Out of the Blue

Old Navy Love

2010-06-05T20:26:00.000-07:00

Oh, Old Navy. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

You're awesome (1), you have great skirts (2), and you're cheap (3). And did I mention your awesome gypsy like skirts that fill me with giddy glee? You know, the ones that were ON SALE TODAY!?

Behold, bitches. Giggidy-giggidy-goo.

Doesn't the embroidery look like Polish Pottery? Um...sorta? Ok, it does to me and I loves it. So there. I do have a pattern to make my own tier skirts, but sadly no fabric. Because I need to finish the other skirt first. I really have trouble just finishing one project at a time. I'm telling you, crafters ADD.....

OMG that sexy BowFlex commercial just came on tv. It has "Power Rod" Technology. ::snorts:: Need I say anymore?

Speaking of working out, I'd like to start saving for one of those bikes you can fold up and store when not in use. I have no idea what brand to get, though. Maybe one that comes with that BowFlex guy? But I digress.

Skirts. Yes. I love them so.

Done for the day me thinks.

2010-05-31T20:24:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I scrapped the original skirt idea I had because I came up with a BETTER ONE. Old vintage lace, gypsy fabrics, dark grey wool...got me all excited and now after sewing part of the bottom skirt together I'm stopping before I do this all night.

Poor Nick hasn't seen me all day as I've been held up in the studio (the bedroom, really. But for now it works, LOL) measuring and cutting and going through my stash of goodies to see what else I could possibly come up with for crafties.

It's a sickness I tell you. And there is no cure.

I did however, take a small break to go outside and tend to my little porch garden.

Naturally I was followed by little soft kitty feet.

Who really loves her grass.

Om nyum nyum nyum...

Curently listening to:

2010-05-31T16:07:00.000-07:00

My sew along songs of the day, LOL.

Reflections and a Project List

2010-05-31T00:15:00.000-07:00

I have hardly posted anything in the past few months save my neighbor rant (Booo!) and a quick recipe, and for those who actually read what I write on here, I apologise. My world has been spinning in so many directions lately I'm just grateful my head is still at the right place on my body.

Life has been super busy. I'm working full time (whaaa-hooo!) and learning all sorts of new things, and working with one's fiance is as hilarious as it can be frustrating. I'm working on finishing school as I'd like to go back and get a degree to teach science, Nick and I are planning our wedding for the Fall, possibly a Samhain wedding, and we recently lost two little members of our family rather suddenly, one after the other (Patches did not last long without her sister, and holy hell I never want to go through something like that ever again).

I'm still grieving, praying nothing goes wrong with Merlin in his old age. He was our very first ferret fuzzy butt and now we've come full circle as he's the last of the four we were blessed with.

I haven't really had the time for much crafting during all of this, but have resolved to set some time aside for my work each week because without it I just get grouchy and am just not good company, lol.

I'm working on quite a few projects, and all at the same time because I swear, I have crafters A.D.D.

I made Merlin a new hammock stuffed with super plush cotton to make sure it's nice and comfy for his old man bones. I used some of my faux fur leopard fabric so it's super soft and fluffy. So far he's been sleeping in it most of the day, so I'd say it's a hit.

I've also been working on new pillows for the couch. I'm making two of them and so far I'm almost done embroidering the first one. I'm using a triple moon design I found on Urban Threads. Will post pics (of course!) when they're all done.

Allsooo...the bunnies. Yes, I haven't forgotten my bunnies. I'm almost done with one that is being sent out next weekend for a baby of one of my Mom's friends, and a few more being worked on for the shop. Also on my project list is actually getting around to organizing all my crap and actually STOCKING UP THE SHOP. Amazing.

Umm..what else? Oh, skirts! I'm working on a skirt for myself that I'm super excited about. I found this dark grey wool/acrylic fabric on sale at Joann's that I've been itching to use. I also got my Moda Gypsy Rose Charm Pack that I ordered and am making hexagon flowers with it as an embellishment. That's the plan, anyway. We shall see where this insanity leads me, because I found these photos online and am now obsessed with hexagon quilting....

How cool are those? Speaking of quilts, I also have one of those in the works, but more on that later. I have a cat pawing at me for cuddles and a tired Mr. wondering what the hell I'm still doing up. It's 1 in the morning and I'm still looking at quilt photos.

Oops...

Hair Beauty Recipe

2010-05-25T23:15:00.000-07:00

Natural hair darkening deep conditioner from me to you :). Use once a week for softer, slighty darker hair!

Grind up a few tablespoons of cloves and some dried rose buds (just because!) in a blender or mortar.

Heat up ab. four tablespoons of olive oil on the stove, and add cloves/rose mix.

Pour in a jar, cover, and let sit overnight. When ready to use, strain out the herbs and massage some oil on scalp and use the rest to coat the length of your hair. Gently comb through from ends to scalp.

Cover with shower cap for 20min to retain body heat (you could re-heat the oil as well) and shampoo out!

Let air dry, blow drying will dry out your hair and cause more damage.

Enjoy!

~*L*~

There is nothing wrong with me.

2010-05-24T17:52:00.000-07:00

So my neighbor won't talk to me anymore. The one who sees aliens. Because I'm a Pagan. Who does spells (same as a prayer, thank you very much). She said she wanted to know more about it, so I printed her out info from a few of my favorite sites , and now she ignores us. I told her a few weeks ago I'd get her some flowers to plant for her porch because she has never had flowers before. I left the flowers on her porch with a note saying I'd be happy to help her plant them.

I found the flowers back by my door, along with a doll I made that I gave her, sitting in a puddle, in the rain. The doll, which took me 2 days to make, was ruined. I knocked on her door to ask what the hell was going on, and she sees me and just says, "I don't want to talk to you anymore, now leave." And slammed the door in my face.

I have helped this woman with her cat, her apartment, taken her to the laundry mat for months as a favor to her because she doesn't have a car, and delt with her fucking alien crazies because I'm a nice fucking person and believe in giving others the time of day when no one else helps them because everyone deserves kindness no matter how nutty they may be.

I am SO SICK AND TIRED of being treated like shit by family, neighbors, strangers, etc. because of a stupid ignorant judgement on their part. There is nothing wrong with ME, nor the beliefs that I have. I don't hurt anyone by praying using elements of nature instead of sitting in a pew, or seeing God as not just one gender or being, or seeing the animals I'm blessed to live with as family and treat them as such.

I'm tired of people in general to the point where I just want to live on an island where no one can bother me, judge me, or bitch at me.

The fucking end.

I'm now on Facebook

2010-04-01T12:28:00.000-07:00

Yup. First twitter, now facebook. I feel like a whore.

Taco salad!

2010-03-30T09:50:00.000-07:00

I made my special taco salad yesterday for Nick, a recipe I got from my aunt who always made this for family parties.

It's easy and really addicting.

I use:

Western salad dressing (from wish-bone)
Black olives
Shreaded lettuce
Tomatos
Red onions
Fresh cilantro
Shreaded cheddar cheese
Chicken or ground turkey
Crushed tortilla chips

Combine everything in a bowl, as much as you like, and chill in the fridge for about 30 min.

Not really healthy, but damn good.

~*L*~

Home!

2010-03-29T21:44:00.000-07:00

I'm back! My trip to Chicago was so fun!

I saw my brother's firehouse, did oodles of shopping with my mom, hung out with a great friend, spent time with my dog, joked around with my younger bro, celebrated my dad's 54th birthday and just had a wonderful time all around.

My older brother and I. We haven't changed much, really LOL.

Me and my brothers of awesome.

My darling old man!

The weather was beautiful when I got back and since then it has been getting nice and stormy, which I love.

Karma and I have been catching up on our cuddling.

And I'm about to put some spring bunnies up in the shop!

More details about them later. For now it's off to bed!

~*L*~

Reading...

2010-03-22T11:02:00.001-07:00

And laying with my baby boy trying to memorize every part of his sweet face.

He's made a part of my life so beautiful. This dog has been my friend, guardian and teacher for so long. I know when it's his time a part of me will go with him so he won't ever be alone.

Those of you who have ever lived with and loved an animal know they are more than "just a dog" or "just a cat". They're your friend, a soulmate, someone who you know you can always count on.

Dudley has always been all of those things to me and more. To lose him is going to be losing my childhood and a part of myself he helped to grow.

Even in his old age as his body is falling apart he's beautiful to me. His body is aged and creaking but he still shines.

It's the frailty of life that makes it so meaningful, so important to really live out your days with everything you have, hold nothing back and let nothing keep you back as well. Dogs know this.

I don't know how much longer he has in this life, but I am so greatful he came into mine. I wouldn't be who I am without him.

Thank you baby boy. You know I love you.

~*L*~

In Chicago!

2010-03-21T07:57:00.001-07:00

It's amazing how you're reminded just how small we all are when flying. And how fragile all this is.

I sat next to this cute kid on the plane. She had this doll and was all, "Hey! She pooped her pants! Now she needs a shower. Will you give her a shower? There's poop."

So adorable. I want one. I also found it funny when she kept smacking her doll and said, "You're in time out! You stay there!!!". And her mom was trying not to laugh while telling this kid to please not hit her baby.

Fucking hilarious.

So I'm at my parent's house now and my Dad asked me if I wanted to go to church with him and my mom, so I'm going. It's going to be so weird.

Dudley is more frail than I was expecting. I just held him last night and cried. I think his back legs are going to give out soon.

I'm going to make him a pillow while I'm here since he can't get up on the bed anymore.

My dad's dog Wrigley (cub fans much?) is gentle with him, though.

This guy has been hanging out with me as well.

If something ever happens where he needs a new home, I'm first on the list.

Alsoooo, who is this beautiful baby girl???

Maggie as a puppy. Oh my God. Even then she had that Wheaten look down pat.

How could we resist?

~*L*~

The plane, the plane!

2010-03-20T09:34:00.001-07:00

I'm here way too early and now have like...an hour and a half to kill. The ride here was nice, though.

So early. Ugh.

Awake before the sun. WTF.

The shops here are awesome, though.

I'm so going to make something like this.

And these. Adorable felted flowers.

Awesome lights! There were so many awesome wallets and purses and pet stuff that if I walked around taking pictures the whole time I probably would end up in the hands of security.

But maybe he would be sexy? Would that count as cheating, Nick? Mmmm...sexy security.

~*L*~

The cuddle is strong with this one

2010-03-19T21:34:00.001-07:00

I gave Maggie a bath and a groom so Nick doesn't have to worry about it while I'm away.

What an adorable Wheaten we have.

I'm getting better at the Wheaten cut, too. You should see pictures of Maggie when she was a puppy. It looks like my poor girl ran into a weed whacker. Oops.

Also...

Just because I like to show her cuteness off. I'm going to miss my babies.

You're stuck with me all week, Chicago. Ha ha.

~*L*~

Giggle!

2010-03-16T19:33:00.001-07:00

Nick and I had an eye doctor appointment last week because I needed new glasses and he hasn't been to an eye doctor in over 10 years and has been complaining of headaches despite saying his vision was perfect (mmm hmmm).

So I made the appointment and as it turns out he is farsighted and has an astigmatism in both eyes. (oh no, Lisa. My eyes are fine!)

His glasses came in today and I just had to snap a quick photo of him because men in glasses make me squeal hormones out of my nose.

So adorable. His molestation meter just jumped up by a billion points. Too bad I'm going to be in Chicago next week.

You're safe for now, Mr. Or maybe not...

~*L*~

Emotional eaters unite!

2010-03-08T20:06:00.001-08:00

Internet, this is why I'm fat.

Why is chocolate always there for you? It's a curse.

~*L*~

Seattle

2010-03-06T21:47:00.000-08:00

We went to Seattle today to get out of the house and clear our minds a little. It's been a busy and heartbreaking week and a good drive was needed.

We went to this Red Mill burger place because we saw it on Food Network last week and omg the line was down the street. So worth it though. Best veggie burger I have had in a long time. So perfect!

I fell in love with and got some flowers for outside our door.

I love spring. Everything feels so promising, so new. One beautiful journey has ended, but millions more are blooming into new life.

How can you see this and not smile and feel a bit lighter? Today was all about the flowers for me.

And at the end of the day we came across a lone yellow hibiscus plant in the middle of nowhere, the same type we planted on Tink's grave years ago.

We both smiled. Those we knew and loved are doing just fine.

~*L*~

Goodnight, sweet girl

2010-03-05T19:48:00.000-08:00

Our sweet baby Raine passed on to a new journey this evening in her sleep. She lived a long, happy ferret life full of dancing and stealing and nipping our feet.

She loved stealing anything crinkly sounding and then while dooking away she would runrunrunrun and hide her treasure under a desk or bed.

I remember once we took her to the doctor to have an abscess drained that formed in the back of her mouth and our little crazy always-on-the-go-girl just sighed and lay on my chest while I stroked her soft little ears while we waited for the vet. It was the one and only time in her life she let me hold her like that and stayed still!

I hope you're dancing away in Avalon my baby, weaving in and out of the apple trees and ever blooming flowers.

She died in the company and warmth of her big brother Merlin, who was sleeping with her. We came back from washing the car and doing laundry and found her, still warm. She must of passed right before we came home.

I know she was old and it was her time, but that doesn't make it any easier. I take comfort in the fact that she went peacefully in her sleep, while snuggling with a friend.

We'll all miss you, sweet baby Raine. The tears we're shedding tonight shine with all the happy memories we'll always hold of you.

Dook on, little sister. We love you.

Ewwwww

2010-03-05T11:03:00.000-08:00

My brother just got out of surgery and is ok. They had to use a cadaver tendon to replace his because it shrunk too much to save, apparently.

Are you saying ewww with me? Just the word "cadaver" creeps me out a bit. I'm happy he'll be feeling better soon, though!

Love ya, broski! <3

~*L*~

My joy. It is enormous.

2010-03-03T22:43:00.001-08:00

Ok, world. The most wonderful of wonders has just happened. I was holding Maggie like a baby and spinning her around (you know she loves it) and I asked her if she had to pee before bed (you totally know where this is going, don't you?).

Nick comes over and pats her belly and she gets all excited because hey! It's Daaddyy! and then she proceeds to pee ALL OVER HIM. Not a drop on me. What a good girl.

It just made my night.

~*L*~

Asian night

2010-02-24T20:45:00.001-08:00

Nick is stressed because of work, I'm stressed because of my lack of work, and our favorite Chinese restaurant just went out of business.

So to de-stress the both of us a bit, I made a nice big Asian dinner.

Sushi, chow mein, and pot stickers. So yummy.

My rolling was off a bit, but was still damn good sushi!

~*L*~

TaboOoOo...

2010-02-24T16:04:00.001-08:00

The National Geographic Channel's show Taboo is about nudity tonight and will be talking about Witchcraft for those of you who are interested!

::sigh:: I freakin' love this show.

~*L*~

Seaworld, Orlando.

2010-02-24T13:19:00.000-08:00

Just heard that Tilly, a male orca at seaworld, killed a trainer today. He was also involved with the deaths of two other people in the past.

Now, while I feel for the trainer and the family, my heart really goes out to Tilly. Whales do not belong in tanks. Period. No orca in the wild has ever harmed a person.

Tilly has does this before, yet they still use him as a sperm bank, among other things. It was bound to happen again.

Quit being so stupid and let him live out the rest of his days in the wild. Whales have no place in amusement parks.

~*L*~

Best quote I have ever read

2010-02-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

I was looking for photos of Keiko (the orca) for a painting I wanted to do of him, and I came across this quote on this site.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Recently, in a large French city, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said:

THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?

A middle aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern:

Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans). They have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Bering Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia. Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don't exist. If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human? They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them not to mention how could they have sex? Therefore they don't have kids either. Not to mention who wants to get close to a girl who's skin is all scaly and smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me... I want to be a whale.

P..S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy an ice cream with my grandkids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver and a latte with my friends. With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy. Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, "Good gosh, look how smart I am"!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fuckin' A, lady. You rock my world!

How much cuter can she get?

2010-02-23T20:55:00.001-08:00

Yeah, she can be a handful, but how can you not cuddle and love this dog? (who is feeling so much better, btw!)

~*L*~

Cookies!

2010-02-21T14:19:00.000-08:00

Have been frosted! Om nom nom...

~*L*~

Spring love

2010-02-20T23:42:00.000-08:00

I was working on my bunny pattern tonight and thought I'd post what I have so far.

He's crocheted out of 100% Peruvian Highland Wool which is then brushed out to give him a fuzzy look.

His nose, mouth, and around his eyes are embroidered with DMC floss. I haven't had much time to work out the pattern, but I like how he looks so far.

He reminds me of my childhood bunny Sandy. All wheat colored and floppy. I miss that huge fuzz ball (and did he ever get huge!).

Anyway, "Sandy" is my prototype bunny, I plan on making more in different colors, fur patterns, etc. for my shop.

I have to work on stocking it up, I just have way too many projects going on at once!

My brother, btw is going to see the doctor on Monday about surgery. I guess because he works for the city the city's medical people have to determine if he gets surgery or not, which I personally believe is bullshit.

His tendon was torn clean off bone, people. He fucking needs surgery no matter what you say. The end.

~*L*~

Trying to relax

2010-02-20T18:12:00.001-08:00

...by making cookies and doing some decorating for Spring.

~*L*~

Scared for my brother!

2010-02-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

I have no idea what the hell is going on, but my mom just called me saying my brother got hurt at work (he's a fireman) and he's being rushed to the hospital by ambulance. She doesn't know any details, but omg I'm all nervous now.

He loves his job, but I've always been scared that one day he won't come out of a building or something and holy shit I wish I had more details....please keep my big brother in your thoughts.

Update: He tore off a tendon in his arm and needs emergency surgery. He was trying to help/lift a 500lb+ woman out of the house. Nice, lady. Nice.

Right now he's waiting for surgery. I'm so happy it isn't a life threatening thing, but this isn't wonderful either. It's like that time he tried cutting an apple for me when I was little and cut into his thumb, snapping his tendon back. I see a theme here.

We see what you're doing there

2010-02-18T11:34:00.001-08:00

There's some construction going on across the street and it seems they have an audience.

~*L*~

Moving on

2010-02-14T16:12:00.000-08:00

Nick's grandfather passed away suddenly today.

He was a mean, abusive drunk, and didn't have much of a relationship with Nick, but my heart aches for his Mom who despite everything, still lost her dad today.

Please keep her in your thoughts and be sure to give your love to those around you today.

~*L*~

Lisa = Witch

2010-02-12T17:25:00.001-08:00

So on Twitter in my bio I said that I'm a witch. My mother is also on Twitter and I get this phone call, "YOUNG LADY WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WITCH?!?".

Well, you know I'm a Pagan mom, and the term Witch is what I relate to the most.

::Gasp:: "You don't cast spells, do you?". Yes, it's like saying a prayer mom.

"Oh no it is not! Lisa, Witches do evil things! Why do you want to be evil!?!"

Etc etc. And bless her, she's really trying to talk with me about it instead of going all ape shit. So it's a start.

Should be interesting when I go visit my family in March.

~*L*~

What have I done?

2010-02-10T17:48:00.000-08:00

I did it. I joined Twitter. I am a follower, world. Join meh!

Goddess update

2010-02-10T15:10:00.001-08:00

I really don't like how she looks now. I do believe I f-ed her up completely. I should of just left the simplistic look of her before I started adding all the crap.

Sigh. I think I'll keep her in the corner for awhile. I'm really pissed at myself at the moment. Ugh.

~*L*~

Goddess Painting II

2010-02-10T14:05:00.001-08:00

One of the watercolor techniques I love to use (loooove) is making an effect in the paint by using salt. Let's use the sky in "Bedtime Story" as an example since it's easy to see where the salt was applied:

This technique is pretty straight forward and just really fun to do. The brushes I use for this are my favorite Japanese goat mop brushes.

Once I got these babies I wondered how the hell I'd lived so long without them. They are THAT AWESOME.

So like I said, this is simple and fun. I dip my goat mop in water and wet the area of the paper I want covered in paint. I then take the mop and literally throw/splatter the colors I want on the damp surface.

I take the paper and move the paint around on it so the colors run into one another a little bit. Lay the paper back down flat and sprinkle salt (sea salt will give you a better effect than table salt) over your colors.

You'll see the salt suck up color right away. You can either let it air dry at this stage but I like to blow dry it as I found the hot air gave the effect a more crisp look.

Once dry I use a paper towel to GENTLY scrape the salt off the paper. Then you can go back in and add shadows or highlights to any areas you feel needs it.

I love how this always turns out and the best part is it's different every time you do it.

I did this lightly for the background behind my Goddess and then dried her.

I also worked on her eyes first because I feel if the eyes don't look life like then the rest of the painting will suffer because of it.

I've always had this obsession with faces and eyes and the messages you get from them. Don't mind my crazy :)

Next step, her skin tone. In watercolor you work in layers from light to dark so a quick light colored wash is done with a bit of shading done here and there.

I often turn my work as I go along and squint to see how the lights and darks stand out which is why this was taken upside down.

Often if you look at a painting from a different angle you'll see areas that need more work more than you would if you looked at it the same way all the time.

I repeat the process, feeling her out until I like the look of her, blend a bit of pink into her cheeks, and take a break on the skin to work on other areas like her lips.

I loved how she was turning out and then added eyebrows and lashes and just wasn't happy with her anymore. So she'll be worked on more later today and hopefully I can fix my crap ups.

We'll see how it goes.

~*L*~

Study of Maggie

2010-02-09T22:31:00.000-08:00

I'm working on a pastel of Maggie for class. I really hate this medium. It's so messy and gritty and it drives me insane.

I really don't think I'm doing this right. Anyone have any experience with soft pastels?

~*L*~

Vet visit

2010-02-08T14:52:00.000-08:00

I have a fat dog. On the road to this:

Which is really pathetic when you take into account how active and crazy she is. So she's going to have her food controlled and I have to stop myself from feeding her crap while I rub her adorable belly and squeal like a nut.

Also, the vet noticed a few flea bites on her belly and I was all, yo Dr. Dude, there are no fleas on this dog. I bathe her once a week. She gets brushed out every other day. She's treated like a queen, man. No fleas.

But I guess because of the unusually warm winter here (sorry, east coast America) the fleas are going bonkers and at some point she got bit a few times which is going to fuck up her allergies all over again, so I got allergy meds for that along with ear meds.

And I learned something awesome and money saving, if you have more than one cat or a medium sized dog and cat like I do and you use frontline, buy a pack for large dogs instead of a pack for each animal. Each cat gets .5ml on his or her back and your dog gets the rest.

The doctor told me one large dog vial is enough for all 5 of his cats a month. Super awesome.

So soon our girl will be back to her bouncy crazy pay-attention-to-me-now PLAYPLAYPLAY self. For now she's hangin' in her crate with her bear all tuckered out.

~*L*~

Goddess Painting I

2010-02-08T12:03:00.001-08:00

So I'm going to go through how I'm doing this painting step by step as was suggested in the comments of the previous post (awesome idea, Lyneya!).

First and foremost, I have to have music on. I can't paint in silence, I've always painted along with music and for me it's as important as my brushes are because without it my brain just won't shut off.

When I paint I'm in another world in my head (Nick won't even bother trying to get my attention because I seriously shut off from everything and won't hear him) and the music shapes where that world will take me and the direction of the art as well.

I find I base my colors on what a song is making me feel. So before I start anything, out comes the iPod.

During this painting I've been listening to a lot of Black Lab's Passion Leaves a Trace album, various Richard Marx songs (sigh), La Ventura, and a bit of Disturbed thrown in there because I need my hard rock!

I will then lightly sketch out what I had in my head and will make notes on the work itself like, "this should glow over here" or "fade this out". I erase these as I go along, but they help me keep the details in mind that I wanted.

I'll go through my painting process in the next post, it's almost time for Maggie's vet appointment so I gotta get a move on!

~*L*~

Studio sneak peak-a-doo!

2010-02-06T15:40:00.000-08:00

The light sucks, but here is the start of The triple Goddess Morrigan, being power dried. Gotta love watercolor.

~*L*~

Hood Canal Bridge

2010-02-05T16:42:00.000-08:00

The Sound is reflecting the sky tonight and looks like glass kissed with the sunset. Just beautiful.

A pod of transient orcas was seen here yesterday! <3

~*L*~

Kitty love

2010-02-04T20:24:00.000-08:00

So our neighbor gave us some toys for Maggie and as a thank you I made some catnip toys for her cat. Who she tells me is God, so I'm pretty much the drug lord of the um...Lord.

Nick saw my mouse and was all, "Aww, he's pudgy!". Indeed he is.

*squishums*

Fringe is on soon. And we are horrible, horrible addicts. I must make smores for I am a chocolate addict as well, hehehe.

~*L*~

Classes, crafts, and ear infections, oh my!

2010-02-03T10:41:00.000-08:00

Here at home things are a bit stressful, but thankfully nothing I can't figure out. Maggie developed an ear infection and I'm looking for the cheapest vet so I can afford her antibiotics. No clue where the infection came from, as she hasn't had this problem since she was just a little ball of fluff. Sigh.

In other news, my art classes are certainly interesting. Pastel is a totally different medium than I'm used to working with, but I'm learning more from this teacher than just how to work with the pastels.

The guidance and information she gives can be applied to all sorts of art media and her knowledge is amazing.

My portrait class doesn't start for a few weeks yet, but my colored pencil course did and it's so cool. Many tricks are being learned and we're going to focus on water next week. Pure awesome.

Also, I've been working on a cute bunny pattern for spring and so far, I think he's adorable with his big floppy ears of fuzz.

Many things are going on for the shop that will hopefully help income and in between all the crazy I've been working on a new watercolor that I'm really enjoying watching come to life.

I'm going to set aside some time to work on my Goddess workbook today, so I'll be posting shortly about that as well.

I hope everyone is having a fantastic February! <3

~*L*~

Local eats!

2010-01-26T22:04:00.001-08:00

I love shopping in our grocery store. Especially for Asian foods.

How cool is all this? There are aisles and aisles of packages that look more like works of art than food.

I have to either read the ingredients to figure out what it is, or ask the awesome sushi chef just what the hell I'm about to try.

I stocked up on sushi supplies and nori maki (rice crackers wrapped in seaweed, SO GOOD) and all sorts of awesome. We made chow mein the other night and it was om nom nom!

Speaking of food I fooled around with frosting tips today.

It got a little messy.

~*L*~

Waiting...

2010-01-26T09:20:00.001-08:00

For my pastel class to start. Had the mixed media class yesterday and it was awesome.

Instructor is here! Most excellent.

~*L*~

Yums are had by all!

2010-01-21T21:21:00.001-08:00

~*L*~

Cake II

2010-01-21T15:27:00.001-08:00

Added a pretty ribbon, just because.

Now it's done.

~*L*~

No laughing!

2010-01-21T14:54:00.000-08:00

The evil cake is as good as it's going to get. I'm sick, coughing up mucus (mmm...mucus cake) and I really hate fondant at the moment. There has to be some trick to getting this shit to NOT CRACK.

Behold:

The Mr.'s romantic style purple, blue, and white colored cake, as requested.

You see the horrible cracking and falling apart?!? Ahhhh!

I am done with you, first fondant cake. You suck balls. The only thing I like are my roses.

Nick will be home soon. Time to clean the kitchen!

Happy Birthday, sweet man.

~*L*~

Regaining perspective

2010-01-20T13:35:00.001-08:00

Nick and I often fight about his job because he's at work more than he is home and I'm left feeling like I might as well be single if I'm going to be my own company most of the time.

Sometimes it just gets to me more than other times. And I know he's doing all he can, it's hard with only one person working and all the work he's doing really is for us and sometimes I lose track of that because I just feel so alone most of the time.

When he's home from work he's on the computer working, most weekends he works as well. He has a lot of responsibilities, I really do understand that, but it's draining him and I'm tired of trying to talk to a zombie when he IS home.

I need to learn how to deal with this in a more positive way, because I know he hates all this shit too.

~*L*~

Into the Dreaming

2010-01-20T10:50:00.001-08:00

I had a few dreams last night that rolled into one huge dream and all I can remember is thinking, I know this! I remember that! I know him, I've missed him! I know that horse, etc...

And while trying to hold on to the pieces I woke up and tried to recall the things I had remembered, the faces I felt I knew, but it was all out of reach by the time I was fully awake.

And I'm left wishing I could remember.

~*L*~

Working on CAKE

2010-01-18T22:43:00.001-08:00

These roses are as good as they're going to get at this point. I wish there were pastry classes being offered!

Tomorrow I need to come up with a cake recipe. Food Network will save me!

~*L*~

ART!

2010-01-18T17:58:00.001-08:00

So I went to get my supplies today and man, easiest money I ever spent. I mean it just flew through my fingers like water.

I had to make some sacrifices for the sake of my budget like getting Strathmore paper instead of the Arches that I really prefer, but whatever. I can deal.

Doesn't look like much, but believe it or not that is over $200 of supplies right there. The paints alone were around $100!

The colors one of my instructors wants for the class was twenty freakin' bucks a tube!

These are my favorite brand of paints and will last well over a year as you only need a tiny bit, but my lord! Couldn't I just use red instead of cadmium red? Jesus.

So now I get to set up my art desk and play around with AWESOME!

~*L*~

Nick's trip

2010-01-18T17:28:00.000-08:00

Nick was awesome enough to take some photos of things he thought I'd like for my blog, so here are some photos of his trip to San Francisco!

Bread animals, omg!!!!

China town:

I have to find these cats!! The one on her back looks so much like Karma it's hilarious. I will so track these kitties down.

~*L*~

Aliens

2010-01-16T12:53:00.000-08:00

Nick woke up last night without his shirt on and was all, "Where did my shirt go? I don't remember taking it off! Did you take it off?"

And I'm all, "Nope. Maybe the aliens did it. But I'd be more concerned if you woke up without pants."

~*L*~

The Mr. has returned!

2010-01-15T10:40:00.000-08:00

Nick got back yesterday evening and it's nice to have him home! While he was gone I was a crafty-bakey crazy lady and on top of cupcakes I taught myself how to make sugar roses.

I'm still not quite happy with them, but they've been turning out better than the dragon I was working on. It kept drying all cracked and eventually I gave up on it.

Today I'm going to work on roses for the Mr.'s cake, as he told me yesterday he would like a romantic style cake in blues, purples and white (I'm seeing purple roses here!) and what it looked like beyond that was up to me, he didn't care. Like pulling teeth, I tell you.

So someone is actually sorta getting into his birthday this year, although I think it's just because he knows I'm excited to be making a cake like this.

We shall see what I can come up with as he deserves a nice birthday.

And talk about sweet, he brought home a silk lavender robe for me from China Town, a pentacle box, and even took pictures for my blog!

What an adorable knight he is, my sweet man. <3

~*L*~

Girls night in

2010-01-12T20:24:00.000-08:00

Watching Ace of Cakes with Mommy!

Not really. I'm just being adorable while Karma cuddles with Mom. I'm waiting for my Daddy to come home.

Just a few more days!

-Maggie

Vday/Birthday decorations

2010-01-12T15:55:00.000-08:00

And some catnip for Karma...

It's a freakin' party in here!

Also, am working on decorations for the Mr.'s cake. Making a looove dragon. Wooo! Wooooo!!!

I should turn the music down, hahaha...::boogies::

~*L*~

We have cupcakes!

2010-01-10T19:46:00.000-08:00

Those darling few that turned out right, anyway! Or at least looks pretty.

My kitchen is filthy, the floor is covered in powdered sugar, but today was cool because learning what not to do is just as important as learning what you should be doing.

Or are those the same thing?

Whatever. Point is, I'm going to have a lot of cleaning up to do tomorrow. But now I know how to make gum paste! And fondant!

Soon I shall take over the world!

~*L*~

Baking week has begun!

2010-01-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

So while the Mr. is away I'm going to be making some treats to practice my skillz and start the decorations for his cake.

I went out and got oodles of supplies and our bank account cried and had to see a therapist, but it's the Mr.'s birthday and I'll have this stuff for years, so what the hell. ...Right?! ::sigh::

I made him a special farewell Mahi-mahi dinner (the above photo was my plate...you think he'd eat anything green?) and we watched Angels and Demons.

So now the house is quiet and I'm dreading the night because I hate sleeping alone. I do have Karma to sleep with, so hopefully sleep will come to me at some point tonight (Maggie has never slept with me, the brat).

Anyways, it's time I played around with my new toys! To the kitchen, Batman!

~*L*~

Mystery Solved!

2010-01-08T11:37:00.000-08:00

It was Anna who sent me the fabric! She is by far the sweetest person in the universe and has totally made my day with her thoughtfulness and just made me feel all light and squishy inside.

You are just the bestest friend a person could have, Anna. Thank you for making my day a bit brighter!

~*L*~

Mystery Fabric and Tales of a Crazy Neighbor!

2010-01-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

Ok, first things first. My neighbor, who seems like a very nice woman, is creeping me out a bit.

She told Nick a few weeks ago that she saw an alien carrying a pink balloon and said that means I'm pregnant with a baby girl because apparently, she talks to aliens all the time. Then she knocks on our door a few days later only to tell me that her mother is the Queen of England and her father might be John Kennedy. Alrighty then. I'll be sure to log that away.

So tonight she knocks on our door and points to her belly and asks me if I'm pregnant. Um...no. "Really? You didn't get pregnant Christmas night between 11:30 and 12:30?" Wtf lady? NO. I WAS BLEEDING THEN not that it's any of your business to begin with. Thanks, bye bye now.

OMG. Sweet, sweet lady, but creeping meee ouuuttttt.

Also, I received mystery mail today. Someone sent me this really cute red fabric with white polka dots all over it and I have no idea where the hell it came from. All I know is if my card ends up being charged for it chances are my fabric obsession has driven me to sleep shop. And knowing myself (because...I am...uh..myself), that's highly possible.

I have an idea to make a couple cute pillow cases with it as it'll go really well with this rose flower fabric I have, but I don't know if I should use it in case it was a mistake or something.

Today was so freaking weird.

Cupcakes and Bunnies!

2010-01-04T11:34:00.000-08:00

What could be better?

I found these adorable plates at Safeway and grabbed a couple for two bucks each. What you see here are a few of my awesome Oreo truffles, otherwise known as Snowman's balls.

And for the bunnies?

I found these adorable babies a few months back in a favorite garden store of mine and fell in love. I'm going to use them in the kitchen for hanging dish towels and pot holders.

Nick found this broken window looking thing at Ross and it's now a cute holder for our silverware. The bunny hooks will be screwed onto the bottom for the towels and holders.

Cute, no? I think so. *squee!*

Also, we used some holiday money to get a nice rug for the living room area.

Maggie is modeling her new haircut for you in the picture as well, since I groomed her royal fuzz a few days ago.

It's nice to have a dog who doesn't smell like she rolled around in something nasty, even if only for a few days.

~*L*~

The amazing Goddess Leonie

2010-01-04T08:19:00.000-08:00

I came across this site thanks to Domesticated Gypsy and I plan on getting the workbook once I get paid this week as well as becoming a Goddess Ambassador. Plus the most recent post to her daughter? One of the most beautiful things I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

Leonie, if you read this, you are one amazing woman. Thank you for the things you do, you are truly inspiring. <3

OMG CAKE!

2010-01-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

I'm really getting into this cake/cookie/cupcake making stuff. I've been teaching myself about different types of icings and recipes and what have you (cause I plan on making the best birthday cake ever), and OH MY GOD. Just another creative outlet for me. And I am so loving this blog I came across.

This all reminds me of this Sailor Moon movie I saw where all the girls are baking cookies and Chibiusa's turn out fugly but that doesn't matter because she claims they are cookies made with love and will give you power and courage. And I loved that part because seriously, what better way is there to let someone know you love them than by taking the time to make them something? I think this is why I like to give handmade gifts so much. Putting a smile on someone's face is just the best.

Happy New Year!

2010-01-01T10:35:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2010! I've never been big on New Year resolutions cause I normally don't keep them, so this year is a simple one for me. Keep doing what I've been doing. Eating better, losing weight (from a size 14 to a 10 so far!), doing things that make me happy despite stress, and making sure to keep in touch with those I love. What are your resolutions for this year?

So far this year is looking pretty good.

I'm an official employee at Nick's company, lucky enough to work at home and am still on the lookout for another job. Slowly $ is coming in, so hopefully this will continue. I get to buy myself wonderful art and craft supplies very soon, and will be taking some awesome classes. I plan on filling up my shop with goodies, and may be having a special give-away here real soon!

I've also been teaching myself about cake decorating as someones birthday is coming up on the 21st (good thing he never reads this!), so there's yet another fun project for me!

Thank you for the ideas for Nick's birthday, btw. I think I'm going to roll his birthday and Valentine's day into one and make it a romantic day :)

I hope 2010 finds you all well and is a wonderful year for us all! <3!

Ideas for a stubborn man's birthday?

2009-12-30T12:48:00.000-08:00

So I'm sitting here bitching to Karma about how there are only five job ads in the paper this week for the ENTIRE TOWN. FIVE. For a town of thousands of people. And I applied for two, so there's that. Anyway, it got me thinking.

I feel so guilty for not bringing in money full time and I know Nick is stressed because of it. He says its due to his job, but I know that if there was more $ being brought in, he'd be less stressed than he is now. So, you know. I'm doing my guilty thing where I feel like I'm the cause of all the evils in the world, yadda yadda yadda. And I need to learn to just breathe and relax a bit myself.

However, the man needs to chillax as well. He works all day, comes home and works some more. Takes no vacation time, even works most weekends. And his birthday is coming up and I want to do something special for him, but it has to be something I don't spend money on seeing as how we're broke.

Last year I made him this dude because the Mr. is crazy about chameleons. This year I plan on making a nice dinner and a cake, but would like to do something else too.

I have no idea what that something else is though, as Nick is a bitch when it comes to his birthday. He sees it as one more year where he didn't get where he wanted to be from the year before, whereas I see birthdays as an anniversary of someones existence, and as such it's a special time to celebrate said person and let them know how much you love them and appreciate having them in your life (at least when it comes to other people. I can be a bitch about my birthday as well, haha).

The people he works with doesn't even know his birthday is coming up and if I told them he'd be so pissed off. I'm not even kidding, the man probably wouldn't talk to me for weeks. So I need to find something to do for him along with the usual cake and dinner that isn't all SURPRISEZOMGITSBIRFDAY! but isn't just an afterthought, either. Because he's special to me dammit, and he's going to hear about it whether he likes it or not.

I have less than four weeks to put together something AWESOME here, people. And I need ideas. I figure I can do the bulk of the decorations (An excuse to craft? Hell yes. He's not escaping decorations.) when he's in California, but for the main gift I'm clueless this year.

Blah.

Speaking of gifts and special people, here's the Hello Kitty winter doll I crocheted for my long time friend Anna, from appears.

Of course looking at it now I see a bunch of things I could of changed or made better, but for my first Hello Kitty she's not terrible! I've been working on some cute itteh bitteh amigurumi fairy kitties with left over yarn. Karma has been helping me with the basic sketch out for a pattern, and so far we have teh cute!

Tale as old as tiiiime...

2009-12-28T21:02:00.000-08:00

I'm watching an old Beauty and the Beast movie in French. This is by far my favorite fairy tale.

I have to say though, I much prefer Disney's version of the Beast. He should of stayed that way, the prince dude he turned into was a complete fop. The Beast form was sexy. All gruff and primal n' shit. HOT.

Anyways. I'm thinking of putting hair clips up in the shop and am playing around with some designs.

Maybe even something for dogs, too!

Hmmm...this version kinda makes me want to hurl something at the tv. The Beast is such a simpering little wimp.

What the hell.

~*L*~

Crazy things parents say

2009-12-27T00:09:00.000-08:00

OMG, this site is hilarious. It gets better the more you read. I can only wish my parents were this funny.

http://crazythingsparentssay.com

~*L*~

Ferret playtime!

2009-12-23T15:56:00.000-08:00

Maggie was raised with our ferrets and has always been gentle with them, especially for a terrier. I took a few shots today of them playing. Always supervised, of course!

~*L*~

Yay art classes!

2009-12-23T14:57:00.000-08:00

The college I wanted to take art classes at accepted my americorps $, and classes start at the end of January! I'm so excited, I can't wait!

Photos

2009-12-22T22:13:00.000-08:00

Just because I feel the need to share the cute.

~*L*~

Finally done!

2009-12-22T21:09:00.000-08:00

Sorry for not posting recipes for the last two weeks, or really even updating this blog much for that matter. I've been neck deep in yarn and felt and beads and fabric while working on a gift and I'm finally done and it's been sent out! Can't say what it is because this blog is read by a certain someone, but I hope she likes it. If not, that's ok too, I had a blast making it!

It's always fun to challenge yourself when crafting, and it's even better when it turns out!

Anyways. Hope all my Pagan readers had a wonderful Yule and I hope the upcoming Christmas holiday is wonderful as well! I'll be WORKING this Christmas as the Mr. got a temporary website project for me to do at his company, so some extra income for the holidays!! Thanks, Santa!

Nick will be heading to California in the next couple of weeks for a few days for work, so I'll have the place to myself which means I hope I have some extra $ for fabric and yarn for more crafts because I'm totally out now and what else am I going to do by myself besides watch movies and have conversations with my cat?

Despite going for work related business, I hope he enjoys himself, too. The man works way too hard and doesn't get paid enough for the shit he has to deal with, in my opinion. His parents may drive to the California branch to see him since they're only a few hours away. Speaking of his parents, guess who sent me a Halloween cookbook for Yule with all the witch related recipes bookmarked? Hilarious.

Also, they sent us the new Harry Potter movie which we still haven't seen. Nick wants to wait until we get this new TV and speaker system he's been eyeing, so it may be a little longer until I get to see it. Sigh. Hopefully we can scrape enough $ for it all, but I figure the man works his ass off and if the only thing he wants is a TV that doesn't change the volume on it's own (thanks, goodwill TV), he's gonna get it.

I want a real, honest to goodness full-time job for Christmas, Santa. I'll make you cookies! Filled with weed! C'mon, man!

Most excellent.

2009-12-18T21:58:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen Inglorious Bastards yet, RENT IT NOW. Best damn movie I've seen in a long time. That shit must have been damn near therapeutic to make. I'm not big on war movies, but dayum. Go Bastards!

Ahhh! My blender!!

2009-12-13T11:52:00.000-08:00

Holy shit, all I wanted to do was make more soap and I put herbs in the blender like I always do and then THE BLENDER BLEW UP.

As in, all over the kitchen and I even found bits of glass on our couch. People, you just can't make this shit up.

My arm is bleeding, and Maggie ran under our bed and won't come out.

What the hell is happening to my apartment?

~*L*~

Hope I sleep tonight!

2009-12-11T23:15:00.000-08:00

I never slept last night, so sleep at this point would be great. Today sucked and tomorrow isn't looking any better. I have to drive all the way out to Tacoma (like two frigging hours) because the Mr. has to get some computer thing for work.

Sucks. Like today sucked. Because I went through it on no sleep.

I ended up crying on the phone while talking to my mother due to money stress, and for the first time in...forever, she didn't scream or have a snide remark and we ended up talking about how she treated my brothers and I growing up and how different things have become for the better now, and it was just a conversation I never thought I'd ever have with her.

I think I'm finally at a place in my life where I'm at peace with certain things and I just want to move on from the past and live life.

It's just too damn short to dwell on bad memories. Yeah, I still have issues I'm going through, but I'm in a much better state of mind than I used to be.

And it was nice to talk to the mother side of my mom for once instead of running from the Nazi side.

Anyways, it was an emotional morning for me. And then stupid me decided that the oven needed to be cleaned and I turned on the automatic cleaner and lo and behold, the fucking thing started on fire.

I turned off the power to the kitchen as my smoke alarm went off and in a complete blind panic called Nick at work and was all, "The oven! The kitchen!" And he was all, "Why the hell are you calling me and not the fire department, woman?!"

And I said something totally brainy like, "It's not bad enough to call 911! But there's smoke everywhere!".

I know, I'm a dipshit. But it went out on it's own and I got the smoke out. Apparently there was turkey grease on the bottom of the oven that caught on fire due to the super high temp of the oven cleaning.

I'm never going to clean the damn thing again either, because I'm twice as dumb as I am smart.

I'm just going to blame it on lack of sleep and hope I'm not as much of a dumb ass tomorrow.

~*L*~

No sleep for me tonight

2009-12-10T20:10:00.000-08:00

I am. So. Tired. But my body hates me apparently, so I'm still awake. If I'm still up in the next hour I might as well watch tonight's Craig.

Gonna try for yet another job tomorrow. Also, I'm working on a few holiday gifts and one in particular is driving me nuts because the pattern is written out in symbols instead of words and I'm not used to reading them like this. Thanks, Japan. YOU SUCK.

Hmm...what else? I watched the movie "Max" yesterday while crafting, and I really enjoyed it. It certainly does make you think, and hey, JOHN CUSACK. The secret love of my life. *swoon*

I've had this *thing* for him since I was a kid and it's still there. Heaven.

Nick is snoring again, dammit. I got those nose strip breathe right things on sale and he won't use them. I'm about ready to shove the whole box up his ass and go sleep on the couch with Karma. At least her purring is soothing and doesn't sound like a rhino in labor.

Yay! He turned over! Maybe I can fall asleep before he starts up again. That would be just fan-fucking-tastic. Where the hell is the sandman? I hope he's good looking. And wearing leather.

You sexy sandman, you. Come to ma' bed and make with teh sleeps!

~*L*~

Snowman's Balls (aka Hehe...balls)

2009-12-06T17:20:00.000-08:00

Ok, so, I don't have a photo of this since I didn't make any this weekend, but these were a hit at Thanksgiving so I thought I'd post the recipe.

You will need:

One package of Oreo cookies or a cheaper knock off brand.

One package of fat free cream cheese (I buy the box).

One or two packages of white chocolate chips, depending on how much you want on your um...balls.

Crush the cookies into crumbs either by beating the hell out of them with a rolling pin, or chuck them all in a food prosessor / blender.

Add the cream cheese to the crushed cookies and mix with your hands / blender, whatever until it's a nice pasty like dough.

Roll your little Oreo balls a bit smaller than a walnut and put them on a plate covered with wax paper. Freeze yo' balls.

Melt the white chocolate by following the directions on the back of the bag. A microwave will work, but since I don't have one I use a double broiler which works well, too. It's easy to burn though, so be careful!

Once your white chocolate has melted, take your balls (heh) out of the freezer and you can either dip them in the white chocolate, or pour the chocolate over them to cover.

Then pop them back in the freezer until the chocolate is solid again, and enjoy Frosty's balls!

~*L*~

Yay Yule!

2009-12-06T14:10:00.000-08:00

I found a super cheap tree at the goodwill today, so I nabbed it and brought it home. We don't have much to put on the tree, so I'm just making ornaments for it, mwahahaha...

Also, I made snow flakes for around the house out of some bakers twine, old beads, and glitter flakes.

Nick felt bad we couldn't afford the tree we really liked from Target, and I was all, I will save the Clark Christmas!

All for under 30 bucks, and I'm still crafting...

Da-dada-daa...

~*L*~

Can't fall back asleep...

2009-12-06T05:56:00.001-08:00

So I thought I'd blog for a bit, then just get up and do some house work or something.

So Nick got these PJs for himself yesterday that he was excited about, yet when we came home and he tried them on, I just about died.

The conversation was pretty much:

" What do you think?"

"Oh my god, I'm sleeping with a five year old!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Here, take this teddy bear and pose for me. And look creepy."

You see that? I'm a paedophile. I molest this child. Often in public places and dark corners.

He's such a good boy.

~*L*~

Antique store

2009-12-04T14:08:00.000-08:00

So while I was waiting for Nick yesterday after my job interview(which I haven't yet heard back from so I assume they hired someone else because they wanted someone by Monday) I hung out at a favorite antique store of mine.

I love junk stores, you never know what you'll find, and it's fun to think about where all these things came from.

So of course, I find things I like but have no money for. Go figure. I'm hoping to hear back from two other job places, so we'll see. Job searching is so depressing because it makes me feel like a total failure when nothing comes out of it and then I just come home and cry. Blah.

Does anybody remember The 10th Kingdom? That tv series that was on years ago? The Mr. and I were talking about my love for fairy tales last night and I brought up this tv series and he has never seen it!

He wants to watch it now, so I have to find it somewhere. I remember having a crush on Wolf. Go figure, haha. Who doesn't love a man with uh...a bushy tail?

Mr: "Why is it we can't watch anything without me feeling jealous?"

Me: "I dunno. I can't help it if I love penis... oohh, wait, change the channel back. Did you see that one?"

~*L*~

Gloves!

2009-12-01T22:51:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a pair of fingerless gloves for myself, and I just finished the first one.

Odd, yes. But I love them so far. I got the basic pattern on Etsy and just went from there.

Also, as you can tell from the background we got the quilt! It was an early Yule gift from my mom. It's a bit thin, but so soft and comfy. I can't wait to sleep in it!

In other random news, I have a job interview on Thursday. Ohh please oh please oh please...

~*L*~

Make some friends!

2009-11-30T16:13:00.000-08:00

Come hang out at Aefilkins and meet new people!

1. Favorite website: I have so many!

2. Favorite color: Purples and blues.

3. Facebook? Nah.

4. Favorite Christmas song? Last Christmas as sung by Darren Hayes

5. Christmas tree: Real or fake? Fake, I always felt bad for the real ones getting cut down.

6. Hottest celebrity? I love men. Many, many men.

7. Favorite restaurant? Rainforest Cafe!

8. Favorite magazine? Anything crafty

9. Favorite thing to drink around the holidays? I drink water mostly, haha.

10. Favorite Christmas movie. Elf!!

Queen of poop

2009-11-30T16:05:00.000-08:00

This cute little face here?

Is a master pooper. I have no idea what she got into, but she hasn't been feeling well and the girl has issues.

Issues that are now all over my new rug inside the house. You are so lucky you have a cute face, Maggie.

So lucky indeed.

Tortilla Soup

2009-11-29T17:43:00.000-08:00

So I thought I'd start something new since I've been cooking so much. I'll try to post a new recipe once a week that I've either created myself or found and liked. I plan on doing this every Sunday because that's usually when I fool around in the kitchen the most.

So tonight's recipe is a favorite of the Mr. I found it in a Food Network magazine, and it's both super quick and super easy.

When I make this soup I usually use two small cans of diced green chiles, which are poblano chiles-ancho chiles are the same, but dried. Tastes the same to me, and it's a very mild chile so even I can eat it ( I hate spicy foods).

I also make my own tortillas - we have a shit-ton of corn flour because the Mr. is a Mexican food nut.

Also, fresh cilantro is best, don't use dried or else the flavor will just be blegh, and this herb really does make the soup.

Blue corn chips are good too!

~*L*~

Dreams

2009-11-27T11:27:00.000-08:00

I had the oddest dream this morning where I was Harry Potter on this train trying to save some people on a boat while trying to get it on with Neil Patrick Harris. HOT, I tell you, even for a straight woman. What's the most memorable dream you've ever had?

In other news, I met some wonderful people yesterday at Thanksgiving. We ended up staying there for almost seven hours and it was just so nice. One of the women I met is 3 months along, so I think I'll make her something for the baby. It was such a fun night.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well!

Peaches?

2009-11-25T22:55:00.001-08:00

OMG...I just heard this song called Fuck the Pain Away by a band called Peaches and the Mr. is laughing his ass off right now, playing it non stop.

Craig could do this with puppets, yes?

~From L's phone

Gobble Gobble!

2009-11-25T21:47:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving! Nick and I are going to eat with some of his co-workers tomorrow, should be fun!

Right now though, we’re watching Criminal Minds. Or rather, Nick is. I’m just sitting here waiting for these meds to kick in before I turn into a pig.

Blah. Early bed time for me…

I knnnooowww!

2009-11-24T21:20:00.000-08:00

...and this is why I love Craig Ferguson:

Haha...

2009-11-23T20:00:00.001-08:00

Nick came home with soup! The man is a mind reader, and I, being the three year old that I am, had waaayy too much fun with my soup.

Nick just called me a dweeb. The man needs to have more fun, clearly.

~From L's phone

This sucks

2009-11-23T17:12:00.001-08:00

I have no idea what the hell the Mr. has unleashed upon our home, but when I start to feel better I may kill him. If I live.

I'm currently laying on the couch getting loved up by Karma. And dying. From who knows what. But when Nick gets home maybe he'll go get me some soup? That would kick total ass right about now.

Huh. I just noticed that Karma's whiskers are different colors as she's trying to climb all over my face. Adorable.

Speaking of cats, I seriously want to get one of those faux leopard fur coats. Nick (and my mom) thinks I'm crazy, but screw you. I will so have one. And soup. Yes.

Also, took this picture last week. I like the creepy feel of it, so there you go. Enjoy.

~ L's phone

Like old times

2009-11-18T18:04:00.001-08:00

Some things, I think, won't ever change, really. I'm currently sitting on the bed working on a few sketches of some paintings I'd like to do once I have my supplies.

Nostalgia washed over me as Karma came to join me on the bed. Dudley, my old Maltese would always come up on the bed with me when I was a child, sketching or playing with a new medium.

I remember him laying there, almost on top of my work sighing, sounding not unlike an old man trying to make his way up a set of stairs, creaking all the way.

He was my constant companion whenever I worked and now Karma is exactly the same, leaning over my paper while trying to grab my eraser out from my fingers.

I'd talk to him as I worked, as I talk to her and she'll answer with her rumbling meows and lick my arm.

It's the best of moments that I'm lucky to share with yet another furry friend of mine.

Life never feels as beautiful or as calm then when I'm working on a painting with a friend by my side.

~From L's phone

Chicken Pot Pie

2009-11-15T16:37:00.000-08:00

Guess what I made with left over chicken?

Yes, that's a towel and me looking like a douche trying not to laugh. We need oven mitts. LOL

I used this recipe and it turned out great.

Will be saving this recipe fo' sho'

The perfect comfort dinner for a cold night. Yummy.

Art classes make Lisa go weeeeeeeeeee!

2009-11-13T15:43:00.000-08:00

I got a college catalogue in the mail and decided to enroll myself in a few art classes just for fun. Plus, you know. A good excuse to use my Americorps award money to buy a shit load of top of the line supplies (Can you FEEL MY EXCITEMENT, INTERNET? CAN YOU??)!

They don't start until January and are only 7 weeks long or so, but PEOPLE! MY EXCITEMENT METER IS GOING TO BURST!

I'll be taking a class that uses watercolor, colored pencils and gouache together to create art, a portrait painting class, and a class that uses pastels as both a wet and dry medium.

DUDE. Most fucking excellent. ::squeeee!::

Happy Friday the 13th!

2009-11-13T10:57:00.001-08:00

If a black cat crosses your path today, take him inside for cuddles.

New sig!

2009-11-10T21:16:00.000-08:00

Just so not to confuse those who read this, I've been signing my posts with the letter "K" because of a dream I had a few years back where I was a tiger and my name was Kaltenia. Tigers are very special to me as a love for big cats was something my late Grandfather and I shared, so the dream stood out for me.

Anyway, I woke up, remembered the name and liked how it sounded so I kept it as sort of a "secret" name. The Mr. is really the only one who uses it and I noticed I use my given name (Lisa) in my posts sometimes and that may confuse readers when I sign with a "K", so I've decided to just stick with my given name to avoid any wtf? moments.

Which is why the letter next to my icon has changed, as has my post signature.

Umm...the end. LOL. I felt I had to explain the changes, sorry.

I have such a horrible migraine right now. The light is on in the kitchen and I think I'll go turn it off because holy hell, it's blinding. It's one of those killer migraines where I swear I could hear sound in the light and it's just piercing my brain with knives.

SUCKS.

My boy builds coffins

2009-11-10T13:49:00.000-08:00

Guess who keeps my phone safe? Tee-hee!

~*K*~

100th post!

2009-11-09T19:33:00.000-08:00

Proof that I have no life what so ever! LOL!

I'm currently watching this really cool show on Animal Planet about prison inmates who train difficult dogs. I think it's called Cell Dogs. Very cool show. I really should get up off the couch and oh, I don't know. Do something, but I've been in a bit of a mood these past couple days.

I slept most of the day yesterday and don't even know why. Today I just feel crappy and think I'm coming down with something. All achy n' shit.

Oh, I found this!

And I'm really excited about it because it's exactly what I was picturing for the bedroom, and even the Mr. likes it. It's 100% cotton, machine washable and dry-able, and just looks so damn comfy. Also, it matches my blog! How sick is that?

Time to save $ and get us a nice bed for Yule, me thinks. Little by little I'll make this place a nice home. The Mr. has been working so hard and has to be back at work by 5am tomorrow. I figure since I'm currently unemployed, putting this place together is my job for now. He deserves to have a nice place to come home to.

Soon, my comforter of dreamy delights. Sooooon.

~*K*~

Ok. So the layout.

2009-11-08T18:53:00.000-08:00

Nick still has to help me figure out why the BG only looks nice on a certain size screen and how to fix the problem. So for now, for those who it actually bothers, bear with me. Also, am working on a new shabby banner and am having a blast with photoshop.

We bought a shelf this weekend for all of Nick's office books, so things are being put away and getting off the floor, huzzah! Pics soon as the place sloowwly progresses. Can't rush awesome after all, hehe.

Ohhh, and I'd like to sign up for a few art classes that will be taking place here in January if my Americorps award money can be used for classes that don't really count as credits or anything. That way I can learn more and buy myself some awesome supplies because I'm seriously missing painting.

We shall see!

~*K*~

I love this too much

2009-11-07T23:33:00.001-08:00

Took this with my sexy phone:

There is no cuter picture of my cat than this.

Plus, the quality is better than my actual camera! Holy crap!

~From K's phone!

Testing...

2009-11-07T10:06:00.000-08:00

Got an iPhone thing from the Mr.'s work and I'm updating my blog from the car while listening to music at the same time! I'm so out of the loop technology wise, this is amazing!

I'm so addicted it's not even funny. But holy shit, I'm blogging from a frigging phone!

~*K*~

Yikes!

2009-11-07T00:50:00.000-08:00

Sorry if the background is all funky on here, I don't know how to make it look the way I made it on different sized screens, so tomorrow Nick is going to help me with it because I really have no clue as to what the hell I'm doing.

Of course. LOL.

Also, the header still needs to be changed. I'm toying with different cute shabby ideas because I'm INSANE. IN THE MEMBRANE.

~*K*~

New layout!

2009-11-06T12:06:00.000-08:00

Don't mind the craziness, I needed some color in here and am working on a layout!

~*K*~