I decided to show my patriotism by painting my toe nails. Sofie liked them so much she insisted I paint hers too. I'm amazed she sat still long enough for the nail polish to dry. Happy Fourth of July everyone!
Monday, July 4, 2011
Happy Fourth of July!
I decided to show my patriotism by painting my toe nails. Sofie liked them so much she insisted I paint hers too. I'm amazed she sat still long enough for the nail polish to dry. Happy Fourth of July everyone!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Chilling Out
Today marked the beginning of the first full week of my return to official-stay-at-home-motherhood. My three-day-a-week "job" as my niece's nanny officially ended last Wednesday. Congratulations to my sister-in-law, who now gets to be a real stay-at-home-mom herself! It's been about sixteen months since I've had five whole days per week to fill up with errands, chores, and blogging and I'll be honest, it's a little weird. I found myself excited to be able to finally tackle some of the big crazy projects I've been putting off but not really sure where to start. When I look around my very cramped, very cluttered house, I start making mental lists and it immediately gets overwhelming. I tend to drive myself crazy that way.
Today I finally decided to just pick something and deal with it. I know, duh, right? I started small. Here is my freezer before...
...and here it is after...
Honestly, this took all of fifteen minutes to do and now I can actually open the freezer without getting pummeled by an avalanche of questionably old meat-sicles. Also, thanks to the addition of the shelf (which used to hold our broken CD player), I now have room for ice-cube trays...ICE CUBE TRAYS! I feel like a real person again.
Among the treasures I unearthed in the great freezer excavation of 2011 were half a tube of Thin Mints (which I proceeded to consume immediately), a Claim Jumper pumpkin pie that I forgot I had (SCORE!), and twelve frozen Amish Friendship Bread starters (yikes, I've got some baking to do). Also, shoved way in the back was a "Fridge-N-Freezer" box of Arm & Hammer baking soda. The date written on top of the box was...are you ready for this...brace yourself...11/25/06. Hmmmm, I think it's safe to say its lost any magical deodorizing powers it might have once possessed- the box reads, "For Best Results Change Every 3 Months."
Yup, just another exciting day at my house. Now, if you'll excuse me, my sock and underwear drawer needs some attention...but don't worry, I won't show you pictures of that.
Today I finally decided to just pick something and deal with it. I know, duh, right? I started small. Here is my freezer before...
...and here it is after...
Among the treasures I unearthed in the great freezer excavation of 2011 were half a tube of Thin Mints (which I proceeded to consume immediately), a Claim Jumper pumpkin pie that I forgot I had (SCORE!), and twelve frozen Amish Friendship Bread starters (yikes, I've got some baking to do). Also, shoved way in the back was a "Fridge-N-Freezer" box of Arm & Hammer baking soda. The date written on top of the box was...are you ready for this...brace yourself...11/25/06. Hmmmm, I think it's safe to say its lost any magical deodorizing powers it might have once possessed- the box reads, "For Best Results Change Every 3 Months."
Yup, just another exciting day at my house. Now, if you'll excuse me, my sock and underwear drawer needs some attention...but don't worry, I won't show you pictures of that.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Hephzibah
Several months ago I decided it would be an enriching experience to participate in my church's art show. We were wrapping up a church wide, eighteen month study of the book of Isaiah and this art show was meant to display visual art inspired by the study. Each of us participants drew a number out of a hat to determine which chapter of Isaiah we would be representing. Here is the passage I ended up with:
Isaiah 62
Zion’s
New Name
1 For
Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
2 The nations will see your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah,[a]
and your land Beulah[b];
for the LORD will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.
5 As a young man marries a young woman,
so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
2 The nations will see your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah,[a]
and your land Beulah[b];
for the LORD will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.
5 As a young man marries a young woman,
so will your Builder marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.
6 I
have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem;
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest,
7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise of the earth.
they will never be silent day or night.
You who call on the LORD,
give yourselves no rest,
7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem
and makes her the praise of the earth.
8 The
LORD has sworn by his right hand
and by his mighty arm:
“Never again will I give your grain
as food for your enemies,
and never again will foreigners drink the new wine
for which you have toiled;
9 but those who harvest it will eat it
and praise the LORD,
and those who gather the grapes will drink it
in the courts of my sanctuary.”
and by his mighty arm:
“Never again will I give your grain
as food for your enemies,
and never again will foreigners drink the new wine
for which you have toiled;
9 but those who harvest it will eat it
and praise the LORD,
and those who gather the grapes will drink it
in the courts of my sanctuary.”
10 Pass
through, pass through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!
Remove the stones.
Raise a banner for the nations.
Prepare the way for the people.
Build up, build up the highway!
Remove the stones.
Raise a banner for the nations.
11 The
LORD has made proclamation
to the ends of the earth:
“Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your Savior comes!
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.’”
12 They will be called the Holy People,
the Redeemed of the LORD;
and you will be called Sought After,
the City No Longer Deserted.
to the ends of the earth:
“Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your Savior comes!
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.’”
12 They will be called the Holy People,
the Redeemed of the LORD;
and you will be called Sought After,
the City No Longer Deserted.
Footnotes:
a. Isaiah 62:4 Hephzibah means my
delight is in her.
b. Isaiah 62:4 Beulah means married.
And here's what I came up with...
 |
| Hephzibah - Isaiah 62 By: Katie Kenfield The form of the crown that wraps around the piece is made up of the passage written in ancient Hebrew text. The piece is illuminated from within symbolizing righteousness shining out like the dawn and salvation like a blazing torch, (verse 1). The letters found at the top of the crown spell out Hephzibah emphasizing the new name given to God's people, meaning, "my delight is in her" (verse 4). |
Figuring out how to visually represent this and then execute the concept, proved to be more difficult than I anticipated. I had made at least two attempts at an idea, slightly different from what you see in the picture above, which involved caligraphy...lots of caligraphy, and pipe cleaners. Yeah, it crashed and burned. Looking back on the whole experience, I kind of wish I had just knit a pair of socks and called them "Hephzibah" but I felt like I needed to get all artsy so I ventured into unfamiliar territory. Sometimes that can be a fun exciting romp which opens up a new world of possibilities. In this case, it mostly just frustrated me. What I saw in my head was not what my project ended up looking like and I hated that. I knew it was not my best work and I hated that too. I was humbled, I was annoyed, I was glad when it was done.
I did get several compliments on the piece and, true to form, I wrote them off as people just being nice or assumed my piece only stood out because it was the only candle holder in the show. I had resolved to take my piece home, peel off the bubbly, sloppy looking sticker and use the glass for something more appealing like a fish bowl or a cookie jar; however, when I found out there were plans to auction off the pieces to raise money for our church's building fund, I thought, "Hey, if someone wants it badly enough, they can have it- then I don't even have to take it home!"
I listed my asking price at $20, assuming I was being optimistic. Imagine my surprise when I got an email informing me that my piece had sold for $125. WHAT?! Immediately my surprise turned to guilt. "This piece is not worth that kind of money," I told myself over and over again. What was I supposed to do though? "At least the money is going toward a good cause," I assured myself. Still, I just didn't feel right letting someone walk away with something I knew could be better and I had already been brainstorming ways I could have improved the project.
After one more trip to the store and about an hour of holding my breath hoping my new plan would work, I came up with this...
Read on for the gory crafting details...
I started out by tracing the ancient Hebrew letters onto tracing paper following the crown design I had come up with. I then scanned the whole thing and made sure it was all going to line up okay. The first attempt was printed onto Avery® Sticker Project Paper 4383, 8-1/2" x 11", Clear. I was happy with how the print turned out and the actual sticker material was quite nice. Unfortunately, I found out the hard way that it's not really designed to cover large areas. It rippled, it stuck to itself, and it was nearly impossible to get it put on straight- it didn't help that the piece of glass wasn't exactly a perfect cylinder. It was a mess but I was out of time. I filled the bottom of the piece with sand and some tealight candles and called it a night.
The new and improved version
followed a similar set of steps but instead of the Sticker Paper, I used
Translucent Vellum inkjet paper similar to this.
I taped the seams together and wrapped the whole thing around the glass.
The end result is much more smooth and pleasing to look at.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Mother's Day/Improvised Birthday "Party"
Saturday, May 8, we woke Sofie up before church and wished her a simple Happy Birthday on her official birthday foolishly thinking that would suffice after our marathon Disney celebration the day before. Unfortunately, the first thing out of her mouth in response was, "Now I can wear my birthday hat, and have birthday cake and blow out my candles, and open my presents!" My response was, "Oh, crap, I really dropped the ball on this one."
We hadn't planned anything but apparently our little one has gotten wise to the fact that there are certain things one should expect to happen on one's birthday. Doh! Well, we managed to scrape together a satisfactory combination of celebratory birthday items and it all worked out. Next year we may not get off so easy though. I better start planning now.
Some friends of ours had already invited us over for dinner so we shared Sofie's birthday cake* with them. Here is the video of Sofie nearly losing her eyebrows while trying to blow out the candles.
That day was also Mother's Day. Since it falls so close to my birthday, I don't usually expect anything more extravagant than a foot massage and the guilt-free consumption of some sort of dessert. I was not disappointed. I also had the pleasure of attending the senior violin recital of one of our friends while Josh and Sofie frolicked about the Biola University campus where the event took place. Does it make me sound like a jerk if I admit that my favorite part of Mother's Day was the part where I got to sit by myself and listen to someone play a violin without having to worry about my child...the very child that made me a mother? Anyway, it was a lovely day all around.
*The birthday cake was purchased earlier that same day from the reduced bakery section of our local grocery store. Before we left the house to head over to see our friends, Sofie managed to kick over the TV tray on which the cake had been perched. Thankfully the container stayed in tact but most of the frosting slid right off the top of the cake. We took it with us anyway, along with some white decorating frosting and managed to "fix it" before we presented it to Sofie.
We hadn't planned anything but apparently our little one has gotten wise to the fact that there are certain things one should expect to happen on one's birthday. Doh! Well, we managed to scrape together a satisfactory combination of celebratory birthday items and it all worked out. Next year we may not get off so easy though. I better start planning now.
Some friends of ours had already invited us over for dinner so we shared Sofie's birthday cake* with them. Here is the video of Sofie nearly losing her eyebrows while trying to blow out the candles.
That day was also Mother's Day. Since it falls so close to my birthday, I don't usually expect anything more extravagant than a foot massage and the guilt-free consumption of some sort of dessert. I was not disappointed. I also had the pleasure of attending the senior violin recital of one of our friends while Josh and Sofie frolicked about the Biola University campus where the event took place. Does it make me sound like a jerk if I admit that my favorite part of Mother's Day was the part where I got to sit by myself and listen to someone play a violin without having to worry about my child...the very child that made me a mother? Anyway, it was a lovely day all around.
*The birthday cake was purchased earlier that same day from the reduced bakery section of our local grocery store. Before we left the house to head over to see our friends, Sofie managed to kick over the TV tray on which the cake had been perched. Thankfully the container stayed in tact but most of the frosting slid right off the top of the cake. We took it with us anyway, along with some white decorating frosting and managed to "fix it" before we presented it to Sofie.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Last Day of Disney
Moving on through the May madness documentation...
Saturday, May 7, was the last day we could go to Disneyland with our annual passes so we decided to go out in a blaze of glory by celebrating my husband's birthday (which was that same day), Sofie's birthday (which was the next day), and Mother's Day (also the next day) during our last epic day at the two Disney parks. We spent a total of fifteen hours there in an attempt to soak up every last bit of fun from our year of Disney. It was a long but lovely day and we felt like we had gotten our money's worth. We figured out that we probably averaged about one visit per week to at least one of the two parks. Wow, that was a lot of Disney. Maybe we should get passes to a museum or something- think of how smart we would be if we went somewhere educational that often.
Here is how the day ended...
Saturday, May 7, was the last day we could go to Disneyland with our annual passes so we decided to go out in a blaze of glory by celebrating my husband's birthday (which was that same day), Sofie's birthday (which was the next day), and Mother's Day (also the next day) during our last epic day at the two Disney parks. We spent a total of fifteen hours there in an attempt to soak up every last bit of fun from our year of Disney. It was a long but lovely day and we felt like we had gotten our money's worth. We figured out that we probably averaged about one visit per week to at least one of the two parks. Wow, that was a lot of Disney. Maybe we should get passes to a museum or something- think of how smart we would be if we went somewhere educational that often.
Here is how the day ended...
Friday, June 3, 2011
Sew Much Fun
Back in the beginning of May, I hosted a Singer Sewing Machine House Party. This was an event that I signed up for online a few months ago. I (along with lots of other people who signed up) got to rent a Singer Confidence Stylist sewing machine for two weeks. As part of the deal, I hosted sewing party and demoed the machine for some of my friends. Remember when I left you all hanging with this post? Here's what was in that box...
...but all crafts are welcome here.
So yeah, I really did love the Singer Confidence Stylist sewing machine but even with the special discount I would have gotten if I had purchased it, I just couldn't justify buying something like this right now. It's nice to have a good idea what I might be looking for in my next machine though.
They sent all that stuff just for the party! I was super excited and I had fun filling up brown paper bags with coupons, patterns, thread, and all kinds of stuff to give to my guests. I still have a few goody bags left so if you would like one, let me know. A lot of the coupons are already expired but the rest of the stuff is still good.
I ended up having just the right amount of guests show up. Any more people and we would have had to move the party to the front lawn (have I mentioned that I live in a tiny "hobbit hole" house- that's a topic for another blog entry though). Here's the party in full swing. Do we know how to have a good time or what?
There was sewing, sewing, and more sewing...
...but all crafts are welcome here.
We also had just enough time for everyone to complete their own projects. Two of my guests managed to escape before I could get pictures of theirs but here are the ones I did get...
The House Party company had sent a suggested project along with some fabric (which I forgot to photograph) but I just wasn't thrilled with it so I found the business card/gift card holder project, which I thought better showcased the machine's awesomeness- especially the decorative stitches (there are 70 of them) and the button-sewing-on feature (not the technical name, I'm sure) which I was particularly overly excited about.
I pre-cut all the fabric (hand-picked from my own stash) so everyone could choose their favorite combo and complete their own card holder. I made a similar project a while back at the CHA Supershow and remembered how great it was to already have the fabric cut for me so I could get straight to the fun part- decorating it and stitching it all together.
I purposely cut plenty of extras so there would be lots of variety. I ended up completing the rest of the projects before I had to return the machine. It was lots of fun...
I also feel like I should mention that I was completely enamored with All Brands Sewing and Vacuum in Garden Grove. I was assigned to pick up my sewing machine there and when I showed up for my required demo I instantly loved the place. It's an older shop with a mom and pop kind of feel and just about every inch of the front showroom area is filled with sewing machines of every size, shape, and era (there are vacuum cleaners too). It was the kind of place where I just wanted to hang out for a while. I definitely plan on going back there if and when I need my current sewing machine serviced and when I am finally ready to purchase a new machine, I plan on checking there first.
I know this is starting to sound like a commercial so let me assure you, I have not been paid by anyone to say any of this. I just enjoyed this whole experience that much!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
April Showers Bring May...Madness?
Well, I managed to let a whole month slip by without touching my blog. But it wasn't just any month. It was the super crazy out of control month of May. Here is what my calendar looked like by the end of the month...
On top of our normal weekly commitments (Monday night I go walking with "the girls," Tuesday night I have band practice, Saturday night Josh goes and plays video games with "the guys," Sunday morning is church, Sunday afternoon Josh has a group of "other guys" he goes and meets with in Glendale, then we have Bible study with our small group Sunday nights) there were events scheduled every weekend and events scheduled at the same time as other events and it was madness...MADNESS! It felt like I was busy every waking minute which made it impossible to document any of the shenanigans and goings on.
I shouldn't complain though. I mean, I did this to myself by wanting to be involved in "stuff" and "stuff" often takes up a lot of time. The problem with this particular month was that all the "stuff" happened at once. It was like everyone we knew (including ourselves) and every group we're involved with planned things or had things happening around the same time and when you have multiple circles of friends and family who don't all know each other, it gets tricky keeping up with it all. I don't regret my decision to try to make it to everything. These were all things I enjoyed and wanted to be a part of. I guess sometimes I just wish events could be spread out evenly over time so that they could all be enjoyed to the fullest and not just rushed through on the way to the next thing written on the calendar.
So anyway, because I know you've all been on the edge of your seats, wondering what the heck I've been up to for a month, I'll try to spend the next few days playing catch-up. We'll see how that goes. I have lots to share but I don't want June to suffer for May's madness.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Dye Hard...Boiled Eggs
Egg Dying Mania hit my house pretty hard today. Here are the highlights...
 |
| Before dipping |
 |
| After dipping and removing the stickers. |
 |
| I used my flower shaped punch tool to make some custom stickers for this one. |
 |
| And this one. |
 |
| And this one. |
 |
| I quartered up a bunch of circle stickers for this one. |
 |
| I thought the bottom came out kind of cool. |
 |
| The top too! |
 |
| I'm particularly proud of this one. |
 |
| Power Pellet! |
 |
| Wraparound Pac-Dots. |
 |
| The whole dozen...well, almost. Sofie was so excited about her totally pink egg that she wanted to eat it as soon as possible. It didn't make it to the photo shoot. |
Friday, April 22, 2011
Good Friday Reflections
Today I, along with Christians around the world, observe Good Friday. It is a time when we remember the day Jesus died on a cross, bearing the sins of the whole world. How curious that it should fall on the same day as Earth Day this year, as God's sacrifice is the ultimate act of "saving the planet." But He didn't just do it for the Earth, he did if for the people on the Earth, His most beloved creations.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." John 3:16-17
I'll leave you with the words of a hymn I find appropriate for today because it celebrates God's creation by worshiping God, the creator. It also reminds us to "Praise God and on Him cast your care!" and "Thou [God] leadest home the child of God, And Christ our Lord the way hath trod." God has prepared the way, it's up to us to follow.
All Creatures of Our God and King
All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!
Refrain
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!
Refrain
Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light.
Make music for thy Lord to hear,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou fire so masterful and bright,
That givest man both warmth and light.
Refrain
Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
Let them His glory also show.
Unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
Let them His glory also show.
Refrain
And all ye men of tender heart,
Forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and on Him cast your care!
Forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye! Alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
Praise God and on Him cast your care!
Refrain
And thou most kind and gentle Death,
Waiting to hush our latest breath,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou leadest home the child of God,
And Christ our Lord the way hath trod.
Waiting to hush our latest breath,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou leadest home the child of God,
And Christ our Lord the way hath trod.
Refrain
Let all things their Creator bless,
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!
And worship Him in humbleness,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
And praise the Spirit, Three in One!
Refrain
Thursday, April 21, 2011
How Sweet It Is
I decided to only purchase Easter candy this year that is strictly seasonal- meaning, it is only around during Easter, therefore it is special and worth buying. I love Reese's Peanut Butter cups but wrapping them in pastel colored wrappers doesn't make them taste any different than the normal wrappers they come in all year long. There are two special Easter candy treats that I'm particularly excited about this year...
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| These have been available for a few years now and, while I have always been a fan of the regular milk chocolate Mini Eggs, I am of the opinion that dark chocolate can only make things better. I am always excited when candy companies see things the way I do. |
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| These are new to the candy aisle this year and I was an instant sucker for them even though there isn't really anything peep-like about them except the name. They come in both milk and dark chocolate but I have only tried the latter. The filling is some sort of marshmallow cream variation that kind of gets lost in all the chocolate but the overall taste is pleasant and yummy. |
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
SOCKS!!! (again)
Okay, I know what you're thinking: "How many pictures of socks can she possibly post on this blog?" Am I right? Anyway, here is the latest finished pair, hot off the needles.
I know they look like boring old charcoal grey* socks but they're actually more exciting than the others I've made because they have a 3 by 1 ribbing (knit 3, purl 1, lather, rinse, repeat) which was a pain at first but I did eventually find my groove and kind of ended up enjoying it by the end. Also, while I'm spouting off knitting jargon, I might as well mention that, for the first time ever, I used size 1 needles (or 2.25mm for all you swell folks who know how to speak metric). These needles felt a little bit like spaghetti noodles compared to the size 2 noodles...er, needles I usually use and the resulting stitches are noticeably smaller, giving these socks a nice dense look.
Finishing this pair makes me want to attempt some socks with more exciting patterns- rather than relying on self-striping yarn to make them look fun. I guess that's what makes knitting (or yarn crafting in general) a life long journey...there's always another skill to master, countless techniques to attempt, and a nearly infinite amount of new projects to tackle.
*Well, mostly grey. The very tip of the toe on the top sock is actually blue because, due to poor planning, I managed to run out of yarn about fifteen rows from the end. I didn't want to go out and buy another ball of charcoal grey yarn just to complete fifteen rows so I dug out some scrap yarn that I remembered had a really long section of charcoal grey in the color repeat. It was about thirty-two stitches short of being enough grey but I decided to just keep going with the strand so I didn't have to deal with another break in the yarn. I was a little annoyed by the whole situation at first but the blue toe is starting to grow on me- hmmm, maybe I should have that checked out by a doctor.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
A Blog Post, I Guess, Kind Of...?
I thought you might like to watch this or whatever...
Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.
I'll admit, this stung the first time I watched it. I often feel "aggressively inarticulate"- both in content and form (I actually had to look up how to spell "aggressively"). This next video helped boost my self esteem though. I may not be the most bestest communicator "in like a really long time" but at least I'm not the worst...
Speaking with authority is great and all but it helps to also use proper spelling and grammar.
Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.
I'll admit, this stung the first time I watched it. I often feel "aggressively inarticulate"- both in content and form (I actually had to look up how to spell "aggressively"). This next video helped boost my self esteem though. I may not be the most bestest communicator "in like a really long time" but at least I'm not the worst...
Speaking with authority is great and all but it helps to also use proper spelling and grammar.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Another Blog Carnival
By the way, I'm participating in another Craft Critique Blog Carnival. Go check it out. I'm numbers 10 and 11 on the list. Also, if you have something you would like to contribute, it's way easy to submit a link and it's a great way to show off your handy work to some new people. Submissions close in ten days so get on it!
Oh, and one lucky participant will be chosen at random as the winner of these nifty markers...
I've never used these kind of markers but they look pretty slick- it would be kinda cool to win them.
Oh, and one lucky participant will be chosen at random as the winner of these nifty markers...
I've never used these kind of markers but they look pretty slick- it would be kinda cool to win them.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Bright Orange Knit Munchkin Dress
I'm soooooo excited to check this one off my list. This dress has been sitting at the bottom of my "to be completed" pile for about two years now. I originally started knitting it as a possible baby gift for my niece but changed my mind and decided to make her something else. I had resolved to finish it and keep it for my own daughter, hoping that it would still fit her by the time I got around to working on it again. Thankfully, it fits with room to spare!
It's really not the best thing I've ever knitted. The overall look of it is kind of boring (at least the color makes up for that) and I didn't know how to properly increase and decrease stitches back then so there are some pretty wonky parts here and there. Thankfully, Sofie doesn't know the difference so, until she objects to wearing homemade clothing experiments, everything is fine. The pattern for this dress calls for two little pockets to be sewn on the front but I kind of feel like, "Meh." I'm pretty over it and ready to move on.
Oh, and in case you care, the yarn is Lily Sugar and Cream 100% cotton yarn in Hot Orange and Soft Violet on size 7 knitting needles.
It's really not the best thing I've ever knitted. The overall look of it is kind of boring (at least the color makes up for that) and I didn't know how to properly increase and decrease stitches back then so there are some pretty wonky parts here and there. Thankfully, Sofie doesn't know the difference so, until she objects to wearing homemade clothing experiments, everything is fine. The pattern for this dress calls for two little pockets to be sewn on the front but I kind of feel like, "Meh." I'm pretty over it and ready to move on.
Oh, and in case you care, the yarn is Lily Sugar and Cream 100% cotton yarn in Hot Orange and Soft Violet on size 7 knitting needles.
Friday, April 15, 2011
What's In the Box?
Today a very fun box of goodies was delivered to my doorstep...
I'll be posting more about the contents of this box of fun soon!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Disney Animation Academy
Anyway, as our time of fun and frivolity at the city of Anaheim's famous theme park winds down, we've been going out of our way to spend every possible moment soaking up the magic. We've also been trying to hit any of the attractions we have previously overlooked due to time constraints, seasonal availability, or age/height restrictions. Today, on a whim, we decided to attend Disney Animation Academy in Disney's California Adventure- we had just gotten out of Turtle Talk and the Aladdin stage show didn't start for another hour.
The way Disney Animation Academy works is you get to sit in a stadium-style classroom setting where a happy Disney person walks you through the necessary steps to drawing a Disney character. Everybody draws along with the instructor on their own drawing board with their own Disney-supplied pencil on official Disney paper. During our session, after the instructor showed us how to add Piglet's ears, he said, "So, now your drawing should look pretty much like Piglet." To which an elderly woman sitting near us responded, loud enough for the whole room to hear, "I thought you were going to say Bugs Bunny, because that's who mine looks like." The room erupted with laughter. The instructor played it very well and joked that he wasn't allowed to teach us how to draw "he who must not be mentioned" for fear of a lawsuit. It was all kind of awkward.
Anyway, we haven't bothered to try this until today because we weren't sure if our little munchkin would be able to handle it. Well, she managed to at least sit through it but, as you will see below, it will probably be a while before she gets any jobs as an animator.
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| Josh's Piglet |
 |
| My Piglet |
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| Sofie's Piglet |
Ah, good times. It will be sad when our year of Disney is over but fun while it lasts for another few weeks. I feel very blessed to have enjoyed these fun moments with my family in "the happiest place on earth."
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Not To Put Too Fine A Point On It...
Well, the folks over at Think Geek have unveiled yet another piece of geeky merchandise that I feel I am required to purchase...
If you are any kind of self-respecting They Might Be Giants fan, you should immediately recognize this image as a "blue canary in the outlet by the light switch, who watches over yoooouuuuu..." Yes, that's right, someone has finally done it! There is now an actual, literal, blue canary night l-i-t-e to add to your collection of geeky things that glow when you plug them into the wall.
Back when my husband and I were dating, we agreed early on that "Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants (TMBG) was the only song worthy of being "our song." There wasn't really any deep logic that went into this decision, each of us had always considered it our favorite TMBG song (even before we knew each other) so we thought it made sense. Before my husband and I got married, my mom scoured the planet and managed to find this...
She gave it to me and my husband as a wedding gift and it's been happily perched in our kitchen ever since. Don't worry mom, we will cherish this night light forever (keeping with the family tradition of never getting rid of anything that has any hint of sentimental value) but we may relocate him to the bathroom and put the ducky night light that is currently in the bathroom somewhere else...I'm not sure where- maybe someday we will live in a place that can benefit from more than two night lights.
Anyway, even though it's a little bit silly, to this day, hearing this catchy tune stirs my soul in a way I can't even really explain. I love that John and John sing it with such conviction even though, according to them, it's a song about a night light shaped like a bird. But is it really just a song about a night light shaped like a bird? I'll let you decide.
Birdhouse in Your Soul - They Might Be Giants from They Might Be Giants on Vimeo.
Here's a bonus video from back in 1990 when John and John appeared on The Tonight Show. I absolutely love this live version.
Okay, and just in case you're wondering what the heck they're saying, here are the lyrics...
Birdhouse In Your Soul by They Might Be Giants
I'm your only friend
I'm not your only friend
But I'm a little glowing friend
But really I'm not actually your friend
But I am
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
I have a secret to tell
From my electrical well
It's a simple message and I'm leaving out the whistles and bells
So the room must listen to me
Filibuster vigilantly
My name is blue canary one note* spelled l-i-t-e
My story's infinite
Like the Longines Symphonette it doesn't rest
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
I'm your only friend
I'm not your only friend
But I'm a little glowing friend
But really I'm not actually your friend
But I am
There's a picture opposite me
Of my primitive ancestry
Which stood on rocky shores and kept the beaches shipwreck free
Though I respect that a lot
I'd be fired if that were my job
After killing Jason off and countless screaming Argonauts
Bluebird of friendliness
Like guardian angels its always near
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
(and while you're at it
Keep the nightlight on inside the
Birdhouse in your soul)
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch (and while you're at it)
Who watches over you (keep the nightlight on inside the)
Make a little birdhouse in your soul (birdhouse in your soul)
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch (and while you're at it)
Who watches over you (keep the nightlight on inside the)
Make a little birdhouse in your soul (birdhouse in your soul)
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
If you are any kind of self-respecting They Might Be Giants fan, you should immediately recognize this image as a "blue canary in the outlet by the light switch, who watches over yoooouuuuu..." Yes, that's right, someone has finally done it! There is now an actual, literal, blue canary night l-i-t-e to add to your collection of geeky things that glow when you plug them into the wall.
Back when my husband and I were dating, we agreed early on that "Birdhouse in Your Soul" by They Might Be Giants (TMBG) was the only song worthy of being "our song." There wasn't really any deep logic that went into this decision, each of us had always considered it our favorite TMBG song (even before we knew each other) so we thought it made sense. Before my husband and I got married, my mom scoured the planet and managed to find this...
She gave it to me and my husband as a wedding gift and it's been happily perched in our kitchen ever since. Don't worry mom, we will cherish this night light forever (keeping with the family tradition of never getting rid of anything that has any hint of sentimental value) but we may relocate him to the bathroom and put the ducky night light that is currently in the bathroom somewhere else...I'm not sure where- maybe someday we will live in a place that can benefit from more than two night lights.
Anyway, even though it's a little bit silly, to this day, hearing this catchy tune stirs my soul in a way I can't even really explain. I love that John and John sing it with such conviction even though, according to them, it's a song about a night light shaped like a bird. But is it really just a song about a night light shaped like a bird? I'll let you decide.
Here's a bonus video from back in 1990 when John and John appeared on The Tonight Show. I absolutely love this live version.
Okay, and just in case you're wondering what the heck they're saying, here are the lyrics...
Birdhouse In Your Soul by They Might Be Giants
I'm your only friend
I'm not your only friend
But I'm a little glowing friend
But really I'm not actually your friend
But I am
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
I have a secret to tell
From my electrical well
It's a simple message and I'm leaving out the whistles and bells
So the room must listen to me
Filibuster vigilantly
My name is blue canary one note* spelled l-i-t-e
My story's infinite
Like the Longines Symphonette it doesn't rest
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
I'm your only friend
I'm not your only friend
But I'm a little glowing friend
But really I'm not actually your friend
But I am
There's a picture opposite me
Of my primitive ancestry
Which stood on rocky shores and kept the beaches shipwreck free
Though I respect that a lot
I'd be fired if that were my job
After killing Jason off and countless screaming Argonauts
Bluebird of friendliness
Like guardian angels its always near
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch
Who watches over you
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
(and while you're at it
Keep the nightlight on inside the
Birdhouse in your soul)
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch (and while you're at it)
Who watches over you (keep the nightlight on inside the)
Make a little birdhouse in your soul (birdhouse in your soul)
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch (and while you're at it)
Who watches over you (keep the nightlight on inside the)
Make a little birdhouse in your soul (birdhouse in your soul)
Not to put too fine a point on it
Say I'm the only bee in your bonnet
Make a little birdhouse in your soul
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Fifty Years in Space...and Counting
Anyway, I thought this would be a fun opportunity to scour the internet for any space-related knitting or knitting-related space stuff. Here are the items Google pointed me toward (most of them are knit but there are a few other art forms sprinkled throughout), listed in the order in which they were found...
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| Found here |
 |
| Found here |
 |
| Found here |
 |
| Found here |
 |
| Found here |
 |
| Found here |
 |
| Found here |
 |
| Found here |
 |
| Found here |
 |
| Found here |
 |
| Found here |
 |
| Found here |
 |
| Found here |
 |
| Found here |
 |
| Found here |
 |
| Found here |
Yes, that last one is a rubber chicken wearing a knit blue flight suit. Her name is Camilla SDO and you can find out more about her here.
I have to admit, I was surprised I didn't run across anything about anyone ever actually knitting in space. I mean, I know there are much more important things to do in space than knit (oddly though, I can't think of any off the top of my head) but it seems like at some point, some astronaut must have brought yarn along to see what it would be like to knit in zero gravity. So, if there happen to be any astronauts out there reading this, I want to hear your knitting stories! If there truly are no existing stories of knitting in space, why not? I would be more than happy to teach knitting techniques to any astronaut who is interested in being the first knitter in space.
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