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.