I < 3 books...maybe a bit too much!

So I have a literary problem.

I am addicted to books.

No, seriously.

I am a member of two book clubs which ensures that I am always reading at least two books per month.

I don't have a lot of extra money so I have to get most of my books from the library. Occasionally I will splurge on a book I just can't wait for. So a few months ago I bought books 1 & 2 from the Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy. The sad thing is I haven't opened either one yet!

A sweet birthday surprise.

I’m so excited to share my latest completed crochet project (I always have at least 3 or 4 going on at one time!)

My sister’s birthday was last month and she is a pastry chef so it seemed only fitting to make her potholders with cupcakes on them! Sometimes when I get these super awesome ideas there are zero patterns to assist my creative muse. Not this time. Apparently cupcakes as potholders is a fairly popular idea (there are thousands of results on google image search!)

The pattern I settled on is this one (from ravelry). Doni Speigle’s potholders are incredibly cute and I couldn’t wait to make my own!

SYTYCD: Top 20 Perform, Part 1

Yikes this is a long post! I know it will shrink as *sniff* dancers get eliminated :(

This week the top 20 performed again, but this time they were matched up as partners and competing.

This year, for the first time, there will be two winners—one boy & one girl, but FOUR contestants will be eliminated next week. That is going to be a rough cut next week.

Summertime!

I love summer.

Actually I love all the seasons for different reasons (oh a crack myself up!) but since the first day of summer was last week, right now, I love summer!

I love it for all the regular reasons: warm weather, sunshine, beach trips, lots of free time, traveling, etc. As a teacher I still get summer vacation like the kids do. So I really love summer. I’m listening to one of Pandora’s “summer stations,” drinking my favorite coffee enjoying the warm CA sunshine streaming through my window. I’ll probably take a book out to the patio this afternoon, because I can!

Another reason I love summer?

Making Waves...In My Knitting Bag ;)

I'm not really sure why I decided not to blog for the entire month of April. It wasn't really intentional, but it happened! Sister was in town for spring break so that accounts for a good chunk of my time, but the rest is just laziness I guess :)

A slight employment update: I did not get the job I interviewed for last month :( But I've had over twenty sub assignments over the past few months. So that's good. I've also spent a lot of time on education employment websites (yes, those are a real thing) and I've been applying all over the state of California (shhhh don't tell my roomies. haha, just kidding. I live with my parents. They are looking for an excuse to kick me out.)

But the main reason I wanted to post today? To share about my latest yarn project!

Prufrock is my mantra

I finally watched Midnight in Paris tonight. My parents couldn't get through it (they claimed it was "boring.") I found it gleefully wonderful. Sometimes I love being home alone so that I can dork out and watch movies like this.

A very wise professor once told me that this was a viewing requirement for all English majors and I concur. Now I'm not a huge fan of Owen Wilson. I think he's a bit obnoxious and his nose bothers me, plus I doubt he would truly appreciate being in the presence of Hemingway & Fitzgerald. But I digress. 

I sure it comes as no surprise that when I play the game "what famous person, dead or alive, would you want to have dinner with?" that I always select an author (not always a dead one, but those ones are a bit more fascinating ;) I think it would be amazing to sit down with ANY of the brilliant minds portrayed in the film (+ a bazillion* other guys)

*yes I know bazillion is not a word.

This film also made me want to go to Paris, France. Or anywhere in Europe for that matter. I did NOT understand Rachel McAdams character. How do you not like Paris? And rain in Paris? If my imaginary fiance told me he wanted to move to France and LIVE there, I would not for a second be practical. Who cares that I can't speak French and I know 0 people there...it's Paris. France. Case closed. I'm more like Meg Ryan's character in French Kiss.

And let's not forget that there are beautiful vineyards and French wine there. Okay I'm completely basing my entire perception of a country off of cinematic interpretations. But look at this:

Anyway, what was my point? 

Dead authors yes. Didn't you hate it when your English teacher told, "this is what the author meant when he/she wrote this..." and you wanted to argue back, "how do you know what they meant? they're dead."

First of all, we we went to college forever + day so we DO know everything these authors could have been thinking so stop arguing with us. Second of all, that is exactly why we need the time space continuum exploited in Midnight in Paris!

It's the little things

It doesn't take much to make me happy. I don't need big, extravagant things to put a huge smile on my face. Here's what's made me happy this week:


-first paycheck as a sub (yep it's little but it's money!)
-subbing at the junior high where I student taught (it's like going home :)
-coconut coffee creamer
-snuggles with my kitty
-talking with my sister
-spending an evening with friends
-finding my crochet hooks (they went missing for a bit)
-listening to a good audiobook
-working in my art journal
-knitting a scarf
-buying my tickets for "The Hunger Games" (!!!!)


I don't always take time to appreciate the things that make me happy but it's fun to stop and think about all the good things instead of being consumed by the stuff that brings me down

Duality

I went a walk today. It was nice to get out and walk around. I think I pulled something in my leg sometime in the past week so now I have my knee all wrapped up in an ace bandage and I look like an invalid as I limp around my house. awesome.


Funny story about that ace bandage. I've had it forever. I probably bought it when I was in guard and getting injured every other week. I've lost both the clasps that come with an ace bandage. The thing is currently safety-pinned to my leg. Classy, right?


Something I've been thinking about recently is duality. I find that I tend to exist in sort of a paradoxical state. Fancy sounding right? Paradox just means two statements that are both true but contradict each other at the same time. I find that I'm often wanting two opposite things at the same time. Maybe that's just the human condition. But I find I often desire a particular circumstance and then once I get it I want nothing more than to get out of it. For example, sometimes I'll be so exhausted from my day that all I want to do is curl up in my bed and watch Project Runway while eating ice cream. Except I can't because I have some sort of event or appointment to report to. And then that thing will get cancelled and I'll have the whole evening to myself and all I want to do is hang out with someone. I'm a mess aren't I?


Recently I'm dealing with the fact that I really don't want to talk about something that I need to talk about. Sounds confusing, right? Basically I want someone to ask me about my issues and let me talk about them. But I don't want them to ask me because then I have to acknowledge the fact that I need to talk to someone. And that there is something wrong. Part of me likes having the strong front that life is wonderful and I am happy. Okay, all of me likes that. But there is still a core part of my being that longs for someone to look at me and say I can tell you're not okay and I'm here for you.