Squares on Sunday!

Woa what? Did she just... is that... OMFG, really?
Yes really, yes. I have squares for Sunday! Only three. These were already cut and Tuesday I just sat around sewing so these were just waiting to be finished.

Nota bene: They haven't been ironed or clipped down, so excuse their "roughness."

 St. Jude's clouds and yellow.

This is some weird upholstery fabric I got at Hancock's "$10 for this trash bag of remnants" and pink check. It's off center, so it might not be put in the big thing.

Clouds and blue.

No idea what my total count is, but I'll get to it.

~*~

Isn't this yarn just divine?!

 

Line up something in ROY G BIV fashion, and I'm hooked. It's from the Purl Bee's Holiday Gifts for Knitters post.

Description from the site: 1 to 8 skeins of Lobster Pot's Worsted Hand Dyed Cashmere, 100% cashmere. These colors, from the top, are Salt Rose, Boiled Lobster, Lobster Bisque, Drawn Butter, Sea Lettuce, Hydrangea, Cape Sky, and Shoreline Heather.

I wish! I need to get rid of this acrylic. Mm, yummy cashmere. And I wish I had money to afford $46 a skein. Maybe we'll stick with unraveling thrift store sweaters, or even Lion Brand's LB Collection $14 cashmere.

Speaking of yarn and prices,

Lion Brand's LB Collection (aka fancy schmany non acrylic fibers) now has Baby Alpaca for $5! WIN. I hope it's good, and not splitty and blah. I might need to stock up.

P.S. NaNoWho?

P.P.S. Poor craft blog. I am crafting! Furiously working on Christmas gifts. 

Favorite Things Friday: The Thanksgiving Version

This Thanksgiving I’m not quite sure how exactly, but I cooked everything. Everything. And it was awesome, and amazing and delicious! So glad everything came out ok!

Our menu:
Appetizers/lunch: Crab Meltaways
Dinner: Cornish Hens, stuffing/dressing, macaroni and cheese, spinach balls, cranberry sauce, candied “yams”
Ok, well not everything. Momma mochaxlight did the “yams” and the cranberry sauce came in a can.

Unfortunately I had a migraine and slept all day, which meant Momma mochaxlight and I didn’t get a chance to make our apple pie, and I was sickish at night so I only ate some macaroni and cheese. Still yummy though.

Onto pictures!

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday I did the macaroni and cheese, spinach balls and mix for the crab meltaways.

I love macaroni and cheese at the stage. It tastes soo good! Best comfort food ever.

I put some for me in my little casserole dish I got last Christmas.

Susie was my sous chef. She’s the best sous chef ever, though she prefers to be the official taste tester.

Spinach balls in their foetal stage. Even though I’m not a fan of spinach, after you mix it with stuff and eggs (basically like meatballs, only it’s spinach instead of meat) and bake them they’re amazing.

THURSDAY

Crab meltaways! Thomas’ has been making smaller English muffins so we had some excess mix.

 

Since there’re only three of us we don’t need a huge ass turkey. So Cornish hens it is! (You know, from Cornwall, right?) And besides, they’re so cute! Here in their naked glory.

The the Spice Mafia came...

and yummied them up.

Finished food ready for noms!

 

Hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Try not to eat too much Big Bird...er, turkey.

Photography Mondays: Goodies from the Post Man

The mail was good to me today. Not one, but two amazing packages came my way.

First, my angel package from craftADDchick! Thanks so much! I love my Purple Stimulus Package. My granny daughter collection was seriously lacking in purples, so this definitely makes up for it.

Excuse the bad lighting and my camera's reluctance to pick up purples. These are my favorites. I wish they were truer to life. And a Boston Red Sox pen in PINK just for good measure.

!!! Early birthday present from EssHaych! Thank you so so much! I got the cutest little flower brooch and a coupon for 20% off in her Etsy shop. (I'm leaning towards Kimiko the Kokeshi doll, but I'm not sure yet. Thank you!

So cute! And pink! And pretty!

ETA: I found a black beanie that will go perfectly with this.

Thank you guys so much! You totally made my day.

Wee, Christmas before Turkey!

I forgot to mention Friday was my 2 year blogiversary! Yay, go me! I completely forgot since I didn't have anything planned. I didn't have time to prepare a giveaway, and hey, I don't have that many readers anyway! Oh well. To the few of those that do follow me, and the others that read anonymously, thank you! ♥

SOURCE: POSTSECRET.BLOGSPOT.COM

I know it's early, but I just disovered Pier 1 Imports and went on a little Christmas spree. Add Christmas music playing in Michael's and I'm in the mood. So what better way to celebrate and not do homework than a Christmas survey?!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper, unless it's weird to wrap like a triangle.

2. Real tree or artificial? Artifical! We have two, one big one for the main room and I have my own personal PINK tree.

3. When do you put up the tree? First weekend in December. Not too close to Thanksgiving, and I like it up for my birthday.

4. When do you take the tree down? Meh, when we get to it? When the grocery stores start selling Valentine's Day stuff.

5. Do you like eggnog? Never experienced.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? Oh gosh, I love everything I get. Each year I have a favorite. Well, I did really like my Ninendo 64. And my American Girl Dolls. Aw.

7. Hardest person to buy for? My daddy. UGH. He likes history, so if I go to Border's there's always the problem of trying to find a book we don't have (very difficult) and then chances are that he likes it are very small. Things we think he likes, he doesn't. We stay with clothes, and books from his list. And scarves. He likes scarves. Especially the homemade variety.

8. Easiest person to buy for? My mom, or the Girls. (aka the cats)

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, from Mexico.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? EMAIL CHRISMAS CARDS? That's a travesty. Mail always.

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? A Chia pet. Aha.

12. Favorite for Christmas dinner? Jambalaya two years ago. Though since I was baking all day, I didn't get to it until like 4, and had to make two batches, one extra spicy and one mild, so all evening everyone's in the kitchen furiously chopping veggies and meat. We ate at like 9 PM, compared to my grandparents at 2. Ha. it was yummy though.

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Summer?

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Re-gift? Heck yes.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? GINGERBREAD, and Starbucks hot chocolate with a shot of peppermint. Mmm, so tasty.

16. Lights on the tree? Yeah, but I don't like when they blink. It throws the whole thing off.

17. Favorite Christmas song? I WANT A HIPPOPOTAMUS FOR CHRISTMAS. Ha. Go figure! And Last Christmas, by George Michael. Or Jimmy Eat World, their cover is good, too.

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home. Every other Christmas we'd go up to my grandparents in upstate New York, and Santa always had to come early. I hated it. Sure, the family was fun, but I just wanted to stay at home with my stuff in my house.

19. Angel on the tree top or a star? I think we have a fabric angel I made in elementary school. See, crafty from birth.

20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning! Now since I'm not 5 and don't wake up at 6 AM screaming SANTA, SANTA, we can at least wait until after breakfast.

SOURCE.

Favorite Things Friday

Today's post brought to you by the letter "W" for Wal*Mart, as in I went in to pick up some face cream and air stones for my fish tank and $65 dollars later I came back with this chick:

Yes, that's Gloria the Hippo (voiced by Halle Berry) from the Madagascar films. Apparently there was a Christmas one, but whatever station it was on didn't properly advertise so every one found out after the fact.

Anyway, I was looking for hats and there was a display with a nice LCD TV and movies and BAM, hippo with a wreath! Can I say no? Oh no. So I walked around Wal*Mart with my little hippo, very proudly.

In honor of the new Twilight film, and I have a few words to say.

TEAM CEDRIC DIGGORY FOREVER.

Apparently the movie was pretty good. My mom came home gushing like a tween. Apparently it was a lot better than the first.

I'm sure everyone's familiar with Beth Doherty and her amazing work and her book, which I do own and am just getting around to crocheting something out of it...

But I follow her blog, and she's been working up a storm for Luv-able Hug-able. Out of all the amis she's sending this one has to be the cutest:

She's not quite sure what it is, and neither am I. A little male version of Deery Lou? Maybe.

Beth's comments:

And on the very bottom is Hilbert.  I’m not quite sure what he is.  The horns are made of felt that I embroidered, stuffed and gathered the tips of to give them that curve.  I just love the fabric I used for him.  It is called Park Slope, designed by Erin McMorris. I cut out dots from this one, mounted them on felt and sew them to his back for the spots.  I wrapped him up good, but I am a bit worried about how the horns will survive being shipped.  I really hope they don’t get bent out of shape.

The lovely Jeanette (aka mykila) sent me a wonderful poetry themed package, too! ♥ THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'm so excited. Two zines, a poetry pack, some of her own poetry, and four, yes four mix CDs. I'm so excited! Putting them on my iPod now, and also getting her goodies out. (I'm listening to your playlist now. It's freakin sweet.)

And in miniature sweater news, the Minutia 2009 is out from Berroco!

2008:

2007:

Photography Mondays :: American Art Museum

Yesterday I went to the Smithsonian American Art Museum to see the "1934: A New Deal for Artists" exhibit for my 20th century American art history class. I've never been to that museum or the Portrait Gallery, which is in the next building. (Or I think they share the same building.) I wasn't in the best mood, but the few exhibits and pieces I did see were enough to make me come back. It's so interesting to see how different American art is from all the European works that dot the National Gallery.

Artemis.

I always thought she was supposed to be depicted with clothes, since she was chaste like Athena, but then Renoir's Diana is nude, too. Hmph, not sure.

That couple behind the statue had the cutest Yorkie puppy ever. Like him:

but cuter. If that's even possible!

The center courtyard is an atrium with killer wavy windows.

FOLK ART EXHIBIT
We had to go through it to get to the New Deal.

"Coke Covers the World" Otesia Harper, 1992 

Of course I found a quilt.

And a heart guitar with amazing embroidery. Even my Dad was like "woa!"

 "Root Monster" Miles Burkholder Carpenter, 1968

Detail of "Bottlecap Giraffe"  Artist unknown, after 1966

Detail of "Babylon, the Great, is Fallen" Robert Roberg, 1992

Detail of "Biblical Landscape with Adam and Eve"  Victor Joseph Gatto, 20th century

Of course I found the hippo, too.

1934: A NEW DEAL FOR ARTISTS

Quick history: In 1933 the Advisory Committee to the Treasury of Fine Arts started the Public Works for Art Project, because of the high rates of inspiration and the need for inspirational works of art. They received 15,663 works from 3,749 artists depicting the "American Scene."

It was separated into categories: Nature, Leisure, American People, etc.

"Black Panther" Alice Dinneen, 1934

This was one of my favorites. Guess why? ^.^

"The Farmer's Kitchen"  Ivan Albright, 1934.

The detail on this is amazing. You really have to see it in person to get the full effect of the wrinkles on her face and hands and the details of the fabrics.

"Underpass - Binghamton, New York"  Artist unknown, 1933 - 34

This is oil on a photograph on canvas. Pretty cool, right? Plus when we go visit my grandparents, I think we go through Binghamton.

PAUL MANSHIP

This guy's stuff was in the hallway right after. And right next to the museum store. ;]

"Crane and Peacock" 1952

The inscription reads "the crane aloft surveys the world. The earthbound peacock struts and boasts." It's from one of Aesop's fables.

"Salome" 1951

Salome was an icon of female destructiveness whose erotic dance lead to the death of St. John the Baptist.

SOURCE. 

"Preamble" Mike Wilkins, 1987

I LOVE THIS PIECE. And I never even knew it was here. Bah. Anyway, it's the preamble to the Constitution (that I've memorized thanks to School House Rock) on license plates of the fifty states, including DC.

Stupid Virginia's says "TID" :( We didn't get a cool one like NY's "LIBBER."

It wouldn't be DC without Starbucks and signs for Wombats.

I freakin love wombats. Look how cute! And fluffy! They're like small fluffy hippos.

My future car! See how it's gray so it resembles a hippo!?! :b

P.S. Update on my progress on my 101 in 1,001 list. :}