A dinosaur ate my hat!

Ok, so I can't actually let the dino take the blame...

I may be chopping up a straw hat I bought years ago and then replaced with a cuter and floppier one. I'm going to a tea party in the very near future and I'm supposed to wear a "tea hat." Now, googling that term brought up quite a few vintage options.

Not my photo, but I'm a fan of the style and hats.

So I did my Etsy search in case I found something buyable. But since I'm a cheapskate glutton-for-punishment creative lady I thought I'd try to fashion my own. I've done something similar for the costume shop I worked in and I think my millinery skills are just itching to be used. :) Plus, I'm having a crafty night tomorrow with some lady friends and that will be a good project.

Cut it up and cover her with flowers! The "before" shot. Obviously not my favorite hat.

Today I discovered that I need to be more adventurous with my food choices. I've been reading a Mary Higgins Clark book that described a grilled cheese sandwich with tomato slices once or twice (or maybe my brain multiplied it?) and I had to give it a go! Sooooooooo delicious! Next time I'm adding sliced peppers and maybe some salsa. This could really escalate my already high cheese consumption, but I'll do it in the name of culinary adventure.

I've been storing up more ideas for my Etsy shop lately. So far I'm thinking felt wreaths, hair accessories, man/lady scarves, skirts, and beanies. These are all things I can make pretty well and that won't be too brutal of a cost up front. They are also things I enjoy making. And I suppose that is the trick. Make what you like and hopefully others will also. We shall see.

Felt bow headband I made.

Kitty helper while I crochet.

Skirts we made! Bad picture, cute skirts.

Well, I guess it is time to start cleaning, cutting, and kittening. :) See you later!

Beauty!

I think this weekend has been one where I've noticed beauty around me. Sometimes I think we get that gift to appreciate the art and light God has put around us. I'm not one of those who waxes poetic (I don't have the skills, believe me), but this makes me think of the millions of exquisite ways we could describe the lovely world around us. A few pictures follow (not including the lion one) that illustrate my point in a slight way.

Hubbs and I went grocery shopping after a great church service today. We decided to go to Trader Joe's and I fell victim to the whiles of the flirty ranunculus. I saw one bunch in the flower buckets that would perfectly compliment our living room and walked up to hubbs with puppydog eyes. Needless to say, I got the flowers. :) I guess it didn't hurt that they were only $3.99.

These colors with a purple wall? Irresistible.

We didn't have a proper vase that fit them correctly, so... Mississippi Mud bottle it is.

Friday at work I spent some time in the Lion Mascot suit for an event our office was holding. Let me be totally honest here: gross! I originally volunteered not thinking it would be 80 degrees outside and a million degrees inside the suit. However, I got lots of high fives and silly dancing in. I'm probably six inches too short for the suit, but it was fun. The not fun and gross part was the excessive sweating I did. That is why I'll never volunteer for it again.

Yep. Me.

Friday night I spent time sewing with a friend, teaching her how to read and use a simple pattern. It was totally fun and we're going to wear what we made tomorrow to work. :) The skirts look totally different because of the prints we used, but it is fun to show off your handiwork. Pictures to be posted soon. Promise.

Yesterday, I woke up feeling awful. Apparently I have bronchitis and it is fairly difficult to sleep through the night when you are hacking. Luckily hubbs sleeps like a log so I didn't feel the need to resign myself to the couch. When hubbs got up for Saturday rehearsal, I moved to the living room and fell asleep to some sort of cake mastery programming. When hubbs got home and my nap was over we took a trip to The Spectrum, which was gorgeous, so that we could walk and shop. I found an adorable ladybug sweater that reminds me of being a little girl again, but in a good way.

I know you were just waiting for a picture of the Fluffy One.

That night we got to see Light in the Piazza at South Bay Cities Civic Light Opera. We got $65 tickets for free because of hubbs' connections! Too bad it wasn't that good. Don't get me wrong, the actors/vocalists were great. Light in the Piazza is almost an opera as far as style went, so I really appreciated that. But the script was awful. Talk about underdeveloped characters and conflict that doesn't follow through to its full potential. Sheesh. Overall, though, it was a good experience and I'm glad we went. It was a sweet date.

...

Now I'm drinking an artistic Gin and Tonic (one of my favorites) while finishing a WWE PayPerView with hubbs and our bud. We met a WWE crew member last night and I think I scored some brownie points with hubbs when I started asking him questions about his time as a crew member. Anyway, I should probably go so that I can watch the breaking news. Ciao!

Bubbles on a lime! Delicious.

"Couponers" are weird.

That's the revelation that I'm working with right now.

I happen to love watching certain channels on cable, one of them being TLC, the others being History and Discovery. I may sound like a bit of a nerd, but those channels have The Coolest Stuff. Except for "Extreme Couponers." Hubbs and I always manage to catch a few minutes of this show and usually end up yelling at the people on TV and changing the channel. Insert angry rant here. Grrrr...

In other news, I'm teaching a friend of mine to use patterns for sewing this week. I went with hubbs to the fabric store to pick out a pattern and material already. I know I've mentioned previously that I'm not good at math, but for some reason, I understand sewing and patterns. It is a weird skill that seems to get better with every garment I make. Anyway, I decided to cut out and familiarize myself with my pattern ahead of time, though, so that I'll actually be helpful. I chose this awesome floral linen blend that is perfect for the season and should line up with fashion trends, too. Of course, when I'm sewing, cutting, or crafting, the Fluffy One feels a need to help.

Such a flirt.

She's adorable, but generally more trouble than help. Unless you consider her favorite trick, which could be considered help if done at the correct time during the process. Ellie has a preference obsession with anything shiny. It can be diamonds, rhinestones, or the pearly straight pins that I use for sewing. She likes to pull my straight pins out of the fabric with her mouth. It is a very delicate process that she takes quite seriously. It doesn't take much to see how this could be detrimental to my work.

She's just waiting for me to turn away to grab that green pin...

I didn't realize when I started writing that this would become a kitten and sewing post. Apparently that makes me a bit of a crazy. My apologies if you don't like kitties, but with a face like the one below, you must be the crazy one to not at least admit she's cute.

Adorable.

I should go now, since it is drawing near time for my shower. However, I feel proud to notify those few faithful readers that I will soon be writing a guest blog for the awesome Emily F. If you aren't familiar with Emily's blog, she writes (and has guests write) about their first experiences with things. It is one that I read every chance I get because it is, more often than not, quite funny. I threw her a few ideas for firsts which I'll tease you with below:

-The first time I try to catch a bunny.
-The first time I have Kogi.
-The first time I let Ellie try to catch and kill a spider but instead it got away and now I'm afraid to let my feet touch our carpet.
-The first time I paint a dinosaur.

I know these are all tantalizing and you can hardly wait. But, until I get around to doing and writing one of the above, check out Emily's blog, Anything Once.

Adios!

Oops!

Well, it's been a while since I've written, especially because I began this puppy thinking I would write several times a week. However, with life being what it is, I haven't felt much like writing. I'm still not feeling gung-ho about it, but let's give it the old college try, eh?

Exciting news...

Hubbs is going to an intern on the Cirque du Soleil show, "O!" We are so pumped and excited for what this means for the future. However, "O" is in Las Vegas and we are in Southern California. What does this mean? It means that for 12 weeks, hubbs and I will be living in different states. This isn't as bad as it sounds. Vegas is a four hour drive and I will go to see hubbs at least once a month. Plus, it could lead to an awesome job for him.

Less exciting news...

Friday night, hubbs and I went to see Romeo and Juliet at the college we graduated from. We had a few differing opinions, but the main consensus was that it was a good show. It makes me remember that one day I'd like to teach Theatre at a college. One day.

Last night, we bought a Ninja and made deliciousness happen. We had jalapeno and pepperjack burgers complimented by a blended margarita. Dessert was a chai shake. Needless to say, we are enjoying the Ninja, especially since our dinky teeny blender was starting to smoke smell funny after it had made a few shakes. Let's not have our kitchen appliances blow up on us... sound good? :)

We have the coolest plates.

Today, we went to church, did a bit more housecleaning (seriously, how much fluff does the fluffy one have to distribute in every corner?), and who knows what we will do now? Maybe I can talk him into a trip to the fabric store. I have a skirt in mind that I want to make. :)

They do this naturally. It is both cute and weird.

On that note... I've decided that while I'm not in shows, I need to be craftier. Either thinking up ways to rob a bank, or making fun stuff. And I need to do this multiple times a week. As a result, you may become victim to zillions of pictures of handmade items. I apologize in advance. I'm also looking into starting a shop on Etsy.com to sell my creations. Of course, the shop won't open until I've got a few things made to sell, but it is good to do my research. I'm thinking that I can sell for a bit of a profit so that I won't lose money by keeping on a crafty habit. Heck, maybe I'll even make a bit of money. That's a crazy idea. :)

The shoes I just got are the inspiration for the skirt I want to make. They make me swoon.

And that's all, folks!

Pay up, dude!

I originally cracked open my laptop just a few minutes ago to make another school loan payment to Sallie Mae. Unfortunately, the payment portion of their website is down, so I've decided to write a quick blog. Personally, I think I should be exempt from the payment I was going to make since their site was down. But I don't think that will fly with little miss Sallie.

I saw this quote the other day:

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."
— Albert Einstein


I wasn't searching for quotes about goldfish or anything, it just kind of came up, but it makes total sense. We spend so much of our time being told what we should be, do, wear, know... well, you get the idea. As a kid, I could never understand why I learned differently than others or why math never quite made it through to my brain. I always did well with english, music, art, and the like. However, "smart kids" were good at math and I was not. Luckily, God blessed me with very supportive parents and two older brothers who were good at math. :) The frustrations I had (and sometimes still have) are what urge me on to becoming a teacher one day. I want to tell the students that they don't have to climb trees if they are better at drawing them. I want them to see that their desire for good art, for good theatre, is just as valuable as what mathematicians do. We are all different parts of the same body. If we all did the same thing, it would be no good. That's old wisdom that still shines for a reason.

Gosh, this post is not funny. But I never guaranteed that. Read my first post as proof. You see what you get when I can't pay my loans?

:)

Hubbs is closing a high school production of the musical Grease tonight. I saw it last night and got a kick out of it. If you grew up watching this movie like I did, it is quite surprising to see it done by kids who are the proper age for the characters. They worked hard and I was amused by the final product, despite half of them not knowing their choreography. Hubbs and I both noted that the choreography that was most consistently together was the boys' thrusting. They seemed quite proud of that dance move and it was all I could do to keep from cracking up every time it was executed.

We did laundry today and yesterday for our upcoming trip of awesomeness. Which reminded me that socks disappear in the dryer. Which reminded me of the Sock Stealing Monster that lives in the dryer. This is what I think he looks like. Wheeler, this doodle is for you.

Also, since I'm sure you've been wondering where the Ellie Penelope pictures are...

The little fluffy one reclining on my blanket. 

Being fluffy but looking chubby. I promise she's healthy and in shape.

There you go! Now make sure to have an awesome weekend. That's an order. :)

"Holy sparkling spandex, Batman!"

I just realized how long it has been since I've last written. Sheesh. So much for making this a habit. :) I obviously don't get addicted easily. Unless you are a wreath. Then I am addicted to you. See evidence below.

Mysterious angle on my newest wreath of loveliness. 

I had a lovely crafting night with my kindrid spirit, BBS. I like her a lot. And she's quite fun to craft alongside. Of course, crafting isn't crafting without Ellie Penelope interruptions, and we had many of them. Visual of the kitten follows here.

Yes, this has been posted on my FB, but seriously. So cute.

The fluffy one has seen fit to work her way into our lives. I joke with people that she is a therapy kitten because of her crazy personality and how she acts with us when we are sick or not feeling well. Example? Hubbs has been sick lately (boooooo....) and kitten felt the need to cuddle with him under the blanket that was warming him. I apologize for the picture to follow. It is not clear, cute, or artsy. I'm a failure as a blogger, I know.

Please note the fluffy coon tail of Ellie Penelope.

I think hubbs enjoyed the attention. :) And I think you'll appreciate the next shot.

Please note the look on her face.

Ok, but seriously, I think the pictures are my way of coping with the fact that I have nothing fun to blog about. Apparently your life becomes quite ordinary when you don't spend all of your time in a theatre. :) And when you've discovered that you like Lady Gaga's music. Not her creepy horned shoulders, just her incredibly danceable tunes. Yes, I just called them "tunes." Date me, I'm a baby of the '80s.

Also.

I am counting down until our vacation! One week(ish) in Portland! Exclamation marks read as excitement, right?! Or maybe yelling?!... Maybe yelling. But I am excited. I hope to take roughly one million photos with which to inundate this blog. Maybe I'll even take a photo of hubbs and I watching Monday Night RAW on vacation. Proof that I actually watch that stuff and follow the business like an intelligent WWE fan. Ah, well, they say when you marry someone you begin to take on their attributes. So I've inherited wrestling... what did he get? 

There once was a girl with a head

Who also was somewhat well-read

She wrote out her blog

But didn't go for a jog

And still she felt ready for bed.

Goodnight and good luck!

Party Crashing

I lied.

I promised a limerick some entries ago and did not provide one. So this is what you get. If you provide me with a different first line in my comments, I promise to riff off of that and make you a sweet new limeric.

There once was a girl from Orange County
Who wiped down her counters with Bounty
She'd never met a man
Who promised to love homemade flan
Until she married a Mounty!

Eh?! Eh?!

Sorry.

Do you ever make up stories about people you don't know?

A year or two or three ago I read a book by Chuckie P. It was entitled Rant. Now, our buddy Chuckie P. isn't exactly known for writing sweet, beautiful stories. He's a mind bendy, twisty (twisted?) sort of man. Some of his books I won't read. But I digress...

Rant is a story about people who Party Crash. Not the type we think of, they like to crash cars. The trick is that you only try to get cars who are playing the game and you know who is playing the game by some unique, yet common, characteristic the cars share. For example,  if you strap a baby carrier to the top of the car on the designated night, you are in. Weird. But interesting. Also, you win points for your crashes. I guess that's the "game" part of things.

Back to my stories. Whenever I see someone with a coffee cup or something else common, but slightly wrong, with/on their car, I think they are Party Crashers. Are you sad you're still reading? :) However, this does make traffic quite a bit more entertaining.

In other news:

Ellie Penelope is going to be one year old in a few days. That's weird. Time went by so fast and she's just a kitty. She's currently playing a jealousy game with my laptop. It sits on my lap and she tries to push it off. This would be humorous if she hadn't actually come close to succeeding. I guess she's learning the ways of the cat. She's also learning to do laundry. Sort of.

Rolling around in our laundry basket. Like a helpful kitten.

Sitting in the laundry hamper. Like an imp.

I don't care too much to type about work here because work is work and home is home. However, working with high school students can be quite amusing. I must say, the trend right now is for them to use the term "ironic" incorrectly. It's the little things. :)

When I started writing tonight, I thought I'd have quite a bit more to say. I was wrong. So, dasvidanya! (That's something like Russian for "goodbye.")