Back so soon? October 24, 2009

Why yes yes I am! I just dropped by for a few minutes because I’ve been feeling guilty of neglecting you dear blog. I have had readers galore due to the mix up that comes about from a post titled “Michelin man costume?” but unfortunately none of them have stuck around because it wasn’t actually a Michelin man costume. (as I mentioned last time around)

I do have some pictures of my more finished Halloween costume tho and I’ll share a few of them. This is photography stuff so they’re posed and I have some of the J’s too due the fact that we all took a trip to the cemetery to take these pictures.

This shot is one of my favorites altho it was one of the worst to sit for- the top of that tombstone is not even close to level and it was hard on the butt.

This one of the girls really makes me smile. I was trying to get a shot where they looked like they were conspiring together and I think I managed just that. They were so great about dressing up to go take pictures on a very cold day.

This one really shows the whole costume which I like. The shawl conveniently was one I bought when we were living in Mexico a couple of years ago. I bought two for myself (they were 12 or 13 bucks) and one as a Christmas present for my stepmom and I have loved them ever since. They’re a nice thick warm fabric with a lovely crocheted edging and since I am the tomboy that I am I can grab them in a pinch when I don’t have a nice jacket to wear over something like this.

I can’t help but wonder tho what the people who saw me pumping gas in this outfit thought….

Memories July 25, 2009

Last night I had the chance to relive some of the most wonderful memories of my life. Memories made with friends who are very dear to me. Memories made sitting backstage in a crowded pit orchestra, running wild around the school on a weekend during a rehearsal, riding endless school buses for hours to play or sing somewhere, standing onstage in front of any number of people giving our all. Last night I got to watch Bubs (J13) make some of those memories for himself and I have little doubt that in years to come they will mean just as much to him as mine do to me.

Balancing act

I have had the privilege of watching him grow from a young child more likely to hide if there was a strange girl in the room to an awkward teen trying to make everyone happy while hiding out himself in the shadow of his older brothers to the confident young man I saw last night both up on stage and afterwards with his family and friends.

My handsome husband on the left and Bubs on the right with other Sisks in the picture

Bubs* we are so proud of you kiddo!

*names have been changed by various family members over the years so that now only a select few of us even know his real name any more and thus he goes by Bubs, Bubba, Bogus, Boy etcetera

Pictures from my phone July 16, 2009

I bet some of you thought I was crazy always talking about my invisible garden. So I decided to provide some pictures  today. Please forgive the quality- these are all taken with my cell phone.

Morning glory growing in the pumpkin vines

The garden in all its glory.

Baby bell pepper

Yellow Zucchini

Just a couple of baby tomatoes from on of the thirty or so tomato plants in my garden.

Jealous yet?

See still here June 2, 2009

Hi all I just wanted to stop in to share a couple of quick shots. I’ll probably have more later today as I plan to take some of the camper I mentioned yesterday. The top picture is of Kevin and his girlfriend on the Carousel at a local mall. Yeah, I did say that was a carousel at a mall, how cool is that? Bet your mall doesn’t have one of those. The bottome shot is me and Kevin standing in front of a large tree shaped change machine at the same mall. I am wearing a shirt that I just made this weekend and feeling very slim in this shot compared to some others. *grins* Hooray for the Wii Fit and Yoga.

Okay thats all for now. I’ll talk to you all soon. Gotta explain to Kevin that yelling at the tv will not make the game hear him better.

Let it SNOW! March 1, 2009

Well I promised to show you all pictures of the cake and I have them now. The before and after shots no less because it did not end up making it as an ice cream cake *sigh* but it was still one of the best damn homemade cakes I’ve ever had. (even tho I baked it)

This picture is the before shot. I had made two layers and an ice cream layer was waiting in the freezer, but I got antsy and put things together too fast and the result was this- melted ice cream everywhere. So I scrapped the bottom layer and the ice cream that had gelled into and inedible mass and was able to completely salvage the top layer (thank god) for the next attempt. Back to the mixing bowls where I used slightly different color combinations on the purple so as to have a contrast when the cake was cut that would be more visually pleasing and cooler too. *grins*

Enter the final product

Sorry for the silly string in the picture- we were in a hurry to eat cake and the darn can is such an attention hog that I gave up and let it have its moment in the spotlight.

With regards to the title of this post, we finally got our only big snow of the year here yesterday and of course I took pictures. I was only mildly disappointed about spring not getting here sooner because I have a hollyhock that I bought at a garage/garden sale on my kitchen windowsill that has been blooming since Christmas and its saving me from being sad about the lack of green and growing things. The snow is so beautiful that it hurts to look at (literally) but the only shot I got that I think is worthwhile so far was this one.

I was waiting in the truck while my husband picked up some games from a friend’s house when I noticed a fallen fence in the rearview mirror. When I turned around I realized it was the fallen sides of a dumpster enclosure (not the nicest apartment complex) but I loved the way the shadows sat on the snow and it had a nice background of a wooded creek bed so I jumped out of the truck hoping no one was watching me take pictures of the dumpster fence and snapped a couple of shots. Then before my darling dearest could come back I was back in the truck and the snow had even melted from my boots before he got back so he was never any the wiser of my strange antics. Not that he’d care, but its my tender dignity at stake here so…. thats that.

The only other news around here is I’m getting my seeds started for the garden this year. I’ve got a bunch of early girls planted in newspaper pots and I have more pots to fill and make too. The snow put a bit of a damper on that activity as it made me feel like we might get a bit of real winter here after all so I’m lobbying for sledding rather than thinking of my plant placements just now.

Au Revoir for now mes chers invisibles

Manipulation February 4, 2009

Another one guys. I’m not as sure about how I feel about this picture just yet. It seemed to easy to get where I was going and in my experience, that usually means I’m doing something wrong, right? My DH is no help really because he says things like, “That one looks like it might be real” which is a good thing, but he doesn’t get all bouncy and excited over them either so its hard to tell whether I’m conveying the story that I hear in my head or not.

The man in this picture was connected to my mother’s side of the family in some way or another- not sure how because I don’t have anyone to ask just at the moment. The picture came from one of the many family photo albums that I’ve been scanning over the last week. Did I mention that? No probably not. Well thats what I’ve been doing. Its painstaking work at best and a pain in the neck (and back) at worst because our kitchen chairs just aren’t designed with hours of sitting in mind. Many of the pictures are stuck in those magic magnetic photo albums that used to be all the rage and I’m having a heck of a time getting them scanned. The worst part tho is the ones that fall right out of the album the moment I open it up and won’t stay on any page at all because all the magic is gone.

In other news, I’ve been crashed on the couch all day today with whatever he had the last two days. I am getting so stinkin sick and tired of being…. well sick and tired. The last year or so has been pretty miserable and especially with this homeopathic rememdy working its way through my system I get to be sick rather more often then not. Bleck!!! But it doesn’t stop me from feeling creative, just limits what I have energy for and its still ten times better than before the treatment. For those not in the know, its IBS and really not that big a deal, but it can turn me into a pretty sorry spectacle in a hurry.

Its funny, but I realized the other day that I passed my 200th post mark without even noticing it. I got all tied up with one thing or another and lo and behold I was sitting at 202. Strange to think that when I started this almost a year ago I was certain that I’d be posting every day if not more than once a day and now I’m lucky to get in once a week. Stranger still to know that since I started this thing my mind has become much more observant even if my observations seldom actually make it onto the printed page so to speak. Now my mind is filled with an inner voice that narrates my life not unlike the voice in JD’s head on the show Scrubs. (if you don’t know scrubs, you’re on your own cuz I’m too lazy to link) Even as I type this my mind is rambling about various subjects and I’m trying hard to keep up and on task. Why then, you ask, is it so hard for me to post more often? Well its simply this- either 1) the post in my mind is deemed to menial and boring for blog fodder or 2) My mind comes into the ‘on’ position right before I go to sleep compiling all the day’s entries into some semblance of order but I wait till the next morning at which point there are only fragments of the previous compilation. Maybe if I had a good computer tech to defrag my mind I could get a bit more written, but eh… Then too there is the fact that blogging is sort of a “if you write it they will read” thing but aside from the occasional potentially lurid posts my blog draws only a small crowd of wonderfully loyal readers (and you know who you all are even if I don’t always know) and some days its hard to get myself to write something because the cynical self-esteem lacking individual hiding in my brain says “Pssshhh! Why bother! The ones you deem important are ignored and the mundane is what gets noticed.” No thats not true, but I think most people who blog will agree that they do it so that they can carry on imaginary conversations with someone other than theirselves, right?

Its like when I was talking to my husband earlier and he was staring blankly at the episode of Andy Griffith on the tv. I asked him a simple semi-rhetorical question just so that I could have some actual verbal interaction and he continued to remain transfixed til I said his name. He knew what I had been saying- could repeat it almost verbatim in fact- but had not felt the need to respond (this is fairly common as he is kind of a quiet guy) I then pointed out that I sometimes felt like I was talking to a wall when he didn’t respond to my questions but rather remained quiet through entire conversations. I reminded him that since I am alone almost all day most days, I could talk to walls whenever I (or they) feel like it, but having someone actually respond is a bit more of a privilege. *grins* He had to laugh when I pointed that out but it made me think about this blog too. I want all of you who comment to know I’m very grateful for your thoughts. They mean the difference between walls that can be a bit snooty at times and wonderful warm human interaction.

Picture Ornaments Tutorial December 11, 2008

I am sure these are a dime a dozen out there and I am certain someone has made tutorials for these as well, but I haven’t found (or looked for for that matter) any so I’m going to share my particular version of these. Actually this is more suggestions and a trial and error list of lessons than tutorial with step by step instructions.

Supplies

White cotton or linen fabric amount varies but you’ll need a square slightly larger than each one of your photos

iron on transfer paper- I used Avery and was very pleased with the results

iron

printer and computer

digital pictures or old photos and a scanner or both

felt

embroidery floss

scissors and a needle

a little stuffing for each photo to make a little ornament pillow

 

I started by cropping a selection of each photo that I wanted in my free photo editing software, Gimp. I don’t save the changes to the original photo but instead transfer the changes to a new empty document. However you choose to go about this part is up to you. I saved all my pictures into documents with a page size of 8 1/2 by 11 so that when it came time to print they would all fit on and use up one sheet of the iron on transfer paper.

I changed all my photos to black and white and lightened some of them that were darker. I then tinted them to give them a sepia tone but you could print in full color, black and white or even crazy Warhol inspired tones- its entirely up to you.

Once you have all your pictures edited to your liking print the pages out onto the special paper. I went into my printers preferences (on the print screen) and set the paper type to Photo Transfer paper but I don’t know if this makes a difference. We’ll assume it does and say thats an important step. Also since you’re using photos for this project set the quality to best or photo or whatever is the optimal print setting so that these babies come out looking fabulous.

Once they’re printed separate your photos, cutting off any parts of the picture that you don’t want included in the finished project.

Prepare your surface and read the instructions on the back of the transfer paper packaging. I did make sure that there was no water in my iron and shut off the steam but I didn’t check to make sure there were no bits of string stuck to my fabric and a couple of my photos have blue spots on them from random stuff in my craft room. Make sure that there is an even surface under your photo- if you have a pillow case under it, make sure that it is all the way under the picture- the reason being that uneven surfaces equal …. unique textures that aren’t quite right in the finished project.

It took about 45 seconds per photo for the ironing and in case you’re wondering, no you can’t reuse the photos- the whole sticky side comes off on your fabric and thats that. Allow the photos to cool fully (about 2 minutes off the hot surface) before trying to peel the backing from the fabric. Don’t iron on a surface that might be ruined by high heat i.e. that antique sewing cabinet that belongs to your step mother. (learned this at 6 am one Saturday when I was in High School- serves her right for waking me up to do something she should have done the day before)

Now to the ornaments. I made a couple of these that were larger, but as they say, hindsight is 20/20 and I would make the pictures wallet sized or just slightly larger. Trim around the outside edge of your photo leaving an edge of about an 8th of an inch-ish. Cut a piece of felt to the same size while you’re at it. Place your felt and picture together with the right sides out. Arm yourself with needle and embroidery floss and blanket stitch around the outside edge till you have only a small opening left. Stuff the little pillow shape lightly- just enough to give it some dimension or more if you wish- and finish sewing the opening shut. For a hanger you can do several things. you could attach some ribbon and go that route, you could use some extra embroidery floss to make a loop as I chose to do, or you could even take a metal hanger and hook the little end through your blanket stitches and hang it that way.

I am making these with pictures of my nieces and nephews for my MIL and SIL, my brothers and I for my parents my step mom, and even a couple of family pets for our own tree. The subject matter options are endless. I may have one of each of my nieces and nephews on the tree for them to take home from Christmas this year so that they have them as keepsakes. In addition to family photos you can add sayings to these in a photo editing software- just go wild and have a blast.

My beautiful camera assistant

Oh Christmas Tree December 8, 2008

The holidays have been a very special time for me for as long as I can remember. When I was little B.D. (before divorce) my parents and my little brothers and I would make the trip to Gramma and Grampa’s house for Thanksgiving. We’d all eat till we were stuffed. I would run around with black olives on each of my fingers or drag my antique baby doll who was as big as I was up from the family room in the basement. I’d then proceed to re-introduce everyone to Charlotte, the worlds ugliest doll. She had been found on the side of the road by my Grampa, with on arm broken off. That deterred him not at all and he cobbled her back together like some child’s forgotten Frankestein with a bolt that went through both arms. To this day she still survives as a somewhat grisly reminder of my wonderful childhood.

When it came to Christmas, things were different. My parents stopped celebrating Christmas for religious reasons after I turned 3 and so we didn’t celebrate per se. This lack of celebration never stopped my grandparents in Michigan from sending us several boxes of goodies and as December came I began my watch for the much anticipated UPS truck bringing its wonderful surprises. Always there was at least one box of homemade cookies and candies- oatmeal raisin, chocolate chip, peanut butter, ones with gooey candied cherries in them, and many flavors of candy both homemade and store bought. The presents were still opened on and Christmas always yielded a Barbie or two and often ponies as well as homemade clothing and barettes or jewelry. My grandma never failed to make this a special day for us.

I remember as well my birthday that would always come a week later with more gifts and often a family get together. One year in particular I got one of those dolls that actually wet her diaper, a little table just my size. Another year a homemade piggy bank, my first embroidery set, and a doll with jewels in her hair. The cake was memorable in that it was frosted to look like a gumball machine with skittles stuck into the icing. That was a particularly special year.

Holidays A.D. were a much different affair and I remember both halves of that first Christmas very well. My parents were both broke and we had just moved into a tiny basement apartment in a rough part of town. My dad was having a very rough time of it having lost his whole family in such a short time as well as a lot of money for the court costs and other bills. I’ll never forget staying at a friend of the family’s house one Saturday while my dad had to work and making an enormous paper chain of different colored papers. I was so proud of it and was very surprised when we got home that day to be taken out in the woods with my dad to find a Christmas tree. My little brother proudly hacked away at the trunk with his little hatchet and then let daddy do the last little bit of work. *wink wink* I was 7 which means he had just turned 5 and he was so proud to be helping.

We took our sad little spruce home and wrapped it round with the paper chain. From somewhere hidden in the basement my dad produced an old box of cherished Christmas ornaments and lights and  we decorated the tree as best we could with the little that we had. I don’t remember what he held it up with- maybe there was a tree stand too- but I do remember that the tinfoil star didn’t want to stay on the top because the tree was a little crooked. To this day I can’t see a Charlie Brown Christmas tree without thinking of that one.

Someone donated a tree to my mom- just a little 3 foot artificial tree and it stood on a box in our little living room. I don’t remember much about the decorations except for one little handmade angel that hung at the top in place of a star.

Gifts were sparse that year. Someone adopted our family and I got Barbie tennis shoes and an amazingly intricate crocheted Barbie ball gown. My dad got me a little digital diary/organizer and it still resides in a box of special childhood toys along with that dress.

I have been thinking back on that day this year as I decorate my tree with ornaments that we have bought as well as a few that I have made. It makes me thankful for what I have now and also reminds me that I wouldn’t be who I am today if it weren’t for how I grew up. I am thankful for that too.

Happy Holidays December 1, 2008

Ahhh at last some down time. I’ve been so busy the last couple of weeks I hardly remember how to sit here quietly on the couch with my trusty laptop. Thanksgiving? It went as smooth as glass. I couldn’t believe how well everything came together. My brain had my body convinced things weren’t going to go well and I was stressed sick for three days before. Fortunately this meant that any overindulgence on my part on the big day was practically mandatory- if you can’t eat for three days the least you should be allowed is to totally pig out on a holiday.

The turkeys were perfect, the ham divine, the stuffing crisp and the cranberries tart. The vat of mashed potatoes was just enough for a little bit of leftovers and there was just enough green bean casserole to make a nice snack for me on Black Friday when I stayed home not shopping with the crazies. (Seriously- a Wal Mart employee was killed!)

All the family got along and only the ones I wanted to see were here. My dad and my step-brother’s girlfriend duked it out on Wii Boxing, making the rest of us laugh our butts off.

Friday I got to spend time with my youngest nephew and he absolutely stole my heart. I wish he and his parents lived closer.

Hows that for an adorable ball of roundness? I wanted to snuggle with him all day but alas he and my brother and sister in law headed home Saturday evening but just as they were leaving it started snowing. YaY!!!

Before the snow tho, we had J14’s birthday to attend to. I took her to see Twilight since I had already gotten her hooked on the books (Karen, she’s hooked on Harry Potter too and just as bummed that its been postponed). It was a nice day out and when we got home, J11, J7 and I decorated a cake for her.

Sunday I got up bright and early and took lots of pictures of the snow. Since its Toi just had a birthday, I thought I’d share a couple for her.

My favorite Cujo dogs playing in the snow- hows that for an action shot?

My Pugsley experiencing “snow” for the first time…  Hey Pugs, you got a little somethin on your nose

Snow is like nature’s Martha Stewart- It makes all kinds of crap look pretty.

A beautiful card from Dana

And finally, our dog, Missy’s, comentary on our new president elect. I think it pretty much speaks for itself.

Photos from this weekend (Image HEAVY!) November 11, 2008

These pictures are of course all clickable and to really see the detail you’ll need to do just that. I appologise in advance but the internet hates me so this was the best I could do.

In order left to right, top to bottom

My baby brother Clifford in all his finery, My darling dearest in one of his many costume incarnations, J11 putting the finishing touches on J13 for his Pyramid head costume, J11 and my MIL as Mrs. Doubtfire, Jarell again in another incarnation of the costume and his mom, J9 as the redneck Spartan (complete with Uncrustables box helmet , J13 posing in the basement in full regalia, Me in my not Tia Dalma costume, and again me, J13’s back with fake scars and cuts, J’s 9,11,13, and 14, J11 in her costume- how cool are her eyes here, T-bucket in his not costume, A couple of closeups of my make-up – I was feeling bloodthirsty, J14’s full costume- aren’t she and her sister beautiful dolls?, J12- the other twin LOL and yet he’s not the one witht the nickname of Bubba, and the last three (sorry Dana!) are of our pumpkin display and haunted house candle holder.

Photos courtesy of myself, Jarell, and the rest of the J’s.

*oh and J11 went for the Jigsaw from the movie Saw look while J14 was leaning towards the look of a female Joker a la Heath Ledger.