Advent Calendar
I love Christmas.
It’s my favorite holiday. Maybe it’s because it’s also my best friend’s birthday (aka my mom’s – who was also born in Bethlehem!) but I just love the holiday. It makes me happy… well at least when I avoid shopping during this time. Nothing will get rid of my Christmas spirit faster than going to Wal-Mart, I tell ya.
Anyway, this year, I decided to do some stuff to get the Christmas spirit going in this house. I made my first advent … read on, Fisherboy »
Multiple-purpose footrest!
So, our house is small. And kind of laid out weird. Everything is all long and narrow, and we’re always trying to find the best furniture configurations to make things nice and maximize space. The living room is the bane of my existence… we have tons of crap and not enough room for it all.
Now, for months, I’ve had a layout idea for the living room that required “going with it” in the “long and narrow” department. If it helps to understand, you can see and old, messy “before” shot … read on, Fisherboy »
Things they are a-changin’!
So over the past few weeks, I’ve had another “epiphany” (if you will.) I doubt anyone who reads this (if there is anyone) is actually anyone who’s read me since the beginning. If so, I applaud you – you are Ghandi-like in your patience.
For the record, I’ve had this blog since 1999, and it’s been through many iterations and versions. Holy cow – that’s 12 years! You think I’d do better than this with it! However, my excuse is that I have another website … read on, Fisherboy »
Hall of Glory
So, a while back, I posted nasty pics of my house. Yes, I was prepared for my mother to see them and have a heart attack from the horridness of my house. My plan was to start working on rooms and make my house look like a home someone cared about, rather than just a place to stay.
I’ve awakened a monster.
You might recall that what started it was my youngest daughter (who was four years old when the request first came, but has since turned five) wanted to get rid … read on, Fisherboy »
This little light of mine…
So, still on my daughter’s room here…
She’s only 5, and likes to sleep with a nightlight on, still. My husband got some light switches that had a built-in nightlight, but it’s not bright enough for her liking. After seeing some tutorials this summer for a candle lantern made out of small photo frames, I thought it would be neat to do something similar for her using Christmas lights.
There’s an issue though – Christmas lights mean you have to plug them in to turn them on, and unplug them … read on, Fisherboy »
Guilt-free Ben & Jerry’s!
Well, Irene passed over us during the weekend. We were lucky, no damage per se, save the power went out around noon on Sunday, and it’s still out now. Mike (my husband) usually leaves work between 5 and 5:30 and is home half an hour later, but today it took him almost 2 hours to get home because almost every road was closed, so everyone was taking the one road that was open.
Anyway, I was assuming the power was going to go out, so I stocked up on some projects … read on, Fisherboy »
Another craigslist makeover
So I scored another craigslist find. Hubs was going to build two nightstands for my daughter’s room, but he’s been building SO much stuff lately that I was trying to see if I could find something acceptable on craigslist. I’ve been watching for over a month, but nothing popped out as THE item, so it looked like I was either going to have to force the hubster’s hand, or re-learn how to use power tools.
Now, in this photo, they looked pretty banged up, but … read on, Fisherboy »
Redos Galore!
Wow – so we’ve been busy. As you recall, I was getting ready to redo my daughter’s room (the youngest, who is 5 and thinks she’s a pretty princess, and her favorite color is rainbow unicorn pink sparkle) and the idea of fixing our linen closet kicked into gear – which set off the need to repaint our hallway. (Funny how these things cascade into each other.) I’ll give you a couple of reminders of how they used to look.
the Hallway:
The Linen Closet:
…and my daughter’s room (from before):
So, there … read on, Fisherboy »
Impatience
I am feeling very frustrated right now.
I can’t help it.
If my honey actually ever reads this, please don’t think this is a negative reflection upon you. It is not.
See, my honey does the woodworking around here. He’s got all kinds of awesome tools out in the garage, and when I want something, I draw p the plans, and he makes it for me. It’s actually a pretty great system. Back when I was a kid, I use to take shop class, and I loved woodworking … read on, Fisherboy »
First try at floral arrangement
We’re still trying to get the linen closet finished up – I can’t begin to seriously work on my daughter’s room until the closet is finished (as ALL of the linens, etc. are now in her room – I have noplace else to put them), so I’ve been trying to occupy my time with items that I know will go in there eventually. You know, the small stuff – the little details. They’d have to be done sooner or later, so I decided to work on those while … read on, Fisherboy »
Extended Weekend!
So, I had a 4-day weekend… woo-hoo! It was packed full o’ stuff to do. One thing that occupied most of my time was the new addition to our family:
He’s 20% Siberian Husky and 80% Native American Indian Dog. I’m severely allergic to dogs (not cats though – which I never understood, because I can’t stand them. Yet they love me. WTH?) – if I spend any time with a dog of any kind, I itch, sneeze, get stuffy and occasionally break out in hives. However, this pup? The NAID … read on, Fisherboy »
I know I can’t be crazy.
I’ve been Googling on this for days, but results come up with nil. I mentioned it to my husband last night – I’d been stewing on this idea for about a week now – and I knew he’d think I was crazy, but I told him anyway. (And yes, he thought I was crazy.)
I’ve mentioned by kitchen before – and how terrible it is. You can slide all the base cabinets around to anywhere – they aren’t attached to the floor. (You can’t move the one with the … read on, Fisherboy »
My First Restoration Project
So, in working on my daughter’s room, I’ve been scouring Craigslist for stuff we can use to decorate with. (In all reality, I was scouring Craigslist trying to find a dresser that would fit the unusual new size of our linen closet, and was coming up empty. What is it with people ignoring your requests for info? I sent out like 4 emails to 4 different people, and not a single one bothered getting back with me. Are they really selling, or just getting my email for spam purposes?)
Funny how things snowball…
Yesterday was Father’s Day (I’m sure you knew that…) and Mike actually spent time doing something he liked doing. His Father’s Day present was a lawn sweeper. We have a 1-acre yard, and every time he mows the lawn, we end up with these clumps of grass that dry out and turn into thatch. By mid-summer, our lawn always look dead because it’s got all these dried-up clumps of grass everywhere. We’ve tried raking it by hand, but it takes forever. So we got him … read on, Fisherboy »
Little Girl’s room – planning
I probably should have saved the image from my last post to put into this one. However, it was the image that prompted my start of redecorating our house, so I guess it fits.
Anyway, the image (in case you missed it) is this:
It’s from Pottery Barn Kids, and is the “Pink Daisy Garden Bedroom“. (A warning: I don’t know how long that link will be good for.) When I saw it, I knew my youngest would love to have her bedroom look like this. She loves the … read on, Fisherboy »
Home Decor
Yes. It’s been *forever* since I’ve said anything. I know. I’ll be surprised if anyone is reading me anymore. Oh well!
Lately, I’ve had an itch. Well, I wouldn’t say “lately,” because I’ve had this itch since we moved here almost 6 years ago. But I’m really wanting to scratch it. This past winter was…wow. There was a point in February (I think) where we couldn’t even open our front door. And do you know what an ice dam is? I didn’t – until this past … read on, Fisherboy »
And now for something completely different….
For the first time (in quite a while, I think) where I’m gonna get all “personal.” I’ve entered – yet again – one of my “creative stages”. I tend to do this a lot – ebb and flow in and out on creative bursts of energy. I want to make stuff all the time, and my brain is overloaded with ideas, my sketchbook tries to capture them all, but sometimes my brain moves a lot faster than my fingers and I lose some.
This past year, I’ve been … read on, Fisherboy »
NFT System
So I’ve finally decided that the NFT System for growing will be the best thing. I’m a low-maintenance gal. and it seems that the NFT setup provides the best result with the lowest maintenance. (I decided on this setup after finding this terrific site that holds your hand through the hydroponic maze.)
This is cool, because I feel verified. When I first started thinking about hydroponic gardening, I was intrigued by a cheap setup created using PVC pipes, an aquarium pump, and empty 2-litre coke bottles. … read on, Fisherboy »
Hydroponics
So, I’ve been looking into hydroponics for quite some time. We’ve just recently gone over our budget, and with these health-related changes to our diet over the last 6 months, we’ve noticed our grocery bill has jumped up a whopping 200%. Unreal. We buy a LOT of produce, and our budget is taking a massive hit on it. (I’m starting to see why people buy processed foods and live unhealthy lives – it’s freaking cheaper!) Then you start thinking about your carbon footprint, pesticides, etc. etc… … read on, Fisherboy »
Halloween 2010 – the Rose Princess
So. my kids are wanting special Halloween costumes this year. My daughter wants to be a “Rose Princess,” she loves all things royal, pink, and sparkly. So we were looking online, trying to find pretty dresses for her, and we came across the Costumer’s Guide. My daughter is only four, so I immediately thought of Kirsten Dunst in “Interview With a Vampire,” and the lovely dresses she wore. As we were trolling through, looking at the dresses, her eyes were cast upon Christine’s dress in … read on, Fisherboy »
Gardening
So, with this new fixation on health – as well as the horror of watching out grocery bill climb due to the vast amounts of fresh produce we are now buying – we’ve decided to plant a garden next year. As a student of the culinary arts (and a former chef), I’m already big on natural, fresh ingredients, and we eat very little processed foods in this house. (But get real, we do have a few here and there that we do use. I’m not going … read on, Fisherboy »
Time Off
So, I’m finally taking time off from work.
I started my sabbatical last October, but I was still working my tail off this past year. Insane. So I’ve finished up my last two clients, and I told my husband “That’s it! I’m taking the rest of the year off.”
This last week has been terrible.
No one has needed me, and I’m at a loss because I’m not busy. It’s a very odd thing for me – to have time on my hands. I’m so used … read on, Fisherboy »
Day 64
So after about a week of debating on the whole issue of quitting, I’ve come to a decision.
I have to say, I’m not one for meditation (although I should – Lord knows it keeps me calm when I do, and with a 15-year-old girl in the house this summer, I need to remain calm, lest I obliterate her), but I did have long conversations with my husband and lots of time to think on it.
I will not be quitting.
I can’t. I love my job too much. I would … read on, Fisherboy »
Day 57
I’m tired.
When I was growing up, I had something instilled in me: the drive to never quit. Meaning, if I committed to something, if I promised I would do something, then I would see it through to the end.
I remember when I was in 9th grade, I was a cheerleader. At the beginning of the school year, there were 14 of us on the squad. When “yearbook picture time” rolled around in mid_march, there were three. Everyone quit. Various reasons, really – but … read on, Fisherboy »
Day 50
It’s funny – when you decide to crack down on yourself and get things in order, the universe seems to toss everything it can at you to upset your progress. WTF is up with that?
Day 12
I promised I’d try for once a week. it’s late in that promise, but it’s still within the “once a week” timeline – so win for me!
So what’s happened in the last 12 days? Well, I’ve managed to retain my work-overload. In fact, as I write, this, I’m quite exhausted – I’ve been up for the last three nights pretty late, trying to knock out all the sites I need to finish. I’ve also been walking more than usual – it helps me ot walk while I’m … read on, Fisherboy »
100 Days
So, I used to do this thing called the “100 Days Challenge,” which was based off of the stuff you found in the book “The Secret.” I’m not going to get all into the meaning of “The Secret” and the stuff that people talk about (controversy) over it. Honestly, I’ve never read the book, and I probably never will because it’s not my style of reading material. But the challenge I was involved in (that was based on this book) was really interesting, and some of it … read on, Fisherboy »
Spring Fever
Oh, I’m just in a mood to blab today. The winter seems to definitely be over with – it’s been in the 70′s for the last couple of days, and just perfect weather. I think I have spring fever, because I just cannot concentrate on work at all. All I want to do is clean the house and start working on the projects hubby and I have been discussing all winter.
I had jury duty this past week – got called in on St. Patrick’s Day. I … read on, Fisherboy »
My First Sweater
So I did it. I finally finished it. I actually managed to finish it in the 17 days I was allowed to work on it. I felt kind of guilty though, because I stitched up the last of the seams on the night of the closing ceremonies – I was allowed up until 11:59pm to have it done, and I finished at 11:30pm – so it was really close.
Then my husband tried it on, and you wouldn’t believe it – the sleeves were too short.
Ravelympics!
Yep, I’ve gone and joined it.
Why? I dunno. I know there’s some kind of prizes handed out when the Olympics are over (if you’ve finished your project) but I haven’t really paid attention to that. I think the reason is because I’ve been wanting to do something really challenging, and a sweater would be just that. I also work very well under pressure – when I have a deadline, it’s some part of my system that not only do I have to have it done by … read on, Fisherboy »
Not feelin’ it right now…
I’ve been knitting a lot lately. There’s some projects on my Ravelry page that I’ve updated and enjoyed (except one!) doing – but over the last week or so, I’ve started about 10 different projects and ripped them all out.
I’ve joined the Ravelympics with one project – a sweater I’ve been dying to knit up for my husband. I’ve never knit a sweater before, so I figured this was a good challenge to test myself with. I’ve already got everything for it, and I actually started … read on, Fisherboy »
Figuring out a Stitch Pattern All By Myself!
Although I’m really new to knitting (only been at it for about 4 months now) I’ve been really interested in stitch patterns and creating my own designs from them. I saw the stitch pattern on this hat, and fell in love with it, but all of my searches proved fruitless in trying to find instructions on how to do it. So I said “What the hell!” and tried to come up with it on my own.
The “I Lost 20 Pounds” Tote
I am continuing on with my obsession of bags. For some unknown reason, I cannot get them out of my head. I’ve mentioned before that I don’t like bags, and typically don’t carry them, so why I’m obsessing over them right now, I cannot figure out. I’e been drawing designs like crazy, and my poor sewing machine is getting a workout.
Yesterday, I was cleaning out my drawers. I’ve been trying to finally lose this weight I packed on while having my children, and over the … read on, Fisherboy »
Grocery Tote Tutorial, Part II: Sew
If you missed the first part of this tutorial, please look at it now. It tells you how to cut all the pieces!
Now that you have all of your pieces cut, it’s time to sew it all together. First thing you want to do is choose what pieces will be the lining, and what will be the outer shell. Once you’ve decided that, then take the two pieces for the outside of the tote, put the right sides together, and sew them at the two sides … read on, Fisherboy »
Grocery Tote Tutorial, Part I: Prep
As promised, I’m here to deliver my first sewing tutorial, to show you how I made my reversible grocery tote bag. This entry is just the first in a (small) series of posts on the matter. I’m doing it in steps for two reasons: 1) I think it breaks things up a little more to make it easier to follow and 2) I have little ones at home, and they only let me do a little bit at a time.
So if you didn’t read on, Fisherboy »
Genius Procrastinator at Work
Leonardo da Vinci was a great artist and inventor, and it was said he was a great genius. The Boston Museum of Science (as well as many others, but I figured I’d give you a real reference!) said that “Leonardo’s interests were so broad, and he was so often compelled by new subjects, that he usually failed to finish what he started.” This little factoid about da Vinci is why my husband thinks I’m a genius, and why every boss I’ve ever had thinks I’m incompetent.
I will admit that … read on, Fisherboy »
Yes, I dance with Tarot.
But not like you’d think.
I don’t see myself as “psychic.” I’ve never touted that I am, and for the most part, I don’t believe that people – well, most people – that say they are… really are.
Sure, there have been strange things that have happened to me throughout my life. I have lots of stories that have given people goosebumps (who doesn’t?). But personally, I believe that everyone has some part of their mind that taps into your subconscious – that’s all. Humans, as … read on, Fisherboy »
My New Inspiration
So I’m about 95% complete with this site right now. I don’t know how many incarnations this site has gone through over time, but it’s been many. I’ve started and stopped this blog I don’t know how many times in the past – I’ve gained followers and lost them again.
Yes, I know it’s not convincing you to come back.
This domain and site are seriously personal for me. In this regard, it really is all about me. I run my own small business (doing web … read on, Fisherboy »
Reversible Grocery Tote
So, we recently discovered that our local grocery store would give us money off our grocery bill if we brought in our own bags to stuff our purchases in. Now, we’re pretty good at “going green” – we recycle and it’s pretty much habit now to separate our trash as we go along, we carpool, and we try to remain conscientious about what we’re doing to reduce our carbon footprint and output.
Don’t get me wrong, we aren’t “tree huggers” either – but I do think we try … read on, Fisherboy »
Knitting Bag – First Attempt
I’ve had a knitting bag design in my head for a while, once that I’ve improved upon as I got more and more into knitting. I finally drew a schematic down in my moleskine, and sewed it up for myself. It didn’t come out as well as I’d liked, but it was a good first attempt…