i am seriously lacking in cleverness this week

 I was up at 5:30 this morning and by 11am I had not accomplished nearly as much as I imagined. I have been knocked over the noggin with a lusty case of laziness. Stuff was done but not all the bits of craftiness that have been on my many lists of to-dos. Yup folks, this is how I roll. All I can say is I managed to NOT have cake for breakfast and there are clean clothes in a heap on the bed.

We're suppose to have rain for the next few days and our mini heat wave has fled for bluer skies. The tiny casa was not exactly built for temperature. The very loud wall heater musters up enough heat to burn your back when you stand in front of it. It is also very good at making the air up near the mister's head warmer than warm. At least it takes the chill off and at least we have an inside to be in but it is hardly conducive to productivity. The same holds true for Netflix streaming. Gotta shake these mini bits of whininess and rants and get to creating something or at least taking care of those darn boxes I keep talking about. Do I sound like a broken record yet?

One of our neighbors has a cat. This is a pet free building. When I mentioned the cat to the landlord (reason being I wondered if we could have Witch-Baby live here) he told me the cat didn't live here that it was a temporary cat. Wha? The landlord said that the neighbor had his young daughter on the weekends and that the cat was probably hers. Well folks, it seems the cat has been dumped outside as its cute kittenness has been aged out and the little bugger is now a teenager. He's been marking items in the carport and is most definitely NOT fixed. I haven't seen the neighbor lately but am itching to ask him if it is his cat or not. If not, I gotta get the carrier and kidnap the little knucklehead and get his reproductive parts taken care of. There is also a younger cat following this one around and we think this one was probably dumped by one of the (many) college kids up here who seem to pick up and dump off animals without a blink of an eye. It is infuriating. So now I get to be THAT neighbor and have a conversation with the upstairs guy. Bah! Poor kitty.Wish we could have pets here.

january 2

 There is such a thing as a bad scone. I had one today but the coffee and company made up more than  enough that I could overlook that $3 loss...

 

 

I spent almost four hours hanging out with an L.A. friend today. Four hours of happy jibber jabber that when we parted ways, I felt sad for a moment that it will be a while before I see her again and so happy and grateful that she and her mister made time to visit with me. May 2012 be the year of good visiting. That said if any of you good people are in the central coast area, please gimme a shout...we have a lot of good coffee places in town and a right dandy donut shop as well.

 

 

today was a doozy

the extend of the holiday decor, it just didn't happen.

 Today, the mister and I decided to go through all the boxes of crappity-crap in an attempt to organize and make the new tiny casa more like home (a clean and organized home).  At some point I could tell the mister was losing it. Heck, I was losing it. There was stuffity stuff here and crappity crap there, it was so overwhelming I wondered how I would feel if I simply gathered it all, all, ALL up and tossed it. With each glance out the window at the mister in the carport attempting to organize suitcases of paper of all things, I could see his shoulders slouching lower and lower. We a-go-gos are pretty harmonious but today I tell ya, was not exactly a happy-go-lucky kind of day. Man, I have too much stuff. Not even stuff stuff...more like craft stuff. Some of it is easier than the rest to organize. Ribbon goes with ribbon, yarn with yarn, etc. But how do you organize a box of die cut shapes, glittery letters, laser cut keys and bound book innards? If you ever see me enter a craft store I give you permission to slap me. And it is not as if I purchased every last bit of craft crap, a lot of it yes but I also inherited oodles from my mamos and my granny. A good bit of it came from my old swapping days and other bits are thrift finds or craft scraps I cannot bear to part with and as I sorted and reminisced I found myself imagining my future as a withered little lady in a dingy dark space surrounded by old used gift wrap and books tied together with scraps of yarn that have been knotted together to extend their use. I will trip over cereal boxes I am saving for some use to set up a lovely tray of lemonade served up in old peanut butter jars. And then it hit me...I will be surrounded by crappity crap that is TOO PRETTY TO USE.

This needs to stop. I need an intervention. I managed to throw away actual trash and fill a box for donation. I teared up in frustration at my codependency with crafting supplies. I apologized to the mister so many times he blew his top and rode off on his bike to pick up a sandwich for us to share. I need to live near other crafty people so that they can come over and use up my supplies. I need to learn how to socialize so that I am not buried by buttons and itty bitty fraying fabric scraps. I need a new me. A better me. A me who is still me but can clear her noggin and create nifty creations and not hold on to things. Seriously folks, I threw away business cards from old crafty friends of years gone by and I felt guilty. I found old pX postcards and liberated them to the recycling bin with an apology to their sender. I thoroughly enjoyed rereading and revisiting so much of this and I was and am excited to have rediscovered crafty bits I thought had run away but I also felt weighed down, I DO feel weighed down so I need to think, think, think of how to move forward.

Of course, during this whole day, whilst greeting old forgotten fabric scraps with giggles and hellos, wanting to tear my hair out over the enormity of it all, my mind started to wander to my closet and the clothing I am holding onto and an idea to start anew and...and...and...

Slaperooni! Hold on a sec while I shake my head vigorously. Maybe THAT will clear it out. Drats...it didn't work. I will try again tomorrow. How ridiculous is it that I titled this post to write about the super nifty rummage/antique store I finally visited but instead documented the mundane day I and the mister had. If you are wondering, things are calmer. He made dinner and I sorted stationery and then we watched a little netflix. He's here on the sofa next to me as I tip-type away. He, huddled under a gray blanket and me in a polka-dotted bathrobe and mis-matching socks. I'm still ick with sick (it has morphed from cold to chest ick) and hack, hacking up a storm. We've got all our holiday stuff finished and a plan for tomorrow. So other than my magpie tendencies and his lack of magpie-ishness we're good. Tired and cranky, but good.

Hopefully tonight will not be as cold as last night (it was COLD) and tomorrow I will actually get the butter softened enough to bake gingerbread and some wonder cookies. Merry Christmas Eve Eve friends and Happy Hanukkah. Smooches from me to you!

{mis}adventures

always love an arrow

surprise pinecone

on Garden St.

 I'm currently camped out on the sofa sick with an ick that I hope is only a cold. Gah! There are still craft boxes to sort. I got two of them open last week and started sorting items into groupings of similar things but those groupings have decided to throw a rave and are now ALL OVER the darn place. I have way too much crafting stuff and should never step foot into a craft store again. Oy.

at Nautical Bean

the holiday carousel

christmas carp

Before I got sick, we lady a-go-gos headed out for a {mis}adventure where we thought we were going for tea but it was all a misunderstanding (more on that later). Instead, we split sandwiches at a favorite cafe, wandered about downtown (which I really never do), discovered a nifty retro store with walk-in brow waxing (whoo-hoo!) and enjoyed our day. I also picked up (and since returned) a pair of shoes (the search continues).

We wandered around and passed by the mission where I admitted I still needed to visit. Looks like the mama a-go-go and I will have a date soon as she hasn't been either. We live in a pretty nifty town. Wandering is always pretty and parking is a deal. I need to wander more often.

And, because I rode my bike from the tiny casa to the homestead, the mister tied my new shoes down for me and I pedaled back home to wrap gifts and work on projects (and let the mister get back to monkey making) before the light faded away.

whoosh!

view this morning

 The wind is blowing something fierce outside. Has been since last night. There is a taller than tall duo of palm trees that clack about just above the tiny apartment building we live in. Add the carob (we think) tree and it's sadly weakened branches (it's not a healthy tree) and you get quite a symphony of clackity clacks and whooshie, blithery bits. And of course now, NOW that I am typing this, the wind is suspiciously quiet (like children when they are up to something). Makes me nervous. At least when it is still I can exit the tiny casa without fear of a palm frond induced concussion.

fronds everywhere!

I have been saturating myself with Christmas music these past few days. I'm sure our upstairs neighbor is delighted (he prefers the bass-y woof of techno, it's the soundtrack to his video game). I don;t listen too loudly, having grown up in a home on the third floor, I learned how to live consciously around others. Though at the old tiny casa, you might have disagreed but my neighbors there weren't others, they were more like family so got to witness all the bad habits, we ALL had them and shared.

dilly cup contents

I'm still finishing up shop stuff; gotta wrap and photograph my goods. Yesterday, I semi-cleared off the kitchen table to use as a workspace for threading on needlebook tags to my cups of dilly. Today, the threading on will commence, as well as more photos of gingham fat quarter packs and if I am really on it, some vintage items. Honestly though, I have brownies on the brain, along with the December Bed and ideas of enormous newspaper mistletoe, bows or log cabin squares. I also have to work on some book reviews that really, really need to get finished (but I have misplaced the cheesecloth which is yes, needed for one of the reviews) not to forget another diy project for this here bloggo and some others for the 'do. But, as always, when there is much to do I am done in by blogs or Pinterest or an imagined grocery list. Does this happen to you? Today is a day off from other jobs so I really need to buckle down. Periodically I will wag my finger at myself and say (outloud even, in a voice not unlike Superintendent Chalmers)

JESSICA!

And then I shake my head to clear the haze, get a swig of water and run around like a mad woman doing odd chores such as sweeping the bathroom floor, laundry, folding tissue paper or reorganizing my closet, thus, ignoring the mad pile of fabric in a heap on the living room floor or the (still) unpacked boxes of craft c(r)ap that block the sunlight from filtering in through the front window.

SIGH.

Okay so, here's the plan and please call me on it, check up on me and wag a finger if you must. I will eat some breakfast other than the apple I finished off two hours ago. I will process my cold brewed coffee and get it into its happy glass pitcher so that I may enjoy it. I will get the tags threaded onto the cups and final photographs edited. I will bake something from a mix like scones or brownies. I will make sure to actually eat lunch (and it won't be cereal) and I will cook up the darned cauliflower that has been camping out in the fridge for too long. Tonight we will have indian food for dinner! What else? Um...I will hit up the market for some fish (there is a 1pm special on salmon I should take advantage of) and while I am out I will pick up cash (no credit card shopping allowed), put gas in the car (poor Rodney has been a bit hungry these past few days), do a store return and be home by 3pm to finish up crafty bits. Oh and I will find that cheesecloth! You got that? I'll take pictures to prove productivity.

*eat

*coffee

*bake

*tags

*photos

*market

*bank

*gas

*home by 3pm

*cheescloth

*dinner...CAULIFLOWER CURRY!

I can manage that, right?

another day for shells and such...

We went back to the cove to walk further up the creek and add to our shell collection.

We got there later than usual to find ourselves on a mostly empty beach. A cold, grey and windy mostly empty beach. Thank goodness for polar-fleece.

I had shorts on and since it was cold, I plopped myself down on the rocks to sift through all that goodness for jek treasures while mr. a-go-go and the goose wandered to the other side where Monday's visit offered up more shells than we could shake a stick at.

There is something very satisfying about the sound and feel of these rocks on this beach. I made little rock towers and possibly a new feathered friend before wandering to the other end.

It warmed up a smidge and I found a gorgeous whole snail shell...with its occupant still in residence. mr. a-go-go offered up two heart shaped rocks for me and I filled my right pocket with tiny shells.

After we had our fill, we tested out the cold creek waters and wandered in as far as we could before fallen trees and mossy moss barred our way. After a couple of stone skipping lessons from the pro (mr. a-go-go), we de-sanded our shoes and selves before heading to Sylvester's for burgers and fries...

yesterday...

color palette

I tried to wrap my head around a project I had pitched to craft that is due next week. I tend to mull over an idea in the noggin until that magic A-HA moment and then I get cracking. Sometimes though, I'll write it all out and everything is smooth. This wasn't one of those times.

It made a lot of sense to me and it even cracked me up but I think maybe it was too centric to growing up in Los Angeles in the 80s. I had some nifty repurposed fabrics for it and everything. Sadly, words weren't coming to me and neither was the reality of what I pictured. Don't you hate when that happens?

frozen goodness

So in a last ditch effort (since I do have a project due) I sat and thought and thunk and thought some more until I could come up with a new (and improved) A-HA moment and I did and I made it and photographed it and now, now all I have to do is find the words for the steps and the intro...

playing with the leftovers

In between and after all that thinking and making I made a delicious cucumber, red onion and cabbage salad, worked on a jig-saw puzzle with the mister and the goose, added some new (old) tunes to the laptop, hit up Foster's Freeze for a most delicious cherry milkshake and watched three episodes of Doctor Who...in a row.

Not bad for a day where I thought I had lost all my productivity. And yes, milkshakes totally count.

i have a new favorite

An unglazed buttermilk donut with a cup of hot coffee. Simply happy. And yes, I ate the chocolate as well. I couldn't let it go to waste now, could I?

I like to ride my bicycle

Poor old Rodney has been sitting up on blocks at the homestead a-go-go due to a shredded timing belt. The mister should have it up and running sometime soon, but since we are sans auto this past week, I have been biking over to the homestead to make use of the internet, work on craft projects and bake the most perfect cookies ever!

The homestead is a hiccup past a half mile from the new tiny casa so it is really easy to get to on foot or bike. The kicker is, there are hills of the deceiving kind. Flat enough to make you think you're smooth sailing but steep enough for you to realize it is time to downshift (and ignore the new ruddy color of your face as you huffity puff till you feel like yer lungs might explode).

My routine has been to wake up in the morning, have a little breakfast, wash the dishes and empty a box if I am able. I have also been trying to take pictures as I find little bits of happy just to keep me going in this weird in-between stage we're in. Then, I put on my bike helmet, grab a bag full of whatever it is I think I will be needing for the day,  lock the door and settle onto the bike and get to pedaling.

The ride is simple save for THE HILL(S). One on the way out and one on the way back. I bike out the back driveway onto the street and turn right then right again to tackle THE HILL. The hill on the way out has been doable from the beginning. I usually have to shift down to my first gear and pedal like mad, hoping no one else except for myself is humming the wicked witch of the west's theme. By the time I get to the top of the hill, I have inched over into the oncoming lane because I am certain is makes for a shorter and therefore less steep ride. There are two stop signs for me to feel safe about but a blind turn without a stop on my right that almost resulted in me getting smooshed by a black BMW with a driver that doesn't believe in turn signals. I maneuver through the iffy intersection and coast DOWN the hill turning right and gliding down another wee hill, kinda like a roller coaster. If I am lucky, the work trucks are not blocking the road and I can take the shortest route to the homestead by simply continuing forward a smidge before another right turn to the street that turns into our old street. If the trucks are there, I will need to turn left and ride down a block before turning right then right again up our old street. This is one of those deceiving UPS. It only looks flat and smooth sailing but manages to kick me in the arse each time causing me to downshift and hum THE theme again. When I'm pedaling well and lazy-like, I switch to Pee-Wee's theme. Pee-Wee's theme makes me feel a lot less lame, thank you very much. Finally I am rewarded with an easy coast into the driveway and a good morning to whomever is at the homestead. My legs are a bit wobbly when I get off the bike but it's a good kind of wobbly.

When the mister rides in home from work, he grabs a couple of cookies then works on Rodney. We end up riding home in the dark with our blinkety blinking red tail lights and my headlamp on my handlebars. Mister will ride up THE HILL on the way back. I pedal as far as I can before admitting defeat and walking the bike up the rest of the way until I pass the iffy intersection and can coast all the way home to the new tiny casa. Riding in the dark is interesting. I appear to ride liek a drunk person, wobbling this way and that. It's also much cooler her on the central coast at night and the wind makes my eyes tear up and my nose run. I'm sure I'm one very attractive lobster-girl by the time I trip into the casa.

I may only be riding a mile a day but I'm sure it's doing something good for my body. My legs are killing me! Add that to my new PT gig at a thrift shop and well, who needs the gym, right?

this morning

there is much static in the air. so much so that my hair is sticking to my face as it floats away from my shoulders and up to the ceiling like a balloon that has lost its weight.

today i have a second interview that involves crawling around the floor with a bunch of toddlers. after that i have to travel three towns south to pick up an inhaler that i paid for but somehow never actually made it into my bag.

while i am thrilled with this second interview there is a first i am still hoping to get. cross your fingers, cross your toes and cross your eyes for me. 

i also have this song stuck in my head. as it is a catchy tune i do not mind...too much. but now i have a craving for pudding. go figure. 

yesterday: feb 16

I'm still battling a cold. Yesterday I asked mister to drop me off downtown in our tiny downtown while he went for a second interview. I wandered, took pictures and bought a new paper punch. Once home, I proceeded to pull a muscle in my hand punch, punch, punching out circle after scalloped circle. But that's okay, today, I stitched up all those happy shapes and made delightful garlands that will soon be in the shop. I also bit the bullet and made a hair appointment and then I hung up the phone and cried because I am weepy like that.

summer weather

it felt like summer today as the mister, mama and i walked up and down and down and up sticky, muddy trails in Los Osos. the sky was a pale hazified blue with clouds and contrails zipping about like dragonflies over a soccer a field. we didn't have a trail guide or topographic map so we wandered from one trail to another until we hit a dead end and circled back.

before all that, on the way out to the trail we turned off the main highway to see a smattering of cars honk, honking away at a truck stalled in the left turn lane. there must have been a dozen cars twisty-turning around the stalled car while a young business owner sat in the bed of his pick-up truck surrounded by flowers looked on. the mister and i pulled over and made our way back up the road and offered a push as best we could. with a dazzling smile of relief she thanked us as we steered her to safety still with cars honk, honking away. it always makes me a little sad how little we help out our fellow creatures.

i remember once, a long time ago when my old prince valiant, a 1968 plymouth in too many shades of primer gray stalled in the pouring rain smack dab at a busy-busy intersection. my hazhards were on as i opened the choke and pleaded for him to start. amidst all the honking and yelling, i put the prince into neutral and tripped out in the puddles and puddles and did my best to push AND steer all by myself. not one person in their car offered a hand. to my relief a trio of guys who hang out on the corner looking for odd jobs trotted over and steered me to a safe zone. i was never so happy as to hand that guy my last $5 and tell him to get himself something hot to drink. he smiled, i smiled and we understood that the moment was good. since then, i do my best to offer assistance when i am able. it doesn't take much, it really doesn't and it can turn an entire day around to something good.

after our hike we nosed our way to a local favorite burger joint before taking a chance on the monarch grove. there are two groves up here in the county that offer shelter to migrating monarchs and the day was too pretty not to try. with guide book in hand we made our way and wandered into the shady pungent forest of eucalyptus trees. like fairies hiding out in our peripheral we could almost, almost see them fluttering about. in the quiet of the grove, a smaller than tall tree toppled causing a mad crash to lift a dozen or so large butterflies careening here and there. we wandered further into the clearing to find we weren't alone and did our best to offer friendliness to a slightly cantankerous character that left us three a might bit uneasy. after he left we stood there in silence, eyes cast upwards to the tippy top of the trees. the number of butterflies has dwindled substantially but if you stand still and turn your gaze outwards from yourself you will see a show that is delightful. we were in shadow and the butterflies were fast so all my photos came out glurry-blurry. but oh it was worth it to simply stand and watch.

on the drive back home i spotted a discarded chair in faded rose velvet complete with cardboard sign and lopsided smile. the light right then was no good for photos so i grabbed a sharpie from the front of the car and wrote C H A I R on my wrist as a reminder in case i am up early tomorrow morning. back at the homestead i see that most my pictures have come out blurry and hazy hazy. i'm either off my game or the day was weirdly filtered. either way i'm okay with that as one of the pictures from the grove offers up a lens flash that could very well be a fairy.

so today was good even if it was hat day and no hats were made. even if i copped out for a starbucks that disappointed me in more ways than one. even if i didn't find the chipboard alphabet letters i was searching for at michael's. it was good. i remembered to use my coupon to get my sticky glue for half off and i like to think i spent my $20 as creatively (if not wisely) as possible. from craft supplies, to a loaf of crusty bread to a disappointing coffee drink, i actually spent it all save for a penny. and now i am home with my mouth happy from home baked cookies as i tippy type away thinking it is time to dig out the homemade vegetable soup the mister made last night. happy hat day my friends, may your thinking cap be a most productive one.