Kayt's Blog

Saturday:

2008-11-24T08:09:00.009-07:00

First we went to Lowes to price cabinets since the ones we were going to get are now partially unavailable (certain crucial pieces like corner and wall oven cabinets). We were checking out the ready-made cabinets (much to my surprise some of the Lowes ready-made cabinets were actually cheaper than Ikea!). But then we wandered into the kitchen design 'showroom' area .... And there it was - the PERFECT kitchen! It even had the exact countertop I had fallen in love with at Home Depot. Behold our future kitchen:

Now the funny thing is ... it's oak (with a 'honey spice' and a 'moss' finish). Generally, I HATE oak, and generally, my dad hates green ... and yet we both REALLY like this one. Wierd, huh? Anyway, it's not really much more expensive than anything else we've looked at (averages $170 per linear foot), so I think we might have to have the Lowes folks come on out and giveme a new kitchen (though obvouisly not before Thanksgiving *pouty face*).

Anyway, after that we went on over to Big Lots (which was the actual reason we were out and about) to stock up on X-mas decorations. And stock up we did! Photos will be forthcoming when we FINALLY get the stuff up. But in the interim I thought I would share what i did last night while dinner cooked ....

Recipe involves 2 Light-up Wreaths and a Poinsettia Garland:

I was going to wrap the garland around the wreaths, but a) once cut in half it

wasn't quite long enough for that, and b) it was too thick and leafy to let the lights shine through, so instead I cut it apart and nestled the flowers into the wreath.

Unlit:

Alight:

But the bottom line is that we now have two cute wreaths for our two little front windows (next to the front door) that don't look quite as plain as they did before :) And, I still have about a foot and half of garland left (and a whole passle of green leaf and gold bead clusters). The brain is still ticking over what to do with them.

I Feel Like Scarlett O'Hara!

2008-10-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

So, I started my cake class last Monday - and I really think I'm going to like it. But one of the several things I need to take to class next Monday is an apron. I didn't have/couldn't find one anywhere, so I decided to be resourceful and make one. Because maldito Wal-Mart has done away with it's previously vast sewing section, and since I hadn't managed to make it to the ONE quilting store in our little downtown by Wednesday evening - the thought came to me to look around in the various rooms of boxes we still haven't gone through yet to see if I could locate any of my old stockpile. I found two big chunks of lovely fabric that I'd totally forgotten about, but neither seemed right for an apron. Then I found an old bed sheet I'd put aside to use in quilting and I instantly saw apron written all over it!

So ala Scarlett O'Hara's re-purposed drapery dress ..... drumroll please ...... I bring you my clever(?) reuse of a twin flat sheet (and I still have a ton left over for quilting - just not the part of the sheet with the border on it ... which I couldn't have used in quilting anyway):

PS - there would have been considerably less swearing if I'd had a pattern, but all things considered I'm quite proud (of both the apron, and myself, lol)

Misc.

2008-09-12T23:08:00.003-07:00

I have been reading the same book for MONTHS (which is to say, it sits on my table and I ignore it), and we didn't watch any Netflix movies for like 6 months (though we have now corrected that!), and I haven't even felt an urge to write lately. But, I'm sure it's just a natural sort of ebb and flow.

At the moment, I'm mostly about crafts - pathetic as that might sound. Mostly, I have been trying to help my mother figure out her new toy: The Cricut (no matter what we do, we can't seem to get it to cut all the way through the cardstock - any suggestions?). But now I'm starting on the Christmas stuff - and you won't even believe what we bought!

I know I have railed against her in the past - and I'm sorry but her doll collection is just scary - but when Marie Osmond is talking crafts on QVC - she seems almost normal (if you don't believe me you can watch the video of it at the link found below for the item).

So, my mom and I went temporarily insane and bought a couple things. We're starting on the punch needle embroidery advent calendar ornaments. I've never done punch needle embroidery before - but it is actually BLESSEDLY mind-numbingly easy. You just sit there and go 'poka-poka' and you forget that you were stressed out 5 minutes ago - and it goes so fast that it makes you feel like you've achieved something (not like my needlepoint project in progress that I will be lucky to finish by 2025).

Also - I found this website that lets you order (more or less) custom made perfume www.ScentDesign.net - it's great! I got a few of the 3 fragrance tubes to try, and am currently in love with the Sandlewood, Vanilla, and Musk combo :)

We all know my politics lean pretty far to the left, so maybe it's only funny to a liberal like me - but I did get a serious giggle out of this Sarah Palin spoof:

See more Gina Gershon videos at Funny or Die

Desks, hospitals, tickets, and sucking on unlit cigarettes

2006-12-01T05:08:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here at 4am on Friday morning, listening to depressing music (ain't I always? LOL) inhaling deeply on an unlit cigarette (trying to eke out the sickly hint of tobacco essence available without actually setting it on fire), thinking about writing, thinking about thinking, thinking about nothing and everything.

My mom has been in the hospital since Tuesday night. My father took her over - he's nice to have around again - things fall a little lighter on my shoulders with him here (never thought I'd say that, but it's true). It's nothing major - an infection in her leg, but she has bad circulation and diabetes, so these things are always more critical than they would be on anyone else. They're pumping her full of antibiotics and sending her home soon. I would NOT admit this to anyone in my "real" life, but I'm simultaneously relieved to have a break from my mom (bad daughter material here) and worried beyond belief about her because that's my job in this life - taking care of her.

Wednesday night, after making a totally fab turkey soup and cheese bread feast for my dad and I, I filched one of my dad's cigarettes (after he went to bed), and LONGED to go out on the patio and light it up. I have not smoked a cigarette in almost 10 years, I quit shortly after my first asthma attack - being unable to breathe has a funny way of making you start to respect your lungs and their role in your continued existence. But seeing as how the urge was either to smoke, eat an entire Entenmanns cheese Danish cake thingy, or take something sharp to my arm - I went with sucking powerfully on my stolen non-combusting cancer-stick. I was surprised by how much of the aroma and flavor comes through even without applying a flame - not that I think cigarettes smell or taste particularly good - they just smell/taste like self destruction, which is what I'm going for at the moment.

And to top it all off ..... I got a parking ticket yesterday.
Why the man always gotta be hatin' on me?
Bastards!

But don't cry for me Argentina - I'll suck my brains out (I've now got a stash of two ciggies - one in the nightstand, and one in my desk drawer), write a new poem or twelve, gulp down my new addiction - Wild Cherry Pepsi - and pray for enlightenment of some sort. I need a trip to Palm Springs, a free shopping spree, or a vaguely hot boyfriend (but only for about 3 weeks).

Here are a couple "pic-ies" of the desk I mentioned before. My thrift store find, redone with free paint and stickers. I e-mailed it to one beloved friend who informed me that I should start my own business re-working ugly furniture. I like the sound of that, but it's just a thought rolling around in the midst of many others at the moment.

Desk in General:

Top of Desk Up Close:

PS> I plan on getting some cooler drawer pulls for the desk in the future, but I just haven't gotten around to it.

Ice Crystal Scarf

2006-09-29T09:21:00.000-07:00

This is the picture from the pattern book

And here's a close-up:

And this is my first attempt:

I used Lion Brand Homespun in Harvest for this square.

Future squares will probably be Lion Brand Chenille Thick & Quick in Terracotta and Basil (depending on how it works up).