Wild and plushy items on Etsy!

New stuff up today! These are the first baby items in the shop.




This is Green-butt Ben. There are better pictures in the shop. And there's one more item going up later that is my favorite, so you'll have to look at the shop to see.

Bwahahahaha! Using a child for profit is, in this case, totally hilarious.

My friend Heather has opened my eyes to Tiny Art Director, a blog where this dad illustrates whatever his daughter wants. It's definitely falls under "kids say the darnedest things." I don't know how he makes his living, but he's clearly an artist and has released a book stemming from the blog. Here's one of my favorites:

"Dragon and Princess"


The Brief: I want you to draw a dragon eating a girl.
The Negotiation: How about if they're actually friends?
The Critique: No, he has to have that girl is his mouth. He's not supposed to be a nice dragon. He's supposed to be a bad dragon. I want to see that girl's head pointing out of that dragon.
Job Status: Rejected
Additional Comments: He has to be biting and squishing it.

From what little I've seen of this blog, there seems to be a lot of dragons and dinosaurs eating more innocent creatures. I like this girl.

Super random post about broken needles and prodding the mind. Not in reference to a singular occurance, because that would hurt A LOT.

*cue taps*
This was one of my first sets of needles. But size six is no match for knitting front/back several times in a row. I'm a tight knitter, and this sequence of stitches just makes the yarn tighter and tighter and harder to stretch and then almost impossible to manipulate and then SNAP! For some reason I only had four to begin with, so I guess it's time to make a trip to the store.


So there's some trivial news. Also, I wanted to share this post I read today on Feministing about makeup. I wear it sometimes (ok, rarely - mostly because I'm lazy) and make no judgments on whatever people like to do (except clowns - they're frickin weird); I just find the concept fascinating. I do hate cosmetic advertising, though. Hate it. I swear, in no other industry is it so accepted to market products that promise ideals and results they can't possibly deliver. Whatever. Calm down. Ok, seriously the post is good. It got my brain working.

Joe's felted slippers; making them was quite a "feat."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Sorry.

As you can see, hubs was in desperate need of new slippers...


The $10 ones were leaving bits of themselves all over the house (which, actually, I was cool with because we just got a new vacuum and it works on every kind of floor and has sweet attachments and is so awesome that I had to empty the canister after my very first run through the house - and that truthfully doesn't even include two whole carpeted rooms).

So I went for a tried and true pattern that my friend's mom, Betty, has done a bunch of times. Here's what the slippers looked like before felting:


Jagnormous.


The best thing about them is that they knit fast so even though I had to make two of them, I did it fairly quickly. Honestly, I thought they'd be ready for next winter, so I'm pretty pleased with myself. The other best thing about them is that the felting makes them real sturdy-like so I won't have to make any more for several years.


Voila! One of them is a bit wonky for some reason, but I think (hope) that it'll sort of right itself with wear. In any case, I'm told they are comfortable.


If it were up to me, I'd put some sweet toggle buttons on them, just for interest, but I'm guessing that ain't going to fly.


Stay tuned for news about the newest items going up on Etsy!

I rule you, yeast.

Apparently, this "crafting" blog is turning into a "homemaking" blog. Whatevs.

I'm afraid of baking bread with yeast, because in the past it has failed. But TWICE now, I have been triumphant! First with this cinnamon raisin bread:


Note the highly professional swirl.

And then for delicious soups like this sausage/veggie/cheese tortellini soup:



I succeeded with a french bread. Really easy, excellent flavor.


It didn't even get ruined because I ran out of regular flour and subbed some whole wheat flour. Or because I don't have a fancy-schmancy baguette pan.

Color Career Counselor

I'll be taking career counseling tests until I die. Does that indicate a career path?

At CareerPath.com, your color tastes are analyzed by: My results:
Best Occupational Category
You're a CREATOR
Keywords: Nonconforming, Impulsive, Expressive, Romantic, Intuitive, Sensitive, and Emotional

These original types place a high value on aesthetic qualities and have a great need for self-expression. They enjoy working independently, being creative, using their imagination, and constantly learning something new. Fields of interest are art, drama, music, and writing or places where they can express, assemble, or implement creative ideas.

CREATOR OCCUPATIONS
Suggested careers are Advertising Executive, Architect, Web Designer, Creative Director, Public Relations, Fine or Commercial Artist, Interior Decorator, Lawyer, Librarian, Musician, Reporter, Art Teacher, Broadcaster, Technical Writer, English Teacher, Architect, Photographer, Medical Illustrator, Corporate Trainer, Author, Editor, Landscape Architect, Exhibit Builder, and Package Designer.

CREATOR WORKPLACES
Consider workplaces where you can create and improve beauty and aesthetic qualities. Unstructured, flexible organizations that allow self-expression work best with your free-spirited nature.

Suggested Creator workplaces are advertising, public relations, and interior decorating firms; artistic studios, theaters and concert halls; institutions that teach crafts, universities, music, and dance schools. Other workplaces to consider are art institutes, museums, libraries, and galleries.


2nd Best Occupational Category
You're a PERSUADER
Keywords: Witty, Competitive, Sociable, Talkative, Ambitious, Argumentative, and Aggressive

These enterprising types sell, persuade, and lead others. Positions of leadership, power, and status are usually their ultimate goal. Persuasive people like to take financial and interpersonal risks and to participate in competitive activities. They enjoy working with others inside organizations to accomplish goals and achieve economic success.


And then the Color Career Indicator 4.0 lists my "most fun careers." I would have to purchase the full report. Some of the ones they do disclose make sense, others confuse me...

Among the logical are Education Administrator, Middleschool Teacher, Office Manager, Administrative Assistant, Social Worker, Academic/Vocational Counselor, and Interior Designer.

Surprising but true are Firefighter, Coach, Truck Driver, Financial Manager, and Carpenter.

And then the you've-got-to-be-kidding-me ones are Customer Service Rep (sounds like a downer), EMT (getting panicky thinking about it), Stock Broker (hello, Wallstreet), and Retail Salesperson (*gagging on memories*).

What I've learned from this is that there are still a million different jobs and any one of them could be great or horrible and someone just needs to tell me what to do (for free). Keep making stuff until people start buying it, you say? Awesome, thanks.

Craft room move

So, Picasa, which is Google's photo editing software, is SO AWESOME! Because now I can add captions to my photos, there may or may not be less monotonous reading for you. Probably not. The one drawback: it has only furthered my suspicion that Google is making a run for world domination.

So we moved the craft room into the office. A whole room's worth of stuff into half the space? Yes. I'll be storing some things in the basement that I don't readily need and getting rid of a few things. GETTING RID OF A FEW THINGS. Crafting blasphemy.

Because the below-mentioned diploma was purchased via journalism school, and because journalists love puns and cliches, no matter what we may say when we're not writing headlines, I will go ahead and use the phrase "this is where the magic happens."