October Challenge and Freak Out

As you can probably guess from the last post, my September challenge was a smashing success. Princess Fifi has decided to move into my spare room and badger me at will. We’re very happy together. However, I’m still freaking out with the end of the semester drawing to a close. Especially now that I’m having so many problems with a particular class that I’m worried about actually being able to graduate now.

So in honor of this, my monthly challenge is to do something to move myself forward every day. Vague? Hell yes. I have so many areas that need work that I’m hoping this will help instead of just confuse and annoy me. Right now, it’s going pretty well and I’m hoping it will improve.

Another thing I’m freaking out about is Chrismas. I’ve started rewriting my gift list. Again. Yeah. I have two “large” projects and a handful of smaller ones. The large ones are knit as well. Of course, one is that secret big project that I’ve been working on for nearly two years now. This year is the year. Stop laughing.

Now go watch this video.

Huh?

Where did September go? Seriously! One minute I’m getting all swamped with homework and work work and fretting over the perfect mascara and now it’s almost done. Crap crap crap.

This is bad, yo. I mean, it’s not like Godzilla stomped on the city bad, but still. I’m one month closer to graduation with only one job lead, and the time I should be spending on job searching will be spent on getting through classes. Okay, yeah, and learning to properly straighten my hair. I’m not a saint.

Really, everything is about to get stressful if I don’t get off my slowly-becoming-toned butt. I have three months. What to do, what to do… I have to get through school. I have to make money at the job to eat. I have to find a real job for when I really have to eat. I have to get ready to move. Right. So any suggestions? Next months challenge needs to be something productive-like.

Until I figure that out, please disregard my freak tantrums and watch this. It’s Michael McIntyre, my new favorite comedian.

Operation: Fifi

Yeah, yeah. I know. My August challenge didn’t exactly turn out like I wanted it to, but oh well. I did really well the first half, then I shifted gears and started school. I gave it a full 50%.

September’s challenge needs to be something lighter, more fun and less productive. This is perfect because Princess Fifi (remember my newly discovered alter ego) is taking over whether I like it or not. She couldn’t have come at a better time either because I’m so close to graduation and job interviews (hopefully) that I really need to learn how to make myself presentable.

She’s also stupid-productive. She’s like making me exercise and do my homework because she’s worried about my “stress levels” and she’s all “you’re not seriously going to wear those shoes again are you?” She even convinced me to cut my food budget so I can start replacing my makeup and skincare regimine. Yeah. I know. So I’ll let you know what she’s forced me to do at the end of the month.

Until then, let me tell you about Tom Waits. Me and Tom are old friends. It seems like sometimes we’re the only people that understand each other. I get you, man. Really though, it seems like most people don’t know who he is and that’s a damn shame. Weirdly enough, I was sitting in class, watching a video on the Enron scandal when lo and behold, they played 2 — count em — 2 Tom Waits songs. One of which I was listening to not 15 minutes before I showed up in class. More specifically, this one.

If I knew how easy it was to put videos in my posts, I would have started forever ago. Be warned, I may force more music at you than you will ever want to tolerate.

Also, please direct your attention to my new favorite jewelry designer, John Hardy. Pay particular attention to his Dot and Kali Classic collections.

The bracelet that started it all (for me).

That’s all for now, folks. Fifi’s getting me ready for class.

Guess What?

More pictures! Hey, I’ve been stupidly productive in real life and keeping my promise (mostly) on the blogs. Plus, I never realized how many pictures I’ve taken. Okay, most of them are of food, but I’ve got some cool ones that aren’t. These are from my second trip to the Apple Festival in Ellijay, Georgia.

Who would name a drug store… Whatever. It’s funny. Outside the Apple Festival.

Really? Huff Drugs? Really?

Okefenokee

You guessed it, more pictures. These are a few I managed to take from the canoeing trip we did back in April. Mine aren’t as good as my friends, but I think they show some of the beauty out there.

Our Dock/Campsite

We're a diverse bunch.

We had a few alligators that led us to and from our dock, then hovered around looking hungry. I don’t know why I didn’t take any pictures of them.

Sunset

The Morning After

Day Off

I know I said everyday posting, but today was the first day of school. I was preparing last night to post but realized my time could be better spent. It still can as a matter of fact, but my best friend reminded me to take a look at a picture I took earlier this week. Meet my little cicada friend.

Say Hello to my Little Friend!

I’m assuming he just hatched because it looks like a cocoon next to him, but I’m not sure. We find cool bugs at work. That is all.

Banks Lake

At least, I think that’s what it’s called. I haven’t checked lately. They have a tiny tiny trail off to the side that I’d been meaning to explore more fully with my camera. Plus, I’m on my 8th straight day of work, getting ready for the 9th (Sunday), and getting ready for school to start on Monday. I’m hoping the crafting will pick back up again when I’ve got a little more time in the afternoons.

Is that not an enticing entrance?

And that's proof of my perpetual bad timing.

Did I mention that this was a ridiculously beautiful cypress lake? Cause it is.

Probably one of the best picture I've ever taken.

And that I kind of like trees? Cause I do. Really, really do.

Update on Spring Scarf

Remember my glorious 8 inches? Of knitting, sickos. Well, let me show you how much I’ve done.

A Scarf of a Thousand Miles Starts with One Foot

Oh.

Well, you see…

The thing is…

To start with, I turned the pattern around. Again. Really. But it’s for me, so it’s called improvising. So then I said, hey, I’ll just do a sampler scarf. And we can all see how that’s going.

Truly though, I’m enjoying this second part. The star mesh pattern was nice but it was kind of a drag to knit. I decided to tack on some feather and fan. It’s a bit hard to see right now, but it looks good with the light shining through it. The feather pattern is actually kind of fun on this. The last time I did it was for my mom’s shawl and it was bulky and took forever. This only has room for two pattern repeats, so I get the fun of the pattern row without it becoming a hassle. It’s going much quicker than the other pattern, which obviously isn’t saying much, but still.

I might have a real, live scarf one day just for me.

House Hunting

I’ve been passing and lusting after this house for nearly three years now. It’s on a dirt road just off a small highway. I’m so tempted by falling down, decaying things. However, this is the first time that I’ve had my camera along though I’ve always meant to take pictures. I’ve even stopped and forced viewing on my friends. Yep. You are required to suffer through these things if you know me. And now I require everyone else to view.

From the Road

Peeking at You

I mean really. If you love this kind of stuff, South Georgia is for you. Honestly, I don’t understand how this happens. “Oh, we have a house. I know, let’s move and let it rot.” How can this happen. And they’re always the cool houses too. I would understand those cookie cutter, made of plastic subdivision houses, but not this awesome log cabin on the gorgeous, lush dirt road.

Or maybe I’m just weird.

A Room with a View (of Hell!)

Rust on the Porch

Plus, it’s next to this cool old store. Well, abandoned old store, just the way I like them. I guess back when people actually cared about this house, you could pop out to buy a packet of chips then walk the 20 yards back and chill out on your porch minus the old sinks, desks, ancient lawnmower, rusted tool boxes, wooden projects, and racoons. Of course, this is the South so we can make an exception with the coons.

Belt No More

Remember how I mentioned that I didn’t swatch with the sport weight? That was bad. Because it’s not working. Still way too tight. Want to throw something. I think I just need a sport weight with more give as the cable pattern is all over and if it doesn’t have any stretch it’ll just be way too tight. Le sigh.

 

Fail

So I casted on for something else! Really. It’s from the same book and when I say cast on I mean swatch. I’ve already found out that the needles sizes won’t work for the felted part of my new project. Imagine that. Finding out before I start working on it. Huh. So I’ll continue swatching until I’m satisfied that only unforseen problems will arise and not those relating to my bad planning. However, I’m not knitting much this week so swatching it will take longer than most people would take to knit the entire piece, which is why I hate swatching. Don’t worry, I’m slowly learning my lesson. Very slowly.