Kiddie Stuff

(I figure the best thing to do is just keep on going like there wasn't any hiatus in writing at all.  Nope, nothing to see here...)

When I was a kid, our family Christmases were HUGE.  At the time, they didn't seem like anything unusual - 20-30 people at our place for the holidays was par for the course.  My sister and her family would come over from Seattle and stay for a few days, and my three brothers and their families were all local so they'd drive out on Christmas day for dinner.  It was chaotic, messy, and fun, but most of all it was our tradition.

There were a few years where the kids outnumbered the adults, so we did two Christmas trees - the pretty, sparkly, white-lighted formal one in the living room, and the kids' tree in the kitchen with the beaded fake candy garland, the felt and plastic toy ornaments, and gaudy multicolored lights.   I loved the formal tree, "Mom's tree" as Dad would call it, with her angels and crystal icicles and collectible glass ornaments.  She'd put velvet bows and gold garland on it, and it just shone and sparkled like one big neon "DO NOT TOUCH" sign.  The kids' tree, however, was right in the middle of the traffic zone in the kitchen - there was nothing breakable or fragile about it.  It was a rough-and-tumble tree, meant to be bumped and prodded and dug around under with abandon.  It wasn't pretty, and it was awesome to us kids that we had our very own tree.  But the sheer beauty of Mom's tree was captivating in a way that the kids' tree just couldn't hold a candle to.

 So you'd think that, as an adult, my taste in Christmas decor would run along the lines of my Mom's - sparkly, pretty, a bit more formal.  But when I look at my tree now I see that kids' tree.  I have the original candy garland, the wooden beads, and a lot of the kids' ornaments that we hung on the old tree.  B has contributed all of his ornaments that he made or had from his childhood.  Almost all of the new decorations that we've acquired follow this theme too - Beaker from The Muppets (he meeps "Ode to Joy" when you hit a button!), a GI Joe action figure, Strawberry Shortcake, Mr Potatohead, snowmen and S'moremen and felt Pac-Men and penguins.  I did go a little bit the other direction when I bought glass icicles and red velvet bows, but I think there's only three glass balls on the entire thing.  When you look at the tree, you definitely see the childhood memories of two 30-something-adults reflected there.  And I love it.

Inventory

I started thinking this morning about all the crafty projects I have that I'm either in the middle of, or that I have the stuff for but haven't started yet.

Crochet - I have a lot more yarn than I thought.  I got this great teal wool blend that I want to make a cardigan out of, and I have the supplies to make my cupcake hats and acorn hats, plus some leftovers from previous projects.  In fact I just started a pair of socks tonight using this fuzzy yarn that was originally going to be a blanket.  I also have been saving plastic bags from World Market to make "plarn" water bottle carriers out of.  But the good news is, I did manage to finish a project that had been languishing in my bag for about 7 months!

Quilt - My new bed quilt project is spread out on my work table, being pieced together a bit at a time.  I'm not in a hurry to finish it, since we won't use it until next summer, but since I don't know how long it will take to have it quilted, I should probably get on it.  I also have a box of t-shirts and sweatshirts that will be made into a cozy throw at some point too.  And lastly I have some leftover blocks from my pink quilt that I need to turn into shams or throw pillows.

Sewing - I have all the fabric and pattern to make an adorable messenger bag with an appliqued owl on it... sitting in one of my storage bins.  I also have a stack of dog food bags (the kind made of woven plastic) that I'm going to make into grocery bags,  leftover lampshade fabric and batting that I'm going to turn into a cat bed, and all sorts of other leftover fabric that I'm saving for... something.

Glass painting - I don't have any projects started, but I still have all the materials ready in case something comes up.  Same with batik stuff.

Beading - I bought some cool pendants on clearance, and have plans to make some things to add to my Etsy shop in time for Christmas... I just can't find the motivation right now to squint my way through the projects.

Cross stitch - I have a huge tote bag FULL of unfinished cross stitch projects, including a wedding announcement for my best friend who was married I forget how many YEARS ago now, but maybe I'll get this thing done for their 20th or 30th or 50th anniversary... There's also a Christmas stocking, a wall hanging of the Footprints poem, a baby announcement that I can't even remember who it was originally for, and maybe 2 or 3 other things that haven't even been started yet but I have the kits for them.

One good thing about having so many projects is when I get tired of it, or my hands/eyes get worn out, or when I'm on a TV marathon, or traveling, I can set down the boring/eyestraining/callous-forming/attention-stealing project and pick up one that's more interesting/uses-different-muscles/can-do-while-watching-the-tube.  So it's fun.  It just takes a bit of space to store it all.

Another good thing about being a Crafter-of-All-Trades is being able to come up with good gift ideas.  This list doesn't even include the things I'm making as gifts for other people, which I can't talk about here or I'd ruin the surprise, but know that there are a FEW of them.  Also if anybody wants something made for themselves or someone else, you know who to ask.  :-)

Up for a challenge..

The pattern (with some rows added to make it Queen size)

The fabric scheme, which matches the duvet my mom made

Getting a running start!

And, of course, my "Assistant."

The HELL.

I can't believe I forgot to post the end result of the kitchen repair fiasco.  The maintenance guys, whose praises I was singing, totally failed.  Sure the drain line got fixed, but when it came to patching the walls & repairing the cabinet they punched a hole through, well, let's just say a monkey could have done a better job.  Two weeks and a new set of maintenance guys later, the wall was fixed properly, and I got the blue paint up.  I did wind up using the Behr ultimate fancy whatever stuff with the primer in it, and it only took two coats, but lordy did that black & white monstrosity cover a multitude of sins.  Now every crack, bump, and uneven spot in the plaster sticks out like a sore thumb, but at least it's a pretty sore thumb.

We're still not sure if we're going to paint the living room.  We got our bookshelves arranged and art on the walls, and if you keep your eye-line pointed somewhat down it's really not that bad.  The palm trees are still ugly, but they're ignorable.  We've really just lost interest in trying to make this house better.  Which is sad, but really isn't that how renting is supposed to be?  I can't even bring myself to garden.

Beyond the kitchen, I survived another adventure - flying to Seattle, picking up a 10-foot moving truck, loading up furniture and stuff that my sister had been storing for me for the past 10 years, and driving back to Ohio with Mom following in her car.  o.O  It really wasn't all that bad though, and we made it in one piece with Mom only getting lost once (and that was the last HOUR of the trip, when trying to get off the Turnpike to get to the house!).  She's staying in the apartment at the in-law's house for the rest of the summer, and it's been fun having someone to shop and craft and generally rat around with.  Of course it's so much better because she's not staying at MY house - and she agrees with me on that too so I can get away with saying it!  :-)

Work is... meh.  There might be something happening at the bookstore for me, and the work-at-home job is still waiting on further negotiations, so it's the whole "up in the air" thing happening all over again.  Which is really getting old. 

Other than the "life update" I don't have much else to talk about I'm afraid.  But Mom and I are going shopping for fabric today - I'm starting a big quilt project, so I'll share all of that.

Welcome to my (boring, insignificant) world!

Oh, the joys of a house.

 So, our main drain line is busted & leaking down in the basement every time we shower/flush/wash.  Thank god for maintenance guys!  They were here for a good 3 hours last night finding the leak, & they're coming back today to replace the line.  I will have a big hole cut in the wall of my kitchen, but thankfully it will be covered by the cabinets.  And considering the walls in the kitchen are an ugly-ass black & white sponge faux finish nightmare, it'll be painted soon anyway.  (Blue, if you want to know... "French Court" by Behr.) 

Put DOWN the sponge...

The living room walls above the chair rail will be painted too, a plain tan to go with the sage green bottom half (right now the top is a metallic gold faux finish nightmare with added palm tree wallpaper border hideousness).

The 70's called, they want their metallic paint back.

The maintenance guys, bless their hearts, also found where the dishwasher was leaking - ok, not so much "leaking" as "dumping" - the drain line had been taken out of the utility sink & tucked up out of the way when the basement was painted, so it was draining straight on top of my brand new washing machine.  Yuuuuuck.  I had to run an empty cycle with vinegar in the dispenser to purge the grossness.

To add insult to injury, Jake has stress-peed on the carpet in the living & dining rooms lord knows how many times now, since the carpet is dark tan and we can't see it.  But we can smell it for sure.  Amazingly, the cats haven't done the same.  I think I'll try a good coating of baking powder first before renting a steam cleaner, just to neutralize the smell.  We use a baby gate on the stairs at night to prevent more accidents and are getting him back on a set potty schedule too.  He'll snap out of it soon - this has happened with each move so we know the drill now.

Keep up the shenanigans, mister, and you WILL wear a diaper.

We have to put in a temporary fence in the backyard to keep Jake from visiting the neighbors - he's on a cable tie, but it's a bit too long.  Plus we found out that the property lines in our neighborhood don't go from driveway to driveway, but that part of our backyard is actually the neighbor's.  They don't care, thankfully, but our plans to rip out the overgrown area under the tree now have to be approved by them.  Argh.

And of course, our garage floor is still gravel.  It's only been 2 weeks so I know we need to be patient, but B's tools are still in our storage unit and we have to have a place to put them by the end of the month so we can close that expense out.  We're probably going to have to put some planks or sheets of plywood down in the garage or something.

My mantra right now is "Our lease is up in a year, just a year..."

Surrounded by Boxes

Between the somewhat more time-filling schedule at the bookstore than I had anticipated, plus the scramble to find a place to live in Akron so B didn't have to commute 45 minutes every day, and then the subsequent move... I'm away from my desk, please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.  If you need immediate assistance, press 1 for the operator.  Beeeeeeeep.

Long story short, we looked at seven different places in Akron, the first being awesome but too expensive, some in the middle that were just meh (and some that were yuck), to the last one which, strangely, has the same floorplan as the house we rented in Toledo.  It felt like home right away.  It has its downsides though - no fenced-in yard, so Jake has to be on a cable; fully carpeted; sump pump right in the middle of the basement floor (yick); neighbors literally rightherenextdoor; and no central air.  Which we thought would be manageable with the massive attic fan upstairs - open the windows at night & turn that sucker on, and in rushes the cool air... but unfortunately this only works when it's actually cool at night.  So we bought a portable air conditioner.  Emphasis not so much on the portable really, but easier than a window unit for sure.

But we're settling in, slowly but surely.  The cats stayed at B's parents' place until last night and are now exploring happily, Jake has "christened" the living room carpet already but at least it's a darker color so it doesn't show, we had some mildew on a few things from the storage unit that had to be cleaned, we finally got the basement carpet dried out after the homeowner's valiant effort with a steam cleaner, but most importantly, the beer glass collection is put away in the china display cabinet (which are almost identical to the ones we had in Toledo too).  We're still unpacking (the heat slowed me down a lot, plus the aforementioned crazy work schedule at the bookstore) and we have a wedding to attend this weekend so we probably won't get much further with it until late next week.  I'm off to Chicago for NeoCon on Monday & Tuesday, and B's new job leaves him wiped out when he gets home, so the non-essential stuff will just have to wait I guess.

Deprived

Normally I'm woken up at about 5-5:30 am by either B's alarm or a very obnoxious Lily yowling at the door. This morning, it was neither - instead, a bizarre dream about Castle, Beckett, and I trying to escape from a murderous cult that was holding us hostage. A murderous cult of teenage girls, no less. Beckett and I escaped first by locking ourselves in a public bathroom, but when Castle tried to sneak away to meet us, somebody threw a grenade into the hallway and we had to escape through the vent onto the roof.

And now that I would like to go back to sleep for another hour, Lily is raising a holy ruckus as usual. *sigh* It's always something.

But, on the unrelated bright side, I start working at the bookstore next Thursday, and B has another interview today for a job that is a much better fit for him. So prayers, wishes, & FGBVs for him would be much appreciated.

Shiny!!

I think the official Random Tuesday Thoughts meme died, but I'm doing one today anyway just because.

***
The neighbors behind us are having their landscaping guys do their leaf-blowing today.  It's a good day for it, because (a) it's a weekday, and everyone but me is at work, and (b) miraculously, it's not raining.  But, here's the incredibly stupid part (you knew this was coming, right?) - we live in the woods, and the dudes are leaf-blowing the wooded area.  As in, not lawn, WOODS.  Where the leaves are supposed to be.  *facepalm* I don't know whether to blame the homeowners or the dudes with the noisy backpacks, but either way - some people just should not be allowed near nature.
***
I finally broke down and bought two tee-shirts yesterday, thanks in part to Lucy and the Betties' discussion of great geeky shirts.  Holy crow, were there some awesome ones!  But these particular two that I bought have been on my wish-list for a while now.  I bought this one for B:

http://www.snorgtees.com/sugar-skull-trooper

And this one for me!

http://www.thinkgeek.com/tshirts-apparel/womens/bb00/

(It's hard to see, but the speech bubble says "Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!"  If you don't get it, you need to watch Firefly and then Serenity.  Look it up on Netflix, and thank me later.)

The one I REALLY want is this one:

But when I went to place my order a whole HOUR ago, the size I need was backordered.  NOW, when I go to get the link for the picture, it's in stock.  BOOO.  (Also, hint hint! I made a wishlist for the website!  Because I'm subtle like that. ;) )

***
Work has been going well, thanks for asking.  This initial project I've been working on is coming along smoothly, and while the *coughimpossiblecough* deadline won't quite be achieved, everyone is on the same page.  I'm not sure where we'll go from here - I'm hoping they'll keep me on for more projects, which sounds like a very real possibility.  But, there's another opportunity lurking in the shadows too, and I hope I won't have to choose between the two.  But I won't jinx it!  I won't!

I will say though, that I have an interview Friday for a part-time spot that's open at Barnes & Noble (the one in Akron where I worked before - I'm glad I stayed in touch with some of the people there!), so that will fill out my days nicely.  It'll be good to get out of the house too.

***
Why yes, Friday is my birthday!  How kind of you to remember.  :D  Oh, no big plans really.  We're going to see if we can get a table at the new B-Spot, Michael Symon's burger/brats/beer place.  Since we do live in Michael Symon's hometown after all... sorry, inside joke... okay I'll explain.  There was a commercial on Food Network or the Cooking Channel or something, with Michael Symon as the new spokesperson for Calphalon, and they were advertising a contest: "Win a trip to Michael Symon's hometown!!! And now we'll distract you with these SHINY POTS AND PANS!!"  Never at any point in the commercial did they mention that, well, that's actually Cleveland.  Yep, in Ohio.  No, there's really not anything more there, except OMG MICHAEL SYMON'S HOMETOWN.  When we saw it, B and I absolutely died laughing.  We could just imagine the winner: "WHOO HOO I WON!!  Wait, Cleveland??  Seriously??!  Ugh." 

But back to my birthday.  I'm turning 31.  THIRTY. ONE.  *shudder*  And yet, I'm buying myself tee-shirts with dinosaurs and geeky movie quotes on them.  I've got a death-grip on my youth, dammit!
Edited:  Oh holy snotballs people, I'm turning THIRTY TWO.  3-2.  Math was never my strong suit.  *headdesk*

But really, the only thing I want for my birthday this year is a house.  But I'll settle for gift cards or something from that wish list I mentioned.  (KIDDING.  No one had better get me ANYTHING.  Except B.  I want a house.) :P

Finally!!!

So it took a while, but I can finally say that I'm EMPLOYED!

I am officially working a an Independent Contractor for another furniture company outside Toledo - they're letting me work remotely from Cleveland, with a once-a-week trip to their office for physical work.  Our initial contract is for 3 months, to complete a certification in time for Neocon (a big trade show for interior design held in Chicago every June).  I'll be doing all the fun data collection & writing for the certification.  Once this initial phase is complete, we'll re-negotiate from there - either I will officially hang out my shingle as a Consultant and file all the paperwork to become an LLC, or I'll be hired on a full-time basis to manage this company's environmental stuff, just like at my last job.

I'll probably only go the LLC route if I can round up some more clients, and the easiest would be my two previous employers.  (Nudge nudge, Dave and Greg and Ian and Heather....  ;) )

I'll be honest, these first 3 months are kind of a "special introductory offer" - I'm not getting paid a whole heckuva lot, compared to the rest of the green business consulting world, but (a) they recognize that fact & it will definitely be part of the renegotiation, and (b) I'm definitely not turning away an opportunity like this just because they're not willing to pay me a higher rate that, frankly, I haven't proved I'm worth yet as a consultant.  So, I'm conceding the point for right now.  It's just nice to get a paycheck!

I'm still looking for a second part-time retail job, just to get me out of the house in the evenings.  Working from home is a brand-new experience for me, and I'm sure I'll get tired of not leaving the house!

B started his part-time summer job this week too.  He's working at the convention/event center in Akron as a houseman and caterer, something he's done in the past and that pays really well.  It'll be a good second job for him, especially if he's able to get this National Parks job he's pushing for!

We've also filled out the application to get pre-approved for a VA Home Loan, because it would honestly be cheaper and a better financial choice for us to buy a house than rent.  We're hoping to make an offer on an awesome little place not too far from here, but our realtor called last night & said there was another offer for it.  If we get our letter back tomorrow we might still be able to squeeze in, but we're not hanging all our hopes on it.  We'll see what happens, and if we miss out then we'll keep looking.  There's a ton on the market right now after all.

So, FINALLY, some good news to report!!  :D

Day Dreaming

Today, Lucy asked "What's your dream?"

***

Someday I will have...

...a house like this....

...with a room like this...

...and a garden like this...

...and like this too...

...and a studio/shop like this...

Courtesy of Ross Chapin Architects

...with this in our backyard.

McKenzie River, Oregon

I DEFY THEE, HUMAN!

"WHAT is in this bag?!  I MUST SHRED IT."

"Oh NO you DIDN'T."

"I'll teach YOU to squirt ME!"

Yes, when I squirt her with the spray bottle, she comes running as if she's going to fight the bottle or something.  She makes that goofy "ackackackack" noise that cat's make when they're hunting something, and gives me the evil eye.  Then 30 seconds later she's back doing whatever naughty thing she got in trouble for in the first place.

She's like a rebellious teenager - "You telling me 'no' just makes me want to do it even more!  So BITE ME, Human!"

(Also, whoever had the lame idea to caption cat pictures with so-called "LOLSpeak" obviously doesn't own a cat.)

I have no words.

Some folks were witness to this spectacle today.  If you missed it... OMG I DIED.  It took me forever to come up with any sort of comeback, and it was pretty lame too.  But I could NOT wipe the stupid grin off my face all day.

B, of course, gave me a high-five and told me to say that if Stana Katic (aka Beckett) was invited, to count him in too.

I failed to mention how the dream ended though... with me chickening out because I hadn't shaved my legs.  Man, I HATE when reality creeps in and ruins a perfectly good dream.

Mush

I absolutely do not have any motivation to blog lately.  There's nothing to say that hasn't already been beaten to a bloody pulp - I'm jobless, and it sucks, repeat on seemingly endless loop.  Even for RTT, I can't find anything worthwhile.



Except maybe this, which I hope you've already seen but if not, don't squee so loud you'll disturb the neighbors.

Yep, it's Pooh+Star Wars.  James Hance's collection of "Relentlessly Cheerful Art" brings even me out of a funk. 

I'm making this crocheted cardigan right now.  I was unreasonably anxious about trying to make an article of clothing, but the pattern instructions have been really easy to follow so now I'm on a roll and it's kinda fun.

I love our library here.  I've been drowning in new music and books since we got back, and I have a huge number of things still on request.  Included are several books on natural beauty and holistic medicine, which I'm fascinated with right now.  I want to try the oil cleansing method, and some remedies for thin hair - I don't have bald spots yet, but judging by the amount of hair that clogs the shower drain it's only a matter of time.  Expect a new post over at the green blog in a couple weeks once I've done some practical research on it.

Also if anyone has any music to recommend, tell me!  My iTunes can't get enough.