Wow... an update

I dont even really know what to write about anymore in this thing. Let's see... the house sold and I am back in Ohio. Things have just been insane, and I dont feel like rehashing it all again. All that matters in my husband and I are back together in the same freaking place. I got a new camera, so why dont I show off some of my shots?

I am saving my pennies for a good macro lens for it. It has a decent enough macro function, but I want more. I havent been selling anything on line for a long while now, but I have been trying to destash when I have time over at tophatter, but I find I am buying more than I am selling (which is okay, I guess).
I recently found what appears to be a really fun knitting group and hubby and I have joined a local gaming group... so let's hope we can get some friends soon! Heck, I might even be marching with a person I met through Etsy and is local here.

Long Term Review of Brooksbot75 Skull Purse

I got an awesomely wicked handmade metal skull purse from Brooksbot75 a while ago. I was lucky enough to interview him for my other blog, fell head-over-heals in love with this purse... which I then saved up all my precious pennies to buy to replace my busted and thread bare 'crocheted' purse monstrosity I bought at Target for 10 bucks about a year before to fill the need for a purse. I figured a freaking metal purse would last longer! I got it a little after the first of the year.

It took a little bit of time to get my purse because I ordered it right during the x-mas rush... but I was in no hurry. Pursey (that's what I named him) came with the custom length chain so I could put the purse over my shoulder. I dont know why most purses these days have short straps so that you cannot use both your hands while shopping or have to stuff it in your armpit... again impeding use of your arms. I am one of those crazy people who want a purse securely slung across my body, but I still want to use both arms and hands without having to worry about my purse falling either to my elbow or onto the floor... go figure.

Pursey is lined, which is nice. It saves my keys, pocket book and cellphone from unnecessary wear and lessens the amount of sounds coming from my purse. My purse does squeak on occasion (from the movement of the chain... think school yard swings) but that is easily stopped by resting hand on top of his very touchable cranium. I know that I am constantly fingering his smooth metal surface and tracing his copper grommets! This 'chrome dome' makes a great drum to pass the time, too!

Pursey is heavy, but it almost all comes from the chain. The chain is steel, while the purse itself is lightweight aluminum. I plan on some day replacing the chain with a leather equivalent to lighten the load. This purse, as a bonus, could definitely be used as a self defense weapon if needed. (I need to level up so I can get WP Chain.... gamer geek humor there) Given that it is a metal skull, I would imagine that that would also be a theft deterrent.

Pursey is a bit small inside. I can only fit my small pocket book, basic cellphone and my keys in him. That is okay with me, I have always been drawn to small purses. The opening mechanism is simple, but I believed it has been redesigned a bit (I have the first version of this purse, and I believe Brooksbot75 is onto a second version) I still like it. It can open unexpectedly if you bump it just right, so be warned.

Random people comment about him all the time. I frequently get "Is that a purse?", "Cool skull!" and "Did you make that?" from all kinds of people. I have even had people ask to take pictures of my purse with their cellphones!

Overall Impression:
Pros: Awesome design, small, graphic, can be a weapon, eye-catching, decent price, handmade.
Cons: Can be a bit heavy with the steel chain, can open unexpectedly, small, watch out when around things that can scratch... like the paint jobs on cars.

Someone has been very BAD!

Well, partially me because I havent updated in a while... sorry about that. Life is really hectic right now (that's what I always say... right?)
The real bad girl today was my kitty Dot. Hubby and I were working on getting some paper work put together for a very important meeting and we heard a crash. We had no idea what it could be, so we started to investigate. In the hallway we see Dot, doing her best "OMG, I did something bad, avoid mom and dad" routine.

 Shut up, you love me!

Going into the craft room, we are greeted with this:

We only had about 15 minutes to clean it up before we had to leave for this meeting! Luckily I knew a trick. I learned this on the Etsy forums... so if you ever have a bead spill this is what you do. Take a nylon and put it over the nozzle of your vacuum. Let the 'foot' part be loose enough to suck into the nozzle a bit. Secure it with a rubber band if you have one... now all you need to do is vacuum up the beads and empty the nylon filter when you loose suction. Voila!
I am guessing Dot was trying to see if she could get on the stack of bead boxes I had in the corner of my desk (she likes to climb and get into funky spaces) and she managed to topple the 'tower'.

Big Update: Mostly about food!

I know I havent updated in a while...but I have been so busy with life and my OTHER blog that I havent had time. Sorry.

First off, here is some food from my favorite restaurant back in East Lansing, Michigan. It is called Sushi Ya. I eat there every time I return to the area (I have family there). The first image is of my husbands' dinner... just some normal sushi rolls, but they make them HUGE there. I dont mind. One of our unlikely favorites on that plate is the one in the foil. If I remember correctly it is called the Yellow Stone. It has bacon in it, and even while it isn't very traditional, it is really good. The others I think are just a Spider roll and a California role probably.

The second picture is of my absolute favorite dish. I cant remember what it is called (EDIT: according to my husbands' notes this is verbatim from the menu = Nigasa Udon: Japanese noodles seafood, and vegetables tossed in special mayo dressing), but it is under the soups and salads I think. Something with 'udon' in it. Anyway, it has sashimi on top along with veggies and roe. They used to put some mushrooms on top too, but this time I didnt see any. Under that is a layer of lettuce. Hidden from view is what makes this special, which is a mound of chilled udon noodles tossed in some kind of heavenly mayonnaise mixture. This is a huge dish, and I try to always finish the whole thing, but I rarely succeed. It is just so good, I cannot articulate it well enough. I have yet to find this dish at any other sushi place...and I look! If anyone has any ideas on how I could make this at home... please let me know! I have tried to make it, but I have yet to find the magic combination.

Back to my current state: Ohio. There is a wonderful amusement park/grocery store/everything by us.  It is called Jungle Jims. If you ever get a chance to go to this world wonder, please take the time and do it! This place is huge and full of every kind of food from all around the world you can think of.... and many you didnt. There is a normal grocery store, a organic/healthy store, huge alcohol store, smoke store and then an international food store all rolled into one building. To give you an idea of how large the international food section is, it is broken up into COUNTRY! Like... you want some New Zealand quinine? Find the New Zealand isle. North Korean? Find the isle. They also have a huge meat section, huge cheese section, and they have a fish section with tanks of fish were you can go... pick out the fish you want to eat and they will kill it for you. Now that is fresh! We went not to long ago to find some fun stuff to try. We decided on duck for Thanksgiving, but we as we passed these heads for sale, I picked up some beef heart. Want proof? I got pictures! We are going to goback to get some rattlesnake for New Years diner.

The heart was so much fun to prepare and cook! I loved cleaning it (remove the heart sack, it is tough) because it was like a dissection! I loved seeing all the connective tissues and valves (or what was left of them). I think we only got a quarter of a heart, but it was still a good size. We made it into a stew of sorts, with onions, mushrooms and thick gravy which we then poured over mashed potatoes. OMG it was so good, I cant wait to use heart in something else! I wish I could have taken a pic of the final presentation, but the camera batteries died!

Best Freaking Hair Dryer EVER!!! (story included)

This is my saga of the elusive Hot-n-Gold Ionic Soft Bonnet Dryer Model #Gh2138. Listen and learn, my children, to my story.

Once upon a time, there was a girl interested in getting natural dreads. She pined away for years, waiting until she had the time and resources to do it (mostly) right. She researched and found the most perfect ideal (and highest rated and well reviewed on Amazon) bonnet style hair dryer to dry her dreads in a timely manner. She found the fabled Hot-n-Gold bla bla bla (see my first paragraph). It works reliably, is hot, can be used hands free (so she can blog while drying her hair), durable and all around great design. But lo, can she find anyplace on the whole interwebs to buy such a magnificent hair drying machine? No. Amazon is out of stock, eBay is useless, Google just laughs.

Dejected, she buys a warming conditioner cap by mistake (which was returned, but she was out postage). She then found what she thought would be a suitable substitute... but the much anticipated package never arrived (being diverted to her old address which she forgot to update... then stolen because the tracking info said "delivered").

After months of frustration (and loosing a bunch of money on a priority packaged that SHOULD have been re-routed given the USPS's own rules and admission...grr) the poor girl had all but given up hope of ever finding her magical golden cap. A life of feebling attempting to dry a full head of dreads with a normal dryer which would not fit a bonnet attachment because it was shaped abnormally mixed with hours of air trying awaited.

To sooth her wounded soul, the girl (along with her prince charming) went to the local mall to eat hot soft pretzels with mayonnaise (it is really good, try it!). While they walked around, the girl spotted a beauty supply store (not a chain one). One look couldnt hurt right? Maybe she could at least see if they even had bonnet hair dryers for sale, but she didnt think they would.

Much to her surprise, on the lowest shelf.... lay the Hot-n-Gold beauty she had been hoping for all along! Throwing fiscal conservancy to the wind she quickly grabbed the box and hurried to the register (thank god they took plastic)!

To this day, the dready girl sits, typing away, drying her dreads quickly and hands free, gladly thanking the bonnet dryer gods for allowing her the joy of sharing her story and inspiring others with soaking wet hair that they too... if they are lucky, can find their own golden crown to hotly blast their worries (and wetness) away!

Halloween Dinner: Hot Dog Creatures Covered in Snot

I know its a bit after Halloween, but I have had so many other things on my plate I havent been able to post much. We made a special Halloween odd diner: Hot dog creatures with Snot sauce. Basically sliced up hot dogs with spaghetti poked through them with Alfredo sauce (from a can too, I didnt have time to make my own). If it had been marinara sauce we would have called it blood! Not to bad, and interesting to prepare, cook and eat! The part of the spagehetti going through the hot dog was a tiny bit less cooked than the rest. It was barely notable, but still good. I might try this again with something like Italian sausage or something with a bit more sophisticated flavor.

A trip to the Odder Side!

I just started a new blog that will feature all the odd, strange, gross and crazy things and people I love on etsy! Take a second and check it out!
Celebrate Odd Etsy!

I love Halloween!

I had to share all the lovely Halloween stuff I have been accumulating all month. First off, if you haven't gone to your local Target store and checked out their Halloween stuff, you should. They have the best displays and candies I have ever seen...though this year I have yet to see any gummy dissection kits :(
Target is also the only place I have found that carries the rare and wonderful Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses. I found them last year and by the time I found they were the equivalent of candy crack... our local Target had sold out. You should go out and buy as many bags as you can afford now. You will not be sorry. I promise.
Last year I picked up a great skull cookie jar to go with my eyeball salt and pepper shakers and brain bowl. I am determined to have a 'mad scientist' themed kitchen... but I digress. This year I picked up some great metal skeletal hands serving forks. They are just great fun to play with! (I the shirt in the picture was also bought at Target... along with a dozen or so other Halloween themed T-shirts).


There was also this awesome black/silver fiberglass skull pot thing. We couldnt quite figure out exactly what it was supposed to be... you couldn't put candy in it without fear of little kids falling in (plus it would take a metric ton of candy to fill it) and it didnt have any drainage for potted plants. We drilled said holes, and now it is a planter waiting for spring to be filled with photosynthesizing organisms.


Not pictured, I also picked up a pair of knit gloves with skeletal fingers printed on them for a buck. Working in a medical building... I get a lot of complements! A glowing skull to hang from our balcony, bloody hand prints for the sliding glass door and a skeleton cling for my back seat of my car also been making their appearances for the first time this year. I have also gotten a plethroa of Halloween themed socks just for fun too.

I have also been working on a Halloween wreath, complete with hand painted skull, black and purple flowers, sparkles and black feather boas. It looks pretty darn kick-arse if you ask me!

Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce Interview and Giveaway!

I have some exciting news! I have been contacted by Mr. Al Malekovic from Country Bob Inc to review on of their products, Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce, on my blog. Mr Malekovic also was gracious enough to answer some questions for me for an interview. What makes this even better is he is putting up two bottles of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce for a blog give away! I cant fit all of these wonderful things into one blog post (who would want to read through ALL of that anyway!?) so I am splitting it into two blog posts, one that contains the interview and blog giveaway, and another that will detail the culinary creations my husband and I make and try using Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce. First off… the interview and giveaway!



Mr. Al Malekovic answered the following questions for me.


What’s the story behind Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce? What was the inspiration? Country Bob was a carnival barker and a Don Rickles all wrapped into one. He owned a gas station and would BBQ for the cronies that came and gossiped. He came up up with the sauce in 1968. In 1982 Country Bob, his son Terry, (He is my son-law), Reed my son and I stared a Corp and put it on the market. We had to learn the hard way. Trail and Error. He died in 2001 of cancer. You can also look at our web site under story.

How large is the Country Bob’s company? We are a very small company, 14 employees, but we are fully automated and have a fine crew. We use food brokers, who help get Country Bobs in the stores.


How many different products does Country Bob’s make? Do you have any new products waiting in the wings? We have four products, Country Bobs, Country Bobs Spicy, Seasoning Salt and a BBQ sauce. Because of the cost of developing a product we are not coming out with anything new. We use to have a Sloppy Bob sauce but we were having it made somewhere else and that company went under and we could not find another to make small batches for us. It was a great product.



Where can you find Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce? You can find Country Bobs at Kroger, Wal Mart Super Center and about every store in *Cincy! (*Cincinnati, Ohio... for those of you who are not familiar with the area)


What makes Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce unique? What makes Country Bobs so unique, it truly is a All Purpose Sauce. Use it on steaks, a great dipping sauce, bbq sauce and to flavor up soups, stews, casseroles etc.


What’s the most common recipe Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce gets used in? Most people use it as a dipping sauce and with appetizers with little smokies and meat balls.


What’s the most unexpected recipe Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce can be used for? The most unique use is in fudge recipe in our cookbook.

What is the best complement or comment you have had about your products? The best compliment we have had is from the kids. "Gimmie more Bobs Mommy"




Here comes the fun part! The giveaway! It is really simple. First, go to the recipe page at the Country Bob Inc website, pick out a recipe that looks interesting. Next come back to this blog entry. In the comment section, leave a comment with you email address and the recipe you found! That is all you have to do! Incomplete entries will not be entered. This contest will last until the Sunday before Labor Day. September 6th, 2009 at midnight Eastern Standard Time. Two winners will be picked at random and each winner will receive a FREE bottle of Country Bob's All Purpose Sauce. Winner will be contacted via email to gather the needed information to send you a bottle.



So what are you waiting for? Go over to the recipe page and find something yummy! If you try anything and write about it, let me know. I will link it on my blog!


Images used with permission from the Country Bob Inc website.

WIP: Felt and beaded double sided headband done!

I had this idea a while back for a felt headband with leather straps for ties. I kicked it around in my head for about a month then decided to try it. In that month, the headband grew a skull and sported some bead embroider. Oh, and it also became double sided. This first one I finished is just a prototype for me to keep.



It took a lot of energy to make it, so I am unsure if I will make more for my shop. I might (and I will probably break out my sewing machine next time instead of doing all of the stitching by hand). I am not completely happy with the quality of some of the felt (hint, dont use craft felt unless it is the thick kind).



I like the way it came out. I haven't gotten dreads yet to test it out, but that is why I gave it braided leather straps: so I could wear it with either 'normal' hair or dreads. I also love that it has two sides. It is more versatile that way. I am definitely going to make templates out of card stock next time!

I am a writer!!!

I wrote a little article about future fashion in Viva La Mode magazine! And it is now out on the web for everyone to look at! The whole magazine is a great read... so check it out! I hope to have time to write an article or two for the next issue too!

Joe's Gizzarad City, Potterville, MI: Food Review

About two years ago my husband and I took a trip to a great little place that I just want to share with the world! This tasty deep fried treat is called Joe's Gizzard City in Potterville, Michigan. First off, I love chicken gizzards and getting to go a place that specializes in them is a rare treat around here. Another added bonus is that half the things on the menu are deep fried. This isnt a place if you have a history of heart problems! The town is tiny, and the place has the look of a classic old dark 'townie' hang-out where they serve their beers in mason jars (seriously!). It is actually a somewhat well known place for bikers spot! Our server, Matt (with two T's), was a great and extremely friendly.

And now on to the important part... the FOOD!!

Here is everything that we ordered.

Appetizer: Sweet Corn Nuggets
Meals: Gizzard Dinner (me) and Bacon Cheese Burger (my husband)
Dessert: Deep Fried Dessert Platter (I dont remember the actual name, but that will give you a good idea of what to expect!)


Appetizer: We decided to try the deep fried sweet corn nuggets because years ago at some random Big Boy my husband and I stopped for breakfast. I am not a big corn fan, but they had some deep fried creamed corn that was absolutely wonderful. I had never seen them since or anything similar until I went to Joe's. The nuggets are served with ranch, which goes well with the crunchy shell. These nuggets seemed to be a mix of creamed corn and chunky corn, but they still tasted good. They didnt seem to burst all over, which some times is an issue with deep fried creamy stuff like jalapeno poppers (I always seem to have those explode all over me, covering me with hot cheese!). I thought it was the perfect food to start off a deep fried meal... it is a veggie so it has to be healthy right?


Meals - My Husband: My husband 'chickened' out and got one of the more normal items on the menu... a Bacon Cheese Burger. I do have to say, the last time we went, he got the deep fried burger, so I suppose he paid his dues :) The burger came with fries and my husband got the 'Everything Deluxe' version. We have a saying in my house, the more messy a burger it is, the better it tastes. Well, this burger wasnt as messy as my husband would have liked, but the taste was good. It was a solid burger, nothing to be ashamed of, but nothing to write home about either. My husband especially liked the bun. The ketchup they had was Red Gold brand, which definitely tastes different than the standard brands. I like it, but I dont think my husband did as much. That was okay, he ended up dipping his fries in my ranch!


Meals - Mine: I got the gizzard dinner, with a dozen gizzards, half Traditional Beer Battered Deep Fried and half 'Naked'. It came with coleslaw, bread and a potato. I got mashed potatoes with chicken gravy.


The coleslaw came out first with a side of bread. The slaw was good, but had a bit of a bite to it... and by a bit, I mean you could definitely taste a lot of what my husband identified as horseradish. If you dont like horseradish, dont get the coleslaw. The bread was like a mix between toast and croutons. Very tasty!

The mashed potatoes were good, but the real interesting point about them were the gravy. I have never seen such yellow gravy in my life! It was literally the color of mustard! It didnt taste like mustard though... it tasted like a gravy version of Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup. Interesting combo. Oh, and it looked as if the skins on the potatoes were left on for the mashing, wish means they were made at the establishment!


Now, on to the good part, the gizzards! Just so you know, not only do the gizzards come with marinara sauce, but ranch (not pictured) as well. Both are good. There are pros and cons to both kinds, Traditional and Naked.

The first kind, traditional is beer battered and deep fried. The breading keeps the gizzards EXTREMELY moist and tender. They just melt in your mouth and some of the best meat I have ever had. The slight issue of the breaded traditional is the breading adds a lot of bulk and you cant eat a lot of them without getting full to quickly... and tearing all the breading off to get to the wonderful morsels seems a bit wasteful.

The naked gizzards have no batter and because of that, when they are fried, they get a little tough on the outside. They are still tasty, but they are not really as moist and tender as their battered counterpart... but you can eat a lot more of these. I like these better for cold leftovers.

Dessert: Deep Fried Platter: Deep Fried Strips of Elephant Ears, Deep Fried Oreos, Two Deep Fried Nutter Butters, Joe's Nuts, Deep Fried Cheesecake, and Deep Fried Cookie Dough. Oh, and there are three dipping sauces: Chocolate, Caramel and Strawberry.


Let me tell you, this is one HUGE dessert platter. You can, of course, order these items individually, but variety is the spice of life right!? (and the destruction of your waistline) Our platter actually came in three 'courses' because first, the cheesecake didnt turn out, then they forgot the Joe's Nuts... so we got a free third doughnut once those came out of the deep fryer!

First we ate the deep fried elephant ears (the two thin strips of dough on the left hand side of the image). Yep, they taste like elephant ears! Given that elephant ears are normally deep fried, they had to be the least exciting item on the plate.

Next we moved onto the deep fried Oreos (in the top of the picture, behind the caramel sauce!) OMG those were heavenly! It was like the cookie liquefied and was just a wonderful gushy mess. This was my second favorite dessert on the plate! See the insides in the image? That is pure yummy!


Third we turned into next item on the first plate and dug into the Deep Fried Nutter-Butters. The peanut butter cookies also seemed to liquefy, but not the extent as the Oreos. They were really good with the chocolate sauce.

The last item on the only came with a single 'dose', and that was the Deep Fried Cookie Dough. I am going to admit, I am biased. I LOVE anything cookie dough, just about as much as I love bacon. Basically it is a huge lump (probably 2-3 cookies worth) deep fried. The second time we went to Joe's we got a whole plate of these suckers, 3 huge balls! Anyway, this puppy is warm, chocolaty and gooey! It is like a mix between raw cookie dough and a cooked one... I dont know exactly how to describe it. I think this something you either will love or hate, and I love it! Here is a candid shot of the nom-a-riffic insides!


Our Deep Fried Cheesecakes (second image, the wedges) I think had gram crackers mixed into the deep fried shell. These actually had a tendency to burst when you bit into them, and they were hot... so if you decide to go this route, just be careful. The strawberry sauce went perfectly with these little wedges. They were also high on my list of things that taste wonderful deep fried.

Lastly, we got Joe's Nuts. These are deep fried mini doughnuts. They were pretty good, but to really enjoy them, I found that you need to eat them cold! We couldnt quite finish our third doughnut so we brought it home with the leftovers. I love cold leftovers, and the cold nut has like caramelized sugar layer under the deep fried batter. Nom nom!


Overall Impression: I am moving, so I am going to miss this little gem of a grease spot. I would never eat here everyday, but for a special heart clogging treat, it cant be beat. If you are planning a trip of back roads and little town hot spots in Mid-Michigan, give Joe's Gizzards City a try!

Gift? I Guess Not!

A month or so ago I finally figured out what to make out of some scrap yarn I had laying about. I figured I would use it to make a two sided pillow to give as a gift. Fast forward a bit... all done! Custom cut foam pad etc... everything. Now I just have to keep it away from cat hair and cat butts until I can gift it. I should have known better. Just look at her smug face... filling the fibers with feline follicles that will not budge!


Not only has Mesha decided it makes a great cat pillow, but I have also seen Dot on it as well. I guess it is mine now... even though I hate pink. It does have a gray side... guess I will have to keep that side up!

Sunny Side Up Breakfast Pizza: First Attempt

My husband and I had an idea the other night that we thought we might try. We have had macaroni and cheese pizza (both from a restaurant... if you can call it that... and homemade) so why not try a breakfast pizza! I am sure someone else has made something like this... but we didnt look up anything and just went with our gut instincts.

We used store bought ready-made crust, a can of Alfredo sauce, whole eggs (hence the name), bacon, corned beef hash, and cubed Velveeta. Oh, and we salt and peppered it a smidgen. Here is what it looked liked uncooked:


We let it cook a little long, as we were a little afraid of runny egg yolks. We figured liquid egg yolks in our left over pizza was a bad idea. A side effect of the longer cooking time was the cheese type substance was a little darker than it probably should have been.


As for the taste, I actually liked it. It was like a compact breakfast! My husband thought it was a little on the salty side because of the corned beef hash. The eggs tended to be a bit rubbery... and had a tendency to come off. Overall, I think it was okay. Next time I would suggest scrambling the eggs and maybe mixing some cheddar or mozzarella (or both!) in with the Velveeta. We used the Velveeta because 1. we had some, which is rare and 2. it melts really easy. Maybe too easily? It makes for a memorable Easter dinner!

My New Baby!

My wonderful hubby has been squirreling away little bits of money of a long time for some mysterious reason. This week I found out why. He was saving money for my graduation gift... a brand new guitar!


To be exact, an Epiphone Prophesy SG EX! I cant tell you how beautiful this guitar sounds and looks! The kicker is.... I cant play it until I graduate, and because of some scheduling issues that wont be until August at least! She will stay protected in her hard case, and her Vox Mini5 am anxiously waiting to be used. I dont mind, I can stare into her black smokey burl wood and beautiful inlays and just dream of the tunes I will learn. Take that mom!

New Vest Thing Design

I guess I lied.. I thought I wouldnt have time to finish the project, let alone blog about it, any time soon... but I was wrong. Last night I finished working on a design I had been kicking around for a few months. I am not an "advanced" crocheter, so I get a little intimated when I start creating stuff from scratch. I think, for a first try, it turned out alright.


This first version I will keep for myself. It took me over a month to make it, so I am uncertain if any will show up in my shop any time soon. It was fun making it.


The yarn is super soft and warm, but MAN! I used a lot of it! I probably used almost a pound! The self-striping yarn looks a little odd in the round, but I think it has some potential and charm. The colors are just perfect, and now my mom can stop complaining that I dont wear anything white. (BTW, I dont wear anything that is white, this is a very light grey).


Let me know what you think! I have no idea what to call it... a vest? A chest warmer?

Fuzzy Philosophy: Life is like a Rubik's Cube

I dont normally talk about what makes me tick on my blog, or how I see the world really. I dont know if that is a bad thing or not. Today, I want to break my inner silence and share with the world one philosophy I hold that, I think, can be applied to anyone from any time, place, creed, etc. This universal principle is something I like to call:

Life is like a Rubik's Cube

Now, I did not come up with this world renown puzzle box, but I see it as the conceptual basis of my argument. If you are not a conceptual person, you may want to stop reading this here... because it is going to get more complex as we go on. In my view, we are all born with a Rubik's cube. It represents our state of being, which has the following properties.

1. The more complete our cube is, the more happy our life is. People like having all the colors matching, even if the other sides are a mess. A completely solved cube is akin to the "perfect" life and whatever that means to that person. My "perfect" life is not the same as yours etc., but would make me happy and content for the rest of my days.
   
2. The less complete our cube is, the more chaotic and unhappy our life is. Most people do not like randomness and sorrow. A completely random, unmatched cube is akin to complete insanity and being completely miserable.
3. We can occasionally turn our cube through our actions and choices we make, both moving it towards completion or towards chaos. We cant always see all of the aspects (or sides) our choices affect. Like the real life game, strategies, short cuts and hits can be learned and use as a person grows and experiences life. For example, where you choose to go to university, your career, who you become friends with etc are things you control and affect your quality of life well into the future, both positively or negatively.
   
4. Others can turn our cube through their actions and choices (both directly and indirectly), wither they realize it or not. For example, having a medical misdiagnosis, being fired by an over zealous boss, a neighbor giving you some brownies they made etc. Not all are bad, not all are good. Some dont seem to affect anything.
   
5. Sometimes fate turns our cube. These are things that are not a result of anyone's actions or choices, they just sometimes happen. Natural disasters are an excellent example.
   
6. Any or all of these forces can act at any time, and in any combination. You loosing your job because some big wig at a company mismanaged money can be broken down into several categories. Rarely can you categorize something in just one category.
   
7. Death is equal to breaking the cube, wither it is natural or caused by another. I am not making any comments about what happens after you die. This only applies to life as far as I have thought it out.
   
8. Even with a solved cube, if you continue to live on, things can still turn your cube just as before. For example: You retire in your prefect place with your significant other. All is blissful and great, then your significant other develops cancer.
   
9. No matter how many times your cube is turned, the possibility for true happiness (or having a completed cube) still exists, even if it is difficult to unravel the path to get there.
   

So, I see my life as a Rubik's cube. All things that happen can have the potential to affect each side, or the path to my happiness. Some people live with only one aspect of their life making them happy, like having a wonderful job, but a totally chaotic (or completely unsolved) personal relationship side. Others are totally content with where they are in life, only to have their lives devastated by disease or accident. What I find is wonderful about applying this way of thinking to you life is, no matter how twisted up your life gets, no matter how chaotic and unhappy, if you work hard enough you can still achieve happiness in the future. Also, attaining happiness is an ongoing task with the ever changing mosaic that a Rubik's cube creates.

Let me know what you think. I have tried to assess all aspects of my theory, but I am sure there are things I have missed. Maybe you can apply this to your life, either future or past, and work towards your happiness.

Product Review: Custom Silver 8 gauge Earrings with Coral Drops from Lisa's Lovlies

I saved up all my etsy money to buy myself something really special, and I decided to go with a pair of custom earrings from Lisa's Lovlies! While I make jewelry myself, I dont made large gauge earrings. I have 8 gauge main holes and there arent many sellers on etsy who cater to those with stretched lobes. Lisa's Lovlies is one beautiful shop where you can get larger gauge earrings, along with normal sized jewelry.

I contacted Lisa and we quickly worked out exaclty what I wanted, which was a pair of sterling silver 1 inch diameter hoops with beautiful coral drops. She made them in a few days, and I had them at my door with in a week of finalizing the design. I was so giddy when I got them, I just had to get them in as soon as I got them! They are extremely solidly made and they have a great weight to them. I am so happy to have dangly earrings again! I wear them 24 hours a day, and they have been a dream!



Overall Impression: Lisa has excellent customer service and is very attentive. She is great to work with and works extremely fast. These earrings are well made and will last a long time. They are worth every penny for the wonderful quality!

Dot's New Bed

Months and months ago I went looking for some wool sweaters at the local thrift stores for some needle felting projects. I found a few, but before I could try my hand at all of them, one of my kitties (Dot) decided that one of them were here. For weeks she lovingly covered this gray XL sweater with her hair. I figured, since she was so attached to it, she could keep it as a bed. A few days ago, I found it (it had been buried by some boxes... long story) and the thought occurred to me to turn it into a proper cat bed. Dot doesnt use the one we bought her (we actually use it to keep her from sleeping on our towels...), but maybe she would sleep on this one since she already "claimed" it.


First I cut off the sleeves, which I actually have plans for, and hand sewed them shut along with sewing the bottom shut. I hand sewed because not only is our craft room full of boxes, I would have to clear away all of my beading and painting stuff to get out my sewing machine. It was just easier to hand sew it. I debated on putting some decorative stitching on top, but Dot has a funky toe which cant retract it's claw and I dont want that getting stuck in the stitching on accident. I loosely stuffed the body with just one bag of eco-friendly stuffing to give it some fluff, but not a lot of bulk. Dot doesnt like bulk to sleep on. Once I broke it up a bit, after it was inside the body to keep it from getting fibers everywhere, I sewed the neck closed, but below the collar. I did this so it still looks like a sweater that I folded lovingly, but before I could put it away, Dot got to it!

And so far, she seems to like it!