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  • Silvertree

    Mod post: No wishlist posts in blogs

    By Silvertree

    Please be aware that we do not permit swap-related content on profiles or in blogs. Please post this content only in the For Sale, Swaps, and Wanted forums, or in the Wishlists topic. ~from Swapping 101  Thanks!
    • 5 comments
    • 5,933 views
Sourball Ho!
 

Sixth Sense? part 1

Instead of posting a particularly cranky entry, I'll post what I was working on over the weekend in honor of Halloween coming   DH is a mellow, even-keeled guy. He has had a bunch of weird experiences, though, and he doesn’t like to talk about them much. Most happened before he met me and I must be psychically “blocking” him in some way, because I’ve never had anything otherworldly happen to me (even though I love reading about it) and I would probably panic if something actually happened to me personally.   A few things happened after a family member has died. After we started dating, but before we moved into our own place, he and his parents were living at his grandmother’s house (his dad’s mom). Her brother lived in Wyoming and was dying of cancer. One night, not too late, DH was up watching TV after everyone else had gone to bed. There was a loud bang-bang-bang at the front door, and when DH ran to the door there was no one there. DH’s dad, a notoriously heavy sleeper (slept through tornados, earthquakes, etc.), even woke up and asked, “What the hell was that?” They found out the next morning that the uncle had died that night.   Soon after we got our own place, his parents moved back to Ohio (DH has a brother and sister who still live there). His mom had gone through treatment for breast cancer while in California, and though it went into remission it came back after they returned to Ohio. She got sick very quickly and passed away within a couple of months of it recurring. Obviously everyone was devastated, and DH flew back to Ohio for the funeral. He was staying at his sister’s condo and since she had the biggest home it seemed to be the central gathering place for the family. At one point several people were standing in the kitchen talking when suddenly everyone smelled the strong scent of roses, like someone walked into the room with a huge bouquet. There were no flowers in the house, and it was February in the midst of a snowstorm! DH’s sister’s ex-husband was a strange guy, very cerebral and a prickly personality, but the type of guy no one could fool – the guy you’d want with you when you’re buying a car. Even he, a total skeptic, smelled the roses, and was convinced there had to be flowers somewhere; he went through the whole house, opening cabinets and getting frustrated that he couldn’t find the source of the scent. Eventually the scent disappeared suddenly, just as it had appeared.   The closest thing that happened to DH when I was around was when we were apartment-hunting for our own place. We went to a small apartment building that looked like a 1920s Spanish bungalow. The open apartment was in the back, on the second floor with an outside balcony/walkway. We walked through the place for a few minutes, then as we were getting in the car I asked him what he thought. DH said, very seriously, “I wouldn’t spend one night in that place!” I asked him what was wrong and he said there wasn’t anything specific, other than he felt like we were being watched and it wasn’t a nice presence. I didn’t feel anything strange, but again I don’t think I’m as tuned-in as he is. The next day we talked on the phone and he said he slept awful the night before; he kept having nightmares of that apartment. He dreamt, over and over, that a guy had pushed his girlfriend off the balcony/walkway. I asked how DH knew that was the guy’s girlfriend, and he said he just knew from the dreams.   Coming soon: part 2, where DH lives in a haunted house!
dawndie

dawndie

4
Goth Hobbit's Blog
 

Of bad dreams and feline antics

Last night, I had a horrible nightmare, of the sort that I haven't had since I was a little kid, and it still has me rattled.   Maybe some background is in order here; when I was a kid -- about five years old -- I got a "bug jar" for my birthday. I was fascinated by nature; I thought that National Geographic specials were the best thing on TV, after Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom". (I also had a bit of a crush on Marlon Perkins, but only because he was my Granddad's age and got to play with tigers and otters.) Anyway, the jar wasn't meant for long-term habitation; I used it to catch fireflies so I could see them up close, butterflies on occasion (I'd put a flower in the jar and let them fly in); even a praying mantis once. I'd look at them for an hour or so, watch them explore the inside of the enclosure, get a close look at them, and let them go. I never wanted to keep them for long; I understood that they were wild creatures and needed to be free. I felt privileged to have their company for a bit, and wouldn't let my cousin David -- who had a bit of a destructive streak at that age -- hurt or torment them while they were captive.   One afternoon, I found a Cecropia moth, or robin moth, on the back fence. It's highly unusual to see them during the day, because they're a nocturnal species. I ws astounded at the size of this creature; the moth had a six-inch wingspan and bright red and white banding on the body. It was the biggest winged thing I had ever seen that didn't have feathers. I gently got it into the jar, and proceeded to observe it.   About this time, my Mamaw, who was normally a font of good sense, saw my strange visitor, and decided that I "needed" to start a butterfly collection, starting with the moth. I argued with her; I wanted to let it go, but I hadn't quite developed the iron streak that runs in the women of my family. She wouldn't hear of it, and kept me from releasing it several times.   The problem was that Mamaw had only the vaguest notion of how butterfly collections are started, and knew nothing of the infamous "killing jar". My formerly innocent toy took a darker turn as the moth was held captive for the next two weeks.   I learned three things during this time: first, that an agitated moth will beat its wings constantly, and in a species this big, that is no small thing. The constant flutter drumming against the plastic of the jar seemed to follow me wherever I went. Second, I learned that this moth was female, as she started to lay eggs after a week. Mamaw transferred her to a shoebox while I was visiting my Granddad and Grandmama; the beating of her wings against the cardboard was not an improvement. Third, Cecropia moths live for about two weeks. She must have just emerged from her cocoon and completed mating the day before I found her.   For two weeks, the sound of her wings invaded my dreams, and I had nightmares about being surrounded by nine-foot tall moths, in an upright circle, beating at me with their wings. They were all facing inward, hovering vertically, reproach in their eyes and attitudes. After a couple of nights of this, I was afraid to release the moth; convinced that she would try and kill me for allowing this to happen, for doing this to her. Two weeks of the sound of her desperate wings during the day, and nightmares all night.   She died while I was out of the house, not outside where she belonged, but trapped in the darkened confines of a box. Mamaw, making good on her promise, mounted her on a piece of cardboard. In a bizarre twist, the pin she selected was one of her sewing pins, and the head was almost the exact same shade of yellow as the eggs the moth had laid. I hated looking at the display.   The night the moth died, I had my last nightmare. The moths that had surrounded me were dead; lying on their backs, wings spread and eyes dulled, in a circle around me. I was free to go, Yet, I knew that as I stepped out of the circle, if I so much as brushed one of their wings for the briefest moment, the most minute instant of contact, they would come back to life, and kill me.   From that day forward, I've been scared of moths.   I was convinced as a child that all of them knew what I had done, and were just waiting for their moment. Miller moths provoked the worst reaction; I was convinced that they would fly up my nose and suffocate me. Butterflies didn't scare me; my childish logic was that their wings folded upwards rather than backwards, and therefore they couldn't fly up my nose. Still, it was years before I was comfortable around them. Grasshoppers in flight also scare me; their wings make almost exactly the same whirring noise that haunted my days so long ago.   Last night's nightmare was about being trapped in my bedroom by Cecropia moths. Dumb? Maybe, but it went straight to the five-year-old part of my brain and held on. Especially since that was the first dream I've had involving them since I was five, making it all the worse somehow.   It's also no surprise that one of my favorite Buffy episodes is "Nightmares". The scene where Wendell explains about his recurring dream about the spiders resonates deeply with me.   Now, how do feline antics come into this? As I was pouring the details of my dream into an e-mail, Panther attacked a picture across the room to get at something behind it. That something apparently turned out to be a moth; not a Cecropia, thank Excolo (to borrow a phrase from Indicolite), or I'd be about six counties away by now, barefoot and heading northeast at warp speed. But a largish one nonetheless, which has since fluttered out of sight.   Is it any wonder that I'm still wide awake?
goth_hobbit

goth_hobbit

0
Do you have a flag?
 

BPAL project for my statistics class

YAY! School started today! I went to my statistics class tonight, and I think it'll be interesting. We have to do a statistics project for the class, and I'm thinking about doing something related to BPAL (of course). The only question is.... what?   I thought maybe I could figure out from the descriptions which notes were most popular and least popular in the Lab's blends (which ones occur most and least frequently), and then do a small survey and find out which notes are most and least popular among people who buy BPAL.   Obviously I can't list ALL the notes, that would be immense. So that would give me a chance to use the "random sampling" method to pick maybe 10 or 20 notes. And then ask people something like "do not like/neutral/like" to see if that tells me anything about whether the notes that are most popular in BPAL blends are also most popular among BPAL consumers. And vice versa.   I'm kind of afraid to do it, though, in case the whole thing backfires. What if it turns out that there are notes that are consistently disliked in like 85% of the blends or something? I can't see that being something the Lab would want advertised, even if it's just among the 30 people in my class.   Does anyone have a better idea for a project I could do? Or any thoughts about whether this would be an interesting project? Now that I've thought of it, I do kinda want to know how it would turn out...
filigree_shadow

filigree_shadow

0
Is Anybody Out There?
 

Of Bpal and of Life

Life: Week one is over tomorrow. I totally chickened out and dropped art immediately. It was a good decision. I get to focus on math and enjoy my psych class and then I have extra time to work out.   Of BPAL: My husband commented today that he likes Port-au-Prince on me. I'm in love with the scent. I think I need to re-explore almond scents that I snubbed early on. Bastet, I'm looking at you. So, yeah. Port-au-Prince is on my list of favourites now. My Alice imp is leaky. This is sad! It's my new sleep-time scent! Has anyone tried Les Fleurs du Mal? I guess I could go read reviews. Is it cloyingly floral? The description seems overwhelming, and yet I want to try it.   Life: I thought I had a quiz tomorrow, but then I realized I didn't! One more week to study vocab.   Of BPAL: I'm kinda excited about getting stuff together for my switchee. I need to pick up some things... I just hope she doesn't think I'm lame. I do feel like I'm gradually getting better at it, though! I'm going to work on doing my GC package sniffing on weekends and then shipping during the week.   Life: It's better with a routine. I need a strategy for next summer. But that will wait a few months, I think. In the meantime...   BPAL! (Er, I mean, studying.)   I'm doing better.
smallvoice

smallvoice

0
Goth Hobbit's Blog
 

On pillaging the bagel shop...

For someone with as thoroughly Southern an upbringing as I had, I have a remarkably wide-ranging taste in foodstuffs. Granted, some of this can be attributed to my childhood; one of my aunts is Thai, my dad was a gourmet cook, my father (no, not the same person; my father couldn't cook to save his life) would just about commit larceny for good Chinese and Greek cuisine (he would buy an entire tray of homemade baklava at the annual Greek festival), Granddad got me hooked on lychees and pine nuts ...basically, food is the one aspect of my young life that was culturally broad, relatively speaking. So it should come as no surprise that I like things like good bagels and curry as much as I do grits and boiled peanuts.   Anyway, the local bagel shop sent me an e-mail coupon for a special that's guaranteed to keep me in boiled baked bread for a couple of weeks; buy a baker's dozen, get a half-dozen free, and I took them up on it earlier today.   On Talk Like A Pirate Day, natch.   I got to chatting with one of the staff, and mentioned what day it was. Soon, the entire store was ringing with "avast"s and "yarrrr"s. However, they hadn't gotten one of those coupons before this afternoon, and soon the manager was roped in.   "Today be 'Talk Like a Pirate Day'", I said to the rather confused looking woman, "and I be plunderin' yer store with a coupon!"   She took the amusement in stride, and confirmed that the e-mail was valid. The staff filled up two boxes with baked goods, and I was on my merry way. When I got back to the house and started unpacking, though, I found out that I had caused a minor distraction, to the tune of two extra bagels.   Now, normally, I would feel as though I should go back tomorrow, 'fess up, and pay for the extras. Given the day, though, I'm tempted to just sum it up thusly:   "Pirate."
goth_hobbit

goth_hobbit

0
Is Anybody Out There?
 

School

Art   If you heard a noise that sounded much like a sonic boom early monday, that was my anxiety skyrocketing.   Monday was baaaad. Tuesday was better. Wednesday, I suspect, will be even better.   I'm feeling good about my math class and the instructor and the pace. I love my psych instructor and I'm interested in the subject, so that one's a delight. Winter quarter, I'll do 3 classes. I need to conserve my energy for now.   Bed, now.  
smallvoice

smallvoice

0
Whiskers and Whispers
 

London Meet 'n Sniff...

I had such a great time at the London MnS (spelt like this because it resembles CnS...spelling it M&S makes me think of Marks and Spencers!) with twistedcoil, storme and ellemir. It's wonderful to chat BPAL-to actually talk, exchange and try out BPAL-with real human beings, makes a change from typing behind a grey box. And they were so nice! I enabled twistedcoil and got enabled-now I am hooked on Loviatar. It smells like a feminine Doc Constantine with a wonderful musk-amber going on behind the leather. I have an imp of it on the way but now I want a bottle. Mmm. We spent about two hours talking about our BPAL and loved every minute of it. It's great because my uni friends seem to be so absent these days so I had very little social contact with others during summer hols, so this was such a refreshing change. I hope to do another MnS with them again some time.   I have to say that the CD update has been one of the best my nose has ever experienced, both CD and GC scents. Stars of this round of new stuff include Moriarty, CD, Midnight/Midway, Lyonesse, Cockaigne, Three Brides, Gennivre, Candy Butcher, Uruk, Les Bijoux and much more...I'm amazed. Now that I know that my loan will come next week, I have some big orders planned...
PurringPulsar

PurringPulsar

1
Is Anybody Out There?
 

My knitting project

My super-secret knitting project? Yeah, it's taking forfreakingever. Am I just excruciatingly slow? I think I might be halfway done with it now, and I've been knitting for a week. How quickly should this be taking shape? Am I going way too slowly, or is this average? ... I think I may go with PM's.
smallvoice

smallvoice

0
Diplomatka
 

More violence

If you look in my gallery you will see pictures of a co-worker's engagement party. One of people killed in this attack was the brother of the groom.     Road Blast in Afghanistan Kills Three Aid Workers Anti-Taliban Offensive Launched in 5 Provinces   By Pamela Constable Washington Post Foreign Service Sunday, September 17, 2006; Page A18   KABUL, Afghanistan, Sept. 16 -- Three Afghan aid workers were killed Saturday when their vehicle hit a bomb on a highway just south of the capital, while 7,000 Afghan and U.S. troops launched an operation against Taliban insurgents in five eastern and central provinces.   Police said the unidentified aid workers were killed and a fourth was injured when a remote-controlled bomb exploded under their vehicle. The attack was the fourth major bombing in eight days.
Confection

Confection

0
Is Anybody Out There?
 

Just checking in

Frazzled.   School starts on monday. What's it going to be like? What if I get lost? What if I wear the wrong shoes? What if I've got the wrong lunch box? What if I trip on the stairs? ... right. I've been here before, and I have badass shoes (except the ugly gold ones I wore at my wedding) and I don't have a lunch box, and if I trip on the stairs for the zillionth time, then I'll laugh for the zillionth time and accept help up from the cute boy who calls me ma'am. ...wait. That was mostly right. Except for the boy calling me ma'am. And, really, how often do I trip on the stairs?   So, yeah. Nerves are high.   In other news: My mom has not been to the ER, so no more bleeding as of yet. The doctor came over and changed her bandage and generally checked her leg out. He says it looks ouchy but okay. Well, I'm summarizing.   I haven't kept up with anybody else lately, and I'm really sorry for that. I'm on power-save mode right now, which sucks, especially if you're my friend Rob, who had a birthday several days ago and didn't get a phone call from me. But I remembered! My anxiety has just been so friggin' high lately that everytime I think about calling him now, I think "He'll think I forgot!" and then it all goes downhill from there.   Stupid anxiety. Stupid nightmares. Grr.   I need to get my school things together. Notebooks and whatnot. I think I'm going to end up carrying three bags; one for each class. I'm wondering if I'll need the psychology book. I know the instructor, and I haven't used any textbooks in his classes thus far, but none of them were psych. I guess I'll figure it out. I'm looking forward to next week being over with. I wish I could just ask the art instructor if he's going to be a psycho-lunatic, but that probably wouldn't go over well.
smallvoice

smallvoice

0
Welcome to the Flophouse
 

Dipping a toe in the water

7:30 and all is well. The rain has stopped, for now, but the forest still drips water.   I discovered today that I really cannot handle Tisiphone's mojo. I like her scent, but every time I've worn it weird things have happened. It has far too much nervous energy for me, and makes me irritable. This is the first time I've really acknowledged that the inspiration for Excolo scents should, perhaps, be taken into account more seriously.   I'm hoping the evening will be calmer.
Kittyflop

Kittyflop

0
Fishnets and Frankincense
 

Go Big Thread Count!

The college football team that has the big-ass stadium in my town is currently in L.A., playing USC. I have some family members who flew out to L.A., and they're sitting in the stadium, watching it right now. I have the TV on in the other room and I'm only semi-paying attention. If I hear a lot of yelling, I stop and listen to what happened. I haven't been to a Nebraska home football game for, I don't know... over 15 years? I never sit and watch one on TV; it seems like a giant waste of time. When games are on TV, it's actually a very good time to go shopping, but there's a thunderstorm moving in and I really don't want to be in a store if a tornado warning happens. And we had one of those last night... it did rain like a bastard, but the ominous wall cloud skirted south of town.   But, back to football. It's not like I never watched football -- I used to watch it all the time. It's difficult to avoid growing up in this state. My brother started playing high school football when I was about 2 years old. I remember being miserably cold and bored at my brother's games. And even though I don't watch it very much at all these days, I can still turn into one of the boys for a play or two and get into discussions about the design of the play, spot the holding or facemask violation or watch a receiver closely enough to see if he's in or out of the field of play when he comes down with the ball. But then I get bored and leave. Too many people in this state base their identity around the football team's success or failure. There are many things in the world that you can use to make yourself miserable, but I don't think the relative success or failure of the Huskers is a valid excuse for depression.   Actually, what I did find depressing was when I flipped past the Nebraska coach's TV show the other night and he had on the most butt-ugly sports jacket I have seen on TV in years. From a distance, I thought it was some ultra-cheesy blue denim sports coat from the '70's. I kept watching the show just to see a close-up. It was a lighter (denim-colored) blue wool coat with a bit of a plaid design in it. Even worse! Shades of Rodney Dangerfield in "Caddyshack!" The previous coach turned the team to shit, but he was dapper enough. He was a spokesperson for a local men's clothier and they supplied him with clothing. I have no idea who is giving the current coach his clothing, but Pat Riley he is not.   Hmmm... I think the thunderstorm has passed and I can go to the gym -- it's another good thing to do during games. The game is usually on the TVs, so I can look up and check the score to see what's happening. Actually, I always want Nebraska to win, or to at least play well, because then I don't have to deal with everyone else's bad mood and complaining on Monday morning.   In closing, I really want to go spend money for sateen bedding. I have one set, and I want more. Why does it matter to me what the thread count is of pieces of fabric that I lay on when I'm mostly unconscious, or at least in an altered level of consciousness? I don't get it, but it so nice to wake up and fall asleep on sateen sheets, especially when I wear Mme. Moriarty, which smells so insanely good that it makes me want to have sex with myself.   I can't think of anything else to say after that last comment, so I think I'll just stop. Go Big Thread Count!   ETA: OK, I misspelled "thread" as "tread" because I was being inattentive, as all the weather bulletin beepers went off and I did want to jump up and run off to see what that is all about. A tornado was 50 miles or so north of us, around Omaha. It proceeded to rain like a bastard and even hailed a little bit, so I decided to not go to the gym. Once I ascertained that the tornado wasn't hitting hard in Omaha (it didn't do any damage), I somehow became entranced watching a cheesy infomercial for a 10-CD set of '70's music. The video clips of the '70's artists featured on the CDs were hypnotizingly odd. These CD sets have a lot of the pop music of the '70's, and the word "geek" kept going through my head. There was one guy, however, who was a one-hit wonder and he did look a lot like the guy who played Denny on "Gray's Anatomy" last season. I think the score of the game is USC 21, Nebraska 10. A respectable effort, considering we sucked two years ago and they were national champions. (See, I know more about football than I want to admit.)
valentina

valentina

2
Goth Hobbit's Blog
 

Silly people...

There are times when my shows at the Cafe are busy, productive, and profitable.   Today has not been one of those times.   So, I'm going to listen to Poison on the jukebox (somebody's got a fun sense of music tonight; from "Another Brick in the Wall" to this), and document some of the questions I get asked, and what I sometimes wish I could say in return. Just for the hell of it.   Question: "What have you got here?" What I say: "Handmade jewelry." What I'd like to say: "Papayas, fishing tackle, and old socks. Oh, and the gnomes that I'm babysitting. Watch your ankles; they bite."   Question: "Do you make all of this yourself?" What I say: "Yes, I do." What I'd like to say: "No, I'm just carrying it for a friend. You know, like 9 1/2 months pregnant women who get asked if they're going to have a baby."   Question: "Is this stuff real?" What I say: "Do you mean precious metal and gemstones? Yes, it is." What I'd like to say: "No, it's all created by a prototype hologenerator. Like Star Trek. Either that, or you're having a very strange hallucination. Let me know if Hunter S. shows up, okay?"   Question: "Why are you here?" What I say: "Because I've known the owner of the Cafe for years now, and it's a convenient place to set up." What I'd like to say: "Because it's my turn to babysit the gnomes, and do you know how much amusement park tickets cost these days?"   Question: "Do you do tattoos?" What I say: "No, I don't." What I'd like to say: "Well, I've got a planishing hammer, a pearl reamer, and a Sharpie. Hold still..."   Question: "Don't you have any guy's jewelry?" What I say: "Many of my designs are made to be unisex; it's just a matter of finding something that you like in the right size. And several of the antique reproduction rings are men's rings." What I'd like to say: "Giant snarling wolves, skulls with Viking helmets, and demons, right? Bar-fight rings, in other words. There are lots of large-scale manufacturers doing that with varying degrees of success; what part of original design and antique reproduction did you misunderstand?"   Question: "Can you make me something in brass, with like, rivets 'n stuff?, 'Cause it'd be, like, industrial and kewl." What I say: "I only work in precious metals; otherwise, I'd have to buy a whole new set of tools to avoid cross-contamination." What I'd like to say: "And you wouldn't want to pay for the labor anyway."   Question: "Your prices aren't exactly competitive. Can't people go to (insert name of import store) and find exactly the same thing? " What I say: ::launches into Canned Explanation of cost of silver, cost of labor, use of genuine stones, the fact that much of the silver jewelry comes from countries that don't enforce standards of metal purity, and many pieces are outright counterfeits; that I purchase raw materials directly from refineries and manufacturers in countries that enforce karat standards and do all of the work myself -- so, "no":: * What I'd like to say: "Someone's stepping on my copyrights? Sweet! Filing a lawsuit is a lot less work than busting my hump over the workbench, and usually more profitable."   *(this usually results in a blank look and a response of "uh, no, I guess they can't, then...")   Question: "Don't you have anything more Dark and Gothick?" (pretentious spelling and capitalization added deliberately) What I say: *points to various bats and replicas of jewelry originally owned by people who are now quite thoroughly dead* What I'd like to say: "It costs extra to make the earrings recite Poe. Double for Bram Stoker. However, the originals that the replicas are made from are haunted, if that helps."       If there was one thing I learned from Jim, my Old Goat, it's that a sense of humor is a valuable addition to an independent jeweler's skill set.       (Note to whoever's running the jukebox tonight: this cover of "Marianne" is disturbing. Instead of Andrew Eldritch's basso drone, it has calypso guitar and breathy-voiced girl channeling every French chanteuse who's ever lived. The effect is discordantly perky. Isn't she paying any attention to the lyrics?)
goth_hobbit

goth_hobbit

4
This Old Snark
 

Sailed Away

Exciting, yes, but also New!   The Snarks are heading out to sea for the next week. Snarky hopes to catch y'all on the filp side. Her first week of new work was all sorts of exciting/boring/exciting again. She is really happy about her career change.   Glub glub!
darkitysnark

darkitysnark

4
Is Anybody Out There?
 

A swap idea

So, I got that mixed cd from my switch witch, and I know this is nothing new, but wouldn't it be neat to have a swap where all the participants made up either one or many cd's equalling the number of participants, and then send one of each off to everyone? Am I explaining that well enough? I know it's been done before, though I can't remember if I saw it on BPAL or not.   In other news: My mother nicked an artery in her leg last night (or so said the EMTs who bandaged it up) when she tripped over her printer table. It was not stitched because her skin is too thin to handle it. She didn't go down to ER last night, though- they told her that nothing more could really be done, and that she wasn't in any danger unless she started bleeding profusely again. So I waited up most of the night to see if we were going to be heading for the ER or not. I got maybe 4 hours of sleep last night. Good prep for school, I suppose.   School starts on monday. I don't have my financial aid money, which means I don't have most of my books. I do have the most important book, however; my math book. I'm pondering dropping the art class and just dealing with math and psych, but that seems lame. I feel like I should be more nervous about school starting.   Still looking for pretty knitting patterns, as always! Also, what are some easy socks to start with? I'll eventually get the right kind of needles and yarn, and ze socks will be mine! Especially the snowflake socks, and the snicket socks. I don't remember where the snicket ones are- magknits, maybe? But, yeah.
smallvoice

smallvoice

0
Sourball Ho!
 

My mother is insane

She isn't really insane, but sometimes I wonder about how her brain works. She sent e-gift certificates for my birthday (yay Amazon!) but the last time we talked she said she was sending a box too. That came last night, and inside was:   --the new Janet Evanovich book (she's bought me the last several Stephanie Plum books, they're pretty funny) --a teeny purse with Marilyn pictures on it -- it would probably hold your ID/credit card and a small lipstick, and that's it. I wish it was bigger! --some L'Oreal tube eyeshadows --some bath samples (a company called Andrea?) of sugar scrubs, mud masks, etc. --a hand-crank flashlight (no batteries needed) --an exfoliating sponge -- am I too flaky? --a couple of Lustreware salt-pepper sets, one are little birds and the other has a Japanese tree/garden scene painted on each one   I know where I get my pack-rat collecting obsessions from, but she obviously sees random things and thinks, "I need to buy this for ____" and out it goes for a gift. Everything was wrapped individually and it was like this crazy lottery -- what will be next?   She loves doing Christmas stockings too, and it's the same miscellanea; last year one gift was a purse hanger that you take with you to a restaurant, so you can hang your purse off the table instead of setting it on the floor. I didn't even know I needed one of those!   Random linkage: here's someone posting about his mom, who really is insane. Pack Rat Ahead! If I ever get to this point, kill me. This was originally on the forums in Something Awful:   http://www.auctions-registration.com/ebay/?p=1
dawndie

dawndie

6
circe_blue's Blog
 

Bad Day (Major Whining Ahead!)

Argh, today was one of those days....   Yesterday, all I did all day was read my textbook, take notes and studied. When I took a break, I (stupidly) went onto Facebook and proceeded to feel like Underachiever of the Year. All these people from my (admittedly way too competitive) high school went to Ivy Leagues, got a grad degree at an Ivy League then started their own companies, are assistant VP, in law school, in med school, or are just plain successful. I am really jealous of all of these people.   Emotionally exhuasted, I went to bed. Silly me, I didn't realize the rest of the apartment complex if full of useless, inconsiderate douchebags who blare fucking Nickelback at full volume at 2am and hold loud, weepy drama queen cell phone conversations in the stairwell. I eventually fell asleep sometime in the early morning but kept waking up because the girl who lives above me apparently is not human and doesn't need sleep. Apparently, what she does need is a damn carpet so as to cushion the sound of her stomping around like a T. rex in Jurassic Park. I am not exaggerating. When she walks, my water glasses *vibrate* just like that scene in the movie (oh joy).   When I woke up 7:30 to get ready for class, it was drizzling on and off. Class came and went, and when I was done I figured I would try to find the short cut my roomate told me about. I think you all know where I'm going with this. Well, it was drizzling before but now it's absolutely *pouring* and my umbrella craps out on me. It inverted and several little metal thingies are dangling off of it. So, umbrella-less, lost, and wet I trudge around campus and eventually get on the right path again, and now I'm here on the forum whining about it to anyone who will read this far.     I must say, had I not gotten lost the shortcut would've been way convenient. I'll be using it next time for sure now that I know where to go.   Now I'm off to take a nap before my night class so I won't be as grumpy, lol. What was your One of Those Days?
circe_blue

circe_blue

0
Review Round-up!
 

Chaos Theory III - MLXXIX 1079

In the bottle: Sweet n' perfumey. Kinda reminds me of a really high-end shampoo.   On wet: Wow, forget shampoo - we're talking upscale perfume here. It's so intense I'm having a hard time picking out familiar notes. It's not foody or watery, amberish or incensey, roses or citrus or tea or ozone...   Drydown: After a few minutes, this totally calms down. It's still *very* perfumey and hard to dissect component-wise, but I'm REALLY enjoying it! It's kind of like a spicy, creamy floral with a shot of fruity sweetness added for good measure. I can only guess at what might be in it: carnation and/or spices, jasmine and/or ylang ylang, possibly bergamot... *is stumped*   Overall: This, my fourth and final bottle of CT, is just lovely. In fact, ALL of my CTs have been wonderful! It *is* a touch heavier than I usually like, but as an evening out/cold weather scent, I think it'll be perfect.   What a great experience CT has been! I hope the Lab continues this tradition, 'cause I'm already excited for the next round!
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Review Round-up!
 

Chaos Theory III - CMLV 955

In the bottle: Mmm...smells like powdery, peppery cherries! I'm instantly reminded of Black Phoenix.   On wet: CHERRIES on STEROIDS! And then...*poof*...they're gone. All I'm smelling now is this gorgeous underbite of black peppery-ness.   Drydown: Still getting that amazing peppery scent (ginger? peppercorn?) with just a hint of sweetness playing underneath. It's an absolutely incredible smell.   Overall: ::swoons:: Mmmm...this blend is like spicy sex in a bottle. I'm thrilled to have something so deliciously unique, and *beyond* delighted by my very first "perfect for me" CT. Thanks to Beth for creating such an exciting fragrance, and for the agents of Chaos that sent it my way!
furygrrl

furygrrl

0
Is Anybody Out There?
 

Want!

I totally want these socks!   Feeling a little better. Not sleeping like I should be. Still looking for neat and relatively easy patterns to try. Working on the one thing, and now I'm a little worried about how it is going to turn out. Anyway.   I am going to work out next week. If I do not, please thwack me. It is for my own well-being. And, honestly, it'll be good to start early in the quarter instead of waiting to the very last moment.   I'm nervous about school starting, still, but also still excited. I got these super cute pants that are in a size I never want to purchase again, and a few shirts, with the gift cards from our wedding.   It was nice to get out today. I got a few things mailed out and the aforementioned clothes. I didn't get much knitting done, though. This is not good.   I love the song Ladylike, and I can't get it out of my head. I need it for my ride to school.   My witch gave me an awesome mixed cd; it's got David Hasslehoff on it, in German! Plus the black rum song, and Charlotte Church. I love it. And I don't know if my lips are just wierd, but the bonnie bell lip smacker's stuff has made them softer than most things I've tried recently-- which is a lot!   Jarvenpa read my husband's chart for me. It was really quite breathtaking. I like thinking that the stars and the planets are an intrinsic part of our lives.   Back to the subject of school: Re: Art: I'm really worried about it. I don't know if it's just self-doubt or if it's intuitive, but I have this really nagging feeling that I shouldn't be taking it. Then again, I have similar feelings about most of my classes. So, I dunno. I'll see how things unfold next week.   Annnyway. That's it.
smallvoice

smallvoice

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Shiva's Blog
 

Knitty Knits

And lo, what did I hear? That some were having trouble viewing Ye Olde Myspace. Hopefully that will be remedied here. I will be using this space to pimp my shit, and also to give updates on my travels, of which some are coming soon. Stay tuned.   Anyway, this is to update everyone on my awesome knitting skills that have been developing as of late. I have no idea why, but I decided I wanted to learn to knit, and I have! Using many books from the library (not much help) and online resources (http://www.knittinghelp.com was MUCH help) I have done a few simple pieces. Imagine that! As I gain more skill, I may be putting up things for "auction" or commissioning pieces. I don't mean that I'll be charging you (my friends and family) for them. Just that when I make something I want to make sure it goes to someone who likes it and/or will use it. So I may make it available to many, and see who wants it most. And if you want something special (that I'm capable of) I'd be happy to knit it for you. Okay, enough blab. Onto the knits!   The first thing I knitted was this scarf:     Very chilly that day. Good thing I had the scarf! If anyone thinks it's cool, you can have it. Send me your address and merry christmas!   My next wunnerful project was this baby blanket:       It is roughly 2' x 3' though I'm not sure on those measurements. You can see the laptop in the background for scale. I sure hope it can wrap up a baby! I have a friend at work who will give birth ANY MINUTE and this was my "learning" piece. I really learned how to knit using this blanket. I have another pregnant friend who will be getting one of these in just a month or so, now that I know how to do it even better. I just hope it holds up in the washing machine! Apparently knitted items not done properly CAN in fact come unraveled. *crosses fingers*   Here's some detail on that:         Well, it's not very complicated, but it DOES have a border. Sweet. My hope is to be able to knit socks and sweaters one day. Even if I never gave you x-mas presents in the past, you may find some showing up on your door in the future. Please email me your favorite color, and if you're opposed to wearing knitted thong underwear.   Happy knitting, Shiv
shivashiva

shivashiva

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Fishnets and Frankincense
 

Basset fetishes

I was petting Ella Bean, Basset Queen, because she was feeling a little needy. Ella is more or less a rescue dog, and she wasn't treated very well in her previous home, judging from the lump on her rib where it was probably kicked and broken. When she gets needy, I sit and pet her and talk to her for a while and then she just gets giddy and runs around like a maniac. She tucks her butt down, causing it to come very close to hitting the floor as she runs. Then she grabs a dog toy or dog blanket and drags it around or tosses it in the air. It is hilarious.   Tonight I was petting her and she went into her happy dog frenzy. I wondered what dog toy was that red-maroon color and why she could so easily toss it in the air. It was a pair of my panties. She'd done a detour into the bathroom and with missile-like accuracy, dove into a pile of clothing that I was preparing to take down to the washing machine and grabbed my underpants. Then she played hide-and-seek with me, undies in her mouth.   I finally retrieved them. Bassets are notorious for having an underwear fixation. One woman on a Basset list that I belong to told a story of signing for a package, while her Basset appeared beside her, toting a bra for the postman to admire. (Lucky it wasn't the perv postman, he would have taken it as an omen.)   Anyway, I think this panty-stealing incident was in retaliation for my public airing of Ella Bean's fetishes. Considering I have now only revealed more of her fetishistic behavior, more punishment is certain to come my way.
valentina

valentina

3
Fishnets and Frankincense
 

Retail Therapy, a.k.a Enablement

For anyone who would like to do a little retail therapy, or simply likes to do some online window shopping, I present a few sites for your perusal. Most of the sites are not the favorites of the retail therapy section of the forum, although there's one or two that may have been prominently mentioned.   Good incense is in the nose of the beholder, and my nose has different moods. But for both Fred Soll incense (very resiny, strong, smoky, long-lasting) and Nipon Kodo incense (classic Japanese) and everything in between, and all in one order, I go to: http://www.bambuddhas.com In between Fred Soll and Nipon Kodo is Terre d'Oc incense, which difficult to find and not cheap, but very much worth the money. It can be found at: http://www.sensia.com There are endless goodies at both Bambuddhas and Sensia that will tempt you mightily, be warned...   Mentioned frequently in the powdered mineral makeup thread of the Bathing Beauty section of the forum is Alima powdered mineral makeup. It is the greatest stuff, beautiful colors, subtle coverage, and you can order samples. Support a small business that includes cool little philosophical sayings on the back of cards that you receive with your order: http://www.alimacosmetics.com   For anyone who wants to get that great western U.S. smell into their home, via wreaths or incense or tea or soap or jellies, go to: http://www.juniperridge.com I smell their products and this flatland girl is back in the western mountains.   She's a forum member and we did a swap, me sending her Khajurajo and she sending a necklace from her web site. The photos do not do the jewelry justice; it is beautiful and delicate and drapes beautifully: http://www.todiefordesigns.com And her clothing is gorgeous.   Beautiful jewlery, a lot of animal and celtic designs. Just fabulous. I have the Irish Wolfhound pendant: http://www.black-horse-design.com   Just fun! The name should tell you so! http://www.stuff-o-rama.com   Really great designs for the goddess in you -- surely this site has at least one that is you: http://www.thaliatook.com I'd like the Jeanne d'Arc t-shirt, because it's a name thing, the Green Tara design is gorgeous, I really like Nyx, and the Rhiannon design is beautiful, but unfortunately, if I wore it, I would keep thinking of a goat because it reminds me of Stevie Nicks singing that Fleetwood Mac song.   ETA:   My coffee guy! Even though he closed the coffee shop that was my refuge from the perv postman and the other oddities of downtown coffee houses, he still runs a custom coffee roasting business. The best coffee I've ever had, hands down -- he buys only the best beans and is a stickler for roasting. No burned beans from this guy! http://www.coffeecultureonline.com   Thornefolk Solutions -- A neat little female-owned business, bath goodies. Check out the fizzing skulls for Halloween/Day of the Dead favors, their bath salts are great and they're having a sale on Pixie Sticks (their samplers of bath salts) right now. It's a great deal! http://www.thornefolk.net
valentina

valentina

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