It's Beginning to Smell A Lot Like Christmas

Elah and I got our first ever holiday tree this past Sunday. I never got one before because I figured we didn't need it because we were never home; Solstice with my mom and Christmas Eve and Christmas split between my dad and Elah's dad. I realized that we still had to decorate when Elah started telling people that we didn't celebrate the holidays.

So we go get the tree and I spend a ridiculous amount of money on lights and decorations and I think we're all set but then realized that we needed a tree topper. I discussed it with Elah and she told me she wanted an angel. Now I know the holiday is about her, that's why we have multi lights instead of white and most of our decorations are pink but angels just aren't my thing. I told Elah that I thought we could get a star; my reasoning being that even though I knew she really liked angels I didn't like them so much and I knew that we both liked stars. And isn't the tree really for both of us? Elah agreed that was a good idea and we set out to find a star for the top of our tree.

Guess what. Apparently angels have cornered the market on tree toppers, I couldn't find a star to save my life. It just so happens that I got a Pottery Barn catalog the same day and they had a beautiful crystal snowflake tree topper but I know Elah was looking for instant gratification. We finally found an angel that was a little more stylized and not so angely. I leapt at the opportunity and told Elah it was the Good Witch of the North (she brings our Solstice gifts). Moral of the story? Apparently there's always an angel hovering over you whether you want one or not.

About Effing Time

Look, look, pictures - the pictures I said I would post weeks ago. Mmmmm yarn & chocolate.

I finally took some pictures of the things I got from my Super Secret Pal. First, a picture of the yarn and needle that were in the first package.



Next the most recent package I got from Secret Pal; 2 skeins of Knit Picks Sock Landscape (that I may use for gloves) and a bar of yummy chocolate infused with Early Grey tea (it almost killed me to wait until I took a picture of it so I could finally break into it).



Secret Pal 6 is now over and I had a great time. It was so fun to try and chose items for my pal that I though she would like and it was so exciting to get unexpected packages in the mail.

Preparedness Pays Off

It's that time of year again... My birthday's coming up (next Wednesday) and I'm posting to give you all ample time to get ready. So far the plans start this Saturday with dinner at Asiana House.

Link Dump Farm

Comic Sans is dead (finally!)
I hate Comic Sans so much I deleted it from my computer so I don't have to see it at home.

Forthcoming Books in the Increasingly Mature Harry Potter Series.

Katazukue Table
I need one of these for my office.

Conrad Digital Retouching Portfolio
I want to be this good with Photoshop.

The Email Time Capsule

Kata-Wha?

Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, or a new country. -Anais Nin, author (1903-1977)

Is it bad that everything I read lately reminds me of Katamari?

This is KKKrazy

Thirteen-year-old twins Lamb and Lynx Gaede have one album out, another on the way, a music video, and lots of fans.

They may remind you of another famous pair of singers, the Olsen Twins, and the girls say they like that. But unlike the Olsens, who built a media empire on their fun-loving, squeaky-clean image, Lamb and Lynx are cultivating a much darker personna. They are white nationalists and use their talents to preach a message of hate.

"We give them a CD, we give them something as simple as a stick, they can go to our Web site and see other music and download some of our music," said Gliebe. "To me, that's the best propaganda tool for our youth." [At least he's being honest...I guess]

Think you can handle reading more? It's here.

Magically Adhesive

The Goons over at Something Awful used this Photoshop Phriday to recreate video game covers. Below are a couple of my favorites.

Worst Pal Ever

So my Secret Pal sent me my first package a couple of weeks ago and I have yet to properly thank her. When I first opened the package the first thing I saw was a picture of a terribly ugly crocheted vest. My first reaction was "I'm doomed!" Then I realized that my fabulous secret pal read my questionnaire and knew I'd like to learn some basic crochet. The vest was a pattern in the back of a publication called "Learn to Crochet in One Day." *relief* She also sent me a beautiful crochet hook and 2 balls of Debbie Bliss cotton angora and a lovely shade of light purple.

My computer is all fixed and at home and my camera is back from being lent out so I swear I'll post a pic soon...

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Secret Pal!

In other news the seaming class I took at Northeast Fiber Arts was great! I learned so much new stuff about finishing (even things that take place in the beginning like casting on), that I am in the process of frogging my entire Marilyn Sweater so I can re-knit it. So far I've re-knit one sleeve and am almost done with the back (I didn't put the cable on the back, I thought it was weird).

I also borrowed a book from Reba and knit my first pair of gloves for Elah and I've knit one oversized glove of a pair for my cousin Grayson (in LSU purple of course) that I plan to felt.

I feel like there's more but it escapes me at the moment.