The Week in Glue

Here's what's keeping my soul glued this week:

Beverage: G&T with Citadel gin. Dee-licious.

Reading: I am in the home stretch of Cape Cod. I'm trying to decide if I should read another historical fiction novel next, or if I should dive into a fantasy series. All of this might depend upon what is available at the library.

Watching: My guilty pleasure prime time cable TV shows have started up again (Scandal!). I am sorry to say that I continue to watch Once Upon a Time, which is a poorly written and just plain horrible show. While watching it recently, I told Erik, "I want to projectile vomit. But I can't stop watching it." He doesn't really understand this--why would I watch something that's awful? Part of it is that I root for the villains (Destroy, Regina, destroy!) because the good guy characters are painfully saccharine and annoying. A second reason is that the little girl part of my brain has been programmed to want to watch Disney fairy tales. The third reason is that it makes me laugh because, well, because it is so bad (Hey Emma Swan: You're hooking up with a dude who has a big hook hand named CAPTAIN HOOK). Ok, I think I'm done with my TV rant of the week.

Listening (New category!): I do a lot of singing throughout the day for Gabe, but I also try to have him listen to different kinds of music. In general, I am not a fan of children's music because it grates on my brain. HOWEVER, there is a blog called ZooGlobble that reviews kid's music. I've learned about some fun (and not annoying to listen to) children's music artists. Last week, Gabe and I started listening to a band we learned about from ZooGlobble called The Pop-Ups. There is a song on their album, Appetite for Construction, called "Craft Night." Done and done.

Nickname for Gabe: Goofer. The kid is seriously a major goof. I love it.

Way to Waste Time on the Internet: I love to look at pictures of abandoned buildings. I think it's because of the creepiness factor. As Halloween is approaching, let's embrace the creepy!

Etsy Shop Update: It's taken me a little while, but I finally put together packaging for cowls and other snuggly items soon to be sold in my Etsy shop. I have also added a few pairs of earrings! Check out  the shop to see what's new. Here's a sample below:

A snuggly cowl awaits inside!

Vintage stainless steel buttons and marble rectangles.

Black, silver, and mother of pearl vintage buttons and silver hoops.

Around the House: I need to clean. My craft room is a disaster area. Also, Gabe has another cold, so that is (not) fun.

Craft Idea: I am preparing to make Gabe's Halloween costume. Here is a hint for what he will be:

!!!!! Source.

Things I'm Liking as I Type: That I was able to type this post in the morning instead of rushing to get it done tonight!

What's keeping your soul glued this week?

The Week in Glue

Here's what's keeping my soul glued this week:

Beverage: Pumpkin flavored coffee is still in the lead with seltzer filling in the gaps. I almost ran away with a pallet of Polar seltzer this afternoon at the grocery store. My plan was to toss Gabe on top of the pallet and then mow down some old ladies to get to the door, but I chickened out at the last second.

Watching: I've put Sesame Street on for Gabe before dinner time the past few days so that I can get food, etc. together. It streams on Hulu, which is handy. On Saturday, Erik was sitting with Gabe as "Elmo's World" started. "Elmo's World" is basically Elmo bopping around in front of a green screen with his friends. It's cute. However, this episode of "Elmo's World" was about skin. Yes: Skin. Kids need to learn about skin. That is useful. Books made of skin that have chats with Elmo are just CREEPY. I yelled at Elmo not to read from the skin-covered book, for fear of his raising the Evil Dead.

See? It's totally the same book! Source

Elmo is talking to the Necronomicon. Source

Reading: I'm halfway through Cape Cod. I'm learning all kinds of history about Cape Cod. For instance, I learned that the descendants of the Mayflower love to have sexy times all the time. Who knew, right?! I now know why my mom "read it twice." Oh, Mom.

Nickname for Gabe: Yo-ChiChi, as in Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by the Flaming Lips. I change up the lyrics to be more applicable to Gabe's life: "His name is Yo-ChiChi. He's a black belt in pooping..." (It's classy up in this house.)

Way to Waste Time on the Internet: Lose yourself to Apartment Therapy's Before & After page.

Etsy Shop Progress: Today I ordered the paper that I want to use to wrap the crochet items I'm planning on selling. I should have some pictures of the packaging next week.

Around the House: The worst of Gabe's cold seems to be over (knock on wood). YAYYYY!!! Also, I made cookies today. They are tasty.

Craft Idea: I've been slowly, slowly working on infinity scarves that I would like to sell in my shop. Here is one that I finished yesterday:

This scarf is made of an acrylic and wool blend yarn that has tiny silver metallic pieces woven into it. 

Things that I'm Liking as I Type: When I'm done this post, I am rewarding myself with tea and cookies.

What's keeping your soul glued this week?

The Week in Glue

Here's what's keeping my soul glued this week:

Beverage: Pumpkin flavored coffee. I ran out of it this morning, but Erik picked more up this afternoon. He is a good husband. (oxox Erik)

Watching: Erik and I began watching Archer a few days ago. I'd started it a while back, but then became distracted by...what? Other TV? Who knows. In any event, Archer is hilarious, raunchy fun.

Reading: Finished The Republic of Thieves. Next up: Cape Cod, an epic novel about two Cape families who date back to the Mayflower. I'm liking it quite a bit so far, as it's satisfying my inner historical fiction geek.

Nickname for Gabe: ChiChi-Bacca. Erik gets the cred for this one.

A mere sample of how you will soon be wasting time on the internet. Source.

Way to Waste Time on the Internet: omg THIS.

Etsy Shop Progress: Half of the a-Pair-a-Day earrings have sold! I know! Nuts! I am flattered, jazzed, and excited to fill the shop with many more goods over the coming months.

Around the House: Gabe has been suffering from a cold for the past few days, which has meant limited sleep for the grown-ups of the house. Last night, however, the ChiChi allowed us to get six consecutive hours of sleep! It's amazing the housework you can get done when you're not exhausted.

Craft Idea: Meh. I have not followed through with my image transfer plans. However, I did purchase shrinkable plastic that can be used with inkjet printers. All of those words basically stand for shrinky dinks. My plan is to do a Throwback Thursday Craft-a-Long post next month using said plastic. If you can't wait until then (heh), check out this link from the PhotoJojo Blog for a great tutorial.

Snuggly Leelu.

Things that I'm Liking as I Type: Leelu is snuggled next me me. Also, Bebe decided not to jump on top of the stack of folded towels at my feet. Good choice, Bebe, good choice.

What's keeping your soul glued this week?

Throwback Thursday Craft-a-Long: 1970s Hairband Love

It's time again for an old timey craft made new! Last time, I futzed with salt dough, creating beads (eventually earrings), ornaments, and baby hand prints. This time, I am throwing it back to my mom's amazing 1970s The Family Crochet Book. This book, published in 1971, is a wealth of fabulous crochet clothing items, doilies, and pillow shams. I wanted to crochet one of the larger projects featured in the book, but due to time (and baby) constraints, I chose one of the simpler patterns, a headband (called "hairband" in the book). Before I get to the hairband, I need to feature some of the designs (that my mom actually made!) from the book. Enjoy!

My mother told me that she crocheted one of these bikinis.
I want to know how these things would keep their shape and not just fall
off in the water. Maybe that was the point? Scandalous!

Again, the shape keeping issue. I really want those white pants, though, with their flairy bottoms.

This book doesn't just have clothing for ladies, it has clothing for gentlemen, too! I wonder
 how Erik would feel if he received this number as his Christmas present this year? Hmmm...

1970s=Ponchos.

Ok, so this is actually something I would make for the ChiChi. Very cute.

Now that I have immersed you in 1970s crochet, here is the story of what I made. The pattern can be used for a hairband or a watchstrap. Upon reading the instructions, I had a few questions. For yarn weight, I reviewed the "notes on wools and yarns, page 22," but found that information rather useless to me. I don't think Sirdar yarn still exists, and it was difficult to translate what the book meant by the weights it listed. The first yarn I chose, which I thought was 4-ply, ended up being too thick. I then looked through my yarns again, locating the least bulky weight I could find. The yarn I found was a lovely alpaca fiber that my friend, Kerry, gave me (ohhhhhhhh, two years ago??) so that I could make something for her. (I bet she didn't think it would take me this long to quite screwing around and put something together!)

Ok, so I had the yarn and hook in hand. I proceeded to read through the directions. A few issues caught my attention. First, "miss 3 ch." After rereading this a few times, I grocked that this must mean "skip 3 ch." Next, "ending with 3 ch." In present day crochet speak, that would mean that you finish the row by making 3 chains and/or stitches. In this pattern, it means that you skip the last three chains and slip stitch into the last chain. The other unique problem I ran into with this pattern was what it mean by a treble stitch. The treble stitch it provides instructions for in the early pages of the book is actually what I would make as a double stitch. When I finally had all of these idiosyncrasies ironed out, I began work on the hairband.

Hey! It looks similar to the picture! I quickly realized that the yarn I was using was still took thick. I decided to eliminate the need for elastic, which simplified the steps need to complete the pattern in the long run.

Early on I became distracted by this picture, which is above the hairband example. I wanted those loafers and that cat.

Ta-da! Finished hairband! It looks pretty cute, and I think Kerry will like it. Thanks 1970s Family Crochet!

Glamour, glamour. ox

The Week in Glue

The Etsy shop has been open for one week, and I've been enjoying every minute of it. Sales have been good, and I have received some helpful feedback. I've continued to work on new pairs to list. Keep reading below and see some sneak peaks!

Other than the shop happenings, here's what's keeping my soul glued this week:

Beverage: I picked up Newman's Own pomegranate lemonade last week--yum! Also, pumpkin beer is now in season--yum, yum, yum!

Watching: I finally got around to watching The Social Network, and now I feel dirty for using Facebook. (Misogyny + Greed = Gross.) Erik and I also watched Cabin in the Woods, which was far more enjoyable than The Social Network. (Classic Horror Themes + Elder Gods = Awesome.)

Reading: Almost done with The Republic of Thieves; just 30 more pages to go. One of the major things I like about the Gentleman Bastard series is its portrayal of women. There is overall gender equality in the world in which the books take place--women do all of the things that men do, and no characters are surprised by that. It's refreshing. Also, women don't have to act like men in order to be taken seriously. That standard doesn't even exist in the books' universe. Again: Refreshing.

Nickname for Gabe: ChiChi Bubba.

Way to Waste Time on the Internet: Erik just introduced me to this. Thanks, Commander Riker!

Etsy Shop Progress: Here are some sneak peaks of earrings to be listed this week, as well as an early cowl design:

Sea glass, silver-plated wire, and stainless steel ear wires.

Vintage silver-plated buttons turned studs with added paper detail.

Vintage star silver-plated buttons turned studs.

Vintage white and turquoise button studs.

Oxidized copper discs.

And more oxidized copper discs...

And some more...

What a snuggly cowl! (Also, I feel like there's some crazy Pieta shit happening in this picture,
so I will now make fun of myself with the following two pictures.

Thanks, Ash!

This unicorn is jumping into my ear.

Around the House: We have a bunch of apples that have seen better days, and I'm thinking of making a pie out of them--maybe even making pie crust from scratch! We shall see how the week progresses.

Craft Idea: I'm continuing to toss around the idea of image transfers on earrings, and I experimented a bit with this last week. My experiment failed. BUT. I now have some photocopies, which should work better in the transfer process. Maybe next week, I'll have some new image transfer earrings to list. 

Things that I'm Liking as I Type: Gabe is smiling at me and pounding on the gate across the hall.

What's keeping your soul glued this week?

New Pair: Burst

Yesterday, I visited my mom on Cape Cod. I went to pick up lunch for us and....got distracted. To be fair, there is a GIANT antique shop across the street from the take-out place, so how could I resist? I walked in the door, turned right, and found a basket of vintage buttons. It was like Christmas. I located these fabulous flower clasps, featured in this pair of earrings, that reminded me of a sun burst--they are vibrant, flashy, and should probably be worn with big hair. And now for the details:

These one-of-a-kind earrings feature vintage brass flower beads, which were formerly a clasp. I removed the clasp hooks on the backs of the flowers, sanding down the rough edges. These earrings have been cleaned up and polished to the best of my ability, but due to age, they show some signs of weathering. Please note that the backs of the flowers have spots where the metal has tarnished or scrapped. The ear wires are gold-plated stainless steel. This pair measures approximately 2.5 inches in length.

To purchase these earrings, and other fabulous pairs like them, check out my Etsy shop, SoulGlue Crafts.

The Week in Glue: THE SHOP IS OPEN!

My Etsy shop is now open for business! And it feels a bit surreal. Having this shop has been something I've wanted for years. Whatever happens, I feel so happy that it's finally here.

I decided to cut my a-Pair-a-Day Project two days short in order to give myself extra time to work on my shop listings. All-in-all, I made 52 pairs of earrings. Fifty pairs are currently for sale in the shop. (I need to fix the remaining two.) It was challenging to make each pair, take pictures, edit the pictures, and write a post about them every night, but it was worth it--Not only to get back into the routine of making creative projects regularly, but also to get back into blogging regularly. Moving forward, I plan to do more weekly blog features, such as the Throwback Thursday Craft-a-Long. In addition, the shop listings will be expanding to include necklaces, cowls, and yoga mat bags (I just need to make them). 

Other than my excitement about my shop finally opening, here's what's keeping my soul glued this week:

Beverage: Reading the word "beverage" just reminded me that I needed to drink something other than coffee. I am now drinking Georgia Peach Polar Seltzer. As it is now September, my guess is that my love of seltzer will transition to my love of pumpkin-flavored beverages.

Watching: Catch and Release was a hands-down horrible movie. The plot was meandering, and the characters were poorly developed. The best part of the movie was the first 1-2 minutes--and then it turned to crap. After it was done, I bemoaned the two hours of my life that I would never get back. Why did we watch it to the end, you ask? I don't know. I just don't know. To counteract that film's awfulness, I watched The Spoils of Babylon on Netflix. That miniseries is hilarious. Even if you don't care for satire, just watch it to see the amazing wigs donned by Kristen Wiig.

This is how I felt after watching Catch and Release. Source.

Reading: I'm two-thirds of the way through The Republic of Thieves. I've been reading the Gentleman Bastard series all summer, and I'm starting to feel sad that it's ending. I think I just need to find a new series to take me through the fall.

Nickname for Gabe: I'm stealing Erik's nickname for Gabe, which is ChiChi Solo. Yes, a mash-up of Chichi and Han Solo.

Look out, ChiChi Solo! Jabba the Hutt is right behind you!

Way to Waste Time on the Internet: This is a classic. I wish my cats would let me dress them in costumes so that they could then ride around on robots.

Etsy Shop Progress: Sweet Bill Shatner, the shop is open!

Around the House: Childproofing. I have never been so excited about baby gates as I am right now.

Craft Idea: I have a bunch of copper plates, which were given to me by a good friend. I've been exploring the idea of how to alter their color and add hammered texture to them.

Things that I'm Liking as I Type: The end of summer sound of cicadas; how Erik doesn't have to work on Labor Day.

What's keeping your soul glued this week?