I Want to Remember: Nightly Routine

This is my nightly routine. It's always evolving. Here's how:

Picture 1: I'm always doing a different craft. Sometime it's looming. Sometimes it's knitting. Right now, it's either reed making or weaving. When I took these pictures the other night, I was still watching Supernatural, but, since then, have caught up and am moving on to getting caught up on a few other shows I'm halfway through.

Picture 2: I've had the snack - banana, rice chex, and milk - every night for a year now. It's the best. Seriously. THE best before bed snack! In April, I started watching an episode of The Office (U.S.) every night. I'm just starting season seven.

Picture 3: Journaling. I go through ups and downs with this one. I journaled consistently for a few years, but have been off and on for the last 18 months or so. I just recently decided to stick with this simpler style of journaling: memorabilia (which can include clock in/out receipts, the notecard I used to keep track of my to-do list, etc.) + a run down of the day.

Picture 4: My boy. Sleeping, as usual.

I decided to blog about this because this is something I want to remember. I mean, that's why I blog in the first place: to put pictures I take and words to go with them together.

- rl

(p.s. Ignore the picture quality. Once the sun goes down, I turn on two strings of Christmas lights I have hanging in my room, so it makes for some fuzzy pictures. I don't mind, so I hope you don't.)

What I Learned Today

I guess you could say I learned a few things today.

1: Tumblers cannot survive a fall from a truck to the driveway. Bummer. I've been using it to get drinks during work, but now it looks like I'll have to get a new one before too long. (No, I am not the kind of person to buy new things at every opportunity. Yes, I am the kind of person who is a tad too awkward to deal with anything spilling; therefore, I will be looking for a new tumbler.)

2: I've always hated sunglasses, but they sure come in handy when your mom has you drive to work and the road you're on happens be in the direct line of the sun at 8AM. So, as it turns out, I'll need to get some of those, too.

3: Our Chick-fil-A does not sell Asian salads, despite that they're on the computer screen. Thank God for managers who catch that & deal with the customer for you.

- rl

Weaving: Attempt #1

Last week, I shared about how I was itching to get crafty using magazine reeds. So, I did. I made over 200 reeds, then decided to try my hand at weaving. At first I only tried the method I knew, then did a bit of research, which is when I realized I could weave by making them farther apart. Since I don't feel like researching again, I don't know what it would be called, but you can compare the one I made with something like this. I know what I did wrong this time, so I'm hoping when I try again this week I can be more successful. I don't know what this basket could be used for. It's pretty flimsy, and not an exact square. Oops.

After I finished that, I asked my little sister if she wanted me to make anything for her, and she brought me two composition books to recover for friends. Those were quick, both done in the time of two Supernatural episodes. 

(You know you watch a lot of Netflix when you measure time by how many episodes you can watch. Needless to say, season nine is just over 48 hours away and I only have 18 or so episodes to go. I've watched a lot in this last week. I recommend it, but not in such a tight time limit.)

Now I'm off to watch more Supernatural and try my hand at weaving another basket or two. 

- rl

Upcycling, of Sorts

 

The first time I can recall seeing magazine reeds was in Earthbound. They had them surrounding picture frames, and it inspired me to give it a try. I did some googling, and got to it. I don't remember the order in which I made things, but I've kept a few of them, which can be seen in the first two pictures.

The first one is simple: reeds hot glued to a can. I currently use it to store hot glue sticks. The second thing took a bit more time. It's a Converse shoe box, and I decided to cover the lid with reeds. It just stores string for when I'm in a mood to make bracelets, which is pretty rare, considering that I usually end up frustrated that I can't get past the one simple knot I know how to do, but that rant is for a whole other day. I've made a few other things too - like a picture frame - but I've gifted those so I don't have any pictures.

The other day I saw a post on instagram of someone making a trash can with reeds rolled up. I've seen it done before and considered trying it out, but I already have two trash cans so I just don't see the need. I was wanting to work with them again today, though, so I started making some more reeds. I think I may attempt to make a weaved basket, but we'll see.

If you couldn't already tell, I like to craft a little bit. Whether or not I decide to make something depends on two things, though: if it's worth the cost/time AND if it's useful. I wouldn't consider it upcycling like I did in the title of this post, but more like cheap. I just hate spending money on things.

I'm not quite sure what the purpose of saying all this was, I just felt like sharing what I'm up to creatively. I've been knitting and unraveling a lot, because I cannot decide on what to make, but I want to keep my hands busy. I also want to attempt quilting the project I mentioned here, but I don't know if we have the right supplies to do the actual sewing and quilting. I want to loom, but don't want to spend money on yarn that will be made into something that will just sit there. And then I also want to improve my minimal crochet skills, paint, cross stitch, and just make art in general. Although I'm sure these things will be pushed back even more than usual as I started my first job on Wednesday. I now work with my sister at Chick-fil-A, so that will be fun. I spilled lemonade on myself my first day, so it can only go uphill from here, right?

- rl

1 Month with Sam

It's been four weeks now since that Sunday afternoon when I brought home this little succulent. He's sat on my nightstand every day (except for a few days there when I thought he was getting too much light and I moved him to my desk). I should have watered it at week three, but ended up waiting until week 3.5, but then I watered two days in a row, so I think he'll be fine. To water I've just used a spray bottle, putting some on the soil and some on the little leaves. 

While taking these pictures, I accidentally discovered all these dead leaves when they fell out. Whoops. Anyway, he's looking fresh now with all that out of there, and he's doing well. Not dead yet, so I'm happy. 

- rl

(p.s. With another month down, you can view some of the videos I've watched over the last month here. It hasn't really consisted of lots of music these last few months, which I blame on my fandom obsession. In true nature of a fangirl, "I regret nothing".)