sweater hat

A friend of mine is having a clothing swap party next week. I won't be attending because I have recently given any worthwhile clothes that I don't need/wear to the Salvation Army, so I don't have anything to swap. But while talking to her today about her party, and thinking about how cold it's going to be this week, I remembered my favorite pink wool sweater. I got it at Old Navy for about $5 on sale. I shrunk it, but was still able to wear it for a while without looking silly. But it's just too small now. I had cut the sleeves off thinking I could wear it as a hooded vest while in my cold studio; and, I sewed the cuffs of the sleeves to use as long wool fingerless gloves. Today I thought, 'why am I not making a hat out of that sweater?'
Of course, I didn't think to get pictures until I had already started on the hat, but here are the sleeves, 'vest', and the hood cut and pinned and ready to sew.

So, in just a couple minutes, I turned the hood into a hat. So cute...so warm. Now I want to decorate it all cute.

I'm also planning on making mittens from the rest of the sweater, but that may take a little more for my mind to wrap around. (Plus, it's Sunday and I generally get doubly lazy!)

...Plus, I still have a little studying to do...

Week's end

Well, I made my first etsy sale of 2010. Two of my journals sold this week. Two of my favorites, actually. I made a few extra journals and all the bowls I have listed now for a craft show this past fall/winter. I was surprised when they didn't sell, because I really did think they were sweet. But that is the hard part about arts and crafts, I guess...it's all subjective.
Anyway, I was excited to make my first sale of the new year, especially since, creatively speaking, I've been having a dry spell.

My first week of the new job is over. It's exhausting not really knowing what I am supposed to be doing. I get a project, finish it, then have to track down the person who is to tell me what to do next. I thought I would fit in better, but there are so many people working there, I am still meeting new people and can't remember the name of the guy who went through all the first day paperwork with me! Getting used to late nights will be tricky. And the main reason for taking this job was really the fact that I could get good health insurance while working part time. But so far, they scheduled me 2 days next week (I really need to average 20 hours a week for benefits, so I'd need at least 3, 7-hour days/week) and one day is Monday...one of the days I can not work. So I have only one day of work next week (at the new job) and it's a 3-10 pm shift. That will be a test for sure. At least now I know I can get the dog to the vet this week.

I'm really starting to get into my class...learning about bloods and stuff, and then moving onto the tests and cultures. Very interesting. I think I should've been a scientist, but now I don't want to put in the schooling...too old and lazy!

But, today is Sunday and I get to spend the day with hubby. Last night was cute. He had gone out Friday night to support our friend and his band, but I had to work late and didn't want to drive out afterwards. So, that meant no pizza night...sad. But yesterday, he came by work and I took my break so we could do our grocery shopping (oh, yeah, the discount is a nice perk of this job, too). Some of our friends were going out last night, too, but I really wanted to a)not go out, and b)not spend the money since my hours have not picked up at the new job yet.
When I got home from work, I walked in the door and was handed a glass of whiskey (my fav) and greeted with a smile, a hug, and the smell of homemade pizza! What a guy!

Happy

Okay, so since my blog is titled 'the little things that make me happy', I'm going to share some happy thoughts today. Of course, they are personal, but they are happy.
1. I'm working again, full-time, and I believe (though it's only been one day) that I have finally found a place that will relieve some of the stress of 'getting older' and needing a plan for the future. The company I am working for is very good to it's employees, and thought I have had jobs in the past that I enjoyed, none ever made me feel like working there was in any way preparing me for the future. Can you say 'nest egg'? I believe I can finally start to picture mine!
2. I am working on another blog. Sort of with my sister, but mostly it's me right now. It is just record of our experiences restoring a 1967 Plymouth Barracuda. We haven't actually been able to start working on it, but I was eager to get the blog up. I've been posting little tidbits on it just to keep it 'alive' until spring comes and we can begin work. I was excited to get our first 'official' follower a few weeks into the blog. BUT today, I can barely contain my excitement over our first comment!! It is very strange how it never gets old...getting comments, seeing that people 'out there' are living there lives, but can so easily become a part of yours. It makes the world a little smaller...a little cozier.
3. I'm not a political person by any means. Often I have no idea what anybody is talking about, but our President makes me want to believe that we can fix what's broken and we don't just have to sit around and wait for the world to blow itself up. And that's as far as I go with political discussions.
4. I have today off!!!
5. I am planning on getting back into the studio today. I was going to try to get together with Steph and maybe clean up the car a bit, but I feel like I need today. I have some studying to do, and I actually am feeling the urge to be creative today, so I don't dare waste it!
6. I went out after work last night for beer and wings, with a friend from the job I recently left. It was so nice to get out...because it would've been so like me to say, 'you know, I'm just really tired from work. Let's reschedule.' It was nice to catch up...she's happy, and that makes me happy. We talked about crafting, too, since she had taken a paper making class while in her first years of college and feels like giving it another go. She also said her mother is 'obsessed' with my etsy shop and tells all of her friends to check it out. She's so sweet!
7. I got a nice little gift bag from a co-worker this week. I picked something up for her at a store that was totally out of her way. It normally wouldn't be convenient for me either, but I had to go that way for my dad, so it wasn't a big deal. But she wanted to do something nice for me in return, so Monday morning there was a bag with 3 kinds of those International Coffees, a coffee mug, and some white chocolate macadamia nut cookies! Really sweet...the cookies didn't last long!
8. Getting through the Veterinary Terminology text is proving to be very difficult for me. But I am enjoying the frustration of learning again. I believe it will keep my brain from turning to mush, at least.
9. I have been clipping more nails, helping with more x-rays, and helping a little more with fluids and pre-surgery type tasks at work...it still makes me a little nervous, but the technicians I work with are ALL great.
10. I am off to get coffee with Hubby before he shuffles of to work...a job he finally enjoys!

I hope everybody has a GREAT day!

IT'S WEDNESDAY!

I honestly thought this day would never arrive! What a long week I seemed to have last week...phew!
Today I start my new job. I am excited about it, but I don't know how late I will actually be there. A friend from my last job wants to meet up tonight, but since I don't know how late I am working, it's kind of ...unsettling, for me. I am the kind of girl who needs plans, so I was happy to have set up a get together a week in advance. But, it's not really 'set up' in my mind because it's just 'whenever I get out of work'. Then, I don't even know if I work tomorrow. I know, 'what the hell is she complaining about!?'
Getting on, I'll live. I just prefer more structure in my old age (well, all my life really...this isn't new).

Moving on...
I realize my blog has become less 'craft projects with some personal shit thrown in' and more 'personal...and that's it'.
My paper making has come to a screeching halt. I had planned on using my time 'off' to throw myself into it, but I think I had too much time to think about it and never did anything. Sadly, all the paper pulp I had just sat in the studio...wet and gross. It will have to become part of my compost now, as it is smelly and useless. So now do I go back to it, fresh? Or do I scrap the whole thing? It is definitely a therapeutic activity for me, but so is working out. I have put back on all the weight I had lost and am feeling rather sluggish and monstrous these days, so maybe my time would be better spent exercising?
Of course, I could do both. Now I have this car project coming up in the spring, so there goes a little more of my free time (a lot more, actually). And then there is the issue of the results being worth the effort. Working out will give me results and inspiration to do more. Making paper will keep me busy for a few hours, but then I'm just left with more stuff.
I guess only time will tell what ends up on my plate and what goes in the trash.

Hair!

No, not the musical. Just mine...

As I said yesterday...still on the fence with my new 'do. I had decided since I no longer work in food service that I would try a fun new hair style. Since it had grown out a bit, I wanted to keep some length in front, but cut it short in back. I like the inverted bobs on some people, but I feel I've out grown the bob cut...not sure why, but I think it is probably because it takes me back to 6th grade and that will just make me feel old.

So here's how bad I let it get before actually doing something about it. (To really emphasize my laziness)

It tends to grow out rather puffy and unless I put my 'anit-frizz serum' in it...well, you can see, it's frizzy.

My hairdresser asked what I wanted to do. So I said, 'I feel terrible about the short notice' and I was so glad she rescheduled on what I am sure was her day off. 'I'll just go with the usual Natalie Portman short cut.' She asked if that's really what I wanted and then she grabbed some magazines and we decided on something different.

The basics: short in the back, keep the bangs long, and some cute little wispy side curls for a little depth.

It was really cute. Yes, 'WAS'. I have never been a 'styled' girl. I am completely ignorant when it comes to hair product. I told her what I had, and she showed me how to use it to make my hair flip out a bit.
Kind of like what's going on here (only not as long past the ears, and not a bit more subtle):

And she did a great job, as usual. But I just couldn't get it to flip out on the right side. So, then, of course, I hated it. I don't want to have to play with my hair for hours in the morning. And while trying to get it to do it's thing, I realized...I am always getting 'roughed up' at the kennel! My hair is always just getting pushed behind my ears...it won't look styled for more than 20 minutes once I get to work! What's the point? I almost thought about calling her up to make an appointment to just go back to my original hair cut. But after playing with it this morning, I think I've figured out how to wear it for work. And, then I still have the option of styling it more on days off or nights out.

So, here is my 'new' hair:

Okay, I'm sorry, but while putting this silly blog about my hair together, it has dried and I'm actually quite pleased with it. It's just funky enough for an old gal like me...short in the back with a little bit of edgy bangs and sides. I guess you can't really tell from this picture, but it looks better dry, for sure:

(Mug shots courtesy my own out-stretched hand. I hate taking my own picture...it's HARD!)

the days go by...

...and the little things just seem to melt away.
I had a very nice day with Hubby today. After all of the heightened emotions of the past couple weeks, I feel great today.
Last night, we went out for a lovely dinner with friends for a birthday. Sister's bf turned 27 yesterday. He decided on a nice Japanese/Korean/Thai restaurant that conveniently sits about mid-way between us. I had already decided before going that i would go the soup and sushi route, and it was all delicious.
Hubby was actually the one to feel tired after his work week. For me, and all the running around, this has been a very long week. Each morning I reach in for the soy milk for my cereal and think, 'back to work tomorrow', but for once in my life, Monday just never seems to arrive! It's a bizarre feeling, I have to say. Anyway, we went in to town early and did some clothes shopping since I don't really have any plain bottoms or long-sleeve tees (Hubby's suggestion since it gets cold at my new place of employment). I got a pair of chinos for $8 and 2 shirts at $4 each.
My hair was supposed to get cut Friday, but was re-scheduled for today as my hairdresser ended up having to take her son to the doctor yesterday. That threw a wrench in our plans to get off-Cape and spend the day in Newport, but I didn't dare say no to the new appointment. So, after my hair cut, we just took a nice scenic drive, ate lunch at a nice restaurant, stopped at a bookstore, and picked up a bottle of wine and the rest of the essentials for our homemade pizza.
Now we're getting ready to watch some movies, drink some wine, and enjoy each others company. I love days like these!
I'll post pics of my new hair tomorrow, maybe. I decided to take advantage of it having grown out a bit and kept some length in the front. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, yet. But this happens even when I get the same haircut every time.

my news to round out the week

Carting Dad around the past couple of weeks has ended. He had to spend the night at the hospital Wednesday night, so I ended up with an extra trip out to pick him up the next day. When I dropped him back at home he handed me his Cd collection so that I could snag his Johnny Cash, Neil Diamond, Black Sabbath, and other such non-related music that I had wanted. I am in the process of copying the Cd's now (don't tell...) and figured I could use the time to write another uninteresting blog about my boring little world (which I am happy to live in!).

WARNING: the rest of this blog ended up being me crying about personal issues...continue reading at your own risk...
I was happy to take care of Dad for a few days lately. It's not like I was doing anything else and it was probably nice for Steph to get a break (though, I was doing it because she was working). But now that I have been thrown into it a little, I am riddled with emotion. For one, I hate seeing my father confined to a wheelchair and not being able to sign his name properly due to his poor vision and crinkled up arthritic hand. Secondly, he and my mother are rubbish with finances and now he is stuck in a financially sticky situation. I think that alimony is the biggest scam going, and I hate that he has to pay any. I love my mother, don't get me wrong. We are great friends and I miss her since she has moved back to Michigan. However, she works, gets pension checks from a past job, and has a considerably lower cost of living than Dad. Yet she still takes his money every month. But, it's none of my business...until Dad needs hundreds of dollars worth of medications due to his surgery which is not covered by his VA stuff (I'm not clear on all that goes on in the medical world...I also am not a fan of the health cars system) because it was done by a 'civilian' doctor instead of a VA doctor! So who pays for that when he has no money in his account until his check comes at the end of the month? Yep, me. Not that I minded doing it, and he was definitely grateful that i was able to help, but I shouldn't have had to. I thought maybe my mother would be kind hearted and give up her alimony check this month to help. She said of course she would send me some money...but maybe have dad up the alimony check until she gets her money back!! Never mind, if Dad's gonna have to pay me back, then I guess that's how it will go. I really thought she'd be nice about this, but I was wrong.

Of course none of this matters in the grand scope of things. I was able to help. I'll get my money back. Mom will get her money back. And that's just the way it will be, I guess.

(sorry about the personal info...)

I actually had a super fulfilling experience while hanging out at Dad's waiting for the call to pick him up. He has a cutie pie shelter dog that is part Pekingese and who knows what else. His name is Mr. Chin due to his adorably ugly under bite.

He has very long hair and very long nails.

I brought my doggy nail trimmers to see if he would let me trim his nails. Not really sure how he would react I was pleasantly surprised when he just stood there letting my do my thing. On the very last foot, he gave me the tiniest little growl. I stopped, patted his head, and tried again...with no more protest from him. As if that wasn't enough to make me proud of myself and the skills I have taken from my job, I also got him to eat a dog treat! He eats nothing. And is very picky about dog food. But I made it a little game and he ate it up. I fell in love with him!

And speaking of my job and new skills...I have already started to learn new things in my online class. We don't see a lot of rabbits and small 'exotics' so I don't really know how to handle them, but my lesson today will tell me!

So, now that my Cd's are done, I'm going to sit back with my 'school' work and start learning!!