Living Life and Loving It

I have once again begun slacking on my blogging. Life has been SUPER hectic this past week or two and it's been hard to really get ANYTHING done for myself. Once Christmas presents are done and packing is actually happening, I'll try to get things together a little bit more. I still have lots of drafts sitting, waiting to be finished. It WILL happen.


Eventually....

Yesterday, I couldn't decide what I wanted to eat. I went through a few recipes, but couldn't find anything either that fit in my time limit or looked appealing. I had thawed some chicken, but that was as far as I had planned. I found a couple recipes that looked okay, but I didn't have everything I needed to make them. So what did I do? I made up my own. Normally, that would be a very scary thing for me, but I did it anyway and it turned out AMAZING! Strangely, it had an almost citrus zest to it. I'm not sure if it was the dressing or just the combination of flavors, but it was good either way. I used inspiration from a couple other recipes (things I knew would work together mixed with a few new ideas) to come up with this. So, here's what I came up with:

2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup sundried tomato dressing
1 can italian style diced tomatoes, drained
4 oz Neufchatel cheese (or regular cream cheese)
1/2 cup chopped spinach
Italian seasoning (to taste)
1-2 cups Pasta (I had seashell, but would have preferred penne or rotini)


Cook pasta as directed on package. Dice chicken and cook with dressing until no longer pink. Add tomatoes, cheese, and Italian seasoning. Stir to mix cheese in. Bring to boil, then let simmer until sauce begins to thicken. Add spinach once sauce is at desired consistency and heat until spinach has wilted. Serve over pasta.

I don't really know time limits on all this. I just eyeballed it. I think it's funny that I didn't want to cook something that I KNEW took 20 or 30 minutes, but when I'm creating my own things, time is no concern. I'm sure this took less than half an hour, but I was too caught up in the creative process to really pay attention.
I realized last night that I've been eating a LOT of pasta, chicken, and tomatoes lately. Not horrible things to eat, but I should mix it up once in awhile. I think it's mostly because that's what I've got in my cupboards right now. I'd like to think that it's pretty healthy. I mean, tomatoes, spinach, chicken...not exactly heart attack waiting to happen material. But...there's only so much you can do with those few ingredients.

I guess it's time to experiment some more!

I did it! I made it! 30 posts in 30 days. Actually, more than that, but I got in at LEAST one per day in November. NaBloPoMo ends today, but I've really started enjoying blogging again. I'm glad that I got away from the "journal entry" style blogging for the most part during this month. I've enjoyed delving into other things that I normally wouldn't think to write about. I enjoyed it mostly because it made me think. It made me realize my true opinions on a variety of topics and issues.
I still have 15 drafts waiting for posts to be completed (or started beyond a title). Most of them are either my "massive recap" volumes or the writing prompts from the NaBloPoMo page. I'll get to them eventually.
I've got another post brewing in my head. It's taking awhile to fully formulate though, so I'm not sure when I'll get it up. But, I hope to have it up by the end of this week.
Thanks all for taking this month long journey with me. I PROMISE that just because it's over, I'm not going to drop off the face of the blogging world. Until next time...Have a great day!

Through the generosity of persons unnamed, I am going to get through this financial craziness almost as if it had never happened. I cannot even begin to express my gratitude for the generosity that has been bestowed upon me. I sent a message, explaining that I wasn't going to be able to travel for Christmas this year because of this situation, and in return, I was offered the money I need to get caught up on my payments. I also called the company, and I only have to pay about 750-800 instead of nearly 1000, so that lightened the burden a bit as well.
THANK YOU to those who have offered advice, help, and prayers. I know that my own prayers have been answered through you all.

I had a marvelous day, spent with friends and old roommates at the home of a friend who just returned from a mission. After that, I went to my old apartment complex and spent time with more friends. I am grateful for those who help me forget my troubles.
Unfortunately, these are not troubles that can be ignored any longer.
I haven't figured out what to do about the money situation quite yet. I've come up with a few steps though, that I feel will help me at least get a START on figuring things out.
1. Call Nissan
2. Call mom (for advice, not a handout)
3. Call ward executive secretary and set up an appointment w/my bishop
4. Meet with my bishop on Tuesday

Last resort: find people who can lend me the money. Maybe if I get a little here and a little there, I can come up with enough to cover the costs.

Prayers are still welcome and very much appreciated.

Today was an extremely laid back day. I watched Hulu and just relaxed. I had some friends from the school I used to work at come over and hang out. We went to the Riverwoods to look at the lights and ended up playing in a toy store for awhile. We made hot chocolate and just chatted. Good day. I'm glad they were able to come over. It helped keep my mind off of some other stressful events that happened right about the same time as they showed up.
I walked through the dining room (which I never do) and notice a pile of mail on the table. Normally, our mail gets dropped on the kitchen counter by whomever brings it in. In the mail was a notice for a car payment. I got behind awhile ago (which I can't remember happening) and I've been working on getting it paid off, and had a plan to get things taken care of by January 8th. Apparently, I somehow missed a SECOND payment though, and now they are threatening to repossess the car if I don't pay nearly $1000 by December 4th. I have a few concerns about this situation:
1) I don't have a pay day until December 7th.
2) Even if I DID have a pay day, I still wouldn't have the $1000 needed to bring the account current
3) I have several other bills that I was already struggling to pay on top of a double car payment (which was the plan for December and January to bring it current), including rent, cell phone, medical bills, student loans, and (unfortunately) credit cards.
4) I have to move at the end of December, which will require at least $500 (and more likely, it will be about $800), which I was planning on getting out of my next 2 paychecks.
5) Putting gas in my car to get to and from work is a pretty big necessity in order to continue making money to pay this debt.
6) Food is also a beneficial possession. Luckily, I bought 24 packages of Ramen a few weeks ago. That should last a LITTLE while at least.
7) I don't know where I'm going to come up with this amount of money.

Life is super stressful right now. I'm really not sure what to do about this. Going to the Bishop might be an option, but I won't be attending my ward this week. I guess he'll have weekday meetings. I haven't really even met him though and I REALLY don't want our first real meeting to be "Hey Bishop, I need a thousand bucks. Anything you can do for me?" I honestly don't know if he CAN do anything for me. I haven't really established myself in the ward and I'm moving out in 5 weeks. My parents definitely can't help. I already owe them money from moving in October. I am open to any and all suggestions at this point. I'm really stressed about it and don't know how it's going to work out. I think my first item of business on Monday is going to be to call them and see what my options are, if any. I really think at this point though that I'm...screwed. At least when it comes to negotiating with them.
I keep having these flashbacks to high school when our family car was in jeopardy of being repossessed. The only thing that stopped it from happening was the fact that my dad was working in another state and the car wasn't there for them to take. If he hadn't taken it with him, the car would have been taken away. I can't deal with that. I don't HAVE another car. I don't HAVE alternate transportation. I don't HAVE money for public transportation (I drive such short distances that gas is cheaper than bus fare). I really thought I had this all figured out. I was going to be current on ALL my payments, and have enough money to move to my new place, and a million other things. Everything was so good.
I'm glad I didn't go anywhere for Thanksgiving. That would be even more money out of my pocket that I just don't have. Honestly, I think if anyone out there was planning on getting me Christmas presents, take them back and just give me the cash. That sounds harsh, but that's really what I NEED right now. I don't need more STUFF to add to my shelves and piles. I need a roof over my head, a car to drive, and food to eat. Everything else is extra. Looks like I'm going to be getting creative in regards to the gifts I'm giving to others this year as well. Luckily, I have a lot of craft supplies, so perhaps I can figure something out with all those.

What I really need most though is prayers.

It was a super long, boring day. My eyes are drooping and I most definitely need sleep. Fortunately, NaBloPoMo does not count the quality, but only the quantity of posts. Therefore, this post is a completely valid entry for the day and I am signing off. Good night! Maybe I'll have the energy and brain power tomorrow to write something a little more insightful.

Obligatory because it's NaBloPoMo and I WILL complete it this year! Not obligatory because it's Thanksgiving :) However, I AM going to be extremely cliche and write a "Things I am thankful for" list. This is in no way entirely inclusive of everything I am thankful for, but I'm going to name as many things as I can in the next 5 minutes. Here goes:

Family
Friends
Car
Job
Music
Movies
Books
Sewing Machine
Knowledge
Russian
BYU-Idaho
Teachers
Schools
Coworkers (past and present)
Roommates (past and present)
Heat in the house
House
Clothes
Furniture
Temple
Church
Heavenly Father
Jesus Christ
Holy Ghost
Photographs
Journals
Cell phones
My body
Percussion
Piano
Guitar
Ice cream
Laws
Smiles
Laughter
The Atonement
Medicine
Trials
Concerts
Restaurants
Kind strangers
Moustaches - the fake kind
Twuddy Tuesday
Talents
Haiku
Handwritten letters
Missionaries
A bed
Makeup
Alarm clocks
iPod
Armed Services
Accents
Liberty
Agency
Porch swings
Rocking chairs
Moccasin slippers
Fuzzy socks
Pajamas
Internet
Security

Okay...that was more like 8 minutes and I was still coming up with more. I like this exercise! I need to do it more often. I truly am grateful for all these things and many more. I hope everyone else had a wonderful Thanksgiving and will continue having a fantastic holiday season.
Oh! I just thought of one more: Ward members who graciously allow you to join them for Thanksgiving even though you've never met them before.

Doesn't vacation mean a break from everything? Including blogging? I'm doing REALLY awesome with this whole NaBloPoMo thing and I can't blow it 6 days before it's over. So...here's my post. Sorry it's not more entertaining than some of the others I've posted this month. It's getting late, and I'm tired. Plus, I just ate a homemade pie shake and it was amazing, but now I'm full and feeling lazy.
Work today was SUPER chill. Seriously. I worked on combining all the previous year spreadsheets into one massive database of former sales guys. I even found a college friend on the list who I had no idea had worked for my company. Crazy!
After work, I came home, made some dinner, then chilled. Oh, and finished a Christmas present for one of my former roommates. I REALLY want to share it because it's AWESOME, but she reads the blog so I can't say anything about it until after Christmas. That's a whole stinkin' month away! I'm not even sure I'm going to be able to not give it to her before then. It's THAT awesome. I will try though :)
I'm going to pop in a movie and get cozy. I'm SO happy I don't have to set my alarm for tomorrow! YAY!

I drove to the airport TWICE today. My boss needed a ride to leave for Idaho, but then when his plane couldn't land in Idaho, they came back and I had to pick him up again. It was a great chance to belt more than 1 1/2 songs while driving (That's about how many I get through on my trip to work everyday). It was also good thinking time.
I was a little worried about driving because there was supposed to be some massive storm that had hit Oregon and Idaho, but it never made its way down to Provo. I think SLC got a bit, but we just barely got a light dusting. It snowed for an hour or two this evening and then it was done. Oh well. I'm glad I didn't go out and stock up like so many people. Seriously? The stores got raided. Aren't we taught to be prepared at all times so there isn't some sort of mass panic like there was today? Haha...oh well.

It's late. Time to sign off.

Writing Prompt #7: How did you end up where you're living right now? What factors will help you choose the next place you live?


Funny story...


I lived in the same apartment complex for 3 years and 8 months - Dec 28, 2006 to Aug 15, 2010. I loved it there, but I realized that while I was getting older, the new batches of roommates each year were the same age - 18-20 years old. It was fine when I was just out of college and still in the college mindset, but the last 2 years or so, the age difference has really become a source of frustration and misunderstanding.
This summer was the one exception. I had 4 roommates aged 18, 19, and 20 (x2). I was worried at first about living with such young college kids, one fresh out of high school, one straight out of the dorms, and 2 with a little more experience, but still college age when I was already 26, out of school, working full-time, and pursuing different goals in life than they were. It was the best semester of my LIFE. Out of 8 years of living away from home and over 70 roommates later, I can honestly say that I had the best overall roommate experience with this set of girls. We were low drama, fun-loving, goofy girls. We got along great, and when we didn't see eye to eye, it was okay. We got through it will minimal frustration. That was a new experience for me. It was such a great semester that I considered staying "just one more year" as I had considered (and carried through with) the previous 2 years. 
It was about 2 weeks before having to either stay or sell my contract to my roommate and find a new place when I got the very strong impression that I needed to get out and move on. I was scared, but SO happy once I made the decision that I knew it was right.
I moved in with my brother's family for a few months until I could save enough money to get into another place.
October rolled around and I decided I needed to make it happen before I got stuck again. My brother and his family had been more than accommodating and generous, but I felt like I was going to soon become a burden on them and that I wasn't as happy as I could be back with people my own age. 
I looked at a few places, but none of them seemed right. I finally found one that I absolutely loved. Unfortunately, they sold the contract before I could finish negotiating with them. I continued the hunt.
I stumbled upon a cool, older house with flexible move in dates and a very spacious private room. It seemed nice and the girl selling the contract was willing to work with me on just about everything. That same evening, I heard from the girl selling the original one I fell in love with. The buyer didn't work out so she wanted to let me know it was available again. I thought "this must be the one!" The next day, I contacted the landlord and the girl selling the contract and things just were NOT working out. Prices we had negotiated had fallen through, the landlord was not very nice to me and was unwilling to accept the deal the girl and I had worked out. It just did NOT feel right anymore.
I immediately contacted the 2nd girl and let her know I was interested in moving in. I was heading out of town for a week, but I was looking to move the next week. 
Applications were filled out, contracts were signed, and on October 12th, I moved into my new home.
I immediately got to work setting up my room and closet (an entire room on it's own). Just as I was ALMOST finished unpacking, I found out that both my roommates would be moving out at the end of December (when our contract expired) and that I would be stuck paying for the entire house on my own if I stayed and couldn't find other roommates. NOT an option.
Since then, I've been looking for new roommates, but also looking for places to live.


I think I've found a place. I'm just hoping it works out.


A former roommate (2007-2009) has a possible spot opening in her apartment. It's comparable in price to what I'm paying now, and although it doesn't have the charm of my 100 year old house, it is definitely an option I willing to look into. 
Where ever I end up, I know I want it to be a place where I get along with those I live with. It needs to have enough room for me and all my stuff. The people I live with will need to be friendly, but also know I am a big fan of my personal space and time when needed. Kitchen space to create culinary masterpieces is a must, as well as living room space to entertain friends. A yard would be nice. I've missed having one the past 8 years. I have one now and it's wonderful. I would like to keep having one. Also, washers and dryers that aren't coin-operated are ALWAYS nice. Fun neighborhood/ward is mandatory. My ward right now is super spread out and it's hard getting to know people. I think everything else is pretty flexible.


I'm hoping to not have to find another place to live for a long time, but with things the way they are right now, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to in the next month and a half. Luckily, the place I'm looking at is pretty awesome already.

With all the crafts and things I've been getting into lately, I would LOVE to win a machine like this. I can't afford to BUY one, so entering giveaways is the only way for me to make it happen. I could make decorated tote bags, do glass etching, make paper crafts...the list goes on.

http://tatertotsandjello.blogspot.com/2010/11/just-in-time-for-christmas-silhouette.html

I moved into my house on October 12th. At the time, I didn't know that the 2 girls who already lived here were planning to move out at the end of December when the contract ends. I also wasn't aware that our contract was for the whole house, not just the room. This leaves me in quite the predicament. I need to either get 2 new roommates, or get a new place to live. I've been looking into both options. It looks like moving is winning out right now. I've been stuck though trying to find a place to live. I haven't had much luck with the few people I've contacted thus far. They don't reply or have already sold the contract, etc.
Well...I think my luck is changing.
This evening, I went to an old roommate's house for dinner and games. Her roommate mentioned that another roommate was selling her contract. I didn't say much, because I wasn't sure what my old roommate thought of the idea of living together (We didn't end our time as roommates on the best of terms, although those issues have been resolved and we're back to being friends again). However, later in the evening, she brought it up herself and said I should look into it and she would be fine with being roommates again.
It's the best (okay...only...) prospect I have right now. I'm DREADING moving AGAIN, but if it's right, I know it will work out. Life has a funny way of doing that :)
That's the update. Sorry there isn't more. It's late and I need SLEEP!

 I've been trying out new recipes and creating my own lately. Most of them have been born out trying to eat on the minimal contents of my kitchen cupboards. Here are a couple I've tried lately that turned out well and will definitely be added to my recipe book:


I got this one from allrecipes.com. I wasn't sure what to eat so, I used their ingredient finder to figure out what I could make with what I had on hand. This is one of the options they came up with:

• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut up
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 3 1/2 cups Swanson® Chicken Broth (Regular, Natural Goodness™ or Certified Organic)
• 1 tablespoon canned diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning, crushed
• 3 cups uncooked corkscrew-shaped pasta
• 1 (16 ounce) package any frozen vegetable combination
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 
  
• 1. Cook chicken and garlic in nonstick skillet until browned, stirring often. Remove chicken.
  2. Add broth, tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Heat to a boil. Stir in pasta. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes.
  3. Add vegetables and cheese. Heat to a boil. Return chicken to pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until pasta is done. Serve with additional cheese.

• Heat the potatoes in the microwave for 5 minutes (you could do it like a baked potato, but that takes a LOT longer). This starts to cook them, but not enough that they're super soft when you cut them.
• Dice potatoes and put them in a skillet. Add a little butter and salt and turn the heat onto medium. Stir occasionally while preparing the egg dish. Cook until golden brown on the outside, and soft on the inside.
• In another skillet, cook the diced green peppers (mine were pre-cut and frozen) just a few minutes to start them softening, then add eggs (as many as you'd like. I used 5). 
• Cook until eggs are ALMOST done then add tomatoes and meat. (I used pre-diced canned tomatoes instead of fresh because I had them on hand. I would prefer fresh. I also used sliced turkey breast)
• Once the eggs and veggies are cooked, remove from heat and sprinkle with cheese (I used mozzarella)

• Lay filets in a baking dish.
• Sprinkle with cumin and black pepper.
• Top with tomatoes and cheese (it suggests pepper or monterey jack. I used mozzarella. Again - it's all I have)
• Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
• Serve with rice, beans, and sweet corn (No corn here)

On Sunday, my friend Adam came over with one objective: Make a new scripture bag.



 




I told Adam if I ever start my own business of making and selling stuff like this (which is a serious thought, actually), that I would name this style bag the "Adam" bag or something similar.

I love fun projects! And it was great hanging out and catching up with an old friend.

Writing Prompt #6: What do you *really* wish you were doing right now, and how soon do you think you can make it happen?


There are a lot of things I wish I was doing with my life. My freshman year of college, I wrote a "50 things to accomplish before I die" list. Among the many crazy things were gems such as riding a couch down a hill, indoor skydiving, attending a World Cup game, and dying my hair blue. It was a mostly frivolous list with no real consequence whether or not I accomplished the goals or not. It was extra credit and I treated it as such (although, I did find the miniaturized copy of it just a few weeks ago that I used to carry everywhere so I could check things off if they happened).


Honestly, I'm happy with what I'm doing with my life right now. I have dreams, but most of them take large sums of money that I just don't have. I will share just a few things I've always wanted to do but I have yet to accomplish in my life:


- Go to Russia
- Get married
- Have kids
- Go to every temple in the world
- Go to Australia
- Go to England
- Go to Scotland
- Go to Ireland (and Northern Ireland)
- Have the lead in a musical
- Travel throughout Eastern Oregon and take pictures of old barns/farms and make a calendar
- Be proficient at every mainstream instrument


There are SO many more. I could go on and on, but I think this basically sums up some of my hopes and dreams.
The travel ones are all going to take a LONG time to accomplish, unless I find some wealthy benefactor who would fund my adventures. The others...well, they just take time and effort. Maybe in the next few years I'll start to see some of these things happening. But, until then - I'll keep being happy where I am and doing what I'm doing.

I spent so many years of my life internally beating myself up and being externally beaten up primarily because of my weight/size/shape that you would think that this so-called "fat talk" would be prevalent still. However, this was one day in the 10 that wasn't a challenge at all.

I am happy with my life.
I love myself and think I am worth being loved by others.

Could I improve my health? Yes.
Do I need to lose weight? Yes.
Does my size adversely effect certain relationships/friendships? Yes.
Do I see others and think "it would be nice to be smaller like them"? Yes.

Does my size make me a bad person? No.
Do I let it determine who I am? No.
Do I put myself down for being big? No.
Do I beat myself up still for the way I look? No.

I am doing what I need to do to be healthy. Sometimes I succeed. Sometimes I don't. That's how life is. I've taken steps toward weight loss, but I don't let obstacles in doing so get in the way of a positive self-image.

Every person, no matter where they are in life, what they look like, how much money they make, or how many friends they have needs to make improvements in their lives. We all have different things we struggle with. Weight is one of mine. But I don't let it determine who I am or who I want to become.

"Fat talk" doesn't normally exist in my life. Sure, there are days when I realize that an outfit just is NOT working for me because of my build, but I just put on a different outfit.

I am still able to be active. I can walk across a room, down a hall, up and down stairs, around town. I can jog, I can run, I can skip, I can dance.

I have plenty of things to be self-conscious about...I don't need my weight to be another. I played that game for too many years. I'm done with it. I know that others use it as a basis for their judgment of me, but I don't and that's what matters.

Writing Prompt #4: What would your dream home/apartment/condo/yurt look like? Where would it be? Who'd live in it with you?


I've never been able to picture my "dream home". I can tell you things I'd like to have and things I definitely don't want, but those thoughts have never come together to form a whole picture. 
I want a house with character. No cookie-cutter subdivision for me. Give me a 100 year old house with quirks and cracks, and let me fix it up. The house I live in right now is like that. We have a stained glass window in our living room. We have a large formal dining room. We have intricate designs adorning the edges of the brick on the outside facade. We have a beautiful banister, hidden under coat upon coat of paint. We have wood floors. We have ornate floor grates for our furnace. There are secret little rooms and nooks and crannies. There are awesome built-in shelves in several rooms. 
It's a beautiful home. But it's not my dream house. At least, not in the state it's in currently. It's cold and drafty and needs a lot of aesthetic help. The wood floors are damaged and need to be redone. The paint (inside and out) needs to be stripped and repainted. The rooms that have shelves are crowded, and the rooms without shelves need them. It needs a lot of work.
I see pictures of rooms that are gorgeous. Rich colors, beautiful decor, and a look that just says "this is a HOME." That's what I want. I think no matter what kind of dwelling I end up in, that's what I want. Something individual, fun, beautiful, and that says "we've made this a home." Oh...and a window seat.
I want my home to be surrounded by people I love. Family, friends, neighbors. I want it to be a happy place where people aren't afraid to come and visit. I'm single, so it's just me and roommates until I find a place of my own. When I do find that place, it will be a place of welcome and love. There will be gatherings, parties, dinners...the works. It won't be a place I hole up in and shut out the world day after day, but it will be a safe place that I CAN escape to if needed.  It will be peaceful and joyful and...happy.

I went to a concert with my sister right around the time this was actually going on (not me trying to play catch up!). I decided that I only lived about 8 blocks from the theater it was being held at, so I decided to walk. I would have jogged, but I was in a dress :) I hadn't gone for a walk like that in a LONG time. I thought I was going to be late, so I was in quite a hurry. By the time I was there, my legs burned a little, and my arches were KILLING ME (I wasn't wearing the best of shoes). But, it was worth it. I had walked for exercise, because I wanted to do it, not because I had to. I could have driven. It wouldn't have been a big deal. But I chose to walk and it felt wonderful. A few weeks ago, I raked the lawn. Anyone who says that isn't exercise, hasn't felt their arms and back burn the day after! I also went for a walk with a girl in my ward. It was more leisurely, but it was still a walk!
I've been wanting to get back into jogging for awhile now. I keep meaning to do it, but I just haven't brought myself to it. Now, it seems like it's too cold to. I think I just need to suck it up and get out there! In the spring, I plan on purchasing a bike so I can ride my bike to work instead of driving. It would save a lot of gas money, for sure!
I enjoy working out, but I find it difficult to find the motivation to do so. Once again, I think I'm going to have to put an incentive into place to get myself to do it!

Writing Prompt #5:  What do you like most about cold weather? What do you like the least?


I love curling up with a good book, hot chocolate or soup, and a blanket. I love snuggling down into my blankets in the morning because it's just too cold to get out of bed. I love wearing sweaters. I love snowball fights and sledding. I love shoveling snow off the walk. I love the glistening of snow on the tree branches just before sunset. I love the quietness that comes with a freshly fallen snow. I love it all.


Except...
I don't love cold hands and feet. I don't love wet pants cuffs and socks. I don't love scraping car windows. I don't love scary drivers who don't seem to know how to drive in the snow. I don't love freezing inside because of poor insulation. But everything else...I love :)

I finished my second skirt today. Like...2 minutes ago. Haha! It gave me inspiration for my next project - a dress with a similar skirt (a little less fabric involved in the skirt) and a BODICE. Yeah...I'm going to tackle the dress with a bodice I've been avoiding. Yikes!
Okay, so the skirt. It's a little looser than I would like, but I guess that's why it's a good thing that I know how to alter things and take them in. If it becomes too much of an issue, I'll change it.

Wow! I only need 200 more to hit 1000. I'm thinking I'm going to do something totally awesome for my 1000th post. Not sure what. A giveaway? That seems to be the most blogger-ly thing to do. I dunno. We'll see.

Today has been stressful. Well, I take that back. WORK was a piece of cake. Boss was gone and I only had one assignment which took a total of about 5 minutes. It was a VERY laid back day at work.

After work, I came home, raked the front yard, then tried to figure out my finances. THAT'S when the stress hit. That, and my roommate hitting me with a $37 portion of the internet/cable(satellite) bill I was NOT expecting.

I just can't seem to catch up with my bills. I've been rearranging everything for the past 2 or 3 paychecks because my paydays fall on weird dates and it's difficult to get everything paid on the days they're due. I returned a few things (my dressform making supplies), deposited a utilities check from one roommate (still waiting for the other one), and used a gift card to buy a loaf of bread for lunches. That SHOULD help a bit. We'll see.

I know it will all work out. I just need to have faith. It's hard when life is stressful to keep that in mind though. I think everything is taken care of and then something new gets shoved my way. I just need to get some sleep and figure it all out tomorrow. Oh...and get an additional job. Yeah...that's probably where I'm going to end up for awhile. I haven't had 2 jobs in a couple years and it's been nice to actually have my evenings to myself. But, if I want to get out of debt, I need to do SOMETHING different because what I've been doing doesn't seem to be working.

Okay...sleep.

I'm ALMOST done with skirt #2. It's made of black "swishy" fabric (no idea what the fabric actually is), and it is pleated. I was a bit concerned about pleating it evenly and still making it fit, etc. It actually turned out to be the EXACT size I needed it to be! I just took the fabric as it came off the bolt (still folded in half the long way), cut about 6 inches off of one end for the waistband, then cut it in half across the short way (I think I started with 4 yards so each half was about 2 yards). Then, I used the raw edges that were already matched up as the waistband of the skirt. The folded edge became the hem (YAY for one less step!). I sewed the raw edges together to make pleating easier. Then, I measured out the length of the pleats I wanted and started folding and pinning. I sewed those down then attached the waistband. For the waistband, I took the 6 inch piece and folded it in half the long way and sewed it into a tube. I turned the tube inside out so the seams were encased. I sewed the wrong side of the waistband to the right side of the skirt (instead of right sides together so I didn't have to flip and press and sew it down. It made it less bulky). I sewed 2 lines - 1 to hold it down and the other for looks.


Tomorrow is the zipper! I have a few extra inches in the waistband and I'm thinking about making a tab with a big button. I'm not sure if it will work very well though, since I'm not sure if it's a skirt I will wear with a tucked in top or not. I guess it won't hurt to have it there, but it might create weird bulk if I decide not to have a tucked in shirt. I guess I'll decide after I get the zipper in. I'll have a small tab with hook closures if I decide against the big button.

I am SO excited to be sewing again, creating things out of my own head. I haven't used a pattern on either of these projects and while they aren't perfect, they're turning out pretty great. I'm looking forward to the next few projects as well, including making a custom dressform with the help of my old roommate, some saran wrap, and lots of duct tape!

Writing Prompt #3: What makes you notice someone?


I don't think there is ever ONE thing that makes me notice individuals. I think it depends on the person. To demonstrate...I've written a poem:


What do I notice about others?
The answer is not just one thing.
Everyone is different
In the impressions that they bring.


Sometimes, I notice their outfit
Other times it's their hair
Sometimes it's their laugh 
Others it's the shoes they wear


Sometimes I notice their eyes
Other times it's their nose
Sometimes it's their smile
Others it's their clothes


Sometimes I notice their actions
Other times the things they say
Sometimes it's their expressions
Others it's their kindly way


No matter what I notice
I try to always be kind
Because I never know
What they're noticing of mine


My best friend in college once told me he never had first impressions of people. I thought that was impossible until I tried it. You truly can meet someone and not have a first impression of them. You can take it all in, but having a first impression implies judgment of them. It IS possible to meet someone and not judge them. Give it a try! You'll be surprised how many people you get to know and how well you get to know them because you didn't pass judgment of them the first time you met.