hi! i'm alive and well.
a birthday passed and i can't help but acknowledge that tugging feeling of getting older. and not gravity, the girls are doin just fine, thanks!
but i stay in more, i don't mind it.
i enjoy my job... and listen to npr or the temptations radio on pandora while i work.
i've been investing my time in things that really interest me.
i'd like to think that i'm just getting comfy with who i am...

as a kid you don't ever think about that. miss that!
as a teenager, you're confused about what's going on, but damnit, you are the one who's right.
as a young adult, (and i can only speak for myself here)i partied. a lot. and while it was a lot of fun... the crazy coke filled nights/mornings are over for me. not because i have a family, not because i don't have the money, because i don't have the desire.
and i've always thought, "do what ya do!" ... ya know, as long as you're happy.
but i have lost a lot of friends because i "don't do anything anymore".
it makes me want to grab them by the face and screech "blow it out your ass! i do plenty. but you wouldn't know that because we don't share our deepest feelings over a mountain of cocaine anymore" ... it's laughable, really.

are you hearing as much bitterness as i am?
sorry about that...
like i said a place to ramble/ rant/ share.

i've been reading about quarter-life crisis. Don't laugh!
but seriously:

"Characteristics of quarter-life crisis may include:

• realizing that the pursuits of one's peers are useless
  
• confronting their own mortality
  
• watching time slowly take its toll on their parents, only to realize they are next
  
• insecurity regarding the fact that their actions are meaningless
  
• insecurity concerning ability to love themselves, let alone another person
  
• insecurity regarding present accomplishments
  
• re-evaluation of close interpersonal relationships
  
• lack of friendships or romantic relationships, sexual frustration, and involuntary celibacy
  
• disappointment with one's job
  
• nostalgia for university, college, high school, middle school or elementary school life
  
• tendency to hold stronger opinions
  
• boredom with social interactions
  
• loss of closeness to high school and college friends
  
• financially-rooted stress (overwhelming college loans, unanticipatedly high cost of living, etc.)
  
• loneliness, depression and suicidal tendencies
  
• desire to have children
  
• a sense that everyone is, somehow, doing better than oneself
  
• frustration with social skills "
  
  

while it can be discouraging... i think it's a necessary and beneficial thing to really look into who you are, what you're feeling and what you're doing. how do you know where you stand if you don't "question everything"? question yourself. know your answers. but there is a fine line between that and over-analyzing. analyzing can make your brain short circuit. one step at a time, grasshopper.

"what puzzle pieces do you want to make your big picture?"

i'm making my choices. picking my battles. i feel pretty good about it.

bee.

look! it's a combonation of two of my favorite things!!!
give-aways AND etsy... god help me.

just make a wishlist on your blog (complete with links)...
keep it under $100...
give some lovin to craftgossip via twitter or facebook...
and you could be one of the three winners to get your wishlist!


the details can be found here at craftgossip.com

first on my wishlist: a few suuuupplies!

the only glue to use on fabric





a couple of cute/simple handles








then some must-haves:



flippin cute, sharalee!




awesome awesome awesome... my aunt had a pair like this




how could you not love this? i love how dainty it looks




umph. slouchy hats. gimme.



p.s. the winners are announced sept 1st...
make your list! it's super tough to keep it at $100
and thanks to this, i'll prob be browsing etsy in my sleep.

just a little bit of documenting...

july 17:

red rubin basil

tobacco and the 2 little pepper sprouts that survived

august 1:

august 5:

pepper plants!!! they're all growing so fast :)

fuzzy little tobacco plants

cilantro.
our little set up

it's been a while... i've been taking my sweet time on the yellena project...
i contemplate what stitches i want to use too much. but it's what i like so... ya know.
here's how it was looking a couple of days ago:




And! we have a garden... indoor but a garden nonetheless :)

red rubin basil, bell peppers, and cilantro...


our three rapidly growing lettuce sprouts and my three little Gomphrena babies...



a closer look at the red rubins... (the color is so cool!)



the peppers spouted last, we were a little worried
but look how cute that little sprout is!
the one closest has yet to shed the seed casing (i'm sure there's a technical name but that's what i got)

and the tobacco sprouts are cool because the leaves are bubbly and a little furry.

of course, i have yet to get a new camera so you'll just have to trust me.

tomorrow, we'll transplant our little babies into their pots because quite a few roots are starting to pop through.

and how i know i have the best boyfriend in the world:

that's sean proving that he can do a better and more symmetrical job with the tape on my nails for my d.i.y. manicure.

a couple of years back i stumbled across the amazingly awesome works of Yellena James...



if you haven't seen her stuff, you should definitely check it out.

so i've admired her work for a while and the other day i got a bright idea...
i grabbed sean's projector,
picked out (one of) my favorites,
tacked up a pillow case.

...and took on the the task of embroidering this:


here's what it looks like traced:


so far this is what she's lookin like...


i can't tell you how often i think maybe i bit off more than i can chew but i think it's so therapuetic! and what better way to get some practice in than a huge fucking Yellena picture?
yep. so i'm on it.



i've taken a few pictures of the work in progress and when it's finished i'll have a digital flip book sort of thing... ? a project in a project. i guess.







and also just because i think this is beautiful...
something from Sandrine Pelletier.

the love of my life accidentally erased the final pictures i took of Scout's apron i did,
but luckily Sharalee took some photos that i snagged ;)


obviously this is one from our camera...

i did little x's on the pocket.... and since i was pressed for time, i kinda cheated with the iron on letters for her name.

birthday gal!

i was a little nervous but the look on her little face was priceless!

and i was so happy to hear "yo gabba gabba!"

... phew! it was a relief that it was recognizable.

now it's time to start the next project!

like i said before, my ideas feel infinite

and i get a little scattered with excitement and maybe just even absent-mindedness (?)

but we'll see what comes up!

've been stuck at home sick the last 2 days...

which is awesome and sucks at the same time.

yesterday i went to the doctor and found out i had a 101 temp and bronchitis. sweet.
and usually i'd be super stoked to miss out on "grown up" responsibilities, but i actually like my job. oh well... whatcha going to do?

anyhow, enough "poor me"...

I did find time to revise a bag that i've had for a while.

i bought it originally because i liked the fabric, not so much the form though.

here, i'll show you.

and forgive the picture quality. (still haven't made the investment for a good camera... i blame my frugality coupled with my procrastination)

but now i likes my "new" bag much more...

just trimmed it up and added some really simple handles.

i still need to post the pictures i took of project #1 but sean has the camera... so next time!