Things I’d Like To Learn And Do

Learn:
Hula hoop, because I never have gotten the knack
Knitting, because I can crochet and embroider and do almost every other needlework
Calligraphy, because I’d like to finally improve my handwriting
Screen printing, because it seems awesome
Quilt, because I am obsessed with blankets

Do:
Keep improving my pool game
Read more books
Art journal

 

Digital Sabbatical and My Rules of Dis-Engagement

I think Alexandra Franzen and Gala Darling are right, sometimes you have to unplug. I’m there now. I’ve taken baby steps towards not being the asshole with my eyes glued to my iPhone all the time, but I am spending WAY. TOO. MUCH. time on it. So, my rules of dis-engagement:

No iPhone for 99% of the day. That means texts and calls like normal (I so rarely use my communication device to communicate. I’d like to use it to connect with people I care about-by actually talking to them), but no internet, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc except for 1 hour a day. All that time! To be filled with stuff I enjoy! It will be glorious!

Or, I’ll still be really lazy, but in about an hour I’ll get bored enough to actually go do something, thereby accomplishing the same goal of LIVE YOUR LIFE AS IT IS NOT HOW IT LOOKS ON INSTAGRAM and HAVE FUN and FUCK FACEBOOK, ANYWAY, IT’S LIKE FUCKING HIGH SCHOOL AND MAYBE THAT’S WHY YOU FEEL INSECURE AND UPTIGHT ALL THE TIME BECAUSE HIGH SCHOOL SUCKED.

Ahem. Anyway, I’m excited. I want to be an adventurous person, but I think that part of my soul has weakened and is barely hanging on from lack of use. So, on to the adventures:

• Hiking
• Getting a bike and riding it
• Learning to hoopdance
• Stargazing and learning the constellations again
• Teach myself to knit

It’s a good start 🙂

 

So Much Awesome

In my life, I feel so grateful every day. Things I’m grateful for:

1. Fishing with my husband
2. Fostering a runt puppy from my work, nursing him back to health, and selling him to a good family (although it broke my heart and I bawled in the bathroom at work after they left with him).
3. Making mini albums
4. BFF nights
5. Concerts with my friends
6. Concert with my husband
7. An AMAZING Fourth, and my first camping experience
8. Having a trained dog finally, due to a serendipitous set of circumstances including my awesome job
9. My awesome job
10. Lots of time with my cats while Duke was training
11. Red hair again
12. Going to the gym again
13. Eating from my garden-which is super fun since Steve is gardening with me for the first time
14. The terrible heat wave has cracked
15. Fall is soon!!
16. Planning to watch the Perseids this weekend
17. That Steve is so much happier now that he’s quit his miserable job.
18. Long days and lots of sunshine
19. Bangs! Just cut new bangs today
20. Joining a pool league and having something fun for us to do Monday nights (and once again, the luck of everything falling into place). Plus the practice time at our local dive bar with Steve, and working to get better at something.
21. Learning to shoot guns
22. Visiting my parents
23. Smash books
24. A newfound passion for amigurumi-amigurumipatterns.net is awesome 🙂
25. Embroidery and cross-stitch-The Floss Box is irresistable
26. An amazing recipe for chicken fried rice, yum!
27. Air plants and amazing driftwood Steve brought home for me

I am so blessed and happy. Thank you Universe!

A Girl and Her Cat

A Girl and Her Dog

The House Is Very Quiet

Duke stares at me like he wonders why it’s so quiet, just him and I and the occasional rustle from the cats.
“Your dad went to a concert” I tell him. “It’s just you and me for the weekend.” He sneezes and stretches out in front of the fan.
I feel time spreading out before me. What did I do with all this time when I was single? I suppose I have all the same things to do-cook dinner, clean the bathroom, throw a load of laundry in, walk Duke-but it seems so different, like it won’t fill all the hours it usually does.
So many things I could do. Go for walks (why is it I walked more when I didn’t have a dog?). Start an embroidery sampler, something with a lot of details. Re-arrange the house. Finish the umpteen books I’ve started. Go to dinner with my best friend. Right now I’m enjoying the possibilities, and the quiet.

This Summer, I Will…

1. Walk Duke every day. I’d like to get up early and go in the morning, because summer mornings are peaceful (and cooler).
2. Go to the gym! Because I have fallen out of the habit again since I’ve been so busy.
3. Keep the garden nicely maintained, instead of letting the weeds take over when it gets really hot.
4. Eat lots of fruits and veggies, make homemade everything (I commented on how we’ve had a streak of bad luck eating out lately and my husband was like ‘Maybe that’s a sign we should start eating at home again. I miss your cooking.’ Um, point taken, Universe!)
5. Spend a lot of time outdoors.
6. Put effort into maintaining my relationships, from Steve to my friends to my family.
7. Build a fire pit

Edited to add: go on a picnic! I thrifted a handy picnic basket and I want it to get a lot of use.

A Well-Executed Project

A foldover leather clutch made from my husband’s old leather jacket.

I didn’t have any hot pink fabric for the lining, so I used what I did have. It was based off a tutorial linked to on Elise Blaha’s blog. From first cut to finished product was maybe an hour, and I had a blast.

I Used To Have An Attention Span

But apparently it’s like a muscle-if you don’t flex it every day then it atrophies. I’ve read other blog posts lamenting the effects of too much screen time and felt smug: Well just go outside then. It’s not that hard. Except huh, it seems to have gotten hard for me, and I get it in a way I didn’t before.

Having a new job with a normal schedule has freed up so much time for me. I have all sorts of plans, and lists, and Pinterest boards. I’ve even done some of the stuff on said lists and Pinterest boards, lest I be one of those people who’s all inspiration and no execution. But…I haven’t done enough. I spend most of my hours at home glued to my iPhone screen until my Google reader is exhausted. Then, I bounce around between Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Then I bounce around between games. I don’t even read anymore without taking a phone break. Uh, what? I used to read for hours…now it’s like I don’t let myself get lost in a good book anymore.

And even when I am motivated to start a new project I go out, buy supplies, start…and never finish. I have sooo many different supplies, and so many craft books. And so many collections and so many things to decorate the house with. And a gym membership. And a dog that needs walked instead of just let out in the backyard. And house that needs cleaned, that my husband even did a major chunk of the spring cleaning on but I haven’t helped at all. And some herbs in pots and a lot of seed packets. And and and.

And what do I do? Read blogs about other people doing stuff. And then feel bad that even when I do stuff, it’s not as cool as what I see on the internet. Yeah, for real the internet has become like high school for me: I keep comparing myself to people that seem perfect and judging myself as less cool/organized/crafty/fit then them, which then eats away my confidence, even though no one is saying mean stuff about me except for me (well, that part is different from high school, but those kids were WRONG). It’s not fun to realize that you’re the mean girl…to yourself.

I’m embarking on a mission to change that. To begin, I’m using a concept I’ve always admired, from Ali Edwards, and picking my one little word: Execute. To carry out; accomplish; to perform or do; to produce in accordance with a plan or design. It’s decisive. It’s no-nonsense and brooks no excuses. It’s exactly what I need.

Oh right, I have a blog

Just no computer anymore. Blogging from work is a distinct possibility