Yep, I’m joining in again this week for Happy Homemaker Monday, which is hosted by Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Here’s what is going on right now.

The weather:::

I’m in Las Vegas this week. There’s a nip in the air but it’s still sunny. I’d say it’s about 55 degrees F during the day but I haven’t actually checked it so don’t quote me.

On my reading pile:::  

I have started reading (and loving) Catherine Friend’s Sheepish: Two Women, Fifty Sheep, and Enough Wool to Save the Planet. It’s a humorous memoir by a woman who has owned a sheep farm in Minnesota for fifteen years. I’m loving the silly stories about the early days of the farm (which are actually captured in her first memoir, which I’ve also added to my reading pile). I’m looking forward to when the book gets into more info about sheep farms in the US today. Fun reading!

On my TV:::

As I work right now I’m watching a marathon of Dance Moms. Yes, I sometimes watch embarrassingly bad TV. Although I’m only half watching of course.

On the menu for this week:::

While in Vegas … I’m feeling lots of soup and salad right now. Yesterday was French onion soup for lunch and a Cobb salad for dinner. We’ll see.

When I get back home … There are some mashed potatoes in the fridge I need to finish up. I’ve got Chex cereal for breakfast. Not sure about the rest.

On my to do list:::

Keep my crochet blog up to date while I’m in Vegas. Get home and spend a full day recuperating from all of this activity. Get ahead on the blog, finish a crochet project that’s due at the end of the week, organize, watch more bad TV. Do some nothing. I need some nothing.

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

I’m working on a chain-single crochet stitch pattern for a crochet scarf using superfine alpaca yarn that’s ribbon-style. I’m not sure whether or not I like it.

Looking around the house:::

It’s a hotel. It’s got two queen beds, a cute arm chair, a small table, a small desk. It’s nothing spectacular but it’s all right. It’s clean and decluttered which I’m loving right now!

From the camera:::

Something fun to share:::

I’m doing a 365 photo project this year. Check it out.

Tags: day in my life, happy homemaker monday, my day

Yesterday we went to the horse races at Golden Gate Fields. I bet trifectas on each of the nine races because that’s the bet I like the most. It means that you choose which horses will come in first, second and third in the right order and if you get it then you usually win fairly big.

Unfortunately I never hit the trifecta this time around. It was me, my sister and our friend. My sister won $2. My friend won $34 which was a nice surprise since he only chose the single winning horse but apparently it was a long shot because it paid out well. And I didn’t win.

That’s actually the first time I haven’t hit it at least once during the day in the times that I’ve gone. I’ve only gone three or four times – about once per year. I still had a lot of fun, though. It was a nice, sunny clear day (although a tiny chill was in the air). Good company, good relaxation, nice time. Can’t complain about that.

I was super exhausted when I got home though. I don’t know if it was the day out in the fresh air or the excitement of the races or just doing sooooo much lately with my siblings. Whatever it was, I really wanted to fall asleep as soon as I got home. I couldn’t though because I had to pack for Vegas. We had a five am flight today and I’m here now, getting caught up on lots of stuff and ready for a few days of fun in Sin City.

Tags: golden gate fields, horse racing

Here’s some of what I was up to yesterday and today:

My sister and I went to the Contemporary Jewish Museum for the first time. I found out that they don’t have a permanent collection. There were three exhibits set up: Houdini, Black Sabbath (musical intersection of African American and Jewish musical cultures) and Jews in the SF Bay Area. 

Since it’s right next door to the museum we also popped into Saint Patrick’s Church, a historic San Francisco church with some lovely green marble interior work. I’ve been here before but my sister hadn’t.

A group of us went to go see Bring it On: The Musical at San Francisco’s Orpheum Theater

With a knit yarnbomb outside my local post office. I didn’t make it but it always brightens my day to see little yarnbombs here and there.

Tags: diary entry, journal of a day, my day in photos

Yesterday’s snack: Rustic Bread dipped in lemon olive oil and raspberry balsamic vinegar

My loose plan was to try to write a daily diary entry here but of course it can be tough to write every single day sometimes. By the time I was ready to write last night I was also kind of just tired and ready to lay down and zone out. But that’s okay. I’m here this morning getting going and I thought I’d jot down a few notes about my yesterday.

Where Are The Hours Going?

The past few days have just been super busy in a weird slow way. The actions are not crazy fast or busy but somehow I fill the whole day with activity and haven’t been able to get done nearly all that I want to get done. I think part of it is having my sister here. I’m so used to living alone that hours slip by when I’ve got someone around the converse with, eat lunch with, do nothing with. It’s not all that, of course, since I can easily waste hours on my own, too, but I think that’s part of the culprit right now. The other part is the fact that I’ve got a ton of things that I’m getting set up for my other blog, Crochet Concupiscence, and I’ve got this blog started again and I also just have tons of little projects that I’ve got to wrap up and whatnot. So I can do stuff all day on all of that and still have a lot left. Which is fine. I pretty much planned for January to be this way, a month of organization and prep for the rest of the year.

The Gist of Yesterday

A large portion of yesterday was spent getting posts ready for the crochet blog. I do about five posts per day on that site and I’ve started some new daily features that require additional research that I’m not used to yet. I typically spend 2-3 days per week focused on getting that content ready and then the rest of the week on other writing and other things. However, I’m behind right now because of travels and whatnot so there’s just a lot of daily writing and catching up to do. I’m definitely not complaining about that. I love writing my crochet blog. I’m just saying that’s where a lot of hours went.

I only left the house for a little bit yesterday. It was a pretty nice day out and good to get into the fresh air. I went for my daily walk and my sister came along. We tried to go to the library but it turned out they were still closed for New Years so I just dropped a couple of books in the slot and came home. I did try to start reading The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work but I just couldn’t get into it so I still haven’t actually read much so far in 2012.

I talked to my brother for a little while in the afternoon. He works two jobs so his time to chat is always limited but we try to catch up weekly when he’s got a bit of time off. I was just down there for two weeks so it’s not like we had tons of new stuff to say but we were just chatting about plans for the new year and whatnot.

Towards the end of the night my sister and I put on another experimental film, Santa Sangre. I’m still digesting the strangeness of that movie, I think, so I’ll come back later for a review.

Plans for the Day

The first week of the month features lots of free museum days here in San Francisco so my sister and I are going to take advantage of that. I still haven’t been to the Jewish Museum here so we’re going to go over there and check it out and see some sort of talk about Houdini while we’re there. If we have time, we might go to a different museum that’s also in the area. Tonight we’re meeting some friends for Bring It On The Musical which is certainly going to be as cheesy as it sounds but it should be a lot of fun. I have a good group of friends that I meet up with once or twice a month and it’ll be good to catch up after the holidays.

Tags: #myday, about my life, daily diary entry

As I kick off some new changes and more sharing on this blog, I’ve decided I would like to participate in Happy Homemaker Monday hosted by Diary of a Stay at Home Mom. Here’s my first entry!

The weather:::

This category isn’t likely to change a whole heck of a lot from week to week since the weather in San Francisco is usually between 55 and 7o. Today’s on the chillier end of that.

On my reading pile:::  

I thought I was going to start reading:

But I may start reading this instead:

And I’m going to the library in a few hours so I’ll have more on the list after that.

On my TV:::

I’m doing the indie/ experimental movie thing this month so that’s what I’ll be Netflixing. I am looking forward to the start of Project Runway All Stars. And having some fave shows like Criminal Minds and SVU start up again soon. I also want to watch Living with the Amish, a six part show that I started but haven’t finished.

On the menu for this week:::

I never really plan my meals. I’m currently obsessed with combining different kinds of tea with my coffee so I’ll be doing that. I’ve got some yummy bread that I’ll probably snack on with flavored olive oil. There’s some chicken and tofu that I’ll mix with veggies at some point. We shall see!

On my to do list:::

Lots of blog stuff. Organizing my finances. Cleaning the house. Inventorying my yarn. Decluttering and making a Goodwill drop.

What I am sewing, crocheting, knitting or creating:::

Crocheting a dress without a pattern using an N hook and a lightweight yarn. We’ll see!

Looking around the house:::

Messier than usual. I don’t mind clutter but this is ridiculous!

From the camera:::

Something fun to share:::

Join Me. Learn More Here.

Tags: happy homemaker monday

Photo of Bird of Paradise flower at Getty Museum in LA (2011)

It’s a new day, a new year, a new start. This blog has been many different things over the years but I’m ready for it to become something new once again … A true insight into my mind and thoughts … A record of my journey in this world … A way to track the daily going-on. Let’s get started …

My Day Today

Somehow this day slipped by too fast and now it’s evening. Where did it go?

My little sister is spending the week with me, which is wonderful. We just spent two weeks down in Los Angeles with our brother. The three of us hadn’t been together at the same time in ages so it was really nice to just hang out and talk about all the random stuff that siblings talk about. My sis and I got back here to San Francisco last night and I fell asleep before the new year began so this morning we watched Dick Clark’s show and saw the ball drop after the fact. Whenever my sis is around she always gives me lovely backrubs so I paid it back a little bit with a massage while we watched that.

Me and my sister in LA (2011)

One of my 2012 goals is to go for a walk everyday. I work from home and can go days without leaving my house but I don’t want to keep that up. Plus I want to boost my metabolism and feel more energetic. So we left the house and walked up to the park nearest me. It’s up a hill and has a trail around it so it’s a nice place to go for a quick and easy walk. I got myself a new camera for Christmas. It’s the Nikon J1 and it’s a great camera, much better than any I’ve had in years, so I started playing with that and took some photos at the park. I still have a lot to learn with it to improve my photography skills. After the park we got some quick groceries to stock up the fridge since I’d emptied it before leaving for LA.

The rest of the day has been around-the-house stuff. I’ve got a ton of cleaning and organizing to do, some blogging to catch up on for my main blog (Crochet Concupiscence), some paperwork to take care of, laundry to handle, etc. etc. so I just dug into that for awhile but in a slow-and-easy kind of way. I called my mom early in the day to say happy new year. She was excited because she’d gone to a shop to order a sandwich and the couple behind her in line offered to pay just as a random act of kindness. Those little things do matter. I called my dad on video chat later in the day and we caught up about a documentary I’d told him to check out, Reel Injun, but which I haven’t actually seen myself yet.

What I’m Reading, Watching, Eating Today

Mostly reading crochet blogs because I missed a lot of posts over the weekend but I think before the night’s over I’m going to start reading:

Other than watching the ball drop, so far I’ve just watched some Project Accessory re-runs. I think I’m going to try to watch a different movie genre each month so I am not just watching the same old things all of the time. I haven’t picked my January genre yet but I’m leaning towards indie films with an emphasis on experimental films – something I’ve really never watched and am a little curious about. We’ll see.

My meals today weren’t too exciting so I didn’t take any photos to share. I ate a bagel with cheese for breakfast and Ramen for lunch and haven’t actually had dinner yet although I’m not especially hungry. The one delicious thing I had today was coffee that I brewed with some rose tea leaves in it. Great additional flavor burst. Yum!

Extra Thoughts

It’s such a quiet and lazy and slow day that I can’t say I have any deep thoughts on my mind. I’m trying to get my finances in order because it’s that time of year so I’ve got money on the brain. In 2011 I completely changed my approach to my freelance business so I’m making less money for now and I have to adjust to better budgeting in the new year until things (hopefully) start ramping up again. I am trying to spend less than $1000 per month not counting things like rent and health insurance and although I’m sure a lot of people do it and I certainly know lots of frugality tips, I’m finding the whole idea of it difficult. I already spent $100 today on laundry and groceries and I still need basic cleaning products and computer ink and it’s only the first day of the month. So that’s my big challenge right now.

How Webify Sees Me ...

I had fun taking a short quiz on Webify and then seeing what it had to say about me. Just some kind of silly fun. Here’s what it revealed:

I’m a Pop Magazine

“Why, look at you. Clearly, you bear the mark of The Fierce. You know what’s hot, but rock your own style, and can dance on that fine line that separates dandy from dowdy.”

I think there’s some potential truth in that. I don’t buy trendy but I do like fashion and try to have my own sense of style. I think you feel better when you dress cute.

I Travel my World with Sketchbook

“Entire worlds can be captured within a little sketchbook, worlds both real and imagined. You use many different tools to communicate your vision, Traveler.”

Probably true – I write and crochet and create in a few different ways.

My Puppet is a Monkey

“Everything’s better with a monkey in it. Monkeys are fun, smart, and optimistic. You got this crafty monkey because it reflects your own delightful optimism and playfulness. Or maybe you like bananas?”

Well I definitely don’t like bananas. They are one of the few foods that I absolutely can’t stand in any form. But I am a Monkey in the Chinese Zodiac and I think it’s probably true that I’m fun-loving, smart and usually optimistic.

Letter Game Tiles

“You like your fun and games on a cerebral level. Stretching your mind and beating your friends is as enjoyable to you as zoning out in front of the TV is to the hoi polloi.”

I play Words with Friends and Scrabble on my iPod daily.

I use Safari

Yep. It’s what I prefer although I use Firefox for some things.

I Need a Sweatband

“Let’s go! You’re not one to sit around; you like the active, positive and healthful, in body mind and spirit. And you have the sweaty wrists to prove it.”

This is mixed. I like to walk and hike but I do a lot of sitting around, too. And I probably don’t go out of my way to overexert myself.

And a Silly Band

“You have a bright outlook, flexible attitude, and a kooky sense of aesthetics. You’re probably the type of person that appreciates the use of the word ‘kooky’.”

Agreed.

My Matchbook

“You’re a social vector — verily, you are goal-oriented, outgoing and bold. At last, you’ve collected that number, and you’re gonna use it.”

I think there’s a level of truth to this.

I’m an Action Figure

“A significant cultural heroic icon looms large in your inner nerd psyche. Embrace it. (We really don’t want to get into the whole trademark thing, OK?)”

How fun!

I got a Friendship Bracelet

“Your buddies will be overjoyed to learn that you’ve drawn the Friendship Bracelet. It stands for sociability and your talent for making each friend, online and off, feel special. So very special.”

Aw. I don’t know that this is true. I can flake a lot and not always connect with people as often as I probably ought to. But I do value my close friendships and try to really be there for them.

My Name Tag is Flexible

“Who are you, really? That’s something you can decide, and decide again, and again. Create a persona for each world you live in. Just don’t get confused, or they’ll make a movie about you.”

I don’t have a different persona for different parts of my world. I do, however, believe in the value of regularly reinvent myself in this lifetime.

Lock Master!

“Who has the right combination? You do, for you are the Lock Master — in control and buttoned down, you value security but know when to open up and let loose.”

That’s probably a fair assessment.

Have you been Webified?

Tags: about me, online quiz, webify

The Versatile Blogger award is going around and I’ve received it thrice now, first from YarnBerry and then from Keri at Yarn Dharma and then from Calophi over at Rip It Good. Thanks ladies! I’m cheating a little bit because these gals gave me the award for my crochet blog, Crochet Concupiscence, but I wanted to post my own post over here. That’s because I’m always constantly linking to crochet blogs and I wanted to showcase some of my favorite non-crochet blogs with this award.

Versatile Blogger Award

So … this award works in three steps.

• Thank the person who gave the award and link back to them in your post.
• Share 7 things about yourself.
• Pass this award along to 15 recently discovered blogs.

7 Random Things About Me

Tags: more about me, versatile blogger

Today is brought to you by the letter M. Still plodding along the A-Z Blogging Challenge and although I haven’t written every day (see yesterday’s post!) I’ve definitely been updating this blog more than before which makes me happy. Today I’ll tell you all about my birthday via the letter M.

M was for Makeup and Hair

The first thing I did was to go get my haircut. It was getting really shaggy and I wasn’t feeling cute at all. Sometimes it just takes a nice haircut to spruce up the ego a bit, doesn’t it? I used to really hate getting my hair cut. I could never find a salon I liked and I never knew what to do with my hair but a couple of years ago I discovered Erika over at Red Union Salon. I adore her. She’s this statuesque redheaded beauty with a great sense of style and terrific creative flair. Her salon doubles as an art gallery and I always feel comfy and happy there. We dyed my hair glossy black (usually I go with a reddish or purplish brown but felt like being bolder for my birthday) and exaggerated the short asymmetrical cut that I already had.

While I was over there I stopped into Sephora to get some makeup. I don’t wear much makeup – just some lipstick and some stuff on my eyes. If I was better at putting it on I might wear more but I don’t care enough to learn and I’m happy with what I usually get. I was almost out of both lipstick and eyeliner so I decided to go to Sephora. I got two shades of lipstick (a red to go with my sassy black hair and a brownish red like I usually get), a glittery eyeliner and a regular eyeliner, an eyeshadow pencil because I wanted to try something new and then some face wash (two kinds – one powder exfoliator and one foaming kind). Because it was my birthday they gifted me with a vanilla birthday cake scented body wash that smells yummy.

Then …

M was for Mission

The makeup and hair happened during the day before my birthday. That evening my boyfriend came over and we went over to the Mission where we went to a taqueria and then over to a burlesque show. I adore burlesque. It’s campy and sassy and sexy and silly and adorable and fun. The show was a couple hours long and it was really creative and funny – an Easter-themed burlesque performance with jazzy music accompaniment and some bad comedy. All in all a good night.

Oh … and

M was also for Ms. Pacman

The bar we went to had two different versions – a stand up and a sit down – and I played both of them. I didn’t do my best because the controller was sticking (figures since the thing is inside a bar!) but I did beat the high score on the sit down one. It was the faster of the two. I only really do good at the fast Ms. Pacman and I’m pretty much a master at it if I do say so myself.

The next day, my actual birthday …

M was for Monterey

We drove a couple of hours down the coast to Monterey. I’d only been there once before (we had stopped previously on our way back from a trip down to San Luis Obispo where I went four wheeling for the first time and loved it!). I wanted to go whale watching for my birthday but it ended up raining on us so we didn’t do that. Still, we went and spent several hours at the Monterey Aquarium, which was cool. We saw feedings for the otters and penguins but my favorite rooms were the jellyfish room and the seahorse room. My favorite all time creature is the leafy sea dragon and they had several gorgeous ones to look at. They also had the not-quite-as-coolpbut-still-magnificent weedy sea dragon and lots of various types of seahorses (such as the potbelly seahorse). Good times.

Finally, we went to a yarn store where

M was for Malabrigo

A brand of yarn that a lot of people had mentioned last month during Knit and Crochet Blog Week and that I wanted to try for myself. I got a gorgeous blue-grey color of that and several skeins of Lorna’s Laces, another soft brand I haven’t tried before. So I was happy. Good birthday for me.

M is a happy letter.

Tags: a-z blogging challenge

J is for Just

as in I am just here to let you know

that

K is for Kathryn

and how her birthday was yesterday

which is why

L is for Late!

I’m not really around, yet, to be staying on top of my posts.

However,

I’ll be back tomorrow with a long, detailed post for M

that includes science stuff, birthday stuff and fiber arts fun!

Tags: a-z blogging challenge