A-Beppy.

We had a pretty nice weekend. We got a Sam's Club membership. That was weird. Everything in that store is so huge. Impossible big Cheez-it's, very large Frosted Flakes. Odd.
Yesterday we volunteered at the St. Vincent de Paul. That was pretty cool. I filled water pitchers over and over. That was my job. Ben got to fill salad. But it was neat just to do something at all to help the people who were eating there. I mean, that's pretty much the only food they get. I think I'd like to go back and help again.
I have been working on the pattern for the felted purse, but I can't seem to hold still long enough to get anything done. I did get some good pictures of it taken.
So, the guy who works on our air conditioner is crazy hot. Like Beefcakey Repair Guys of Arizona Calendar hot.
Yeah, that's all.

I think I'm getting better

I haven't been sick that badly is a very long time. But I think I'm finally feeling a little better. My ears are still stuffed and my throat is a little sore. Other than that, I'm as right as rain. Whatever that means.

We checked out artificial grass companies over the weekend. We have one coming tomorrow to give us an estimate. I think we will be putting in a putting green. We looked at lots of patio funiture too. I'm pretty sure we're going to go the cheap route and get the molded plastic kind. I really really like the wicker loveseat and chair sets, but it seems like a silly thing to spend large amounts of money on just to put outside. Maybe I'll get some krylon paint and paint the molded plastic black and pretend it's wrought iron. Or maybe not.

Ben and I went to a fancy schmancy steakhouse last night. We had a gift card from his boss for a Christmas present. It was so crazy yummy. I got filet mignon. And it was probably THE best steak I've ever eaten in my life. I still have half left for my lunch today. So, fancy schmancy Monday lunch. Ben took his leftover half a steak and cut it up and fried it with some potatoes and veggies and added scrambled eggs. Hence fancy schmancy scramble burritos for lunch this week. That particular method of using leftover steak was my idea by the way. Thank you, thank you.

I'm going to try to deep clean the kitchen today. Yesterday there was an unfortunate incident involving a lot of pasta sauce hitting the floor. And even though I cleaned it up yesterday, you never know where that kind of mess could be lurking, so I want to get along the baseboards and under the stove and fridge. And I have to take care of a lot of random mess that built up on the counters and table while I was feeling ill. And though I am deeply ashamed to admit it, I still have Christmas decorations to take care of. That will definately get some attention today.

As for crafty projects, I'm between crochet projects right now, though I am planning on designing a tank top for the crochet olympics, that won't be till the flame is lit. I have to write up the pattern for the felted purse and get it up on the site. I'll have that done by the end of the week. As for actual crafting, I'm going to change modes a little and finish the embroidered pillowcases for Wayne and Jolee. That way I can send them as an anniversary present. Oh well, only a year late. And I will break out the beads and pliers and work on some crochet stitch markers.

Confession Time

Okay, I have something to admit. I made Ben go and see Bloodrayne with me. And I really liked it. I have a weakness for quasi-medieval hot kickass vampire type things. The fact that it had Meatloaf in it made it even better. You're all wondering about my sanity now. That's okay, here's something to make you wonder more. I really like his brand of cheesy mist in the street dramatic dark romance. Like the little dialogue in the beginning of hot summer night. Yes. Yes I would offer my throat to the wolf with the red roses. I'm that freaky. :)

And while I'm blogging random things... you know what really creeps me out? When they put the Simpsons in real stuff. Like a real life background with Bart and Homer walking around. I hate that. Really creeps me out.

Also. I hate the post office. Our mail doesn't come till almost seven most nights. And yesterday the carrier left my packages that were outgoing. Um, hello? Dude? Isn't your whole JOB to carry MAIL? Couldn't suck more. I'm tempted to demand an explanation. But then I'd have to be rude and question his ability to be a postal worker. I'm not so into being rude to people's faces, and I know myself well enough to know that I wouldn't handle it in a not rude way.

So, I'm still sick. Crazy mutant cold. I'm going to the dr. if I'm not better tomorrow. I think. How long does a virus last? Because if I'm past that, I want an antibiotic. Otherwise, I try not to take them.

I'm going to start my next pattern today. It's a sweater made with SWTC Bamboo. I've already gotten as far as swatching for it, so today I'll do the diagrams and graphs. I might only get that far, as I keep falling into a Nyquill induced haze, but it'll be a good start.

Also, you decide: Kelly green Simply Soft hoodie with cabling: Asstastically ugly or just poor judgement or a definate do. I keep vacillating.

Homeowners are obviously a bunch of suckers...

We went to the Home Show on Saturday. It was actually a lot of fun, and I managed to resist all the beguiling offers of miracle brooms/sponges/choppers/cookware/lint rollers/etc. We did buy a set of Cutco knives. But that's because we've been shopping around for knives for months now, and we both know that we like cutco and they're pretty good. So those should be coming next week, and I'm inexplicably excited about them. We also researched having fake grass and a putting green put into the back. Well, maybe not the putting green, though how awesome would that be? I could put up a big clown face. Nope, too scary. A windmill. So, we might actually take the gross weedy parts of our lawn and turn them into astroturf. Can you believe that? Fake grass? And it actually is pretty neat looking and really tempting to get? Am I a sucker or what?

I also brought home some sort of death cold from the home show. And Ben found three dollars on the ground. He totally won that round. I think I've really got some kind of sinus infection perhaps. It's not fun, that's for sure.

I've been printing and packaging my patterns for the sampler. I have to get them out in the mail today. I was planning to do 200 and be a super mega contributor, but my printer's out of ink, and I've only gotten about 100 or so printed, so that'll be my contribution. Guess I should have started this project sooner.

I finished the cute little felted purse! It came out pretty much just how I imagined it would. Here's a quick picture.



Next time I'll pose it and lint roll it of course. Actually, I'll have to make it pretend to be a model and do a photo shoot, becasue this is the first pattern I'm going to be selling in my line of patterns that are for sale. It'll probably be two dollars for the pdf of the pattern.

Anyway, I have packing up to do... why did I decide that it was necessary to send candy in with my contribution. That just complicated things way too much.

Melancholy with Memories

Okay, so long story:
I said I had to post about a crazy dream, here's that.
The other day I watched this really stupid Lifetime movie while I was working on a new pattern. It had Mario Lopez, and the Pink Ranger, and that little blond girl who used to be Dawson's girlfriend, but now has Heath Ledger's baby... Anyway, not the best movie. And it got me thinking about high school, you know... because my friends and I would kidnap teachers and withhold their heart medication thereby killing them and then hide the body all the time? So, thinking about high school must have made me dream funny, because I had a dream where I was talking about high school on an Oprahesque talk show. But not just high school, no, I was talking about one of the most embarrassing things that happened to me back then. So here's that story.

There was this guy I sat next to in Earth Science (no, Ali, if you're reading this, not Mr. Calcaterra). Anyway, I liked this guy all year. And I never said anything because I'm a crazy wimp and I could only actually ask a guy out about once a year and survive the rejection. So, I just was always waiting for him to ask me out. But I totally liked him, and loved sitting next to him and stuff. So, we graduate. And I go to college. And discover making out and such. Late bloomer, I know. And at Christmas break, this guy and I get together. He invites me over. We're alone in his room watching movies. What was I supposed to think? So I lead the conversation to kissing... I know, am I suave or what? You all totally want to be the BeppyCat. Anyway, we make out a little. Okay, here's the really embarrassing part: I think we're going to, you know, be going out now... but after I get back to school, I find out that he's told absolutely everyone in the class (I'm serious, there were only 110 of us, it got around) about it and (here's the worst part) he completely made fun of the way I kiss. I know, could we all be more indignant?

So there I was talking on this talk show about how upsetting this was, and how people kept bringing it up, and I became known as the Biter for a while in my hometown. As though that's a bad thing. It was a crazy dream because one, I haven't really thought about it in a while, that stuff doesn't stay important too long, two, it took me right back to where that was an important thing to be upset about, and three, I couldn't believe that Oprah or her audience would actually care about a strory like that. I mean, it probably won't even get much play on my own blog.

Okay, so I have this weird dream, but I wake up and reassure myself that my husband likes the way I kiss and good enough for me, right? But the funny thing is, it got me thinking a lot about how great my life was then, especially in high school, not so much in college. And how very happy I was most of the time. It was like everything was new, so even the drama and the embarrassing things were exciting and fun. It was a hard time, yeah, but so great. And I would never trade my high school experience with anyone ever. Even though all through high school, I would be like, "this better not be the best time of my life, things have to get better than this." Well, it wasn't the best time of my life, but it's definately worth remembering.

Now my college stories on the other hand... well, that's where things are not so much worth remembering. I missed my friends too much and had too many new experiences all at once. But when I think about it, that was my whole point. To get away from high school and change and be more exciting and blah blah blah. And I did it at college. And didn't like it one bit. What I really want now, is to make my life like it was in high school. Not that I want to be all young and crap again, responsibility doesn't bother me. Just that I want to be more excited by nothing. And have laughter fill things up like it did then. I've been working on being more of that person for a while now, and I'm getting there. I just need some fun loving friends to share all that with me.

So, those have been my thoughts lately. I really should stay out of my old papers and letters. Just makes me wistful, and that's no fun to read, right? Well, that story might have been a little fun to read, but you haven't heard anything till you've heard the one where Beppy plays tennis. Maybe that one next time.

One of Yesterday's Projects

Yellow cake, cherry jam filling the layers, fudge frosting from scratch. Baked in cute little mini heart pans from the dollar spot at Target. I hope they have shamrock ones next month.




Ben liked it so much, he says I should make a big version for him to take to work to show off. Maybe. I will admit, it was one of my more creative cakes, considering I usually stick with plain white with buttercream icing because that's what I like the most. It was good to get out of the rut.
Now I just have to decide what to use the tons of leftover fudge frosting on.
Remind me tomorrow: highschool dreams craziness

Too much "vacation"...

Seriously. No more leaving for two weeks at a time. It was just too much being gone. I did have a very nice time visiting with everybody over all though.
Donna and I hung out on Thursday before Christmas, and that was super fun. Marissa did my hair crazy cute.
Christmas was fun and everyone seemed to like the things that I made them.
I got to meet Julie's fiance, and though we didn't let him say much, I can tell that he's definately "my kind of people". I liked him, and I thrilled for her.
I had a nice time at my in-laws and got to spend a little time getting to know the newest sister in law. I have decided that I'm going to start talking to them just like I'd talk to my own family. So I may not be as polite as I have in the past, but at least they'll know me a little better. I also don't want to have anything to do with the question of Ben's grandparents. It's so far from my business, I just don't feel comfortable giving input.
All in all, I ate too much, didn't exercise enough, and am glad to be back in my own clean and organized house with lots of sun. And I'm feeling energized and eager to get going on lots of projects.