems like a relatively cheap endeavor -- a couple of knitting needles, a book and some yarn to start out. With sewing (and especially patternmaking), you have to invest a small fortune: sewing machine, serger, vary form curve, 2x18 clear ruler, hip curve, French curves, dress form, fabric, thread, pattern paper, etc. So if I don't like knitting, it shouldn't be too big of a loss.
I suppose one thing I don't need right now is another thing to do, what with school starting and everything else (see post below), but what the heck. You know what I really want to make?
This:
I'm referring to the center ones -- short sleeves. So cute. This is from a stitchdiva.com and it's not the sweater for sale, but the pattern. What if I could someday whip something like this together!?!The other appealing thing about knitting is its portability. You can't exactly take your sewing machine with you to occupy your extra time during the day. Or to craftista meetings, I suppose.
I'll keep you posted. All zero readers of my blog.
My husband went to Sea World and all I got were these lousy pajamas
You know what's not fun? When your husband goes to San Diego on a business trip and you have to stay home. And work. And what's even less fun is when he gets to go to Sea World and you have to stay home. And work. But you know what makes it all better? Whale pajamas!
Whale pajamas say just one thing: Sexxxy. Paired with flannel snowman sheets and a come-hither stare, I am irresistable.
Have you ever seen me without makeup? No, you haven't, because I always wear makeup. Always. So now's your chance to see me in all my imperfect glory. If you're mean, you'll save that photo to your computer and zoom in and laugh. You'll also see that I'm lying halfway because I'm too lazy to take my eye makeup off; I just wash my skin. I let my eye makeup smear all over my face until after my shower the next day.
Friday, January 19, 2007
In my day, we could punctuate
I guess I should start off by saying that I'm a copy editor. That said, I make typos and grammatical errors when I write things like, say, my blog or an e-mail. I also love the Internet.
What's really bothering me is that people seem to have a hard time writing a coherent sentence these days, and I think the Internet and text messaging are to blame. When I'm on MySpace.com, I notice that people can't spell to save their lives. They use NO punctuation and pepper their writing with homophones (not to be confused with homophobes). Today's youths don't seem to know the difference between there, their and they're. And they don't care.
alot oftimes when yur online you see rwiting like this and there isnt any puntuation and its full of misspelled words u know they run sentences together and abbreviate the most useless thigns they have typos everywhere and never heard of a period it just drives me crazy you know because who wants to read this did u
One girl went on a forum and insulted everyone. But her writing was so bad that much of the time you couldn't understand her. Her excuse was she writes like she talks, which is really pathetic. She privately messaged me that I had crossed the line for pointing out that we couldn't understand her because her writing was so awful, even though she appeared proud as punch about her bad grammar. An example would be, "yea yea no so what i dont care i writes hows i talk." And she was a 17-year-old white girl from Pennsylvania.
When I used to go on a wedding chat board, I was relieved to see that when people would write posts like that, other girls would tell them to use punctuation or they weren't going to bother reading it.
((In old lady voice:))
In my day, we used periods at the end of sentences, and you could tell when it ended. We used commas for pauses and capital letters for proper nouns. In my day, you didn't abbreviate words just to save the effort of typing two letters. And you could understand what people were trying to say! And then I walked 2 miles to school in the snow, uphill both ways.
My point is, no, I don't write perfectly when I'm online, but I try to make it readable. That's all I'm asking.
What's really bothering me is that people seem to have a hard time writing a coherent sentence these days, and I think the Internet and text messaging are to blame. When I'm on MySpace.com, I notice that people can't spell to save their lives. They use NO punctuation and pepper their writing with homophones (not to be confused with homophobes). Today's youths don't seem to know the difference between there, their and they're. And they don't care.
alot oftimes when yur online you see rwiting like this and there isnt any puntuation and its full of misspelled words u know they run sentences together and abbreviate the most useless thigns they have typos everywhere and never heard of a period it just drives me crazy you know because who wants to read this did u
One girl went on a forum and insulted everyone. But her writing was so bad that much of the time you couldn't understand her. Her excuse was she writes like she talks, which is really pathetic. She privately messaged me that I had crossed the line for pointing out that we couldn't understand her because her writing was so awful, even though she appeared proud as punch about her bad grammar. An example would be, "yea yea no so what i dont care i writes hows i talk." And she was a 17-year-old white girl from Pennsylvania.
When I used to go on a wedding chat board, I was relieved to see that when people would write posts like that, other girls would tell them to use punctuation or they weren't going to bother reading it.
((In old lady voice:))
In my day, we used periods at the end of sentences, and you could tell when it ended. We used commas for pauses and capital letters for proper nouns. In my day, you didn't abbreviate words just to save the effort of typing two letters. And you could understand what people were trying to say! And then I walked 2 miles to school in the snow, uphill both ways.
My point is, no, I don't write perfectly when I'm online, but I try to make it readable. That's all I'm asking.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Big, bad toofas
Many of you may not know that I was a finalist on "The Swan" - that show where they make an ugly woman pretty.
Before
After!
OK, but seriously, when my dad gave us those teeth for Christmas as a joke, my husband said, "Hey! It's Robyn's teeth when she was a kid!" That sounds mean, but it was really true. I really did have horrific teeth when I was a kid. Once I started getting my permanent teeth, something went terribly wrong. I started orthodontics in fourth grade when my teeth looked like this:
That was the actual mold from when I was biting down. I told my parents I
liked my teeth that way. I couldn't even eat right because the only place my top and bottom teeth met was in the back left part of my mouth.
I then had braces until I was about 16, which also didn't make eating easy. I really identified with that Seinfeld character who ate everything, even cookies, with a knife and fork. I still do, out of habit.
Before
After!
OK, but seriously, when my dad gave us those teeth for Christmas as a joke, my husband said, "Hey! It's Robyn's teeth when she was a kid!" That sounds mean, but it was really true. I really did have horrific teeth when I was a kid. Once I started getting my permanent teeth, something went terribly wrong. I started orthodontics in fourth grade when my teeth looked like this:
That was the actual mold from when I was biting down. I told my parents I
liked my teeth that way. I couldn't even eat right because the only place my top and bottom teeth met was in the back left part of my mouth.
I then had braces until I was about 16, which also didn't make eating easy. I really identified with that Seinfeld character who ate everything, even cookies, with a knife and fork. I still do, out of habit.
Monday, January 15, 2007
How many "clothes" do strippers need?
As an aspiring patternmaker, I recently posted a Craig's List request seeking patternmakers in the Albuquerque area who would act as a mentor in exchange for help.
I received one reply, so far, from a lady designing a line of stripper wear. It sounds like a great opportunity, except for the fact that I really don't want to design clothes for hos.
I told my friend David that I don't even know how to envision ho clothes and that they'd end up fully covered in turtlenecks and long pants. He said that was OK, to start from there and then start adding Velcro so they could rip the sleeves and legs off, and so forth till they are nekkid.
Well, as long as I don't have to model it.
Actually, I think I'll just pass altogether. I don't really see the point of clothes if you are still naked when you are wearing them.
I received one reply, so far, from a lady designing a line of stripper wear. It sounds like a great opportunity, except for the fact that I really don't want to design clothes for hos.
I told my friend David that I don't even know how to envision ho clothes and that they'd end up fully covered in turtlenecks and long pants. He said that was OK, to start from there and then start adding Velcro so they could rip the sleeves and legs off, and so forth till they are nekkid.
Well, as long as I don't have to model it.
Actually, I think I'll just pass altogether. I don't really see the point of clothes if you are still naked when you are wearing them.
On the streets of Burque
The other night, my husband, Mark, and I decided to go to dinner. During this one trip, we encountered numerous bad drivers. If you're a fellow New Mexican, you're probably shrugging right now and thinking, "yeah, so what?" New Mexico is notorious for having bad drivers.
In the movies, drivers in NYC are always portrayed as mean and inconsiderate. Well, New Mexicans are much worse. Only we don't honk our horns as much. We prefer to just shoot at the other driver.
You know how it's bad to turn right from the middle- or left-hand lanes? Well, in this one outing, we had this happen not once, not twice, not three times, but FOUR TIMES. It was really two separate incidents, one of which was very eerie and involved numerous vehicles: one turned from the left lane, one from the center, one went around from behind us as the car in front of us stayed still and let everyone do this. It seemed to be planned out in some bizarre way. Since we were on Central Avenue. I pleaded with my husband to let it go and stay back. I was sure the bullets were about to start flying between these cars. We pulled into a parking lot, successfully finding the only icy place left in the city and thus fishtailing a bit, waited for a moment and then went on our way.
A few weeks ago, on New Year's morning, a road rage incident left two middle-aged women here shot to death. Sometimes it's better to swallow your pride and let the asshole continue on his way.
New Mexico is known for other things too, such as high teen pregnancy, violence against pregnant women and best of all, likelihood to not succeed.
But somehow I love this state and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Maybe I'm just a sucker for the blue skies, white clouds and endless sun.
In the movies, drivers in NYC are always portrayed as mean and inconsiderate. Well, New Mexicans are much worse. Only we don't honk our horns as much. We prefer to just shoot at the other driver.
You know how it's bad to turn right from the middle- or left-hand lanes? Well, in this one outing, we had this happen not once, not twice, not three times, but FOUR TIMES. It was really two separate incidents, one of which was very eerie and involved numerous vehicles: one turned from the left lane, one from the center, one went around from behind us as the car in front of us stayed still and let everyone do this. It seemed to be planned out in some bizarre way. Since we were on Central Avenue. I pleaded with my husband to let it go and stay back. I was sure the bullets were about to start flying between these cars. We pulled into a parking lot, successfully finding the only icy place left in the city and thus fishtailing a bit, waited for a moment and then went on our way.
A few weeks ago, on New Year's morning, a road rage incident left two middle-aged women here shot to death. Sometimes it's better to swallow your pride and let the asshole continue on his way.
New Mexico is known for other things too, such as high teen pregnancy, violence against pregnant women and best of all, likelihood to not succeed.
But somehow I love this state and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Maybe I'm just a sucker for the blue skies, white clouds and endless sun.
www.so.damn.busy.com
In college, I got headaches a lot. I guess it was because I was overwhelmed. I'm a very organized person and having things hanging over my head got to me. No matter how much you try, you can never catch up on homework.
After college, I started working as a copy editor. This has been the job for me because I don't have to bring work home with me. When I leave at the end of the day, the work is done until I come back next time. I pretty much stopped getting migraines.
So, going back in time, I never really had hobbies. I wanted hobbies, but nothing piqued my interest enough for me to stick with it. Until I discovered sewing a few years ago. I love sewing so much that it's all I want to do. I sometimes sew until I'm exhausted and then I go to bed and have Burger Chef Syndrome all night.
Burger Chef Syndrome (n): When you do something repetitively and then try to go to bed and can't sleep because you keep dreaming about it. You toss and turn and have nightmares all night about ____. (Fill in the blank with such things as playing Super Mario Brothers, working at Burger Chef [my husband made up this term after developing syndrome at said job], sewing.)
So back to my story, I found this hobby, and it led me to to seek out fashion design. I basically wanted to learn to make my own clothes from my own designs. But maybe I want to change careers someday. More on that later. I now take fashion design at Santa Fe Community College.
I'm making some clothes and selling them at www.burstofhappiness.etsy.com. I'm also doing some freelance editing/writing work.
My point is that my to do list now looks like this for each week:
1. work 40 hours at main job
2. work on freelance job
3. go to school (9 hours)
4. do homework
5. work on my patterns, sew them
6. work out
7. clean my house
8. spend time with my husband. This really should be first on the list. He's the most important thing in my life.
I haven't been this busy in years! I kind of liked the peacefulness my life had before, but it's getting exciting now. I guess I'll just stock up on Excedrin and see where life takes me!
After college, I started working as a copy editor. This has been the job for me because I don't have to bring work home with me. When I leave at the end of the day, the work is done until I come back next time. I pretty much stopped getting migraines.
So, going back in time, I never really had hobbies. I wanted hobbies, but nothing piqued my interest enough for me to stick with it. Until I discovered sewing a few years ago. I love sewing so much that it's all I want to do. I sometimes sew until I'm exhausted and then I go to bed and have Burger Chef Syndrome all night.
Burger Chef Syndrome (n): When you do something repetitively and then try to go to bed and can't sleep because you keep dreaming about it. You toss and turn and have nightmares all night about ____. (Fill in the blank with such things as playing Super Mario Brothers, working at Burger Chef [my husband made up this term after developing syndrome at said job], sewing.)
So back to my story, I found this hobby, and it led me to to seek out fashion design. I basically wanted to learn to make my own clothes from my own designs. But maybe I want to change careers someday. More on that later. I now take fashion design at Santa Fe Community College.
I'm making some clothes and selling them at www.burstofhappiness.etsy.com. I'm also doing some freelance editing/writing work.
My point is that my to do list now looks like this for each week:
1. work 40 hours at main job
2. work on freelance job
3. go to school (9 hours)
4. do homework
5. work on my patterns, sew them
6. work out
7. clean my house
8. spend time with my husband. This really should be first on the list. He's the most important thing in my life.
I haven't been this busy in years! I kind of liked the peacefulness my life had before, but it's getting exciting now. I guess I'll just stock up on Excedrin and see where life takes me!
Who cares?
I get these ideas about things I need. Like a blog. Why do I need a blog? Do I really have anything to say?
When I have a few glasses of wine, I have lots to say. Just ask my husband. I can't stop, and I'm sure it's boring as hell to listen to.
But I haven't had any wine -- it's only 1:13 p.m., and I don't like to start drinking until at least 3 p.m. That's when I go to work, so it's a very convenient time.
When I have a few glasses of wine, I have lots to say. Just ask my husband. I can't stop, and I'm sure it's boring as hell to listen to.
But I haven't had any wine -- it's only 1:13 p.m., and I don't like to start drinking until at least 3 p.m. That's when I go to work, so it's a very convenient time.
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