Tuesday, April 22nd...

GUYS! WE ARE ALL SET UP IN OUR NEW HOUSE!

And I literally couldn't be happier if I wanted to be. Our lives are finally reaching a point where things are more manageable. Things are crazy busy, but totally great. I'm working at the school, working at LUSH and going to school full time and I am in love with how busy I've been. After months that turned into years of being stagnant and listless, I'm making up for it with no days off (I'm doing as much as I can now so that I can have time off when Molly gets here this summer), which has been fulfilling but goddamned exhausting.

I've got some schoolwork to do, so I should probably get this bad boy out of the way.

Here, have a list...

New Blog... So I started a new blog. A blog that I can use to pretty much talk about my experiences as a step-mom. It's been a long, hard road that has left me almost completely debilitated some days, but the sun is finally beginning to shine and I want to share hope with other people who may still be lost in the darkness like I was for so many months. It's hard and I want people to know that this is manageable. This can be gotten through, and they will do it. I want to share my experiences... Things that have or haven't worked, as well as just talk about things that maybe I wish I'd known three years ago. Go have a gander and let me know what you think.
crocheting... I've been doing a lot with my hands over the last several months and I've been enjoying it so much. I feel like that has been one of the things that have kept me grounded... Creating and making people happy (well, SOME people. Apparently BJ just couldn't handle the really thoughtful gift I sent to her for her baby, but other than that, people are grateful and receive my gifts with smiles.). My most recent was a cell that I made for class which, upon giving it to my teacher for grading, became everyone's new favourite thing in the world. My teacher actually wept as she clutched it to her chest. It took me three days to whip out and was worth every single moment that I spent agonizing over what stitch to use or what colour should represent what.
having a yard again... I LOVE mowing the lawn and I LOVE watching Sebass prance into the grass to roll around like a pig in mud. I perfectly adore sitting in the grass with the puppy and watching people cycle by. It's just delightful.
Wolf of Wall Street... Yeah, we watched it again. I love it. Deal with it.
LUSH... For YEARS, guys. YEARS! I  have lusted after a job at LUSH for literally almost an entire decade. I have forlornly sauntered past every shop I've come into contact with more times than I can count, wishing desperately that I could be cool enough to wear that fabulous black apron and smell sweetly of flours, blackcurrant and tea tree oil. And now? NOW!? I WORK THERE AND IT'S EVERYTHING I HOPED IT WOULD BE! I come home every single night smelling sweet and COVERED in glitter. I adore the people I work with and am madly in love with learning everything there is to know about every product and ingredient that we have in store. Also?! Now I know what EVERYONE will be getting for every one of the holidays for the foreseeable future because I get the sweetest discount in the world!
coconut milk
step-parenting books... I've really spent a lot of time over the last year consuming as many books as possible about shared households and what things are best and worst to do in order to cultivate a healthy environment for little ones. I have spent so much time being lost, like I said, and the books I've read have helped me to see the error of some of my ways and reestablished a lot of my own core values. It's been interesting and inspiring. I still have a few more that I need to get to, but it's been interesting.
ham
magazines on my Kindle... OMG SO EASY AND CONVENIENT!
breakfast burritos... Muffin and I spent the bulk of Easter morning frying breakfast sausage and eggs and whipping out breakfast burritos in bulk to freeze for future breakfasts. It was a goddamned pain in the ass at the time, but totally worth it this morning when I dug in the fridge for food to fill my belly at half past six this morning.
Costco
Hobby Lobby
John Carpenter films
Fargo... not just the film now. The TV adaptation started last week and it's blown my mind. I am in love with it and can't wait for the next episode!
Billy Bob Thorton
unpacking
standing up for myself... Go find my new blog.
Almond Roca
Etsy
Easter
DVR
planning our summer... We are just SO excited for summer! Not only are we finally in a house with a porch where we can have actual, real-live barbeques, but Molly will be coming to visit, we will BOTH be walking out prospective stages to graduate, and we will have another photoshoot. There's a lot to look forward to in the next several months that I am ecstatic for.


Alright. Time for homework! I hope you are all having a fabulous day and have an even greater week!
 
 

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YAY! Tuesday! It's been a pretty horrific week for me. I got ANOTHER abscess on my leg, which is a delight. That also means that I get to go see a dermatologist because of the concern surrounding my leg's incessant need to become infected. I'm tired of it and want to die. To top it all off, in the middle of being ill and infected, I got the joy of having a tooth extracted. The first of three. So my week has pretty much just involved me laying in bed dying and on painkillers.

On a good note, I've gotten a TON of reading done and also have started watching Desperate Housewives again, which is my favourite.

Anyway, I've got some schoolwork to do, so I'll get this list done now so I can finish what I need to finish and THEN finish the Catching Fire (WHICH, OMG!!!)

stomping in slush
down pillows
crocheting adorable things... and good GOD have I been churning lots of cutesy things out! I have a friend who is a photographer who asked me if I would be willing to crochet her a bunch of adorable baby costumes for newborn shoots and so I've been creating cowboys, mermaids, snails, ballerinas, bunnies, and lots of other fabulous things to delight new parents who bring their gorgeous offspring to her. In the midst of doing these, I decided to make some things for all the new mommies that I have in my life too, which has been nice. Because every new mommy deserves something nice for their baby.
being the bigger person... and not just because I am fat. I mean, there's that too. But also because I have the capacity for forgiveness and kindness, despite horrible things being said and done to me. I have the ability to love limitless amounts and rise above hideous words and actions in order to bridge gaps and try to make sure people know that they are worthwhile and loved. I don't do it for my own pleasure or to get a rise out of people, but just as a means of reaching out and being kind. Because my mommy raised me right. : )
Ron Perlman... WOOH DOGGIE! A man I love so much and have such a blind affection for that, whilst walking around Costco a week ago, I caught a glimpse of his glorious face on the cover of a magazine. I immediately purchased the magazine, only to find that the content of said magazine was entirely about cigars. A topic I literally have not a single ounce of interest for. Except for the fact that my gorgeous Ronny smokes them and looks damn fine whilst doing it! So now I have a nine dollar magazine on my coffee table that I will never, under any circumstances read, but instead just glance at with a drooly mouth from time to time.
American Horror Story... GOOD. LORD. Our friend had been talking about this show pretty obsessively for the last month or two, and since I was finished with Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead and everything else in the world, I decided to give it a try. That try literally turned into me immediately falling in love with the show and watching every single episode of its three seasons in four days. FOUR. DAYS. Let me break it down for you... Season one... Meh. It's alright. Great wardrobe, amazing soundtrack, and interesting storyline. But it's quite hard to follow. Season three... Please, for the love of god, don't watch this season first and expect it to be the standard for all the other seasons. It is horrible and boring and I hated it. Season two... It literally changed my life. This season blew my goddamned mind. I have always been fascinated with old asylums and that storyline combined with all the other storylines made this season incredible. It wasn't too convoluted and kept me completely engaged the entire season. GO SEE THIS NOW!
Zachary Quinto... what a gorgeous, beautiful man.
we taught Sebass to show us his belly... and it's pretty much the cutest thing in the entire world.
the sound of gigantic raindrops hitting windows
the howling of an elevator ascending and descending
MY BFF IS BACK ON PINTEREST... which I couldn't be happier about, even if I wanted to be. She is my favourite person in the world and I love having her back on there!
Ron Funches
PowerPoint
Brett Gelman
my sister calls people "panty waste"... there is not a single thing about my sister that isn't glorious. She is so, wildly hilarious that I can't help but laugh hysterically through our entire conversations. She is so much fun and when she refers to people as panty waste, I can't help but love her even more.
Rob Delaney
rice pudding
At Midnight... so, you'll notice there's a TON of comedians on here and that's because we've recently discovered the show At Midnight. This show is so, SO funny! We love every moment of it and can't wait until the next time it's on.
Polish hot dogs from Costco
Michelle Obama... I want to be her BFF so much. Since Jimmy Fallon started his new show, she's had a lot of videos pop up of her with Will Ferrel and Jimmy that have solidified my wish to be her BFF. She is such a hilarious person and I just want to chat with her and give her hugs.
HUNGER GAMES... so I became obsessed with the movies after being forced to watch the first two one right after the other in November. I was SO upset after finishing Catching Fire that I had no choice but to start reading the books so that I could find out what happens in the end. Because there is NO WAY IN HELL that I am going to wait a YEAR to find out HALF of what happens in the third book. So I am in the middle of Catching Fire right now, and then I will quickly get myself through the last one and be happy with my life.
deer meat... Muffin was given a whole heap of deer meat last week and so we've been eating like royalty! I made a gorgeous goulash with some deer mince and then a beautiful steak dinner with some cuts we had. SO. YUMMY.
tomato juice
drawing... which I've been doing a lot of in the last week or two. Please see some of my drawings!

 

Alright guys! Have a great week and know that there is an extra-special blog coming up shortly. It'll be an interesting one.

hey, TUESDAY!

well, today's tuesday and it's been a day full of caring for my ill husband(!), documentaries, womb ache and iced coffees.

my whole body was full of aches when i woke up this morning and hasn't stopped, but MY pain has been set aside for Muffin, because he came home on the brink of death. he's as hot as a cooling oven and now sleeping soundly after an hour of cuddles and head scratches, all of which took place during an episode on why sharks are perfect killers.

now though, i am relaxing in the too-hot house with a belly full of homemade spaghetti, nearly about to get a bowl of ice cream, but i thought a list would be in order first.

please, enjoy!

1950's tin toys... there is just something so charming and special about those little rusty trinkets. robots, rocketships, dogs... all of them.
the way Muffin puts subtitles on for me... i've always loved subtitles, since i was a youngster i've always had to have the subtitles on when i watch anything on telly or any films. i love to make sure i don't miss anything and the subtitles really help you to capture every tiny detail.
fat men on mopeds
slow motion skateboard shots
handplants
Shark Week
polka dots
drawing
garden gnomes... and also the fact that i am will be beginning a project for LaDonna that has got me staring at photos of gnomes in different poses and clothes. i've fallen in love with them now, completely. this project'll be wonderful!
surprising Muffin with cute things... like the fact that i made him a precious crocheted envelope with a few crocheted things inside. i like to remind him that i love him by sneaking special things into his lunchbox and wallets. 
shark teeth
aerial ocean views
seals and their huge, droopy eyes
cake and ice cream
Blue Bunny red velvet cake ice cream... which, can i say, is the best thing i've ever tasted in my entire life. go get some and change your life.
the little fish that suck on tiger sharks
big changes... which will be outlined in a blog to be posted sometime tomorrow, i should think.

eh, Roseanne's on and my womb's causing a scene, so i'm gonna end this. have a beautiful week.


 

one for sorrow, two for joy

i saw one today, so i guess that is bad? it is hard for me to believe that, as i have been having an incredibly fabulous day.

work has been brilliant, as it is my boss's birthday and so the office has featured a number of cakes and smiles. glee ensued and everyone is generally in a good mood, which makes for a nice change in the office as people are usually very stroppy and just generally arsey with life most days.

all cakes aside, i have also been informed of a charity event that will be taking place here at the hospital at which people will participate in abseiling 85 feet from the side of the building. i have decided that i want to be included in this event and so we are going to get a team together in the office of four of us who are going to do it in fancy dress. it will take place on 27th July and be amazing and help wee children that have cancer!

ALSO! my 'hair' arrived today. i have yet to see it but i am all but dying to get home and see it and pretend it has already become a part of my hair. i am concerned that i am going to fall TOO in love with it and am going to want to crochet with it. i will have to just restrain myself though, as i have plenty of other crafts to do, so i don't HAVE to be greedy and crochet with my beautiful wool as well!

vic is coming over tonight so she can teach me how to use my sewing machine and cut out my fabric. we shall also have a big fat pasta bake and cake. it will be a fabulous event. hooray!

oh the hair that you weave

oh the last week has been exciting and full of lots of things to keep a girl preoccupied. not that i have anything i need to preoccupy myself to avoid... i actually realised this morning that i am preoccupying myself far TOO much. there have been some reasonably important things going and coming up in my life that i have just been too distracted to notice.

take, for instance the fact that the fabulous gem, of the darlings... she and her 'sig-oh' are getting married soon and i am to be a bridesmade AND official hula wrangler(HOO*LAH-WRA*NG*LER: individual denoted with the responsability of taking care of the precious french bulldog that is hula... aka tulamond, pig, toot, piggarie.) now, the fact that they are getting married is not the only important factor here... there are also factors of if husband will get the time off work, how we will get down to brighton, how much money we must save for the wedding and the oh-so-important, WHAT WILL I WEAR?!

i came to realise, after having a long, hard think, that because this is going to be the wedding/event/partay of the year, it is important to look absolutely perfect, whilst NOT out-shining the bride (who will be looking fabulous, by the way!). now, because this will be a 50's themed wedding, i searched and searched for a dress that would offer me the just perfect amount of cute and sassy whilst NOT overstepping the 'fabulous' line. when i realised it would be wholely impossible to rely on the fashion availability of etsy, ebay and vintagejunkie.com, i decided i would have to take matters into my own hands and make my own dress...

and so it begins... i printed out and taped together all the bits and pieces of the pattern last night and have been left with this:





i am excited that i will hopefully be making a dress all by myself that i will be able to love and beam about when people ask me where i got it. i plan to cut the fabric out tonight so i am ready for sewing maching party time with vic tomorrow. hooray!

now, one would think that the above would be enough to deal with when it came to preparedness for a wedding but oh no! i have also been given the job of planning and maintaining the hen night. OMGWTF!? i had almost forgotten about it until my arch rival in the post-wedding party arrangement contacted me via email to advise me that her STAG-DO would be better than MY fabulous hen night... AS IF!! since then, i have been planning like a big giant planning bee for the best night gem and all the other hens that will be attending could ever ask for. everyone will die.

alongside all of that, i have also been planning to get some special extensions placed methodically into my hairs. they will be like this....



but insanely sexier and thinner, as i have picked not only the best colour and wool, but also the best person ever in the world to do it. my wool is being dyed as i type and i should hopefully have longer 'hair' by the end of next week! hooray!