Monday, March 26, 2012

playing catch up...

Since January, I have gotten out of a lot of good habits that I used to have.

Like blogging.

And cleaning up after myself in the kitchen no, actually in general. My counters are sticky and covered in dirty dishes, there are thread and felt bits all around the house, piles of fabric and unfinished projects on my sewing room floor, and dirty clothes on the bedroom floor. I used to NEVER leave clothes on the floor. Probably since Kobe would pee on anything left on the floor, so I learned quickly not to do that. But now that she's gone...I must have forgotten.

And drinking water.

But I have gotten into a few new good habits since then as well.

Like managing my time better. Breaking up the day doing different tasks has made my projects go faster and the frustrating parts less frustrating. Like working on a sewing project for a few hours then getting housework done then going to the store then relaxing and making dinner when Danny gets home. As opposed to sewing for 8 hours straight, not cleaning, not going to the store, not making dinner and then getting a serious case of sewers block that would last forever and projects left hanging and not getting finished.

Going out by myself. Since I learned to drive stick- I am free to go wherever. It's been nice to go to Ikea and check out the other parts of town that were so hard to get to by public transportation. I found a scrapbook store in the richmond district- I called ahead to see if they had a die cutting room, and surprisingly enough- they did. I asked what their selection was like and the girl said they had tons of stuff.

I went, and I almost laughed.

They had like 30 different sheets of paper. One lonely little rack. As far as their die cut room- they had one alphabet and a bunch of tags. And by a bunch I mean like 10.

I'm used to Utah scrapbook stores- with walls full of trim and stickers, with so many racks of paper that you couldn't count if you tried. And the die cut room? Everything you can think of. Hundreds of dies.

I guess it ain't that popular here. Sigh.

So, lets see what I've been up to over the last few months. Yikes, has it really been months since I was a good blogger? Bigger sigh.


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Vera doll. For sale here!

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Flora doll.


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Custom doll for Jasmine.


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Note the fancier dress!


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Custom doll for Miss D.


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Custom doll for Amie.



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Cathedral window pillow. For me.


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I love it! And I loved making it! Anybody want one? I'd love to do it again!



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Honey bear. For sale here!


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Cloudy bear. For sale here!


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Blue bear. For sale here!


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Custom Sleepover Pals for Ruby.


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Sleepover Pals in Paisley. For sale here!


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Sleepover Pals in Flower Garden. For sale here!


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Sleepover Pals in Spring. For sale here!

I also made a quilt. It's almost finished. My mom got it back from the quilters (yes I sent to Utah to my fav quilter) and she just sent it back on Friday so I should be getting it any time soon. As soon as I bind it- I'll post tons of photos!

I've also been really into embroidery. I made something for to give to Danny for our anniversary, and I did a little bird stitching that I need to take photos of.

Oh, and I have been making Loo-loo some fantastic goodies for her birthday. She got an American Girl doll for Christmas, so I've been making doll clothes like crazy. And bedding. Yes. Anthro inspired doll bedding. (I know what you are thinking. Is this really what I do with all my time? And the answer is yes. Yes I do. Also- yes I know how incredibly lucky I am- I'm living my dream life.) I think I'm trying to make up for being gone with gifts- am I a horrible sister? Or a really, really good one? 

And terrariums. Like totally obsessed. I made a cute little one for me. It has a moss hill and a fake tree and a little teeny paper house and some red mushrooms that I made out of clay. And then Danny said he wanted to make one too- so I got him a container, and he hasn't made it yet. Need to take photos of those too! 

And I finally made a doll for me. Loo-loo asked me one day "When you make a doll for you? Hmmm?" So I took her advice. And she is lovely. Her hair is brown- and it's in a gigantic bun on the top of her head. All last week I was obsessed with drafting my own clothes patterns for her- I got one good outfit, she just needs shoes. 

I seriously stared at patterns and fabric all day last wednesday. Then finally at 8 p.m. I figured it all out and blasted out an outfit.

An outfit that I have tried to make for myself- and failed. But I did it! In miniature, at least.

I've decided that I need to take a seamstress or a tailor class. I have no idea how to draw patterns. I need some basics! 


Wednesday, March 14, 2012

i heart sf

I love where we live.

I woke up yesterday to the sound of oil being drilled right out of the apartment below us. Obviously it wasn't oil, but hell- it was loud. So I got up. It was rainy and grey so Danny was shuffling around avoiding biking to work like he does every morning. I offered to drive him there, and he gleefully said yes. (P.S. He is a very happy man now that his wife can drive the car.) I pulled on some leggings, a long sleeve tee, a sweater dress, and my fake uggs. 

Afterwards, I went to the discount fabric store. While walking from the parking garage to the store, I observed all the people in their raincoats, rubber boots, scarves, and oversized umbrellas scurrying around trying not to get wet. 

I went to Whole Foods and they had the most beautiful flowers. I picked out some pink anemones, white carnations, and orange ranunculus. I love having fresh flowers in my house- and these certainly brightened up the grey rainy day.

After I was home for awhile, I realized that I needed some stupid thing from the stupid craft store to finish the project I was working on- so I grabbed my purse and keys and headed out the door.

As I was waiting for the elevator, my neighbor with the 2 dogs joined me. We idly chatted neighbor chat- she pointed out that it must be so nice to work from home on a day like today, and I petted the doggies. 

"A day like today? Hm." 

Once we were both outside, she said that she hoped I didn't have to go very far without a raincoat in this terrible weather- as she pulled her hood over her head and herded her raincoat clad dogs out the door.

I laughed. Snorted, actually. I should really stop doing that. 

This is as BAD as the weather gets here. And it hardly ever happens. I forget that on a daily basis.

I explained that I was fine, I was used to much worse. Besides, I had long sleeves and fake uggs on! I was toasty warm!

As I was driving home in the rain, looking at the hills blinking with streetlights, my love for this city grew even more. 

"This is as bad as it gets."  I thought. THIS meaning rain. And not pouring rain, not Utah rain. Rain that's not even cold to walk in because you don't really get wet, and it's still 50 degrees outside. 

Last week, one of Danny's good friends came to visit. Danny is trying to talk him into getting a job with him and moving out here. I think it's a spectacular idea.

On the last night he was here, we took him to a fancy restaurant and Danny continued his wooing. His friend was still weighing options. He asked if there was anything we didn't like about living here. We sat in silence for a good 10 minutes. Life here is different, for sure, but nothing that makes it not worth it. 

The food is better- SO much better. The weather- obviously. Our apartment- the perfect amount of room for us, in the sunniest area of town, close to the freeway and to Danny's work. For Danny- the almost weekly chance to hobnob with slightly famous geeks. For me- that my art, my passion for creating is so respected and people want to pay me money to do what I love. Then Danny thought of one bad thing.

Movies.

We don't see movies in the theatre anymore. Because they don't have reserved seating. Because we don't want to fight crowds and stand in line. Feel free to judge our lazy asses.

 So the fact that we totally forgot that we haven't seen a movie in the theatre in over 9 months- really? That is the worst thing about living in San Francisco? I'll take it!

So about winter in San Francisco...

We have had the skylight window thing all the way open all the time except for one cold week in December. We have yet to turn on the heater. I put the down comforter on the bed and we sweated to death for a week before I admitted defeat and put the regular blanket back on.

We haven't had to dig the car out of the snow. My pants haven't gotten soaked thru with blackened slushy shit just going to the grocery store. We haven't almost died driving down our street. We don't have to put on sweaters and jackets and coats and gloves and hats just to walk to the car. I haven't laid in bed all day stupefied with depression wishing that I was some kind of hibernating animal and that when I woke up it would be spring and the snow would be gone forever.

The snow is gone. And I feel wonderful.

I miss my family, I miss my friends. I miss sunday dinner. 

But we love it here, and we are here to stay!


Note: (family, friends) It's not that people don't respect or want to pay me to do what I love in Utah, but you are the only ones that do. Everyone can or has a relative that can sew and so they see your stuff and their like "I can do that, so I don't have to buy it." Or they get jealous and mean because they perceive that you can do something "better" than they can and so it's passive aggressive comments and bullshit stupid drama. 

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

not acceptable

It's not often that I feel strongly about causes, but this one tears at my heart.

Do you know how many times I have heard my sister be called a retard?

Or how many times I was called one too- because of her?

In 4th or 5th grade, during lunch, in front of everyone, a kid in my class called me a "stupid retard, just like your stupid retard sister."

I hated him from that moment on. To this day he has no idea why I hate him. But I do.

Lindsay Loo-loo has the most beautiful soul I have ever seen in another human being. She sees things that no one else sees, and when she tells me about her memories from childhood or during important events (like when grandpa died or when we went to Disneyland) I get chills and my heart stops and I can't breathe because her recollections of life are so eerie and unique- and they are also few and far between so each one is a treasure. A beautiful heartbreaking treasure.

I miss her so much. She is what I miss most.

So please, train yourselves and teach your children- the R-WORD is unacceptable.