Mused

Weird things we do at restaurants

2012-02-17T07:45:00.000-06:00

I get a little fidgety when I get bored or nervous. Or when my meal is over and we're still sitting around talking. I don't know what it is, but we've managed to leave some interesting things for those who had the pleasure, or pain, of serving my friends and I.

The kiddo and I went out to eat with a friend (not romantic) on Valentine's Day. We brought cards and talked and ate and had a pretty good time. When we were getting ready to go, my son requested a ninja star. My friend has recently learned how to make ninja stars and has made a ton of them.

I, of course, suddenly remembered the second placemat hadn't been used at all. I couldn't have that! So I made a Swedish heart by tearing paper. I'm pretty pleased with it given that I had no scissors and only used my hands. The kiddo colored the paper so you can't see how it's woven that well.

Halfway through, my friend was said, "You could just quill a heart instead."

Not to be outdone, I decided to put my tip money in my woven heart.

More tips for the waitress.

Procrastinators of the World Unite.... Tomorrow!

2012-02-15T08:17:00.001-06:00

I'm a terrible procrastinator when it comes to writing. I have a plan, but things always get in the way of my plan, or I find myself staring out the window for the entire time. My many writing plans have gone out the window to never return. How am I supposed to get writing done if I can't sit down and write?

The Renegade Writer tells me this is okay. Well, sort of. An article I read a while back states that as long as you are getting your projects done on time, don't force the writing. There's a definite emphasis on getting things done, though, just taking the writing as it comes to you. It still involves planning and editing and all the stuff that makes up writing, but the article just states to write when you feel like it. If you have a writing date scheduled for Thursday afternoon and on Wednesday morning the writing bug bites you, then write. If on Thursday writing feels like pulling teeth, then don't.

If I was free to write whenever the mood struck me, this would be great for me. And it slightly relieves some of my self-guilt about not following a writing schedule. A part of my plan has always been to write when I feel the words coming on. As long as I make my deadlines, it shouldn't matter too much when I write.

The main problem with my writing plans is that I have no enforced deadlines. Any suggestions?

Clothing oh my!

2012-02-10T08:40:00.002-06:00

As I've mentioned before, I went and joined the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) recently. Not only did I give up free time and brain space for the SCA, but I went and infected a friend and my sister with it. Last weekend, my sister went to her first event and had a blast. Before she could go, however, we had to make her some clothes.

A friend forwarded me an awesome pattern generator for the inner layer/chemise/slip/smock. We thought my sister might be able to get a hold of some loaner garb, but it fell through. Instead, we used the same pattern to make an over dress to go along with the smock. This pattern is amazingly easy to follow and fits pretty well. My sister was complaining halfway through the day that it was actually too loose, so we will have to add in some lacing to the back or something else to keep it in place.

While we were there, the wonderful lady we stayed with managed to convince us to participate in the memorial portion of the Walk Through History, a historical fashion show. Well, my sister really didn't need convincing, but me going out and having people stare at what I'm wearing? Not the best situation. But we made it through it and I am very glad I was able to help a new friend honor someone she deeply cared about.

While I managed to snap photos of my sister, I failed, once again, to get pictures of my own garb. Here is a quick and dirty photo I wrangled up.

Now I have to finalize plans for my next set of garb. Mwahaha... ahem.

Write it down... Or Else

2012-02-08T08:09:00.001-06:00

I'm terrible about remembering things. In the middle of my ride to work, I can have five ideas, but if they aren't written down, I lose them. I can have whole stories run through my head while washing the dishes, but if I don't stop and write notes, I'll never be able to remember them.

Scratch paper, notebooks, and white boards are my friends. They may be scattered through the house or buried in a pile, but they are still places I can take notes and wedge my memory of an idea a little further into the Swiss cheese of my mind. Sometimes I can remember the idea without ever looking at the note. It seems like once I commit to remembering it, it sticks. Other times, I don't even fully remember writing the note.

Have you ever thought to yourself, "Brain, just what the hell are you doing?"

Next time, take notes on how you respond. You might need it later. :)

Imbolc and Writing

2012-02-01T08:21:00.001-06:00

Today is Imbolc by the Pagan Calendar. It is a day to celebrate the fires of the goddess Brigid, patron of poets, smiths, and healers. Today is the feast of St. Brigid, by the Catholic calendar. It is a day to celebrate the patron of poets, smiths, healers, and more.

There are cyberspace poetry readings in honor the Goddess and Saint going on all day. While I am mostly Hellenic in my religion, I can't turn down a goddess of poetry now, can I?

Here is a poem by William Stafford, titled When I Met My Muse.

I glanced at her and took my glasses
off--they were still singing. They buzzed
like a locust on the coffee table and then
ceased. Her voice belled forth, and the
sunlight bent. I felt the ceiling arch, and
knew that nails up there took a new grip
on whatever they touched. "I am your own
way of looking at things," she said. "When
you allow me to live with you, every
glance at the world around you will be
a sort of salvation." And I took her hand.

Junk and more Junk

2012-01-30T08:49:00.001-06:00

I played with junk this weekend. While I wish I had been on a boat in the West Indies, it was the other definition that I was surrounded with.

First, I went through my stash, looking for material to make up some basic garb for my sister. Then, I want to a junk journal workshop hosted by my local arts group, Ames C.art, and a friend of mine, Kaotic Krafter.

It’s workshops like that one that remind me of why I keep some of the random stuff around. It’s amazing what a little glue and creativity can do to magazine pages, leftover pieces of wallpaper, and old lined paper. From out of a box of thing that most people would have picked up and trashed as junk, I created an inspiration journal for writing.

It was a reminder that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What I think of as junk is the height of beauty or use to someone else. Everyone has different priorities and ways of looking at things. I cannot dismiss something for someone else the way I would for myself.

I hope I remember that.

A New Needle BookI

2012-01-27T10:59:00.000-06:00

My house has been invaded by needles. What started out as a meager collection of simple needles appropriate to a new sewer grew when I was given a needle book several years ago. That needle book had large eyes, blunt tips, and curved needles, all of which quickly became my favorite. Recently, I think I have quadrupled the amount of needles in my house with the collection from my grandfather’s late girlfriend. Then, I went and bought longer needles for weaving.

Where do I put all these needles? How do I remember where I put them?

I take a great idea and make it better.

Remember that needle book I mentioned? It was a small thing made of plastic canvas with a thinner strap to hold it closed. The large needles it came with barely fit in it, and the strap long ago fell off. So I made a new, larger version.

My new purple, white, and black needle book. Yes, it looks blue, but I swear it's purple.

Plastic Canvas Needle Book

Supplies:

Plastic canvas

Yarn

Yarn needle

Felt

Sewing thread

Needle

Scissors

1 – Decide on the size you want your needle book. I took my largest needle and laid it sideways on my cutting mat to get a feel for how big I needed it. Once you have a basic idea, consult your plastic canvas and design idea. Count out the squares and see if your design idea will work. You may need to add more or less. My needle book was twenty five squares high by twenty squares wide.

2 – Cut your plastic canvas into five pieces using your measurements.

You will need:

2 main pieces for covers (twenty five squares by twenty squares)

1 piece for the spine – Make this piece as tall as your cover but only a few squares wide. (Twenty five squares by two squares)

1 piece for strap – This piece should be as wide as your cover plus spine but only a few squares tall. (Twenty two by three)

1 piece for the buckle (what holds the strap in place) – this should be about double the height of your strap. (Seven by five)

3 – Decorate your canvas with yarn. I chose to do a checked pattern with an outline (see below for instruction type things). You could make it all one color, use stripes, whatever you wish your needle book to look like. Use one continuous piece of yarn if possible. If you do, you have less ends to worry about. The inner side will be covered when done.

4 – Edge your canvas. Pull your yarn up through one square and go over the edge of the canvas to come up through the next square. Repeat this around the entire canvas to cover the edges. When you are finished, weave in your end.

5 – Adding the strap. On your back piece, center the end of your strap and hold in place. Use your needle and thread to sew through the canvas to anchor your strap. You could use yarn, but I like to use thread to make sure it is secure.

6 – Add your buckle. Lay out your front and back piece with a gap the size of your spine between them. Center your buckle and move it slightly forward on your front piece over the strap. Make sure you put the strap beneath the buckle. The strap will cause the buckle to, well, buckle a bit. You will want to keep that arch as you sew. Sew down the top and bottom ends of the buckle with thread. Go over the ends several times to secure.

7 – Add the spine. Lay out your front and back piece on either side of your spine. This time, use your edging yarn to whipstitch the spine to one of the covers. Run your thread to the other side and whipstitch the other cover to the spine. Tie off your yarn and weave in the end.

8 – Cut one to three pieces of felt just slightly smaller than the laid out book. One piece will be sewn to the covers. Any additional pieces of felt will become the pages of your book. My original needle book did not have additional pages. I added two extra pieces of felt to this new book.

9 – If you have additional pages, stack all your felt pieces together and line them up. Find the center of the stack and sew down the length of it, creating a ‘book’ of felt.

10 – Putting it all together. Center your pages in the middle of your spine. Use thread to sew the bottom piece of felt to the cover. Follow the edge and stretch your felt slightly if needed. I went in and out along the first row of the plastic canvas. When finished, knot and bury your thread.

11 – Put your needles in their new home!

Now my large needles don't have to live in a plastic exile from all the others!

For the Checked pattern:

Columns are vertical.

Rows are horizontal.

With Yarn One, start at the second square down (first column, second row) and pull the yarn up and then down through the second square across (second column, first row). Move to the third square down and repeat until you have yarn through the fifth squares (first column, fifth square and fifth column, first square). Now, instead of moving down, you will move over. Pull the yarn up through the second square in the fifth row (second column, fifth row) and down through the second square of the fifth column (fifth column, second row). Continue through the third and fourth squares (fourth column, fourth square and fifth column, fourth square). You have completed one square! Move over five columns and continue.

With Yarn Two, repeat the same pattern above except begin at the opposite corner and move backward. This varies the angle of the yarn.

With Yarn Three, begin at the space between the colors (column five, first square). Pull your yarn up through column five, first square and down through column six, first square. Pull the yarn back up through column five, first square and down through column six, second square. Pull yarn up through column five, second square and down column six, third square. Continue until you reach the end of the canvas. Pull the yarn up through the last empty square and down through the square across from it, repeating what you started with. Repeat this between all your squares.

Reading to Write

2012-01-25T08:03:00.006-06:00

There are loads of books about writing out on the market today. Go check out the reference section in your book store or search through your library. There is a book for almost every topic you need help with. Sorting through them may take some time, but I’ve found a few gems tucked in the shelves.

One of my favorite books is The Poetry Home Repair Manual by Ted Kooser. Reading this book totally changed the way I write poetry. It was like I found the missing piece of my writing in these pages. I’m not saying this just because he is from my home state, although it might have factored into the reason I picked up his book in the first place.

One of the first books I ever read about poetry, outside of school, was The Poet’s Companion by Kim Addonizio and Dorianne Laux. I recently received my own copy of this book through Paperback Swap. It’s been ages since I’ve read it, but I can’t wait to tuck back into the pages. There are exercises and writing prompts spread throughout the book.

What are some of your favorite books on writing?

Stash Diving

2012-01-24T08:29:00.002-06:00

I have a huge stash of random crafty bits in my house. I have some organized in my hallway closet, and I have some taking up half the room in my storage area. As I am trying to minimize the stuff in my house, my stash has been driving me crazy. It’s somewhat unorganized and full of random bits I’m not sure I will ever use.

I thought I should throw away those old brown envelopes; I’m not going to do anything with them. I’ve used several in the last week to create templates for sewing projects.

I thought, I’m never going to do anything with plastic canvas, why am I keeping this? I just made a new needle case and plan to make at least one more for the ArtVend.

Of course, I also suffer from ‘Man, why did I throw that away?’ disease. Whenever I finally get rid of an item, I find myself in a position where I really need that item.

Am I a hoarder? Yes and no. I do have a stash, but I have a healthy relationship with my trash can. Not everything goes in my stash, regardless of what it looks like. I have a stash of envelopes leftover from when I was going to turn them all into scrap paper notebooks. I think a good chunk of that stash will go with me to a junk journal workshop. I have plastic canvas that came from my great grandmothers stash and in a set of stuff from Freecycle. I do use my stash and it’s slowly getting smaller or staying the same size. My crafting tastes are just so widely spread, it’s hard not to have a large stash.

What do you do to keep your stash under control?

Handsewing a removable pocket

2012-01-20T08:50:00.002-06:00

Taking pictures is not my strong suit, as I’m sure any follower of mine knows. :) Lately, I’ve been pretty bad about taking in progress and final pictures of my projects. Today is no exception.

Recently, I’ve joined the SCA – Society for Creative Anachronism. Part of the Society is dressing up in something that would have been worn before 1600. My current chosen period and place is Venice, Italy, around 1500AD. Venetian dresses have a high waistline, like an empire waist, that I love. The bad thing about them, though, is that it’s hard to put a pouch on your belt when it’s not on your hips.

I’m sure it can be done, and if I ever get a leather belt instead of my cloth one, it might hold up. So after having a pouch on my wrist get in my way the whole time I was at an event, I did some more research and finally got around to making a Saccoccia, or a pocket.

These pockets were often times hidden beneath the outer gown rather and reached through the slits on the skirts.

My plan is to tie this to the bottom of my bodice lacings so it is supported without having a belt around my waist. My outer gown doesn’t have a side slit, but it is slit in the front. I will just have to pull the fabric back to reach my pocket. I will plan for pocket slits in my next set of garb. I had already planned on making an outer gown open on the sides anyway.

My sewing machine is broken again, so everything was handstitched.

To make the pocket:

1 - Trace the bottom of a salad plate and use a ruler to extend straight lines up how far up you want the pocket to go.

2 - Cut out your pattern and cut two outer pieces and two lining pieces. Mine were both from my stash.

3 – Cut a line in the template from the center down to about the middle of the pocket. You want to be able to get your hand in the slit. Use the template to mark a line down one of your lining pieces, on the wrong side, to show where the slit goes.

4 – Pin the lining with the marked line and one outer fabric right sides together and stitch around the marked line. I left a little bit of room around the line for cutting and turning, but not much.

5 – Once done sewing, cut down the marked line with scissors, making a Y shape at the bottom.

6 – Turn the piece so the right sides are out and iron the piece.

7 – I button-hole stitched around the opening to hold it together. You could couch a piece of cord instead of button-holing it.

8 – Pin the lining fabrics, right sides together, and stitch around the whole lining. You should leave a spot at the bottom open for turning the pocket when you are done. I didn’t and forgot to leave one anywhere else, so I had to tear out part of my stitching.

9 – Fold the lining up and out of the way and pin the outer pieces together, right sides together. Stitch around the entire edge.

10 – Clip the corners of your pocket and the round edge like normal before turning it right sides out.

11 – Sew up your turning hole

12 – Sew a belt or ties onto the top edge of the pocket.

13 – Carry around your stuff in style!

Here is the outside fabric before I added the button-holing around the slit. And the last picture I thought to take.

Here are a couple great resources for the Saccoccia:

Kat's Florence Files

A Renaissance Saccoccia

SOPA / PIPA Blackout

2012-01-18T07:50:00.000-06:00

I'm not techie enough to black out my website, nor do I have enough time. But I stand in support of those who are blacking out their sites in order to protest the SOPA / PIPA laws making their way through Congress. From what I gather, these bills will shut down sites large and small at the faintest whiff of copyright infringement, putting the blame on the site, not the poster.

Why is that a problem?

Say someone comes here to my blog and posts a link to a pirate site. By that link existing on my page, my site can be shut down and I am held responsible for promoting copyright infringement.

Youtube, Google, Craigslist, Reddit, any site where there is user submitted content is in danger if these laws get passed. Hell, any site where comments are allowed are in danger.

Check out these sites for more information.
SOPA Blackout
Wiki explains the Blackout

My nose is running away with me

2012-01-17T09:48:00.000-06:00

Douglas Adams once wrote in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy:

In the beginning, the universe was created.

This made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move. Many races believe it was created by some sort of god, but the Jatravartid people of Viltvodle VI firmly believed that the entire universe was, in fact, sneezed out of the nose of a being called the Great Green Arkleseizure.

The Jatravartids, who lived in perpetual fear of the time they called "The Coming of the Great White Handkerchief" were small, blue creatures with more than fifty arms each. They were therefore unique in being the only race in history to have invented the aerosol deodorant before the wheel.

The Jatravartids would not like to hang around me. I have two white handkerchiefs in my coat pocket, another in my pants pocket, and a stack of them freshly laundered and ready to be used.

I’m thinking I need to embroider ‘Don’t Panic’ on one of them. Or little blue creatures in the corners.

Getting Scheduled

2012-01-13T08:21:00.000-06:00

I have been puttering around with getting my schedule ready for the 2012 year. I have been looking for the right form, the right calendar, and the right way to put it all together. I finally found a form that laid out a week on two pages without a lot of extra stuff I don't need. The form I found has two spots for each day, so I could list appointments and my to do list.

I added to that monthly calendars, a wonderful plain budget form, and a grocery list. I didn't leave much space for notes, but that's what I have a notebook for.

I printed out all the pages in a booklet form of about four pages for each signature. Each page is an 8.5 x 11 inch regular printer paper. Folded in half, it becomes a 5.5 x 8.5 booklet. I bound the signatures together using cotton thread and wrapping them around cords for extra support. The cords went through a hole in the cover, were unraveled, and were glued to the inside cover.

I haven't added extra support between the cords yet, and I haven't covered the book to make it look all nice and pretty.

But right now it works and it keeps all my pages in one place.

Writing in the morning

2012-01-11T07:52:00.000-06:00

I'm habitually late getting out of bed. My downstairs neighbor probably hates the fact that I have to set three alarms on two different machines to make sure I wake up in the morning...and it doesn't always work. I would love to one day wake up early before work, sit down at my computer, and start writing. Every once in a while I manage that task on weekends, but weekdays? It's just not happening right now.

I do, however, write in the morning.

At seventy miles an hour, surrounded by six to ten other people in the van pool, on the interstate, I write. My bag sits on my knees, my notebook is propped open on my bag, a light is on over my head, and I try to feel when the bumps are coming so as to not scrawl all over my page. Most of my recent poetry has begun on the long stretch of interstate that takes me to work.

Things constantly go by outside the windows. The fields go from winter desolation to spring electricity to falls harvest. A different set of cars and drivers goes by everyday. It's the same, yet different, every time I pass. All of that gets written down in my notebook.

When I get home, I can leaf through my notebook and distill the scrawl of my journeys into moving poetry.

All because I write in the morning.

"... Although I do not know the way"

2012-01-09T13:44:00.002-06:00

I met some new friends this weekend, and was inspired to pick up the actual Lord of the Rings books. I've seen the movies, several times, and the kiddo adores them. But I've never read the books. I have read the Hobbit, but that's as far as I've gotten.

Listening to these new friends talk about their love for the series made me want to see what the fuss was all about. I love when that sort of thing happens. People are so enthusiastic about their chosen love that they share it with others who end up feeling the same way.

Of course, I lost quite a bit of my geek points by not having read the books and asking questions, but I will regain them!

Do I get extra points for raising a geek?

Create: Glue those pages!

2012-01-06T08:55:00.002-06:00

Is one of your resolutions this year to stay organized? Or to reduce waste? Or upcycle? Even if you didn't make any resolutions, check out this post for a quick and easy way to reuse your scrap paper.

One of my favorite new crafts is making books. If you have been following this blog long, you may know that by now! :) You may also know that I am a terrible hoarder when it comes to paper. Some day I will make it to the hardware store and get screen so I can make my own. Then it will all be worth saving when I make it into new paper, mwahaha... ahem.

One of the easiest ways to reuse paper, or envelopes, that have only been printed on one side is to cut them up and staple them together. Tadaa, you have a notepad. But one of the downsides is that you have to work around the staple. I make my notepads at work kind of thick so I don't have so many laying around. The staple always annoys me. I have to bend the pages around it, hold it open, and then it won't lay flat when I'm done with it.

I decided to take my elmer's glue to work and make my own, easy notepads.

It could be the (second) easiest way to make a notepad, but it does take some time. You have to line up the pages, clip them together, brush on the glue, wait for it to dry, add more glue, wait, more glue, wait, etc, up until you get the nice binding that you want. I only used a few layers on these notebooks but made it pretty thick each time.

I use binder clips to hold them together and add a piece of cardboard (the thicker the better) along the edge to be glued. Keep the cardboard back from the edge just a bit or it will become glued to the pad and you may loose a few pages when you take it off.

You could cut a piece to size and glue it to the notepad as a backing, if you wanted to.

I'm off to enjoy my new, no staple, notepad. Have a great weekend!

New Year, New Goals?

2012-01-04T08:55:00.002-06:00

The millions of blogs I read (or skim) have been all abuzz over creating new writing goals this week. With the new year, it's expected that everyone is creating resolutions. They want to make the new year a better year than the one before. They want to accomplish something.

So do I, but I don't make resolutions. But I do make goals.

I am still working on sorting out this years goals in writing, crafting, and life itself. Last year was crazy busy and the NaNoWriMo season pretty much burned me out on everything. So this year, I'm taking extra time to par down what I want to and what I think I can accomplish without going insane. Can I really make six quilts before xmas when I've never quilted before? Can I really write two novel drafts and a chapbook in a year?

The writing goals I'm floating around are:
- Finishing my unfinished NaNoWriMo novel at least to first draft status
- Rewriting last years novel to first draft status (It was handwritten and I've decided to change the story around)
- Prepping and getting ready for NaNoWriMo 2012 in addition to the other two
- Skipping NaNoWriMo and focusing on getting a novel to a second draft status
- Having enough polished poems to create a chapbook
- Submitting a piece of writing every month
- Write a piece, submit a piece
- Filling up a journal each month
- Going to an Iowa Writers Workshop Summer program
- Get the Ames C.art newsletter done on time every month
- Redesign the blog, blog content, and mission

With as many different directions that I have in my life, there's no way I can make all of them my goals. What I can do, however, is pick a couple I feel comfortable with and believe I can reach. Then maybe pick one or two more that would be a 'dream' goal that I could aim for once I meet the other goals. But I'm not looking for so many goals they are unreachable, I need solid goals that I am sure I can reach with a little stretching.

Do you have any goals or resolutions this year?

Iowa Nice, Caucus Time

2012-01-03T08:15:00.000-06:00

Today is the Iowa Caucuses, the first in the nation on the way to picking the Presidential candidates. A lot of people ask, Why Iowa? What could a state in the middle of fly-over zone, full of hicks and farmers, where they are ultra conservative have to do with picking our President?

Well, sorry to disappoint, but Iowa isn't anything like you think. Most of us live in cities, farming is a big business, and we legalized gay marriage. The first computer was created here, the Manhattan was here for a while, we freed a slave 26 years before the end of the civil war, we integrated our schools 85 years before Brown v. Board of Education, and we were the first state to allow women to become lawyers.

Our state motto is: Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.

A state full of hicks? Sorry.

The best summary of Iowa pride and our state comes from this video.

Careful, though, it's NSFW.

Good luck to those going to the caucuses and the Occupy the Caucuses movement.

The Joy of Pleating

2012-01-03T07:57:00.000-06:00

Do you have a lot of fabric you want gathered in one place? Do you want something full and floofy but don't want your sleeves getting tangled or caught? Then pleating is for you!

I wish I had understood this wonderful concept earlier. Pleating used to scare me as I would divide my fabric out into halves, quarters, eighths, etc and pin it to the other fabric at certain spots, then keep pinning in small pleats. It took awhile, but it was the only way I could think of doing pleats. I thought gathering the material with a thread and needle was too much work and wouldn't create a nice pleat, partly because it never worked for me before.

The trick to cartridge pleating is to create a second line of running stitches and gather them both at the same time. This made no sense to me previously, why waste time on a second set of stitches? Then someone showed me an example and explained WHY the second line of stitches is so important.

The second line, identical to the first and set a small distance away, extends out the pleat and makes it easier to deal with. With one line, your pleats just bunch up and aren't very clean, which would be why I thought they were hard to do. Cartridge pleating on the other hand, is wonderful and really easy to add to a waistband.

It also gives me some practice in making even size stitches.

Once you are done with your stitching and gathering, you'll want to sew it into a waistband or to a piece of bias tape or something similar to make sure your gathers don't shift around.

Here are some links with more detailed instructions:
The Renaissance Tailor
How to Cartridge Pleat a Skirt

Writing Prompts, or What am I going to write?

2011-12-28T08:21:00.001-06:00

One of the hurdles in my writing life is finding things to write about. I guess you could call it writer’s block, but I always think of that as a more terrible condition than just sitting there drawing a blank. My writer’s block comes in anxiety and stress when I don’t feel I can do justice to my idea.

My daily battle is figuring out what my idea is.

One idea is to write what is around you. However, my morning writing takes place on my rideshare van. I feel like there is only so many ways to describe the fields I pass by on my commute.

Another idea is to start with a word or phrase you hear. This isn’t a bad idea and I’ve managed to write a few poems/stories with things I hear. Unfortunately, most of the morning chatter is about sports. Most of the time, everyone is sleeping.

I could always go with a word or phrase from a book, if I bring a book with me.

Now that I’ve recognized that I need to plan ahead for things like this, I’m planning on making up a list of writing prompts to keep in my notebook. Random phrases, ideas, words, and images will sit there, waiting for me to get tired of corn in its many phases and spin the randomness into writing. Or, you know, something close to it.

What do you use to keep writer’s block at bay? Do you use writing prompts?

Now where are we going to put all this?

2011-12-27T08:20:00.000-06:00

A lot of us now have piles of new, or new to us, stuff now sitting in our living rooms, taking up space in the corner, and squeezed into rooms. What are we supposed to do with all the gifts from the holidays? If you have kids, you especially know how hard it can be to find a home for everything.

Of course, if you live a simplistic lifestyle, you might not have that problem. I, on the other hand, still have a clutter problem.

Luckily, this year didn't bring lots and lots of gifts, and most of big items go in the kitchen. On the other hand, I am still trying to find space for the crafty items I picked up from the estate sale of my grandfathers late girlfriend. She tended to store things like I do and had some really nice things.

I picked up a sewing box, a storage container, and a couple baskets with scissors and other items. It's always fun to go through old stuff, and I found some nifty vintage sewing needle books.

I got something similar to these last year as a promo item from a group. It was new but looked vintage. I think these actual vintage items are much cooler. Why don't places give out free needles anymore?

Inside the sewing box were even more needles, pins, bobbins, thread, and a few other things.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think this thing is supposed to go over the arm of a chair. It has pockets on both sides and the center has a pin cushion, with even more needles and pins.

I don't think I'll be running out of needles for a long time. All these things prompted me to do a bit of hand sewing over the weekend. It's been a long time, but I'm getting back into it. Now I just wish there had been a thimble in there somewhere...

Create: What do you mean Xmas eve is tomorrow?!

2011-12-23T08:59:00.003-06:00

I've crashed pretty hard the last couple of weeks. Projects have only slightly been done, presents have only kind of been bought. That leaves me in a last minute rush to get everything done and ready. I'm not sure when I'll actually be able to go to bed tonight. And tomorrow? I have until four pm to cook, finish up my projects, and get ready. I'll try not to pull my hair out. :)

Instead of letting you in on my half finished (or not begun) last minute projects, here are some cute pictures of the bunny playing with the container the Kiddo's Solstice present came in.

I have video, too, of the bunny flinging around the container by the wrapping paper, but I don't think I'll upload that one.

Happy holidays!

Write: I wrote what?

2011-12-21T10:05:00.002-06:00

A while ago, I had submitted a short story to an anthology back when, you know, I was writing. I received an email saying my piece had been selected and I would be getting details about it soon. After I hadn’t heard anything for a few months, I figured that the publication was topsy turvy and nothing was going to happen with it.

Yesterday, however, I finally heard back from the publisher and my piece will be getting published. I guess the previous publications have been taking longer than expected but it is finally time to start working on the Rustle of Dark Leaves anthology.

This was a nice thing to hear this week amid all the other crap going on in my life. It definitely gives me motivation to continue my writing and start submitting again.

Keep an eye out in the future for more information on my first short story publication!

Inspire: Listen for the birds

2011-12-19T10:48:00.003-06:00

“I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December

A magical thing

And sweet to remember.

'We are nearer to Spring

Than we were in September,'

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December."

- Oliver Herford, I Heard a Bird Sing

This week holds the Winter Solstice, Heliogenna, Yule, the Lesser Dionysia, Saturnalia, Christmas, and a host of other holidays. It also holds my grandfather’s birthday and now my cousin’s wedding anniversary.

It seems weird to me that the first day of winter, the Winter Solstice, means that the days will begin to get longer. Shouldn’t the longest night be in the middle of the season? Why do the days get longer when the weather gets colder?

In the dark days of December and the cold days of January, I will listen for a bird singing out by the bird feeder. I will hold my loved ones close and remember that we are ‘nearer to Spring / than we were in September.”

Have a blessed holiday season!

Create: A Duplicate Hat

2011-12-16T10:34:00.003-06:00

I’ve been busy crafting this week but, of course, I failed to take a picture of most of it. My main accomplishment has been finishing up three hats for someone at work. I’m quite proud of how my crochet skill has increased to the point where I can look at something simple and recreate it.

My coworker found a small hat in the lost and found at her ‘other job,’ a neighbor’s apple farm. She thought it was adorable but too small for her daughter and niece. She brought it in to work and asked if I could recreate it in a different size. It looked like a pretty simple design and so I said yes.

Several weeks later, I finally sat down and finished off the hats. I also made one for a doll.

Of course, I forgot to bring it into work to give to her… I will take it on Monday, I swear!

Write: The Weirdness of Editing

2011-12-14T08:53:00.000-06:00

Editing and I have a...interesting... relationship. We get along well enough, fixing spelling and grammar as mistakes are made. We have a great time when proof reading for someone else. But, well, I think Editing tries too hard. It begs me to come over, to hang out for a while, to just look at this one sentence. Don't I think the words would be better arranged somewhat differently?

Maybe I'm the bad friend. I'm always too busy and often abandon Editing once the words are down for something more fun. I would rather skim the surface for the obvious typos than go back and make sure my sentences aren't too passive. I grimace and delay when Editing asks for a night with me.

Then I sigh and fortify myself for a long night shifting words around. I sit down with a poem, my pen, my tea, and Editing offers up suggestions on how to make my drivel sound like poetry. We shift words here and there, take some out, and add some in. At the end, I'm left with something that has shed it's skin so many times, I'm not sure what it started out as.

A poem grew into poetry, all thanks to the weirdness of Editing.

Maybe I'll call Editing up this weekend and see if it wants to go for coffee.

Mused: Random Internet Goodness

2011-12-12T08:13:00.001-06:00

Sometimes I'm ahead of the curve, others I feel like I've had my head in the sand. I ran across this lovely today on another blog. It's Handmade Ryan Gosling.

After a weekend spent crafting, frogging mistakes, and going 'oh, crap,' what I really would like is a cute guy offering to massage my hands or move to the woods and make soap. That's what Handmade Ryan Gosling has to offer! I think it's pretty hilarious, like LoLcats with a cute guy and better grammer!

And now I'm inspired once again to make my own soap. Maybe I will get it done in time for xmas. Ryan Gosling, will you help?

Create: A Soltice Gift

2011-12-09T08:07:00.001-06:00

I am not making very many handmade gifts this year, I just don't have the time or energy. I have a few planned that may get done but that's it. However, this year I decided to make the Kiddo a Solstice gift and begin the tradition of gift giving on the holiday.

Due to my new fascination with weaving and a few wonderful local SCA weavers, I am making woven felted bags. The Kiddo plays D&D and Magic: the Gathering, both games that require dice that he keeps loosing. What better way to help him stay organized than to make him a dice bag?

The pattern for this bag is a simple over under weave. The trick to making it seamless is how it is wrapped around the board. Here is one tutorial on how to make a seamless bag. Instead of cutting into the board, I pushed in pins all along the top then wrapped the yarn around it. This allows you to keep going until there is no more space and then remove it from the board easily.

Unlike the tutorial, I used wool yarn. Once the bag was done, I throw it in the sink full of hot water and swish it around like crazy. The tutorial that I read, and that I now cannot find, used a potato masher as an agitator. This youtube video suggests a new, clean plunger.

I wove ribbon into my bag, just like in the first tutorial, for the ties. But once your bag is felted, you can use a needle to pull a cord in and out around the bag.

Now the Kiddo is wondering what is in the package and can't wait to open it!

Write: Switching Gears

2011-12-07T08:29:00.001-06:00

I am still catching up on my backlog of a to do list. My few weeks of unorganized craziness seem to be ebbing away slowly, so now maybe I can focus and get stuff done. Maybe. At the same time I was stressing myself out, I was having fun. I just need to remember that and get it done.

Given that I didn’t finish NaNoWriMo, I should be focusing on my novel. A wonderful blogger, Mythical Magpie, got herself in the same mess I did with being thousands of words behind. However, she managed to get it all done in time. Congrats to her!

I will be working on poetry in December. Why the shift in gears? The Lyrical Iowa submission deadline and many other deadlines put on my state poetry associations are soon. I want to put my best foot forward and find the best poetry I have to send out this year. Last year, I managed to get a poem into Lyrical Iowa. I want to do better this year. Once my submissions are squared away, I will shift my focus right back on story writing.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that I will not be working on fiction at all. I still plan on working on bits of my stories during poetry month. It has to get done at some point, after all.

What are you doing post-NaNo?

Inspire: The Dark Days are here

2011-12-05T08:53:00.001-06:00

The days have grown cold and the nights are longer. We are descending into the grip of winter. Ice and snow have already made an appearance, unable to be reined in by the faraway sun. I shiver, chilled, as I leave home in the dark and return after the sun has set.

The winter is upon us and we are only weeks away from the darkest night.

This time of year is for hunkering down in our blankets and giving thanks for the family around us. We gather together, distract each other from the long darkness outside, and try not to go crazy while stuck inside.

As much as I might curse the snow and the ice, I understand that it has a right to be there. It is winter’s time and winter is just as important as summer. As the white blanket falls to cover the sleeping earth, it helps the ground to rest and recover for yet another spring. When the snow finally melts, it will nourish the soil and allow the grass to shine.

We must all sleep and we must all fall. Winter tells us it is so.

So let me gather, with friends and relatives, and count my harvest. Let me bring in the friendships, the new skills, the new discoveries of my soul. I have a long, dark time to reflect on them all.

Create: Advent Ornaments

2011-12-05T07:58:00.001-06:00

I used to get the paper and chocolate door kind of Advent calendar when I was a young kid. I rediscovered Advent calendars a few years ago and it has become a tradition in our house. While there isn't any chocolate hidden in it, there are activities to do as a family each day. Personally, I like those better than a small piece of chocolate.

This year I didn't finalize my idea for the calendar until the day before December 1st. However, I think it turned out really well. They look like ornaments hung from the wall, and the kiddo added in his idea of how to tell which days are done.

Do you see how the clothespin is facing down instead of up? That's the kiddos idea. He liked how they looked like ornaments and wanted to keep them up the whole time.

These were really easy to make. As we are a Pagan family, we use the Advent calendar to countdown to the Solstice.

Materials:
Paper tube in desired size
Wrapping paper
Yarn
Tape, glue gun, or glue
Scissors
Exacto knife
Scrap paper or cardstock
Clothes hangers
Hemp, twine, or rope
Sharpie or other writing implement
Chocolates for getting you in the seasonal mood.

1 - Cut the tube into twenty two (more or less depending on your holiday) rounds 1/2 inch or 1 inch wide. Be careful not to cut yourself. I was quite happy I didn't.

2 - Cut the wrapping paper to size with enough margin to wrap around the edges and tuck into the round.

3 - Tape, glue, or hot glue the paper in place. I used tape but I think a glue gun would work best.

4 - Add a length of string in a loop to the round with glue, tape, or hot glue. Make sure it is secure enough that it will hold up your round.

5 - Write down your daily Advent activities on your paper and cut them to size.

6 - Tape the paper inside your round.

7 - Push thumbtacks into the wall and tie the cord in between to create a place for your Advent Ornaments.

8 - Hang from the cord with a clothespin and enjoy!

Write: Epic Fail, or Lessons from NaNoWriMo

2011-11-30T08:32:00.001-06:00

So... I didn't come close to finishing NaNoWriMo this year. Yes, I know I still have all of today to catch up, but it is not going to happen. I still have a good start on my novel and I really like it, it's just not getting done right now.

Last year, I finished NaNoWriMo with a sense of accomplishment. I could, indeed, write a freaking novel. I could find time to write more than short stories and I could hang in there over the long haul. I had hand written a novel in a month. It didn't end up where I wanted it to go, but it was down on paper.

This year, I walk away from novel writing month with only a big sigh, a half finished manuscript, and a sense that I have finally stretched myself as far as I can. Catching up on my writing would have only added to my insanity and everything would still be half done right now. I can't take on any other tasks for a while. However, I know I can still make some time for writing.

Did you finish NaNoWriMo this year? How do you deal with tasking yourself up to the snapping point?

Inspire: Getting Over the Ghost

2011-11-28T07:55:00.001-06:00

Netflix is a wonderful thing, it has movies and tv shows, and all sorts of stuff. Granted, sometimes it doesn't have the most recent, but I enjoy the thrill of randomly finding a favorite show from years ago. Recently, I ran across a paranormal/ghost hunting show I used to watch on TV and just had to watch all of it.

I know it's bad for me, and I'm sure a lot of it is staged or exaggerated, but it keeps my attention. With an overactive imagination at times, watching ghost stories is not the best idea. I don't watch a lot of horror movies either, especially ones that mess with your mind, (The Ring and The Grudge, I'm looking at you). Halloween haunted houses? No way.

Yet at the same time, I think it would be fantastic to go ghost hunting in real life. Maybe it would help me find the difference between imagination and real activity. Would I ever join a team? I don't know. I would have to do one investigation and see how it goes from there. My imagination might take something home with me and I have a hard time sleeping anyway.

What keeps you up during the long, cold, winter nights?

Create: Holy Craft, Batman!

2011-11-26T23:33:00.001-06:00

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! I'm finally kicking off the funk of turkey and getting back to a normal schedule.

I finally finished (mostly) my big projects. I've got a bit of cord making to do and I will be done and dressed for next weekend. Dressed? Yes, dressed. I finished my attempt at Italian Renaissance under and over dresses this week. I also made a absolutely basic mantle/cloak, a belt, and a new bag. All in all, I went through about seventeen yards of fabric. Yikes. It mostly looks like a big pile of fabric right now. I'll try to remember to take a picture when the lacing is done.

In addition, I made a fantastic sweet potato recipe from Budget Bites, my new favorite foodie blog. Of course, I forgot to take a picture. A few members of my family even ate and really liked it too! For my family, who are suspicious of a cheese ball, this was a good step forward. Well, a step forward for those who ate it.

I will continue my quest to widen the taste buds of my extended family. My mom said I could cook the turkey next year. Mwah ha ha.

Write: Keep going?

2011-11-23T10:17:00.001-06:00

“Mom, aren’t you supposed to be writing?”

“I will in a minute.”

“Mom, do you want me to turn off this show so you can go write?”

That was a conversation The Kiddo and I had last week when he (and I) discovered Ouran High School Host Club on Netflix. At first, it was on in the background and I thought it was a silly anime show. But then I realized that I wanted to see the end of it and the kiddo wanted to use the computer and I wouldn’t let him because I was, at some point, going to go write.

I’m thankful to The Kiddo for trying to get my butt writing. Unfortunately, it hasn’t worked all that well.

The weekends have been killing me. I have the weekends scheduled as my catch up writing time. I figured that hours and hours of time would mean that I would be writing during that time. Instead, I work on other projects and never touch my writing.

I’m currently hovering over ‘quitting’ NaNoWriMo for the year and just typing at my own pace and buckling down to get it done. I hate quitting. I feel like if I do, my novel will never get done. I think I’m going to try catching up during this long weekend since my other projects are almost done. If I don’t manage to ‘win’ NaNo, then it’s okay, but I’m going to give it my best shot to keep going.

Inspire: Gathering the Family

2011-11-21T08:14:00.001-06:00

Define:family on Google brings up these definitions:

They are all pretty cut, dried, and lacking what I think of when I think of family. Well, except maybe for number 5….

I live in a duplex with my son (family #1). I gather together with my parents, grandparents, and extended family (#2, 3, 4, 9, and sometimes 5… :)). We call come from the same parents or grandparents, and we all share the same family history/mythology. My aunts and uncle wouldn’t be here, and neither would I, if my grandfather hadn’t first seen my grandmother in the trunk of someone’s car driving down the street (As far as I know, there was no illegal activity going on, just a ride to the drive-in theatre).

However, my family extends beyond the reaches of blood and history. I consider my good friends family. Sometimes, my friends know me better than my blood family. A lot of my core values, the way I view the world, are completely different from my relatives but in line with my friends. My kiddo tends to be a part of those friend relationships as well, and I’m quite happy to be raising him in an extended friend-family.

It doesn’t matter to me if those gathered around the dinner table are friends or relatives, they are all family. And I am thankful for every wonderful face.

Create: From the Archive: A Cozy Jar

2011-11-18T07:52:00.001-06:00

I am still using this cozy for my water jar and I am very happy with it. I've gotten a lot of comments on it. I might need to make one in a different color, but this cozy is definitely a keeper!

I tend to hoard things, especially recyclables. I just have a problem throwing away things that can be reused. Given that I try to buy things in glass jars rather than plastic, that means I have a collection of glass. Yes, I could take them to the glass bin that sits in our Fareway parking lot, but that would require me to remember. And what if I need a jar after I get rid of them all?

One use for jars that I don't use often enough is drinking glasses. If I feel safe enough eating food that came from a jar, I should feel safe washing it out and drinking from it.

I recently broke my jelly jar water glass at work. It was thick, had a handle, and I had used it at work for almost two years. I dropped it just right to shatter it. Now I do have a match to that glass, but I use it often at home. So instead, I dug through my stash of jars and found a new one.

My tea mug has had a cozy for quite some time, so I decided my new jar should get one too. I chose to use a pattern I had made for xmas and changed it to go around rather than flat, making it look more interesting than single crochet.

Unfortunately, it looks a little bulky, so I might have to make a single crochet cozy or find some thinner yarn. What do you think?

Write: NaNoWriMo Update

2011-11-16T07:49:00.001-06:00

Yesterdays word count: 16036
Yesterdays goal: 25000

I'm still a bit behind, but I'm working on it slowly. Yesterday, my computer and the NaNo site were acting up, so I called it a day early. Today is a meeting day, so I've got to try to get my word count in somewhere. I will leave you with this quote from Dr. Seuss and get my fingers writing!

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”
― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Inspire: A Gathering of Friends

2011-11-14T09:44:00.001-06:00

I had a blast on Saturday. Another friend of mine tied the knot. While this time there was a DJ instead of a band, we still filled the floor and danced the night away. I was disappointed they didn’t have the Time Warp, but we did do the Funky Chicken. There was laughter and joy, the most important things at any gathering.

Last week, I had a great time at Creative Collision, the monthly get together of my local arts group, Ames C.art. I wasn’t planning on going since I had a headache, but I’m quite happy I did. We laughed, we shared, and we had great drinks. I left feeling energized about the rest of the month – and I had an offer to borrow a sewing machine.

Two weeks ago, I went roller skating for the first time in years. My friend, my sister, and my kiddo all drove thirty miles outside of town to put on wheels and skate around a rink. It reminded me so much of my hometown rink, now buried for years under the Super Walmart parking lot. I was ecstatic that I remembered how to skate, and I loved watching my sister learn the ins and outs of a rink.

I am beyond thankful for my friends. They are my family, and they welcome me and mine without question.

Create: From the Archive: Naruto Headband

2011-11-11T11:19:00.001-06:00

This post originates from May of 2010. The kiddo doesn't watch much Naruto anymore, but he is still watches lots of anime. Every once in a while, I catch him with his headband on running around the house making sound effects. I hope you enjoy!

My son loves Naruto. And he is always talking about wanting to save money to buy a Hidden Village of Sound headband. I like Naruto, if you can space out the annoying voices... There are many reasons I want to learn Japanese, unsubbed anime is one of them. I made my son a cloth/cardboard/tinfoil headband for xmas but it ended up not holding together as well as I thought. So I decided that this week I was going to crochet him one.

The music note isn't exactly like it is in the show, but it's close enough for me.

The pattern is pretty simple, only the note is a bit tricky. Here it is for all you anime geeks. :) Enjoy!

Naruto Sound Village Headband:
G Hook
Acrylic yarn

Headband:
Row 1: Chain 120, chain one and turn.
Rows 2 - 6: sc in each chain, chain one and turn
Row 7: sc in each sc across, fasten off, weave ends.

Plaque:
Row 1: Chain 18, chain one and turn
Row 2: sc in each chain across, chain one and turn
Rows 3-6: sc in each sc across, chain one and turn
Row 7: sc in each sc across. Sc around the whole piece putting three sc in each corner. Fasten off and leave a long tail for assembly.

Decoration:
In each corner of the plaque, use black yarn and a needle to make small x's to represent the connectors. There should be three to a side, now that I look at the actual plaque.

Sound Symbol:
With a magic circle, sc 8. Join together and chain twelve. Turn and ss in second chain from hook, sc, dc, sc, ss, fasten off, leave a long tail for assembly.

Assembly:
Place the sound symbol in the middle of the plaque. Use the long tail to sew the symbol onto the plaque. Attach the plaque to the center of the headband and use the tail to sew into place.

Tadaa! You are done.

Write: Writing Check In

2011-11-09T08:22:00.001-06:00

It’s been over a week since NaNoWriMo began. I made a schedule and I had a plan. How am I doing? Not so hot.

I had a few days of events I didn’t plan for that meant I didn’t get any writing done. I went roller skating and learned how to cartridge pleat! There were a few more days where I just couldn’t summon the energy to get anything done. All of that adds up to me being several thousands of words behind.

I could say, eh, I’m not going to catch up… but I can’t do that. Last night, I got back on track and went over the 1667 word a day goal. I feel like I’m ready to go and can accomplish my goal.

My laundry is still getting done, my dishes are mostly getting done, and I have made dinner every day this week since Sunday. For me, that’s pretty impressive. Also, it’s a pattern I can continue while I catch up with my writing.

So am I on target? No, but I’m getting there.

Inspire: Community Gathering

2011-11-07T09:15:00.001-06:00

One of the things I am thankful for is my community. Dictionary.com defines Community as:

Community never has one definition for me. Like those listed above, I have a local arts community, a religious community, a writing community, and a community of friends. Each community is different and unique. I am thankful that each community welcomes me and makes me feel a part of it.

I recently attended my second Iowa Poetry Associationworkshop. Poets gather together to hear two critics go over the poems they have sent in. The critics give praise and constructive criticism on how to make the poem better. No names are included and only you, and the organizer, know who belongs to which poem. I know a couple of people in the group, but mostly these are all brand new people to me. Both times, I have been welcomed and made to feel like I belonged. For someone still dealing with severe shyness issues, that welcome made a world of difference.

While my local arts community, Ames C.art, is a lot of work, it is just as much fun. Where else could I paint a mural one year and then create an art vending machine the next? Getting together with other creative types helps keep me motivated and enthusiastic about my own ideas.

As I’ve been solitary for most of my life, it is a huge relief to have a community of people who share my religious beliefs. The Pagan group I am in gives me the strength of knowing that, yes, other people do believe the same thing. The UU helps me live by my ethics and morals, and gives me another voice that says I’m not alone.

I don’t know how I managed before without my communities.

Create: From the Archive: Cloth Tissues

2011-11-04T07:54:00.000-05:00

This was originally posted in April, and I'm still using my cloth tissues! I've started making larger handkerchiefs as well using the same technique. One of the new things I've learned since this post is that you can make a small snip in the cotton or linen and rip a straight line. Much easier than measuring out each piece.

It seems I'm always sick this year. When I'm not sick, I'm still dealing with a runny nose. I get so tired of my nose getting all red and sore, not to mention how many tissues I throw away! So, I did some research. Supposedly, it is the wood pulp in tissues that irritates your nose, not just how many times you rub it. Yet another reason to make cloth tissues.

I always thought it was pretty gross to blow your nose in a cloth and then tuck it back into your pocket. However, that's kind of what I do with my regular, disposable tissues. When I'm on the road or not near a trash can, it gets tucked back in my pocket. Now that I have a washing machine at home, I don't have to worry about having snot rags piling up before I go to the laundry mat. Now all I need is to make a bag to throw them in.

I used an old bed sheet to make my new tissues. It had been hanging around in my fabric stash for years. I had used a bit of it for another project. It was nice to be able to use it again. The sheet was very thin and soft so it makes great tissues/handkerchiefs. To make the pattern, I unfolded a Kleenex and traced around it on a scrap file folder. Instead of using a pattern to cut them out, measure your length, make a small snip, and rip the sheet. This works well on cotton and linen.

I used pretty much the same technique for these as I did my cloth napkins. These ones are just smaller and I did the corners differently. I folded over an edge, ironed, then folded it over again.

Instead of mitering the corners, I folded one edge, then folded the other on top of that. It made the corners a little bulky, and my sewing machine a bit sulky, but I thought it worked pretty well.

Now I just have to make sure I don't throw them away when I use them!

Write: My November Schedule

2011-11-02T08:10:00.001-05:00

How do you write a novel when you have many other things going on? You add writing to your schedule.

Normally, my schedule involves days. For instance, Wednesday is Ames C.art day. I have my Ames C.art meetings, work on tasks assigned to me, write newsletters and create Facebook pages. Tuesday I'm supposed to work on writing. Thursday, I'm supposed to be crafting. But when a task involves doing something everyday, it's typically not schedule and almost never gets done.

For NaNoWriMo, I decided to make my writing time from 8pm to 10pm every night. The kiddo starts getting ready for bed at 8:30 and bedtime is 9pm so I'm not missing time with him. Last night I didn't get started writing until 8:30, but I went above and beyond my desired word count. So far, it seems to be working.

The second part of my writing schedule does involve days. I know that on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and one Monday I will not be able to achieve 1667 words. Instead, I have given myself a goal of 250 words on those days and added the word count to Saturday and Sunday goals when I typically have more time to write. Why didn't I take those days off my schedule entirely? I feel like if I miss one day of writing, it will break my habit and it will all spiral down from there. 250 words isn't a lot, but it is progress.

Are you participating in National Novel Writing Month? What does your writing schedule look like?

Inspire: It's a night for Pumpkins

2011-10-31T07:23:00.003-05:00

Tonight is Halloween, All Hallows, Samhain, and a host of other holidays. Here, in the middle of Iowa, costumes will be thrown on and the night will be full of shrieks and ringing door bells. Children, and probably adults, will crash from sugar highs and wake up in November.

For the Pagan side of me, this fun holiday always has a quiet side. It is a night of the dead, a night to honor those who have passed beyond this world into the next, a night to remember. With all the passings in my family and friends, I think I need the moment to stop, breath, and remember that life continues.

This evening, I will gather with the Kiddo and friends, chatter and laugh, feast, and then go track down as much sugar as a pillowcase can hold. Then, I will return home and light a candle for those that have come before.

Have a happy, and safe, Halloween!

Create: Halloween 2011, Part II

2011-10-28T07:54:00.001-05:00

For once, I am done with Halloween costumes days before Trick or Treating starts. Normally, I procrastinate until at least the day before. But not this year. I have too much to do to let those costumes sit around unfinished.

The Kiddo (and I've decided it really does need to be capitalized and will insist he includes Kiddo on his list of aliases now) shortened his desired costume to Wolf Demon Archer after flirts with Spartans, Time Travelers, and Steampunk. I made a few accessories and he found some clothes in his closet, added on a fox tail from the Renn Faire, and he is ready to go. Today he took a canned food item to school so he could wear his ears as a hat all day.

For the arm guard, I sewed a few straps of felt onto a shaped rectangle and called it good. You can find how to make the ears, and the quiver on this blog. For the glove, we found an old winter glove without a mate and cut it.

For me, I decided not to be a witch again this year and found some things in my closet to throw on. The necklace I made a while back. The vest I found at Salvation Army a few years ago to go with my Steampunk fairy outfit for the Witches Ball.

These aren't big, detailed costumes, but I've never had much luck with those. These are comfy and winter coats can easily be added. Plus, all parts can be worn in normal day to day clothing. Yes, even the fox tail can be used more than once.

Happy Halloween!

Write: Getting Ready

2011-10-26T07:41:00.001-05:00

One of the downsides of writing 50,000 words in 30 days is the lack of time to do much else. I try to publish here three times a week, on my other blog once a week (I said try), and write a couple other things. I also have to craft and get ready for xmas. How am I going to fit all this in at once?

I'm going to plan ahead.

Yes. I, the ultimate procrastinator, have made a plan and have started working on it. This plan calls for me to have most of these posts written ahead of time and ready to be published. This plan also calls for me to craft my butt off in order to have my projects finished.

The biggest problem I have with creating is blocking myself with too many thoughts. That's a part of the reason this blog was created. By structuring things so I knew what I needed to work on, it freed me from worrying about everything else. By having a plan in place and some of the work done ahead of time, I can sit down and write without worrying about needing to do something else.

Are you participating in NaNoWri this year? How are you planning the rest of your life around the word count?

Inspire: Take a Breath

2011-10-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ah, the last week of October. As the week before I try to write a 50,000 word novel, I'm rushing to get lots of things done. Today we are going to take a step back, breath in, breath out, and enjoy a few slices of life.

Green on brown leaves


A dandelion in September.

The bunny, Konijn, posing.

Ah, no! It's Basket Head! Run away!

Create: Halloween 2011, Part 1

2011-10-21T08:00:00.000-05:00

With Halloween almost upon us and my sewing machine out of commission, I've been floundering on what is going to happen. I planned on whipping up a quick tunic/toga for the kiddo, but without my sewing machine I feel like I can't do anything.

Of course, it doesn't help that the kiddo keeps changing his mind on his costume. Just this morning, he said something about time-traveling. Last I knew, he wanted to be kitsune Spartan archer. Although if he wants to go time traveling, I'm going to demand he add a bit of steampunk to his costume.

In order to at least have begun his costume, I pulled out my trusty glue gun and some bits from around the house to make a quiver for the kiddo.

Materials:
Glue gun and sticks
Brown felt (leftover from another project)
Cardboard tube and stopper (from the pile for the bunny to chew on)

I found a large tube with a plastic stopper on the end and cut out the felt to fit around it, then glued it into place. The end was folded and glued down.

I was going to try to do something fancy with the top, but decided simplicity was a better idea. I put down a line of glue and folded the felt down, then cut it to size.

The straps were two inches wide and cut to the length of my remaining felt. I glued one strap to each end of the quiver so the kiddo could tie it on. I'll add a few safety pins to make sure it stays on all night.

The kiddo has a couple play crossbow bolts and a few nerf arrows that will fill the quiver. I'm not having him take the bow as it will just get in the way. But now he has a quiver that he can play around with. Hmm, maybe I need to make myself a shield now before he takes over the house....

Write: A Group Effort

2011-10-19T07:49:00.000-05:00

I've been a member of a small writers group for quite a while now. We don't have much more than five people that attend sporadically. Our meetings are once a month for two hours. Not much time to chat about writing, but we accomplish quite a bit. At least, it helps keep me on track and energized about my writing.

At our September meeting, I brought a small piece of flash fiction I had written a number of months ago as I was frustrated on what I was working on. I figured it would just be a fun piece that I might expand a bit more with description. When my group got done with it, however, I was ready to turn my quick piece into a real story. They took the idea and ran with it. And they ran in directions I hadn't even thought of. Instead of a chance meeting and a lucky break, they had my character as a part of a national crime ring or hunted down by drug dealers. So many new fascinating options!

That is one reason I love my writing group. Each of us comes from a different walk of life and bring our own interpretations of writing. We have non-fiction writers, poets, novelists, haiku teachers, and magazine writers. All together, we seem to know a little bit about everything.

If you are interested in writing or find yourself lacking writing motivation, find a writing group. It's an invaluable tool and resource.