Sweat Shop Mamma

(I am without internet at home so keep in mind that this post was written on 9-12-08)

The past couple of days I have shocked myself with the things I have accomplished. The pre-pregnancy Meagan must be in there somewhere trying to get out. Of course by 8pm I am so exhausted I can’t hardly keep my eyes open.

Yesterday (Thursday) I picked up the living room, dining room, bathroom, and our bedroom. I re-organized Ardyn’s toys and packed up some more “baby-ish” toys. I took tags off the new clothes that Evan bought her. I washed diapers. I went through a stack of magazines and papers on the dining room chair that was no shorter than 2.5 feet tall (seriously) and did something with everything, and kept a 1 foot stack of magazines that I haven’t cracked the covers on yet (I suck.) and am keeping them by the bed so that I may hopefully flip through them, and tear out the things that I want to file. I went through the file on the top of the desk in the office. I created new folders for each pregnancy (going to specialists really gathers lots of paperwork…. Insurance, referrals, prescriptions, letters and maps, lab tests, new patient forms, etc) I keep most of this because I am going to many specialists this time around too, and they always want to compare things to last pregnancy. I emptied folders from being a Pampered Chef Consultant, (2003-2005) and fold veterinary bills from when I had Carrie’s beagle. I consolidated paperwork from my “former” employer. Threw away 6 years of paystubs, and filed the contract for the website that I am currently working on (soon!) and also my exit interview from my former employer. I was pretty proud of getting all that in order. I found my envelope full of cards that I received from Ardyn’s baby shower, and cards I received in the mail after her birth. I decided to keep them for her, because I remember how much fun it was to see the cards that my mom kept in my baby book. But she has so many that I had to punch holes in them all and put them on a zip tie ring. I also found cards from her first Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and finally all of her first birthday cards. I added those to the ring too.

I miraculously found a gift card that fell out of one of the cards, and wouldn’t you know that it was a card for ME from my former co-workers, from when Ardyn was born? It said “this is to be used for something special for mom” and of course THAT is the card that got pushed to the wayside and never used. 1 year later, you can bet I will be buying something for myself! Ha!

I also went through Ardyn’s baby books and her health tracks book and put in her 1 year stats as well as her shots and the info on her new teeth that have come in. I filled out the pages for her first birthday and info on when she started crawling, standing, etc.

Yesterday Ardyn took three steps to Evan, which was awesome. She’s getting closer to full-blown walking every day.

So today was Friday, and it started out like any other day but got humid as hell. Around lunchtime I decided to bring up all the fabric that I had bought to make baby wipes. I started cutting and I cut 164 eight by eight squares of fabric. Then I serged 82 pair of them into 82 new and fabulous baby wipes. They are Organic Sherpa Fleece on one side and flannel or cotton knit on the other side (prints.) Then I folded 82 baby wipes in half and admired them over and over. Then I fray checked the corner of 82 wipes. Then I put them in a tote and smiled at them all. I can’t wait till tomorrow when I can start wiping a little butt with them. The sherpa fleece makes for excellent poo grabbing and they wash up really nice. They are so soft and thick. I am terribly excited.

I have been using baby washcloths for the past 9 months, and even though I have about 140 of them, they have been washed SO many times, and there just aren’t enough for two little butts to wipe. Plus toddler poos require a whole new wipe animal than little breastfed baby poos. So I feel like I have done a very accomplished thing and that I am even a little more prepared for two babies. I have also been loving the new stack of goodmamas. That’s all she’s been wearing for the past two days. It’s so nice. She can run around coverless and she is even coverless at naptime! Holy moly! I now know without a doubt that if I come into money, I will be ordering a Goodmama box, or even a bunch of bundles. Although I really like the clean look of the OBV’s. The prints are adorable but I can just see them getting pilly and faded so I am not sure that’s what I want.

I have gotten back into some books that I had been perusing, Green Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck, Unplugged Play, and Raising Baby Green by Alan Greene MD. In order to prevent myself from getting bored, I just keep rotating between them. I did a few things form Unplugged play with Ardyn today. I put a blanket on the floor and gave her a Tupperware container with an inch of water in the bottom of it, and gave her a bunch of her own spoons and forks and a dishrag. She was thrilled. She washed them. She washed herself… her legs, her hair, and then she put her feet in the water. Then she dumped it over accidentally, and then on purpose. Then she splashed around in the little bit of water that was left. I also got her little tiny stuffed baby doll out and cut her a blanket out of fleece from the sewing room. I put her baby to sleep in a shoebox. I showed her how to rock the baby and sing to the baby and put the baby “night-night.” She wasn’t fond of the attention the baby was getting. I then asked her if the baby wanted milk and acted like I was going to breastfeed the baby through my shirt, she got VERY angry and smacked the baby out of the way. Then she climbed up into my lap and started giving me kisses on the lips, like she wanted to remind me that SHE is my baby and a very sweet and loving one at that. And then she shoved the baby in her shoebox, under the coffee table where no one could find her. It was hilarious. We will have to keep working on the baby.

Ardyn loves to say that things are pretty. Candles and things that are glass and not to be touched are regarded as “pretty.” Freshly folded clothes, towels, and diapers are “pretty” (otherwise she will unfold them) and when I put clips in her hair I announce that they are “pretty” otherwise she will take them out. I gave her a big fat powder brush a month or so ago, and showed her how to put on blush and say “pretty” and now she loves to put blush on herself and then mommy and say “pretty.” Today we discovered a magic trick with a toilet paper tube and the brush. We put the brush, handle side down, into the tube. She can SEE the top of the brush and touch the bristles and she is trying to get it out and then suddenly, I whisk the brush out of the bottom of the tube and display it up by her face and she squeals with delight! Magic! How did that brush get out of that tube! And so quickly! We played with that for a long time today.

She also amazes me how fast she catches on. Earlier in the week I was using the oven and told her it was hot. Every time she sees me open the oven she makes her “hot” sign (waving her hand back and forth like HOT) and I saw “yes, it’s HOT. Don’t touch.” Very smart. Unfortunately, if you don’t know her, you might get her hot sign confused with her “stinky” sign. But her stinky sign usually comes with sniffing of the nose and sometimes the word “stinky.” And I guess it could also be confused with her waving hello or bye bye…. But again, in context.

Well, it’s past my bedtime. I intended on sleeping long ago, but wanted to get diapers started so I would have a full stash of goodmamas for the weekend and also wanted to get some stuff written down lest I forget.

Like today, I decided that for the first time in 29 years I would try mustard on my hot dog. I never tried it because even though I love mustard, it just never sounded right on a hot dog. And you know what, I was right. Mustard doesn’t belong on a hot dog. So I guess I haven’t been missing anything. But this from the person who had never had a chili dog until about 3 years ago. Sheltered I tell you!

More Problems with Comcast

Ahhh.... I've missed you all. I have been a busy bee! Ardyn decided that she wanted to do some more teething, and we have a sharp little bottom tooth pressing against her gums and just waiting to break through. Her fevers continue with teething, and we missed out on work/daycare this past Monday due to extreme irritability and a 101.9 temperature.

The weekend was nice, I did some serious dyeing. I got five colors done, which leaves me just green, yellow, and red diapers to dye. Here are the pictures we took while dyeing- Ardyn was my lovely assistant. Inspecting the final product, adjusting the washing machine to the precise settings necessary. We had fun.

Easter was good, we went to my parents and had a late lunch, and opened easter baskets and gifts. We took over 200 pictures of Ardyn, and there are some really cute ones, but I haven't gotten them uploaded yet, so stay tuned for those. I also got the house pretty clean, and that was a plus.

This week has been pretty fabulous. I reorganized the Changing Table and the dresser drawers in Ardyn's room and re-arranged a bit for easier access to things while at the changing table. I found some baskets that fit PERFECTLY into the drawers of the changing table and cause massive orgasmic organization of diapers and pajamas. It's a wonderful life.

Last night we had a delicious supper courtesy of my husband who grilled burgers outside, and Ardyn had a mini-banana and a piece of cantaloupe before she moved onto her regular sweet potatoes. She thought it was awesome to slime and grab onto food, but they got pretty slippery pretty fast, and she was unable to hold onto the pieces much more.

I have an "eBay box" that I keep at home where I throw in stuff that I want to sell, and last night I took some pictures of stuff and put them online and added them to my FSOT (For sale or trade) listing at Diaperswappers, which means that I may be able to swap things that I have for things that someone else has and I want.... pretty cool. I have some pretty good stuff to get rid of...

We also took Ardyn to see the Easter bunny last week, and I have photos of her with the bunny in her easter dress, but I need to scan them in so I can post also.

I haven't been online at home much because Comcast STILL SUCKS and we have very intermittent and sometimes non-existent internet connectivity. Out VOIP Service won't even work- the phone cuts out for 2 minutes at a time throughout your entire phone call, sometimes as soon as the other party answers, and sometimes the calls don't reach us because we have no connectivity. We are also starting to see glitches in our cable TV as well, and I spent another irate Hour on the phone with them last night. I was telling them that I wanted a credit on my account for the TWO MONTHS of internet service that we haven't had working and they told me that they would credit me $15- when the internet costs $44.95 a month. I ended up finally getting transferred to someone who told me that Comcast corporate won't allow them to credit anyone more than $15.... and that they don't give their employees access to contact corporate. They also told me that I "didn't call to complain enough in the month of March so they can only credit me for the month of February" and that even then, corporate would probably not approve the credit so I may never see it on my bill. I have to tell you that I pretty much flipped my lid at that guy. I explained that customer service is not about the customer calling and harassing you until you fix something, and that with a full time job and a 6 month old who is teething, I don't have an hour a night to spend on the phone with them "through the month of March" so that they know I STILL have a problem. I told them that they have a ticket open for me and that as their customer, it is THEIR responsibility to assure that I have service and to fix the issue once I have reported it. I am so frustrated with them right now that I can't even see straight. I am to the point or wanting to get some big petition started by everyone in the area who has had problems. I want a lawyer for the little people. I want to march out front of Comcast's corporate office. What's a consumer to do?

Let's see, what else is new? Well, you know how some people say, during their workday, "is it 5pm yet?" Well, from this point forward, you will find me saying "Is it May 1st yet?" Nuff said. Read into it what you will. Stay tuned.

This weekend should be fun. Saturday night we have Ava's 2nd Birthday party, and afterwards Evan is playing with the band so I may go listen to them play. Besides that it should be an around home kinda weekend. I hope. Quiet and productive. Maybe I can even get the red green and yellow diapers dyed. I also plan on doing some tie-dyeing.... so we will see what I can come up with there. Can't think of anything else exciting to say for the moment. So thanks for visiting. More later.

A bunch of random stuff.

So. Cloth Diapers. Totally addictive. Today I am working on selling about $165 worth of Knickernappies with inserts. We just don't reach for them and I am finding that I prefer to use prefolds and covers when we are at home.... and we have our daycare and daddy diapers, so it seems like some of them aren't getting used much and it makes more sense to get rid of those and buy up more of what I prefer.

I have started to grab up a few Wool items like this Curly Purly Soaker to use as covers. Wool shorties/longies/soakers are hand washed and lanolized once a week or every 2 weeks depending on how much wool you have to use. I grabbed two soakers and a pattern from Sheepy Time Knits to make my own, but that means I need to

A: Learn how to knit. Which Anya already tried to teach me, but I got frustrated because I knit everything so tight that the yarn breaks after a few rows.
B: Learn how to knit in the round and buy the damn needles and all that.
C: Purchase expensive wool yarn like the pink lemonade stuff that I covet that's $22 a skein
D: Learn how to follow a pattern which is difficult for me because I hate counting and can't pay attention to anything I am doing because I love to crochet while watching TV and therefore just single crochet the day away and can't figure out how to follow a pattern.

So. Chances of this happening? Slim to none. Does that stop me? Apparently not because I still spent $5.95 on the freaking pattern. Someone said they learned how to knit on You Tube. Hmmm. Interesting. I do know *someone* who makes their own yarn and knows knitting and crochet inside out- but I don't really get along with them well anymore and I can't even imagine asking for their help. Doh! This is another time (they are rare and far between) where I wish I were closer to a city so that I could do cool things like take knitting lessons and take Ardyn to Gymboree and playdates.

So, putting knitting to the back of my mind for just a MOMENT. I have been building up my stash of newborn diapers, since I didn't Cloth Diaper Ardyn until she was in size Smalls. So I have 2 dozen preemie prefolds, which are sooooo cute and tiny! And I have about 5 Thirsties XS Covers, and 6 Newborn Fitteds with Doublers made by a WAHM. I am currently trying to acquire 6 Kissaluv Fitteds in Size 0. Since I know that if we have two kids, I won't be able to work (boo. hiss. NOT!) and will have to stay at home (cost of daycare is already too much, add another and it's not practical. It would cost Money for me to work.) And if I stay at home, prefolds and fitteds with covers make so much more sense financially, and babysitters and dad can easily handle fitteds and covers. I will probably have a few Thirsties AIO's on hand for travel and things like that. And all those fitteds and prefolds give me an excuse to play with wool. So basically I am building not only my newborn diaper stash, but perfecting Ardyn's stash, selling what we don't use so much to make a size Medium Stash for whenever she decides to grow out of smalls and infant prefolds.

Ardyn has been a huge fan of 1:30am lately, that's her nightly waking time, during which she plays for a while, then whines for a while, then screams for a while until I feed her and she gulps down all the breastmilk she can before drifting off to sleep in our bed. She sleeps so much better in the morning hours in my bed than hers. I don't mind cuddling with her, but I still put her to bed in her own bed every single night.... But sometime during the wee hours of the morning she makes it back into mine. Sometimes by the time she is done eating I am just too exhausted to put her back in the crib and deal with her being up every hour or two until 6am, which is what she will do unless she wakes up and sees me next to her. Then she goes right back to sleep. Little stinker. And I could leave her in her crib all night (sometimes she sleeps there all night) But it's much nicer when I get to feed her at 5:30and 7:30am and don't have to get up to go get her all the time. It makes me feel like at least I got more sleep. Especially working full time. That's getting old, let me tell you!

I recently bought 9 new shirts/onesies too, since she is outgrowing the 3-6 month Gerber ones. They run small anyway, most other 3-6 month clothes she still has plenty of time to wear. I ended up getting some nicer ones from Babies R Us that are thicker and made by "SpaSilk." Some of them are regular short sleeved onesies, and some are tank top onesies, which will be great for summer and layering. And then I got some plain t-shirts for wearing with wool soakers and legwarmers around home. I think I will embroider on several of them.... but I will follow a trick I learned from a fellow Flickr friend, and embroider onto felt first, then sew the felt to the onesie. Gives it stability and then I won't have to take the onesie out of commission for the entire embroidering timeframe. SwEEt. It makes me so sad when I see the pictures of her wearing her embroidered "A" Onesie at 2 days old, and the embroidered birdie onesie at 3 days old. Awwww she was so tiny and sweet! Man is she growing or what? And besides the A onesie that was just for her, I am being very careful to mostly make unisex onesies so the next babes can enjoy them as well. I did try the pink drumset onesie, but I got so frustrated with the metallic thread on the cymbals that I never finished it.... Yet! But now she's outgrown it, so I hope we have another girl so that it can be finished and worn.

So now that you're inside my brain, have a nice night. I know I will.

Project #3954

Another project? But what about all those unfinished projects? The dollhouse (okay, more un-started than un-finished)? The baskets that you haven't finished? The skirts for the tables and the curtains in your sewing room? Ardyn's scrapbook? Your Pregnancy Scrapbook? Your Altered Journal? The 7-year purple afghan? Ardyn's baby afghan? Your unfinished Bead Kits? The embroidered Drumset Onesie that Ardyn will already be too big for by the time you finish it? The Embroidered Cornucopia towel you got 3/4 finished last Thanksgiving (started after the turkey towel) and haven't touched since? The weavette loom and project book you have never used? The 15 Altoid Tins you have saved so that you can create more of these? I know, I know... but life is nothing without projects! How does one LIVE without a creative or crafty project!? Or two. Or 34.

Well, I guess I just need to make myself a list of projects. Schedule time to do them. Fill up my calendar, then find a babysitter who is willing for each project time slot. Ahh... in a perfect world.

Well, about the new project. Waldorf Dollmaking. What you say? Well, either you know about them, or you don't. It all started with natural family living magazines like Mothering. They are full of crunchy, granola-y, earth-loving, tree-hugging ideas. I believe that once in the past we talked about my shock in discovering that there are such things as washable maxi pads and sea sponge tampons. The funny thing is that as I go back and read that post I have to laugh, because I am now the proud owner of three baby slings and I breastfeed exclusively and I have to admit that I have done research on cloth diapers and that I use washable breast pads. They are getting to me. But I still shave my armpits. LOL. Anyway, back to Waldorf. In the back of Mothering, next to the ads for fuzzibuns and sea sponge tampons, you will find TONS of advertisements for natural toys. Natural wood toys and all organic cotton and wool toys. I was of course intrigued.

One day in the mail, I was pleasantly surprised to receive a catalog form Rosie Hippo. I was enthralled. I pored over that thing. I highlighted toys that I wanted Ardyn to play with someday. And I instantly adored the Waldorf dolls. Gnomes and Faeries and Knights and Dwarves. Little Girls and Boy Dolls. Babies. Teething Dolls. Pocket Dolls. You see, when I was a girl, Dolls were my thing. I loved dolls. Cabbage Patch, Baby Alive, Barbie, pretty much any doll. Porcelain, Cloth, Plastic. Dolls were my thing. I had doll clothes, doll bottles, doll strollers, doll beds, doll shoes.... I was all about dolls. And as I got older, I became all about faeries. All about Brian Froud. All about faerie dolls and faerie art. I drew faeries. I drew Gnomes. I drew trolls. I read about faeries. My husband, being huge into art, fantasy, and role-playing (not the bedroom kind) encouraged me. He bought my Froud books as gifts. So, I have always loved dolls and faeries and all sorts of tiny creatures. I loved my little ponies, but my favorites were BABY ponies. When we were recently in Wal-Mart, my husband pointed out the new LITTLE little ponies and I gasped in excitement! I said "I would have been ALL OVER those as a kid." He laughed. He knows about my adoration of all things small. (hence the dollhouse.)

Another thing that is cool about natural toys, is the whole concept of it. I don't mean because they are all organic or all natural wood. That is a plus, but I mean the Waldorf concept. You can read more here, but the idea is that children learn and become individuals when the toys allow them to use their imagination in play. They develop into freethinking, artistic, and moral individuals. The dolls generally have expressionless faces. They are likely poseable. Mainly made of cotton or wool. I know that the natural toys are inspiring to a creative mind like mine.

Even though I am no longer a child, as soon as I see those dolls, my mind starts to roll forward, my imagination takes off. Oh all the things I could DO with those dolls! The things that the gnomes and the faeries would eat! The things they would make! The things they would sit on and the houses they might live in and the places they might go. The other people and creatures they would meet! How the world would look to them! These are things that are instantly set forth in my mind, and I can only imagine what is set forth in the mid of a child.

I could hand my daughter a Sponge Bob Square Pants Doll, where everything is already laid out. He lives in a pineapple under the sea. He flips Burgers. He has a pet snail named Gary. While this is all very entertaining and imaginative, it has already been decided for them. There is no need to conjure up an imaginative place and imaginative activities. They have all been conjured up by someone else. And I am NOT against cartoons, but I want to give my child the opportunity to use her imagination to conjure up her own world, in addition to seeing mainstream cartoons and characters.

When I was small, my aunt was phenomenal at sewing. She made accessories and doll clothes. She made hair ties and TONS of clothing. She made cloth gift bags that looked like giant santa sacks and put all our gifts in them. She made blankets and all sorts of other creative goodies. And she taught me to sew. And I took Home-Ec. And I learned to follow a pattern. And I learned to stitch by hand, and to use a sewing machine. And when she finished her sewing career with some creative burnout, she let me have her Singer Sewing Machine. And years later when a friend of hers was giving away a newer model Singer, she called me and I went and picked it up. I love to sew. I love to create. I love to make stuffed softies. The more of these natural toys that i see, and the more that I see the PRICES of a Waldorf Doll ($40-$110 each) I understand that this is something that i can DO. This is something that I can do as a creative and fun outlet for me, a sense of accomplishment, and this is also something that I can do for my daughter. I can provide her with a unique and adorable world to play in. I can do that. How awesome is that?

So to get started, I have done online research on Waldorf Dolls. I have compiled an electronic portfolio of images and patterns of dolls and softies (things like felted food and animals.) I have researched the best starter kits to make my first things, and the best books and DVD's to teach myself how to make my own. I started off by buying a Waldorf Doll-Making Book, and a Waldorf DVD that is HIGHLY reviewed. And a fairy pagoda pattern and supplies in a kit, and a fairy petal dollmaking kit with book and materials. I hope to start small and grow into making Waldorf Dolls for my children. I was so excited when I found a breastfeeding Waldorf Doll online. You can buy her with her baby for $70. Or I could make her! They make a tiny sling that the mommy doll wears, and the baby goes in the sling. They also use snaps to demonstrate the breastfeeding relationship between mom and babe. The mom has the half of the snap that looks like a nipple, and they sew two of them to her chest like nipples. The baby has the other end of the snap sewn as her mouth, and she can "latch on" to the momma doll when you lift up her shirt. I know that sounds SO crunchy but I am okay with that.

I don't want my daughter to be taught about breastfeeding as I was. I was lead to believe that women who breastfed were strange and that feeding your baby that way was creepy or unnatural. I don't think it was an intentional thing, because my mom wasn't taught any differently. But I don't think I knew that there was any other way to feed a baby until I was babysitting as a teenager for a mom who breastfed. I don't want my daughter to lean about breastfeeding as an adult. I want her to view it as a natural part of life, and of HER life. I want her to know that mom wore her in a sling and breastfed her. I'm okay with that.

So, now you know about waldorf, if you didn't already.

Carpal Tunnel HNT

Oh man. After completing the 239 pages of website in the past couple of days, and 16 hours on the mouse at work, and then working on the Handmade Christmas Cards, my carpal tunnel is KILLING me. I had to break out the braces, and I haven't worn them in MONTHS or probably close to a year. Damn repetition!

Oh and Since Osbasso wanted us to show our Christmas Trees for the Holidays HNT... Here is my tree at home..

And here is my tree at work.... in my office....

Been An Angel All Year, Santa Baby... SO Hurry Down The Chimney, Tonight!

Finished my Cherries Purse Organizer

Decided at midnight to start making my purse organizer. Because I can.


Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

1. Detail of Purse Organizer, 2. Purse Organizer I just Made, 3. Purse Organizer all folded up, 4. Purse Organizer from the top

• The Denim came from husbands old levis (sentimental value)
• The Cherry was something I had around, a ME Cherries Patch on clearance for 50 cents at JoAnne a while back
• The Red Satin Binding was leftover from Kelly Skellington's Coffin that I made for Cheryl in Canada
• The Dot Fabric was something that I had picked a yard up at Wal-Mart for $1 on sale last month.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE how it turned out!

Heater Whore and the Rusty Pickle

Today, is an okay day.

But let us start with last night. I did nothing. I watched a movie on cable (Autumn in New York with Winona Ryder and Richard Gere) while I messed around a bit on the laptop. Husband brought me home Subway. Yum. Then I took a bath that lasted so long that the water was hurting my skin. Between the bathtub and in bed until 2:30am, I read a hefty 2/3 of my book "The Tenth Circle" By Jodi Picoult. Now I have read one of her other books, and it was good but I wasn't overly impressed. But this book is AWESOME good. I had to take it to work today so I could read while I ate my stuffed pizza for lunch. I can't tear myself away. It's pretty good. Husband was intrigued when he saw me reading the comic book sequences. Of course I lvoed the references to Jim Lee and Marvel/DC Comics. The book itself is just a great story, and it's well told. Of course, at exactly the halfway point, I had a pretty good handle on the "secret" piece, but I haven't gotten to the end to actually see what happened for sure. I can't give you ANY details without giving away the book. But it is GOOD and I suggest it to anyone.

Tonight I had a Rusty Pickle Class after work (oh I can already see your eyebrows rise, and guys are probably pitching a tent over me saying pickle.) but for those of you who DON'T know, Rusty Pickle is a scrapbook company- and I made this Christmas Album. Although sister and I did purchase a book at the Girl's Night Out Party called "tickle his pickle" and we are both going to read it, so if that doesn't get your mind wandering, nothing will.


Last night I also did the "What's In My Bag" thing for the flickr group... and then upgraded to a bigger purse. But what I really wanted to do was sew a purse organizer, but I was so in depth with the book that at 2:30am I had to make myself put it down and sleep.

I got two of my shirts off ebay, they are kinda smallish. The "Meet the Twins" shirt is the same brand as the "Pirate Love" shirt but it's a size bigger according to the tag, but it fits smaller. WTF? So I dunno. Might end up reselling them. I have had bad luck lately, even with using measurements. I got a dress that was too big, and shirts that were too small. I got pants that look black with white pinstripes in the pictures and ended up being kinda multi-colored pinstripes. Strange. I am hoping my luck changes. Of course I just got outbid on my outrageously low Palm treo 650, which I knew would happen. Too good to be true.

Today I mailed bills. Power, Cable & Internet, Cell Phones, etc.CB gave me a little belated birthday gift, the book "Pirates" By John Matthews. I had seen this book at Shop-ko in October and coveted it terribly. But it's just one of those things you don't buy for yourself, so it was the perfect gift. And I was surprised to get it, which made it even nicer. Last night I decorated my little pink tree at work. It's sparkly pink (the tree itself) with pink class balls and pink christmas lights on pink wires. And I have more ornaments at home that I need to remember to bring to work. AND I need to put the lights and ornaments on the tree at home. Ugh. Maybe tomorrow night. I am just SO not in the spirit. I think not putting up decorations last year made me lazy.

Today was such a gloomy looking day. It rained some. It was just overcast, although it wasn't cool outside, it was cool INSIDE at at work all day I just wanted a blanket or sweater or heater to curl up with. Yes, I curl up to heaters. My husband is always laughing because if he can't find me, I am sitting on the floor somewhere about 1 foot in front of a space heater or next to a register. When I used to babysit I would make a blanket tent over the registers and sit under it with the kids while we watched a movie or read a book. I think it probably drives husband nuts that I always want to cuddle. Usually it's a one sided cuddle. He plays a video game or holds the remote while I try to carve a place into his side where I can squeeze myself and keep warm. When all else fails, I love to cuddle with Boyd. He's a "hot" dog. Like a personal heater to curl up with.P.S. UPDATE-- I did finish my book tonight, and it was good. I knew "Who Dunnit" but the ending, although good, also kinda pissed me off because it was that open ended bullshit where you really don't know what happens at all. That sucks. But the book was good. It just lacked closure, which pisses me off. I need closure. Unless Johnny Depp or Edward Cullen is involved and there is a sequel, there had damn well better be closure!

Embroidery

I have the leaves on the tree! I did this tonight... and it's so amazingly relaxing and simple. I love it!

Thread Head

Break time! Today I am in Peoria for session 2 of me Visual Studio.NET Class. It's break time!

Last night I stayed up till 2:30am, winding embroidery floss and catching up on TIVO. How about Lynette- "Speak to my husband again and I will do to your back what I did to your front door." Hell Yeah! About time! We will see how long that works. I watched about 6 episodes of Robot Chicken and also some Drawn Together. I went to Wal-Mart last night and got a few things, nothing serious, just butter, laundry detergent, toothpaste, shaving cream, toilet paper and paper towels... and a few little things for my Pink and Green Swap needing to be sent out November 5th. and some embroidery stuff, a few needles and a value pack of threads, and some plastic winding bobbins and rings. Today during class I wound the last 13 bobbins while watching and listening to my mentored learning instructor. I have found that having something to do with my hands helps me to remain calm and the time passes quickly, and I am such a great multi-tasker that I can watch and learn while also being crafty or productive, kinda like how I watch TV at home while working on stuff. So now all the embroidery floss is wound. It's nice! I decided my first attempt would be flour sack towels, then I changed my mind and decided on 0-3 month onesies. I bought little tagless ones. But then I realized that the underside of the embroidery or thread might be irritating to a baby's skin. Shit. So I decided that I could always embroider the butt.... that way the diaper would be the only thing touching the onesie. I got a shitload of embroidery patterns off the internet last night, I can't wait to start! And now that my floss is all wound up, I am ready to go!

I do have something I want to blog about, but I don't have time now, so maybe at my next break. Check back later!

Swap-Riffic

Wearing: Black pants with white pinstripes, teal button down shirt, black loafers, socks with dogs and fall leaves.
Listening: Silence. Ahhhh.
Link of the Day: http://www.cabbagepatchkids.com It's the coolest, tour Babyland General Hospital, see the Cabbage Patch Timeline, and special edition as well as original all-fabric cabbage patch kids.

Me Pirate gear arrived today. A feathery lacey hat with a plume feather fit for a pirate queen, 2 pair of stripey socks, and the book Pirattitude by Cap'n Slappy and Ol' Chumbucket. Oh and I also got my adorable gifty gift from the "sew my name" swap, which I haven't even STARTED yet... and I need to do this weekend along with wrapping up my "fall swap" and finishing ATC's for 3 swaps that I am behind on. (bad bad swapper!) Also arriving today were the converse that perfectly match my own, only smaller. They are so freaking adorable!

I got to start my day with a pap exam, which is fabulous of course. Then I ate a turkey wrap, an apple Evan picked at his parents' farm, and a bottle of water. All is right in the world.

So this Saturday I have a Stampin Up Workshop to attend, and a surprise party with a live band for a certain someone who will remain un-named. I can't WAIT! Then Sunday I got invited to do some fun things but I really really can't because I have to do laundry and I have to finish the ATC's, the Sew my name swap, and Apparently with the acquired large box of apples I might be making apple crisp. It also occurred to me that I need to clean the office as I have been putting it off for exactly 6 weeks and I can't put it off anymore and expect to have room to start me "All About Him" scrapbook Album that arrived last Friday (QVC Auto-shipment) and finish the ATC's. It also occurred to me that I have all the paint and glue and the kit for my new dollhouse but I haven't even started. So really I would be happy with a weekend at home. The month of September has been extremely busy. I can't wait for October. It will be great to have nothing planned, even if for one full weekend I can just do whatever I want instead of running from place to place.

And you know... my pirate COSTUME itself hasn't arrived yet. I am worried it won't fit and I will have to buy another one. Ugh. HURRY UP COSTUME PEEPS! Send it!

Is that your sword... or are you just happy to see me?

So I ordered my Halloween Costume (from eBay). In light of the last post, I assume that you aren't surprised to see that I will be a pirate. So give up the Rum and Booty. My biggest problem? If the costume doesn't fit or look okay I will have to sell it and pick out another one. BUT I hope that it fits. My sister and I usually costume up each year and hand out halloween candy. Although this costume might be a little risque. Last time we did that together was two years ago, I was a gypsy and she was a dirt bike racer. Before that, she was a french maid and I was a witch. The good thing is that she is the size (or a little smaller) than I used to be, so she can wear all my old costumes.

So I have been trying to find a good Tri-Hat. I have a few in mind, and the REALLY cool ones are like $75.00! So unless I intend to be a pirate several times a year, I would have to get a cheaper, probably felt or "leather look" tri-hat. But first, I must see if the costume fits. I am most excited to wear the eye patch. And have the dagger. Hopefully the Dawg House (bar in Wyanet) has a costume party, this Saturday they are having 80's night. I don't know if I can go, but if I do, I need some serious help because I didn't keep any 80's stuff. No banana clips, no leg warmers, no acid wash jeans, no jelly sandals, no geometric print button down shirts or long necklaces tied in knots. Mom said that she threw out banana clips AND two or our crimping irons last week. Bummer! LOL.

So another goal of the weekend is to finish some ATC's that I am behind on. I have 3 "Something Sparkly" and 3 "Woman Theme" and then the "Back to the Future" themed ones to complete. I mailed my Halloween Stamped Images swap. I just started a swap with a woman from Germany, I am very excited about. We have decided to do ours with a fall theme, kind of earthy and rustic colors. Our self-set deadline is October 15th.. and I can't wait to start looking for swap items! Yeah! I am at my best when I am swapping!

Well, you all have a great weekend. Relax and enjoy the weather!