Self Portrait Tuesday January 31, 2006

I am posting on time this week! You are so excited by this, I know! So am I! Anyhoo, for the last SPT on the theme of “Personal History”, I thought I would do something that isn’t nearly as old as the others. This picture is of me and my friend Suzane (I am on the right, look at that hair!), about 10 years ago (!). I look back at myself and just laugh; I was such a different person then. I am glad I can look back at those times, then see myself as I am now, and realize how far I have come. I am happy now. And if being happy isn’t the ultimate goal of life, then I don’t know what is. It’s really hard to give up the familiar in favor of the unknown, but sometimes that is just what you have to do. I am so glad I did, I am proud of myself.

Category: [Self Portrait Tuesday]

The Tale Of The Messy Desk, Or How I Learned To Quit Bitching And Clean My Crap Up January 31, 2006

I am a slob. A card carrying, impossible to reform, happy-go-lucky slob. I am one of those that doesn’t clean the mess, I just pile more junk on top of the old mess, thus creating a multi-layered melange of mess. As a kid this was how my room looked. Now as an adult, it is how my desk looks, my nightstand, my glass table. I am a piler. The pile grows and grows, and all because I tell myself “oh, I will throw that out later.” But later never comes, and the mountain just keeps gettng bigger. I always vow to clean up my act and stop being a chronic slob. But it seems that keeping things tidy permanently is just beyond me. I still fight my nature once in a while though, so yesterday I cleaned my desk. One garbage can full of junk later, I can see the actual desk again. How long will this miracle last you ask? Not long I would guess, I shoo the mess away, but it always finds its way back home. Wish me luck.

Category: [Ramblings]

The Satellite Picture Show January 30, 2006

Is the band of a friend’s fiancee. They freaking ROCK. Check em out right here.

Category: [Cool Stuff]

Boycott Sew Fast Sew Easy January 27, 2006

This is taken directly from the Boycott Sew Fast Sew Easy website:

Sew Fast/Sew Easy Inc., a New York based company, uses aggressive legal tactics to bully small, social knitting chapters nationwide over the use of the term “Stitch and Bitch” or any variant of those three words. None of these small knitting chapters operates for profit.

A list of offensive acts are as follows:

• Disabling a large number (exact number pending) of online shops advertising various local knitting and crafting chapters by invoking CafePress’s terms of service if the chapter made use of the term “Stitch and Bitch” or any variant of those three words. CafePress’ terms of service enable CafePress to shut down these online shops on the basis of an allegation of trademark infringement that does not need to be proven in court.
• Causing Yahoo! Groups to shut down or threaten to shut down a large number of mailing lists (exact number pending) if they made use of the term “Stitch and Bitch” or any variant of those three words. These small social groups of knitters and crafters depend on these mailing lists to communicate, and Sew Fast/Sew Easy Inc.’s actions have caused harm to these groups’ unity, lost them the ability to communicate with possible members, and/or caused Yahoo! to delete valuable membership information.
• Claiming they were the very first ever to coin the phrase “Stitch and Bitch” in 1997.
• Deleting all negative opinions, however civilly worded, from their guestbook and online forum. Even more appalling, they have edited the very words posted by visitors directing interested parties to local knitting and crafting chapters. Any links provided with more information on these local knitting and crafting chapters have been changed without knowledge or permission of the poster to lead back to the company’s own web site.

Sew Fast/Sew Easy Inc. has never once approached any of these knitting groups themselves to solve the issue amicably. Instead, they have relied on lawyers and third parties to force these social groups to remove the term “Stitch and Bitch” or any variant of those three words. These small circles do not operate for profit and use the term generically to describe a group of people that gather to knit, sew, craft, and socialize.

Sew Fast/Sew Easy Inc. does in fact own the rights to the service mark “Stitch & Bitch Cafe” as an online chat room pertaining to sewing. We believe they hold no trademark on the more generic term “Stitch and Bitch” or any variant of those three words, and we believe we have the right to use the phrase without harassment from this company.

Further history and more in depth documents can be found on our Info page.

Categories: [Sewing] [Ramblings]

New Fabric, Missing Tripods, And Lack Of Glass Time January 27, 2006

I should be totally exhausted, but I’m not, I don’t get it. My husband decided to be snuggly all night. Now I love it when he is snuggly, but a girl needs her rest too. So I am running on short sleep rations today, but I am more awake than I usually am at this hour. Maybe the key for me is less sleep? Beats me. Anyway, this is some new fabric that I bought from Jo-Ann’s a couple of weeks ago and havn’t done anything with yet. 75% off sales are the coolest thing ever. I think a tote bag might be in my future today, I won’t even have to re-thread my sewing machine, it already has blue thread in it. On to the “missing tripods and lack of glass time” part. I FINALLY had some time on the torch last night and made a pretty spiffy bead. It is an encased floral (I love those) with a green base, green vines and violet and coral flowers. Not exactly my favorite colors, but once in a while it’s good to step out of your “color comfort zone” so to speak. It turned out really well, especially since my torch time has been at a premium lately. I sure am missing the Mini God’s daily naptime. Picture of said bead will follow later today, after I get Digital God to reveal where he has stashed the tripod, without it my macro pictures are beyond horrible, I can’t get that thing focused to save my life. Now back to my coffee, and reading blogs, and I really do read all the blogs over there on the right every day.

Categories: [Fabric] [Ramblings]

Uh, How Dull Am I? January 25, 2006

You are Shetland Wool.
You are a traditional sort who can sometimes be a

little on the harsh side. Though you look

delicate you are tough as nails and prone to

intricacies. Despite your acerbic ways you

are widely respected and even revered.

What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Categories: [Ramblings]

Self Portrait Tuesday January 25, 2006

And once again the Goddess is a day late and a dollar short. But since I already said I suck, I will just move on. This week it’s a two-fer! Two for the price of one that is. First pic is of my cousin Nancy and my Uncle Ed, don’t ask me when. My uncle Ed isn’t in the best of health these days, and I guess it’s fair to say that I’ve been thinking about him a lot. We havn’t been close throughout my lifetime, but in the last couple of years we have grown together a bit. It has been fascinating for me to cultivate a relationship with him; it answers a lot of questions about myself that I didn’t even know I had. I am a lot like him in how I write and speak. I suppose with as few family ties as I have, I can safely say- I am glad to know you, Ed Schwartz. You can read a bit about him here, he is a pretty famous guy in Chicago. I am glad to know you too cousin Nancy, as it is through you that I have the pictures that I post here, and though you that I am learning about my history and about the woman who is my mother before she lost herself. I may not say it when we speak (I can be a bit shy with stuff like that), but I am very grateful. Second picture is from left to right, my mother, her cousin Beryl, and cousin Nancy. This is the Mom I always knew, in bedclothes, tired looking, lifeless. Empty eyes. I have really enjoyed learning that she wasn’t always that way, I wish I could have known the “real” her, instead of the shell of a person that raised me. I think I would have liked her, and I think she would have liked me. But those weren’t the cards she and I were dealt, and one has no choice but to make do. I wish she could have “made do” better. No one deserves to live the way that she does, and while I feel endless pity, at the same time on a much more selfish level, I am really glad that as she spun into this bottomless pit, that she didn’t take me with her. And I wish I could pull her out.

Category: [Self Portrait Tuesday]

I Truly Suck January 25, 2006

I havn’t blogged in days. I suck. It is official. And it isn’t like I have been doing nothing either. I crocheted a panta yesterday (although the one in the picture is not mine, I will post that soon), another thank you to Craftster for that one, I am making my first pair of wooden knitting needles, finished my elbow length black arm warmers, and I have started a button-front scarf. Not to mention all the typical wife and mother stuff that gets done everyday. Hopefully either today or tomorrow I will compile my list of cool online shopping because after all, everyone is entitled to my opinion on what is cool! Ha!

Categories: [Ramblings] [Crochet]

Ugh. January 20, 2006

Clever title, don’t you think? But it certainly sums up this weather. At least 4 inches of snow on the ground so far, with 9 predicted. Please shoot me.

Category: [Ramblings]

No Honey, We Only Need One Car Seat… January 19, 2006

Sure we do. That’s why I am sitting here instead of shopping at Michael’s. So I got a little camera happy. First off, my lunch, cous cous with roasted garlic and olive oil. VERY good stuff. Second, my latest glass bead. Nothing fancy, but with lots of silver and transparent colors, how can one go wrong? Thirdly, my new drop spindle and gorgeous wool from Annie May. Yarn making here I come!!! Back to the cous cous.

Category: [Ramblings]

My New Favorite Fruit, Even Though I Have Never Eaten It January 19, 2006

Up until today I had never ever HEARD of it. But I would have to say that it is the coolest looking fruit ever. The Dragon Fruit.

Category: [Cool Stuff]

Heaven Is A Place On Earth January 18, 2006

Ah, the simple things. I just took a shower. And it is daytime. Sounds like nothing much, but I tell you, it is like manna from heaven for me. Being a stay at home mom is a great thing. I will never know what I want to be when I grow up, so not having to go to work in the AM is really nice. But there are drawbacks. I havn’t been able to bathe in the daytime in YEARS. Literally. Now I have a a child who is old enough to watch her brother long enough for Mom to take a shower! As I type this I am fresh out of the shower, smelling good and feeling grand. Now I am off to cook dinner for my family and then go to work at good ole’ Starbucks. A Venti Zebra Peppermint Soy Hot Chocolate is in my future. It has been a good day. Until tomorrow my friends.

Category: [Ramblings]

Urban Outfitters Doesn’t Deserve Anyones Business January 18, 2006

I could not believe this when I read it (about 30 seconds ago), this is just awful. Feel free to repost this, email it, the works, corporate America ripping off the little guy is just disgusting. Urban Outfitters Ripped Off A Johnny Cupcakes Shirt.

Categories: [Sewing] [Blogging]

The Gospel Of St. Thomas January 17, 2006

As a devout extreme agnostic (I define that as not truly believing in any “god” but believing in the possibility of one), I find most aspects of Christianity to be pretty fascinating. I have read quite a bit of the bible and I have had many religious friends over the years and I find almost all organized religion to be flawed. At least to me, I am not trying to offend anyone but if I do so be it, this IS my blog after all. I recently read the Gospel of St. Thomas, which was denounced by the church as being fake. I for one do not know that it is real or fake, but it sure makes me wonder. This is my favorite part, as this one small section totally trashes what the church has become, and describes what it truly IS, or should be anyway.

“Split a piece of wood; I am there.

Lift up the stone, and you will find me there.”

That was supposedly spoken by Jesus. Fairly pagan viewpoint on where god is, don’t you think? I do.

Categories: [Ramblings] [Cool Stuff]

Self Portrait Tuesday January 17, 2006

This one is my mom (on the left) and her cousin Nancy back in 1965. I really love this picture because my mother looked almost glamourous, a total 180 from how I knew her. This picture also shows how tiny she is, she is barely 5 foot 6; I was taller than her and sharing her shoes when I was 10 years old. The only claim to petiteness I have is I am tiny boned like her, my wedding ring is a size 4 which is REALLY small! So far my daughter is seeming to be small like her but not as delicate, she is 10 now and her fingers and wrists are as wide as mine which ticks her off to no end. I told her someday she will appreciate it when she has a husband of her own, and he is able to buy her rings and NOT have to get them sized! Then I will be the jealous one.

Category: [Self Portrait Tuesday]

Hooray Hooray! It’s Monday! January 16, 2006

Okay, so my cheering is a farce. Mondays as a rule suck. I just get used to having my husband home for the weekend and then he is gone again. I have had no coffee, and I am seriously grumpy right now. Why no coffee you ask? Could she be out of coffee? *Snort* No, I could not be out of coffee, I work for Starbucks, coffee is the one thing I ALWAYS have. I AM however out of water. What, she has no kitchen sink you ask? *Snorts again* Of course I have a kitchen sink. But our city water tastes like… well… let us just say it tastes pretty bad. So, it is go without coffee, or use the nasty city water. At this point I am seriously considering using the stuff, I need coffee something terrible. But it would be one heck of a sacrifice. I think I need to switch to decaf, then no caffeine fiending for me anymore. But caffeine is my one substantive vice, I feel that I am entitled to it. So there. On another note, the Sunday trip to Jo-Ann Fabrics went quite well, only spent $13 and came out with quite a lot of stuff, they are having one heck of a sale. One of the things I got was a fabric remnant of some pretty nice blue and yellow sort of floraly upholstery fabric, it is going to make some nice stuff, and I got over 2 yards of it, so it is coming out of my ears. I may pair it with some of that chartreuse green parrot stuff that I made my tote bag out of, that can be seen elsewhere on this site. Okay off I go in search of caffeine, it may have to be Diet Pepsi. Sigh. The the things I am forced to endure.

Categories: [Ramblings] [Fabric]

National De-lurking Week January 14, 2006

I had no idea that it was national delurking week. I am going to extend it for myself to include next week. So come on you guys, quit lurking!

Category: [Cool Stuff]

Nothing New To Report January 14, 2006

Not feeling too bloggy today, so here is a pic of one of my glass beads, it’s about time I posted some of my glass here.

Category: [Glass]

Murder In The Eyes Of The Bitch Goddess January 12, 2006

Don’t you just love that? Make one yourself, right here- The Great And Powerful Song Generator

Categories: [Ramblings] [Cool Stuff]

Just About The Coolest Thing Ever January 12, 2006

This is a new purse being shown on Craftster by dooney for a food swap. It may just be the coolest thing I have ever seen, and I have never been into the whole food-as-accesories thing. But a purse made to look like a baked potato, complete with pat-of-butter wallet and broccoli key chain?! AWESOME!

Categories: [Cool Stuff] [Sewing]