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December 31, 2005
So Long 2005....
...don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way out.
Okay, so it's no secret. I'm just not a fan of this year. Especially the last 4 months of it. I am, however, hopeful that 2006 won't turn out to as much of a bitch as her little sister.
Here to do the honors of kicking 2005's fat ass out of my house, are my feet in some finished Cable Rib Socks!
"I love me some good ass kickin'" -Cabled Rib Socks, The Scissor Kitchen, 31 December, 2005
And a shot from above:
Cable Rib Socks
Pattern: IWK Spring 2005
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock in Iris (obtained at the swap in August - woo!)
Needles: US2, Crystal Palace Bamboo circs
Comments: Love love love 'em. The cable kept me interested and the yarn kept me coming back for more. Must. Get. More. Lorna's. Laces. I couldn't wait for the Eckmas craft-a-thon to be over so I could get back to these puppies. They were worth the wait....
Posted by Sarah at 4:21 PM | Comments (8)
December 29, 2005
Beginner's Bee
I'm feeling very productive for this first week after Ecksmas! Posts, photos, almost finished project (more on that one tomorrow) and now an online Quilting Bee!
So, Mary and I - and a few other scissorinas - have been talking about making quilts this winter... We decided we should make them at the same time since we're all novices and I offered to start up a beginner's quilt-along to get some more craftistas/craftistos* in on the action!
Click on the buzzy bee to get to the new quilt-along blog!
Feel like joining in? Shoot an email to sarahATscissorinaDOTcom (or leave me a comment here) and I'll add you! I'll have you know that we have recruited Edie, the Scissor Squad's resident quilt master, to help us with our questions! And she'll be quilting right along with us (Her quilts are out of this world, people! I can't wait to see what she does this time!).
I went out and bought a copy of The Modern Quilt Workshop and have been perusing the quilts rated "simple" for a possible project - though those "difficult" quilts are mighty tempting! I like how they include measurements and yardage requirements for each pattern in different sizes - so you can make a wall quilt, napping, twin, or full/queen out of any of their neato modern patterns.
And the best part? A trip to the fabric store of course. Hmm... Maybe a trek up to the super sized Joann's Etc on the Berlin Turnpike is in order.... Mary's down in Flor-duh, so I think I'll be calling on some of the snippy sisterhood for a road trip!
*don't want to discriminate - there could be some guys out there who want to quilt-along!
Posted by Sarah at 10:56 AM | Comments (1)
December 28, 2005
In The Bag
Thought I'd reveal another one of my gifts I made since the recipient finally got it!
I made this bag for Caitlin using Vogue Pattern 8098, some 50's "How to Get a Husband" fabric I had ordered from Repro Depot a while back, and some red cotton fabric I had lying around. I'm thrilled to report that Caitlin think's it's the cat's meow and has declared she will never use another purse again! Woo!
Some shots of the pockets, lining, and a better shot of that badass fabric:
And remember... If you want to get a husband, don't scold him when he takes a drink! Avoid that boyish look and don't play the field. Show him that you love housework and adore children. Don't be too sexy! And don't forget - if he's the generous type, grab him!
Right.
Posted by Sarah at 8:20 PM | Comments (5)
December 27, 2005
A Little Ecksmas Cheer
Wow. Sometimes Santa really comes through with some fun toys that distract you from blogging. :)
We had a very fun Eckmas here in Snippyville. Mary and Scott and I spent Ecksmas Eve in Danielson with my Aunt and Uncle who were down visiting from Maine. We had a dee-lissi-us meal of scallops and veggies and cranberry wine (YUM!) and then went to Mohegan Sun for some casino fun. (I am not a gambler.... It comes from being poor and cautious. Hee.) I had fun watching Scott win 50 bucks and Mary lose 20. I lot 10 on the slots... That was as far as I was willing to go. :) It was a good time, no doubt! We talked with Andy and Missy about heading up this winter to visit them in Maine and do some snowshoeing. This is a VERY exciting idea to me as I am sick of being stuck inside this house! I need some fresh air people!
Eckmas morning came and I awoke to all 3 of the fuzzies asleep on my bed snuggled up next to me. Did they know what day it was or what? There was no screaming and crying to try to rise me out of my slumber.... They actually let me sleep in! It was my own little Ecksmas miracle. How I wish I had my camera... But I don't sleep with it, so you're out of luck.
I got up and going and packed Kyra up in the car and headed down the road to Mary and Scott's for presents!
Here's our breakfast! CANDY! That's right. There are SOME perks to being a grown up. You can eat candy for breakfast every day if you want to. So there. And can you see the tiny chocoalte bottles? Mom sent us some liquor filled chocolate bottles! (Scott actually made us some pancakes a little later for a real meal...)
I got to see some more of my handicrafts in action....
Mary's hat was a success! I used the Kim's Hat pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts - minus the earflaps - and added i-cord and different sized pom-poms in the back to make it bunch up just right.
And here's the back - a better shot of the poms.
Scott's hat fit just right - I was very relieved. :) His brother kept saying it was girly. No way, right? That's not girly! It's just NICE. I guess for guys anything nice equals girly.... Well. I hope he wears it. I think it looks very NICE!
And I got some goodies, too! I think Santa took pity on me this year and tried to cheer me up with some material objects. Good ol' Santa. ;)
Firstly, Cait gave me a swift and Mom gave me a ball winder! OH SWEET RELIEF! Glorious day! I nearly jumped out of my skin when I opened these! Woooooo! (And yes, I have wound all of my hanks already - I told you I was giddy....)
THEN! I was seriously shocked opening the next gift....
Hello. My name is Zorg.
Umm. Yeah. GET THE HELL OUT! Now, I was doubly surprised by this gift because I had told my Dad on a couple of occasions that I thought that iPods weren't really very practical and that I certainly didn't need one since I had a CD player and it does the trick juuuust fine. Well. he ignored me and got me one anyway. And those super practical feelings about not needing an iPod and what-not? Well, they are slowly melting away... Turns out that listening to some silly Beyonce songs while doing the dishes really improves the whole experience.
I've already spent the whole iTunes gift certificate my Dad sent me AND spent the Target gift card I got from my Aunt and Uncle on an iTunes music card.... Zorg and Gonk have become fast friends....
(AND! I've discovered the joy of podcasts... you can download free podcasts of Senator Barack Obama talking about national affairs or even President Buttmunch's weekly address (if you feel like laughing really hard or getting really angry - or maybe both). Anyways, I like it!)
(and yes, that IS the Fatboy Slim video with Christopher Walken dancing all over a hotel playing on my little iPod. Okay - yes this is a neat toy. Little known fact: Mary had a huge crush on Christopher Walken when she was in middle school. Yep.)
Now... this next present really deserves it's own post. But, I'm lazy. And I don't want to wait to share this one....
Michelle, my crafty scissorina sister, made me... *drumroll please*....
A SCISSOR SQUAD BARBIE! Yes, friends. She has outdone herself again. Take a good look in that box - there's a copy of Vogue Knitting, a knitting bag, a handknit capelet, hat and scarf (Yes, she knit tiny things for my Barbie) and most important - she is holding a beer. Righteous. I can't wait to show this to all the girls at the Squad tonight.
We spent Eckmas night at Scott's folks house for a tasty dinner with his sister and brother and two very happy/loud kiddos (S's nephews) running around fighting over each other's presents.
Sigh. So... after Eckmas, I am very busy and very full. And yep - I've already started up the ME knitting again. It's about frigging time! Woo!
Posted by Sarah at 3:16 PM | Comments (6)
December 21, 2005
Martini Saturday Leads to Hangover Sunday
and delays blogging by 3 days...
Yowza. So, Heather came down this past weekend to celebrate 3/4 Sibling Ecksmas since she'll be down in Florida for the real thing this year. She and Mary and I exchanged gifties on Friday night. (Mary and I are doing our presents to each other on Sunday)
Lookit lookit what my super smart and great sister got me!
A.) She knows that I knit soooo much and that my hands get sore and dry from the chilly weather, so she got me a little set from the Body Shop with a hand massager (this thing is AWESOME, friends!) and super creamy hand cream. Oooooh.
B.) And why, it's the book I've been asking for! Whoopee! I can't wait to dig into this and get some good dyeing instruction. :)
C.) Then, during our trip to Knottygirl on Saturday she purchased her third prezzie to me - sock yarn! To go with my new sock book! Heather sure knows the way to her knitty sister's cold, black heart. You rock, little Hortence! Thanks thanks!
And what did Heather receive? Yes! I can finally unveil two mystery projects!
For her birthday - oh yes - her birthday falls on Ecksmas. Talk about having to share your birthday with a total attention hog... Poor Heather always feels forgotten! Anyhoo! She received a Hello Kitty Pez Dispenser (forgot to take a picture!), a bag of the much coveted Funky Nachos Mary and I found at Big Lots:
MC Potato challenges you to rap and snack at the same time.... RESPECT YOUR ELDERS!
And a big honkin' hank of yummy merino yarn I spun up for her:
Raz-matazz
Fiber: 100% merino in turqouise and raspberry pink.
Spun into: Single ply - super thin to super bulky in red and blue raspberry... About 280 yards.
Comments: Slightly felted (on purpose!) when I set the twist...
She likey! She's planning on making a little stole with it.... I can't wait to see it!
On to the Ecksmas gift! Let me preface with a little known fact. Heather has an enormous noggin. We siblings suspect the reason she has so much hair is to distract people from how big her head is. I mean... You'd look pretty silly with a head that big and no hair... (She's clearly made the correct choice, as she looks fantastic.) ANYWAY... She complains every year around this time that she can't find any hats to fit her mega melon. I decided to throw caution to the wind and dedicated myself to making her a hat even if it meant using every last bit of my stash to do so! (Am I laying it on a little thick? Yes. Is her head really some circus sideshow attraction? No. Do I derive endless hours of enjoyment from poking fun at my sister? You decide.)
So! Remember Tofutti Break? Well, she joined forces with some Blue Sky Cotton in Grape to become this:
It fits! I've never seen Heather so happy to receive one of my gifts! She seemed to especially appreciate the earflaps and tassles :) It looks great on her, if I do say so myself. She did a little happy dance and wore the hat all weekend - Spectacular!!!!
That night we went out for karaoke and beers with Mary, Scott, and Karen - lots of fun. M & H sang A Total Eclipse of The Heart - and Mary blew everyone away with her rendition of Stand By Your Man. And we had a major FUG sighting. If this girl was anybody, the girls would have had a good time ripping into her... Ooh. Okay, picture it if you will - pink sweatpants from VS with PINK appliqued on the butt, green camo fitted zip up hoodie, HUGE white fur Ugg boots. And her hair was teased and curled and pinned and what have you. And makeup was applied liberally. It caused me to twitch and quickly turn to Mary to say:
"What's the point in doing so much to your hair and face if you're going to forget to get dressed?"
Seriously. The girl was in her jammies. And not even the jammies that you let company see you in. The "I feel like crud, haven't brushed my teeth in two days on accounta this terrible flu" jammies. No good. She proceeded to strut herself up to the microphone and grind while singing "Fever". I had to leave the room.
On to today's headline. It's true. We had ourselves a little martini get together on Saturday, Heather, Mary, Michelle, Scott and I hung out at my place and we (minus Scott - who refrained from drinking and was content to just sit there and watch us all get stupid) guzzled martini after martini. We played some Karaoke Revolution (are you detecting a recent theme?) - sooo much fun!
The highlight of the evening was Michelle grabbing the microphone and singing her own version of "Fame", which was playing as the background music of the title screen at the time. Her version was about 20 minutes long and told a tale of her pooping baby and how fat her husband is... About 15 minutes into this ditty, I noticed something. The microphone had been unplugged the whole time she was singing. I said nothing - I simply waved the naked plug at her the next time her dance moves shot her glance my way. Her response?
"I don't need a stupid microphone!" And she kept going.
We were rolling on the floor laughing... good times.
I'm usually the big lightweight, but I did ok! I passed the hell out around 4am and woke up feeling like I had been left in a ditch to die... but I didn't puke and THAT, folks, is what counts.
Posted by Sarah at 7:00 PM | Comments (3)
December 14, 2005
Good Things = Small Packages
Edited to add: Want to hear more about Lucky, the Guinea Hen? Jennie obliged me and posted her story on her blog! Check it out - that's one cute bird!
Oh Heavens to Betsy. We had ourselves a party on Saturday night.
We held the first annual Scissor Squad Holiday Swap! Instead of picking a secret pal and crafting one thing just for them, this time we decided to craft one small thing many times! One for each gal participating! This was sooooo amazing! I always love to see what my grrrls come up with. They truly rocked my socks off this time....
We got together at Jennie's NEW house! Wooo! The place was gorj - she and her hubby have been building it for a while now and they finally moved in! (Along with their awesome son Ryan, their doggy Daisy and their guinea hen Lucky - more on her in just a sec)
So, here are some shots from the soiree....
The gals all gussied up chompin snacks and guzzling wine (at least I was!) and Laura's fantastic homemade Lemocello liqueur - Yowza!
Here's Anne dishing out some free physical therapy to Christine!
A gratuitous picture of my snippy sibling!
Here's Laura making friends with Lucky! Awwww!!! Who knew hens could be so sweet? And who knew they could live happily indoors as part of the fam?!?!
I hear you out there... "Nice, nice... blah blah blah.... Show us the goods!" Well, here goes! Man, We all made out like bandits....
Here's a sample of what I brought for my favorite craftistas. They're paper bluebells :) I put mine (yes, I made one for myself!) in a soda bottle in my kitchen, but theirs were put in small Egyptian perfume bottles filled with seed beads to weigh them down. I made these with supplies I had in my house! 2 points for budget living! The only thing I had to buy was an extra pad of paper because I was just short - and a tube of glue :)
Jennie one upped me and gave us all paperwhite bulbs in loverly little glass vases! Real flowers!
Mary made yummy oatmeal honey goat's milk soap (with a shea butter bottom layer!) and fizzy wizzy bath bombs! In the jar, you'll see Eva's homemade bath salts and pulse point oil! Sigh....
Laura made us these fantasic jar candles! Mine's lavender, but she also made sage!
Here we see one of Lori's crocheted ornaments, Christine's faboo Hello Kitty Stitch markers and HELLO! Anne knit us each a truffle holder! Want proof? Click click click!
Michelle amazed me with this one... She made us each a pincushion! I hope the other scissorinas post theirs - each one was totally unique!
And how appropriate that someone ran with the scissors theme... Edie blew us away with these snippy little earrings! And friends... those scissors WORK! I mean, you need a really tiny piece of paper, but they move and everything!
What a blast. We should do this every week. Oh wait - minus the presents, we do do this every week. I'm so lucky!!!
Posted by Sarah at 7:44 PM | Comments (9)
December 12, 2005
Mes Coeurs
Just to tide us over until I get the Scissor Squad party pics uploaded....
Image a la Dynamite Joy. Middle school style hearts a la moi.
Posted by Sarah at 11:55 PM | Comments (4)
December 8, 2005
Thoughts...
Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire
So, Mary and Scott and I went to see it! (Were we the last ones?) I didn't read this one first, so I went in with a blank slate. Overall, I liked it a lot, though there were some parts that felt a bit dragged out to me - but that might be because I lacked the continuity from reading the book... I thought the scenes from the wizard's challege were super cool! Anything underwater usually tickles my fancy - I especially liked the badass mermaids. (Those girls are quick!) I still think I liked the third movie best so far - but maybe that's because I've got a bit of a crush on Gary Oldman. Seriously - if I had a picture of him, I'd draw hearts around his head. His brief appearance in HP3 made my night and the highlight of HP4 was his face showing up in a pile of embers. You out there, Gary? Give a call... I'm not a kook - I just want a picture of you so I can draw hearts around your head... sigh.
But, I digress.
Unfortunately, my movie experience was almost ruined by an obnoxious couple sitting nearby. BLAB BLAB BLAB. These people talked through the whoooole movie. At normal speaking volume. It picked up toward the end of the film... I pretty much lost it. I started with the standard "Shhhh." It had no effect. I kicked it up a notch. "SHHHHHH!" Nothing. "Can you PLEASE stop talking?" No acknowldegement whatsoever. "SHUT UP!!!!!" My god - they must have been stoned. And they smoked the good stuff. They didn't even blink. BLAB BLAB BLAB.
The second the credits started to roll, I stood up and announced in my most annoyed and volumous tone "NOW IS WHEN YOU GET TO TALK." I think Mary and Scott were hoping we'd walk down the other aisle to avoid them - but do you think that's the aisle I chose? But no! I walked by the inconsiderate morons, bent down so we were face to face as I passed by and very loudly proclaimed,
"SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Yes. Minor meltdown. I never hesitate to cause a scene when provoked. Irish temper. Fierce need for justice to be slammed down upon the ill mannered. Call it what you will. I was ranting for an hour afterward.....
But, I liked the movie! And that's what I was supposed to be writing about....
On Beauty by Zadie Smith
I finished it and.... was less than impressed. The writing in and of itself was good. I didn't hate it by any means.... But I was left feeling somewhat hungry. I think Heather hit the nail on the head when we discussed it. I HATED the main character. Now - the main character was a self aggrandizing prick of a man in my eyes. I won't shy from the possibility that the well of man hate raging inside of me as of late could have skewed my view on him. I guess his self important attitude and non-stop selfishness just hit too close to home for me to enjoy the surrounding storyline. I guess I wanted there to be a stand out heroine that kicked this bastard in the balls and rode off into the sunset in a blaze of glory. I certainly can't fault the author for writing her own story. I guess it's just the first time that I was really disappointed by where a story went.... or rather where it didn't go. There were a few times that I felt various characters were about to develop and then that wave receded. I'm usually a reader who goes where the story takes me - I don't resist. But this time... I was fighting tooth and nail at the end. Mary's reading it now and I'm very curious to hear her take on it. Anyone out there read this? Thoughts? Am I off my rocker?
Posted by Sarah at 9:33 PM | Comments (7)
December 5, 2005
Little Lucy
Okay - just a quick post before I run off to chomp down some dinner and run out the door to FINALLY see Harry Potter with Mary and Scott... weeee!
Lookit who lives with my Mom, Dad and Cait now!!!
Oh yes. They've joined in on the recent adopt-a-pup craze that's been going on in my family as of late. Meet Lucy (short for Lucerne, one of the names for the lake we visit in Maine). I was lucky enough to meet her when I was down in Florida. We tricked my Mom into going to the animal shelter to look at pups and there she was.... So cute in her brindled coat and puppy teeth. She's about 5 months old and all puppy from what I hear!
They just picked her up this week and they are all in love (and rightly so!).
Here's a pic with her favoritest person, Caitlin, for scale - and cuteness!!!!
Welcome to the fam, little one! Kyra and Gracie can't wait to get their noses on you!
Posted by Sarah at 5:12 PM | Comments (2)