Hmmmm

This is what happens when I'm bored.

'What will your obituary say?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Sounds about right. The only difference is: Rosebud will not be a sled, it will be a Blythe!

Serenity

No, I'm not all mellow - I'm actually miserable 'cos it's so freakin' hot, but to pass the time, I've been knitting in the line of AC. I've finished the hat part of my full-size Jayne Cobb hat (a character from Serenity and Firefly - hence the name of this entry) and finished the entire version for Blythe. I really like the way it's turned out and think I might make some more to sell. We'll see what people think before I get my knitting freak on...

Here's the pic of Leia, my Cherry Berry modelling the hat. I think it's one of the nicest things I've ever designed.



In case you're not familiar with the whole Browncoat cult of Firefly fans, it's supposed to look like that (ie - ugly and handmade).

Well, off to finish the full-size version - just have the ear flaps and pom pom to go...

Random

Last week, I went to my bro's to hang out with him and visit with my nephew (gaaaa - he's so cute!). We were channel surfing, and I see the name of the game show I was on 4 years ago on Game Show Network. I tell A to turn it on because "wouldn't it be funny if it were the one I was on?" Well, he flips to it and and we both screamed - there was my head filling the screen! So random! I've switched on GSN occasionally to see if it was me and for all the times I did that, I never saw me. And then we turned it on and there I was. What are the odds?!?

I'm supposed to be neatening up the apartment, but fcuk it, it's hot and the computer is right in line with the AC, so if I sit here, I feel slightly cooler than elsewhere in here. At least I can post and then I'll feel like I got something done :-P In fact it's so hot, the water coming out of the cool tap is so hot the cats wouldn't even drink from it. I ended up having to put their bowl in the fridge before being able to give it them.

I went knitting with mom and my aunt this morning at our LYS. It was so crowded and loud in there - not really relaxing, but I did finish a knit hat (which I think I'll give to M) and made one for Blythe from the leftover yarn. I should have enough hats to start selling in another week or so. I love doing them because they knit up in half an hour and then I can tell people I got X number of projects done this week (as opposed to my sweaters which are all languishing in various states of *undoneness*, causing me to say I got nothing done this week). I brought my mini ipod and noise cancelling headphones to the LYS, but didn't use them until one of the owner's mothers sat next to me and was talking so loudly it made me tense up. I forgot I had the Katamari Damacy soundtrack on there, so that was a nice surprise and at least had me smiling rather than scowling like I'd been doing.

I think I'll go empty and reload the dishwasher now and then sit on the couch and veg with a couple dvds and my knitting. I may even do a load of laundry. I really am that boring sometimes! But, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, y'know?

Creepy

I heard this on the morning news...

Sometimes, we need to be a little proactive - so, new rule: when you hand over your car keys to the valet, make sure you take your other keys off the keychain! If you're like most people, your registration's in the glove box, so if you hand over all your keys, you might as well put the welcome mat out at home for them too. Don't make it easy for anyone to make you a victim - if they have to go the extra step, it's not worth it to them.

It's Been...

A Long, Long Time!

Where to start... Well, work's keeping me busy, which is both a blessing and a curse. M's bday was yesterday and I got him this. Of course, he's convinced he's cursed and to further enforce that feeling, the lightsaber I gave him had SFX that were super quiet. We just thought that was the way it was, until Squishy opened hers and it was LOUD! So, now I have to exchange it for him. Does that make me cursed for being with him? ;-) Or is he cursed for being with me?

I dragged M to a dolly meet over the weekend. It was good to have him meet everyone, but I think he was extra sullen just to prove the point that he hates meeting people. Ah, well. We're similar that way - the first two dolly meets, I sat in the corner and barely spoke, and now you can't shut me up. Some people want to castigate me for it, as though it were a character flaw to be shy in group settings. Me, I need time to get to know people - it's part of being a middle-child - I have to weigh all options before I can act.

I've also been knitting loads of things. I've finished doll hats, and that's about it. Those don't take me too long, and the look really changes depending on the yarn I use. I did take a picture of Clancy (V-Smash) and Rowan (LM) at the dolly meet at Chez Snoop in some knitted goods I made recently.





The hat's really cool - made from Noro yarn. Snoopygirl wanted to buy it off Clancy, but I told her I'd pick up some more of the yarn and make her one of her own. And that's just what I did. Here's a pic of the skein that arrived today:



It was supposed to be two skeins, but only one was in the envelope. I emailed the seller and am just waiting to hear back. I really hope it was just an oversight on their part...! If I were M, I'd probably think this was yet another sign of the universe conspiring against me. Hehehehe. When in reality, it's probably just a matter of someone not taking the time to double-check the order before shipping. And if it's not an oversight, I'll be filing a claim with Paypal faster than you can say "fluffer-nutter". Mmmmm, fluffer-nutter....

Dollybird

I scored 2 Dollybird mooks (yes, you read that right - it's a combo magazine/book, hence "mook") off ebay and got them just today. OMG - I wish I'd known previously how absolutely fantastic they are! In the back, there are patterns for the doll clothes you find scattered throughout the pages, and illustrated instructions (a very good thing, since I can't read Japanese - yet!). I have 2 more in the mail to me from hlj.com, and now that I've seen these two, I am so excited to receive the next two! I think I may even try to get other past issues, just to complete the *collection*. Oh, ebay, why are you so cruel to my wallet?

Here's a picture of the two I received today:



Now, if I could just find the time to do a little sewing.... I'm just grateful that knitting is so portable! I've got loads to photograph and post - I know I keep saying that, but it's true.

On the Blythe doll front, I am currently up to (OK, this is embarassing): 20 dolls. It would have been more, but I gifted one to my mom who fell hard for my first semi-custom, Emma (I wasn't even done, but mom liked her just as she was and I couldn't say no to mom), and sold the other. Of course, now I'm thinking that was stoopid to sell her as she really would have made a great custom, but I don't think I would have had the heart to customize her at the end of the day. And, the girl who bought her seemed to really want her (and then I found out she turned around and sold her within a week of buying her - poor little maligned Georgie!). So, there is a pang of guilt there, but in the end, she needed to be with someone who loved her more than me.

I haven't posted any of my new dolls in awhile, so I'm sure that number must seem shocking. It's shocking to me, too, and I have them! Anyway, here are two of my latest girls (just to slowly get caught up with my posting)...

First, is my second BL girl, an FAO Schwarz Hollywood named Teague. Last Saturday, Teague joined M and I for dinner at Outback and yearned to try a piece of the Chocolate Tower (aka the world's best chocolate cake - which, oddly enough, looks like a bloody steak in this picture. Hmmm...):



FYI - Teague is sporting a Euro Trash Fashion Kitty Helmet (thank you, Ruth!) and a knitted dress by me

Second is my second custom - a Cherry Berry named Meredith (I couldn't help it, I love Grey's Anatomy), who I'm in the process of customizing to look like a Rosey Red. I've already swapped her body for a Licca, sand-matted her, cut her hair and painted red lips (though I'll re-do those shortly - I'm a bit of a perfectionist about these things). I only have to boggle her eyes and twist her scalp a 1/4" and then she'll be done. That probably sounds like gibberish if you don't know Blythe, so just pretend I said something clever, nod and add in an "ah huh" every once in awhile and everything will be fine. Anyway, here's a pic of Meredith supporting the cause for more Farrell's Ice Cream Parlors:



Do you think I possibly have a thing for dolls and sweets? Hmmm... I guess some things never change no matter how old you get ;-)

Bituminous Coal Queens of Pennsylvania

Some things in life are serendipitous, and the story of how The Bituminous Coal Queens went from being a small pageant in southwestern Pennsylvania to a documentary available on DVD this Tuesday from Netflix is one of them. The producers, Patricia Heaton and her husband, David Hunt, were at dinner with actress Sarah Rush a few years back when Sarah mentioned she was going back home for a reunion. "High school?" "No, the 50th anniversary of the Bituminous Coal Queens of Pennsylvania." And thus was born the three week prep and ten days of filming that would become the documentary of the same name.

I was lucky enough to be at the Netflix screening at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood today, and recommend everyone put this documentary in their Netflix queue. I promise you won't regret it.

Petrified Tomatoes

I finally cleaned out the fridge today, something that I apparently haven't done in quite some time. The best find was the Roma tomatoes at the back of the bottom shelf that had literally petrified. They'd dried out and shrunk down where I left them gawd knows how long ago. I'd photograph them, but I think your stomachs will thank me for leaving it to your imagination. Ewwwwwww.

All I know is that M can no longer make fun of me for the state of my fridge :-D hehehe

But, I can continue to rag on him for his bathroom. The toilet especially. I do believe it rivals the one in Trainspotting. Double Ewwwwwwwwwww.

Overall, I'd say it's been a nice and relaxing weekend. I've found quite a few things I'd lost (this is what happens when you organize), but alas, the cable remote is still MIA. I just know it's going to turn up in the weirdest place when I do find it...

I'm thisclose to finishing tons of knitted goodness... I'll post pics once they're done. ;-)

Why Do We Do This?

Yesterday was such a horrible day (not including the overall horrible week I've been having...). I've been sick since Sunday, but because there are massive important projects due at work, I sacrificed my recovery by trying to be a responsible adult and get these done. Now, I feel worse than ever - partly because work was so bad yesterday that I spent half the day crying - first over one thing, then over another. So, here I am at home, missing E3 because I have an earache that started yesterday from my sinuses getting all swollen because I'd been crying over the state of my projects. The client even asked when we could ship (since we'd missed the first date due to elements needing to be replaced), I told them next Friday, they sent an email saying Tuesday, which just crushed me. I was like: "Is this a real date? Do I need to come in on the weekend again?" Then he was telling me not really, he was just trying to make his boss happy and we could have our date, but it was kinda infuriating as it makes me wonder if I'm supposed to take their dates seriously now. Either way, I'm sure I'll end up paying later for trying to get better today...

The one benefit to being home (and it's not what you'd think!) is that I can now take my car over and see about getting the AC fixed. And just all around get some chores done that are really, really in need of being done.

So, my question, really, is this: Why do we allow someone else's poor planning to become our emergency? This whole week I was supposed to be at E3, but instead I got sick from stress and worked myself up into a tizzy over my client's insistence at moving their deadline up 3 weeks, only to have it move back a week. I'm wondering why I let it get to me. I guess 1) I care about my clients since I've worked with them for almost 4 years now, and 2) Familial issues make it easier to concentrate on work and make that the center of my universe, so that when that gets out of control I feel overwhelmed. Anyway, I've changed cubicles so I'm no longer with my back to the door, and that has helped my concentration enormously, and now I just need to remind myself to breathe and laugh these things off (obviously, refrain from laughing in my client's face, but behind their back, maybe) when they happen. Because as M loves to remind me, the way things are going the nuclear holocaust is going to make this seem like the best time of my life. Lovely.

I'm also guessing that's why I get so involved in my crafting and writing - as these things are *fun* to me, and relatively less stress. I'm sure you've noticed I have a constant string of on-going projects, well, it runs in the family. Both Mom and I do this so that if we get to a place in the project that's boring or too hard or just plain sucks, we can put it down and there's already another project in the works to pick up! It sometimes feels like you get nothing done that way, but then there's that golden moment where you're able to finish 5 projects all at once - and there's no better feeling of accomplishment than that. Trust me.

Don't get me wrong: I sometimes wish I were a super serial crafter - able to finish one project in a single bound, but for whatever reason, I bristle at being tied down to just one thing. Maybe it's just that I see endless possiblities when it comes to crafting and I want to do it all NOW. Or maybe I'm just impatient. But, that's how I am, good or bad. One thing's for sure, I'm hella good at multi-tasking, and that's something you can take to the bank.

Take that, Cholesterol!

Squeal! Got my numbers back today in the great Cholesterol trifecta.... And, it was much work on my part, lots of being aware of what I'm eating, making better choices, etc... But, I have FINALLY triumphed over my numbers! YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's the latest:

Total overall: 201 (this is the lowest it's been since I started seeing my current doctor - ie, in 8 years)
HDL: 103 (this is the *good cholesterol*)
LDL: 89 (this is the *bad cholesterol* and has dropped a whopping 40 points in the last two months!!!!!!!!)

My feelings now... If I can add in more exercise AND keep up my *healthier* diet, I could see the otherside of 200 (a feat not accomplished since I was first tested at 20). So, I think that for me, knowing that high cholesterol runs in the family, healthy choices are the best way to go. That doesn't mean becoming so strict that eating is no longer fun - you do have to live a little - but everything within reason, with an emphasis on oatmeal, lower fat, more veggies and lean meats (and the occasional chocky cake for good measure!).

Big hugs and kisses to everyone who cheered me on and gave me advice! I couldn't have done it without you!!!

Happy Birthday to...

L!

Hope you have an awesome b-day (technically, this post is an hour early, but I want to make sure you see this on your b-day). ;-)

Since it's been a wee bit crazy at work, I have to apologize for not sending off your prezzies on time. In fact, I'm having trouble finding a box big enough for one of them, so until I do, here's a pic of what I got you (sorry to spoil the surprise, but I've been dying to give the big prezzie to you for months!) Hope you like them!



I may just have to make you something for your Blythe to make up for spoiling the surprise. :-D

Knitted Noro Hat

I picked up a skein of Noro Silk Garden on sale, and couldn't wait to make a hat out of it. Rather than look for a hat pattern, I designed my own. It's really simple, but I think shows off the Noro to its best advantage.

Here's the picture of my FO of the week:



And here are the instructions:

You will need - 1 skein of Noro Silk Garden and 1 pair of sz 9 needles (or size needed to obtain gauge)

Take your head's circumference (mine's 21"), and then subtract 3" (in my case, I get 18"). Do a gauge swatch to figure out how many stitches per inch you're getting. I got 4 stitches to the inch x 18" = 72 stitches to cast on. Do 4 rows of 2x2 rib. First and third rows k2, p2 * repeat to end of row. Second and Fourth rows, knit the knits and purl the purls. Row five, switch to stockinette stitch - knit all odd rows, purl all even rows. When the hat gets to 7" (or desired length), on a knit row, k2tog stitches across the row (so each set of 2 stitches get knit together, thereby halving the number of stitches on your needle - I ended up with 36 stitches when I was done with this row). Next row, purl all stitches. Now, cut a tail at least 10" long - you will weave this back through all the stitches on the needle (do a few at a time, once all stitches have been transferred from needle onto the tail, pull taught, thereby gathering the stitches (and closing the top of the hat). Thread the tail onto a yarn needle, and sew the back seam closed. Weave in all ends and you're done!

Yup, it's that easy! Not only that, but it knits up really fast, and is a good stepping stone for those who have knit one scarf too many. ;-)

No. 9 ... No. 9...

My mom had her ninth back surgery today. Nine! At this point, they should just put a zipper in to get to her spine - spare her some of the agony. :-( She's doing well, blissed out on morphine. I got to spend some time after work with her and she seems to be in good hands at the hospital, which is important. The doctors *think* they solved most of the problems she's been having, which if that's the case, would mean she won't have to use her cane to walk anymore. Crossing fingers, toes, eyes, whatever. For her sake, I really hope things improve to that point. Did I mention it sucks getting old?

My dad barely said two words while I was there. I get the impression he was dying to ask totally inappropriate questions like "do you talk to my sister?", "when are you getting a raise?", and my current fave "do I need to get the kneepads?" - a reference to his wanting to ask M to ask me to marry him. Ah, family... I'm just waiting for him to tell me to call my own sister so I can tell him not only have I called her, but I've emailed, too, and heard nothing back. It's such a weird situation, I really don't even have words for it anymore.

At least mom and I have been working on our relationship, and as she seems to be the most amenable of the holy trinity, I may have a foothold to eventually developing a better relationship with my dad, too.

A Little Retail Therapy - Thrift Store Style

Work's been pretty crazy this week, and promises to get even worse (lovely). Basically, I've gone from having almost nothing to do (except surfing the web to look busy) to having more work than I can handle. I've even brought out the headphones to block it all out so I can concentrate better. Thankfully, we're on a network at work, so I'm at no shortage for new music to listen to while I slowly wilt in my cubicle.

To take the edge off, one of my best friends from 5th grade suggested a day of retail therapy - more specifically - thrift store hopping. She printed out a list of shops to go to, and we were off in the Neon. I've lost count of the number we hit, but we did find a treasure trove out in the West Valley that kept us very happy on our journey. Overall, we each spent less than $30 and got loads of goodies! She got the score of the day with a vintage 50s evening jacket that looked like it had never been worn.

In no particular order, I got:

Some gorgeous fabric, that is either silk or a highly polished cotton (I'm leaning towards silk, but will try the burn test later to be sure). It'll be turned into either an a-line skirt or summer dress (using a pattern I picked up at one of the thrift stores we went to):



Some vintage craft/fashion books. The Vogue Sewing book has a case it slides into - I'm in love with it! I had a similar one from the era, which I gave to a friend when she started sewing, and have wanted another ever since. The other book has interviews with a bunch of 70s designers, and is unfortunately water-damaged, but still good for reading/ideas:



Some gorgeous 60s glass bowls - possibly Murano. Very good for entertaining. I have another set in brown, so these will go nicely:



A vintage Pyrex serving bowl - goes very nicely with the table and chairs my bro and sis-in-law got for me. (pardon the coffee grounds on the counter - I guess I didn't wipe the counter down so well)



A vintage Pyrex decanter. It's missing the lid, but I can probably make a functional one out of some quilt fabric and a rubber band (it won't stop spills, but it will keep bugs out if we're outside). I'll probably get another with lid later - you can never have enough decanters for summer beverages!



And finally, a huge batch of patterns (sorry - no photos). I'll be posting some on ebay, and others will be used to make some gorgeous 70s style clothes pour moi.

Once it gets super hot, my insomnia should kick back in and I'll have loads of time to sew! hehehe. Kinda looking forward to it - my sewing machine's been neglected for way too long.

Oh, and one last thing - after a day of thrifting, M and I went to the bookstore after dinner and I got the most fabulous cross stitch book ever! I've gone to this website for years and kept meaning to purchase a kit or two, and now I finally have her book and can't wait to make loads of insane cross stitch.

WIPs

We had a Blythe mini-meet at Snoopygirl's place yesterday, and I stupidly forgot my camera. Ah, well, I'm sure the other girls and guys will be posting them on flickr soon enough ;-) There were some truly lovely dolls there, and Snoopygirl's piano was the perfect place to display them all!

I've been cleaning the apartment (boring) and knitting this weekend (fun!), and thought that since I've neglected posting any of my creations that I'd do so today...

We won't get into the ridiculous amount of yarn I'm in possession of, nor my FOs (those will be separate posts later on), or even any of my sewing, which is sadly neglected... Instead, today's post is just going to be about my current WIPs (works-in-progress). There are two more than I'm sharing here, but that's because one doesn't photograph well on needle (my gold Paris Loop looks like a giant glob of yarn at the moment) and the other is a gift and therefore can't be posted without fear of giving up the secret ;-P

So, with that said, here's my current batch of on needle projects:

Cropped Bolero by Veronik Avery:



It's a really gorgeous, thick Lopi type yarn, and should be nice and toasty once sewn up. I've finished the three major pieces, need to sew the shoulders together, then I get to pick up stitches around the neck and sides for ribbing and then I'll finally be done. I learned how to properly M1 while working on this, as well as learned to CHECK MY GAUGE. Only had to knit the back 3 times - 2nd time for gauge problems the third for making proper M1s (I was making eyelets instead - oops!).

Eyelet scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts:



I originally bought this mohair to make the Branching Out scarf from Knitty, and then realized there's a reason why they suggest doing your first lace project in something other than mohair - it's a biyatch to rip out! It's coming along nicely, and I'll probably use the leftovers to make a doll sweater.

Branching Out from Knitty.com:



I was supposed to complete this for the Knitting Olympics back in February, but ran into some problems with timing and YOs. It's now about halfway done and aside from the fact that I have to knit it in slience away from others, I'm actually enjoying it.

Brilliant Retro by Teva Durham:



It's knit on tiny needles, and takes seemingly forever, but as long as I work on it, it will eventually get done. I love pretty much anything by Teva as she's really clever in her stitch combinations and this piece is no exception.

Rowan Linen print crewneck:



My first proper summer sweater (an oxymoron, I know...). I didn't think I'd knit anything for the summer, but then saw the linen print yarn on elann.com and couldn't resist. I have a gorgeous pair of linen pants I made that this will go very nicely with when done.

As long as I keep working on these, they'll get done. I keep trying to remind myself of that and not get discouraged by the amount of projects I've taken on... What can I say? I love a good challenge!

Bald is Beautiful

I adopted another Lounging Lovely Blythe from the TIB forum, as I just couldn't bring myself to customize Lucy. This new one has the most gorgeous hair I've ever seen - absolutely perfect bangs. I really want a Goldie, but they're somewhat rare and expensive, so I've decided to customize my new girl a bit to make her *inspired* by Goldie. Because of this, I've named her Fish. A girl named Fish... I kinda like it. Here's her pic:



I was checking out Puchimadam's site about removing the hair and was fiddling around with Fish's scalp, when it started to pop off and I was left with this:



She's really quite gorgeous bald! Obviously, she won't be staying this way, but I might play with her this way for a few days while I look for the tools I need to finish customizing her. I've already tucked her scalp with preserved flange away in a box, lest Dolce and Gabbana get a hold of it. I have to say, her scalp looks like a dead animal when not on her head. Ewwwww.

Anyway, the things I plan to do include: boggling her eyes, adjusting her gaze, sand matting her, repainting her makeup and swapping out her body for a Licca. Hopefully, she'll turn out well and I won't be embarassed to say "I made this!"

Design Flaws

It's such a pain to create patterns that I often just modify existing ones - it's comparable to stepping into the middle of a relationship, rather than having to go through the whole dating process over and over until you find the one you like. Anyway, occasionally, I luck out on the first attempt. Like with M, for instance - although, that's technically a special case since we were friends prior to going out, so we both knew what we were in for. ;-) I also really lucked out with a skirt I designed yesterday for Blythe. It's not exactly what you think - one of the girls on the Yahoo LA Blythe group and I swapped Blythe bodies (I had a Takara one she wanted and she had a Licca one I wanted), and she also had some fabric scraps and needed clothes for her Blythe. So, in exchange for the fabric, I promised to make her something out of it. There was just enough to make 2 prairie skirts. It was a long strip she gave me, so I cut it in half length-wise, and then again height-wise, and used those strips to test out my idea. I even had some lace from another girl that I added to the bottom. I really love the way it turned out, and am so glad I have enough to make the second one for me.

Here's the finished product:



Cute, huh? It turned out even better than I'd expected.

It was also really simple to put together. Here's what you'll need:

3 fabric strips (one each of the following lengths - all sizes in inches):
5" x 1.5"
8.5" x 1.5"
13.75" x 1.5"
delicate lace for the bottom of the skirt - 13.75"
bias tape in color to match/complement the skirt fabric - 4 3/4"

All of the above include seam allowances (I'm not that cruel...)

Instructions:
Press under 1/4" to inside on one long side of the 13.75" piece, pin lace on the inside, covering the part you just pressed, allowing the lace to show at the bottom of the skirt - sew from wrong side (when you look at the right side, it should look like the lace is peeking out). You've just done the hem and attached the lace. Gather the top of the long piece and sew to the bottom of the 8.5" piece. Gather the rop of the 8.5" piece and attach to the 5" piece. Now it gets a little tricky. Gather the top of the 5" piece - the easiest way to do this is to pin it to the bias tape (which will eventually cover the top of the gathered skirt, but to start, hold the bias tape open to get the skirt gathered the way you like it). Fold under 1/4" on the right back of the skirt, and pin it 1/4" in from the end of the bias tape. Pin the left side of the skirt to the bias tape, also 1/4" in from the end of the tape (do not fold under the left side of the skirt though). adjust the gathers, then fold the tape over the top of the gathered part, fold in the 1/4" on each end and stitch the waistband (ie - the bias tape) onto the skirt. Now, fold the skirt (vertically - you're going to create the back seam now), and stitch from the bottom, ending where the top tier joins the middle tier (where you sewed the 5" piece to the 8.5" piece). Because you turned under 1/4" at the top of the right side, you'll want to press the back seam in that direction (instead of opening it up). Sew a snap to the waistband where you turned under the 1/4" on bias tape. And you're done!

If you're unsure of any of my instructions above, let me know - I've tried to make the instructions as clear as possible, but I may have taken some stuff for granted since I've been sewing since I was 10.

And now, just because I can...

GRATUITOUS KITTY PIC!



Gabbana tried to get into the box I brought Maia home in... Shortly after this photo, she knocked the box and its styrofoam popcorn all over the floor and was banned from the living room while I cleaned it up and put the box far away from prying kitties.

Focus

I've been thinking about the direction of my blog, and have come to the conclusion that I want to use it to focus on my hobbies - knitting, sewing, collecting and, obviously, writing. I figure we all have enough crap going on in our personal and professional lives, and want this blog to be my little haven away from all of that. Anything crappy goes in my journal, away from *prying* eyes, leaving me to focus on the good stuff here.

So, I expect there to be loads of updates in the next few days as I have been sewing, knitting and, um, collecting like mad. ;-) And, what can I say, I feel the need to share...

M and I have tried out a couple of new games, and we've both gotten hooked on Animal Crossing for the DS. OMG. It starts out rather annoyingly as you have a character who's your boss and never pays you, and you have to do all of these chores and you feel like you'll never get through it. In fact, I'd put it aside for quite awhile until M said it had won some awards for best game of 2005. So I picked it up again last night, and now all I want to do is play it. We played it all through our sushi dinner and I'm sure the sushi waitresses just thought we were the weirdest - but then they've seen me come in with my knitting or Blythes, so they probably thought "oh, there's that crazy couple again - at least they tip well!" hehehe.

On top of Animal Crossing, I also picked up Me and My Katamari for the PSP. I like it - what's not to like about portable Katamari?! But, I find the controls a little wonky. Well, nothing a little practice won't cure. M said it felt totally natural to him, but I'm still having trouble going in one direction...

Oh, and I've gotten M hooked on puzzle video games - he's mad for Luxor! And after he saw me play Jewel Quest, he got into that one too. It's funny how he and I have had a huge impact on each other's interests. I didn't play video games at all before we got together and now I have a huge collection of games to choose from. :-D

I know there are some people who think it's a waste of time, but it's our way to escape the stress of work - some people eat, some people drink, and some people do drugs. We play video games. And that's just the way we like it. ;-)

She's Here!....

It's been quite the week trying to get my little MIA Blythe. I missed the postman by minutes on Saturday, and then tried to pick her up yesterday. It's a long story, but can be summed up in one word: Shirley. If you've ever been to the Valley Village post office, you'll know what I mean.

Finally, after getting the A/C on the Neon fixed (and the mysterious rattle along with it), I stopped by the post office and finally got my girl. This time, it only took 2 stop lights to get the tape off. Once I confirmed it was the right girl, I waited until I got to work to take a good look at her. It's funny, even though I bought her from a woman on ebay, I feel like she really came from the other girl whose doll I received. I send major kudos to catpower on TIB forum for being so awesome and helping get the whole thing straightened out when the seller really couldn't be bothered. Funny thing is - the seller has three more Blythes, only now she kinda knows what they're worth, and has suddenly increased the BIN price six-fold. Yikes. So there goes my hope of getting a Kozy any time soon. I guess she'll have to remain my dream girl for the time being.

In the meantime, I've already posted pics of my new girl on flickr, who has been named Maia due to her MIA status all last week. I think it suits her. She also seems to be quite into video games, as evidenced by the below pic. We even have matching teal Nintendo DS. Yes, I realize this is an illness, so if my brother is reading this, you can stop snickering now. hehehe



Anyway, in terms of Blythe, she's my first BL girl, which basically mean she has Gumby limbs, perfect for things like holding miniature DS consoles and knitting. :-D

This week/weekend, I'll update my knitting progress as I have tons of WIPs and tons of FOs that need to be documented - some really cool stuuf, I think.

Sadness...

I totally scored an Aztec Arrival Blythe Sunday night off ebay - it was such an impulsive buy that I was shaking afterwards as I couldn't believe my luck. The post office attempted delivery yesterday, but I wasn't here to accept her (that was fast!), so I picked her up this morning. It took a good 5 or 6 traffic lights to get the tape off enough for me to open the box.

This is what I should have seen:



This is what I saw instead:



Does that look like the same box to you?

My heart sank so fast. The minute I got to work, I emailed the seller both via email and through ebay's automated system, and over 12 hours later, I still haven't heard anything. I'm tempted to email the girl who bid on the doll I got by mistake (as I presume she got mine) and just see if we can exchange, but it would be nice to hear back from the seller about this. I mean, it is her mistake! I'm hoping this was just an honest mistake and that we can rectify it, but gawd it's unnerving not to hear anything...

It's so funny, I don't think I've ever been so sad to receive a doll, and even though I'm sure she's lovely, I can't tell you how much I dislike her at the moment - just because she's not the girl I paid for. Ugh.