Readymade Magazine Subscription Giveaway

I have fresh new giveaway for all of you!!! (If you won the last one, your bag is the mail).

This giveaway is for a free year's subscription of readymade Magazine! That is 6 full issues of the bimonthly magazine for people who like to make stuff for nothing but leaving a sweet comment!!

Readymade is my most favorite magazine and I have issues 3-34. (If only I can get my hands on #1 and #2- my life would be complete.) You definitely NEED to have this magazine in your life, and here's your chance.


DETAILS: * The contest ends Monday April 7th at 5:30pm.
* Winners will be posted on Tuesday.
*To enter, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post, and include your name. (Check back to see if you won, so you can email me your address.)
*PLEASE NOTE: your post must be "approved" by me before it shows on the website, so don't be alarmed if you do not see it right away.
*Keep checking the blog for the logo above for future giveaways!!!

Brad Pitt Sighting

I promised that I would mention the Brad Pitt sighting soon, however- I am tired of typing so I'll give you the next best thing (probably a better thing) and post my friend tiffani's post about the incident. Her excellent blog can be found here.

Tif says:

It would be weird to start a post with "Brad Pitt" except we saw him today at the Texas State Capital!



My cohort had a field trip today to Austin, to visit the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (in the AM) and the Director of Research for the Speaker of the House (in the PM). In between we had lunch at a great place near the Capital called "Serranos."


Anyway, when our van got to the capital we walked over and while we were trying to figure out how to get in, some guy with a walkie talkie asked us to walk away a bit, about 20 feet from the entrance. We weren't sure what was going on, but soon a couple people and some sheriff's deputies were walking into the building. Katie T. said she thought one of them looked like a movie star, but I poo-pooed her. Well, I was wrong. We found out immediately after that, that it was Brad Pitt.


Brad (as I call him, though I don't know him...) is in Austin right now filming a movie called, "Tree of Life" and apparently part of it takes place at the state capital. When we got inside we got to stand around (because we had to - they wouldn't let us walk through until they were done with their shots, but overall the crew was polite) and watch them shoot the scenes which mostly looked like Brad walking - we couldn't see them filming any dialogue.


It will be interesting to see what those shots look like when the film comes out.


Later we got into our meeting and Al asked me to round up the girls (who were using the rest room) and Carrie and I got stuck as they were filming in the hallway right outside our meeting. That was fun because we got to see him even closer. But alas, no photos (well, we are working on one, but it remains to be seen if we can get it to look good) and no interactions other than watching. Interesting, though! What a fun day!


p.s. They were also filming in Smithville, TX, which was also the location for Hope Floats (I just found that out yesterday)

Posted by Tiffani R at 11:42 PM 0 comments

Video Chatting

I talked to my best friend (Stefi) all day today as we tried to use Skype to video chat. Due to her older computer, Sype kept kicking us off when we tried to upload her video. Then we found some other methods, but MY camera wouldn't work.

Here's what we decided on:
We spoke on our cellphones on speaker phone andd turned off the sound on the computers;
I logged onto to Skype and called Stefi so she could see me;
and She logged onto imo.im and messaged me so I could see her.

Here's what it looked like from my end when we finally got it all working:



We're not really good at look at each other. We get stuck on looking at ourselves and fixing our hair for the camera.

How fun to talk to your best friend about NOTHING at all for hours on a Sunday! It was almost like we were ACTUALLY hanging out.

I can't wait til we get to hang out in person in April.

Still to come:
*Brad Pitt
*Job Search
*30 Things

I think I'm in luv...

I went skiing with Jen and company at Stevens Pass yesterday. I have some decent Rossi skis (circa 2003), but they're adorned with bindings from the last century which have finally decided to call it quits. So while I did take them to the mountain with me yesterday, I had in mind to rent some skis with working bindings when I got there. And since one of Jen's cohorts was able to get me a $12 discount on my lift ticket, I used those 12 clams to upgrade from a basic rental to a demo. I demoed these skis, and I think that they and I would be very happy together. When I returned them after a very satisfying day on the slopes (easily my best day of Cascades skiing), I asked the rental guy how much they wanted for these lovelies, figuring that they'd be selling of their demos soon, as Stevens Pass will be shuttering the lodges and rolling up the lifts in about two weeks. He quoted me about $450 ($479 minus the cost of the rental). Hmmm. While I did consider it (a quick internet seach tells me that they retail at around $900), I can't really justify spending that much on an activity I only do three times a year. The price of luv...

I've been tagged by Lyndsay...

Lyndsay tagged me so here's my details:

10 years ago: I was 14 and ridiculously awkward. trying to navigate through multiple cliques in the cafeteria- goths, athletes, Christians, and skaters. (Those were my main friends). I was becoming the first girl on my high school wrestling team, among three other girls. Funny- I would change out of my platform boots into my tights and attempt to live two lives.

Things on my to do list today: take the recycling to the center, write a five page paper on something, send out a few resumes, watch Juno, email some people, write more blogs, research for case study, gid rid of things in my rooom...

What would I do if I was suddenly became a Billionaire? Pay off my student loans and open a coffee shop that changes people's lives, give to the World Hunger Farm, invest for family

Three of my bad habits: I am a compulsive hoarder, I don't shave my legs as often as I should, I'm addicted to VH1

Five jobs I have had:
Camp Counselor at Camp Discovery
Special Olympics Coordinator
Grocery Store Cashier in the grand Canyon
Coffee Shop Barista at a bookstore
Teacher's assistant iin Pre-K Special ed

Five things people don't know about me:
I still sleep with a stuffed animal named Ducki
I don't like looking at the ocean because I can't see it all at once.
I was more comfortable with my body BEFORE I lost thirty pounds.
I have my own roller skates (four wheeler Sketchers).
I feel cool when I have my windows rolled down and my music turned up.


I tag these people: Janie Williams, Brian Denker, Nic Pfost, Andrea Wandell

My car got the boot.

This is what I came out to my car to find stuck to the window. I was not not surprised, because as I approached my vehicle I noticed an orange accessory on my left back tire. Parkking services has given my car the boot!!! I guess those 11 tickets FINALLY caught up with me.

So now, a few days later I have a paring decal ($100) and 3 parking tickkets to pay ($100). I am ridiculous. I had a supspicion that the tickets were being put on my student bill. But alas, I did not investigate, however parking services did.

So yesterday was the first day of my graduate career (with less than 50 days left) that I legally parked on campus. Bummer, if only I could have held out.

Final thought: As I waited for Parking services to pick me up, I noticed that a student on a bike had stopped to take a photo of my boot. "Don't take a picture of my sorrow!" I thought as I channeled my best friend. (That is sooo something Stefi would say.)

More to come:
*Blog tag from Lyndsy
*Job search Update
*Brad Pitt Sighting
*Graduation announcement

in like a lion, out like a.... snowplow

OK, perhaps plows won't be necessary, but it's snowing outside now as though it were December. Bad for the garden, but tomorrow's skiing should be pretty nice!

ribbit

The blocks are done on the huge log cabin quilt! (crossing fingers, because when I laid it all out this morning, it looked alarmingly small...)



To answer DinoMatt's question from yesterday: “frogging” is knitting slang for realizing that something has gone utterly awry with your project (in this case, the sock was too big for my taste—it would have suited me fine back when I sported slouch socks, some eighteen years ago), pulling the needles out, exposing all of the live stitches grabbing the ball-end of the yarn and pulling out all the stitches. Crying may be involved, and likely red wine. Why do they call it frogging, you ask? Well legend has it that it that since the other way this activity is described is to “rip it back”. Now follow me here.…. rip it… ribbit… frog ….change the noun to a verb….frogging.

WIP tuesday & weekend update

On Saturday morning, Eric and I went curling again -- we love it! I am really getting serious about joining a league next season (September). I forgot the camera, but we had a great time.

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On Sunday, I made applesauce from the huge bowl of apples I had inadvertently collected....




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Eric and I got the spring veggie starts underway, converting the garden window into a... garden window....


We planted broccoli, kale, two types of lettuce, beans (from seeds we harvested from last year's crop), basil, cilantro, walla walla onions, scalions and Italian roasting peppers.



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But with the success of those things came the agony of defeat with other things. Well, not defeat exactly, but disappointment, both in quilting and in knitting.


Turns out I miscounted on the Huge Log Cabin, and I need 24 blocks, not 16. Such a silly mistake, but with a little production modification (why wasn't I chain stitching these babies before?!?) and some serious motivation in the form of other quilt projects piling up, I am already halfway through the eight additional blocks I need to be back on track...




And as for knitting, I had to frog my first sock attempt when it became clear that the sock was just too big. Smaller needles or a stich count reduction, not sure which, but I am determined to begin again! In fact, I have so enjoyed this sock attempt that I have truly had to sit on my hands to refrain from buying more sock yarn already.... ugh.


hmmm... perhaps I should have tried to modify it into a fingerless mitt before I frogged.... oh well.

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And remember the Gift Exhange I mentioned, oh-so-long-ago? I haven't forgotten it! This is my first felted bowl, which I am now embellishing with beads for one recipient....

WIP Monday

This is eleven log cabin blocks -- only five more to go! Then the sashing, and the border....

These are the felted coasters -- they were so easy and fun, my friends and family will be lucky if they don't all get felted coasters for the holidays...

And this is a book cozy that I made for Karen....

Kiss me, I'm Irish!

Rock House Designs

My friend April has just started her own crafty business, Rock House Designs. Her Etsy shop is here, and her own website is coming soon. I have one of these lovely bags myself, and I highly recommend them! They're created entirely out of reclaimed materials, save the zippers and thread. Good luck April!

you know you've made it when...

... IKEA starts naming stuff after you, even if it is an ugly pillow.

Eric back safe and sound from Atlanta (he missed the tornados there by a day), I promptly left him at home for a day on the slopes. A great ski day, cold enough to keep the snow from getting that spring slush feel, but warm enough to be comfortable. I had a bit of a skiing epiphany too, figuring how to keep my skis close together without having to struggle so hard (answer: lean forward a tiny bit).

Eric had to work today, and I spent the morning knitting and trying my hand at felting. I knitted and felted a set of four coasters* while listening to the end of The Other Boleyn Girl. Now, that's 19 CDs worth of audiobook, so it's been awhile, and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the book. Meaning, I am not sure I would have enjoyed reading the book so much as I did listening to it. So when Anne lost her head and the book concluded, I got a little panicky. Not like when I finish a book and I want to know what happens next, but rather, I have been listening to Susan Lyons telling this story for so long that I don't know what else to listen to as I knit/quilt/do the dishes/ride the bus. In fact, I have so neglected NPR lately, I have found that I am not nearly as up to date on current events as I usually am. And what's worse, I'm OK with that. So I hunted around the Seattle Public Library for a new audiobook fix, and placed holds on two other Phillipa Gregory audiobooks, and when I saw the "download now" button for The Boleyn Inheritance, I clicked. Twenty minutes later I was happily knitting again to a new story about the Tudors, Boleyns, Howards and Careys. The bad bit is that the downloaded audiobook isn't compatible with my iPod....

* I bought this yarn last week while I was at the fabric store buying a rotary cutting mat and quilting ruler. Two balls of Fjord Crystal Palace 100% wool yarn jumped off of the shelf and right into my hands, I swear. After I had paid and was putting my haul into my messenger bag, a shop employee walked by and said, "Wow. Knitting and sewing. you've got it bad."

A Sandy Flip

Spunky's favorite movie is 'Grease'. She always wants her hair to look like Sandy's. So today we went with the flip from the beach scene from the movie.

Pull the hair into two ponytails in the front (optional).

Spray the ends of the hair with hairspray, let dry.

I used a flat iron. Run it down the hair and when you get to the bottom, curve the flat iron towards yourself.

Repeat on remaining hair.

Comb smooth so all of the hair is uniform.

Spray with hairspray.

French Braid to Ponytail

Excuse this picture. We were in a hurry to get her out the door. She really doesn't have scary eyes.

Divide a section in the front of the hair.

French braid it back and secure it with an elastic.

Pull the remaining hair up into a ponytail, on the last time through, only pull the ponytail halfway through.

Curl the ends and piece them out.

Short French Braid

Smooth and wet the hair.

Start out with your braid sections low, just above the ears.

French braid it down as far as you want to go.

Secure with an elastic.

Add a bow.

Knot with Curls

I pulled the top half of her hair smooth and then did a knot. I curled the ends with the flat iron.

Braids to Ponytail with a Center Part

Sometimes my kids can pull off a center part. I started this one with the intention of French Braids, but I was told that no French Braids were allowed today, so we went with two braids to a ponytail. This one is pretty self-explanitory; I did secure each braid with an elastic before I pulled them back and I ended up leaving the elastics in, the flower covered them up. Plus I was lazy.

Side Braid to Ponytail

*Hairstyle submitted by Laurie

This is Little Londynn. Londynn is going through a braid phase right now so her mom has to come up with all sorts of variations. Here is one in particular.



Section the front part of the hair from the part to the opposite side of the part.
Braid the hair back to where your ponytail will be. Secure with an elastic.
Comb hair smooth to the ponytail and pull the braid to the ponytail.
Secure with an elastic.
Place a bow or ribbon in the hair.


Thanks for your daughters picture Laurie! We miss her!

Oscar-esque Bun

Here is another of my friend Hilary's daughters. Hilary is like me and gets bored with the same old thing. She watches for inspiration and she received some from Nicole Kidman at this years Academy Awards.

Pull the hair into a low ponytail at the nape of the neck.

Curl the hair in the ponytail.

Divide the ponytail in half.

Take one half and loosely twist it up above the ponytail and secure it with a bobby pin.

Do the same on the other side.

Piece out the ends and spray.

curling!

That's right, curling! Eric and I attended the Granite Curling Club open house on Saturday with Matte. It was great fun -- with league curlers on hand to show us how it's done, we learned the rules of the game, some basic strategy, how to throw the stones, and of course, how to sweep the ice as the stone slides towards the house (which is the "bullseye" in the picture below, but at the opposite end of the ice). I am smitten. And for a newbie, I'd say I was pretty good (I got one "knock-out" shot!).

Here, Eric has just released the stone. It is now gliding towards the other end of the sheet, or ice.

On Sunday, we visited with Eric's roommates from Humboldt, Ross and Kim, who have recently relocated to Tacoma from a six year stint in Texas. They're settling in Gig Harbor, which will give us all the more reason to visit there again. They were living in Houston during (and through) Hurricane Rita -- their recounting of it sounded awful. Beyond awful. I can't even imagine....

And in other news, my paper on The Use of Climatically Appropriate Plants in Landscape Design in Southern California Between 1900 and 1950: The Work of Kate Sessions is done and turned in! Hurray! My final exam is next week, and I am all registered (and really looking forward to) the next class, Introduction to Planting Design. Does that not sound facinating?!? Up until now, I have had a nice, easy class schedule: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6:00-7:20pm. After work hours, and really easy to get to. Next quarter though, class will be Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30-10:20am. Throws a bit of a wrench in the work schedule, but fortunately I have highly supportive supervisors, so it's alright.

the most wonderful time of the year

I love Girl Scout cookie season!

Fashioncore

Ask for an asymmetric style, point cut and highly texturised so its almost "scraggly" then an off centre flash of colour, in this case intense copper. Style by drying the hair upwards with the hairdryer for root lift, straightening with flat irons, then use a clay wax to mess it up. Hairspray can be used to assure a firm hold.

hair by: SCISSORHANDS

Fashioncore

Ask for an asymmetric style, point cut and highly texturised so its almost "scraggly" then an off centre flash of colour, in this case intense copper. Style by drying the hair upwards with the hairdryer for root lift, straightening with flat irons, then use a clay wax to mess it up. Hairspray can be used to assure a firm hold.

hair by: SCISSORHANDS

Channeling Our Inner Shirley

In my world, ringlets are synonomous with Shirley Temple or Nellie Oleson. Since Nellie doesn't evoke warm fuzzies, we are channeling Shirley today.

This past week both of my girls have wanted ringlets. When I do ringlets I still use my trusty flat-iron (love that thing). Instead of pulling it through fast like it says to in the demo, I run the hair through slow and make sure I keep the hair wrapped around the flat iron.


Spunky designed this hair do. I had to do the top part FOUR times to get it to her specifications.

Here is my "dirty" little secret. I only wash their hair every other day. The previous day she had a French Braid on the top of her hair. She left it in and the next morning she had waves up top but not on the bottom. So we worked with it and curled the ends. It was fun to have so much body to work with on the top.

Twist Tutorial

Let's start by saying hi to our sweet little model. Hi Lana! Today is her birthday and she was so sweet to let me take pictures of her getting her hair done on her big day!

Let's begin, shall we? The twist here isn't so much about twisting the hair as it is about sectioning, pulling pieces and twisting your hands.

Start by wetting the hair. Try to dampen only the front and crown and sides and leave the ends dry. Comb out the hair as smooth as you can. Combing it out smooth is VERY important in this style.

Part out a vertical chunk from the part to the ear.

Divide your section in half. Take a second to look at Lana's mommy's hands. She has the most beautiful hands. Don't you agree?

Pull the bottom half over the top half. You then take a section of hair from the underside of the hair and pull it up into the original bottom half (the next picture demonstrates this better). You usually end up with a section of hair between your thumb and forefinger and another section of hair between your forefinger and middle finger with the palm of your hand next parallel to the hair.

You always bring up hair from the bottom. Never the top. This is where the smooth, damp hair is necessary. It makes it easier to section. Thank goodness for spell check. I can never spell necessary. Twisting the new formed section, you repeat with the original top half.

See Hilary's gorgeous hands, you can see how she is holding the hair. In this style you are constantly turning your hands

Keep going.


Till you get to the end. Twist down a bit so that you don't lose the twist you just made when you secure their hair.



Take a rubber band and secure the end. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, you are just going to take this part out. If your child is older and has the patience, you can have them just hold the twist. That is what I make my Princess do, but she has almost four years on these young pups.

Repeat on the opposite side.

Pull together. Hilary pulls one side over the other. It helps with the stability of the twists. Putting them together is kind of like plates on the earth. They slip and slide and make a big old mess. Trust me and avoid the mess. Put one side on top of the other. Secure them with an elastic.

The hard part is over. Usually her hair is pulled all the way through in a ponytail, but it's her birthday and Hilary is feeling adventerous (hey, we are stay-at-home-moms, most days this is as big as we get in the creativity department) and she decided to pull the ponytail only half through.

This is why I love my friend Hilary. She always teaches me something new. Before I met her, my the ends of my daughters ribbons were all askew. She taught me that if you take your curling iron and curl the ends, it makes them look finished.

So curl your ribbon ends. I promise, it makes the world a prettier place, and isn't that the point of this blog, to make the world a prettier place?

Then curl the ends of the ponytail.

And VOILA'! You have a beautiful princess twist for a beautiful princess on the day she turns 4!

Thanks sweetie! And thanks Hilary for being my partner in crime!

a letter

Dear guy sleeping in the UW Library of Natural Resources at noon on Saturday, March 1, 2008,

Please. Stop. Snoring.

At first, I thought it a groundskeeper using a leaf blower outside, but as you started to snore louder, I recognized the undulating pattern…zzzzzzzz (pause) zzzzzzzz (pause) zzzzzzzz (pause)…. Why I can’t bring myself to grab a stack of books (we are in a library after all, I could easily find some doozies) and drop them on a nearby desk (or your foot) will always be a source of shame for me.

Darn. For a minute there it sounded like you’d woken yourself up by snoring so loudly.

Seriously. If you’re that tired, why don’t you just admit it and go home and take a nap? I won’t think any less of you, I promise. Don’t stay here, pretending to be studying, all the while annoying the bejesus out of conscious people like myself.

Thank you,
Andrea