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.

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!

Refrain

O praise Him! O praise Him!
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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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!

Refrain

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... 

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.

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.

I'm also a fan of Cadbury Cream Eggs and was recently pointed to this amazing list of disturbingly sweet ideas. Enjoy!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Disney Animation Academy

Nearly a year ago my husband and I made the somewhat irresponsible decision to purchase Disneyland Annual Passes.  We figured since we had backed out of a trip to Scotland that would have ended up costing us a couple thousand dollars, Disneyland could be our much cheaper, year-long consolation prize.  I don't regret this "investment" one bit; however, our passes expire on May 7th and we have no plans to renew- not until at least one of us has a "real" job anyway- basically if my nearly three-year-old daughter wants to enjoy another year in Mickey's house, she's gonna have to start pulling her weight around here.

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.

Josh's Piglet

My Piglet

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."

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

Fifty Years in Space...and Counting

Today marks 50 years since Russian Cosmonaut,Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space.  Yuri's 108 minute journey around the world in outer space launched Earth into "the future" and paved the way for many space travelers who followed.  I just got home from a super fun gathering of space nerds (yes, true space nerds love being called space nerds) to celebrate this day in history.  The party was hosted by my friend Joi (the biggest space nerd I know).  We drank Tang, we ate astronaut  ice cream, we built a space shuttle out of Legos, and we shot foam rockets at each other.  There was also an attempt at some stargazing but the hazy sky didn't quite cooperate, oh well, we still had a good time.

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...

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.

Yet Another Pair of Socks

One more pair of socks to check off the list!

Air Guitar Hero

I happened to be taking a little stroll down memory lane today and was reminded of my short-lived career as a music video extra back in 2006.  Through a semi random connection, my husband ended up drawing storyboards for a Barenaked Ladies video.  Unfortunately, the quirky Canadian alt rock band does not actually appear in the video so we didn't get a chance to meet them but we did get to be there on shooting day, resulting in my three seconds of fame.  Since I seem to be on a video posting binge anyway, I thought it would be fun to share this little gem.  You can find me around the 3:16 mark.  I'm the screaming girl in the white T-shirt (actually a They Might Be Giants T-shirt) that runs past Rockness Monster toward the stage after Randy Van Stone blows everyone's minds with his amazing air guitar playing.  It was a fun day.

Has the World Gone Mad?!?!

Okay, I know there are way worse things going on in the world than this but I was completely baffled when I saw the following video and I couldn't resist sharing...



I'm not really a Rascal Flats fan and I have managed to avoid Bieber Fever (I think there's a vaccine for that now actually) but this whole pairing just seemed weird. Not as weird as this one though...



If you can make it through the whole video, listen to the lyrics. They're hilariously bad but not as bad as the lyrics in this song...



Okay, I know that one's pretty much old news by now and I probably shouldn't have contributed to the craze but I needed to make sure you had seen it so that this video would make sense...



Stephen Colbert is just so good at bringing balance to the pop culture universe. Thank you Mr. Colbert and Mr. Fallon for making us laugh at how silly all of this is and managing to benefit this charity foundation at the same time.

The Urban Craft Center

I first read about the Urban Craft Center on Craft Critique's blog.  I was a bit intrigued by the description of this possible crafter's paradise but the pictures made me say,  "I want to go to there."  

I visited their very cute website and found out they host a Stitch and Bitch group the first Wednesday of every month that is open to anyone who knits or crochets.  Usually I work on Wednesdays and it would be impossible to make it from Fullerton to Santa Monica in thirty minutes during rush hour; however, I had a special day off yesterday so I decided to take the opportunity to check this place out.   My friend Susanne, a very skilled crocheter, joined me on this delightful romp into happy craft land.

I will admit I was a little nervous that this place would be too trendy or uppity for my taste but I was pleasantly surprised at how cozy it was once we got there.  Thanks to forgiving traffic, we arrived about thirty minutes earlier than planned and spent the extra time just browsing and drooling over all the super fabulous fabric, yarn, and fun crafting tools they sell in the store.  When 6:00 rolled around, we asked the nice girl behind the counter about the Stitch and Bitch group and where it usually meets and how it works etc.  When she found out we had never been there before she was more than happy to show us around and make us feel welcome.

Normally the knitters and crocheters who show up for the group sit on the comfy orange couches (see picture above) and just hang out and do their thing.  Last night though there was an intro to knitting class using that space so we ended up hanging out in a back room that is filled with an impressive library of craft books.  Two other knitters showed up and we all spent the next two hours working on the various projects we brought and talking about this and that.  I loved that our conversations weren't just about yarn and what we do with it, they were about life in general.  We were all given little windows into each other's daily existence.  Yarn was what brought us together but it wasn't all we had to talk about.

When it was time to go we all parted ways and said we hoped to see each other again sometime.  Susanne and I left feeling good about having accomplished something in the company of interesting people.  I loved that I was there just to knit.  I don't usually have trouble knitting at home these days but there is always that nagging feeling that I could be doing something "important" like washing dishes or vacuuming or folding laundry (or blogging- hehe).  Home is a distracting place sometimes so actually planning to go somewhere else and spend two whole hours just working on a sock was lovely.

Overall, I found my visit to The Urban Craft Center to be an enjoyable experience.  If it wasn't all the way out in Santa Monica I would probably be tempted to spend lots of money there.  You can purchase various memberships for various levels of access to all of their tools and work space.  The most expensive membership even includes a locker for storing projects and supplies.  They also offer some very fun sounding classes but most of them are a little pricey for me.  I don't necessarily think they are charging too much for the instruction they are giving (and the materials are usually included), I just don't have the means to spend $40 - $100 learning how to make something I could probably figure out on my own with the help of the internet.  If you are a crafter looking for a great crafting atmosphere, I recommend stopping by and hanging out for a while- it really was a fun place.

310.392.0139
hello@theurbancraftcenter.com
2433 Main Street,
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Daily 11am-7pm

Even More Axe Cop Mania

I am now the proud owner of Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth #2!  It is filled with the true amazingness I've come to expect from the Axe Cop universe.  I don't want to give too much away but I thoroughly enjoyed the battle between the dinosaurs and the aliens and I really wish my car had a "sword button."  If you haven't already done so, go make yourself familiar with Axe Cop and then find yourself copies of Bad Guy Earth #1 and #2.

I fully intended to go back to The Realm Games & Comics to make my purchase (you can read my previous post about The Realm here) but a bonus day off from my usual Wednesday nanny job made it possible to venture out into the comic book buying world during the day while there were still other stores open.  I consulted the "interwebs" and used ComicShopLocator.com to find Beach Ball Comics (on the corner of Beach Boulevard and Ball Road- clever).  I had been to this store a couple years ago when I had to pick up the copy of  Scud: The Whole Shebang they were holding for my husband.  I remembered the store being a friendly place and decided, since I didn't have to go back to the Realm, I shouldn't.  A quick phone call confirmed that Beach Ball Comics did in fact have copies of Bad Guy Earth #2 available.  The guy on the phone even offered to hold one just for me- this place already had more customer service points than The Realm and I hadn't even gotten there yet.

Walking in to Beach Ball Comics was like a breath of fresh air compared to my previous Axe Cop comic book purchasing experience.  This store was inviting, friendly, and the guys working there seemed like they were just having a good day selling comic books.  I didn't feel self-conscious or nervous walking into this place.  I didn't feel like I lacked enough "nerd cred" to be there.    My two-year-old daughter immediately gravitated toward the familiar TY Spongebob Beanie Babies, whose mere presence was an indication that this was no Dungeons and Dragons lair.  This was a wonderland of comics, toys, and collectibles.  This was a place where I felt comfortable geeking out without worrying about whether I was geeking out properly about the right thing.

We had fun browsing and pointing out fun things to each other.  My husband was rather taken by the giant Hulk statue that welcomed us into the store and our daughter went out of her mind when she saw the R2D2 that was bigger than her (she totally could have done Kenny Baker's job).  When we were done ooohing and aaaahing over all the fun stuff, I went to the front of the store and told the guy behind the counter that they were supposed to be holding an Axe Cop for me.  On his way to the other end of the counter before he even got to where they keep the stuff they are holding for people, he said, "Oh, yeah.  Katie, right?"  I was a bit stunned that he remembered my name from our short phone conversation hours earlier.  I couldn't even get the guy at "the other place" to look me in the eye.  Just as I thought this place couldn't get any better, I noticed that my new copy of Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth #2 was neatly sheathed in a sleeve of plastic (which made it look very official and important).  The Realm didn't do that- at least not for free.

Needless to say, I will be visiting Beach Ball Comics again.  As for The Realm...The Realm who?  I realize the "light and fluffy" side of comics isn't for everyone and I'm not an expert by any means on what a comic book store should or shouldn't be like; however, I would much rather spend my money at a place where the staff is friendly and welcoming than a place where I feel like I'm interrupting some exclusive nerd meeting just by walking in the door.  I happily signed up for the Beach Ball Comics email newsletter and agreed to be a series subscriber which means when Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth #3 comes out, they will automatically hold one for me, Katie.

Axe Cop Mania Continues

Wednesday, March 2, 2011 was a momentous day.  It was the day I made my first official comic book purchase ever.  It may come as a surprise to some of you that I'm not actually a "comic book" person.  I don't collect them, I don't really read them, and I've never followed an entire series.  That is, until Axe Cop (I may have mentioned Axe Cop here once or twice so, by now, you should have no excuse for not knowing what I'm talking about).

My comic book buying experience began with a few calls to local comic book stores to find out if they had any copies of Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth #1 (the first straight to print Axe Cop series).  Since it was the official release date for the book I wanted to make sure I would be able to find a copy.  Many of my local shops had already closed for the day.  Some of them had never heard of Axe Cop (losers).  Others had already sold out of Bad Guy Earth- which was a bummer for me but great for Axe Cop!  Thankfully, The Realm Games & Comics is open until 10:00 p.m. on Wednesdays and they still had three copies of Bad Guy Earth #1.  My husband and I loaded our two-year-old daughter into the car and headed out.

I knew exactly where The Realm was, I've driven past it a million times, but until that night I had never actually ventured into the shop.  I will admit, I was a bit intimidated by the level of sheer nerdome  emanating from this place.  As we walked through the door into this strange dimension where at least twelve grown men were gathered around tables participating in various RPGs (Role Playing Games), I will admit I felt a bit out of place.  Not that I'm not a huge nerd myself.  I have participated in my fair share of nerdy activities; however, it's usually in a certain context and I'm usually dressed for the part and mentally prepared for what I'm about to experience.  On this night though, I was dressed like a "normal" person.

My husband and I later agreed that we felt like we represented the "real" world spilling in through the doors of this safe haven for fantasy role play.  There was a "what are you doing here" vibe when we entered- if there had been music playing I would have expected to hear the clichéd record scratch sound effect and then silence as the piercing eyes of hard core fanboys looked right through our souls.  We wondered later how often a real live female walks into that place, let alone a real live "miniature" female, dressed in bright pink, carrying a Cinderella princess figurine.  Perhaps it happens more often than I think but on this particular evening there were no visible hints of a feminine touch- not even that of a totally awesome nerdy girl who can hold her own against the boys in a trivia challenge.  I felt alone and lost with no one to relate to- okay, that's a little dramatic.

The awkwardness quickly faded as we pretended like we knew what we were doing and made our way to the piles of new comic releases and found what we were looking for.  We lingered a bit and thumbed through the graphic novels to see if we could find any copies of Scrooge and Santa- nope, didn't think so.  Our daughter was starting to get restless and kept saying, "Daddy, I wanna play with the toys," as she pointed to various figurines and action figures.  My husband's response to her was quite amusing, "No, Sofie, those aren't toys...well, I guess technically they are but...never mind, just don't touch anything."  So, in order to avoid offending any of the men who were playing with said toys (as pointed out by a two-year-old who simply sees the world as it is), we made our way to the counter to make our purchase.

As I pulled out my money and handed it to the guy behind the cash register, I proudly said, "I think you should know that this is my first ever official comic book purchase."  He stared blankly as he took my money and put it in the drawer.  "Great.  Well...enjoy it," he said, handing me my receipt but I'm pretty sure he was thinking, "Lady, just take your Axe Cop and your kid and let me get back to my RPG."

Axe Cop: Bad Guy Earth #1 was well worth stepping out of my comfort zone to obtain.  The story is shaping up to be amazing, in true Axe Cop form, and there is an epic drawing of a T-Rex crying.  Part two of the three part series comes out tomorrow and I plan on, once again, invading The Realm's personal space by showing up on a Wednesday evening with my husband and my daughter to make my second official comic book purchase ever.  I look forward to finding out why that T-Rex is crying and following Axe Cop through the rest of the journey as he chops off heads and saves the world- at least I'm hoping it will go something like that.

More Coffee Cuffs

I made these coffee cuffs back in December during the flurry of Holiday activity and recently realized I forgot to share them here.  They are slightly different in design from the first coffee cuff and I think they work pretty well.  I also made a few that got given away without being photographed (doh!) but they were all pretty similar to these.

I've actually been using this one and I love it.  I carry it around in my purse so it's always ready for those impromptu Starbucks splurges.

 

This cuff required some improvisation.  Somehow it ended up about an inch shorter than it should have been, making it impossible to install a snap.  I decided to pound in some eyelets instead and lace it up corset style.  I'm not sure how practical it is but I like its sassy charm.

This is what the cuffs look like unsnapped and flattened out.

Oh yeah, and I used different fabric for the "inside" of each cuff so, if you don't mind the snap being backwards sometimes, they're reversible.

I think I will be making more of these in the future.  The curves of the pattern took some figuring out but once it was dialed in, these were pretty simple to make.  I think it would be fun to experiment with some unique embellishments and different types of fasteners.  So many ideas, so little time.