Feeling VERY bah-humbuggy this year

Things have changed so much since my grandpa passed away in the fall of 2005.  He was the family glue.  Without him there is no gathering for Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas is losing it's appeal.

Forever I have dreamed and anticipated Christmas Eve with my mom's side of the family (Day is reserved for my dad).  I have forever been solid in my traditions - where we go, what we eat, etc.  It's what makes Christmas.

Today I visited the cemetery, brushed off the dusting of freshly fallen snow and shed a few tears because I miss my grandma and grandpa so much.  I miss who he was and what he represented.  Is it weird I took a picture?

This year I will "host" Christmas eve and there will be a total of four of us.  Yes, it's about love and getting together with family and friends but something is missing.

I didn't decorate at all.  But I was busy making a scarf for a friend.  Turns out I was so terribly, terribly sick the night we were to exchange that I wasn't able to give it to her.

There's major clutter on my coffee table.  Nothing that a box and a closet can't handle.

I have major cleaning to do.  My vacuum cleaner doesn't work.

I have to buy the food I will be serving in 24 hours.

I'll go see a movie first... after I watch an archived episode of Bones.

Christmas will be good.  I just have to get there.

Phewy.

Spreading the love

Stepmom #1 is an unbelievable knitter and sewer (seamstress?).  I have spent the days since I was eight years old watching her knit numerous items.  Being such a shy child (painfully shy) I would slowly shake my head 'no' when she would ask me, "do you want to learn to knit?"  Inside I was saying, "yes, oh yes, yes, yes!  Just show me because I can't say it!".

Twenty-five years later I learned how to cast on my first project from a stranger during a lunch "class" at work.

I have since then expanded my knowledge of stitches and my inventory of knitting accessories with much help and thanks to my stepmom.

While I have found myself to be a mostly Fall through early Spring knitter, she knits year round.

She now has and Etsy shop I'd like to share; you know, spread the love.

T Crockett Crafts

Taylor aka Baby Boo aka Chunka

Excuse me while I pat myself on the back...

Another one of my DIY projects was laying tile in my entry way.  I was fed up with the condition of the carpet.  There was no way to keep on top of the dirt that tracked in.  Vacuuming and shampooing just didn't do it.

The scariest part was making that first cut in the carpet.  There was no turning back once that was made.  It was very liberating pulling the carpet up - like a clean slate.

It didn't take long but I was a few tiles short so I had to make a couple trips back to Lowe's.  After I installed the transition threshold, stepped back and admired my work...  I must say I'm extremely proud of it!  All that's left to do is touch up the paint on baseboards where the carpet came up.  Something I'll do when it's less humid out.

Procrastination with a capital 'P'

 

 The "easy" part was puting the acutal sink in.  I replaced the drain as well.  After the drain was installed I realized I couldn't get the old faucet off so I bought another.  Come to find out it included a drain piece as well.  Too late.  Oh well.  I replaced the valve hoses - another easy step.

When I go to turn the water valves back on the hot leaks - drip.. drip... drip... dripdripdripdrip...  What else leaks?  The p joint.  I take it off, put more tape on, put it on, tighten it to an inch of it's life.  Turn on the water (cold of course) and it leaks.  I repeat the above steps several times.  I'm not giving up on this bad boy.

I'm cramped up under the sink and I'm tired of the smell of pipes and the things that are in pipes.

Long story short, I put off calling someone because I CAN DO THIS!  After a month... yes, you read right (but it gets better so hold on) I give it another go.  Good grief.  How hard can this be?  I finally do a thoughrough inspection and see that the rubber washer are dried up and peterfied.  The crumble as I pry them out.  Ahhh, now we're getting somewhere.  I spend the $1.18 at the hardware store to replace the washers and  AHHHHH (heavenly music plays from above) no leaks!   I don't trust it so I leave the bucket underneath the sink and obsessively check it for the next month (yes, your addition is correct.  We are at two months now and the hot water valve is still kaput).

At this point, who cares when the hot water valve is fixed.  So I give it another go but still nothing.  That thing is set on leaking. Stubborn.

Let's speed up to last Thursday when I finally make "that" call.  It's the call that says, "I'm no flippin' plumber and I better quit actin' like one."

I have hot water pouring from my bathroom sink faucet... four months later.  I hardly know what to do with myself.

In with the new, out with the old... In that order

 A couple of months ago I bought a dresser from Ikea that I've had my eye on for a while.  I've had my old dresser all my life and it was my mom's growing up.  With her permission I replaced it and gave it away.  It stood empty beside my new dresser for over a month before I found it a home.  It was kind of sad in a weird way, seeing it go... but I'm over it now.  I'm glad it found a home with a friend.

If you've never put together something from Ikea it can seem overwhelming at first because there are no written instructions, only pictures.  Surprisingly it's actually easier than something that says, "put bolt A-1 into piece G-5 and attach to back of board 9 wrong side down on your head while chanting "righty-tighty, lefty-loosey".

It really isn't a difficult task but I have a "helper" that I have to deal with the entire time.  Whether it's keeping him from laying on the instructions, batting around the screws or getting into the packaging (he likes to eat packing tape then puke it up in the middle of the night) it seems to take longer than necessary.  Of course sometimes there's belly rub breaks (him - not me).

I love my new dresser.  It goes so much better with my decor and it warms the room up a bit.  Now I need some accessories to place on top.  Heavy ones that can't be knocked off by the critters living with me.  Like a decorative anvil.

DIY ADD

Seems I have a problem and it's become quite apparent. I've got too much going on at one time.

I love DIY projects but this time I've taken on more than I can handle.

I tiled my entry way - a 25 sq ft area - a couple of weeks ago. I still have a bit of a mess to pick up from it.

Last Friday I put in a new bathroom sink. I can't get it to stop leaking. Everything that was under the sink is spread out in the bathroom.

I painted a mirror frame in the middle of it all.

I've decided not take on any more projects until I get my shit together.

Oh, I've got a brilliant closet plan in the works...

Knitting

Since it's gotten cooler out I've started knitting more. This is a little blanket I knit for Ella.


I also knit a few hats. I'm practicing a few patterns. So far I'm not really happy with how they're turning out so I will keep on practicing.

Such a techie

Lookit me! I just got cable and internet! I installed my internet myself this evening including the modem and router. I'm officially wireless!

I will be able to catch up on all my internet surfing. Since getting my new job I have no time to get online. This is good because it means I'm busy but there is a ton that I miss doing.

Anyway, I'm up and at 'em!

Makin' lather

I made soap!

After a million hours of researching online different recipes, techniques, additives, this and that, etc. I made shampoo bars.

It started with my hunt for stinging nettle. I've learned more about nettle than I care to know but it was also very educational. It adds to my odd extensive knowledge of random subjects... like the Amish. We'll get into that another day.

So, to make sure I found nettle I had to go on various walks through different wooded areas. And to make sure I had the right stuff, I had to touch it to see if it would make the stinging itchy feeling it's known for. As I'm roaming these wooded areas and touching several different weeds I thought to myself, "self, you don't know what poision oak or poison ivy look like". Thankfully, I didn't touch any. I finally found some nettle and picked it. Yes, it stung and itched like a mo f0.

Next, mixing the lie. It got to be about 175 degrees. I tried taking a picture in the pitcher but the heat steamed up the lens.

Mixed the oils (coconut, olive and castor)

Then stirred and stirred and stirred... for an hour until it started to thicken up. I added the essential oils and dried nettle leaves then poured it in the molds.

After 24 hours in the molds with towels laying over them for insulation I checked to see if the mixture was hardening. I was convinced I had failed. BUT, it was hard and it was still hot - good! Another 24 hours and I removed it from the molds (I used a cardboard milk carton) and sliced it. Now it will cure for about 6 weeks. I'm excited!

Shower curtain

I made myself a shower curtain that matches my bathroom perfectly. It's not busy. It's simple and pretty. The curtain itself is bought. Plain "waffle" texture and I added the ribbon and embellishments. I am very pleased with how it turned out.

On another note, I have a new upstairs neighbor. For the most part it's been fine but he's a heavy walker. I'm hoping that all the commotion is just him settling in (he just moved in this past weekend) because last night, in the evening, the stomping and creaky floor noise went on for over two hours. Dude! Just sit and take a break! Have a pop and popcorn and watch The Biggest Loser! Several times Sam looked at the ceiling with a look of worry, I'm sure wondering if the guy is going to fall through onto our laps. We worry about such things. Luckily, he hasn't...yet.

Feeling crafty

I'm sort of a hermit. I spend a lot of my time alone and I love my alone time. It may seem anti-social but it is who I am and I'm not unhappy with it. I love to learn new crafts. Several years ago I learned to knit. I absolutely love it and moved from scarves to socks earlier this year. However, I've only knit one sock so far - but it fits!


The past week or so I suddenly got the strongest urge to make my own soap. Specifically shampoo bars. I know, strange idea and where did it come from. I have no clue but the more I read up on it, the more fun it seems. I may start with the melt and pour method where you start with a soap base and add scents and texture. But I really want to start from scratch, you know, with the lye and the oils and the mixing and the six weeks of curing.


Some other things I'd love to learn are:

1. sewing clothes


2. crocheting


3. water painting


4. photography

Gotta lotta stuff done

This weekend was pretty constructive. First off, I was able to sleep in until 10:30 on Saturday! I watched a movie then I went to the library and did my homework. I went to Menards and priced medicine cabinets, light fixtures, bi fold doors and picked up a few more paint samples. I went to Target and bought.... stuff. Went to Marshall Fields and bought a cute little Tiffany lamp (and some Frango mints!). On the way home I got some Chinese take-out and watched another movie

Sunday I didn't make it to church - I'm okay with that since I've been really good on going for the past six weeks. I did a whole bunch of little home improvement things. I painted a plant table, tore down the border in the kitchen, cut and installed carpeting for the front closet, hung some pictures, touched up some paint, did a disastrous paint technique in the bathroom which I'll eventually fix. I did laundry and went for a walk. Then shower and watch Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy.

Lovely weekend!

Textured Ceilings

Whose bright idea was it to make ceilings textured? Was it someone who never intended on painting them? Did they say to themselves, I'm going to make these ceilings... prickly and bumpy so that they're .... prickly.... and .... bumpy.

What purpose do they serve other than to tell you, hey, someday you'll have to paint me and you'll quickly go insane. You're neck, arms, shoulders and back will scream out in pain. This is my purpose.