Sunday, July 25, 2010
Now blogging from the isle of Manhattan!
That's right folks, this sporadically read and updated blog is now coming to you from Manhattan! I'm all moved in, and as soon as I clean up the old place, I'll be out of the Bronx for good. I just got my internet connected yesterday, so although there are still plenty of boxes to unpack, at least it's finally getting civilized around here.
Monday, July 05, 2010
Music to pack by
Oh it's miserable hot here right now. It wouldn't be so bad if all I had to do was sit in front of a fan, eating popsicles and drinking iced tea*, but no, I have to pack. And pack and pack and pack. And there's just no way to do that without getting hot, sweaty, and miserable.
I do find that a little music helps, though. This one helped me through the bookshelf that just wouldn't empty.
* I've been indulging in a little iced tea related alchemy, mixing and matching the various flavors. Today's version was iced apple cinnamon, and it was fabulous. Three regular Lipton black tea bags, one Stash Apple Cinnamon, 2 quarts of water, and an afternoon's worth of sunshine. Yum.
Sunday, July 04, 2010
Is this thing on?
Hi Blog!
I’ve been avoiding you, and I’m sorry about that. When the end-of-semester craziness finally passed and I was finally able to relax a little, updating here just seemed like so much work. And then the longer I put it off, the less I wanted to deal with it. But now I’ve found other things I want to avoid more, so here I am, posting again (at last).
Things I’ve been up to:
Gave my presentation at the symposium – went really well, was encouraged by several people to try and turn it into a journal article. Felt like a rockstar for a week or so.
Gave a dissertation presentation to the Ph.D. forum – went well, people seem to like my topic (but who doesn’t like George Washington? I mean, aside from those America-hatin' commies). I need to get started for real now on the research, but I’m not quite sure where to begin. Right now I have this weird obsession with finding an appropriate organizational system for my research, but I recognize that this is just a distraction technique. Still, binders, file folders, or haphazardly stacked piles -- what would you recommend?
Administered and graded finals for the class for which I was a t.a. – went mostly well, except for a problem student whom I know I didn’t handle the way I really would have liked to. I’m a little disappointed with myself for not doing better with this person, but hopefully this will be a good cautionary tale for the future. Overall I really liked being a teaching assistant, although it was a crazy amount of work, and I definitely want to try and pursue more teaching opportunities.
Went home to Texas for a long (but not long enough) weekend – came home for my dad’s birthday and had a great time. It was really nice to be home again without the craziness of a Christmas visit.
Went to Philadelphia for a long weekend, just for fun – I love visiting Philadelphia, and this visit didn’t disappoint. Saw the Liberty Bell, had a cheese steak, and stayed in a really nice hotel. There are few things more fun to me than staying in hotels. I splurged a bit to stay somewhere a little nicer than I usually would have, and it was totally worth it.
Got a new apartment – I really hate searching for apartments. Especially on my budget, which is pretty tiny by New York standards. But the rent was rising out here in the Bronx, and I figured if I was going to have to pay more money anyway, I might as well pay it while living in a better neighborhood. (I try very hard not to think about the fact that my brother’s mortgage payment for his 4-bedroom house in Texas is only a hair more than my rent for a studio apartment.). I found a really nice place in upper upper Manhattan, and I’ll be moving on July 12. I’m excited about it, but now I have to deal with decluttering and packing all my belongings. One nice thing is I’ve finally reached the saturation point with many of my things. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live like a minimalist, but I’m having a much easier time getting rid of stuff than I have in the past. Especially all the paper I’ve been lugging around. My shredder and my recycling bin are getting a real workout. I’m still struggling with culling my books, and it doesn’t help that I have so many hobbies which entail having lots of supplies (the knitting, the dolls, the dollhouses), but letting go of things is finally starting to feel more freeing than traumatizing.
And I’ve been knitting. I’ve got a giant pile of items that need ends sewn in, buttons sewn on, etc. Three pairs of socks, two shawls, a baby hat and booties, a beret, and my first me-sized sweater. Not to mention all the unfinished objects lurking by my favorite comfy chair.
And I think that’s about it. At least all typed out like this, it makes me feel like I’ve been busy.
I’ve been avoiding you, and I’m sorry about that. When the end-of-semester craziness finally passed and I was finally able to relax a little, updating here just seemed like so much work. And then the longer I put it off, the less I wanted to deal with it. But now I’ve found other things I want to avoid more, so here I am, posting again (at last).
Things I’ve been up to:
Gave my presentation at the symposium – went really well, was encouraged by several people to try and turn it into a journal article. Felt like a rockstar for a week or so.
Gave a dissertation presentation to the Ph.D. forum – went well, people seem to like my topic (but who doesn’t like George Washington? I mean, aside from those America-hatin' commies). I need to get started for real now on the research, but I’m not quite sure where to begin. Right now I have this weird obsession with finding an appropriate organizational system for my research, but I recognize that this is just a distraction technique. Still, binders, file folders, or haphazardly stacked piles -- what would you recommend?
Administered and graded finals for the class for which I was a t.a. – went mostly well, except for a problem student whom I know I didn’t handle the way I really would have liked to. I’m a little disappointed with myself for not doing better with this person, but hopefully this will be a good cautionary tale for the future. Overall I really liked being a teaching assistant, although it was a crazy amount of work, and I definitely want to try and pursue more teaching opportunities.
Went home to Texas for a long (but not long enough) weekend – came home for my dad’s birthday and had a great time. It was really nice to be home again without the craziness of a Christmas visit.
Went to Philadelphia for a long weekend, just for fun – I love visiting Philadelphia, and this visit didn’t disappoint. Saw the Liberty Bell, had a cheese steak, and stayed in a really nice hotel. There are few things more fun to me than staying in hotels. I splurged a bit to stay somewhere a little nicer than I usually would have, and it was totally worth it.
Got a new apartment – I really hate searching for apartments. Especially on my budget, which is pretty tiny by New York standards. But the rent was rising out here in the Bronx, and I figured if I was going to have to pay more money anyway, I might as well pay it while living in a better neighborhood. (I try very hard not to think about the fact that my brother’s mortgage payment for his 4-bedroom house in Texas is only a hair more than my rent for a studio apartment.). I found a really nice place in upper upper Manhattan, and I’ll be moving on July 12. I’m excited about it, but now I have to deal with decluttering and packing all my belongings. One nice thing is I’ve finally reached the saturation point with many of my things. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live like a minimalist, but I’m having a much easier time getting rid of stuff than I have in the past. Especially all the paper I’ve been lugging around. My shredder and my recycling bin are getting a real workout. I’m still struggling with culling my books, and it doesn’t help that I have so many hobbies which entail having lots of supplies (the knitting, the dolls, the dollhouses), but letting go of things is finally starting to feel more freeing than traumatizing.
And I’ve been knitting. I’ve got a giant pile of items that need ends sewn in, buttons sewn on, etc. Three pairs of socks, two shawls, a baby hat and booties, a beret, and my first me-sized sweater. Not to mention all the unfinished objects lurking by my favorite comfy chair.
And I think that’s about it. At least all typed out like this, it makes me feel like I’ve been busy.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Too pooped to post
If I can stay ahead of school and work for one more week, all the craziness will be over. But before then, I have to make it through work, teaching a review section, paying my taxes, editing and then giving a talk at a symposium, attending said symposium, a bridal shower, and a presentation on my dissertation topic to the Ph.D. forum. Yikes. On the plus side, I am getting a lot of desperate procrastination knitting done. I'll be back soon.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Belated WT week 2 -- piles and piles and piles
Last week was a toughie. A looming deadline, my own bad news, and some bad news from a friend meant that I didn't really have the energy for much other than just getting through the day. Although, funnily enough, I didn't really mind my own little misery so much. Not getting the job didn't hurt as much as I had thought it might. I was bummed, sure, but after I vented on the blog I felt so much better.
And so, now that my paper's turned in to the editor and I can do something WT-related for a change, here's the result of my week 2 tasks.
1. Piles and piles of tops
First off, I didn't realize how many shirts and light sweaters I had, so to make things go faster, I did this in stages based on kinds of shirts -- blazers/jackets, light sweaters, button-down/fancy shirts, and t-shirts/camisoles.
Superstars: My favorite velvet blazer. I wish I had more occasions to wear it. A pretty silk shell that I used to wear when I had to dress up for work. My new snakeskin-print cardigan.
Stalwart Staples: Lots and lots of t-shirt type tops and fine gauge sweaters. Long sleeve, 3/4 sleeve, short sleeve, scoop- or v-necks. I got rid of the ones that were sliding towards rabbitiness or that I never wore.
Velveteen Rabbits: I finally let go of some t-shirts that had seen better days -- both nice work-quality shirts and casual t-shirts that just looked too tired to keep in the rotation. Also got rid of some items that were in fine shape, but too dated to wear any longer.
Sentimental journeys: I didn't have any among my nicer clothing, but there were lots of t-shirts (especially related to college football). I tossed some and moved the rest to pajama rotation so I could hang on to them a little longer.
Torture devices and mysteries of the lost shopping trip: I'm combining these two because my problem garments all seem to have the same problems. Those problems include, but are not limited to:
1. The Wrong Color -- why do I keep buying brown clothing? I do love my brown jacket, but all the brown sweaters and tops need to go. Also, I may technically be a Summer, color-wise, but pastels look terrible on me. So out went a bunch of pale pink tops. Darker jewel toned colors look a lot better on me.
2. The Wrong Shirt -- button down shirts are really tricky on me. If they weren't a terrible color, they made me look like a waiter (Thanks to Dr. Wende for the comparison). Add to that my natural talent for wrinkling clothing (I can create creases even while staying perfectly still), and these shirts are not my friends. This one, a gift from my mother, was such an egregious offender on the waiter-front that I never even wore it out of the house. The button downs I did keep are 3/4 sleeve, wrinkle resistant, and in the right colors. They're better, although not that great.
3. The Wrong Quality: this sweater was almost but not quite right. There was a lot I liked about it. It had a nice cut and fit, I liked the sleeves and the neck. I even liked the pattern -- it had sort of a crewel-embroidery thing going on. Unfortunately, the material was itchy and the pattern isn't actually embroidered, it's printed on and feels a whole lot like that puff paint stuff I used to embellish my sneakers with in elementary school. It felt kind of cheap, so I always felt kind of bad wearing it. So out it goes.
4. The Wrong Lifestyle: the clothing I bought in the mistaken belief that I am the sort of person who might wear that sort of clothing. I'm almost never right about that kind of thing. The beautiful but doomed little camisole top falls into this category. I almost never wear clothing that shows off my arms like that, and never quite mastered the art of wearing under the right sort of jacket or cardigan, so it still had the tags on. Maybe the right kind of girl will find it at Goodwill.
The purge resulted in a huge garbage bag of clothing for Goodwill and several new dust rags for cleaning. It's nice to be able to open and shut all my dresser drawers again, and there's actually room in my closet again. Plus, there were a few nice staples lurking at the bottom of my drawers, and now they can get back into the rotation again. And I feel like I learned a lot from what I kept and tossed. Like that I really, really, need to stop buying brown clothing.
Next, onward to the pants and skirts!
But before you do, check out my new haircut. I won't tell you how many pictures I took in the mirror before I figured out how to get my whole face in.
And so, now that my paper's turned in to the editor and I can do something WT-related for a change, here's the result of my week 2 tasks.
1. Piles and piles of tops
First off, I didn't realize how many shirts and light sweaters I had, so to make things go faster, I did this in stages based on kinds of shirts -- blazers/jackets, light sweaters, button-down/fancy shirts, and t-shirts/camisoles.
Superstars: My favorite velvet blazer. I wish I had more occasions to wear it. A pretty silk shell that I used to wear when I had to dress up for work. My new snakeskin-print cardigan.
 |  |
Stalwart Staples: Lots and lots of t-shirt type tops and fine gauge sweaters. Long sleeve, 3/4 sleeve, short sleeve, scoop- or v-necks. I got rid of the ones that were sliding towards rabbitiness or that I never wore.
Velveteen Rabbits: I finally let go of some t-shirts that had seen better days -- both nice work-quality shirts and casual t-shirts that just looked too tired to keep in the rotation. Also got rid of some items that were in fine shape, but too dated to wear any longer.
Sentimental journeys: I didn't have any among my nicer clothing, but there were lots of t-shirts (especially related to college football). I tossed some and moved the rest to pajama rotation so I could hang on to them a little longer.
Torture devices and mysteries of the lost shopping trip: I'm combining these two because my problem garments all seem to have the same problems. Those problems include, but are not limited to:
1. The Wrong Color -- why do I keep buying brown clothing? I do love my brown jacket, but all the brown sweaters and tops need to go. Also, I may technically be a Summer, color-wise, but pastels look terrible on me. So out went a bunch of pale pink tops. Darker jewel toned colors look a lot better on me.
2. The Wrong Shirt -- button down shirts are really tricky on me. If they weren't a terrible color, they made me look like a waiter (Thanks to Dr. Wende for the comparison). Add to that my natural talent for wrinkling clothing (I can create creases even while staying perfectly still), and these shirts are not my friends. This one, a gift from my mother, was such an egregious offender on the waiter-front that I never even wore it out of the house. The button downs I did keep are 3/4 sleeve, wrinkle resistant, and in the right colors. They're better, although not that great.
3. The Wrong Quality: this sweater was almost but not quite right. There was a lot I liked about it. It had a nice cut and fit, I liked the sleeves and the neck. I even liked the pattern -- it had sort of a crewel-embroidery thing going on. Unfortunately, the material was itchy and the pattern isn't actually embroidered, it's printed on and feels a whole lot like that puff paint stuff I used to embellish my sneakers with in elementary school. It felt kind of cheap, so I always felt kind of bad wearing it. So out it goes.
4. The Wrong Lifestyle: the clothing I bought in the mistaken belief that I am the sort of person who might wear that sort of clothing. I'm almost never right about that kind of thing. The beautiful but doomed little camisole top falls into this category. I almost never wear clothing that shows off my arms like that, and never quite mastered the art of wearing under the right sort of jacket or cardigan, so it still had the tags on. Maybe the right kind of girl will find it at Goodwill.
The purge resulted in a huge garbage bag of clothing for Goodwill and several new dust rags for cleaning. It's nice to be able to open and shut all my dresser drawers again, and there's actually room in my closet again. Plus, there were a few nice staples lurking at the bottom of my drawers, and now they can get back into the rotation again. And I feel like I learned a lot from what I kept and tossed. Like that I really, really, need to stop buying brown clothing.
Next, onward to the pants and skirts!
But before you do, check out my new haircut. I won't tell you how many pictures I took in the mirror before I figured out how to get my whole face in.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
When you least expect it
I've been hunkered down these past few days trying desperately to get a paper put to bed. I finished wrestling it into shape tonight and will be sending it off to an editor tomorrow. I hope they're kind.
After I finished saving it in a few different places, I hopped over to check my email and got some news that hit me like a blow to the stomach. See, I applied for this job a few months ago. It was pretty much the perfect job for me in every way. Not only was it just what I wanted to do, just where I wanted to do it, but I was actually perfectly qualified for it -- for every bullet point on their list I could tick off an accomplishment. I sent off my resume and have been twiddling my thumbs and trying not to hope too much ever since.
Turns out I hoped too much.
I never heard anything, but tonight, via an almost completely unrelated email, I learned that someone else got the job. And not just any someone else. A former classmate. A lovely former classmate, who is also super qualified and will do a wonderful job. But still, it was a classmate who wasn't me. And while I'm happy for that person (jobs in my field are a little thin on the ground right now), I'm crushed on my own behalf. I wanted this so badly, and I thought that I'd at least manage to get an interview or something. Maybe this was one of those cases where they had someone in mind and only advertised to give the appearance of a search -- that happens a lot, I know. Maybe I wasn't really as qualified as I thought. Maybe I made a terrible grammatical mistake in my cover letter. Maybe my application got lost under a doormat somewhere. I don't know. I'm just so bummed. And it really sucks to lose out to someone I know. Again.
I'll be fine. This wasn't meant to be, and that's okay. With all the silence from the institution, I'd been trying to prepare myself for rejection, so this isn't completely out of left field. It's just sort of a crappy thing to happen on a night when I was so happy about finishing up a project.
Boo.
After I finished saving it in a few different places, I hopped over to check my email and got some news that hit me like a blow to the stomach. See, I applied for this job a few months ago. It was pretty much the perfect job for me in every way. Not only was it just what I wanted to do, just where I wanted to do it, but I was actually perfectly qualified for it -- for every bullet point on their list I could tick off an accomplishment. I sent off my resume and have been twiddling my thumbs and trying not to hope too much ever since.
Turns out I hoped too much.
I never heard anything, but tonight, via an almost completely unrelated email, I learned that someone else got the job. And not just any someone else. A former classmate. A lovely former classmate, who is also super qualified and will do a wonderful job. But still, it was a classmate who wasn't me. And while I'm happy for that person (jobs in my field are a little thin on the ground right now), I'm crushed on my own behalf. I wanted this so badly, and I thought that I'd at least manage to get an interview or something. Maybe this was one of those cases where they had someone in mind and only advertised to give the appearance of a search -- that happens a lot, I know. Maybe I wasn't really as qualified as I thought. Maybe I made a terrible grammatical mistake in my cover letter. Maybe my application got lost under a doormat somewhere. I don't know. I'm just so bummed. And it really sucks to lose out to someone I know. Again.
I'll be fine. This wasn't meant to be, and that's okay. With all the silence from the institution, I'd been trying to prepare myself for rejection, so this isn't completely out of left field. It's just sort of a crappy thing to happen on a night when I was so happy about finishing up a project.
Boo.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
WT week one
Having done my questionnaire, I'm moving on to the rest of this week's tasks.
- Remove one (and only one!) unsuccessful item from your wardrobe. My discard item for this week is a pair of brown jeans. I'm sure this will come up again when we get to the pants-related week, but I've decided that I'm going to stop buying pants that aren't black or grey (not counting jeans). Pants that are other colors just never work for me. And there's something particularly hideous about these. I bought them in what can only be considered a fit of shopping madness. See, most of the time, I'm cheap. I'll see things I like in stores, but I won't buy them, because they seem like too much money. But every now and then, I'll need new clothing in a hurry, or I'll be determined to get some new item of clothing. Of course, when this happens, there's never anything in the stores I like. But I have to buy something, so unwise purchases are made. These jeans were one of those bad ideas. There may be people out there for whom brown jeans are flattering. I am not one of them. They made me feel extra frumpy. Which is quite the accomplishment.
- Do something that makes you feel good about your body. As I mentioned in the questionnaire, I really hate my hair right now. I've been really remiss about getting haircuts since I moved to New York. I was just really intimidated by the prospect of finding a nice salon that wouldn't charge and arm and a leg, so I didn't get haircuts. The situation would get dire and then I'd go do something crazy like duck into a salon while I was in another state visiting a friend. My hair was getting long and unmanageable again -- about halfway down my back -- and there was a nice looking salon in between school and my favorite deli, so this week I bit the bullet, made an appointment, and got a haircut. It only cost an arm, but it was worth it. I now have a swingy chin-length bob and my head feels a ton lighter. The jury's still out on whether or not I'll be able to replicate the effects of the truly awesome blow-out I got in the salon, but I'm pretty happy with it right now.
- Find yourself some sources of inspiration on personal style. I'm off to go do this now. I did buy some knitting magazines tonight -- Interweave Knits and Knitscene -- I always love the way the models are styled in these, and I'm sure I'll find some good inspiration in there. (I love this cardigan so much that I think I'm going to have to knit it.) I'll report back soon with more inspiration.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Wardrobe Therapy and What I did on Spring Break
So. I went to Spain! And it was super fantastic. The trip was part of the decorative arts and design history class I'm TA-ing, and part of the conditions of the administration sending the TAs was that we would handle the logistical aspects of the trip. My job was transportation, and I was holding my breath the whole time that buses would show up when we had booked them. They did, and the rest of the trip was fairly smooth as well (one stolen wallet, one case of food poisoning -- not too bad for a 23-person group.)
I have stories and pictures, but first.... Wardrobe Therapy!
The brainchild of Dr. Wende, Wardrobe Therapy is on again for the spring. Since my closet is about to burst and there are shoes everywhere in my apartment, I thought it would be a good idea for me to participate. Also, it's a form of productive procrastination, and I'm always up for that.
I wanted to go ahead and put up my answers to the questionnaire, and hopefully I can get to the rest of the week 1 tasks tomorrow.
Wardrobe Therapy Questionnaire:
1. Thinking primarily (but not necessarily exclusively) about looks, who's your favorite performer of your own gender and species? Why?
Whew, that was a long questionnaire. Stay tuned for my attempt at the other week one tasks. I have had a revelation about my pants, but it will have to wait until tomorrow.
I have stories and pictures, but first.... Wardrobe Therapy!
The brainchild of Dr. Wende, Wardrobe Therapy is on again for the spring. Since my closet is about to burst and there are shoes everywhere in my apartment, I thought it would be a good idea for me to participate. Also, it's a form of productive procrastination, and I'm always up for that.
I wanted to go ahead and put up my answers to the questionnaire, and hopefully I can get to the rest of the week 1 tasks tomorrow.
Wardrobe Therapy Questionnaire:
1. Thinking primarily (but not necessarily exclusively) about looks, who's your favorite performer of your own gender and species? Why?
I love Lady Gaga. Love her music, love her look, love that she feels free to make her body and her clothes into an art project. That said, I’m a girl who needs to wear pants, who can’t really balance in super high heels, and who believes that muppets are for watching, not for wearing. Still, I admire her confidence, and her willingness to be beautiful and ugly and to play with traditional ideas about gender, even if there isn’t much specific inspiration I can take from her wardrobe.
For a performer whose wardrobe I could actually steal some inspiration from, well, I have to say Gabby Sidibe. It’s so nice to see a woman of size in the public eye, period. But it’s especially nice to see one who seems so comfortable and confident in her skin. She’s obviously having such a good time in the limelight, and she generally looks great doing it. And while I share the mixed feelings of the Shapely Prose crew on this subject, one of the nice things about Gabby’s use of off the rack clothes is that I actually could wear the things she does.
2. If you could live in any historic era with a really good clothing budget (as well as soap, toothpaste, and delicing as needed), when would you choose?
It's totally unsuited to my figure, but in an ideal world, with an ideal figure and budget, I’d live in the 20s and 30s and be costumed exclusively by Vionnet. This seems just about right for a night at a supper club or for cocktails and dancing.
3. What's your favorite painting or other form of visual art? Why?
I fell in love with this painting at the Prado a few weeks ago. I love the contrast between the spinners in front and the elite ladies in the background. I love it as an art historian, a knitter, a fan of mythology. I like the idea of the behind the scenes part getting to be front and center stage. I was also really tempted to put Velasquez's Las Meninas here, too. Or this one, by Florine Stettheimer, Spring Sale at Bendel's
It's so bright and bustling, there's so much to look at (which is sort of a theme in my favorite paintings) and it completely captures the mania of a big sale.
4. What is your first memory in which clothes are important?
I had this beautiful dress for my role as a flower girl in my cousin’s wedding. White organza with tiny yellow and peach flowers and a giant peach satin sash. It had puffy short sleeves and a long full skirt – very southern belle-ish. It was a floor sample at a fabric store and so much work must have gone into it. And it was the itchiest thing I have ever worn. I hated every single second I spent in it. It’s been memorialized in a big studio portrait of me and my brother that hangs in my parent’s dining room. We look very adorable. They must have caught me between scratches.
5. What is your favorite garment ever? Why?
I bought this amazing dress for the semi-formal my sophomore year of college. It was the most sophisticated thing I’d ever bought, and the most designer (it was Liz Claiborne and we got it from Macy’s – that was a pretty big deal to me back then). Little black dress, sleeveless, asymmetrical neckline. Oh I loved it. It’s been ages since I could fit in to it, but I’m not ready to let go of it yet.
6. What is your favorite garment in your wardrobe right now?
In a rare moment of foresight combined with extraordinary shopping karma, I managed to purchase a beautiful black London Fog raincoat with these super cool silver toggles. Not only was it incredibly handy during my trip to rainy Spain, but I feel very chic in it, like a proper New Yorker. I also really, really love my glittery black sneakers. They get me more compliments than anything I’ve ever owned.
7 What is the worst clothing purchase you can remember making?
I don’t know why I buy half the stuff I do. The worst offender I can think of right now would be all the vests I owned in middle school in the early 90s. I had a tapestry cat vest. I wore it with turtlenecks and a horrible perm. It was just as bad as you’re imagining right now.
8. What's your most embarrassing clothing-related memory other than a bad purchase?
Middle school was not a good period for me, fashion-wise. As a sixth grader, I had this sweatshirt I loved. Yellow with little ballerina bunnies on it (Yes, I know. Dancing bunnies. I can't explain it either). I was wearing it to school when I overheard two girls making fun of it, and me. They may have been right about how stupid that sweatshirt was. They probably were right about it. But it was all I could do not to burst into tears. I never wore that shirt again.
9. What body part (no more than three!) are you proud of and expect compliments on?
Expect compliments on? I don’t really expect compliments on anything. But I guess I do like my eyes. They’re a nice shade of blue, and really pop when I’m wearing the right colors, which I do pretty frequently, now that I realize that.
10. What body part (again, no more than three!) seems to require management, if not coaxing, cajoling, and sometimes outright begging if it's to please you?
My name is Erin and I have serious hair issues. Other than the color, there’s not much I like about it right now.
11. If you could dress however you wanted all the time, what might you include?
Cardigan, [t-shirt and jeans/t-shirt and skirt/dress], cute flats. That’s pretty much how I dress most of the time now. It's comfy and it works. I do like the idea of wearing fancy dresses all the time, but it seems like way too much work in reality. And also not that comfortable.
12. If you could shop at any store (or from any designer), which would you choose?
I’d like to live a life where I could wear Alexander McQueen’s last collection. It's all so amazingly beautiful. But since I’m not a swordfighting princess ninja, I’m worried that they wouldn’t work with my lifestyle. I also really wish Anthropologie offered things in plus-sizes.
13. Where do you ordinarily shop now?
The fat girl staples – Lane Bryant and Avenue, plus Macy’s (if you can brave the Herald Square Macy’s, it has one of the nicest plus size departments I have ever seen. Much nicer than the Macy’s in the malls back home).
14. What clothing, accessory, or prettifying need (if any) do you enjoy shopping for?
Shoes and makeup.
15. Which one do you most loathe shopping for?
Pants. I hate shopping for pants. The Lane Bryant right fit system has helped, since now I can get pants that approximate a fit at both hips and waist, but I still struggle with finding the right length, especially since I’m too cheap to pay to have them hemmed and too lazy to do it myself. This is one serious argument in favor of a pants-free lifestyle, but I don’t know if I’m ready to live solely in skirts and dresses yet.
16. Do you consider yourself low-, medium-, or high-maintenance?
I’m low-maintenance in reality, but I like to think I’m high-maintenance. Which might explain why I own so much makeup I never actually take the time to put on.
17. What are the two most frequent occasions that you dress for and how would you describe them?
Work/school – it’s all in the same building, so it gets the same wardrobe. It’s pretty business casual (jeans + nice tops are okay, and I even get away with my cuter sneakers), but I’d like to do a better job of looking more like the staff than the students. I can’t think of anything else I do often enough that also requires a different style of dress, which might be one of my problems.
18. What was your favorite Hallowe'en costume ever?
My mom made me an awesome panda costume when I was about 6. She sewed it herself. It had a top, pants, shoe covers, gloves, a hood and a mask. I think my brother had a matching tiger costume. It was hot to wear, but I loved it.
19. What do you see as the current problem(s) with your wardrobe and/or look?
My whole wardrobe runs together. I don’t ever really dress up or down, I just sort of dress. I have a problem knowing what to do with accessories, and I tend to just throw on the appropriate amount of clean clothes and go. I also get very self-conscious about trying anything new.
20. At the end of WT, what lovely compliments do you want onlookers to give you?
I’d just like to look appropriate for wherever I’m going/whatever I’m doing. I’d rather people compliment me on my actions, not my clothing, so I guess I don’t want my clothes to distract from me.
Whew, that was a long questionnaire. Stay tuned for my attempt at the other week one tasks. I have had a revelation about my pants, but it will have to wait until tomorrow.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Because there are other things I don't want to do more
I'm posting as a form of procrastination. I have tons of things to do, most of which are urgent, none of which are fun, and all of which are making me want to hide in bed with the comforter over my head. If I can't see it, I don't have to deal with it, right?
As part of my ongoing efforts to put off unpleasant tasks, I've been doing a considerable amount of knitting. I've got a little progress to report on my finish or frog list, and I've actually started (or am about to start) two new projects (I know, I know, but I needed a sock project to work on and I had a new Rockin' Sock Club kit to open, and then the Yarn Harlot started the Winter Knitting Olympics, and I had a skein of Wollmeise that was just begging to get knitted up into this.) I mean look at this -- how could I resist?
This picture does not do it justice. I can't wait to cast on tomorrow night!
And there are pictures!
1. The Reluctant Scarf -- done!
10. Purple Tomato -- an inch to go until I hit the bottom ribbing. I'm almost there.
13. Twisted Flower Socks -- done!
14. Market Bag -- done!
15. Plaid Messenger Bag -- done!
Please note the official yarn inspector, first class, there in the lower right.
All this yarn, and she doesn't get to chew on any of it. You'd be disgruntled, too.
This was a nice break from the proofreading I ought to have been doing, but all those French vowels aren't going to get their accents put in by themselves. I'm off to go insert some accents aigus. And then my duvet and I have a little appointment to keep.
As part of my ongoing efforts to put off unpleasant tasks, I've been doing a considerable amount of knitting. I've got a little progress to report on my finish or frog list, and I've actually started (or am about to start) two new projects (I know, I know, but I needed a sock project to work on and I had a new Rockin' Sock Club kit to open, and then the Yarn Harlot started the Winter Knitting Olympics, and I had a skein of Wollmeise that was just begging to get knitted up into this.) I mean look at this -- how could I resist?
This picture does not do it justice. I can't wait to cast on tomorrow night!
And there are pictures!
1. The Reluctant Scarf -- done!
10. Purple Tomato -- an inch to go until I hit the bottom ribbing. I'm almost there.
13. Twisted Flower Socks -- done!
14. Market Bag -- done!
15. Plaid Messenger Bag -- done!
Please note the official yarn inspector, first class, there in the lower right.
All this yarn, and she doesn't get to chew on any of it. You'd be disgruntled, too.
This was a nice break from the proofreading I ought to have been doing, but all those French vowels aren't going to get their accents put in by themselves. I'm off to go insert some accents aigus. And then my duvet and I have a little appointment to keep.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Finish or Frog
More for my own reference, and to take stock and see just how bad it is
1. The Reluctant Scarf -- not sure why this one stalled out, except that I always forget how long scarves can take. But I only have about 25g of yarn to go, so this one should go quickly. (Finished 1/2010)
2. The Big Blue Afghan -- I'm going to finish the repeat I'm on and then start the border. This one has been going on for nearly a decade and it's time to be done with it.
3. Plum socks -- these are my traveling project. They'll get done sooner or later.
4. Lotus Blossom Tank -- I stalled out on the bust darts, but it's a bottom up tank and I'm up to the bust, so I'm nearly there, right?
5. Hey Teach! cardigan -- all knit up, just needs to be seamed up.
6. Mystery Stole 3
7. Mystery Stole 4
8. Icarus Shawl -- I'm more than halfway done on all of these. I just need to keep pushing through. I like lace knitting, I'm not sure why I have so much trouble finishing it.
9. Clapotis -- again, I always forget how long scarves take. I'm maybe 1/3 of the way through this one?
10. Purple Tomato -- stalled out at the colorwork band. Right now it's a crop top. I need to get it down to a wearable shirt-length. (One inch left to go till the ribbing 2/11/10)
11. Girasole -- lace knitting + big blanket = I eventually gave up. But it's so pretty!
12. Baby Surprise Jacket
13. Twisted Flower Socks (Done 2/5/2010)
14. Market Bag (Done 2/5/2010)
15. Plaid Messenger Bag -- all these projects need are buttons sewn on and/or ends woven in. I really have no excuse except for my own laziness. (Done 2/5/2010)
16. Vintage Baby Blanket
17. Granny Square Afghan -- projects I've inherited from relatives. I'm not worried about the granny squares, they'll happen sooner or later. But the baby blanket needs to get going, one way or another. I do have some baby gifts to make for this spring, so I might see how this one works, but if I don't like it, I'll be frogging this one for sure.
18. Baby booties -- why would I knit one bootie (booty? that doesn't seem right) and stop there? I don't know either.
18 projects. I think that's it. That's kind of a high number. I need to think about which ones I really want to tackle and which ones I need to let go. For now, I'm going to concentrate on my scarf. It's so close I can feel it. The ball of yarn has to run out sooner or later, right?
On the other hand:
Things I've finished since September 19
1. Crazy zauber-socks
2. Socks for Mom 2
3. Baby jacket and hat for Vishal
4. 3 squares for Schuyler's Blanket project
1. The Reluctant Scarf -- not sure why this one stalled out, except that I always forget how long scarves can take. But I only have about 25g of yarn to go, so this one should go quickly. (Finished 1/2010)
2. The Big Blue Afghan -- I'm going to finish the repeat I'm on and then start the border. This one has been going on for nearly a decade and it's time to be done with it.
3. Plum socks -- these are my traveling project. They'll get done sooner or later.
4. Lotus Blossom Tank -- I stalled out on the bust darts, but it's a bottom up tank and I'm up to the bust, so I'm nearly there, right?
5. Hey Teach! cardigan -- all knit up, just needs to be seamed up.
6. Mystery Stole 3
7. Mystery Stole 4
8. Icarus Shawl -- I'm more than halfway done on all of these. I just need to keep pushing through. I like lace knitting, I'm not sure why I have so much trouble finishing it.
9. Clapotis -- again, I always forget how long scarves take. I'm maybe 1/3 of the way through this one?
10. Purple Tomato -- stalled out at the colorwork band. Right now it's a crop top. I need to get it down to a wearable shirt-length. (One inch left to go till the ribbing 2/11/10)
11. Girasole -- lace knitting + big blanket = I eventually gave up. But it's so pretty!
12. Baby Surprise Jacket
13. Twisted Flower Socks (Done 2/5/2010)
14. Market Bag (Done 2/5/2010)
15. Plaid Messenger Bag -- all these projects need are buttons sewn on and/or ends woven in. I really have no excuse except for my own laziness. (Done 2/5/2010)
16. Vintage Baby Blanket
17. Granny Square Afghan -- projects I've inherited from relatives. I'm not worried about the granny squares, they'll happen sooner or later. But the baby blanket needs to get going, one way or another. I do have some baby gifts to make for this spring, so I might see how this one works, but if I don't like it, I'll be frogging this one for sure.
18. Baby booties -- why would I knit one bootie (booty? that doesn't seem right) and stop there? I don't know either.
18 projects. I think that's it. That's kind of a high number. I need to think about which ones I really want to tackle and which ones I need to let go. For now, I'm going to concentrate on my scarf. It's so close I can feel it. The ball of yarn has to run out sooner or later, right?
On the other hand:
Things I've finished since September 19
1. Crazy zauber-socks
2. Socks for Mom 2
3. Baby jacket and hat for Vishal
4. 3 squares for Schuyler's Blanket project
Baby Steps
The longer I didn't write here, the harder it became to write here. I kept feeling like it wasn't enough just to put up a post. I needed, I thought, to fill you (if there are any yous left out there) in on everything you'd missed. I had this problem with paper diaries too. While I was home during Christmas break I found my junior high school diary (hilarious!). There would be a flurry of entries, then a long break, then a big catch up entry, then a few more daily entries, then a gap, etc. I think my problem was that I regarded the diary as some sort of historical record, rather than an outlet for pre-teen angst and overblown prose. Although I still managed to get plenty of angst in there.
And so, I'm going to do my best not to bore you with the details of my life since mid-September. In the words of Flylady, I'm just going to start where I am. Which is, at the moment, trying to blog while dissuading the cat from unrolling all my yarn.
I've overcommitted myself again this semester, and while I think I can pull it all off, I'm going to be crazy busy again. I really need to work on saying no. The problem is that everything sounded like such a good opportunity, I didn't feel like I ought to say no.
This semester, I'm:
Working
Serving as a TA
Helping organize and then going on a class trip to Spain for the class I'm TA-ing
Turning in my dissertation proposal
Writing a book chapter
Giving a paper at a conference
Typing all that out just made me feel slightly ill. Yikes. It's a lot to do. I'm trying to break it all out into manageable chunks. Maybe that will help. I've always liked the "baby steps" theory of self-help as espoused in one of my favorite movies (What About Bob?). It worked for Bob, maybe it will work for me.* Hopefully I will not have to move on to "death therapy.
In the meantime, I'm knitting to maintain my sanity. I carry a sock in progress in my bookbag and have been trying to get a few rounds in each day at lunch. It's surprisingly helpful. (In a related note, I'm trying hard not to eat lunch at my desk. The simple act of going up a few floors to the student lounge to eat really seems to make a difference in my afternoon attitude.) I've also decided to "finish or frog" all my current works in progress. It's a goal I've had before, without much success, but I feel a little more optimistic about it this time 'round. We shall see, I guess.
*You know, when that movie came out, I was young enough to be completely on Bob's side in that movie. Now that I'm older, while I still love Bob, I have great sympathy for Richard Dreyfuss's character. Poor guy.
And so, I'm going to do my best not to bore you with the details of my life since mid-September. In the words of Flylady, I'm just going to start where I am. Which is, at the moment, trying to blog while dissuading the cat from unrolling all my yarn.
I've overcommitted myself again this semester, and while I think I can pull it all off, I'm going to be crazy busy again. I really need to work on saying no. The problem is that everything sounded like such a good opportunity, I didn't feel like I ought to say no.
This semester, I'm:
Working
Serving as a TA
Helping organize and then going on a class trip to Spain for the class I'm TA-ing
Turning in my dissertation proposal
Writing a book chapter
Giving a paper at a conference
Typing all that out just made me feel slightly ill. Yikes. It's a lot to do. I'm trying to break it all out into manageable chunks. Maybe that will help. I've always liked the "baby steps" theory of self-help as espoused in one of my favorite movies (What About Bob?). It worked for Bob, maybe it will work for me.* Hopefully I will not have to move on to "death therapy.
In the meantime, I'm knitting to maintain my sanity. I carry a sock in progress in my bookbag and have been trying to get a few rounds in each day at lunch. It's surprisingly helpful. (In a related note, I'm trying hard not to eat lunch at my desk. The simple act of going up a few floors to the student lounge to eat really seems to make a difference in my afternoon attitude.) I've also decided to "finish or frog" all my current works in progress. It's a goal I've had before, without much success, but I feel a little more optimistic about it this time 'round. We shall see, I guess.
*You know, when that movie came out, I was young enough to be completely on Bob's side in that movie. Now that I'm older, while I still love Bob, I have great sympathy for Richard Dreyfuss's character. Poor guy.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
So much for the best laid plans
So this week, the class for which I am serving as a teaching assistant had its first sessions. The lecture session went fine - I frantically took notes and tried to discern the important points of the presentation. The class is held in the evenings, and it ran late, and I had already put in a full day at work, so by the time I got home I managed to stumble into bed and that was about it. Then we had our review session. I didn't embarass myself, which was pretty much all I was aiming for. I did forget to introduce myself, but since they met me at the lecture and I work at school and we're a tiny program, I'm going to figure that that didn't matter too much. Thankfully they were very talkative, which was perfect because in my nightmare scenario they sat silently and stared at me for 75 minutes while I tried to recap the lecture material. This week was made especially difficult because it's probably one of the trickiest lecture subjects of the whole semester, and I'm not entirely sure I understood all of the material.
I know this week was hard, being the first session and all, and there were also several other school-related events going on this week which took up lots of time, but I am just beat. I certainly hope things calm down a little because otherwise I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to make it through the semester.
In other news, I did sign up for a spot at the Ph.D. forum for early spring, which means I need to get my proposal in and start some research so I have something to say by then. I've finally settled on a topic, which was very hard for me. I had about four options, all of which I liked and all of which were feasible. It helped to realize that by picking one I'm not writing off the others for good. They'll still be there when I'm done.
I'm taking today off and then it's to the library tomorrow to get some research done. As a grad student who doesn't get to church much anymore, Sunday in a quiet library is the closest to a religious experience I have these days.
I know this week was hard, being the first session and all, and there were also several other school-related events going on this week which took up lots of time, but I am just beat. I certainly hope things calm down a little because otherwise I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to make it through the semester.
In other news, I did sign up for a spot at the Ph.D. forum for early spring, which means I need to get my proposal in and start some research so I have something to say by then. I've finally settled on a topic, which was very hard for me. I had about four options, all of which I liked and all of which were feasible. It helped to realize that by picking one I'm not writing off the others for good. They'll still be there when I'm done.
I'm taking today off and then it's to the library tomorrow to get some research done. As a grad student who doesn't get to church much anymore, Sunday in a quiet library is the closest to a religious experience I have these days.
Monday, September 07, 2009
Summer's over
***I looked really hard for a free version of Jonathan Coulton's "Summer's Over" to go with this, but couldn't find one. But I highly recommend the song, so go look for it.***
Well, after I finished my last exam, I promised myself that I could take the summer off. "Off" only in a loose sense, of course, since this summer I started working full time. But "off" from school, "off" from scholarly work, "off" from my dissertation proposal. It made for a nice change.
But now summer's over. And school starts tomorrow. And I can't put if off any longer -- I have to start thinking again in earnest. I can't say I'm looking forward to it. It was kind of nice to tune out for a summer. I knit, I read, I made my way through my netflix queue. It was wonderful. And now I have to shift my mind back into student mode. Not to mention into teaching assistant mode. I'm a little nervous about that.
This fall's gearing up to be pretty busy. In addition to the job, the t.a. gig, and the dissertation proposal, I'm also committed to write a book chapter by February. I'd like to think I work best under pressure, but this may be too much even for me.
Firmly believing that a new school year requires new school supplies (even if I am technically in grade 21 by now), I have a new book bag and new shoes for tomorrow. After work tomorrow, I'm going to head over to the office supply place for new pens and a new notebook or two. It's sort of a psychological boost to help me get ready for what lies ahead. I just wish I could think of a good excuse to buy some new crayons...
Well, after I finished my last exam, I promised myself that I could take the summer off. "Off" only in a loose sense, of course, since this summer I started working full time. But "off" from school, "off" from scholarly work, "off" from my dissertation proposal. It made for a nice change.
But now summer's over. And school starts tomorrow. And I can't put if off any longer -- I have to start thinking again in earnest. I can't say I'm looking forward to it. It was kind of nice to tune out for a summer. I knit, I read, I made my way through my netflix queue. It was wonderful. And now I have to shift my mind back into student mode. Not to mention into teaching assistant mode. I'm a little nervous about that.
This fall's gearing up to be pretty busy. In addition to the job, the t.a. gig, and the dissertation proposal, I'm also committed to write a book chapter by February. I'd like to think I work best under pressure, but this may be too much even for me.
Firmly believing that a new school year requires new school supplies (even if I am technically in grade 21 by now), I have a new book bag and new shoes for tomorrow. After work tomorrow, I'm going to head over to the office supply place for new pens and a new notebook or two. It's sort of a psychological boost to help me get ready for what lies ahead. I just wish I could think of a good excuse to buy some new crayons...
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Working stiff
The books are in, and in order (a week and a half of shelf reading and book shifting is an excellent exercise plan. Step on the ladder, reach up to move books, put books in new location, step off the ladder. Why, it's almost aerobic!)
The air conditioning works and thank heavens because it is hot here. When summer finally arrived, it really arrived.
We're still in a construction zone with temporary walls and plastic sheeting, but things are getting more and more settled every day.
So work is fine, and if nothing else, it hasn't been boring.
But I was very happy to see the weekend finally get here. I need some time to recover.
I'm home in my comfy chair, relaxing between half-hearted bouts of housekeeping and trying to achieve an ideal air circulation scheme between my three open windows and two fans. The cat is also trying to stay cool, which means we're both vying for the same prime location in the room. She doesn't seem to mind sitting on top of me, but hot + sweaty + cat on the lap is not really a recipe for comfort as far as I'm concerned. With the air on me, and with judicious application of popsicles, it's actually not too bad in here. Unless you have to exert yourself, that is, which is why the housekeeping is being punctuated by a series of breaks.
I've been knitting merrily along on socks, a sweater for a knitalong (you can see a photo there), a knitted tank, and a blanket. I was making good progress on all of them, but the blanket's about to go on hiatus until it cools down a bit. Some photos:
The bottom section of a Lotus Blossom Tank:
The Girasole blanket:
Jaywalker socks:
And now I guess I should get back to work. The vacuum isn't going to run itself.
The air conditioning works and thank heavens because it is hot here. When summer finally arrived, it really arrived.
We're still in a construction zone with temporary walls and plastic sheeting, but things are getting more and more settled every day.
So work is fine, and if nothing else, it hasn't been boring.
But I was very happy to see the weekend finally get here. I need some time to recover.
I'm home in my comfy chair, relaxing between half-hearted bouts of housekeeping and trying to achieve an ideal air circulation scheme between my three open windows and two fans. The cat is also trying to stay cool, which means we're both vying for the same prime location in the room. She doesn't seem to mind sitting on top of me, but hot + sweaty + cat on the lap is not really a recipe for comfort as far as I'm concerned. With the air on me, and with judicious application of popsicles, it's actually not too bad in here. Unless you have to exert yourself, that is, which is why the housekeeping is being punctuated by a series of breaks.
I've been knitting merrily along on socks, a sweater for a knitalong (you can see a photo there), a knitted tank, and a blanket. I was making good progress on all of them, but the blanket's about to go on hiatus until it cools down a bit. Some photos:
The bottom section of a Lotus Blossom Tank:
The Girasole blanket:
Jaywalker socks:
And now I guess I should get back to work. The vacuum isn't going to run itself.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
If it isn't one thing, it's another
The past 6 weeks or so have been a little crazy for me, and as I often do when things get nuts, I coped by withdrawing from people, and from this blog. Sorry about that.
I'm feeling a little better now, and though I can't really say that things are settling down, at least I feel like I'm coping a little better than I have been.
When last I wrote, I was getting ready to go to my aunt's 75th birthday party. It was a family reunion, with all my aunts and uncles on my mother's side as well as many of my cousins. I hadn't seen my parents since Christmas and hadn't seen most of the rest of my family since my uncle's funeral last March, so it was really nice to get to reconnect with them. The weekend went by much too quickly. I finished my aunt's scarf a few days before I left, and I'm pleased to report that she loved it. (And everyone else was really impressed, too.)
I'm glad I got to see my dad, because the week after the party, he had to go into the hospital for surgery. He came through with flying colors, and seems to be almost back to normal.
I wasn't able to go home and see him, which really sucked, and which was one of the reasons I am so grateful I got to see him at the reunion. I couldn't go home because the next week was when I started my new job. (See what I meant when I said things were going a little crazy?)
The job is great. I really like my coworkers, and I'm very excited for the semester to get started. The job's also a little hectic right now (but what isn't?) We're finally geared up for the big library move, which is taking place on Monday. We're getting a whole new building, and it's mostly done. It's the mostly part that's a little worrisome. I'm really not sure what we'll be moving into. Given the weather this week, I'm just hoping that the a/c will be on.
So that's more or less what I've been up to the last month or so. There's also been some reading (romance novels and sci fi), some tv (I finally got cable again, and I love it) and some knitting, which I'll try to get posted up as soon as I get a few photographs taken. I can't believe that it's August already.
I'm feeling a little better now, and though I can't really say that things are settling down, at least I feel like I'm coping a little better than I have been.
When last I wrote, I was getting ready to go to my aunt's 75th birthday party. It was a family reunion, with all my aunts and uncles on my mother's side as well as many of my cousins. I hadn't seen my parents since Christmas and hadn't seen most of the rest of my family since my uncle's funeral last March, so it was really nice to get to reconnect with them. The weekend went by much too quickly. I finished my aunt's scarf a few days before I left, and I'm pleased to report that she loved it. (And everyone else was really impressed, too.)
I'm glad I got to see my dad, because the week after the party, he had to go into the hospital for surgery. He came through with flying colors, and seems to be almost back to normal.
I wasn't able to go home and see him, which really sucked, and which was one of the reasons I am so grateful I got to see him at the reunion. I couldn't go home because the next week was when I started my new job. (See what I meant when I said things were going a little crazy?)
The job is great. I really like my coworkers, and I'm very excited for the semester to get started. The job's also a little hectic right now (but what isn't?) We're finally geared up for the big library move, which is taking place on Monday. We're getting a whole new building, and it's mostly done. It's the mostly part that's a little worrisome. I'm really not sure what we'll be moving into. Given the weather this week, I'm just hoping that the a/c will be on.
So that's more or less what I've been up to the last month or so. There's also been some reading (romance novels and sci fi), some tv (I finally got cable again, and I love it) and some knitting, which I'll try to get posted up as soon as I get a few photographs taken. I can't believe that it's August already.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Knitting content!
Since it's been ages since I've shown any actual knitting on the blog, I thought it was about time to put some up.
First up, a gift I made for my friend Bekka who had her baby in April. A baby surprise jacket from the Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern, an Umbilical Cord hat from the first Stitch n' Bitch book, and a bunny hat from the pattern by Adrian Bizilia. The yarn is by Yarn Bee: Baby Bee Sweet Delight in Bare Blue and Teddy and Baby Bee Sweet Delight Twist in Teddybear. Yarn Bee is one of the house brands from Hobby Lobby, a craft store chain in Texas that I miss very much.
The Baby Surprise Jacket (my second, though I haven't even sewn up the seams on the first yet)
I really love these buttons I found -- I think they're a perfect match.
The bunny hat:
As seen on Mr. Bear, a very reluctant model:
The umbilical cord hat, one of my favorite baby gifts:
Still to come: the yarn I bought (and made) in Tucson, some mmmm...Malabrigo (gosh I love that yarn), my aunt's birthday present, and the scarf and skein that would not end.
First up, a gift I made for my friend Bekka who had her baby in April. A baby surprise jacket from the Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern, an Umbilical Cord hat from the first Stitch n' Bitch book, and a bunny hat from the pattern by Adrian Bizilia. The yarn is by Yarn Bee: Baby Bee Sweet Delight in Bare Blue and Teddy and Baby Bee Sweet Delight Twist in Teddybear. Yarn Bee is one of the house brands from Hobby Lobby, a craft store chain in Texas that I miss very much.
The Baby Surprise Jacket (my second, though I haven't even sewn up the seams on the first yet)
I really love these buttons I found -- I think they're a perfect match.
The bunny hat:
As seen on Mr. Bear, a very reluctant model:
The umbilical cord hat, one of my favorite baby gifts:
Still to come: the yarn I bought (and made) in Tucson, some mmmm...Malabrigo (gosh I love that yarn), my aunt's birthday present, and the scarf and skein that would not end.
Friday Fill-In #128
Friday Fill-in blog is here
And...here we go!
1. I grew up thinking _that my family was so boring. Boy was I wrong.____.
2. _Crazy Aunt Purl ____ was the last website I was at before coming here.
3. Why don't you _go have some iced coffee? It's my summer beverage of choice.
4. _My cat _ helps me relax.
5. Thanks for the _late night pan flute concert, mysterious street flautist. It was certainly unexpected___.
6. _I think that cliquishness is _ very off-putting.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _trying out some of my newly acquired Trader Joe's wine_, tomorrow my plans include _cleaning up the kitchen_, and Sunday, I want to _finish my aunt's present_!
And...here we go!
1. I grew up thinking _that my family was so boring. Boy was I wrong.____.
2. _Crazy Aunt Purl ____ was the last website I was at before coming here.
3. Why don't you _go have some iced coffee? It's my summer beverage of choice.
4. _My cat _ helps me relax.
5. Thanks for the _late night pan flute concert, mysterious street flautist. It was certainly unexpected___.
6. _I think that cliquishness is _ very off-putting.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _trying out some of my newly acquired Trader Joe's wine_, tomorrow my plans include _cleaning up the kitchen_, and Sunday, I want to _finish my aunt's present_!
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Friday Fill-in #127 (better late than never edition)
Sorry to be late this week. I got distracted last night with knitting and never got around to it.
Friday Fill-in is here.
And...here we go!
1. _I miss my family and wish I could go visit_ home.
2. My favorite thing for dinner lately has been _asparagus. I got some from the farmer's market last week and it was wonderful_.
3. _When he gets lonely, the dog next door goes _ bark! bark! bark!
4. A nice long walk _would be nice, now that it's stopped raining____.
5. _Is it really gossip if you're only sharing____ some good news.
6. When all is said and done, _I don't think any place will ever feel like home the way Texas does____.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _knitting____, tomorrow my plans include _making pizza and knitting____ and Sunday, I want to _go to the park and do some knitting____!
When I'm not missing the deadline on memes, I've been busy with a secret knitting project for my aunt's birthday. I'm only a few rows behind schedule, but I'm hoping to catch back up today. I'm also working on updating my flicker pool and ravelry notebook, so that I can share some of the knitting I've been doing so far this year. I completed a few small projects, mainly baby gifts for friends, but I was also afflicted with a terrible case of startitis, and now I've got tons of unfinished objects laying around the knitting corner of my apartment. I think I'll be playing a little game of "finish it or frog it" this summer.
I've also been working on cleaning up my apartment. I've gotten the basic cleaning done -- things have been swept and mopped and the many small piles of paper, knitting, etc., have been consolidated into a few humongous piles of stuff. It's still a little messy, but it's much more livable than before. Now comes the harder part -- sorting, thinning the herd, and organizing it all. This is the overwhelming part, where I'm not quite sure how to start. I guess I should just jump in. Right now I've got a choice of books, paperwork, yarn stuff, other crafting stuff, or the closets (I feel like there should be some ominous music here). Any thoughts?
Friday Fill-in is here.
And...here we go!
1. _I miss my family and wish I could go visit_ home.
2. My favorite thing for dinner lately has been _asparagus. I got some from the farmer's market last week and it was wonderful_.
3. _When he gets lonely, the dog next door goes _ bark! bark! bark!
4. A nice long walk _would be nice, now that it's stopped raining____.
5. _Is it really gossip if you're only sharing____ some good news.
6. When all is said and done, _I don't think any place will ever feel like home the way Texas does____.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _knitting____, tomorrow my plans include _making pizza and knitting____ and Sunday, I want to _go to the park and do some knitting____!
When I'm not missing the deadline on memes, I've been busy with a secret knitting project for my aunt's birthday. I'm only a few rows behind schedule, but I'm hoping to catch back up today. I'm also working on updating my flicker pool and ravelry notebook, so that I can share some of the knitting I've been doing so far this year. I completed a few small projects, mainly baby gifts for friends, but I was also afflicted with a terrible case of startitis, and now I've got tons of unfinished objects laying around the knitting corner of my apartment. I think I'll be playing a little game of "finish it or frog it" this summer.
I've also been working on cleaning up my apartment. I've gotten the basic cleaning done -- things have been swept and mopped and the many small piles of paper, knitting, etc., have been consolidated into a few humongous piles of stuff. It's still a little messy, but it's much more livable than before. Now comes the harder part -- sorting, thinning the herd, and organizing it all. This is the overwhelming part, where I'm not quite sure how to start. I guess I should just jump in. Right now I've got a choice of books, paperwork, yarn stuff, other crafting stuff, or the closets (I feel like there should be some ominous music here). Any thoughts?
Friday, May 29, 2009
Friday Fill-In #126
Shamelessly yanked from the blog of my friend Wife, Mom, Knitter, who got it here.
I thought this seemed like just the thing to ease back into blogging.
And...here we go!
1. It's cold and _muggy here, but I won't complain because I'd rather that than hot weather_.
2. _When I was little I only liked ketchup and spaghetti sauce, but now I like all kinds of __tomatoes.
3. My favorite health and beauty product is _vanilla bath gel____.
4. _If I had I car, I could go for ____ a nice long ride.
5. Well, first of all _it's so nice to be done with exams. I feel like a whole new person____.
6. _My friend J. and I_; those were the cast of characters in a recent dream and it was _weird. I went to Boston but it was closed. The whole city was closed. That's just my luck__.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _a South Park marathon____, tomorrow my plans include _going to the farmer's market and picking something interesting to cook____ and Sunday, I want to _go see some art exhibitions____!
That was kind of fun. I might have to keep doing this.
I've really been enjoying being responsibility-free this past week. There has been lots of knitting, and lots of fun (my friend J., of the Boston-is-closed dream, came to visit for the long weekend, and much fun was had by all). And there was even some cleaning. The apartment went from disaster zone to relatively under control. There are still assorted piles of paper and books to be sorted, but at least you can see most of the floor and the number of cat-hair tumbleweeds has been drastically reduced.
I have to go make the first part of item number 7 happen now. I just recently discovered that you can watch most of the seasons of South Park on the Netflix instant viewer. I can't wait! It's one of my go-to shows when I need a good laugh.
I thought this seemed like just the thing to ease back into blogging.
And...here we go!
1. It's cold and _muggy here, but I won't complain because I'd rather that than hot weather_.
2. _When I was little I only liked ketchup and spaghetti sauce, but now I like all kinds of __tomatoes.
3. My favorite health and beauty product is _vanilla bath gel____.
4. _If I had I car, I could go for ____ a nice long ride.
5. Well, first of all _it's so nice to be done with exams. I feel like a whole new person____.
6. _My friend J. and I_; those were the cast of characters in a recent dream and it was _weird. I went to Boston but it was closed. The whole city was closed. That's just my luck__.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to _a South Park marathon____, tomorrow my plans include _going to the farmer's market and picking something interesting to cook____ and Sunday, I want to _go see some art exhibitions____!
That was kind of fun. I might have to keep doing this.
I've really been enjoying being responsibility-free this past week. There has been lots of knitting, and lots of fun (my friend J., of the Boston-is-closed dream, came to visit for the long weekend, and much fun was had by all). And there was even some cleaning. The apartment went from disaster zone to relatively under control. There are still assorted piles of paper and books to be sorted, but at least you can see most of the floor and the number of cat-hair tumbleweeds has been drastically reduced.
I have to go make the first part of item number 7 happen now. I just recently discovered that you can watch most of the seasons of South Park on the Netflix instant viewer. I can't wait! It's one of my go-to shows when I need a good laugh.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Stick a fork in me
Because I'm done!
Monday I took and passed the last of my three field exams for my Ph.D. It was American Cultural History this round, and while each of the exams was hard in their own way, this one was by far the most challenging. The reading was the hardest to digest, the written exam was the hardest to do, and the oral was hard, largely because I was a little "thought-out" by then. Also, there were no pictures to look at, unlike at the other exams. I liked the pictures. This exam was tricky. I wrote about the ways in which issues of identity -- class, race/ethnicity, and gender/sexuality -- have impacted American cultural history in the past several decades. During my oral, the professors asked my why I chose that topic (there were several possible essay prompts). They laughed when I said because it sounded easiest. (Honestly, it did.) The examiners were two of my favorite professors, and even though it was difficult to answer their questions at times, it wasn't too bad. It was very much a conversation, and it was very nice to be treated as an equal in it.
It still hasn't quite sunk in that I'm done with it all. The last few nights when I've gotten home, I've been really surprised to realize that I can relax. I don't have to read anything off my list, or make any notes on my collection of index cards, or anything. I can do whatever I want and I don't have to deal with (much) guilt about it. That hasn't happened in a while.
The next steps are picking a dissertation topic, writing a proposal, and getting said proposal approved. Then there's the small matter of writing the dissertation. But these are all things that can wait for a while. Right now I'm going to relax.
(As an aside, one of the peculiar things about being in a small program at a small school is that everyone knows what's going on with everyone else. While this can be annoying at times, it's been very nice to be congratulated every time I see a fellow student, teacher, or staff member. That kind of thing is very good for the ego.)
In the meantime, I've watched tv, I've been knitting, I even read a book. For fun. It was wonderful. I'm trying to decide what I want to read next. I'm thinking I might work my way through the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, in order. They're just about my favorite mystery novels ever, and while I read Gaudy Night once a year or so (best book about murder, romance, and higher education ever), I haven't read some of the others in ages. I also want to organize my giant stash of craft stuff so I can do some sewing and play around with the doll house this summer. It's just been sitting around since I moved to New York. I figure if you're going to keep a dollhouse in a studio apartment, you'd better be getting some use out of it.
I also have other good news to report. While I'm going to be able to enjoy my free time this summer, come this fall I'll be nice and busy. I've gotten a full time job in the library at school. With benefits! I am beyond excited. I'll also be serving as a teaching assistant for the big design survey. I'm a bit concerned about being able to get it all done, but I'm not the only student who juggles a workload like that, so I know it can be done. I'm really looking forward to getting some teaching experience.
Anyway, I think that's about it for now. I'm hoping to be a more frequent blogger, as well as a better commenter, now that I don't have the guilt of not-studying hanging over my head. But right now you'll have to excuse me. There's some knitting and a movie calling my name.
Monday I took and passed the last of my three field exams for my Ph.D. It was American Cultural History this round, and while each of the exams was hard in their own way, this one was by far the most challenging. The reading was the hardest to digest, the written exam was the hardest to do, and the oral was hard, largely because I was a little "thought-out" by then. Also, there were no pictures to look at, unlike at the other exams. I liked the pictures. This exam was tricky. I wrote about the ways in which issues of identity -- class, race/ethnicity, and gender/sexuality -- have impacted American cultural history in the past several decades. During my oral, the professors asked my why I chose that topic (there were several possible essay prompts). They laughed when I said because it sounded easiest. (Honestly, it did.) The examiners were two of my favorite professors, and even though it was difficult to answer their questions at times, it wasn't too bad. It was very much a conversation, and it was very nice to be treated as an equal in it.
It still hasn't quite sunk in that I'm done with it all. The last few nights when I've gotten home, I've been really surprised to realize that I can relax. I don't have to read anything off my list, or make any notes on my collection of index cards, or anything. I can do whatever I want and I don't have to deal with (much) guilt about it. That hasn't happened in a while.
The next steps are picking a dissertation topic, writing a proposal, and getting said proposal approved. Then there's the small matter of writing the dissertation. But these are all things that can wait for a while. Right now I'm going to relax.
(As an aside, one of the peculiar things about being in a small program at a small school is that everyone knows what's going on with everyone else. While this can be annoying at times, it's been very nice to be congratulated every time I see a fellow student, teacher, or staff member. That kind of thing is very good for the ego.)
In the meantime, I've watched tv, I've been knitting, I even read a book. For fun. It was wonderful. I'm trying to decide what I want to read next. I'm thinking I might work my way through the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries, in order. They're just about my favorite mystery novels ever, and while I read Gaudy Night once a year or so (best book about murder, romance, and higher education ever), I haven't read some of the others in ages. I also want to organize my giant stash of craft stuff so I can do some sewing and play around with the doll house this summer. It's just been sitting around since I moved to New York. I figure if you're going to keep a dollhouse in a studio apartment, you'd better be getting some use out of it.
I also have other good news to report. While I'm going to be able to enjoy my free time this summer, come this fall I'll be nice and busy. I've gotten a full time job in the library at school. With benefits! I am beyond excited. I'll also be serving as a teaching assistant for the big design survey. I'm a bit concerned about being able to get it all done, but I'm not the only student who juggles a workload like that, so I know it can be done. I'm really looking forward to getting some teaching experience.
Anyway, I think that's about it for now. I'm hoping to be a more frequent blogger, as well as a better commenter, now that I don't have the guilt of not-studying hanging over my head. But right now you'll have to excuse me. There's some knitting and a movie calling my name.
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