A Hairy Situation

My wonderful room mate commissioned my mad old lady hairdo skills for her appearance at a "Clue" party as Mrs. Peacock. Her hair looked like this... a cloud of hairspray followed her around the entire evening.

Stupid Cupid..

When people call February 14th, "Singles awareness day" I want to puke. I suppose it's okay if you want to have that pessimistic outlook, but it's really not for me. Just because you find that your Valentines Day doesn't involve roses, chocolates, feelings of obligatory niceness and perhaps some additional... benefits, does not mean that a negative outlook must be adopted.

I do like the idea of Valentine's day, don't get me wrong, but I don't like the way that the theory is sometimes put into practice. A certain feeling of, "I have to love you today" is implied, and further a "I don't have to show you that I love you any other day" looms over the whole situation. I would much rather a special someone show me they love me, and I them, every day.. make our whole lives special.. instead of just one day that THE MAN has decided we all have to spend more money than we have and play nice.

A giver by nature, I have planned my Saturday in a way that shows love without all the frills. In the morning, I'm going to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity for the first time. I'm not really much into building.. we'll see how it goes. In the afternoon, I'm giving a tour at the Dr Pepper Museum to some girls from the Methodist Home, and in the evening I get to spend some time with my THREE Valentines: Zoe, Sam, and Olivia. I look foward to their chorus of... "You are My Sunshine.."

I am single and I feel that I am loved more than some of the people in a relationship I know. I have wonderful friends and family who show me every day of the year that they care for me as well as a roomate who I know loves me because I need to take the recycling to the bin.. in a really bad way.

Valentine's day, for me, isn't about the obligatory niceness or... benefits. It's a day that I am reminded how much I am loved and how much I love others, and how I need to continue to give and receive that love all year long.

Renaissance Euphemism Fun

"And like a good little girl she should keep her chamber of Venus tidy.

If she is intelligent, and well brought up, she will leave no cobwebs around, but will burn or destroy them, tear them down and sweep them up, so that no grime can collect anywhere."

- The Romance of the Rose

Still Stitchin'

A few of my latest creations.

This scarf is for my friend Thad. He is a Marian brother. It's wider than I would make a scarf for myself, but he's got to be manly.


I didn't use a pattern, it's just a bunch of v-stitches. Until I think of something more clever I'll call it a holy scarf.





This pill purse pattern I got from CrochetMe.com I think it's pretty cute. It was quick and fun! It's really good for leftover yarn!

Are you stitchin'? Let me know!

I Cleaned My Room

I cleaned my room, I forgot how cool it was!
I dream of living in a vintage home.. right now I have to made do with just the inside being vintage-inspired.
I mentioned to a few people that I'd take pictures to let you see how it turned out after I moved in May. A little late, but here goes nothin'.

Here's my side of the bed. Crosby (center)sleeps on the other side.




My previously mentioned dress form.. outfitted for winter.













Re-vamped $50 dresser.













Trying to get just the right picture.












Another view of my re-vamped $15 bed frame with a quilt my great grandmother made and a really sweet Ella poster on the wall.

It's Lara's Fault

I'm succumbing to peer pressure.

25 things about me.

(deep breath)

1. I'm not a natural blonde.
2. I really like my feet. My toes get proportionately shorter as they go, they're little, and I don't have toe cheese. They're pretty cool.














3. I have three friends who are priests.. 2 Jesuits and 1 Marian
4. My roommate is my best friend. We've lived together for more than 6 months and we're still friends. It's pretty cool.













5. My favorite color is green.
6. I love children, but don't really think I want any of my own. I care for a brother and sister, 7 and 10, two and a half year old triplets... they are all so wonderful and I am changed because of them in my life.














7. I have add. I'll fool ya though.
8. I'm entering a misunderstood profession. Social workers do work in school, they do learn things, and they have issues too.
9. I was born in the wrong decade. I want to live in the 1940's. War and all. I love everything about the decade. The clothing, the culture, the music etc.














10. I still have trouble with basic addition. I'm starting to do flashcards. It's really bad.
11. I have friends who are adults. Some of my peers think it's wierd. I think it's awesome.
12. The first time I meet you, I'll have you summed up within the first 30 seconds. I'm totally right 99% of the time.
13. http://postsecret.blogspot.com <-- my favorite blog. period.
14. I encourage people to just be honest with eachother, but it's the number 1 thing I struggle with.
15. I feel like if I make my bed, it makes my room look cleaner, no matter what's on the floor.
16. I hate reading.
17. I struggle with meat. It's so wierd. I firmly believe that we, as a species, worked hard to climb the food chain and we should eat meat. I just have trouble with it. It wiggles.
18. There are a lot of things I like the smell of, but I don't like the way they taste. eg. coffee, beer. 19. I'm a bargain hunger.. seriously. I bought a beat up dresser, bed frame and two nightstands for $100 after borrowing a sander and a can of paint they are beautiful!
20. Wooh, I'm almost done!
21. I don't like receiving flowers. I take that back. I got some for my birthday that were awesome. Other than that, it's a waste of money, but I'll buy them for myself.
22. I love old dishes. I'm collecting pices of light blue harkerware to use after I graduate.



















23. Pearl earrings are my everyday staple.
24. I like to sleep surrounded with pillows and blankets.
25. My mom is awesome.

Stitching up a Storm

I thought I would update on my projects.

This sweet poodle skirt I made for one of the kids in my life that needed it for some cotillion something-or-other. I don't totally understand the whole thing, but she needed a poodle skirt, and I would not let her be seen in one of those tacky, store-bought, felt atrocities.

This little number is purple flannel, a store bought poodle applique (a time crunch prevented a hand made one) topped off with a black sequin leash. It's just presh.




This is my new room-mate, a 40's dress form I found on Craigs List. It adjusts in dozens of places instead of just 3 like the trash companies are making now. She needs a name, suggestions?

Although she is nameless, she's got some bod, huh?

For My Next Trick...

I think I'm going to make this next for the babies. Yes?

Aventura en la Nieva

So beautiful, yes?

Katie, Meet Snow

Last night my family and I trekked up to Grandma's again. The last time we came, June, it was lovely. The weather was beautiful, we did fun things like canoe and eat ice cream, and a good time was had by all. This time, the weather is not so beautiful, the river is frozen over, and the ice cream stand is closed. Can you tell where this is going?

The Texan is learning a lot about "winter."

Last night, on the drive from the airport, Syracuse to Potsdam, 2 and a half hours north, I thought we were going to DIE. It was snowing so hard. It was kind of like driving in one of those random Texas downpours, only a completely different kind of precipitation. Snow is much more frightening than heavy rain. Like I said, I thought we were going to DIE... sliding all over the icy roads and that sort of thing. After several conversations with St. Christopher, the patron Saint of travelers, we did eventually make it to Grandma's house in one piece.

Halfway we stopped for dinner and met my friend K and her husband J. K and I coached gymnastics together several years back. Not long after I met her, she got married and moved to Virginia and I thought I was never going to see her again. SOPRESA! She called me one day and told me that her husband took a job as the pastor of a church halfway between the airport and Grandma's! Small world! I'm so excited to get to see K more often.

Today, the high was 16. Barf. I told myself that because of the temperature I was going to change my ways as a "go baby" and stay inside all day. About three hours after I got up I was itchin to get out. I caved. I felt like I was suffocating with my two shirts, a fleece, a scarf a coat and mitts, with jeans and tights and fuzzy boots. (Don't worry guys, the fuzz was on the inside)

I've really got to hand it to people who live like this. I couldn't do it.

I hope to brave the cold and take some pictures at some point.

Happy Blogging!
K