January 24, 2008

Good Times

I love SteveKam.

The gang threw Danny Boy a surprise party last weekend to celebrate his 40th bday :) Of course, I snapped some pics. Good times.

Posted by Sarah at 12:46 PM | Comments (3)

January 16, 2008

Mustache Misgivings

So, my buddy Lauren celebrated her 30th birthday last week. In honor of this spectacular occasion, we gathered at her fab pad for pizza and some gal gab.

The hot topic of the evening? Mustaches.

Query: Does having a mustache mean that you are a child molester?

An amazing percentage of the party guests immediately agreed that mustache = molester. After an evening of lively discussion, we realized that the following familiar characters pose a serious threat to our nation's children:

We also agreed that the following people are exceptions to this rule: Burt Reynolds, Magnum P.I. (please note that we said Magnum P.I. - we make no such claim on Tom Selleck's behalf), and The Swedish Chef.

Lauren's decided to go undercover to investigate. Think she'll pass?

(This finger puppet can be purchased at this fine etsy shop!)

To present a balanced argument, I encourage you to visit this informational website.

Posted by Sarah at 7:46 PM | Comments (0)

December 10, 2007

Oh Baby Baby Oh Baby Baby

(as sung in the classic love song, Push It by Salt n Pepa)

Michelle has done it again! She is a proud mama to a beautiful baby girl!

Natalia Rose was born this morning! She weighed in at a healthy 7 pounds, 15 ounces! Mama Michelle and baby are doing great and Mary, Scott & I stopped by the hospital to say hello.

Michelle and Todd have proven they have a knack for making cuuuuuute babies. My hat is off to both of you! Keep em comin! :)

Posted by Sarah at 9:26 PM | Comments (1)

December 4, 2007

Neato Keen

So I stopped on my way home to pick up a book of stamps today and lookie what the nice postman handed me:

I know it's backwards... sorry bout that.... They're Holiday Knits stamps!

Hee!

Then I walked out to my car and all I could smell was pee. And not just regular pee - the pee that you pee after you eat a lot of asparagus.

So, all in all, it was an interesting visit to the post office....

Posted by Sarah at 10:46 PM | Comments (4)

November 26, 2007

Apple Picking

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

I mean.... umm.... *cough*.... So, guess what I got this weekend?

I am soooo in lust. Needless to say I've spent the last 3 days glued to the keyboard. I've imported 16 GB of music and 3700 photos so far. Yeeee-haw!

Before little MacNally arrived, SteveKam and I enjoyed a quiet Thanksgiving at Chez Snippy. I made some salmon, mashed taters, green beans, carmelized acorn squash and a spinach salad. And a so-so attempt at my first apple pie. We drank beer, we watched football, we ate too much. It was Heaven.

We finished up our long weekend with a loverly little bike ride up in Carmel, NY. It is looking like it was our last bike ride of the season - boo! Though, that does mean that SNOOOOOW is on its way and with it snowshoeing and cross country skiing! Hazah!

I'll spare you all the obligatory apology for the lack of posts. Let's just say that work has been nuts, but things are looking up. I'm hoping that I'll be back to the normal kind of crazy in a few weeks.

Posted by Sarah at 8:03 PM | Comments (4)

November 4, 2007

Belated Trick or Treat

Work has been OUT OF CONTROL. Like, working till 9pm out of control.

So far this weekend, I have slept, slept, slept - oh and gone grocery shopping. I decided this afternoon was the perfect opportunity to finally upload my Halloween pics and actually POST something on this poor blog.

So, here's a snippy little slideshow of this year's Halloween misadventures:

I've been spending the few work free hours I have had crafting my rear off and playing with Ravlery (btw - YES, it IS as amazing as everyone says! Check me out there if you're in already - I'm Scissorina. Umm... duh). I'll have some new home dec items to show off shortly - as well as a couple of sweaters that have been finished for a million years and just need to star in their individual photo shoots....

The good news is that in about 2 weeks, my workload *should* be a lot more reasonable and while I will still have to work late - it shouldn't be running till the wee hours anymore. If I live that long, it's something to look forward to. :)

Posted by Sarah at 2:04 PM | Comments (2)

October 31, 2007

File Under: Sad But True

I just ate a plate of frozen french fries for lunch because it was, literally, ALL I HAVE LEFT in my house to eat.

(Well, not literally - I had the option of dining on dried cranberries instead. I made my choice.)

This is what happens when you work until 9pm every night. It allows no time to grocery shop. Or maintain your peppy little blog.

This must end.

I pray to the work gods to give me a break tonight so I might post my Halloween pics. At least give me that, you bastards!

Posted by Sarah at 12:55 PM | Comments (0)

October 16, 2007

Freedom Hero

Okay, so I just saw something great.

On my way home from the office, I passed the most patriotic pickup truck ever. It was big and red and had 4 American flags flying proud out of it's bed.

Emblazoned upon the top of the windshield? FREEDOM HERO in large, white capital letters.

Wow.

I mean... just wow.

Posted by Sarah at 6:40 PM | Comments (2)

October 11, 2007

Thirty Years of Sass

Well. It's about time I reported back on my big birthday bash this past weekend.

So, little sis Mary rocks my socks because she really pulled this off in high style. We started out with dinner at Papaya Thai in SoNo.... YUM. I mean seriously... If you go - and you simply MUST - you've gotta try their crab dumplings, coconut shrimp, and the soft shell crab..... oh my fucking GAWD. Wash it all down with a Thai iced tea and you will have one happy tum tum. Promise.

Heather, Brandon, Laura, Lauren, and, of course, SteveKam joined us for a tasty and boisterous meal. Global warming kindly afforded us with "patio" weather, so we dined outdoors. 'Twas nifty.

We then headed over to The Loft, a martini bar a couple of blocks over for the boozing of a lifetime. P and E met us there - and soon after Dan and Tara joined us and then Anne and Michelle showed up and even Scott at the tail end of the evening.... We managed to get dibs on the entire corner boothy type area - that was a good thing because we were rowdy and would not necessarily have played well with others if forced into close quarters. (We're a LOUD gang of peeps yo.)

I sampled many a martini, friends. It's the only way to ring in your 30th. DRUNK and SUGARED UP. I was hap-hap-happy. The evening concluded with some trademarked Sarah ass shaking. It's just not a special occasion without it.

SteveKam (as always) was a real sport and hauled my tanked rear home. I told him I'd return the favor on his birthday... but let's face facts:

1. SteveKam will never allow himself to get as wasted as I did.
2. I make a terrible designated driver as I like to get wasted.

I'll give it the ol' college try, though! I owe him, after all...

Anyhoo, it was a really faboo birthday and even though some people DITCHED at the last minute (*cough* FRO! *cough* GORDON! *cough* SMACK! - wait, well, Smack and Factor had a good reason for not attending... but, whatever! Ditchers! *cough*)

I was glad to be surrounded by people who make me laugh so hard I almost pee my pants on a regular basis. You guys are the bomb-diggety.

So. I'm officially old or some junk. I don't really feel any different. I don't feel any more mature or any better prepared for what life is going to throw at me next and I certainly don't feel any more grown up. And I don't wanna. Take that, 30! Your foul attempts at making me feel decrepit and lame have been TORPEDOED. By me! So there!

I'm going to kick 30's ass this year. You just wait and see. Boo yeah.

ps - our little photo albums can be found here, here and here. :)

Posted by Sarah at 3:25 PM | Comments (4)

October 8, 2007

WTF?

I was all ready to sit down tonight and write about my FANTASTIC 30th birthday party, but I don't have the photos yet (Mary and heather played photographer) so that will have to wait one more day.

Instead, let me regale you with the tale of my late afternoon walk.

So, I got home tonight and took Kyra for her constitutional... On our way back to the apartment, I paused across the street to wait for a big ol' pickup truck to pass, so we could cross. Well, all of the sudden, BAM.

Something came flying through the air and hit me square in the forehead. Hard.

I went a little wobbly and very quickly decided that I needed to get me and the pup inside. I got some ice on my noggin and called SteveKam to ask if I should do anything else. He stopped by on his way home from work to check on me. I've got a bump and a nasty headache, but I'll survive.

But, WTF? I thought at first maybe it was a rock kicked up by the pickup speeding by.... But Steve says by the looks of my forehead, it wasn't a rock that hit me... He thinks someone threw something out the window and it hit me. Of course, I was waaaay too spaced out to actually look around to see what the fuck hit me... and now it's dark out.

I see a little scavenger hunt in my future tomorrow morning.

I'd like to make an official plea for the little black cloud over my head to dissipate. Please.

Posted by Sarah at 7:46 PM | Comments (5)

October 4, 2007

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Reese's Elvis Presley peanut butter-banana creme cups are man's greatest creation yet.

I mean, seriously.

Posted by Sarah at 10:26 PM | Comments (1)

September 7, 2007

The Final Countdown

Well... not the FINAL countdown. But doesn't that song kick ass?

Today marks the beginning of the last month of my Twenties. One month from today, I will hit the big Three Oh.

How's about THEM apples?

I had all these crazy plans for things I wanted to accomplish before I turned thirty... get a tattoo, learn to surf, get my scuba certification, and OH YEAH - go back to school and form some sort of career. Well.... it's starting to look like I might miss my deadline. Haha.

I'm not really all that stressed out about it, though. Truth is I am pretty happy with my life at the moment. There are some things I want to work on - career and location being the two biggest targets - but, I can't complain about what I've done with my time. Sometimes you get lazy... you get in a rut... you don't get as much done as you had planned. That's life. You need ruts and laziness to balance it all out. Because, admit it - you know those people that never take a break? They never stop working their asses off, never take their eye off "the ball"? You know the ones - people whose hard work results in astounding success and satisfaction beyond their wildest dreams?

I hate those people. Effing robots.

I'm sometimes incredibly lazy and you know what? It's my favorite flaw about myself. It's also why I am 29.917 years old and living in a crap apartment making peanuts at a job I don't exactly heart anymore.

So, there's room for improvement.... Meh.

This really wasn't meant to be a bitch session... where the hell was I going with this?

OH YEAH. So, I turn 30 next month and want to have a big party but have no money. I was thinking of maybe just telling everyone I like to meet me at a bar... Seems kinda lackluster, but I'm sure it would be more fun than it sounds.

The original plan (a la 2006 when I started thinking about this....) was to have everyone congregate somewhere and have fire eaters and belly dancers and basically just hold a little mini-Burning Man in my honor. Well... the logistics... they killed me. So, we're back to Square One.

Anyone have any suggestions? Truthfully, Mary and Heather are supposed to be organizing this... but I know it's a big task and your ideas will help them - and me - and possibly YOU if you are a friend reading this blog and within driving distance of Danbury, CT....

Man. Fire eaters would have been so cool. Damnit.

Posted by Sarah at 10:40 AM | Comments (6)

August 15, 2007

Flowers, Shotglasses and an FO

So, I've been scolded for neglecting my blogging duties AGAIN this week.

Nag nag nag.

So, I decided to show you all what I did with my lunch break today as I was fortunate enough to work from home on this lovely, sunny Wednesday.

I trimmed back the zinnias in my little garden out front. The little bastards had started taking over the walkway. That is what I get for giving them a home. Ungrateful little brats. So I CUT THEM. Take that! I made an example out a few dozen in hopes to inspire fear in their brethren.

I threw in some lavender from a plant I am growing on my steps and some basil I have sprouting up tall in the same place. As a matter of fact... let's take a look at Snippy's little stairway oasis, shall we?

Here we see Rosemary (who just came home with me from The Elephant's Trunk this past Sunday), Basil, Italian Parsley and overshadowed (and not too visible) are Mystery Plant #1 and Mystery Plant # 2.... as well as the lone survivor of The Snapdragon Experiment (where Sarah learned that they don't like to grow for her even if they are her very favorite flower and she told them so every day and it didn't even matter one little bit to them or nothing.... whatever.)

MP1 and MP2, by the by, were given to me by my crazy neighbor. I'd like to think that I rescued them from a wicked fate, but they're kind of sickly looking and my hopes... they ain't high.

Here is some of that aforementioned lavender, looking scrumptious. Mmmm. You smelly so nice! (When are we getting Smell-o-Vision on the internets? Isn't that something that Walt Disney promised me on one of those craptacular Epcot rides? Hmph.)

Speaking of The Elephant's Trunk, I ought to share what I discovered while there with Mary and Michelle.

Flea Markets are no place to be when it is 90 degrees and you are a.) pregnant (Michelle) or b.) hungover (me). Mary seemed to fare just fine....

We spent a coupla hours there and I'd say my favorite purchase was no surprise given my physical state that day. I give you... the coolest shot glasses ever.

Oh yeah. They are that cool. And they are mine. You want to use them? You're going to have to sweet talk your way over here for a shot party. OOH. Shot party! That sounds like a good idea... Hmm. I'll get back to you all on that.

Oh man... I was going to include an FO in this post, but this thing feels like it's really long. I'll put that sucker in it's own entry later. Cuz that's the way I roll. At least today it is.

Boo yeah.

Posted by Sarah at 4:49 PM | Comments (3)

July 20, 2007

I'm a Kitty. Hee.

Meaningful post upcoming... in the meantime....

Link: The Which Lolcat Are You? Test written by GumOtaku on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Posted by Sarah at 12:30 PM | Comments (1)

June 28, 2007

Bye, Bye Baby

Lots going on round Maison de la Scissorine these days....

Most notable, perhaps, is the recent parting of Sarah Jayn and her beloved VW Bus.

The Story of The Bus

I bought The Bus 10 years ago after quitting school and taking a temporary job through my Dad's company. It was a 2-3 month assignment, taking inventory of parts aboard an AT&T transoceanic cable ship (they laid the fiber optic cables on the ocean floor). They never took girls before - but for my dad's daughter (and the daughter of his co-worker and friend Nick), they made an exception - after two very convincing fathers insisted that their girls could do anything a guy could do.

I ended up flying out to Seattle to meet up with Lia before heading to Honolulu, where the ship was docked. (We went on to sail from Hawaii to Victoria, BC - and yes, it is an incredible story that I love to tell... but since we are chatting it up about The Bus here, I'll save the full version for another day!) Lia picked me up at the airport - in The Bus. It had a "For Sale" sign in the window. As soon as I climbed in, I said, "You're going to think I'm crazy - but, I'm buying this car from you when we're done with the job." I don't think she believed me at first... but we had just met and she didn't know me too well. When I set my mind on something... that's pretty much it.

Before too long, he was mine. A 1979 VW Bus (the last year of the bus - before they switched over to the Vanagon), covered in graffiti murals with a 4 speed manual transmission and I was only the second owner. Of course... he was in Snohomish, WA and I didn't know how to drive stick. But, again, if anyone's spent any significant time with me... I didn't exactly view it as an obstacle.

So, Lia and I planned to drive cross country (she had never been on the East coast!) - her in her new truck and me in my "new" bus. I picked up stick quick - on the day we left :) - and we headed down the coast. It was incredible to say the least. We camped out on beaches and I relished sleeping in my car. I felt like a vagabond and loved every second of it. I slept on a black sand beach and awoke to see a whale and her calf breaching at daybreak. I learned how to drive stick up hills in San Francisco (I was crying at one point, but totally worth it - I rock hills in any vehicle now). I adopted a dog (Dakota) from a really ugly looking animal shelter while I was in Berkeley. When we headed out of Berkeley, we parted ways for what was only supposed to be a week. Dakota and I headed down the PCH toward LA to meet up with my man, at the time, in Temecula. Again, there is a really crazy and detailed version of what transpired next, but in the interest of time, I will sum it up as best I can. On my way to see Todd, The Bus started acting funny. Now, at this point, I was travelling alone with a dog in a car I knew next to nothing about - a little hairy, I know. After some help from some good samaritans, I was able to make it down to Todd's place and we took The Bus over to his mechanic (he also had a bus, so I was lucky in that regard).

While The Bus was being tended to, we left to spend a couple of days camping in the San Bernadino National Forest. This is where the shit really started to hit the proverbial fan. Dakota had been an incredible companion so far. A quick study, very sweet tempered - really, a dream dog for being only 9 months old. My one rule had been - keep her on her leash. We had only been together for a couple of weeks - she didn't know me well enough yet to start any kind of off leash training. I was insistent on this. Todd disagreed with my philosophy - and frequently told me so. I told him to eat a fat one - this was my dog and I wasn't taking any stupid risks. My back was turned... and he took her leash off. I heard the jingle of her tags and turned around to see her rear end as she ran off into the woods. I spent the next 3 days hiking through those woods calling a name that the dog didn't know long enough to recognize. I never saw her again.

I reluctantly headed back to Temecula to get the scoop on the bus. This is where I found out that it needed a few more repairs than I had money. I then got a call from Lia, who had been waiting for me in Barstow. I told her what was going on and realized pretty quickly that she was going to have to keep going without me. I called home and told my Dad what the story was... he told me to get on a plane and come home. I was pretty defiant in those days, but it was either head home or be stuck in California for an indefinite period of time with the guy that I now hated for losing my dog.... I made arrangements with one of Todd's friends to keep the bus in his garage and I headed to LAX.

It took me 9 months to save up enough money to get the repairs done and to have the car shipped out to me in CT. I worked my ass off for that and to this day, don't have one regret. That's how much I love this car.

In the past 10 years, The Bus eventually turned from my primary mode of transportation into more of a toy, who spent much of his time relaxing and resting in any one of his many parking spots. It seemed he was enjoying retirement, but in my heart I knew he was not the kind of guy who enjoyed sitting around quite this much. We are kindred spirits, after all! I took on little tasks to perk him up, including installing new door seals and putting in a nice new vinyl ceiling cover. But, he just wasn't getting all of my attention as he once did - and a lady living on her own has a tight budget to keep... so, not much money was recently allocated to bus restoration...

I started thinking about selling him, but resisted putting ads in the paper or on Craigslist. I wanted him to go to the right person and the idea of interviewing the nuts who would turn out to look at him really put me off. I just wanted it to be easy! It should just happen - like it did when I took him!

Well, wouldn't you know it? One lazy Sunday afternoon, as my sisters and I were playing a little Nintendo, a knock came upon my door. It was a young guy - and his slightly older brother - asking if there was any way I'd consider selling The Bus. He drove by my house all the time on his way to his friend's place and fell in love with it, he told me... So, I took them down to poke around him a bit and to give them the background. I got a really good feeling about him. (And his brother is a mechanic, so bonus points right there!). I decided to say "Okay". We decided on a price and I agreed to give him a few months to get the money together. How did he do it, you might ask? He worked 3 jobs and brought a collection jar to school with him. For serious. If I had needed any additional convincing, that took care of it. He really wanted this car. He was going to love it and baby it and put all his money into fixing him the hell up.

A couple of weeks ago, the big day came and I handed over the keys. It got a bit emotional for me at the end... But, he's back in the hands of a young kid who is in love with the very idea of him. I remember those days well. Chris is in for many adventures and I am really excited for him. As for The Bus, he's coming out of retirement. And it's about time. :)

Of course.... I did ask Chris to let me know if/when he ever decides to sell The Bus... I mean... you never know! :)

Posted by Sarah at 10:35 AM | Comments (3)

April 9, 2007

Bunnies Are Cute

Peeps are so useful. A little rearranging and you've got a slew of new friends. Here are my favorites from this weekend's festivities.

Meet Meepblorg. He's from away.

Oscar has a funny feeling that someone is after his easter egg.

Heather came down from Boston for a booze filled bonanza of a weekend. Lordy. That girl is a bad influence on me...

Here are some excerpts from our mis-adventures. Please note the surplus of vintage clothing acquired on a late evening run to my new favorite shop...

Mary made Heather and I Easter buskets. :) She so crafty.

Hee.

Karaoke Revolution and Rumpleminze... A lethal combination.


My favorite score of the night - a sweet lil army jacket. I look relatively dignified. This must have been early in the evening.


Laura's just pretty.


Is a caption really necessary?



Michelle proclaimed that the first lady to successfully operate her son's Sit 'n Spin (can you believe they are actually called that???) would receive a fabulous prize. I nailed that shit. I won 14 cents, a Babe the Pig keychain and an expired credit card. Just another wacky night in Danbury, Connecticut...

Posted by Sarah at 7:45 PM | Comments (2)

April 4, 2007

Free The Lobsters!

My friend Gordon was in town last week from Portland, so we decided to meet up somewhere near my house and grab a beer. I picked a local sports bar that I hadn't been to in a while since I knew it would be a pretty quiet place to play some pool and catch up (no big games going on that night).

As we walked back to the pool table, you can imagine my astonishment when I saw THIS:

THIS is a claw machine (normally designed to snatch up crappy little stuffed animals) designed for snatching up LIVE LOBSTERS. If you catch one, the kitchen will cook it for you.

My friend's first comment was "If there was one of these things in Portland, it would take about 5 minutes for someone to douse this in a bucket of pig's blood." Yet, here in Newtown it is apparently considered completely acceptable and good, clean fun.

I am pissed.

What's next? A claw machine full of puppies? How about an adoption machine? You could just fill the tanks with babies - that's sure to drive up revenue at your local tavern.

Mind you, I eat lobster once or twice a year. I like it. They are tasty. But, I do make a point of only eating them when I am in Maine and know they have not been trapped in a tank of their own filth for 6 months before I dig in. There is such a thing as ethical treatment of animals and a claw based death machine ain't it.

Has anyone seen these anywhere else? I am writing to PETA and my local humane society. I urge you all to do the same. Of course, I am tempted to either take a sledgehammer to it (Gordon's idea) or take a trip to the local butcher for a bucket of the red stuff - but, diplomacy first. Deep breath, then diplomacy.

Am I alone in my outrage?

Ugh.

ps - I am particularly disgusted by the smiling cartoon lobster holding a cute little heart in the death machine's logo.

Posted by Sarah at 12:33 PM | Comments (3)

January 25, 2007

Wii Are in Love

His name is Zazz and he completes me. *sigh*

More intelligent and entertaining than any man could ever be, I'd like to publicly declare my love for Zazz. Never has there been a game system which stole my heart the way that you have, baby. You rock my world.

And with Mary & Scott bringing one home... as well as Todd & Michelle, and Carl (and more on the way! Heather's on the waiting list...) all getting Wii's, the fun is truly endless. Now when I work at home, this is how I spend my lunch break.

I highly recommend saving your pennies for one, fair readers! I have never ever ever had this much fun with video games. The way the controls work blow my mind daily. This is the way I wanted video games to be like since I was a kid. It's like I am living in the future. THE FUTURE.

Not to mention now I get to say things like "I'm going home to play with my Wii." or "My wrists are tired from playing with my Wii all day". Let's be real - that will never get old.

If any of you out there are rockin a Wii, do let me know! I'll add you to my Wii addy book. (I mean, this thing is making me go nuts. Like, the fact that I can send messages to my sister down the street is blowing my mind. Umm, it's basically just email. Somehow it is waaaay more fun!)

One of my favorite pastimes now is to sit around designing Mii's and sending them to everyone I know. We have an unspoken competition going on to see who can come up with the best ones. Of those I've made, my favorites so far would have to be Jacko, Shaft and my little sister Caitlin. Of my competitors? Michelle's Paris Hilton is pretty funny and nothing beats Carl's Dr. Puny.

I love to play with my Wii.

Posted by Sarah at 3:33 PM | Comments (6)

January 16, 2007

Tax Time - A Plea for Help

I thought I'd throw out a little question your way, you fabulously talented and knowledgeable readers, you!

It's coming up on tax time and while my Etsy endeavor hasn't rocketed me into the ranks of the self employed (yet), I did make a tiny bit o' cash and I want to make sure all my i's are dotted, t's crossed and the like so that Uncle Sam doesn't march up to my door, slam a pair of cuffs on top of my handknit wristlets and put me away.

I looked into getting my taxes done professionally and they want like 200 bucks! Um, I'm poor. That is mucho dinero for this little gringa!

Any of you entrepreneurs out there know if this should be a fairly simple process? I usually handle my own taxes, but I do NOT want to screw up! Just wondering if anyone's been through this already and might have some advice to lend and/or some resources they could recommend.

PS - I finished up a gift for my favorite barkeep! The Irish Hiking Scarf is finit - I'll try to convince him to let me click his pic when I present him with it. :) (MH is in charge of the scarf for the other bartender - if all goes well, maybe we can give them both tonight - yippee!)

Posted by Sarah at 2:24 PM | Comments (5)

January 1, 2007

Umm... Hi!

SO... I've been MIA and I apologize. Since Thanksgiving, things got really out of control at work. Combine that with Eckmas madness? You get zero blog time.

Now, I have been on vacation since December 20th... but I abstained from computer use until today. I decided to take my vacation as an opportunity to reeeeeally relax. Not just pretend to relax like I normally do. :) Guess what? IT WAS AWESOME.

I spent a week in Florida with my family, slept in, ate well, made stuff (but held off on making stuff for Fiberfly - that's next weekend's project!), started a new knitting project (an Irish Hiking Scarf for the bartender at the pub where the Squad meets! He is awful nice to us after all.), and played with my Ecksmas prezzies.

I headed into the City this past Friday to meet up with the Spiders! I got there early so I could catch up with Kaitlyn and her little lady, Maia. (umm, I'm stating the obvious here, but that kid is C-U-T-E.)

I also got to see Sandra , about whom I'd like to make the following points:

1. Sandra always looks fabulous when I see her. I strongly suspect she has the most kickass wardrobe of anyone I know.
2. Sandra has knit more socks than anyone on this planet.

Steph was all aglow as one would expect of a soon to be mama! I also got to hang with Veronique, Virginia, Marie, and Carrie - what a fun gang to knit with! Thank Jeebus for the internets. Hee.

It was a great time and it was so easy getting in and out of NYC, that it made me realize that this was something I could and should do more often!

And NO I am not calling that a New Year's resolution nor will I subject you all to yet another Snippy list! Instead, I'm trying to juggle my little budget to afford myself a few new luxuries that will allow me to relax and feel good on a more regular basis. I'd like to be able to go shopping every now and then... I'd like to get a pedicure more than once a year. And my Mom introduced me to something called a MASSAGE (ok, by far one of the best Ecksmas gifts ever) and it turns out that it agreed with me. I just made my last car payment (yeeeeee haw!) so I am thinking that it might be nice to use a little of that money on some me-centric things. Like a Nintendo Wii for starters. Haha.

I have a ton of gifts I made that I need to share with my readership, but it will take me a little time to pull them all together. In the meantime, continue reading for some photographic highlights of my blog-less month... I'll be back soon.

Pinky swear.

Firstly, I had a biz-ness trip down in Orlando and stayed in a ritzy pad! (Yes, I am so new to this that I would take pictures of my room. Hee.)

I swung down to Melbourne Beach to see the fam for a few days since I was in the area... I even took the littlest McNally to DISNEY WORLD! Just her and me. It was super sweet, fer sure.

I even convinced her to go on her first pseudo-roller coaster! She rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and we rocked that shit. Woo! Now, let's see if we can go on something a little bigger next time. We both need to work up to that...

We rode the teacups...

wOOoooWooOOOOwoooooOooO!

We went to the beach and it was OK!

On to the latest trip to Florida... All the girls were together! Here you see us in the bathroom for beauty night. Mary made up an exfoliating fruit scrub and we used some yummy hair and face masks from Lush. Soooo nice.

Mary and me being lazy on the couch.

Heather showing me her moves.

Mary got confused while wrapping presents...

Caitlin and Mary went swimming.... Well, they went swimming and then Caitlin kicked Mary's ass.

Heather is a very special girl. Very special.

Mary dressed up for Heather's birthday festivities.

Me and Caitlin!

Scott. HAHAHA.

Our last day in FL, we headed to the beach...

Pretty. :)

Umm. Don't drive and drive a boat.

Mary decided to go to sea. Luckily for all of us, the worst that came of this was a very wet dress.

Posted by Sarah at 5:27 PM | Comments (3)

November 23, 2006

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just wanted to pop in and say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there!

Sorry I've been MIA lately - I'll be posting this weekend all about my recent biz-ness trips, my visit to FL to see the fam, a Sassy Stitchess spotting, hollyday crafting and a butt-load of other junk I need to tell you all about!

Things have been crazy hectic around here lately, but Thanksgiving brings with it a calmer, easier time around here. :) Time to have a personal life again - woooo!

In the spirit of the holiday, I thought I'd post a lil Top Ten of things I am super duper thankful for these days. Sometimes it's nice to pause and really take in all that you have - today is a real good excuse to take the time to do so.

Here goes...

This Scissorina is thankful for:

10. My Apartment - Yes, that's right! Despite the crazy lady living next door and the random neighbors I find asleep on my front lawn with bottles of JD next to them, I am incredibly grateful that I have a safe, warm place to hang my hat each night. I bust my butt to pay the bills and am very thankful that I am able to do that. How hard it is to live on my own has opened up my eyes to the difficulty so many people in this country face and why we have such a large homeless population. I'm always one paycheck away from being without all of this (I think many of us are!) - I urge everyone to take a moment and appreciate the fact that you get to sleep indoors! It's a big deal!

9. My Job - While I do not have the type of job that utilizes my creativity, nor fulfills me on every level I desire, I work for a great person who appreciates me as a human being and treats me with respect. My job pays for #10 and food to keep my tummy from rumbling. I think that's pretty badass.

8. My Craft Stash & Camera - I know these are material items and all, but they are my outlet! These are the tools I use to express myself and have in many ways saved my ass over the last year. Sometimes I don't have it in me to write something I'm feeling out - how lucky am I that I have other means to channel all the good stuff and bad stuff I've been feeling? Darn lucky, I say.

7. The Hat City Scissor Squad - My posse. What can I say? They have been a collective, positive force in my life since the Squad's inception. One night a week to go out, have a beer and blah blah blah to my heart's content. I don't know how the Universe pulled together such a kickass group of people for me to hang out with, but something somewhere knew it was what I had been lacking since my long-time friends all moved out of state! I appreciate them more and more as time goes on....

6. My Blog Buddies - Okay - take #7 and subtract regular face to face contact. How encouraging is it to know that you can make friends (genuine friends!) through the internet? It's something I would have laughed at long ago - before I experienced it myself! I have been blessed to meet some really great people who, while I don't see them very often, lend me a shoulder when I need it and a hell of a lot of good laughs.

5. My Family - What can I say? They are amazing. I was lucky enough to gab on the phone for 2 hours last week with my superstar cousin Connie last week. It just reminded me what an incredible support system I have. When I feel like I need it, I can reach out to any of them and they will be there on the spot. And don't even get me started on my sisters... I would write a book if I began... I have learned from friends who have not had this in their lives how special my Mom, Dad, sisters, cousins, aunts and uncles are - how did I get so lucky???

4. Mary & Michelle - I have to point them out in particular... These two gals... I am kind oif speechless. We have bad moveie nights and random DDR fests... We sing bad karaoke into the wee hours of the morning... We sit around making ridiculous projects like collages, pasties and new and exciting types of Barbie dolls. They bring out the silly side of me. She had been reported a missing person a while back..... well, they found her hiding in a coat closet and dragged her ass to the bar. For that I am grateful.

3. The Animals - Okay, Tito can drive a person to drink with his constant caterwauling. Kyra is the most food-obsessed dog I know and worries more than any person I've ever met. And Dave likes to find my favorite books, drag them off the shelf and chew on the corners of the pages. But, damn. They're so freaking cute! They are my only roommates and I'm pretty sure they are keeping me sane. Someone might dispute this fact if they ever walked into the kitchen while I am dancing around to a Beyonce song while doing the dishes and singing to these 3.... but sanity is a relative thing.

2. My friend Danielle - I am a terrible friend in many respects. I lose track of time and forget to call people back. I let my job eat up personal time (remember the part with no posts for a month?) and always figure I will catch up with people when I can. Danielle and I have been friends since we were 15 (we met while we were dating 2 guys that were best friends - we dumped their butts long ago but kept each other) and this girl has always been solid. She is incredibly patient with me - even if we don't talk for 9 months, when we get on the phone it's like no time has passed! All this while she is in medical school, no less! She always finds the time for her friends and it is something I have always admired about her. I am spending Thanksgiving at her parents' house today with Dani and her family - thankful doesn't even cut it.

1. Life, The Universe and Everything - Yup. I'm just thankful that I'm alive and kicking. Lately, I've been in awe of the way the world works... I've rediscovered that belief I had long ago that everything works out in the end. Shit happens. And then other shit happens. There is nothing gained by sitting around and bitching about or worrying about it. Each of us has the opportunity to be a good human being and all we can do each day is to give it our best shot. The Universe is an incredible thing/place/idea/whatever. Sometimes you just have to stop and breathe it all in. It's fucking amazing. :)

So there it is. Hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving! I'm off to make my signature spinach-gruyere quiche and clean up for a holiday dinner with an old friend.

Life is good.

Posted by Sarah at 10:07 AM | Comments (8)

October 11, 2006

My Gift To You

Thanks for all the bday wishes, everybody! :)

So, I made myself a little playlist on my birthday and thought I'd share on accounta I lerve it so very muchly.

First, some background info... I love making mixes. It used to be mix tapes. Then mix cd's. And now it's playlists. I make them all the time - and you know I'm fond of you if I make one for you. It's kind of a big deal.

I guess these days, I'm fond of myself, because this one is all me... But I love my readership enough to share mix 29.

Any fellow mix-makers out there will understand when I say sometimes you make one that really captures where you are at that moment. The past few mixes I made were just all somehow lacking.... Not this one - I've listened to it everyday and it has resonated more as we go along. I really dig 29. She's kicky, she's a little pissed off, but she somehow retains her optimism.

If you want a little insight into Snippy's little pea brain at the moment, I suggest listening to the following:

29

1. The Things That I Used To Do G. Love & Special Sauce / G. Love And Special Sauce
2. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) The Strokes (featuring the dashing Mr Eddie Vedder.... *sigh*) / You Only Live Once / Mercy Mercy Me
3. Make Me Stay Ani DiFranco / Not So Soft
4. Portions for Foxes Rilo Kiley / More Adventurous
5. Mountain Song Jane's Addiction / Nothing's Shocking
6. I Got ID Pearl Jam & Neil Young / Merkinball
7. Plainclothes Man Heatmiser / Mic City Sons
8. Brown Eyes Fleetwood Mac / Tusk
9. ...Said Sadly The Smashing Pumpkins / Rarities & B-sides
10. Dress Up In You Belle and Sebastian / The Life Pursuit (Bonus Tracks)
11. Kiss Me On My Neck Erykah Badu / Mama's Gun
12. Greek Song Rufus Wainwright / Poses
13. How Will He Find Me The Weepies / Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) - EP
14. A Case Of You Joni Mitchell / Blue
15. Song Of Sand Suzanne Vega / 99.9 F°
16. Black Boys On Mopeds Sinéad O'Connor / I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got
17. Chocolate Jesus Tom Waits / Mule Variations
18. Frog on My Toe Tori Amos / Talula
19. Miss Misery (oscars) Elliott Smith / live performance
20. When the President Talks to God Bright Eyes / When the President Talks to God
21. I Want You (Live for Decades Rock Live!) Fiona Apple / I Want You (Live for Decades Rock Live!)
22. Dream A Little Dream Of Me Mama Cass With The Mamas & The Papas / Creeque Alley

Enjoy. :)

Posted by Sarah at 7:04 PM | Comments (1)

October 9, 2006

Puppy Dogs and Bull Rides: One Very Snippy Birthday

So, Saturday was birthday # 29.

How is it that I just realized - on Saturday - that I, uh, forgot to go back to school? Cuz I'm pretty sure I was supposed to do that by now....

ANYWAY... I took Friday off for some me time (like I don't get enough of that living by myself. pshh.), so I took Kyra to one of her favorite places, Huntington State Park and we had ourselves a little hike'n'walk.

No matter what worries may float into my little pea-brain, this face will always make me smile. I mean... come on. She is one effing cute little dog, isn't she? I'm a lucky lady.

Here are a couple of highlights from HSP - If ever in Redding, CT, it's a sweet little nature preserve I highly reccomend. We did the main loop and a couple of side trails.

Saturday morning came and I'll be truthful... I found myself feeling a bit blue. So, I packed up the pup again and headed out the door to another of her favorite spots... the Housatonic Railbed Trail in Monroe. Sometimes you just need to get yourself moving to get yourself out of a funk. (Puppy kisses don't hurt neither.)

Upon my return, I found Mary rallying the troops for a memorable evening out. She and Scott swung by with my birthday presents (they were many and fantastic!) - the highlight was certainly.... THIS!:

Ah! Clothes, you shall no longer be pent up in big, blue rubbermaid bins at the foot of my bed! For the Universe (a la Mary and Scott) has taken pity upon you and sent forth a home for you! THANK GOD. I mean, a person can only live out of plastic bins for so long before they really start to lose it. My bedroom actually looks like a bedroom now. It's really quite something. Thanks guys. More on other gifties at a future date, for now I'll get back to the evening's festivities...

So we made the trek to Waterbury to my fave mexican place. I had shrimp chimichangas and a gallon sized margarita that my waiter insisted was onlly a "medium". Next time I'm ordering a large. I won't have to drink anything else all night...

And our big plans?

Well, Mary decided I ought to do something I'd never done before on my birthday. Something new! Something exciting! Something I wouldn't think to do!

She seemed to have tracked down the only mechanical bull in the state of Connecticut. For serious.

The place was sketchy. It was all ages. I had to wear a bracelet to be allowed at the bar. (On the bright side, the woman who took my cover charge thought I was under 21. Now there's a nice 29th bday present... of course, I took that as a sign that they saw some really rugged looking 20 year olds....but anyway...) There were people dressed in sideways turned baseball caps and giant pants line dancing. Swear on a stack, people. I've never been to such a strange, strange place.

Luckily, enough alcohol and anything becomes funny. Mary, Michelle, Jessica and I got tanked. Scott didn't. He sat there sober and miserable so he could drive our tanked asses home. Now that is what I call doing a solid. Thanks, buddy.

I recall some of the colorful characters we watched from afar that evening.... There was Denim Bolero (the fashion icon of the evening), Flashdance (who I believe had some classical training - those feet pointed out so nicely on his kicks! and such lovely turns!), Tight Jeans (Tall man, Girls jeans. No good.), Confederate Flag Hat, and Josh - our handsy waiter. Yeah. He touched me once and not again... I can dish out some dirty looks.

Once enough liquor had been consumed, I recall jumping onthe dance floor to shake my booty to some Justin Timberlake song and I tried out a line dance. Everyone was real impressed. I really don't remember it too well, but the girls insist I did very well.

Did I mention they had a mechanical bull? Look, it's not something I would normally do. Not something I would set out searching for. But, I was drunk, Mary had gone to a lot of trouble, I was never going to see Denim Bolero, Flashdance, or any of these other people again....

So, when in Rome....

Sorry for the quality.... video a la cameraphone isn't that great yet... but you get the idea...

The prize for Most Original Birthday Outing goes to Mary. It was unexpectedly entertaining. :) Turns out I needed a good laugh and I got about 4,000 that night.....

Posted by Sarah at 9:16 PM | Comments (9)

September 13, 2006

Quick Snippet...

I would love nothing more than to post some pics of a couple of deee-lightful recently finished objects... but they are incredibly belated gifts for two of my favorite lovely ladies... so the unveiling will have to wait!

In the meantime, I give you this. If you hear some loud cheering, that's me in Connecticut shouting out a big HAZAH! for someone in the fashion industry finally attempting to take responsibility for the images they throw at us.

It's a good day.

ETA: Oh! I just found a pic from months ago that I can share! I dyed this sock yarn for my Momma for her Momma's Day present! (Or was it her birthday? Hmm.)

Either way - take a gander! Dark grape, burgundy and raspberry.... Very much my Momma.

Posted by Sarah at 10:50 AM | Comments (4)

September 1, 2006

You know you're poor when...

... you're pushing your cart down the paper goods aisle, watching a woman grab a roll of Bounty paper towels and you think to yourself, "Must be nice. Bitch."

I swear to god or the universe or who/whatever the hell is in charge that I will post something substantial this weekend.

Pinky swear.

Posted by Sarah at 1:26 PM | Comments (2)

July 7, 2006

Caught on Tape

So, Mary had herself a little BBQ this 4th o' July. Our talented buddy Jessica decided to celebrate the event with a couple of films documenting our fun.

Here's her BBQ promo - enticing us to all partake in the BBQ....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGa8bQSHuQg

And here is the resulting footage. BE WARNED, fair readers! You will see booty shaking, drunken rambling, bad karaoke (wow - it's like the Sarah trifecta right there). If you want to pretend that I'm not crazy, I urge you NOT to watch this video. If we've already met, than it's too late for that anyway. Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l3MEQjaEdM

Good times. sigh. Good Times.

Today's names for my un-nameable cat:
Bali
Cousteau
Zissou
David Hasselhoff

Posted by Sarah at 10:31 AM | Comments (3)

May 23, 2006

Can you believe this sh*t...

So, just when you think the worst is over...

On Sunday, my cat Nog (who Mary and Scott very graciously offered to live with at the old place so she could continue chomping on mice and terrifying the avian population) was hit by a car and died.

I honestly just don't have it in me to really write about how I feel right now. Sufficed to say, I was there when she was born, I was there when she first came out of her kitten den to greet the world on wobbly legs, I was there when she ventured outside for the first time and caught a big fat fly within moments, I watched her grow into one of the most beautiful cats I've ever known and I'm just about toast at this point.

I just wanted to put a little note up here so you all know why I am a little behind on answering emails and/or using my higher brain function.

I'm just done.

Posted by Sarah at 9:41 PM | Comments (10)

May 19, 2006

Let's try this again.

Shall we?

Life, it seems, has been taken over by work. Work, it seems, sucks the life straight out of me.

I've recently made some observations that deserve immediate attention. I mean, STAT, people.

Let's go to the list.

1. While I do actually like my job, I realize that I do not like having two managers. One that I do all of my work for and another who is in charge of how much money I make, etc. Nope. I don't like it.

2. I do not make enough money to live by myself in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

3. With nothing/no one tying me down in this state, I cannot come up with more than two reasons to stay (#1 - Mary, #2 - knitting with my bitches)

4. I was once hailed as an adventurer. I haven't gone anywhere of significance in 7 years.

5. Realizing #4 made me cry.

6. Besides the Scissor Squad, I meet no one my age. I therefore feel surrounded by people who are often times 20 years my senior. (They are nice - don't get me wrong! But I miss my old social scene.)

7. I am having little bouts of depression.

So, here's the deal. Does it not seem that items #1-7 all seem to be somewhat related? Yeah, I think so too. I am lethargic and bored and just kind of sad. I'm not miserable, mind you - but I'm sure as Hell not happy. And I remember being happy.... I remember liking it.

So, Sarah's life is in the beginning stages of a rebuilding phase. I think that we are most likely looking at a move at the end of the summer. Where to is a big mystery.

But, I'll tell ya... just the idea of picking up and moving got my blood pumping.... When I get past the practical fears of moving costs, finding a job, blah blah blah... I am left with the idea of moving somewhere new and it just seems like a pretty neat idea.

Note to the Squadders: I promise to post the pictures from last weekend's swap within the next day or two!

Posted by Sarah at 3:33 PM | Comments (7)

April 21, 2006

One Month.

That's right. I've been smoke free for one month. I'm still alive and surprisingly enough, so are those around me.

Mary and Scott have made it this far too! To celebrate, we are going out for dinner tonight with Heather and her boyfriend. We are hitting up a new asian fusion restaurant nearby that I've been DYING to try! In my opinion, occasions don't get more special than this, so it's time to treat ourselves!

We are off to see my Aunt Nancy in Long Island tomorrow for her birthday. I love my Aunt Nancy. She is quite possibly the kindest, sweetest person I've ever met. The fact that I get to have her in my life - and in my family - is one of my biggest blessings. My cousin Connie and her hubby and their ridiculously adorable little ones will all be there, too! I can't wait to spend a day with so many of my favorite people. Life is good!

I have a finished object.... but can't show it off until later this weekend.... What can I say, you're just going to have to be patient!

Posted by Sarah at 12:51 PM | Comments (8)

April 10, 2006

Quickie

I have a total case of the hots for Anthony Bourdain.

I was watching No Reservations the other night where he proclaimed that he could make a beurre blanc sauce with his hands tied behind his back and a bong in his mouth. There's just something damn sexy about that man.

Posted by Sarah at 9:38 PM | Comments (6)

April 3, 2006

Bad Blogger. No Cookie.

Okay. I kind of suck. So? What do you have to say about it? Hmm? Yeah. Thought so.

Can you tell I quit smoking 2 weeks ago (AGAIN) and am having a bit of attitude problem on accounta it? Well, I am. And anyone who doesn't like it can take a long walk off a short pier.

BAD SARAH! Stop it! Someone smack my hand or something. Jesus, the things that keep coming out of my mouth!

I've never been one to hide my emotions or even - at times - lack thereof. So when faced with giving up something that I know is slowly killing my lungs and semi-good looks, but I have come to count on as a crutch..... When I know that quittingt is going to make me into a super mega bitch for a little while..... well, I say let the chips fall where they may. I just can't hide how goddamned pissed off I am. (Con, the kids can't read yet, right? Wait, they definitely can. Well, they're not reading this right now are they? Sweet Jesus, I hope not.)

ANYWAY. We are at Day 14 today and going strong. I officially kick ass. I kick serious ass. I could kick your ass. YES, YOURS. YOU WANT SOME?????

Shit. There I go again. I need a shock collar or something, I swear to God.

Okay, to catch you up on non post smoking traumatic stress disorder related matters... We had super mega sister weekend last week. (First person to make fun of me using the phrase "super mega" twice in one post gets their ass kicked.) It was awesome. Caitlin flew up from Floreeduhhhhh and Heather came down from the Town of Beans. Mary ummmm came over. Uh she doesn't live but 2 minutes away. But it was still FABULOUS of her to come over!

Here's evidence that the three of them spent some serious time at my house:

Mary and Scott and I took Monday off and took Caitlin and the canines (hey, is that a band? it totally should be. Caitlin - start a band and call it that. Get together the ugliest of your friends and force them to play a variety of musical instruments. I would laugh my ass off. Do it. NOW. I'm a dangerous woman. Don't test me.) ANYWAY. We took them all on a hike on part of the Appalachian Trail up in Kent. 'Twas pretty great.

Heather, don't you feel like a sucker for being on a bus back to that Town o' Beans when we were totally rocking out at this phat lean-to we discovered? YEAH.

In other news, I finally got off my ass and to the salon. And then sat back down on my ass so my hair coould be cut. My friend Lauren is the greatest cutter of hair in the history of hair cutting. She removed an obscene amount of hair from my head, and there is still a pretty crazy amount leftover. I freaking love it. Wanna see? It's super mega great. (Right. That was a test. I HEARD YOU! And I'm coming up to that Town of Legumes to KICK YOUR ASS!) Ahem. Sorry. On to the photos....

Courtesy of Zhaan, my new camera phone....

And the fact that I can't get it to look like this on a daily basis in no way enrages me to the point that I'd just like to shave it all off and be done with it because that would be soooo irrational and only some nut job that just quit smoking and can't seem to cope with stress or imperfection could be so loco as to lash out at her own hair in such a way.... Oh, wait.

On the good days, I really like it.

And that's all the news that's fit to spew out at you right now. Anyone need some muscle? Like someone owe you some money and they need to be sent a "message"? Cuz I could totally use both the physical outlet and the extra cash. I think I am as strong and angry of at least two of pre-post smoking traumatic stress disorder Sarah.

And that friends, is saying a lot.

Posted by Sarah at 10:25 PM | Comments (12)

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 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)

November 30, 2005

Ecksmas

So, my folks have been bugging me for ideas for Xmas. I put it off and put it off... and then Mary showed me up and posted a list on her blog! Ack! Now I feel like a procrastinator... NOT my normal role in this family.

So here it is - for all to see. Mind you - this is a just a wish list people. Of course I must include some ridiculous things! Wishes are meant to be whimsical, non-sensical, and downright silly. Of course, with my practical nature, I usually lean more toward the "desperately need" list more than the "wish" list. But, c'est la vie. ;)

And - of course - the list is broken down into sections. Go fig.

The Practical

A Printer. Something basic that doesn't need primo expensive ink (so I can actually buy ink when I run out), but could print photos? Is there such a printer? I really don't need a fancy one.

A Coffee Grinder. Just a little cheap one. Nothing too fancy. It's just been on the list and I don't have the heart to shell out $15-25 for a little bitty appliance. But, you can!

New Brake Pads for My Car. Ummm..... I think little Miss Mazda won't stop soon. Yeah. (Just need the parts... will try to swindle Scott into installing them... He's a sucker for cookies.)

Gift Certificates for Clothes Okay - I thought my wardrobe had already gotten pretty pathetic, but now I realize it was just a prelude to what it was to become once losing a dress size. I am in desperate need of some clothes that fit! Stores to keep in mind:
Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget: H&M, Target, Old Navy
Good 'Ol Middle of the Road: Gap, Esprit
The High Roller Table: Banana Republic, Nordstrom

The Semi-Practical (I mean - it's practical if I'd use these things, right?)

Set of Handcarders I have a big bag of Llama wool waiting to washed and brushed. But I don't have the proper tools! The Ashford student handcarders look good to me!

A few jars of One Shot Dye. I'd like to give this stuff a go! It's gotten some rave reviews on Craftster... I'd lerv to get a few of the small jars in.. I dunno... say Raspberry, Persimmon, and Strawberry. I have some roving that is aching to be spun into yarn for a Clapotis! And I'm thinking shades of red red red!

A Ballwinder and Swift. Yes, I swear - this is practical. On accounta I'm practically breaking my wrists with all this winding by hand! I thought it was bad enough before I had to go and start MAKING yarn! (And don't you want to use one of those nifty 50% off coupons at Joann.com? Makes these puppies look a lot more reasonable!!!!)

The Dreamy

Money to put in my Vacation Fund. I mean it. I am getting the hell out of here. For like 10 days! I have no idea on dates, no real nailed down destination. BUT, I am determined to take a vacation in 2006. A real one. Far away. Not to visit relatives. I've been considering going somewhere I've never been before... But, I keep getting the itch to do the San Fran area. I've been there, but got to see like zero of the city. And it's only a 4 hour drive to Yosemite... I'm thinkin waaarm weather... I'm thinkin caaaaampin. Hiiiiiikin. Yeah. A little city, A little country. Could be nice, no?

Yarn. Like I need more yarn? But, no Xmas list is complete without some of the good stuff! Here's some stuff I've been eyeing...
Lorna's Laces Shepard Sock (two skeins makes a pair of socks!) I looooove the Daffodil and Bittersweet colourways!
Blue Sky Alpacas - Alpaca Silk - Oooh! Spring and Mocha are fantastic colors! I even like them together.... Must be something fabulous I could make out of this, no?
Manos Cotton Stria Mmmmmm. I'd like me about 5 hanks of Olive and 5 in white. What? This is the dreamy part of the list? I can ask for anything I want!

The Downright Silly

Tivo. Yep. Nothin practical here, folks. I just think it's NEAT! Of course, there is a rebate to be found here.... Brings down the ridiculous price by a smidgen. Just sayin.

And oh yeah... I made up one of those Amazon Wish List thingers... mostly books and dvd's that I've been lusting after....

Posted by Sarah at 3:06 PM | Comments (7)

November 20, 2005

Get Thee to a Nunnery.

I was completely unaware that we live in a society where at the tender age of 28, you can be considered at risk for becoming an old maid.

Recently, I've been subjected to the "concern" of various co-workers, acquaintances and the little old lady that lives next door.

Christ, people! I've been single for a few months, yet it seems people are as hell bent on finding me a husband as if they were bible thumpers scurrying to save my soul!

At first, it seemed innocent enough (though still bewildering since these people don't seem to understand that the passing of a 3 year relationship just might take some time to get over). Someone asked if I was dating yet. I replied with a firm no. "Oh, well I know someone in the finance department who likes you! He's cute!" (where am I? middle school???) "No, thank you.", I reply - as politely as I am able to these days.

Then another. "Are you seeing anyone new?". "Nope.", I state frankly. "Oh good! I have the perfect guy for you!" Sigh. I explain that I'm just not ready or interested yet. "You know, Sarah - you really shouldn't hide yourself away from the world! You'll never find the right man if you're not out there looking!" (Again, what century are we living in?)

A very sweet woman at work offers me her son! (This was by far, the least offensive - I thought it was adorable, but really... what could I say? No thank you.)

Then, the coup-de-grace. My deranged next door neighbor (seriously - I really should post some stories....) accosted me on a Monday morning as I had just put my car in reverse to head off to work. She comes running out of her apartment in her nightgown - frantically waving a piece of paper and shouting my name.

I place the car in neutral, pull the parking brake and roll down my window. She asks me if I remember the young man that came by this weekend to fix the water heater. Yes, I did vaguely remember the doofy looking plumber, complete with American flag boxers prominently sticking out from his jeans. (yeah. that made an impression. blech.) "Well, I was telling him what a nice girl you are and I told him how you were single and lived all by yourself and he'd like to take you out!" She looked like the cat that just swallowed the canary. Ever so proud of herself.

I'd like to pause here to point out that at no point in time have I ever discussed my "status" with this woman. She has surmised that I am single from the fact that I don't parade men in and out of my apartment. So, basically because I am not a whore, she has figured that I don't have a boyfriend. Hmm.

She continues, with a huge grin on her face expressing her pride in this kind deed, "He wrote down his number for you, here you go so you can give him a call right away!" Ah. So this is what she was flapping about wildly in her right handed deathgrip. "No, thank you. I'm not dating right now. I appreciate the thought." (LIE! She is in her 60's and a bit koo-koo, so I try to be nice.)

She persists. "But he's such a nice young man! Here, take the number and give him a call.". "No, thank you. I've just been through a bad breakup and I'm not ready to date yet. Thanks though." This should be the end, right? Not by a longshot.

"It was so bad that you wouldn't even go out with someone? Well, here - take the number so you can call him as soon as you're ready." She tried to shove the piece of paper into my hand. I refuse. "I'm not taking his number. I'm not interested."

"Well, I'm just trying to get you some company!"

Oh. My. God. In. Heaven.

"Listen, lady. I am not in need of company. I have plenty of company. I do not need company of the male persusasion for my life to have meaning or for me to be happy. I am fine. Thank you for the thought. I need to get to work now, or I will be late."

I peeled out of there, leaving her in the driveway - still looking completely befuddled about why I wouldn't give this complete stranger, whose love for his country extends all the way down to his undergarments, a call..... after all, I'm in my late twenties and living all by myself. Why would I turn away a man?

WHO SAID I NEEDED TO FIND A MAN?!?!?! I have expressed NO interest in this! Perhaps that's what has them all so concerned... Oh, something must really be wrong with her - She doesn't flirt! She doesn't look! She's gotten so despondent that she might miss her chance at landing a husband! Whatever will happen to her?

Now, I've survived breakups before (granted - this one is the worst). At no time prior to this, have I ever been approached by so many people trying to set me up with someone! As a matter of fact, I don't think it has ever happened before!

Here's my theory as to why:

I just turned 28 years old.

These ladies are concerned that my ship might have sailed. That if I don't get out there NOW (!), all hope may be lost. At 22, I never evoked so much concern and emotion over my dating status. No one was worried then! A mere 6 years later..... and it's a crisis.

Too bad I'm not religious. I could go off to a convent and people would think it noble not to marry. Be single for a little too long in the secular world and you're thought to have a mental illness.

Okay, so 'fess up. I can't be the only one subjected to this. Anyone out there share my pain? Anyone?

Posted by Sarah at 1:51 PM | Comments (11)

November 16, 2005

Just a little silly....

A fellow puppy lover sent this to me at work today and it made me giggle so I decided to share :)

My favorites are the Pyradachs and the Malamoot.

NEW DOG BREEDS?

Collie + Malamute =
Commute, a dog that travels to work

Collie + Lhasa Apso =
Collapso, a dog that folds up for easy transport

Spitz + Chow Chow =
Spitz-Chow, a dog that throws up a lot

Pointer + Setter =
Poinsetter, a traditional Christmas pet

Great Pyrenees + Dachshund =
Pyradachs, a puzzling breed

Pekingnese + Lhasa Apso =
Peekasso, an abstract dog

Irish Water Spaniel + English Springer Spaniel =
Irish Springer, a dog fresh and clean as a whistle

Labrador Retriever + Curly Coated Retriever =
Lab Coat Retriever, the choice of research scientists

Newfoundland + Basset Hound =
Newfound Asset Hound, a dog for financial advisors

Terrier + Bulldog =
Terribull, a dog that makes awful mistakes

Bloodhound + Labrador =
Blabador, a dog that barks incessantly

Malamute + Pointer =
Moot Point, owned by... oh, well, it doesn't matter anyway

Deerhound + Terrier =
Derriere, a dog that's true to the end

Mary's comin over for Lost tonight so I am going to try to arrange an HGS photo shoot - woo! I've been suckered into taking pics of her soaps for her new Etsy shop, so she'll owe me one!

Posted by Sarah at 4:09 PM

October 25, 2005

Apple + Volume = Happy

Picked up the new Fiona Apple album.... and I heart it.

And no, no, no it's not because so many of her songs have to do with having her heart broken by some ape who clearly did not appreciate all she had to offer - or exacting revenge upon said ape - or sometimes missing the aforementioned ape.... NO! Well... maybe just a little.

How amazing music is that it can bring your best and worst emotions to the surface... the most blissful and painful... But even when it hurts, it makes us feel better.

One of my very favorite feelings in the world is hearing a song that makes me wonder how I never wrote these exact words down, because it is exactly how I feel... or how I felt at one time... Hearing a song that speaks to you so strongly can sometimes be a saving grace. For me, it feels like everything in my heart and mind are echoed through the speakers and when it's real good... there are goosebumps and sometimes tears.

So, given recent events and my current state of mind, it's really no shock that Fiona's sparking a little fire right now. But, it's still spooky that a couple of the tracks are giving me those goosebumps. :)

Check it out:
Fiona-Apple.com
Fiona Apple's MySpace Page

Tracks 3, 6, and 8 come highly reccommended - but so do the rest.

Posted by Sarah at 3:46 PM | Comments (2)

October 21, 2005

A Birthday Play

Some emails are just too good not to share. Here's what my sister, Heather, included as a post-script to an email about possibly coming down from Boston to visit this weekend.

PS-If I come over, I will be bringing you your belated bday prezzie. And here is why it is belated: (In play format!)

Scene:
Interior Day, A Boston Apartment

HEATHER picks up her CELL PHONE and calls her sister MARY, who lives in CT just down the street from SARAH, their other sister. The phone picks up after just a few rings.

HEATHER: Hello?

MARY: Hey Sister-Lady. I sure am irresponsible!

Heather: Why do you say that?

MARY: Because I'm lazy and haven't gotten Sarah a present yet. Boy, I sure do suck.

HEATHER: Oh, don't say that. I haven't gotten her anything either. I was trying to get her a knitting thing but the derned store was out of them. I'm thinking a book might be good. Everybody loves books!

MARY: I wanted to get her this really cool dish set but the dollars, they are too much for me.

HEATHER: Hmmm... Wanna go halfsies? I'll split it with you and we can both be saved!

MARY: Hey, that's a good idea! Okay! Say, do you wanna come down for the weekend?

HEATHER: Blast! Bhumika is in town this weekend, in fact she's here right now. I gotta go. Tell Sarah happy happy from me, okay?

MARY: Okay!

End Scene

Less than a week later, The Illustrious Sarah posts on her blog that the gift has gone over well. With one DEADLY snag. The "To" section of the card was filled out accurately. However, in her haste, Mary made a deadly spelling error on the "From" byline. Scott had replaced Heather, rather unceremoniously and without Heather's awareness. This made Heather make this sound: "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOG!" And rush out to get an even better prezzie for Sarah, whom she loves muchly.

So, yeah. You get a present from me. And if I have to drive down there and give it to you myself to avoid another spelling mistake, well then so be it.

I heart my verbose family. I heart it the most.

Posted by Sarah at 1:07 PM | Comments (1)

October 13, 2005

Goal!

As many of you are already aware, I love lists.* I actually completed all the tasks on my last publically posted list and am so encouraged by my success that I've decided it's that time again!

Here we go!

1. Decide what to make with the 1500 yards of Blue Sky Dyed Cotton (worsted weight, color: ink) I have lying around.
I have been staring at it. Or rather - it feels as though it has been staring at me. Such lovely yarn! So soft! Such a pleasure to work with! And so much of it even! I feel that it needs just the right something... Something with some body to it... Something with some oomph. I noticed that Skylar is having a similar dilemma. I'll follow her lead and put a call out for suggestions! Anyone?

2. Hang shelves in the apartment - finish unpacking!
These two items are the same to-do as I can do no more unpacking until I have the shelves hung up! There are only a few things left to unpack... but those three little boxes are driving me nuts. It's time to finish what I started! Many of my friends have pulled me aside and confessed that they still have boxes hiding in the basement from that last move 4 years ago - I shouldn't be ashamed of my 3 boxes. Been there, done that! At the last house, I kept "those" boxes in the basement - hidden away from guests' eyes.... and I grew to hate that basement more than anything else in the world. It was like my dirty little secret... I won't repeat that mistake! (Not to mention I have nowhere in my little apartment to hide any dirty secrets - no matter the size.)

3. Make a plan for the Craft Room.
I have a whole extra bedroom! Right now it is filled with books and yarn and fabric. And while the books are proudly on display, that yarn and all that fabric sits in plastic tubs... Practical? Yes. Attractive? Hell, no. I need to come up with a way to spruce this room up, up, up! It doesn't mean that ALL the yarn needs to be out on display... but this craft room needs less room and more craft STAT!

4. Sew something.
It doesn't matter what. Maybe curtains? I give myself a 2 week deadline on this list item. (and only because I will be consumed by Rhinebeck this weekend will I even allow myself that long!) It's time to bust out that machine and make somethin' perty!

5. Start planning a site for the Scissor Squad.
I've recently been inspired by the group site that Stephanie put together for The Spiders! Check it out - it's fab! It reminded me that when I started up Scissorina, I had told myself I would put together a shiny new site for the Squad... Well, I got sidetracked a gazillion times and it's time to put some thought into this! I started looking at some different open source bulletin board programs I'd like to incorporate so we could still have the open dialogue we have now through the Yahoo! group - but it would eliminate all that email.... Thinking cap on.


6. Take a picture of the Cabled Shrug.
Okay - such an easy to-do, but if I don't put it on here - I'll never get it done. Deadline.... tomorrow night! Time to set up the tripod as the regular photographer has taken a leave of absence.

*it's not really that I love lists... it's more like I need them to survive... and I'm just so darn good at makin' 'em!

Posted by Sarah at 2:22 PM | Comments (2)

October 7, 2005

Sarah needs...

In the spirit of my birthday. I decided to play a little game that Heather posted on her blog....

Wanna play? You know you do! Go to google.com and type "(your name) needs" Then pick the funniest ones there and paste them in your blog.

Here goes.....

Sarah needs a drink.

Sarah needs to get her life back and establish herself as the person in charge!

Sarah needs a new home right away!

Sarah needs to keep her housing expenses to less than 33% of her take home pay.

Sarah Needs A Cold Shower, Self-Esteem.

Sarah needs friends – she has to learn how to make them.

what Sarah needs is a date, maybe some fun, and if it works out a bit of schtupping. What is schtupping? Do I want to know?


Everyone needs food!


Sarah needs to have quick, convenient food as time is precious.

Sarah needs a total of three oranges for her fruit cup.


Apparently I have some health needs...


Sarah needs to be hooked up to a respirator in order to survive.

Sarah needs a root canal.

Sarah needs a once over by an OB/GYN.

Sarah needs a soft bed, you see,
because she has a hormonal imbalance that makes her think she's pregnant.



And I'm in serious need of spiritual guidance for sure:


Sarah needs a team of committed people to pray for her and her ministry.

Sarah needs to tear down the walls she’s built up between herself and God and to
open her eyes to the Lord’s relentless pursuit of her. Relentless pursuit? Wow. Maybe I should reconsider...


Here are my favorite(and most pertinent) needs:


Sarah needs the help of the notorious Captain Jamie Kerrick.

Sarah needs to set up her experiment by finding subjects and gathering the
materials that she wrote down before.

Sarah needs 0.383 of a month to grow another centimeter.

Sarah needs some insurgent brain cells.

Sarah needs to have more CDs manufactured because of the demand!

Sarah needs cheerleading. No doubt!

Sarah needs to hear your voice to keep the link strong but she does not need to ask you any leading questions.

Sarah needs to don the gas mask when the PC does.


But here is the best and the truest of all:


Sarah needs to kick him in the nuts. (You know who you are. And I know who you are - and I know you don't read this blog, so you'll have no warning!)

Have a chipper day, all!

Posted by Sarah at 1:07 PM | Comments (3)

October 5, 2005

Hee.

Posted by Sarah at 1:25 PM | Comments (5)

October 3, 2005

A Snippy Top Ten

Hee hee. #2 is my personal fave....

1) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, liposuction and air conditioning.

2) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

3) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

4) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

5) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of Britney Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

6) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.

7) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

8) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.

9) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans...
---
Re-post this if you believe in legalizing gay marriage

Posted by Sarah at 2:40 PM | Comments (1)

September 23, 2005

Time to get off the Pity Pot

Okay. So, I can't just sit around feeling sorry for myself forever, right? Or rather, I could - but I'm really not supposed to.

So - the long and short of it... The Bune told me quite unceremoniously and rather out of the clear night sky, that he needs to figure his life out and he can't be in a relationship while he does it. Yeah. So, basically ... marriage, kids, spending the rest of my life with you.... not so much. Umm. Yep. You can probably imagine how the last few weeks have been and I why I haven't rushed to write about it. Everyone has an opinion on "why" (and I've been asking everyone because I really still don't get it...) but I understand there's really no answer for me right now. He kissed me goodbye and walked out that night with his last words being, "I love you and I'll talk to you soon." You guessed it. Haven't heard from him since. He's my best friend to boot. About 9 years of friendship, almost 3 years in a relationship and 18 months living together. Pret-ty heav-vy.

I usually don't go into this much detail on my blog, but I have the band-aid mentality right now. Rip it right off and get it over with. I find one of the hardest situations to deal with is when I have to relay the break up (even if it's just to get the words "we broke up" coughed out, seriously - harsh) to someone who hasn't yet found out.

I'm also hoping that writing it down will be somewhat therapeutic... God knows I need something to be therapeutic because this whole Barely Any Sleep, Not A Lot Of Food, Sm