Sometimes the internet is my BFF.

I've started browsing through art/craft blogs again and its been pretty great. Although my Firefox probably doesn't agree, since whenever I find a link I think may be interesting I'll open it to a new tab. A couple hours of that equals several DOZEN tabs at LEAST. A lot of the links really didn't even have much to do with crafts haha. Just random crazy fun stuff xD.

What? What's that? You'd like me to share? Weeeeell, don't mind if Ah do :]


#1. Gaia Avatar Maker
I love these and this is the best one I've found. I messed around with it a bit and made a few element based/random characters :)







#2. Mammoth Crocs
I always promised myself I would never ever ever ever wear, much less BUY, these abominations to the shoe industry. I remember when they got popular, a friend insisted I try a pair on, so I kind of hid behind her as I slipped into them. Sure. Ok. Yeah they were comfortable, but they didn't come CLOSE to making up for their hideousness, in my opinion.

Mammoths have changed that for me completely. I tried some on while shoe shopping with Brent (isn't that crazy?! I married a man that's willing to go shoe shopping with me!!!) and oh my goodness..... the clouds parted and sun shone down upon me. They are STILL just as ugly as the original, but oh man.... The fleece lining is what sold me. *drools* Its like..... walking on a baby cloud. A baby cloud inside an already pretty comfy shoe haha. I say baby just because I assume baby ones are softer then adult clouds =P

Oh and just as a side note as I rant about Crocs.... when did they start making PRETTY shoes?! I DEMAND TO KNOOOOOW!!! I want the green ones xD


#3. JetPens.com
Little known fact about me is that I have a bazaar obsession with office supplies. Its not that I USE them a lot. I just like HAVING them. Funky desk organizers, pretty notebooks, calenders.... you name it. Ah but most of all.... Pens. I lovelovelove pens and I've discovered that the ones from Japan tend to be especially fantastic. This website has every kind of pen you can think of, INCLUDING sparkle gel pens that actually work and don't get clogged every other letter. Will wonders never cease to amaze me?! I didn't even know those existed! =P


#4. Simon's Cat
These made me literally LOL in delight. Absolutely adorable xD

#5. French Kitty Dolls
I never liked dolls a ton when I was little. I liked building houses for them out of random household items and making "outfits" for them out of my mom's sewing scraps, but I got tired of actually playing with them quickly. I might have been more interested if I had had these French Kitties though. I've never seen anything like them. They're so different and whimsical! I just couldn't help myself. After getting the ok from Brent.... I made my move! Ebay item..... SOOOOOLD!!! Bwa ha ha!

I'm planning on making and collecting clothes for it and then if I have a daughter one day, I'll give it to her and teach her to sew clothes for it too :)

I had done a little bit of research to see which one I wanted to get and I decided on the yellow tone one with the cheetah-type spots. I was REALLY happy when I found her on Ebay BNIB! Isn't she funky? xD




Well that's it for now! I'm sure there will be more entries like this with random stuff I've found online :)

Until then..... <3 HAPPY TUESDAY!!! <3

.*: 11/22/08 :*.

Peekaboo! <3
This cute little ladybug peaks out of the grass in the park Brent and I walk past when we go to "town". The grass is dead and crispy now, but the ladybug is still adorable haha

On My Bedside Table:
Brent's comic books (its more of a bedside bookcase)
My iPod
"Doodle Stitching" by Aimee Ray
"Roverandom" by JRR Tolkien (One of the only Tolkien books I hadn't read)
A Water Bottle

Currently Used Computer Programs:
Firefox 3.0
Mail
Preview
iTunes
Adium
Skype

Newest/Latest Interests:
Embroidery
Whimsy Art
French Kitty Dolls (just bought one!! YAY! xD)
Prismacolor Colored Pencils

On My Mind:
My latest yarn order
Crime Shows (and how I'm starting to run out of ones I haven't seen *wah*)
What mittens I want to knit for myself this year
Whether or not I will eventually buy Adobe Illustrator :]
Why everyone's art seems to have their own personal "style" to it, but mine is all different :[

Learning:
... a couple new drawing techniques :]
... to cable without a cable needle o.o
... to accept that I enjoy doing too many different things to be able to focus on just one thing for lengthy amounts of time haha

Making:
A bazillion and one Christmas gifts
Winter gear for myself (if I have time after all the gifts, that is O_o)
Several new drawings in my quest to find my "art style"
Sandwiches for Brent haha :]

Looking Forward To:
Going errand running with Brent tomorrow
Moving back the the states where there is family, friends, the rest of my yarn stash, and readily available craft stores.... :]
The arrival of my new art supplies
The arrival of my French Kitty Doll
The arrival of the rest of my knitting supplies I need for Christmas gifts this year
Opening an Etsy Shop once I make enough stuff to fill it :)

Not Looking Forward To:
Moving back to the states where I will have to once again deal with various people I doooo not like (at least if they're being rude/stupid/hostile HERE, I don't know what they're saying lol)
Brent having to work 12 hour days again -.-
The weird feelings I'll have when I visit my parent's as a "visitor" for the first time in my life :[
Going into debt when Brent and I have to buy furniture and a car haha

Enjoying:
Having it be Brent's weekend
Day old garlic bread and apple cider. Rustic, I know, but still tasty tasty haha
Listening to Brent sleep

Amused By:
The super lame dramatic moments that CSI: Miami is chocked full of xD
All the people that have been complaining about the upcoming winter
Brent's random snores (just a couple every half hour or so)
My hypersensitive sense of taste and of smell and how they affect my life in weird ways

~~~~~

Stay tuned for our next episode: Fun Things I've Found Online Lately :]

Randomness....

... is just how I roll these days.

Can't keep my mind focused on one thing for more then 15 minutes at a time. So there has been very little knitting progress done. Although its not TOTALLY my fault. Knitpicks has been super snail-like with their shipping lately, so technically I can't really knit anyways since I don't have the supplies I need yet lol.

Hmm. So yeah. Everything having to do with knitting is on hold until further notice =3

Other news is that yesterday I ordered a bunch of art supplies! I recently stumbled upon DickBlick and I am SO excited because I got a whole bunch of Prismacolor pencils for a really good price. I think I ended up saving about $75, including the special offer of $5something shipping and $5 off your order. Yaaaaay for saving moneeeey xD! Oh and I also bought some coloring books off Amazon haha. Don't judge me! They're the cool kind ;) haha. I've always loved the "adult" ones with the geometric abstract shapes and things, so I bought 3 different ones with snowflake, paisley, and kaleidoscope patterns. Coloring all the fine details is really relaxing and therapeutic to me but I can never find stores that carry the books, so I finally just buckled down and bought them online heehee. I'm kind of excited.... not gonna lie :]

Now for a quick note on the seasonal changes. So far I've really enjoyed fall here in Korea. There are daisies and ginkgo trees all over the place that are sooo pretty when they turn colors. They're pretty much naked now, but when Brent and I would go for walks a week or so ago, they would bathe the street in a pretty yellow glow. Very surreal :]

It didn't last long though. Brent called me from work yesterday to tell me that it was snowing outside! Craziness! It doesn't snow much here, so this was big news. I was feeling sick yesterday and I was too lazy and cold to get up to find my camera and take pictures of the first snow. I feel kind of bad now because when I peeked out of the window today, I didn't see anything. I don't think we even got ground cover *sniffle*. Ah well... Good ol Wisconsin is supposed to have record snow this winter so at least we'll get a taste of some of that action whilst visiting family before heading to Virginia :]

Hmm. Tomorrow I think I'll do another meme. I know I do alot of memes, but really... I do feel compelled to do more posts then I've been doing and memes are oh so conveniently everywhere just a-waitin for my pickin.... x]

But until then.... EYE CANDY!

Have a great day and stay warm! :]

A Knitter's Meme....

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you?
Its true. I am a bit of a snob. Not gonna lie. I love love love soft soft super soft yarn (silk, angora, merino, etc...) and USUALLY that means it comes with a super grande serving of PRICE. I avoid acrylic yarn like the plague and I only use red heart and lion brand for amigurumi (NO stretch what so ever = good yarn for toys). If a yarn is INSANELY dirt cheap (not on clearance. just.... naturally cheap) I have been known to breeze on by because of it. I am sure I have been missing out at times because of this fact too. I'm trying to do better about it *hangs head. I do so love my knitpicks though :)

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I don't spin (wah) but am planning on learning once I move back to the States. As for crocheting.... I've done that longer then I've knit, actually :)

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
Pollen makes me sneeze and certain kinds of mold makes me nauseous. Also... bee stings get really fevered, raised, red, and itchy.

4. How long have you been knitting?
Since I was about 8 or 9

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yep. I have one on Wists.com :)

6. What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
Hmmm... for candles and stuff? I really like fall-type candle scents for some reason. like "apple cider" or "pumpkin spice".... yum ^_^. I like simple smells and I dislike scented things that smell nothing like what they claim. Take "watermelon" for example.....

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Preeeetty much lol

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
Hmm. Well since I have limited resources here in Korea, I am sticking with knitting. Its nice and easy to buy stuff online for. Once I get back to the states though, I'll def pick up my sewing, book binding, painting, amigurumi, beading, clay, wire crafts, etc.... YAY! I am SORELY missing my other crafts O_O

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s?
Doesn't everything play Mp3s these days? haha :) I like a lot of different music. Techno, oldies, rock, showtunes, opera, indie, vocal..... I'm not picky as long as its good and can still be considered "music". Although I have been known to like japanese pop, which a lot of people consider to be obnoxiously awful lol

10. What’s your favorite color? Or–do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can’t stand?
Purples, greens, and black. I like colors that remind me water, trees, or fruit lol. Not a fan at all of drab colors like "tan" or "beige". I'm not a fan of pastels either....

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Just Brent and I (yaaay ^_^). Technically no pets, but I do have a bunny back in the states my sisters are taking care of. Bunny will join us when we move back, perhaps along with my sister's cat (if Brent lets me heehee)

12. What are your life dreams?
Well I'm already married to my man :). Otherwise.... I don't know. I would really love to go to the Redwoods someday. Also New Zealand, and while I'm there I want to do the super geeky thing and visit the areas where Lord of the Rings was filmed. Don't hate on me ;) haha

13. What is/are your favorite yarns to knit with?
I love knitting with Crystal Palace's Merino 5 yarn! Noro Silk Garden is a favorite also, DESPITE the high maintenance washing instructions. I also really love "Swish" by knitpicks. It's the perfect yarn to knit winter gear for people who don't pay attention to washing instructions! *cough*myfamily*COUGH* ;)

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I'm not picky as far as FIBERS go, but I'm REALLY picky about the feel. If it doesn't feel good to me, I won't knit with it no matter HOW good it was rated.... =P

15. What is/are your current knitting obsessions?
Fingerless gloves, Mittens, Cowls, and Slouchy Hats :]

16. What is/are your favorite items to knit?
I really enjoy smaller projects that are easy to knit while watching TV, but not totally mindless....

17. What are you knitting right now?
Oh man... don't even make me list it all. I have so many projects right now, due to Christmas being right around the corner. AH! O_O

18. What do you think about ponchos?
They're now a thing of the past. With that said.... I'd still knit and wear one if I liked the pattern and if it was nice and comfy ^_^

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
It sort of depends on the projects, but I usually lean towards circs. I definitely have more circs then straights. The straights that I do have are either 10" or 12". I remember when I first learned to knit on huge colored aluminum needles that were about 14-16 inches long and anyone sitting next to me on the sofa risked being bonked in the face. Yay for learning to knit lol

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
My straights are bamboo. My circulars are the interchangeable nickel-plated. Tis how I like it.... :]

22. How did you learn to knit?
I taught myself after I learned to crochet :)

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
hmmmmm...... a year or so? I would finish it but it's back home in the States :(

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
Favorite animated character is a REALLY hard one. I suppose my favorite LATEST one is Wall-E lol. I like most animals, but favorites would be bunnies, otters, and squirrels ^_^

25. What is your favorite holiday?
I love love love the warn fuzzies, happiness, and good cheer of the entire Christmas season xD

26. Is there anything that you collect?
Yarn, Quirky Asian Stuff, Swarovski Crystal Beads, Crafting Books, Sharpies, Colored Pencils, Purses..... Wow. no wonder my room was always such a mess lol

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
None, actually. I know there's great ones out there, but I never actually took the time to subscribe lol. I've never been a fan of monthly payments.... :(

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
Any books? Oh man.... There are SO many. I love books but I don't actually OWN that many. I really do love craft books, but one can only own so many haha. I also eventually want the "Redwall" series in it's entirety. I know they were written for tweens.... but I still think they provide a good read :)

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven’t bought for one reason or another??
Not really. There's a few SEWING patterns I want, But as far as knitting goes, I usually just...... uh oh. Ignore what I just said.... I forgot about the one knitting pattern I want that I don't have. The "Bobble Capelet" from the book, Tahiki Montana: Terra Collection. The thing is.... I absolutely hate it when a book has ONE pattern I like, and then the rest I... uh... don't. So yeah.... That's why I haven't bought it. True Story :(

30. What are your foot measurements, and what kind of socks do you like?
Hmmm I dunno. I wear about a size 8 in shoes & I have a pretty high arch though. I usually go barefoot or just wear normal cotton joe-boxer ankle socks from walmart, but I LIKE unique and colorful socks. Either knee socks or ankle socks. Never in between haha

*** THE END ***

Ps. I have decided to change a few of my winter projects (a shocker, I know lol). I'll write more on that once I recover from this meme (x_x) :)

Pps. OH! I forgot my other news! Brent bought me a JVC Everio camcorder as an early Christmas present! This means I can start doing VIDEO makeup tutorials on youtube now, instead of just slideshow ones. Makeup is my other hobby FTW :)

I'm not very good at maintaining blogs apparently... but look! FOs!

I never have been and I can't promise I will either lol. A blog other people read makes me feel like all my posts need to be witty and thrilling and frankly... none of my entries thus far have met these standards. Not even the FIRST entry. How depressing X__X. I really need to be in a writing mood to write anything well worded and entertaining, but if I waited for those moments this blog would have month long gaps inbetween spasticly random entries. I will try my best to fill in those gaps with some mediocre update posts though ;)

In my defense, there hasn't been tons to write about this last week. I did finish a couple things tonight though! The flower scarfette AND my mom's mittens are both done! Well, the mittens are still blocking and waiting for me to embroider something on them but the scarf is completely blocked, dried, and finished! ^_^ Tada!

*** Excuse the pictures that look like they were taken in the 70's lol. Lighting not so great at 3 in the morning. Although I don't think the 70's print ironing board helps much lol :]

Not sure what I'm going to embroider on the mittens. Something simple and pretty :)

In other news.... that has nothing to directly do with knitting: Currently I've been watching Crossing Jordan and I'm seriously curious about something. That being the cliche taunt, "What are you chicken? ... *starts flapping arms and squawking*". I mean honestly.... who ACTUALLY does that?! Its ridiculous enough when grade school bullies in lame 80's movies do it, but the lame factor is multiplied by 1000 when its a full grown man. It sort of makes me want to find the guy who came up with it and stick a big post-it on his forehead that said "FAIL". Am I overreacting? ;)

But moving on. I have 6 balls of Merino 5 by Crystal Palace. 3 in Mer Du Sud (bright teal) and 3 in Jet Black. The question being.... What in the world do I do with these!? I think I mentioned before that I wanted to make make a piano scarf out of them but I'm having second thoughs. I may just stash it, but I almost feel the NEED to use it because its one of my favorite worsted merino yarns ever :]. I love love love it. It feels good and smells good and looks good *happily pokes it*. Ah well.... into the stash it goes.

^^^ Farewell for now, my old friend ^_^

That's about all that's been happening. My yarn ordering has been stalled due to me just not wanting to deal with all the yarn I need to buy, but thank GOODNESS for knitpicks. I am starting to truly discover the joys. I am so excited about their Swish yarn. Good colors, comes in many weights, and is OH so dang squishy! I, personally, think it should be called "Squish" lol. Oh and then there's the fact that its insanely cheap. YAY for obtaining good soft quality yarn withOUT breaking the bank! More on this after I'm actually done ordering :)

Now I must depart. Mister Husband will be home soon and I told him I'd make him burgers! :]