I saved another 18 dollars. Last night, I watched the terrible but oh so good chick flick, The Prince and Me, you know the one with Julia Stiles and she falls in love with the Prince of Denmark, and I hemmed up another pair of jeans. I'm telling you, maybe I should start soliciting my services and make some money on the side. Whataya think?

How to Avoid Paying 18 Dollars

Last week, I went to the tailor to get 4 pairs of pants hemmed. Getting pants hemmed is part of my life, something I rarely am able to avoid, being vertically challenged and all. Two pairs were jeans (one pair I bought at a yard sale) and two pairs were pants for work. After I tried them on for the tailor, and she pinned the pants where needed, I braced myself for the total. When I saw her writing down the amounts on the ticket, I couldn't believe it. I asked "It's 14 dollars to hem a pair of jeans?" She said, "Oh no, to hem a pair of jeans it's 18 dollars. 14 dollars is for the other pants." I can't believe I left the store without the pants, but I did. However, the very next day, as soon as the store opened, I retrieved my pants and vowed to do this myself. When hemming jeans, it's very difficult to use a standard sewing machine because most can't handle the girth of the materials. And as for dress pants, they need to be done by hand so as not to see the stitches through the material. So, I went to the local fabric store, and bought some jean thread and needles, a total of $3.30, and faced the challenge. Let me just tell you how good it feels to not spend $18 on hemming a pair of jeans, especially when you bought them for a dollar at a yard sale. It feels damn good. And they turned out really good, if I do say so myself. You can't tell that the hem is done by hand. As for pics, if I had any, that would just be too over-achiever-like of me.

I've been looking for a way to organize my circular knitting needles, so they're easily accessible. When I come across a pattern requiring a circular needle, I turn the page, unwilling to search through the tangled mess. I once came across a pattern for a sewn circular needle organizer, but I didn't have access to a sewing machine...until now. I went searching for that needle organizer to sew up a few nights ago. Instead, I came across this. Crazy thing is that I just picked up empty wooden spools a few weekends ago at a yard sale in hopes of coming up with some crafty project. It was fate! Here's an action shot, with all the circulars.
And here's a close-up.

I didn't have enough spools to add decorative spools on either end, but I think it turned out okay.

N went downstairs to the basement to throw in a load of laundry and discovered sewage in the basement. Our sewage pipe(s) is (are) backed up. I have no idea if there is more that one sewage pipe, but I do know that the huge tree in our front yard has invaded our sewage system and now we got some s**t in the basement. Literally, s**t. Stay tuned. It will be an interesting week.

When I first arrived in Virginia, I continually referred to the prosecutor as the State's Attorney. But I was very quickly corrected. They are not State Attorneys. They are Commonwealth Attorneys. Yes, I live in the Commonwealth of Virginia, not the State of Virginia. You wanna know the difference? I bet you do. Well, there is no damn difference. Virginia decided to remain a Commonwealth. I bet it's because it sounds more prestigious, like "Yes all of you other feeble minded states, you could never compete with a Commonwealth like us...haa haa haa."

Look What I Did!

Two weekends ago, N and I went to a Y'art sale. Kinda like a yard sale, but it was for art supplies and art pieces. I went nuts, buying 6 grab bags of fabric and wood block paint while N picked up an old-school hand crank pencil sharpener, wooden wall art and drafting pens. With this fabric, I made my first pillow cover. Whadya think?

It was very easy and for the next one I make, I'm hoping to write a tutorial to pass along to anyone who needs some guidance. As you can tell from this pic, the cover is a tad bit bigger than I'd like. I've been on the lookout for a snap or eye hook to use in the back to tighten it up. Otherwise, I'm very happy with the way it turned out.

I didn't think I was much of a fantasy genre reader, but it just so happens that I'm more than half-way through the first Harry Potter book. Not too bad if I do say so! I don't foresee myself become ridiculously addicted to the Harry Potter series, but I'm not making any bets, and you shouldn't either. You never know. I come from a family of addicts.

Today was the second time I cried at work. First time was when I found out MMG had cancer. But today, I cried. Because of the nature of my work, I can't get into specifics (sounds like I work for the CIA...don't get excited, I don't) but let's just say I got emotionally invested in a case, and my client was found guilty. I held it in until for about an hour and then I cried. I'm questioning whether I'm cut out for this. Real estate is much more safe. Even estate planning. Dead people don't come back and yell at you for giving their son and not their daughter some ugly painting. But criminal law - damn, especially when you're client is innocent. That's when it gets tough. It's easier if you have guilty clients, cause you work your hardest to make sure the system doesn't screw them. But when they're innocent...I need to make sure I don't get emotionally invested, and attached, and all that bullshit. I'm looking forward to the day when I have 10 years of experience behind me. That'll be the day when I won't come back from court and feel like crumbling into a puddle of tears.

Do you have a secret?

I miss Steve.

Presents from my garden

Beautiful presents if I do say so myself! We have zucchini coming out of our ears, so guess what we made on Saturday? Yup, zucchini bread. It's really good, if I do say so myself. We have brandywine tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, and other heirloom tomatoes growing; however, only the cherry tomatoes are ready. The others are still on the vine. We've been quite fortunate with our garden. The only struggling veggie has been the squash, and frankly, if that's the only failing veggie, I'm a happy camper.

Why Blog?

A friend asked me why I blog? And as I was formulating my answer - as it was spewing forth from my mouth - I am still pondering this question. With Facebook, Myspace, Friendster and more (all of which I have page), I started considering that maybe this means of communicating is selfish and narcissistic. Really, why do I write online for others to read? Maybe it's insecurity, and I hope people find me interesting. But then, do I really care what people think? I try to convince myself that I don't care what other people think, but secretly I guess I do. So, in addition to wanting people to find me interesting, why do I blog? Here are some of the excuses...


1) I like to keep a diary and I type faster than I write.

2) I share my projects with others, since I often like reading about other people's projects.

3) I think of witty things in my head (at least, I think they're witty) and I hope other people find them just as witty.

4) Thoughts in my head should not stay in my head, and here is just as good of any place to dispose of them.

5) I like to have something that's just mine, and no one else's.

6) This is a great starting point for interesting discussion with friends far away.

7) Blogging encourages me to become a better writer.

8) Blogging keeps my far-away friends informed about my life.

I could go on, but those are just a list of reasons (excuses) without thinking too hard.

And for a cute picture of Steve. And yes, that is her in the bathtub.

Okay, one more...Sorry it's so dark. I'm not at all technimologially savvy with the photo stuff. But if you look really close, you see a sweet face.

I try to stay away from political comments on this blog, mostly because I have no idea what I'm talking about. Truly, I read the news like any educated citizen and I am more than interested in the upcoming primary. But there's so much out there, and how do you know what's the truth and what is the media playing tricks on you in order to increase the amount of viewers? Regardless, and I know this is bottom of a large heap of issues going on, but what ever happened to believing you are the best one for President? It's lately become a war of words and who will win, not who is the best one to lead our country. Am I the only one who sees this? Maybe I'm not looking past the words.

Don't speed when driving. You could go to jail. Seriously. Oh, and don't do speed when driving, either. You really could go to jail.

Five things I say I will do, but don’t, and then hate myself for not doing

I often am inspired to post an entry when I see a blogger's list and then want to make the same list. A friend from high school posted such a list and now I am using the premise to create my own.

And therefore, here is the list:

1) Put more thought into giving creative gifts

2) Have a yard sale

3) Help N around the house more

4) Don't watch TV

5) Exercise More

And of course this list could go on. Pathetic really. We are too hard on ourselves. We (meaning me) feel we are never good enough. I want to stop feeling bad for what I don't do, and recognize what I do do...doo doo.

Monday Musings

1) Late yesterday afternoon, N and I began the daunting task of organizing the basement. I use the basement as a storage unit for items that I hope to sell at the never-happening yard sale. Also, since MMG moved, I have had to bring a lot of my childhood belongings to Charlottesville as there is no place in MMG's home. We have four categories - yard sale, one for keep, trash and school. I was going through my second box (only my second), when N warned me that he remembered a plate may be broken in the box. I came across the plate, and N and I picked it up. Either we each thought the other had it stable in our hands, or the plate was a magical jumping plate, but either way, the plate cut my leg open, and here I sit with four stitches in my calf. I know, only four, but I've only had stitches one other time in my lifetime, and I don't really remember it that well. All I know is that my mom had to lie about our last name cause the KKK lived by. She was afraid they would turn us away.

2) The doctor at Urgent Care was an asshole. As he was preparing the materials for the serious surgery, N asked whether the office stitched up a lot of people, and he responded "Yeah, too many. We don't have time for this crap." The doctor said that right there, with blood gushing out of my calf, and he doesn't have time for this crap. Believe you me, if I didn't need them I wouldn't have been there. You think I want to be getting stitches at 9 in the evening? I'd rather be organizing my basement, thankyouverymuch. And you know, stitches are not for preventing scars. They are for preventing infection you bozo! I don't give a shit if I have a scar on my calf.

3) Allgood festival two weekends ago was awesome. We took it easy Friday night, but danced our tushis off Saturday night. Moe, STS9, Bob Weir and Rat Dog, Keller Williams, Benevento Russo Duo, Lotus, Grace Potter - the list could go on. I saw a lot of potential clients at the festival too.

4) No more musings. Maybe more later.

No shit sherlock!

N finally came to the realization that we are getting married...preferably in the next year and a half. But that's how N is. I'll go on and on about something that needs to get done, or that is coming up, and he needs a certain amount of time for it to sink in. And then I walk in the door after a long day at work and he says "You know what, if we're getting married, we need to get on it." Oh, really? I didn't know that.

Good thing I'm aware of his needs.

So, we're thinking of going more traditional. And while I've always imagined, from the day I started planning my wedding when I was in the womb, of having bridesmaids, good friends standing by my side as I vow to love my husband forever, I think we might forgo that for our wedding. We are planning a more traditional Jewish wedding, and in a traditional Jewish wedding, there is no bridal party. Just the bride and groom. Not sure how I feel about this. Maybe we'll ask some friends to read something, or hold up the chuppah. Haven't figured this out yet.

Of course, I've been considering what I'm going to do about who will walk me down the aisle. Usually, it's both parents. But I'd like to have my mom and someone else by my side, to honor my father, so it will most likely be my cousin. He loved my father, he understood my father and he respected my father immensely. I mentioned it to him a few years ago at our cousin's wedding. Now I've got to dig up the courage to remind him of my request so long ago.

We haven't even decided where we are going to have it. We're contemplating between Charlottesville, NOVA and Baltimore. But one thing is for sure...it's not going to be a typical wedding. I just want a big party, commencing with the wedding ceremony. I am not sure I want a sit down dinner. I kinda just want a backyard party, with lots of drinks and music and some food so people don't get filthy drunk. But filthy drunk is also fine. Whatever works.

And again, she peed twice. WTF? Seriously, I don't know what's wrong with her. She has peed on the rug two out of three trips to the in-laws, and the main factor that wasn't present when she didn't pee was the presence of 2 cats, Bob and Bug. Are they making her pee? Are they stressing Steve out so much that she has to pee in front of them to remind them who's boss? Is she peeing multiple times because she smells where she previously peed? Does anyone out there in cyberspace have any theories as to why my princess doggie is peeing in the in-laws home?

Steve just peed on the in-laws year-old carpet. Good times.

Hodgepodge of Ideas

Last week, we spent some time playing Bananagrams and now I'm addicted. Seriously, very cool game. Not hard at all, and you could probably just create the game if you already have Scrabble.

Also last week, with Bird staying at our home, I found myself not watching any TV at all. And it was nice. Lately, I've been in the rut of coming home, plopping my ass down on the sofa, and watching hours of mindless television. But, having been unintentionally deprived of it for almost a week, it's quite refreshing. I actually did things that needed to get done and that I wanted to do...like sew up a skirt, clean up my craft room, and sew on a button missing from a purse purchased at a yard sale. I know I know, this all seems so trite and simple, but whatever, it was a refreshing moment for me, so there.

I just finished The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood. Surprisingly, I picked this up at a yard sale (ha ha). A quick read certainly - but I wouldn't say it's contemporary literature at it's best. I like how it reminded me of why I knit, and keep knitting. The act and art of knitting does soothe my mind, and any stress or anxiety I may be feeling dissipates. Knitting is rhythmic craft.

Tonight, N and I are going to get a drink on the downtown mall, something rare for us during the week. I tend to run home and stay around the house. But this will be a nice deviation from the expected schedule of the week.