DIY Grapefruit Toner

I know I haven't been posting pretty much at all, you all know how life gets. I don't always have interesting things to write about. Lately I've had my nose deep in a few books and sites, which isn't really entertaining to read about. I've also been down the dark, deep rabbit hole of genealogy, which probably deserves it's own post, but I'll save that for another day.

Every morning when I wake up, I spray some homemade toner on my face. It helps wake me up, it smells good, and it's good for oily skin. Any of you who know me know that the past few years my skin has gotten worse than that Krusty Burger employee in the Simpsons.

Yeah, That Guy...

Over time I've figured out what helps me most--as much as hormones would allow, that is. This recipe is kind of a spin on what my aesthetician recommended and what I have experimented with.

I use a 3 oz spray bottle and pour everything directly into it. I'm not particular on brands; grab whatever you prefer, but keep in mind that many times you get what you pay for.

Fill the spray bottle about 3/4 full with plain witch hazel. This stuff is magic. Then add a drop or two of vitamin E oil--should be self explanatory. Then add 5-10 drops of tea tree oil, depending on how strong you can stand the smell versus your skin sensitivity. After that, 10-15 drops of pink grapefruit oil. The smell mixes well with the tea tree oil, and citrus also tends to be good for skin. Put the lid back on your bottle and shake. Be warned, this stuff *does* separate when it sits, so you'll need to give it a vigorous shake every time before using it.

Although this toner is awesome and natural and lovely, but it is one step in a whole skin-care regimen. At nights I use Jan Mirini cleanser and a night cream with Manuka Honey.

Cats-up. Ketsup. Ketchup. Catch-Up.

So, here's what my garden looks like these days... I'm excited! I can't remember what I've planted over in the little planters, but I love to watch them sprout. I can tell for sure that the Crocuses are blooming, and they're going to be yellow, because I can see the flowers that haven't finished growing yet. On the left, I forget what I have planted in the back, but I am excited to see everything together in the spring. I might still put some Dahlias in behind what's already growing, but I'm not sure. I still want to clean up the twigs and other little weeds. Not to mention the other flower beds around the house that I didn't plant--I don't know what they're growing, but stuff is sprouting too!

So, I started shopping at Costco last year. Sometimes it's great. Having an Italian in the house, it's just kind of smart to bring home 1-2 gallons of olive oil at a time. Except they're really awkward to cook with, especially with a semi-gimpy dominant hand. But. I happened to remember that I had a stopper spout like bartenders use. And of course, I'm a bit of a packrat, so I have tons of glass bottles. The first bottle I tried fit perfectly, so I ran it through the dishwasher, stripped the stickers, and behold! Easy to pour EVOO.

So I says to the Italian, "What should I put in here to flavor the oil?"
"Hmmm... How about garlic?"
"Yeah, okay, but... do you really want everything we cook to have garlic taste in it? ...Nevermind, don't answer that question."

Bless His Fishy Heart. So, when we all moved into the big house, way back when, I had a small tragedy. I thought John Snow was going to die... because I didn't take everything out of the aquarium when I moved them, and he uh, well, he got squished. I felt so bad that I broke into tears. Luckily [I suppose?] he didn't die, but since one of his belly fins did get squished, he was unable to swim normally. He would flit from leaf to leaf to stone to leaf, and you could tell how tired it made him. I -just- recently came up with this idea to make him a "handicap accessible" fishy-apartment. I added a tiny castle for him to sleep in. He seems to like it better, but now he's got a bump on one side that I'm guessing is constipation.

So much this. Story of my life. My daily struggle.  I wish I could trust more, and let life unfold. There's so much at play right now, so many details hanging up in the air, and it's both frustrating and really exciting. This is going to be a good year. But more on that later.

A Bit o' This and A Bit o' That

So I haven't been updating very often, but I've been decently busy. Luckily I have trained myself to take photos as I go, so I'm just writing about things afterwards. Lately I've been on this very odd bi-phasic sleep schedule. I'm not really sure why this happened, but if I had tried to do it on purpose, I couldn't have done it. Just seems like I can't sleep for more than about 3-4 hours at a time anymore. But it's a nice deep sleep, and splitting it up actually seems to be giving me more usable hours of the day--so long as I don't mind tip-toe-ing around to bake cornbread and spray paint things at 2 am.  I have been waking up in plenty of time for work, which is nice, and I do still get some awesome night time cuddles, plus day time hang-out time, too. The other reason it's nice is because it's flexible--so when I switch work schedules every two weeks, it's not really going to be a big deal. 

So what have I done? Well, I picked up a few little wooden holiday ornaments last time I was at Michael's and finally got around to painting them. Of course, you know my idea of "painting" is a little... well... yeah. They're clear coated, just waiting for that to dry before I flip them and spray the back side as well. I have a pair of stars I did with a paint pen as well, and a dozen or so clear glass globes that I haven't yet started to play with. I know Christmas isn't for a while, but this kind of stuff I don't mind doing in advance. No Christmas tree or lights until after Thanksgiving though!

after the metallic paint but
before the granite layer.
I'll repost when it's upstairs!

 Speaking of painting... This has been a sort of long-term pet project I've been dealing with for quite some time. I can't find the page now--I just looked for about 30 minutes--but I read about how you can use spray paint, painter's tape, and plastic bags to create a faux-marble finish on just about anything. The author had done it to her patio/doorstep and it looked fantastic. She also recomended it for garage flooring as well. I really wanted to try this, but I doubt the rental company would like that. I had an old bookshelf sitting down in the garage missing a couple shelves. I was originally going to turn it into an entertainment stand for the big tv, but we ended up just buying one from Big Lots instead. But, I had already gone to Home Depot and had them cut the new shelves I measured out. I figured I might as well keep the project going, although it took me weeks to crack at it a little at a time. For example, I started the black lacquer coat, found out the hard way that I was one spray can short. I picked up some granite spray to work with. I taped out a random square-based pattern--wishing now I had actually measured and marked it--and sprayed down the layers. Unfortunately though, the painter's tape [which isn't supposed to stick to anything really] pulled up the lacquer. Feeling a little frustrated, I decided not to redo it, but instead I just went over the lines with regular acrylic paint. I threw on a clear coat after that, and I might do one more clear coat just in case. Since one corner of the giant bedroom upstairs has kind of been turning into a kitchenette, I wanted to use this as both a counter [the coffee pot needs a solid place to live] and a wall/divider-type thing. Now my only delay is whether or not I'm going to wait until after laying down the tile flooring to bring it upstairs or get impatient and do it now. I wish I could find the floor in a different color, but I guess that one's not so bad.

...the letters are backwards because the glue is drying.

Another project I looked up, bought supplies for, and then ignored for a few weeks was the yarn-wrapping. These are just basic wooden letters, wrapped in yarn with a little bit of tacky glue. The only problem I ran into was zoning out and not realizing that I ran my way mostly through the red and white yarn. So it's not as solidly covered as I'd like, but I like the texture of it anyways. I'm not sure how I'm going to mount the layers onto the heart [I was definitely planning on the letters hanging over], and figure out how to hang it [thinking something to do with thick black wire, but not sure how to attach that]. The plus side of this project was having the epiphany that it would make a great gift for some other couples I know.

There may or may not have been
Amaretto in that mocha...

Last but not least. Snack Bar had long ago asked me if I would make homemade mac-n-cheese again. Again, I bought ingredients... and then... couldn't get around to making it. I finally had a day where I had the time and the motivation, except it was the same week of whatever most recent WoW expansion was released--there's no way he can raid and eat mac-n-cheese at the same time, that's just inconvenient! So I made up the chicken-broccoli-mac that he really likes, and got the brilliant idea to turn them into cupcakes! I sprinkled a bunch of cheese on top of course. The secret is to spray the cupcake pan with butter spray, and then cover the cups with breadcrumbs. They popped right out of the pan perfectly! I thought I had regular mac noodles, but I remembered incorrectly and had to stick with penne. Close enough. Definitely something I will make again!

Easier Than I Thought...

The other day, I bought a small vase/candle holder from Big Lots. I had bought a couple things, and as I carelessly tossed the bag in my car, I heard the tinkle of broken glass. I felt around the bag and the vase felt intact... but when I got home, I found that I had indeed broken a chunk out of the bottom. I had bought it with the idea of putting some water and candles in it, so I was bummed out--but since it was only a few bucks, I wasn't too upset. Then I remembered the concept of kintsugi. 

Literal explanation: The Japanese art of repairing broken glass or ceramic with gold or silver to make it usable again. 

Philosophical explanation: The concept that flaws can be beautiful, and/or that an object [or person] can be made more beautiful by integrating and accepting its history--ie, a kintsugi item will not only have sentimental value for whatever original reason, but there may also be an interesting story behind why or how the item was broken. Everything's better with a story. Anyways, the concept reminded me of this quote too.

So, I decided to give it a try. I mean, I didn't have much to loose--it was a pretty cheap little vase, and if it could no longer hold water, that's a pretty minor loss. However, I certainly don't have the means or funds to repair it with silver or gold! I did a quick search on the interwebs and found some ideas on how to replicate the look and concept without necessarily using the same process. 

Step One: Trip to the craft store! Yay! I found a decent-looking 'China and Glass Cement,' but I couldn't find any silver leaf like my references recommended. Instead I opted for the Pearler paint. The whole process took a couple days, because the Cement needs to dry and cure. I carefully placed the pieces back together and cemented them down. Using an x-acto knife, I scraped off the excess chunky bits. I was a little nervous about the hold, so I put down a second coat of the cement, as well as tried to coat as much of the inside as I could. And yes, I used my shoe as a support for it to dry.

After the second coat of cement cured [another day], I chipped off more excess and then I went over the cracks with the Pearler. That too needed to dry for about a day. Here is the more or less finished product! I flipped the photo for perspective. This is when the pearler was still drying, but it flattened out a little bit.

The pearl paint came out a little gloopy and uneven, so it's not as smooth and elegant as I'd hoped, but it passed the water test! I can't wait for something else to break so I can try it again... I did read about people doing controlled breaks, but I'm not sure if I quite want to jump into that. 

In other art news, I had some nice inspiration the other day. After trying to surprise the Italian with lunch, I found an epic quote on the bag of burritos. It was lots of fun, although it did take many layers to complete. I played around with the Goosebumps again, and really liked the result. I also finished up a super-secret trade project that I can't share until Honey Bunches gets the original. I played around with the crackle paste a bit more. After painting the surface, the cracks weren't noticeable enough for my liking, so I attacked them with the x-acto knife. It was a ton of fun and I'm keeping a print for myself. The past few weeks I had been itching for art, but lacking inspiration... so it was really nice to work again

Bzz Bzz Bzz

That's the sound of a bee. They're busy, like I have been. The time off from work has been glorious, despite the bum knee, and I've finally had time [and energy!] to do things. Things above and beyond a load of dishes, or clean up the bedroom. I'm finally qualified at work, which means I get to start working the night shift on my own. Yay! First time I've ever worked a legit night shift, I'm excited. Haven't quite mastered the schedule change yet though--I'm still asleep around midnight and up by 9 am. Trial by fire, I suppose.

So what all have I done? Let's explore with photos.
I took this pile of squares... added a little kitty magic [all three on the bed at once!] and turned it into this lovely blanket for Boss Man's new lil' girl.

this...

...plus this...

 

...equals this.

Between the daylight hours, I noticed these little guys growing in the corner of my yard by the sidewalk. Before I got a closer look, I thought they were all crocus[es?]. But when I went to dig them up, I noticed the one was actually a different flower with some super gorgeous ivy with it. Luckily I had enough spare pots. The crocus seems to be doing okay, it was two or three bulbs. The ivy... well... I hope it will recover. It had nodes or whatever, and I had some rooting hormone I picked up for cuttings I'd like to do eventually, so I tried it out. I'm hoping it will perk up in the next couple weeks. Anyone got ideas on the strain, species, or variation? I love the two-tone leaves. 

Another thing that I started lately. I haven't read the book that this is referring to, but the journal caught my eye. It's smaller than I had thought, but it is my favorite color, and I really like the idea. So far this will only be the third day I've owned it, but I think it's a great idea and I look forward to... um... looking back.

Here is my next major project. Aside from finally planting my winter bulbs, I am going to make a little side planter in a round pot. Just something I can take with me after the move. The landlords said I can plant whatever I want, and I hope the next people love the flowerbed as much as I... will... but I'm kinda selfish so I am making one pot to take with me.  

I'm also waiting for a drill/powered screwdriver from Mr. Brown to finish [er, start] my attempt at transforming an old bookshelf into an entertainment stand. I have the shelves cut, thanks to Home Depot, so now all I have to do is screw it all together and paint it. Pics of that on the next update.  

In other news, I am putting myself on concert-ticket-restrictions. Too many times this year I have bought tickets to a show in advance--and tickets for friends too--and then had one or all of us bail last minute [myself included!]. I mean there are a few exceptions, of course, but I am done with that nonsense. If I want to go bad enough and feel up to it, I will just have to buy tickets at the door. No more telling myself, "it's going to sell out! I need to buy NOW!" and then regretting it or feeling guilty because I'm not up to fully enjoying the mosh pit. sigh I guess this is what it feels like to get old. On the plus side, I did spend the first part of that day jamming with a friend of a friend. It was nice [but really really rocky!] to play bass again. I've got to sit down with the tracks to try and get a better feel of what the music is actually doing, but it might work out.

DIY... ish

Or in my case, "bring things home and have an over-zealous roommate with a dremel do it."

The only drawback of kitties is the litter box. It's worse for some people than others, and the Italian hates it. He wanted to turn a spare bathroom drawer into a box holder to keep some of the litter off the bathroom floor, but since we're renting I wasn't sold on that idea. But, having looked it up in the past, I had another idea ready to go. $10 plastic tote from Wally World, turn it upside down, and cut a door into it. I asked the boys for some sandpaper before I started the project, but Lo and Behold, a dremel appeared! Granted, they went a little overboard while I worked on the beef Stroganoff, but hey, you know what, the litter box cover [aka "Das Poop Haus"] was completed in record time, and probably relatively low effort. I'm not sure yet how the kitties are going to react to it. Also, I'm not a big fan of having the litter box on carpet, but really we're out of places to put one upstairs. Hopefully the combination of covered box and litter mat inside [not that you can really see it] will keep the litter out of the carpet.

Yes, there's an ohm on top.
Everyone could use some zen while they poop.

Aside from this last minute renovation [innovation?], I'm planning on repainting a bookshelf to use as a TV stand. The one we like is $100 at Wally World, but lacquer spray paint was only $20. It's pretty sturdy, so we'll see how it works. If not, meh, small loss. Also, the Italian's boss [no Mafia jokes, please, haha] is expecting--his wifey is about to pop any day now. Or better said, if she doesn't pop by the end of the week, they're dragging the little alien out. Realizing that being social requires certain... efforts... he realized we should do something sweet for them as little Z arrives. Which means, long story short, I have an excuse to crochet!! Wrapping up the bases for her blanket now... I'm not sure I'm sold on the monogram-type square, the Intarsia came out a little harder to read than I'd hoped. Worst case scenario, I might redo it with one letter per square, and do them catty-corner on the blanket. This has been my main project for the weekend. Once I run out of the multicolor yarn, I'll put edges on them all, and start connecting the squares. Yes I know, they don't look very square yet, but they will! I promise.

Next Level Homemaker Maneuver!

I was hoping I'd finish a very special piece of art today in time to post, but it needs to finish drying and have a couple more layers worked out. I had a rather eventful day all said and done. Unfortunately it takes me about two hours to do the grocery shopping at Wally World because of the ADD and Fog, but you know, whatev. Overall it's been a good day. I can't remember half of it, but I feel good. And happy--definitely a new one for me. I didn't spend a single morning this weekend looking at the sunrise over a creek, so I guess I broke that part of the promise, but... walking back from breakfast yesterday, I really did feel happy. I had a big uncontrollable grin on my face. And it's been a year since I looked at a beautiful scene with someone whom I thought cared for me very much and felt absolutely dead inside. It's been a long, crazy trip since then, but I've come a long way. And it seems like things are continuing to move in directions that only indicate life will continue to improve as we move away from [un]lucky 2013. I would love to point to celestial bodies, but unfortunately I don't understand them enough to warrant an explanation.

Okay so anyways, moving on, I have pictures to share! As always, of course. They may not be of art in particular, but they are stuff I did.

 So, here is my bathroom door. Fun fact, it doesn't open in or out... it slides into the wall. Cool, sure, but I've noticed that when it slides into the door, the friction between it and the frame has been scuffing the paint on the door itself. I originally bought some fabric to mount on the door, but it got reclaimed by my tarot deck, so I went back to my original idea--painter's tape [I couldn't find any at the craft store, ironically]. So I lined the painter's tape across where the scuffs were starting to hit. I may do some stenciling or painting over the tape, just to add to the artistry of it. I also decided that I wasn't pleased with all the whiteness, so I lined the panels too. On the lefthand side you can see my "A Little Cracked but Still Not Broken" above my smallest bookshelf, and "Mo Anam Cara" next to the Godzilla collection [that's a whole 'nother rant, I should follow up on that!]

My other project for this evening only took me about five minutes! So, the kitties love to sit in this bathroom window. Unfortunately, one of them likes to nudge the orchids a little too close to the edge for my taste; also, I've found that they are getting too much direct sun in this window. You can see them to the very right, next to the Eucalyptus and Aliesha Larson's "Calavera Girl" [gorgeous art, she is a huge inspiration to me to 'keep at it']. Unfortunately, they always manage to run into the blinds. I'm a little paranoid since I left the apartment with a $1700 discrepancy, and now we already have to replace these blinds, as they've broken two slats already. But. There's a second-floor neighbor right across the way, so unfortunately we can't leave the blinds open all the time... so first of all, I picked up some spray-on window frost. All it really does is opaque the window a little bit, and theoretically I can clean it of with simple acetone when it's time to move. I also noticed that in their jumping onto the ledge--or perhaps off the ledge--aforementioned kitties are also scuffing up the tile or whatever. So I bought a small bathroom rug, the kind that's slightly grippy on the bottom, just hoping it would fit in the window. It fits almost perfectly, with just a small overhang that I was able to thumbtack in place. Now we have a wonderful kitty perch and much less damage to the rental.

Last photo. Over the past couple days, I've decided that I want to get into Bonsai. Well, sort of. Ideally I'd like to have a bonsai tree and integrate it into a sort of terrarium setting. Maybe a teensy tiny pond, rocks and pebbles, some moss and sand, ya know? Well, I found out that bonsai is less a type of tree, and more a style--sometimes a dwarf or a cutting, but the concept is to emulate or capture the whole of nature in a small, tabletop-sized pot. Although I stopped by a local nursery, I didn't find much. Most of the "kits" on Amazon are actually misleading, and start from seeds... which can take years to grow before you can even begin to work with them. I have a major soft spot for the super-red maples and whatnot, and although you can sometimes use them for bonsai-ing [yes, I made that up]. After coming up with not much at the nursery, I thought Wally World would be a long shot--and it was, until I found this little guy in the back corner. Technically a vine, something about a red sweet-potato? I don't know, but I love the color and the shape of the leaves. I should've picked one of the others that weren't so root bound, but this guy had a whole bunch of leaves, so I'm going to see how it goes. Of course, I don't have the proper substrate or the appropriate dish [my cheap fix idea didn't pan out because I can't figure out how to get drain holes into ceramic]. I plan on replanting it in the next couple days, so we'll see how it survives that.

Well. That about sums up my evening. I took my amiltryptoline for the evening, but it's kind of a slow effect, it's just been causing typos, not knocking me out. Signing off for now, good people. Do something today that makes someone smile, even if that someone is you. 

More Adventures in Art

Behold, my latest foray into the world of mixed media art. I'm starting to develop a bit of a style. I still find myself running out of letters, or getting frustrated that they don't match up as well as I'd like. I had started this piece on a burlap canvas, but the wax worked too far into the texture, so I had to grab some actual canvas and try again. I also didn't plan out the lettering as well, so it got a little crowded in the last few lines. I really like the silver drips. Each work is a bit of a learning experience. At least I found a nice way to combine "art" and words.   I've already started on my next work, for a friend's housewarming party, but since they are somewhat time-intensive I don't have pics yet--Each layer has to dry before I start a new one. Not sure what quote I'm going to pull for the dynamic duo, but I'm sure they'll love it. 

In other news, cat gets the "command hand," fears for his life.

Looking to move soon, getting very excited to have a house again [instead of an apartment]. Can't wait for epic game nights and having a art/craft/work room. And the other best part... house generally comes with yard, which means, it might be time to add a doggy to the family again. A friend's sister has some half pit, half lab-doberman mutties that need homes. After playing with her new pup for a night, I've got puppy fever.

Third Time's a Charm

So here are some pics from my third attempt at mixed media art. I picked up some more paint, some distress ink, and some squirt bottles. I didn't get quite the effects I was going for--and the distress ink sure is messy--but I'm making progress and getting some good ideas. This piece is a birthday gift for my Bestest ever... It doesn't even begin to compare to the blanket she sent me on deployment, but it's a start. For reference, one of her favorite bands is the Eels, and the song is 'Beautiful Freak'. I couldn't pick out good lyrics, so I just went with the song title.

 

  

First Forray

Below are pics from my first attempt at mixed media art. I've always been more for words, but I managed to find a way to combine words and art in a way that might work. That being said, this was a sort of test run. The main idea kind of came to me on accident. I have lots of other ideas I'll be working on soon, and of course there will be plenty more pictures to come.

Best Friday Junior.

So, here is a post-game recap of my Thursday. Variety, as they say, is the spice of life.

First things first. PT, followed by uniform inspection. Boooo. Then begins a rewarding day off work. I stopped at the dry cleaner to see if they could fix my [used-to-be] white shirt... alas, they cannot, so more work for me; and wandered into the wonderful hipster/yuppie grocery store that I sometimes visit. Not for morality issues or anything so noble, mind you, I just really love their deli and such. They're a local fave. Picked up some groceries and boy I can just never resist plants. I think I have a problem. After a brunch of everything bagel topped with sun-dried tomato cream cheese and smoked salmon [I am le connoisseur!] I settled in for a couple hours of Diablo 3 with mah love. Found myself a little sleepy, so I took a quick nap. I looked at houses for rent, and talked to one of the property managers while arranging the flowers I picked up... because I'm a little OCD+ADD and can't stand to only do one thing at a time. After that, I used the leftover homemade chicken soup with no less than five green veggies [did I mention that I've been sick all week?] to make a buttermilk-biscuit-topped chicken pot pie. Didn't come out quite right--it ended up like more of a cobbler--but it sure was tasty. While working in the kitchen, I also prepped an old candle jar to hold the new baby orchid. Then we watched a movie, and I went to bed early because sadly, back to work on Friday. But! It was nice to have a break, and to know that after Friday, it was the weekend again, and I could be Freeeeeeeee. Mwahaha.

 This is the lil' baby orchid I bought. It was too adorable to pass up! Plus lots of pods means it hasn't really started blooming yet... my big one was in full bloom when I brought it home and the flowers didn't last long. I'm using them for art now. It's still alive though and I hope it keeps growing, but this little guy [see comparison to coffee cup] was just too much. Except when I pulled it out of the original container, I found lots of very sad, squished roots. I did some impromptu plant surgery, gave it a lot more room and some fresh moss, and I hope it survives. Because orchids--although the new floral trend--are just beautiful. 

These are the flowers I arranged. Any time I go to a grocery store, the floral department always catches my eye. I can't bring myself to buy the prearranged bouquets; for some reason I think that $14.99 is too much--and then I spend more than that by picking out my own flowers. Alstromeria are my complete favorite, doesn't matter what color they are. The purple roses really struck me; usually I am not a fan of roses. Then there's some whaddaya-call'ums to add bulk, and two "black" [super dark purple] calla lillies. The "tropical foliage" in the back is a nice touch. You'd think from this that purple is my favorite color... but let me assure you, it's not. Flowers just don't come in my "favorite" color much... not naturally anyways. 

A New Medium

I am a member of a local [secret] crafting group. It's kind of like a round-robin or Secret Santa style thing; there's a handful of us that deal with different media, we more or less draw names secretly, and craft something for the person every month or two. Usually I stick to yarn things, because that's what I've got the most experience with, but you can only make so many scarfs before you start getting bored and feeling that they're kind of... impersonal. So with this particular 'assignment' [for lack of a better term], I had a bit more to go off of from her profile. The idea just kind of clicked. I had this old vintage-y wooden globe sitting around, a remnant of my mother's failed attempt at relocating to WA. I wish I had taken a before photo, but I didn't do a whole lot to it. I went a bit outside my crafting-comfort-zone, and man, I have got to do that more often! I just hope I continue to have epiphany-style ideas on what to make. I also intend to get into sort of... mixed media painting type stuff, like Ms. Medium, an inspiring friend whom I miss very much--and the first person I turned to with my paint questions. I haven't started that yet, but you can bet your booty when I do there will be plenty of pictures. I've got so many ideas for that, and had spent most of the morning cutting and ripping old magazines to shreds, searching for letters and common words. My only problem is going to be a) getting started, and b) streamlining my ideas so I don't try to do too much within each project. Anyways, without further ado, here are the pics I know you're all waiting for... it's kind of a found/art slash up-cycled craft kind of thing. Nevermind my clutter and the giant wall of books.

'Home is where you drop Anchor'

I wish you would take your radio to bathe with you...

Look-what-I-can-do!!
-hippity hop-

So, as it turns out I did not have a ginormous hangover after the show, for my birthday, but as I mentioned here recently, the CD player in my car pooped out. That combination of events led me to researching car audio. I found a neat little adapter for $40 on Amazon, but that still requires a lot of de- and re-assembly of my car. Plus, no instant gratification, which I live for. So, after doing more research and a quick chat with some friends via FB, I wandered over to Best Buy. Again, chatting ensues, mostly with their audio installer. Surprise, he doesn't laugh at me or even really look shocked when I say, "Well, I'd love to, but I'm kind of broke so I think I'm going to install it myself... I work with TV distribution and electronics anyways, so I don't think I can mess it up too bad..." I finally decide on a single-DIN data-only receiver, open box, for about $60. It's bluetooth capable, but they didn't have the mic so the nice guy gave me 10% off on top of the open box price. When he told me how you install the BT mic's, I decided I don't care for ripping off every piece of trim on the driver's side of my car, I can live with out it, so long as it streams music from my phone. Which it totally does.

So, if you ever wanted to know what the inside of a Toyota Celica's dash looks like... Here ya go. With a bit of help from some Spanish-speaking dude on YouTube, I managed to do this all by myself! Okay not entirely all by myself. The connector kit I'd bought had quick-release connections, but no spades, so I had to use the crimpy kind to connect all the wiring [tee hee, pardon my girl jargon]. Unfortunately, my hands are shot, so I had to have Mr. Man-Hands take care of that part. After flipping the stereo around about three times, unclipping and reclipping the wires because I got excited and didn't really pay attention to what I was doing, it was testing time. And guess what? IT WORKED. Yes, as a female, I was able to remove and install my own car stereo, 95% all by myself. Hooray! I don't know if I just think I have something to prove or what, but being productive, especially in ways like this, really brings me a lot of satisfaction.

Afterwards, I retreated to the kitchen to make fantastical magic spaghetti for dinner. Electrician and chef... whew, I know one lucky Italian boy. Like I said back on Hab Team... "Look, I know how to use power tools, and I'm not bad in the kitchen, either!"

+1 to Constitution

So, geek stuff first, then on to plant stuff.

I have some massive ADD. Mine generally manifests internally; I don't so much have the hyperactivity, just the racing thoughts and distractability. I also have a touch of the OCD:  I love charts, graphs, lists, and apps. So, today I found a great way to improve my life while also staying positive and having a bit of fun. HabitRPG is an online tool with mobile app accessibility that allows you to create goals, daily routines, and habits you want to improve upon. It's built off the RPG model, with exp, health, upgrades, avatars, etc. You can also customize rewards for yourself and tag tasks to organize them. I'm still exploring all the functions, but I HIGHLY recommend it so far! I'm actually racking up exp just for writing this blog post. teehee.

Spent most of today browsing really nifty lighting, storage, and gardening ideas. And other cool DIY stuff like this neat up-cycled photo frame. Y'all know I am a geek for photos and old things, so this would be a great way to put up some more pictures... once we have a room for it. I can't wait for this house thing to happen... I am going to go nuts. In the best way, of course.

So, the Plant That Wouldn't Die. Still isn't dying. I got it really close this time, probably partially due to my tendancy to overwater. I still don't know what the hell it is. Almost all of my other plants have gone on to the great greenhouse in the sky, unfortunately, and I've come to the conclusion that right now I just don't really have the time or focus to keep up with gardening. It's a damn shame because I really do enjoy it. But, I have tried to incorporate some 'hardy' plants into my house in hopes that... I won't kill them. The hanging basket is a variation of English Ivy, which I believe is 'Mint Kolbiri'. Also, Orchids are all the rage here, they're for sale in practically every Safeway and WalMart around. I finally caved and brought one home. After reading the care instructions, I am pretty confident that I won't kill it off. I layered pebbles, cactus dirt, and sheet moss in a pretty glass dish to replant it and am quite pleased with the effect. Now if only I had a nice sanctuary in which to set up a zen corner. 

'And what do we say to Death?'
'Not Today.'

 

I've also added some Lucky Bamboo to my bathroom, a plant I have been dying to buy for quite some time now. Next to that you'll see some dried Eucalyptus, another favorite. It's toxic to kitties, so I have to be careful where I put it. One of my favorite arrangements, or decorations, or whatever you want to call it, is the one below on the right. It's kind of a long story, but it's got a lot of sentimental value. Reader's Digest version: when I was a kid, my dad brought home a 105mm Howitzer shell from work, which I used as a piggy bank. A couple years ago I asked if he could still get them,  and he sneakily and quickly responded simply by sending me one for Christmas. I wasn't quite sure what to do with it, until one day I got the bright idea to stuff it with the Eucalyptus. [Next to it is a shell from the clip for one of the smaller guns used on the AC-130s, but I'm not sure which one]

aaaaaaand, no day is complete without achieving your recommended dosage of kitty cuteness. I wish I had gotten a shot when he first came home because he has grown some, but it will be great to compare when he gets older!