RELM (Refracted Electronic Light Media)

Silly hat day! Free crochet pattern

2013-03-06T21:04:00.001-07:00

My son has been having a 'spirit week' of sorts at his school this week in celebration of Dr Suess' birthday, which was March 2nd. Today was silly hat day. We didn't have any silly hats on hand so, of course, I decided to quickly whip something up for him.

It's pretty simple, but from what I hear, it was a hit.

It is actually striped blue and brown, the pictures just makes it look black.

This is my first time writing out a crochet pattern and hopefully I'll make sense.

Silly hat pattern:

What you'll need-

Hook size 5.5
Worsted weight yarn (any colour(s) you choose) I use Red Heart brand
Tapestry needle for weaving ends

Abbreviations:

ch- chain
sl st- slip stitch
sc- single crochet
dc- double crochet
fpdc- front post double crochet
bpdc- back post double crochet

*notes*

chain 2 does not count as stitch

If alternating or changing colours you will pull in new colour when doing the sl st.

This fits my 5 year old son, it also fits me (just a bit tight, he has a big head) you can make larger by adding increase rows, I'll note in the pattern.

Round 1: ch 3, 8 dc in first st, join with sl st into first DC, chain 2 (8 DC)
Round 2-15: DC into same st as ch 2, DC in each st around, join with sl st into first DC, chain 2 (8 DC)
Round 16: DC same st as chain 2, DC in next 2 sts, 2 DC in next, DC in next 3 sts, 2 DC in next, join with sl st into first DC, chain 2 (10 DC)
Round 17-20: DC into same st as ch 2, DC in each st around, join with sl st into first DC, chain 2 (10 DC)
Round 21: DC in same st as slst, DC in next 3, 2 DC in nxt, DC in next 4, 2 DC in next, join w/ sl st into first DC, chain 2 (12 DC)
Round 22-25: DC into same st as ch2, 2 DC in each st around, join with sl st into first DC, ch 2 (12 DC)
Round 26: 2 DC in same st, 2 DC in all sts around, join with sl st into first DC, ch 2 (24 DC)
Round 27: DC in same st, 2 DC in nxt, *DC in next, 2 DC in next* repeat **around, join with sl st into first DC, ch 2 (36 DC)
Round 28: DC in same st, DC in next, 2 DC in next, *DC in next 2, 2 DC in next* repeat ** around, join with sl st into first DC, chain 2 (48 DC)

- For child hat stop increases here:
Rounds 29-36: DC in same st, DC in each st around, join w/ sl st into first DC, ch 2 (48 DC)
Continue on to brim

- For Adult hat:
Round 29: DC in same st, DC in next 2, 2 DC in next, *DC in next 3, 2 DC in next* repeat ** around, join w/ sl st into first DC, ch 2 (60 DC)
Rounds 30-37 DC in same st, DC in each st around, join w/ sl st into first DC, ch 2 (60 DC)
Continue on to brim

Brim:
Round 1-2: FPDC same st, BPDC in next, *FPDC nxt, BPDC nxt* repeat ** around, join w/ sl st into first FPDC, ch 2
Round 3- FPDC same st, BPDC in next, *FPDC nxt, BPDC nxt* repeat ** around, join w/ sl st into first FPDC, ch 1
Round 4, sc in same st, sc each st around, join w/ sl st into first sc, fasten off.
Weave in ends.

The Pompom:
Wrap yarn around three fingers until reach fullness desired, slip off fingers and tie VERY tightly with piece of yarn. Cut the loops and trim off any uneven ends until pompom is shaped. Sew onto hat's tail.

Done!

Again, I hope this works for you. Have fun!

All three of my babies!

I'm back for real this time!

2013-02-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

It's okay interwebs, I'm back. I know you have all missed me dreadfully from my painfully long absence but that should hopefully now be over. I missed you too (Just in case you were asking)

Oh, but where to start?

This thing called pregnancy, that I am still recovering from, made it impossible for me to do my regular activities on the computer. Something about my being pregnant, probably the hormones (when in doubt blame the hormones,my doctors always did), makes my eyes extremely sensitive to computer screens. I can't focus and after a bit I just start feeling miserably sick. So, I had to stay away from my computer. Then after birthing my wonderful bouncing bundle of joy I decided to allow myself a personally set maternity leave.

My beautiful baby girl decided to grace us with her presence on December 6th. This is my darling Rikku Scarlet only minutes old-

As you can see, she came out chubby and hungry. She was a whopping 8lbs 14oz, my biggest baby to date.
Of course now, being over 2 months old, she looks like this-

To quote South park-
"CUTE!
Super cute!"

Not to say I haven't been doing anything over these several months.

I was just doing everything off the computer-
Crochet, painting, pastels, drawing, writing, arranging a dollhouse and creating the dolls for inside, sewing, baking, experimenting with decoupage, and becoming completely addicted to Pinterest. The last thanks to their phone app, which for some strange reason did not bother my eyes (Stupid hormones, can't make up their minds) and a bunch of the projects thanks to Pinterest.

I've been working a ton on ideas for my etsy shop and on the stuff that will very soon be listed in it. You should be excited! I certainly am.

I am so glad to be back to my old habit of spending way too much time on the computer and look forward to showing you all the fun projects I've been working on.

Ta ta!

I'm back!

Sudden and long hiatus finally over!

2012-08-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

I have this strange tendency to sometimes disappear from the face of the Earth and usually without much notice (mothership was calling) but I always manage to find my way back.

Since almost two months have passed (very sorry about that) and a TON of stuff has happened we'll think of this as more of a 'brief run through' post. I'll go more into details of the more exciting stuff in posts to follow.

Here are the headliners:

[x] We moved from Arizona to Savannah, GA. (the humidity is KILLING me but otherwise I'm really liking it here). The river area is gorgeous and being only fifteen minutes from the beach is awesome.

Downtown Savannah GA

[x] We were in a car accident on the move from AZ to GA- Everyone is fine. The car is beat up but still driveable.

[x] The hubby and I celebrated our 7 year wedding anniversary. (!!! XD !!!)

[x] I am now 22 weeks pregnant. We still don't know what the gender is but that should be remedied tomorrow.

[x] I have been crocheting up a storm and hope to be starting my own Etsy store really soon.

[x] I also coloured my hair dark! (does that fit with big news?)

I think those are all the big points that I wanted to touch on but pregnancy amnesia has been hitting pretty hard lately (has anyone else experienced that? It's getting to point with me that it is just ridiculous).

A few other quick things. I am officially back so that means for picture commissions too (Yay!) and I have my wonderful new Wacom tablet to assist me (another yay!).

I'm want to start doing a post on Fridays (but probably not tomorrow since that is when I am getting my ultrasound) about my favorite things ('Friday's Favorites) both for long time favorites and stuff that I maybe just really enjoyed that week. When I say "things" I mean anything and everything from movies and music to cleaning products or even events.

I want to come up with a few other themes for other days of the week but I'm still bouncing around ideas. If there is anything that you want to see or if you have any suggestions leave a comment or send me a message.

Economy sucks but I love my Holga

2012-06-19T00:44:00.000-07:00

I've been a bad, bad, blogger.

My slacking off has been for the best, unoriginal, of reasons- I've been insanely (honestly) busy.

You know when life just sneaks up on you and does a surprise roundhouse from behind? Yeah, well, I'm there.

I've been in the insane process of refinancing a house that is underwater (I'm really starting to envy you people that rent!). Thank you economy for that one. Fingers crossed, I think that battle is almost over and I *think* all we have to do is sign some paperwork and then that will be all done.

Now I just have to find a good property manager (and a wonderful tenant) to get the place rented out so I can actually live with my hubby.

Along with those fun and excited things, the hubby got the orders for us to move really, really soon. So, I have been selling furniture, sorting, donating, throwing out, and packing.

Looks like we are moving to GA and I think after the stress, and possible emotional breakdown, I will be very excited! I've only ever lived in New Mexico and Arizona. It is going to be a huge change of scenery! Heck, I'm going to be living by the beach, How awesome is that?

With all that 'blah blah blah' aside...

I have been finding a little time to crochet. I also got a wonderful early birthday present- a gorgeous Wacom Capture tablet! With it I am working a new digital painting but I am very much taking my time with it.

In the meantime I'm really just spending time with the kiddos and taking a bunch of pictures.

These were taken with my Holga Twin Lens BC 135-

These little guys make everything I do completely worth it.

The Matrix- explained to a 5 year old.

2012-06-11T23:42:00.000-07:00

I love 'The Matrix'. It is definitely up there among my favorite movies. I remember when it first came out being in absolute awe of it. I wanted to watch it over and over. I even downloaded the entire script and carried it around in my school binder (I have always been a bit strange).

A few days ago I watched the movie with my five year old son, Tidus. He has been showing a lot of interest in what I consider to be similar movies and I was just so excited to share one of my favorites with him. (I've already watched the original Star Wars Trilogy with him and he loved them all.)

Overall, I would say it went over very well.

He highly enjoyed the robots, the fighting, and the special effects. We did have a few 'pause and talk about it moments'. Such as when Neo's mouth is erased and they put the 'bug' in his belly button. Fortunatly, I work on computers more than is really healthy, so, Tidus has a pretty good knowledge of computer lingo. I had to give a bit of the reveal away, but I was able to explain it in a way so the scene no longer bothered him.

I told him basically that Neo, in that scene, was a computer programmed character in an artificial computer world (similar to a video game) and the 'bug' showed that this character had been infected with a virus. As far as the mouth, they(evil robots) simply adjusted the programming to make it disappear temporarily. I also pointed out it could be very easily done in Photoshop.

Problem solved. We continued to watch the movie.

Then the big reveal. The dramatic, baby hooked up to tubes, fields of humans being grown for robot snackage/energy scene, followed by Morpheus holding up a battery.

Tidus was a little more confused and upset by this but only because of one particular moment-

I'm watching my son as he stares intently at the screen. Through the whole explaination of what the Matrix is he seems pretty mellow. Then Morpheus hold up that battery and Tidus gasps, eyes widen, and he quickly turns to me.

"MOM! Is that how all battery companies make batteries?"

Not exactly the conspiracy that the movie was trying to reveal.

"Yes, Sweetie, except for Energizer because they use bunnies instead of humans."

I didn't really say that. I explained that only evil robots used humans as a source of energy and Morpheus was just using the battery as a visual.

He nods. "Oh, good."

We continue watching the movie. Tidus is completely content with it until we are nearing the end when Neo is really getting his butt kicked by Mr Smith.

Tidus looks at me accusingly. "This doesn't have a bad ending like that other movie does it?"

I sigh.

Tidus was traumatized a few weeks ago when I watched 'Drag me to Hell' with a friend and he caught a bunch of pieces of it. He was utterly unfazed by the movie until the very end when the main girl is literally dragged to Hell. This very much upset him because "she was a good guy" and "bad things don't happen to good guys" and "movies are supposed to end with the good guy winning." The concept of a 'sad ending' was something that had never occurred to him until that movie.

With the new knowledge that not all movies end happily he is getting very, very, worried for Neo.

I assure him everything is going to be okay but I can tell he is having a hard time believing me.

Luckily Neo wins and shatters Agent Smith and the movie ends on a high note. Tidus is satisfied with the ending and decides that he really likes the movie.

That's my boy!

Sorry for the neglect! I was making Nyan Cat hats

2012-06-02T18:58:00.000-07:00

Seriously, my bad. I surpassed my max of seven days between blog posts and then, let's face it, the last one wasn't all that, erm, full of quality.

I've been so busy with the house (which I am trying to refinance and apparently the documents needed include a blood contract for an arm, leg, and my soul).

In my spare time (that's laughable) I've been crocheting. If I'm not on the computer, chasing my kids, or collecting documents for the house, then you can find me crocheting while watching either animes, lame reality shows, or Stephen King movies.

These are a few of my most recent creations:

The Nyan Cat hat. I'm sort of in love with this. If it wasn't 105 degrees outside I would wear it everywhere.

This colourful streamer hat.

This blanket, which I made as a gift.

I've finished a few others and am working on a bunch of things. I didn't want to post the other finished ones as they are part of a set and I still have one more thing I need to finish before the set is complete. Once the whole thing is done I'll post them. They are really cool. I am very excited!

I'm thinking of opening an Etsy store or at least start selling my creations. What do you think?

Laundry Night

2012-05-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

I was going to put the effort into a real blog tonight but I have a date with this huge pile of laundry.

And this is me kicking back on said pile of laundry.

As is this

And this

No, I don't think I am easily distracted.

A Mommy Post

2012-05-11T22:12:00.000-07:00

This week has been crazy. I had so many other posts planned, which were far more creative and not just personal, but those slipped through the cracks.

Tidus, my five year old since April, came down with pink eye. I really don't like pink eye. It's yucky and mucusy and so damn easy to spread. I was placing bets with myself on who, between my two year old and I, would get it next. I'm happy to report, that (at this time) thanks to my risen sanitation habits (near OCD) and slightly treating my son like a leper (I love you hunny!) that neither Wulfgar or I have caught it and Tidus is quickly on the mend.

I have also decided that administering eye drops to a five year old is possibly one of the most difficult things I have or ever will do. I have lost my fear in all future challenges because if I can force these drops four times a day into the eyes of this particularly strong willed and highly resistant child then I can do anything. Dare I say, I think even Chuck Norris would struggle in attempting this.

Gaming Tidus

On top of that (I was going to keep this secret for longer but...), I also have a bun in the oven. I'm just over 9 weeks and I have been having more than my share of 'all day morning sickness' because it seems, with me, anything worth doing is worth over doing. I've been so tired and eating has been near impossible. Luckily, thankfully, the last three days I have been feeling tons better and I really hope the morning sickness part is over.

We are really, really, REALLY hoping for a girl. When I asked Tidus if he wanted another little brother or a sister he said brother. When I asked him why he told me it was because he was tired of playing with Wulfgar and he wanted different brother to play with (out with the old, in with the new). To which, I asked him how he would have felt if we(his parents) had felt similarly about him when his brother was born.

His response was, "fine, then I'll go find a new family."

I told him good luck finding another mom that would let him play games like Halo, Gears of War, Resident Evil, and Twisted Metal.

Then we hugged and kissed. He said, "I love you fart head" and I replied, "love you too nerd nugget" and we continued watching Sponge Bob.

Happy Mothers day!

May the Fourth be with you!

2012-05-04T22:51:00.000-07:00

Happy Star Wars Day!
The 'genius' that created this shirt put the
words under the boobs, making it really hard to read!

I hope everyone had a very wonderful May the Fourth -aka- Star Wars Day. Did you get a chance to re-watch the awesomeness that is Star Wars? We sure did. Followed by looking up Star Wars parodies and other humorous Stars Wars related videos on youtube before then taking the kiddos to Chuck E. Cheese. It's not a real celebration until you end up there!

Here are a few fun Star Wars relayed videos.

So, it isn't about the more awesome Star Wars movies (the originals) but who don't love Weird Al?

Those are just tidbits. If you really want to watch something special (and have time on your hands) then you really need to watch this next video.

In 2009 it was challenged to internet users everywhere to make a fan film of Star Wars: A new hope. Participants followed the script (for the most part) filming/creating 15 second clips, which were then pasted all together forming the whole movie. Enjoy!

Good Music, Good Times

2012-05-01T20:31:00.000-07:00

In the mornings (early afternoons) when I am getting ready for the day the kids and I like to rock out to music videos on Youtube. This morning I decided I wanted to listen to some of my favorites from back in my younger years. These were a few that we listened to. Why can't they still play more stuff like this on the radio? I can't stand this Nicki Minaj-Miley Cyrus-Justin Bieber crap.

Of course, who doesn't love this song?

Kid Movie Nostalgia: Part 2

2012-04-23T21:57:00.000-07:00

So, this is part two of the posts about the wonderful movies that I used to watch repeatedly as a child (and still do watch because I'll never grow up and these movies are just that darn good).

I'm starting these five with the magnificent-

[x] The Labyrinth

Oh, Jim Henson, you were a genius! I still absolutely love this movie. The soundtrack is awesome, the story is magical, and its visually stunning. Not to mention, the Goblin King (played by David Bowie) is freakin' hot. Obviously as a young child I didn't sit there drooling over the Goblin King but then as I got older it hit me, "damn, he's sexy." Towards the end of the movie when he says-

"I ask for so little. Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave."

Was I only one that was like, "come on Sarah, just do it!" (I might be alone here)

Below is the original trailer. Enjoy!

[x] The Dark Crystal

Another Jim Henson masterpiece. 'The Dark Crystal' is, again, a visual stunner. I remember being enchanted by this movie. The story is dark and so beautiful. This is a movie that I still watch and enjoy very much. This movie inspired me quite a lot.

Here is the original trailer-

[x] The Neverending Story

Another fantastic movie and another very fantastical and magical one (are we noticing a pattern here?). This movie impacted myself and most the people I know (you have seen it) very hard. This was one of the first movies that really made us/me feel sad. If you've seen it then I'm sure you know what part I am talking about- The horse Artex in the Swamp of Sadness. Need I say more? Devastating.

Aside from the sad moment it was also pretty intense. I know I was drawn into it, practically pleading at the end with the princess for Bastian to save her already! It is a solid story from beginning to credits, with a very great, and a bit haunting, twist at the end. This is another example of a movie that portrays a magical world flawlessly.

I'm going to share two videos with you about this one. First, is the original trailer and second, is a humorous (and short) review/run through by the brilliantly funny Nostalgia Critic. You should really, really, watch the second one especially if you have seen this movie.

[x] The Secret of NIMH

This movie is about intelligent rodents, what isn't there to like about that? Another keeper, The Secret of NIMH. This a perfect example that just because it is animated and about talking animals doesn't mean that it can't be dark and even scifi-ish. I actually just watched this movie again yesterday. I love it, the kids love it. They both like the talking animals especially the crow (excuse me, pardon me) and the taunting of the young mice to their "Aunty Shrew." My five year old also likes the action scenes (because there are some), the cat chases, escaping the scientists, and the sword fight. Gotta love a good sword fight.

The animation is great in this movie and the story is pretty action packed. Also the villain! My gosh, what an evil villian! I think most the movies I like have to have a really bad guy otherwise, what was the point of fighting?

Here is the original trailer-

[x] Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer

Alright, I admit it, as a child I loved this movie and I don't hate it now. Yeah, it's cheesy but it's cute and endearingly adventurous. I'm obsessed with rainbows to this day so maybe this movie had a bigger impact on me than I like to admit. It appeals to my senses and it's CUTE! Out of all of the movies I have gone over this one carried over the most hesitantly into my adulthood, but once I had kids I had to watch it with them (even if they are boys). It has a nice story, a touch of adventure, and the animation isn't bad. Still worth watching.

I'm including a fan made trailer because the original trailer was about 30 seconds long and showed nothing about the movie, at all.

Kid Movie Nostalgia: Part 1

2012-04-17T22:22:00.001-07:00

What we watched as a child, I think, has a big influence on the people we are today. Obviously the current children's movie industry is not a complete failure. There are a bunch of super cute and creative movies that have been created recently that I do really enjoy (yes, I watch tons of kids' movies).

Still, I think that the movies I watched as a kid and the ones being released now are hugely different. The ones I watched seemed to inspire wonder, encourage creativity, and grew the imagination. I would watch them and then sit there thinking 'what other wonderful things could be possible?'

Given, maybe the animation was not as good but it was the story that mattered.

I have to give a lot of credit to these movies for the pictures and writing I do today.

I have come up with a list (in no particular order) of ten movies I would watch over and over (and over) as a child (and I still watch). This post is only about five of them because I wanted to include pictures and clips.

The first two tie together, since they are from the same series and were created by the same team of people-

[x] The Hobbit

[x] The Return of the King

These two movies are wonderful animated adaptations of the J.R.R. Tolkien classics. I actually loved the style of animation in these. I also loved the songs. Hearing the lyrics written out by Tolkien being sung was so awesome to me and some of them are actually quite catchy. To this day I still find myself humming some of the songs.

Below is a clip from 'The Hobbit' using one of those songs-

The next is from 'The Return of the King'-

[x] The Flight of Dragons

Oh gosh, I loved this one! Dragons, wizards, elves, faeries, a maiden with flowing golden hair, a knight, a brave scientist (scientist?), and an epic quest. This movie is about the big idea of magic vs science and how man in end needs both. The story is lovely, the characters are great, and come on, there are dragons! This movie also has one of the best villains. Both he and his dragon are down right mean and scary.

This clip is the beginning of 'The Flight of Dragons'-

The Flight of Dragons - Part 1 by Lelarep

[x] The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

Again, this is a great animated version of the wonderful novel by C.S. Lewis. Watching it as an adult I have to admit that the animation is not great but the movie overall does a wonderful job of telling the story. They do excellent at making the queen very evil and getting other emotions and characters portrayed. It is definitely a simplified version, but the important aspects are there. It was, after all, made for children but I still enjoy it.

Here is the beginning to 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe'

And lastly for today-

[x] The Fantastic Adventures of Unico

If you know me then you know that it was only a matter of time until an anime popped up here. This is a wonderful story about a little unicorn that has the power to bring happiness wherever he goes. Sounds happy and chipper right? Wrong. The Gods get angry that he has these abilities (because they believe that only the Gods should have the power to control others' emotions). So, like any other jealous Gods they summon the West Wind to banish Unico to exile and the fun goes on from there.

Watching this now with my 'mommy mind' I find the ending bit somewhat dark. I mean, a demon posing as a wealthy lord, invites a young girl (cat actually turned into young girl) to his castle where he drugs her and attempts to seduce her (statutory date rape anyone?). Then he tries to kill her... but Unico is there for the rescue! *sigh* I guess not much darker than Disney. Am I right?

Here is the beginning to 'Unico'

The last five movies will be in my next post!

Awesome Artist: Jason Freeny

2012-04-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

I'm back...again!

After my long trip across the United States, which took me through Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida, I had a brief stay at home (less than a week) before traveling down to New Mexico to visit my other mom and dad (commonly referred to as in-laws). We had a fantastic visit and celebrated my son's fifth birthday (my little munchkin is growing up so fast).

Again I find myself at home. Boy, have a been lazy these last few days! As absolutely wonderful and fun my trips were, I'm feeling like I need a vacation from my vacations. Today was probably my last day for kicking back. Tomorrow it is back to work...most likely.

-Insert witty transitional sentence here-

I wanted to show you an awesome artist that I stumbled across (actually awhile ago-I'm such a slacker sometimes)- Jason Freeny. His work is detailed, witty, and astounding.

These are only a few examples of his very cool sculptures. He also does digital work and has several freebies (wallpapers, icons, etc) on his website. His website is Moistproduction.com and I highly suggest checking it out.

Road Trip Photo Dump

2012-03-30T14:55:00.001-07:00

I vanished but now I'm back (and I bet you hardly knew I was gone)! I'm like a freakin' magician!

The kids and I drove first to Georgia to see my hubby, that's a 28 hour drive (try that by yourself with a two and a four year old). Then we drove to Florida to see my parents which was followed by another weekend in GA with the hubbers. Now we are back home (for a few days). The kids actually did great. We had a bunch of fun both in the car and at our destinations. I love road trips. I wish I had the opportunity to do them more often.

Since being home I was able to finish one commission but other than that I have been busy cleaning the house and preparing the car for another (shorter and not so far away) trip.

Here are a few pictures from our trip. Most were taken in Florida because my husband isn't too fond of taking pictures. (warning- big photo dump)

Yes, taken while driving. I don't recommend.

Downtown Columbus, GA

Tidus at a coffee shop in GA.

Downtown Columbus GA

View from the hotel in Columbus.

The next morning.

One of the many awesome parks in Columbus.

My shoe :)

erm...my feet

All three of us are in this picture.

Random beach self portrait.

Building sandcastles

Tidus enjoying the beach

Wulfgar constructing

Wulfgar destroying

More Tidus and beach

More Wulfgar and beach

Beach-side rentals. I thought they were so cool.

Sunset over the ocean

Tidus collecting shells

The kiddos with Grandpa watching the sunset.

Another random beach self portrait.

Ahh! Shark! (It's okay, he has a mustache)

2012-03-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

I've been super duper crazy busy traveling (not to mention also away from a computer) but I stumbled across this one today and thought I would share a kid conversation I had with my four year old this morning.

Picture us sitting down to a nice big breakfast of Trix and Frosted Mini Wheat.

After explaining to Tidus about all the fun and exciting things we would be doing today and tomorrow he dramatically falls over from his chair as he has started "passing out" when he gets really excited.

He sits up, "Mom, did I wake up with a mustache?"
"Nope."
"How about a beard?"
"Nope."
"Is there a dolphin on my face."
"Doesn't look like it."
"Is there a shark on my back? ....With a mustache?"

He looks friendly enough.

3 Random Tidbits

2012-03-12T23:27:00.002-07:00

So, you want to know a little bit more about me? Here are a few random tidbits-

[x] I am allergic to red dye (red dye #40 to be specific). This type of dye is very common and can be found in almost every red dyed food and drink, medicines, and even some clothing. A few examples of foods and drink that contain red dye are: Skittles, Hawaiian Punch, pepperoni, hot dogs (those really pink ones), Hot Cheetos, etc, etc, you get the picture. If I eat or come in contact with red dye I break out in really itchy hives, my breathing gets funny, and true story, red dye causes hyperactivity in people who are allergic to it. In other words- I get really hyper and itchy.

[x] I pretty much have no sense of smell. Too many concussions will do that to a person. This is somewhat awesome when we were learning perms at school or when you have to use a public restroom or porta-potty. Everyone else is gagging and complaining of the smell and, of course, I am completely unaffected (sort of like Sir Didymus from Labyrinth).

"I smell nothing. I live by my sense of smell.
The air is sweet and fragrant.
And no one may pass without my permission!"

This also means I cannot smell really anything else- picking out a perfume is impossible, I just have to go by the description or trust that the person who gave it to me picked a good one. I went to a Scentsy party once, that was a little pointless.

[x] Body modifications, I am all for them. I only have five tattoos right now but cannot wait to get more. I have a bunch planned out. Now I need to find the time and money. I have 10 piercings. I used to have 12 but 2 of them rejected. These 2-

Vampire bite dermal piercings! I warned that I was a huge vampire fan (Not Twilight though, never Twilight). I loved them SO much but just short of a year they fell out. I was so bummed. The good news is they left some pretty nifty scars. Now they really do look like vampire bites.

Worth a thousand words

2012-03-11T23:03:00.001-07:00

I am so completely in love with this photo.

Every time I look at it I feel all warm and fuzzy inside and have to smile. (aw!)

They just look like they were made for each other.

This is what I want to look like when I'm old- happy, still in love, and very tattooed.

I found this on Pinterest and when I follow the link back it just took me to another blog. So unfortunately I do not know the credits for this picture. If anyone does please let me know!

Smiles all around!

2012-03-10T00:41:00.001-07:00

Quick note- I am scheduled for a road trip starting next week and will be away from all my photo editing software (but I'll still be able to blog and socialize). That means commission requests may (most likely) take longer than usual. Please be patient with me! I'll be back soon and happy to slave away on pretty pictures.

Anywho... *skip skip.. la-te-da*

I wanted to share some pictures of what made me smile this past week.

The first thing I see walking out of my
front door courtesy of my son Tidus.

Apparently my youngest likes to keep his cars fresh.

rainbow + shoes = awesome.
I have a whole bunch more, but these were
what was on top of the shoe pile.

Pickles being a little too cooperative for the photo.
"I'm ready for my close up."

Tidus deciding he wants to be like daddy and not wear his PJ shirt.

Aaaaahhhh!

I expect you to deliver fortune cookie.

Stop hogging all the talent: Kimbra

2012-03-06T21:47:00.002-07:00

I find it a little unfair when people younger than me are more talented and the older I get the more it seems to happen... Funny how that works.

Before people get their panties in a bunch, I'm joking. This never happens. I mean always happens. I'm going to shut up now before people think I'm narcissistic and then when I try to defend myself sound like I have low self-esteem issues. In case you are wondering I sit pleasantly in the middle and teeter back and forth.

Anyways, so like I was saying- Kimbra is hogging all the vocal talent (New Zealand, I'm looking at you too).
I'm okay with that because I love listening to her. Even better than listening to her is watching her while listening to her. Her singing is amazing but her passion and her performances are mesmerizing. She is one of those few artists that is even better live.

Her songs are jazzy and soulful while having a catchy modern flair.

Her sound is so refreshing. We need more artists like her on the radio.

Check out the videos below

Funky Food Combos

2012-02-28T21:56:00.001-07:00

Usually when my night snack attack hits I try to eat something healthy, i.e. fruit, apples with peanut butter, trail mix, pita chips and hummus, carrot sticks, blah blah, diet snacks.

Tonight I knew that nothing healthy or organic was going to hit the spot. So, I fell back on something that is not very healthy (to say the least) but is rich enough that one or two does the job (making it, in my mind, not the worst thing I could be snacking on)- Oreos and peanut butter.

So yummy!

To me this food combination makes sense (chocolate and peanut butter) and is so delicious but most of people that I have mentioned this combo to found it strange or gross (not that they had tried it).

Another food combo that I love and tends to get people scrunching their faces at me is the bacon and fruit jelly toasted sandwich. Very good, I would have it every morning for breakfast if I could.

I have also tried buffalo wings dipped in chocolate (from a chocolate fountain) and as far as I can remember those were really yum. Given, I was a tad tipsy at the time but I don't think that had a huge impact on my taste buds.

One food pairing that I have seen and am intimidated by is a slice of apple pie topped with melted (cheddar?) cheese. I have never tried it but it seems like it would be gross. Have you ever tried this? If so, what did you think?

Do you eat any funky food combos?

My addiction has worsened- Amigurumi

2012-02-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

My addiction to crochet that is. If there was anything Japanese in crochet I was going to find it pretty darn quickly (For those of you who really know me or follow me, you should have seen this coming too!).

Amigurumi (編みぐるみ)

"Is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small stuffed animals and anthropomorphic creatures. The word is derived from a combination of the Japanese words ami, meaning crocheted or knitted, and nuigurumi, meaning stuffed doll. Amigurumi are typically animals, but can include artistic renderings or inanimate objects endowed with anthropomorphic features,as is typical in Japanese culture."

Thank you Wikipedia for simplifying everything.

This is what I finished today-

I know, I'm only adding to the Hello Kitty madness.

Now how bloody cute is that?

I might be addicted to crochet

2012-02-21T21:01:00.000-07:00

Strike that, I am addicted to crochet.

I have a very addictive personality. Once I find something that I like I tend to go all for it, somewhat obsessively. This applies to music, movies, fashion, tv shows, and hobbies/activities.

Crochet has become me latest addiction.

I found myself feeling bored about three days before my Georgia trip. At that moment none of my current projects were really calling to me and I needed something new to do. Randomly I thought to myself, "Why don't I crochet a cute hat?" I didn't know how to crochet at all but, what the hell, I'll give it a shot.

I went to the store and picked out a few rolls of yarn and one crochet hook.

That night I watched a video on Youtube on how to make a slouchy beret. A few hours later and voila! I had a cute slouchy beret (even if it was a little too big). I felt so giddy. The next day I made another hat (oh more giddiness) The next day I would have made something but I was packing for my trip.

Since being home I have made two more hats, started a blanket, and am working on a super cute (surprise) hat. I have a whole bunch of projects lined up. I am so excited.

Crocheting is one of the few hobbies that I do off the computer (and typewriter). I love the computer, I am a total computer nerd, but doing something away from it is a nice change.

Youtube is my hero once again! Anything I want to learn I can learn from Youtube. I found some awesome videos for learning how to crochet, which I will share below, but first- Look what I made!

My first hat!

Four completed projects and two I am working on.

The video I used for the first two hats (the beige and the yellow) was this one-

She is super easy to follow and shows you how to crochet without all the terms and lingo. Perfect for a beginner and if you just want a taste of crochet.

I also used her video for the other beige hat (seen on the left under the blanket).

If you are really looking to learn crochet (and I want to) I highly suggest checking out the Crochet Geek. Her videos are easy to follow and she explains not only what to do but the names of what she is doing. She also has a bunch of short tutorials just explaining and showing how to do different crochet stitches and techniques so you can learn the basics and then progress to projects (and she has some EXTREMELY awesome projects. She is very talented).

I used her videos for the white lightweight hat and for the blanket.

Well, I'm off to crochet some more!

I flew on down to Georgia

2012-02-14T22:12:00.000-07:00

Yikes! Sorry about that! I vanished there for a bit but I assure you that I am alive and well. In fact, better than well (when put in perspective). I had the chance to visit my hubby for his army basic graduation. I am so happy that I was able to see him but so sad that I will not be seeing him again for several more months now.

This trip was truly an awesome adventure for me. I did so many things that I have never done before- first time flying by myself (Only my second trip on an airplane and the last time was a decade ago. There have been a lot of changes), first time getting a rental car, and first time getting a hotel by myself. This was also the longest I have ever been away from my kids. Basically, this trip (as simple as it turned out to be) was a big deal and a huge life experience. It was tons of fun, a nice vacation, great quality time with my wonderful husband. I am so glad I was able to attend his graduation and extremely proud of him.

Flying above the clouds.

Islands of clouds.

Bored at the hotel after a long day of travel.

The Infantry Museum.

Statue in the entry of the Infantry Museum.

My hubby at graduation.

The inside of the rental car. Don't worry I'm parked.

Waiting in the rental car... The lighting is natural.

All packed, security checked, and waiting to board
the plane for home.

Very proud.

I am also very proud (grateful) that I was able to navigate the roads in Georgia without massacring myself or the itty-bitty compact car I was renting. Seriously, those road are ridiculous. I never realized one lane could turn in so many full and "slight" directions. In Arizona our roads are built like a grid, and I like it that way.

Bilbo's Cat years: Trailer Cats

2012-02-03T22:33:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across these the other night and had to share them.

Be afraid, and a amused, but be very afraid.

These are trailers for upcoming movies where all the main characters have been replaced by CATS.

Check 'em out:

To see more (there are more) visit The Trailer Cats Youtube channel.

When I say 'more' I mean two more. It looks like they are still pretty new, having just joined YouTube back in December, but I'm curious (insert pun here about 'curiousity killing that cat'- see I'm hilarious, I kill myself) to see what trailer they do next.

Important Things #12: Grammar

2012-02-02T21:13:00.000-07:00

I get it. No one is perfect. Typos and mistakes are bound to happen (even with our highly advanced spell checks), but it's just getting silly. Are we even trying anymore?

In this day of- 'What u doin 2day?" "ur cute" "lol" "lmao" "rofl" "lshismgahtdashoiwgtd" (laughed so hard I swallowed my gum and had to do a self Heimlich otherwise I was going to die), and all those other silly ways of lazily typing (texting) things, I can see how grammar may have been lost and forgotten on a back burner.

Grammar is super important! I am officially declaring it one of my 'Important Things'.