SOTW: The Crowing

I'm alive, I swear. I just need to wake up a bit. This is the perfect song for that.

Song of the Week: The Crowing by Coheed and Cambria

SOTW: One of those hauntingly beautiful ones...

Song of the Week: Wake Up by Arcade Fire

This one makes me smile and cry at the same time.

SOTW: Panic Switch

Get up and sway.

Song of the Week: Panic Switch by Silversun Pickups

Mary, Full of Grace: Paper Dolls (5)

Her hair was pointing every which way, her cheeks were ruddy and her lips were pouted and wet. Her dress, her beautiful white lace tea-length dress, was ripped at the bodice, near the hips, and covered in mud.

Marianne stuttered a few times before managing to call out for Jimmy. She turned back to Mary. “Honey, what happened to your dress?”

Mary couldn’t hold her tears back and she began to sob, covering her face with her fists. She felt someone pry her hands away and she realized her father was kneeling in front of her a murderous look on his face. “Mary,” he said with a false calm, “you have to tell us why you’re crying.”

Mary hiccuped and shook her head. “You’re mad.”

“We’re not mad, are we Jimmy?” Marianne shot a pointed look at Jimmy who quickly shook his head and smoothed his features.

“I’m just worried about you, honey. Now tell us why you’re so upset.”

“I….I…” Mary struggled to catch her breath before answering. “I beat up Christopher Liddell.”

SOTW: Welcome to England

I have been in some sort of love with Tori Amos since I was ten years old. Just so you know.

Song of the Week: Welcome to England by Tori Amos

Mary, Full of Grace: Over There (4)

To the Brandons, it seemed their days in Biloxi passed like water through a sieve. Jimmy worked; Marianne tended to the home; and the two monitored, with the keen eyes only parents have, little Mary’s growth. While other parents looked for signs of gift or promise, the Brandons searched for normalcy. Another inch, another pound, another month of life and they’d breathe simultaneous sighs of relief. She’s normal, they’d think. Thank God, she’s absolutely ordinary.

If only they knew…

Read the newest chapter.

Damn You, FF.Net

I finally finish chapter three of MFOG and FF.net is down all weekend. *shakes angry fist* Damn it all to heck!

I'll be updating the references and links in the meantime. Le sigh.

The Fandom Gives Back

If you haven't heard, a group of fanfic writers are auctioning off their time and skills for a great cause. All proceed go to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation. Click here for more info about the fandom gives back.

I am auctioning off my goods as well. Here is my auction.


You're bidding for a Mary, Full of Grace outtake, $30 starting bid. If the bid goes over $50, the winner gets to choose the outtake.

I'm also selling a one shot for $50, any pairing, any plot, etc. I'm basically at the winner's fancy.

I plan on bidding on other writers myself. Go on and join the fun. ♥

I Gave Her My Heart, She Gave Me Her Pen

I love you, Lloyd Dobbler!!

Song of the Week: In Your Eyes, by Peter Gabriel

Pork Stirfry, the best one yet

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

I love Halloween and always get into the giddiest mood. Of course, you know what happens when I get giddy...I say stupid shit. Here are some of the things I have uttered so far:

"I'm not going to walk over there and give you candy! We're in a recesion; you gotta work harder fo' this shit."

"WTF is a Mr. Goodbar and who decided he was so effin' great?"

"Next year I'm bringing out a lawn chair and a cooler when I sit out here. Hopefully none of the kids will ask for a beer."

"Do you think the butterscotch feels inferior to all the candy bars?"

"Can you be arrested for motorboating a bag of snickers in public?"

Ah. Happy Halloween, folks. ♥

SOTW: World At Large

Song of the Week: World At Large by Modest Mouse

Sometimes, I want to run away for no reason at all. Don't you?

*bounces with glee*

SOTW: 1901

Song of the Week: 1901 by Phoenix

SOTW: Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters

Song of the Week: Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters by Elton John. That's right, I went there.

Mary, Full of Grace: Links, References, and Other Things

Links:


Prologue:

Sweet Tea recipes


Chapter One: Love Me and the World is Mine

The chapter is named after the song, released in 1906. It was written by Earnest Ball and still remains a classic barbershop quartet tune.

Click here to listen to the song.

Click here to look at the sheet music and lyrics.

The Pleasant Family: I based the Pleasants on Pleasant Reed and his family. Pleasant Reed was a former slave who lived freely in Biloxi and worked as a carpenter. Read more about the real Pleasant here.

Edith's party dress.


Chapter Two: Some of These Days

Click here to listen to Some of These Days by Sophie Tucker.

Click here to read the lyrics and understand why Marianne might be singing this to Jimmy.

History of Nestle Milk (because formula is mentioned in the story).

An explanation of induced lactation, which is what Marianne was trying to do in this chapter.

Sillas

I have a horrid case of writer's block, one that incredibly stems from the loss of my favourite chair. I got it at the thrift store five years ago for a whopping twenty bucks. It was a plush yellow curvy thing that you sank right into. It was like sitting in a hug and it nurtured my creativity (or at least my ass) wonderfully.

I can't believe I am this upset over a chair... Sigh.

Speaking of furniture, I went to the Dali museum yesterday. He was a strange odd little man. I was moved by his devotion to his wife and muse, Gala, though and wished I could have found more about her at the museum.
I bought myself a pair of earrings and a mug at the gift shop and I kept jumping between feeling giddy and being slightly ashamed this great man is reduced to keychains and umbrellas. The mug I got is in Japanese and I couldn't pass it up.

I also went down to the pier yesterday where I ate entirely too much junk and had a headache the rest of the day. Which sucked because we had family over playing Rock Band II and the drums were killing me. I called it a night early and fell asleep after trying to write a bit.

Of course I didn't write anything.

I really miss my chair.


- Posted from my mobile device.

SOTW: Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt

Song of the Week: Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt by We Are Scientists

Mary, Full of Grace: Chapter 2 Teaser

“How does this house get so damn dusty?” Marianne swept the bundle of feathers over the top of the bookcase, making a large cloud of dust billow up towards her face. She let out a few hacking coughs and a sneeze for good measure. The chair she was standing on rocked causing Marianne to yelp.

Mary, who was sitting on a blanket on the floor near the couch, began to giggle.

“Your mother is amusing, isn’t she, Mary?” Marianne tossed the duster to the floor and climbed down the chair she had been using to reach the top shelves. “Your father, on the other hand, is not amusing at all. In fact,” she turned toward the kitchen and bellowed, “He should be in here helping!”

“I’m not listening!” He called back.

Marianne picked the feather duster back up and shook it in his general direction. This made Mary laugh even harder and she threw herself back, her thin little legs sticking up in the air. Marianne watched warmly as her daughter became enthused with the socks on her feet and pulled them off.

“I just put those on you, Mary!” Marianne sighed then turned around and began to dust the bottom shelf.

Jimmy, being an accountant, had a large collection of books; algebra, statistics, and economics were his favorites and there were countless texts were stuffed into the Brandon bookcase. They didn’t interest Marianne at all and, if she had had her way, they would have stayed behind in the move. After all, how practical were statistics in one's daily life? Her thoughts were interrupted when a few books slid off the shelf. She jumped back so they wouldn’t fall on her feet as they settled into a heap on the floor.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!” She had tossed the duster aside and was gathering her skirts to kneel when something pink caught her eye. Moving the top books aside, she found what she was looking for; one of the heavier books had fallen open and, nestled between the pages, there was a single blossom.

Marianne picked up the book and scanned the cover. It was a mathematics book indeed, something only Jimmy would read. But why would he be keeping a flower in a geometry book? It appeared to have been there for some time by the way it was paper-thin and completely dry. Marianne stroked it gingerly and pursed her lips.

“Honey?” She called out to her husband.

“Not now, dear,” Jimmy replied in a sing-song voice.

Marianne let out a huff and walked towards the kitchen. When she entered, Jimmy was sitting at the table with piles of paperwork on either side of him. He held a small stub of a pencil in one hand and was mumbling numbers to himself, writing with a frantic pace in his notebook. Marianne cleared her throat to get his attention. “Jimmy?”

He looked up, his smile disappearing quickly when he noticed the book in her hand. “Marianne, what are you doing with that?”

Mary, Full of Grace

So...I started a Twilight fanfic called Mary, Full of Grace. It's only two chapters in but I hope people give it a shot. Honestly, the thought of writing a story is terrifying. I don't have a stellar education, English is not my first language (or even the one I primarily speak at home), and I don't know where I'm going to squeeze time in. I must admit, however, that writing this has been the most fun I have had in months. This story has been begging to get out of me and hopefully I'll do it justice.

I'll be posting a teaser right after this. First I wanted to address some things that keep coming up. These are non-spoilers as far as I can tell. I'll be updating this frequently.

FAQ

How often do you update?
I'm trying to update every two weeks.

Do you respond to every review?
Yes. I still have some prologue reviews to catch up on (about five) but after that, every review gets a reply and a teaser.

Why is the story starting in 1910 instead of 1901?
People might think that's a product of bad research but it's not. I know Alice is supposed to be born in 1901 (sorta, maybe, no one knows for sure). I love the idea of proving canon wrong. Alice is the only character we know almost nothing about pre-bite. The Lexicon has "1901?" next to Alice's birth date and the only other certain pre-Twilight date is 1948, when she meets Jasper. I think making the date completely wrong sends a strong message that we really don't know a thing about Mary Alice Brandon.

Will the entire story take place in the past?
I'm not sure. I've thought of maybe going back to Franny at some point in the middle but we'll see where the characters want to go.

What's with the dialects?
Biloxi was a melting pot of people, even back in 1910. It had Hispanic families, Black families, Cajuns, Southerners, you name it. Although I ran out of space to make it clear, the families in the story are diverse. For example, the Lopez's are Hispanic, and the Pleasants are African American. Some of the families are scholarly, some have never set a foot into a classroom. This leaves us with different styles of speaking. It's clear in the way Edith uses an mix of slang while Mr. Brandon is quite formal.

SOTW: Dig

Song of the Week: Dig by Incubus (Live version)

SOTW: Fire Door

Song of the Week: Fire Door by Ani DiFranco

Losing It

I've been so busy it's hard to wrap my head around everything. I went to sleep last night at 8pm and woke up at 2pm, a sure sign my body is not getting the rest I deserve. But there's a lot I need to update on:

I'm writing a Twilight fanfic called Mary, Full of Grace. Those of you who are twi-hards are probably intrigued and the rest of the world is probably either shaking their head or have no idea what I'm talking about. It's alright, I think only fans will get the story. I'll be posting teasers on here eventually.

I got a molar removed, a process which was frightening, painful, and slightly embarrassing. I don't think I can ever look at my dentist in the face again. At least I was assured no one in the waiting room heard my cursing and screaming. The stitches are already out and the mouth feels fine. Funny but fine.

I'm in college. Oh dear lord, I know. I'm currently taking a math class that makes me want to poke my eyes out with the nearest sharp object or maybe my scientific calculator for the interesting visuals. The headlines will read "Math Killed Her" and it'll be the only good thing out of the whole ordeal. Honours Literature and Composition should be better.

Work is going well. It's work, obviously, but I love my job and I love my coworkers and my friends.

I got Rock Band II and I am kickass. If anyone plays and wants to rock out online, let me know.

I think that's all for now.

♥

SOTW: Walk Like An Egyptian

Song of the Week: Walk Like An Egyptian by The Bangles

The Venom

Let me start off by saying I love wi-fi. I adore wi-fi. I think it's the greatest thing since Susanna Hoffs did that sweet eye thing in the Walk Like An Egyptian video (SOTW, btw). The best part of Wifi is seeing the names assigned. Someone of them are boring. ITT's wi-fi is called ITT campus, for example. Not very creative. Sometimes I'll come across a few like "Sally's internet" or "Mike's wifi". The best, however, comes from right next door where one of my neighbours operate online as...The Venom.

Now, if you met my neighbours, you'd understand why this tickled me so. Neighbour #1 is a young father who plants individual grass blades and goes to medical school. Neighbour #2 is an insurance salesman who think his Bougainvillea is the most beautiful on the block. Despite their modest daytime personalities, I can't help but imagine one of them going into his computer room, turning off all the lights, rolling up his sleeves, and delivering a total beatdown to someone in Guild Wars or maybe WoW. Perhaps he's more of the Crysis type. Either way, game on, Venom. Game on.

SOTW: The Mission

Song of the Week: The Mission by Puscifier

I'm Bigger Than the Sound + SOTW

Cecilia broke down. Cecilia got fixed.

Kyle is going to Italy next year.

I'm going to be a Biology teacher in a few years (if I don't chicken out and switch to business).

I haven't picked up yarn in over a month.

I love UU.

I need to put away my clothing.

I want to write a story.

Song of the Week: Sing, Theresa Says by Greg Laswell

SOTW: The Garden

Song of the Week: The Garden by Mirah

9 Trailer

When I saw this in the theatre, I nearly shouted with glee. Okay, so maybe I did shout. Can you blame me?



PS: That's "Welcome Home" by one of my favourite bands Coheed and Cambria in the trailer.

Technical Difficulties Arise + SOTW - Staring at the Sun

Yes, my blog is acting wikitty wikkity whack. I'm aware of the problem and am fixing it. In the meantime, listen to something good...like this:

Song of the Week: Staring at the Sun by TV on the Radio

Texts From Last Night

(251): Could you imagine if a Skynet machine combination of Bob Ross and Chuck Norris were built? It would rule the universe with a soft spoken fan brush of kung fu dominance
(303): It would be truly incredible. I hope we are blessed with this being in our lifetime.

Yes, I laughed.

SOTW: Must Be Dreaming

Song of the Week: Must Be Dreaming by Frou Frou...because this week I feel like dancing.

Stupid Stupid Mistakes

I did something very stupid today. or rather, I did it a week ago and only realized it now: I didn't pay May's mortgage payment. Instead, ladies and gents, I sent the payment to a credit card company I don't even have a card (or balance) with anymore. How did I do that? I'm not quite sure either. All I know is I feel like succumbing to hysterics at the moment.

So my (very large) amount of money is not sitting in the office of this card company somewhere and it's a bloody holiday weekend. My mortgage company is not happy either and I am embarrassed because I have never been late for a payment. NEVER.

Sigh. It's not as bad as it sounds. I mean, the company HAS to give me back my money. And I have enough to cover the mortgage until it does. I just feel very stupid right now and it's a fitting end to a bad weekend. How is it only Saturday??

Oh, speaking of bad weekends, if you live near Tampa, don't bother trying to go to the new Ikea. It's a mad house. We got lost several times when we got there and then, once we found it, we were turned away because they were at capacity. We were supposed to park elsewhere and take the shuttle. Well, we had already been on the road for over an hour and got pissed and left. Yeeeah. Floridians are crazy.

That's my tale. Here's hoping tomorrow goes well. ♥

Song of the Week: Flux

This song is the sh!t. I absolutely adore it. Give it a listen.

SOTW: Flux by Bloc Party

Happy Mother's Day!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful day. I feel crappy so not much is going on but I did buy my mom wii fit. Everyone has had a blast trying it out. I also got myself a spiffy new iPod touch. I'm feeling a little guilty but I'll just say I am doing my part to help the economy.

I'll post the song of the week when I get on my computer later.

SOTW: Brackett, WI

Song of the Week: Brackett, WI by Bon Iver

MAY DAY!

Actually, May Day is almost over. Whoops. Yeeeaaah. Oh well. Today was an interesting day at work, mostly because I felt so sick. The highlight was a coworker bringing her baby to the office...yeah, I'm a sucker for kids.

I also got a bit of a driving lesson today. I might be buying myself a car this month. Holy heck, that's a big event. I'm hoping to find a beetle because I think they are so cute (and surprisingly roomy).

Still no cooking or knitting as of late. I know, I know, this is a tragedy. I'm hoping to get energized enough to bake a lasagna this weekend. If I do, I'll share the visual love.

Stay tuned for song of the week!

♥

"Promotion" Means You Get Busy

...And not in the good way. :p

But it's true, I was promoted at my company. I have my own office now...okay, so it's the size of a postage stamp but it's mine and mine alone. W00T! Of course with great power comes great responsibilities or whatever that dude that got shot says in the movie. So it's a lot of work but I love it.

I assume the entire world has seen Susan Boyle's audition on Britain's Got Talent. If not, go see it. I hate to admit it, but I was moved. She's one feisty lady, that one.

I have not done much cooking or knitting. I did, however, paint something for my mom's office. I didn't take a finished picture of it. D'oh! I'll snap one on Monday and share.

I think that's the most exciting update from me, folks. Until next time.

♥ Jess

SOTW: Kids

Song of the Week: Kids by MGMT

The Wild Things Get Emo

New Job, New Yarn, New Objectives In Life

My life in the last two weeks had consisted of work, hospitals, babysitting, and study. The hospital was the big one: my mother thought she had a heart attack and was hospitalized for a few days. She's fine now but it was frightening.

Work has been great, just busy. Or keeping me busy, I should say. I don't think I even mentioned getting the job on here...Let me start from the beginning. My mother works for a company. Said company needed help after an employee left. I was asked to volunteer and did so. After a week, the Executive Director called me into her office and offered me a a part-time position which I graciously accepted. That's about it.

So 3+ days a week, I'm working outside the home. I have to say, it's a very interesting place to work. I don't have an official job title yet but I've done everything from filing to doing presentations to putting new documents in place to working on marketing and promotion. My jack-of-all-trades attitude finally came in handy, guys.

This unfortunately means I don't have as much time for cooking or knitting as I used to. I'm still buying plenty of yarn though.

Ah, so wonderful. I'm still plugging away at my clapotis and trying to get a handle on DPNs. Knitpicks is currently having a sale on sock books so I think I'm going to have to get some next payday (which is actually tomorrow, w00t!).

On the food front, I'm also going food shopping tomorrow. Here's hoping that leads to more exciting food than the tuna sandwiches I have subject my family to the past couple of days.

As for new objectives? I think that's a post for another day. I'll just say the job is opening a lot of doors for me.

If you haven't already, check out the SOTW for this week. I ♥ Bat For Lashes.

Until next time,
♥ Jess

SOTW: Daniel

Song of the Week: Bat for Lashes - Daniel

I am seriously looking forward to this album.

Where have You Been?

Oh my stars, it's been a while hasn't it? Sorry, work has just been crazy this past week. Between that and trying to find classes...meh. I'll post more about that later though. Just wanted to post and tell ever I'm alive and well.



♥ Jess

Pulled Pork and Macaroni Salad

SOTW: Must Be Dreaming

Song of the Week: Must Be Dreaming by Frou Frou

SOTW : I'm On A Boat

Song of the Week: I'm On A Boat by The Lonely Island.

Yes, I went there. I found this hilarious, maybe because I know a few boat owners who think the fact they have a boat/ride boats makes them elite. Sure, it does...Warning: this song has a lot of cursing.

Clap On, Clap Off!

First of all, as you may have noticed, this blog is currently being overhauled. 'Avelle got a little tired of that green dress she's been wearing. And I never even got to finish her winter outfit.. Whoops. Anyway, she decided it was high time for something frilly, blue, and a basketful of yarn. Who am I to say no to my favourite creation?

Anyway, the blog will stay up throughout all the changes. I'm sure I'll finish soon...eventually...maybe.

Speaking of creating, I've been knitting up a storm. I decided it was high time I try something a little bit challenging; I'm a much better crocheter than knitter and I got stuck in that comfort zone. After successfully finishing my Garter Stitch Mitt, I decided it was time to get clapping.

Yes, yes, I started a clapotis. 9000+ Ravelry projects can't be wrong, right? Plus I had four skeins of MMMalabrigo just begging to be used for something new. So far so good. I haven't been confused or frustrated yet. The colourway is Water Green:

It reminds me of cotton candy. Mmm tasty...I just want to lick the screen...Oh dear, what was I talking about? Oh yes, knitting. After the clap, I'm thinking I'll tackle a lace project. We'll see. In the meantime, I'll post pictures of the mitt and the Clapotis as soon as I charge the camera batteries.

♥ Jess

SOTW: Use Somebody + Bottom of the Ocean

I'm posting the SOTW late this week so I'm adding a bonus track. I've been listening to these two songs quite a bit the past couple of days.

#1: Use Somebody by Kings of Leon

#2: Bottom of the Ocean by Nico Stai

Flower (not finished)

One Of These Days, I'll Finish Her

Lasagna, Spinach Salad, and Chocolate Cake

I know I haven't posted food pictures lately so here are two quick ones to tide my readers over.

Lasagna made with provolone instead of mozzarella. This was a huge hit. I served it with baby spinach tossed with feta cheese and dijon vinaigrette.



Kyle made this amazing chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting and fudge sauce. It was, hands down, the best cake I've ever had.

♥

SOTW : All These Things I Hate

This week's pick is: All These Things I Hate by Bullets For My Valentine

Winged Hair Kerchief Pattern

I'm reposting this and publishing the pattern on Ravelry. This is a very simple crocheted hair kerchief done in a half-granny motif with decorative edging. You can use any size yarn and any hook: just keep up the pattern repeat until it's the desired size.

Copyright: This pattern is owned by me. You cannot sell it. Selling of finished kerchief online is also prohibited as I make and sell these as part of my livelihood. Thanks.

Yarn used:
Sugar and Cream Cotton Yarn

Hook size:
K (6.5mm hook)

Gauge:
Not Important

Stitches used:
Chain (ch)
Single Crochet (sc)
Double crochet (dc)
Bullion (B): y/o 9 times, insert hook into stitch, draw loop through stitch. You now have ten loops on the hook. Y/o again and draw loops through the previous ten.

Shell:

3 dc, ch 1, 3 dc in one space.


Start (Row 1):
Ch 6. 2 dc in third ch (ch3 counts as first dc). Ch 1, skip second ch and 3 dc into first ch. Turn.

Row 2:
Ch 3. 2 dc in next dc. Ch 1 and shell in ch1 space from previous row. Ch 1, 3 dc in last dc. Turn.

Row 3:
Ch 3. 2 dc in next dc. *Ch 1, 3 dc into next ch 1 space, ch 1*. Shell in shell. Repeat from * to * once. 3 dc in last dc. Turn.

Row 4:
Ch 3. 2 dc in next dc. *Ch 1, 3 dc in next ch 1 space,* Repeat from * to *. Shell in shell. Repeat from * to * twice. 3 dc in last dc. Turn.

Row 5 – 12 (or desired size):
Ch 3, 2 dc in next dc. *Ch 1, 3 dc in spaces, ch 1* Repeat * to * until point. Shell in Shell. Repeat from * to * until last space. 3 dc in last dc. Turn.

[At this point you can add or decrease the number of rows to ensure a proper fit. Keep in mind that the edging adds about an inch and a half.]

Edging:

Row 1:

Ch 3. 2 dc in next dc. *Ch 1, dc-b-dc in space, ch 1.*

Repeat * to * until point. Shell in shell.

Repeat from * to * until last space. 3 dc in last dc. Turn.

Row 2

Ch 3, 2 dc in next dc. *Ch 1, shell in next space, ch 1*

Repeat * to * until point. Shell in shell.

Repeat from * to * until last space. 3 dc in last dc. Do not turn. Instead, sc down long edge of kerchief, fasten off and weave in ends.

Straps:

Join yarn in one corner and ch about 40 (or however long you’d like your straps to be). Sc in second chain from hook and continue across. Fasten off at corner and weave in end. Repeat on other side.

SOTW: Anne

I'm really not sure what days I should do this on. Maybe I'll do it on Fridays from now on. Maybe Monday makes more sense though...ahh whatever.

This week's pick is: Anne by Santogold

Colour With A "U"

My room is a mess. I mean, really, A MESS, caps needed. I decided it was high time to catalog my yarn and craft supplies. Why is it that the biggest messes always seem to be in the name of organization?

The good news is that I got rid of three garbage bags full of junk I didn't want nor need. That clears up a lot of space for new craft supplies. *rubs hands together evilly*

In other home decor news, we're painting one of the bathrooms with a whole new colour scheme. Right now my mom's bathroom is pink and she hates it. I picked that colour, yes, but I picked it on her suggestion that pink would make a great choice. This time she chose a beige, blue and brown combination and already bought the new bathroom linens. I've chosen the colours based on the curtain. These aren't the exact colours but you get the idea.


I'll post pictures of the bathroom when it's done, I'm sure. In the meantime, I'm going to be adding a ravelry widget to this blog soon. If you're on Ravelry, add me as a friend.

Until next time,
♥ Jess

Song of the Week

I'm not sure how long I'll keep this up but I decided I should share some of my favourite music with my readers. I'll try to post a song and/or video each week. You can find them all by clicking on the "SOTW" label.

If you don't like one week's track, don't write me off; my tastes in music vary greatly. So give these songs a whirl.

This week's pick is: Boy With A Coin by Iron & Wine.



A live, acoustic version:

Ketchup Catchup

For one reason or another, I haven't been able to update this blog. I've been writing, oh yes, but the posts either stayed nestled on my hard drive or in the saved section of blogger. *shakes head sadly* If it seems like ten posts appear overnight, forgive me.

My birthday was relatively uneventful. We had already celebrated the weekend beforehand at the bowling alley. Still, my family decided two cakes were in order so i went through the whole song and cake routine again on my actual birthday. Hey, it was chocolate ice cream cake; I'm not complaining!

In other news, I finally got my hands on a copy of The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb. If you didn't know, Wally Lamb is my favourite author. He brings such unbelievable depth to his characters...sigh. Anyhoosen, the library was holding the book for me but I was 86 out of 90. In other words, there was about a four month wait. Thankfully, one of my friends bought it for herself and let me borrow it. I've read the first chapter but I'm waiting to read it until I can really devote a day to it (because I just know I'll finish it in a day).

I did manage to pick up Creepy Cute Crochet and Amigurumi World at the library. I've been meaning to get my hands on these for a while so I'm excited to start some projects from them. I already promised my cousin a little bunny pal. Speaking of pals, I've been working on another Moogie.

After I started putting her together, however, I decided the stitches were too open for my liking. She'll get a run through the washer and felt a bit before I put her together.

I suppose that's all the news fit to print today.

♥ Jess

The Confetti Scarf Strikes Again

I cannot take good pictures of scarves. I just can't. Maybe it's because I never seem to be able to fine a living breathing model for them. Maybe it's because my photography skills are severely lacking. Maybe it's because my scarves are just weird. Well, whatever the reason, I finally got a picture of Confetti that shows off it's details.

Happy Birthday To Me!

I'm 23 today. Holy hell.

♥ Jess

I. Love. Bowling.

It's hard to believe, but I had never been bowling until last weekend. Yes, I know. I know. Many of my friends thought I was just kidding. No no, I never bowled although I always wanted to. Imagine my excitement when my aunt suggested we go for my birthday! So last weekend my aunt, uncle, their daughter, mom, Kyle, and I all set out to a local alley to celebrate.

Note: Please note my birthday is actually this weekend, on the 24th. None of you missed it. :p

It was INCREDIBLE. If I had known I would have fallen in love with a sport, I would have gone so much sooner. And not only did I have fun, but I WON. Turns out I'm pretty good at rolling balls (minds out of gutter, thank you). I guess I have a special kind of move though because everyone took a turn mimicking the way I throw the ball. Funny thing is, my uncle got a strike out of it!!



Okay, so the rails helped him with that strike. We still found it hilarious. Next weekend we're all going back and this time, no rails. In fact, I have a sneaking suspicion I'll be bowling quite often so I'm even giving it it's own label. I might even start playing wii bowling.

I bet you I'm going to win. :D

Until next time,
<3 Jess

Abrigo Shawl

I finally finished the Abrigo Shawl. It was supposed to be a Christmas gift for my mother but she found out about it and, though I finished it in time for the holidays, I lost steam. A few days ago I finally blocked it and presented it to my mother. She adores it.

Kyle is modeling the back of it in this picture. I'm unsure of whether I should bother to post the pattern but I think I will sometime next month.

Tropical Chicken Strew

This is the troubling stew from my "Ode to My Large Stockpot" post. It came out a bit bland for my tastes but my family devoured it like the hungry pack they are, seconds and all. It's chicken thighs, yucca, plantains, yautia, and potato simmered in a broth made from herbs, bitter orange juice, and sofrito. Served with a side of white rice and avocado.

Imagination in the City

How amazing is this building. I almost wished I could live across the street; I'd never see it if I lived IN it. :)

Imagination in the city
Originally uploaded by wimpers

Ode to My Large Stockpot

I thought I could make soup
for ten (or twelve)
in an 8 quart pot.
I chopped
and I sized,
and I kept the simmer low.
The stew still felt the need
to boil over
and meet the stovetop.
I will never not use my 16 quart pot
when I think about making soup
for ten (or twelve).

Of Resolutions and Goodbyes

Happy New Year! Here's hoping 2009 is as wonderful as I think it will.

I'm not really making a resolution. I try to stumble through one for the first month of every year and that gets old fast. Instead I'm just going to try and focus on myself in 2009. My goals, my dreams, that sort of thing. Let's see how long that lasts. :)

Not much happened this Christmas. I gave some really cool presents, I got some really cool presents. I'm the proud owner of Nightmare Before Christmas, the special edition DVD. Since that's my favourite movie (ever) I'm quite the happy camper. And dinner was fantastic, if I do say so myself.

I have quite a few pictures to upload but I can't seem to find my camera at the moment. Once I do, I'll be sure to share.

Happy 2009!

<3 Jess