Life Lately

I saw this list post by Erin over on Bluebird Baby, and a list is always a good way to edge back into posting for me when it's been awhile since I've written. The summer has been full of unpacking, of trying to relax and sometimes, just being too hot to move much. I have been trying to get back to being more creative before school starts up again, and am taking an online course called Creativity, Innovation and Change, which I'm hoping will help me to think critically and deeply about my creative side and how to let this knowledge guide me more in my day to day life. I'm also planning on a taking a blogging course next month which is also exciting!

Lately I am....

making :  An effort to get all the boxes of stuff unpacked from our move

cooking : Baked chicken, corn and asparagus for dinner -yum!

drinking : Coffee, tea, lemonade and milkshakes when I can get 'em

reading :  Anna Karenina when I'm feeling literary and some YA vampire books when I'm not

wanting : to move on to a new opportunity now that I'm getting close to the end of my degree

looking : for time to be creative!

playing : toy with the dog, he loves to chase his ball around the apartment 

wasting : time watching more X-Files than I probably need to

sowing : dreams for the future

wishing : It was not too late to make another pot of tea

enjoying :  the cooler weather coming on...I love hoodies and blankets!

waiting :  for school to start next week

liking :  the new pencil case I got for school - it has an adorable monster on it 

wondering : how to make everyday life feel less repetitive and more meaningful

loving : the market near our house- we are starting a new tradition of getting breakfast on Saturday morning and then heading to the market 

hoping : that the last class  of school goes quickly

marvelling : at the deliciousness of home-baked cookies 

needing : Some new jeans and yoga pants, as always. Mine are always wearing out

smelling :  the cool night air coming in the window

wearing :  Comfy clothes and yoga pants

following :  up one step ahead with the next one

noticing : That I never head to bed early when I know I'm tired

knowing : that going to the gym, even the two times a week I have time for, will make me healthier and stronger

thinking : I should go and walk the dog before I fall asleep on the couch again

bookmarking : links about blogging, upgrading to wordpress, thoughts on creativity and knitting patterns for hats and shawls now that fall is in the air

opening :  up my dusty notebook and trying to organize my ideas and be more creative

giggling : at the silly way that dog will flop his head pathetically onto your knee while you're eating dinner

feeling :  excited to see a friend for breakfast tomorrow

I hope you enjoyed this little slice of my life lately, and if you decide to join in, leave the link to your post in the comments!

♥ Craftzilla

Image source

Lately...Knits, Crafty Stuff and Getting Back into the Swing of Things

Lately I  :

...got this fun package full of knitting patterns from my mom. I'd picked out some I'd wanted to copy but ran out of time to do so during my last visit. I'm excited to get knitting some new mittens!

... am getting back into the swing of things after being off for a few weeks..trying to wrap my head around all the things I have to do for my placement, school and work in the coming months. I think I need about 800 different lists to keep track of it all.

...was back at Brownies for my first meeting! I got asked who's mom I was about four times and received one hug from one kid who decided that would warm me up (it sure was cold in the gym!)  Ate popcorn and watched some of Diary of a Wimpy Kid with the kids- super fun!

...finished up some new knits for sale at a local shop (hat modeled by Beth, one of the owners)

  ....worked on a picnic bag carrier to go along a custom picnic blanket order in my shop. I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out!

.... sold my first set of these cute pin sets in my shop - there are some more available if you need a cute heart pin for Valentines Day.

... started sitting on a cultural board for the city. I went to my first meeting this week, and am hoping to be involved in some cool things this year (and have a reason for attending all the cultural events I already do)

...have been feeling a bit sad - my grandma's at that point of her battle with cancer where it's winning. In case you had forgotten,  cancer sucks. I'm hoping to get up there for a visit very soon to see her.

...could use a new robot foot. I think I've done something to a tendon or something in my foot, and walking has been a bit ouchy. I ordered some new shoes and am trying to rest up, stretch and wear some comfy shoes, so hopefully it starts feeling better soon.

What have you been up to lately? I'd love to catch up!

♥ Craftzilla 

Lately..

Lately I've...

* Gone to a few awesome Christmas parties --one at a friend's studio, and one for #secretsantaguelph, which is a holiday secret santa event that started on Twitter. My swap person Dan, enjoyed the bag of goodies I crafted up for him, including a squishy cat toy for his kitty Elliot, a batch of home made chai tea mix, a hand drawn "King of Stats" mug (he's a statistics professor) and some gluten free Christmas cookies that I snagged from a craft sale. I tried out the Beautiful mess tutorial for using a Sharpie on a mug and baking it, and it seemed to work pretty well!

* Got my lovely giveaway package from Mel in the mail....such awesome crafty goodness, and she sent a bonus pin in the package that I just love and am wearing on my winter coat to fancy it up

* I've been knitting up a storm for some store merchandise for Grey Rock..I just need to stop falling asleep at 9pm to get things done faster.

* I tried to buy a new couch (for a super bargain price) but the darn thing didn't fit in the door! Very disappointed by that.

* Went to an awesome local craft swap, and swapped for gorgeous necklace and earring sets, bags, hats and other treasures for Christmas gifts. I also got a few custom orders to work on --a chef apron and some jewellery rolls.  I really must do more crafty bartering!

*Discovered that my neighbour is also an Etsy seller...by her joining my Etsy team online. Small world, right?

* Been trying to clean up my disaster of an apartment. Having all the jobs + both Zen and I being in school = dishes and laundry and stuff mountains everywhere

* Finished my last paper on Friday night..at 3am. Don't feel badly for me, I was watching many terrible episodes of Vampire Diaries while I was writing it.

* Went to two craft shows on the weekend in addition to the swap, and saw lots of crafty people and things. I'm so inspired to get crafting! I hit the Stitch and Kitsch show on Saturday and the Creative Spark Market on Sunday --check out the sites for some vicarious crafty goodness

*I'm thinking about all the Christmas decorations I want to put up..including how my advent calendar bear quilt is about 11 days late getting put up.

* I have the entire Christmas week off! So excited to get to relax a bit! I hope to do lots of sitting around and eating and drinking.

What have you been up to lately?

♥ Craftzilla

Giving Thanks on Thanksgiving

Source: housetoyourhome.com via Gillian on Pinterest

It's been one of those months so far--my laptop completely died on Sunday night in the middle of an assignment a few weeks back, Zen and I were really sick last week, and we've been in that constant state of being pretty much out of food and clean clothes at home. School and work and placement stuff has been busy and stressful, and things won't be easing up any time soon.  But focusing on the negative really never gets me anywhere in terms of feeling better about things, so I decided to try to find a few things to be grateful about today, on the most appropriate of days, Thanksgiving!

I'm thankful I have a  roof over my head and an apartment I like

I'm happy I have the love of a sweet guy and adorable puppy dog

I'm thankful for this chance I have to change careers and do something more meaningful in my work, even if the going is sometimes tough

I'm so glad for the community of friends I've met via this blog and Twitter, for always listening to my problems and lending a helping hand

I'm thankful for the lend of a computer while I figure out buying a new laptop

I'm thankful for the ability to make things with my hands again -those days where I was really struggling with repetitive strain last year were very hard. Creating things keeps me sane.

I'm happy for the hours I have at my  job, since my wages are helping me to follow my dreams.

I'm thankful for the lovely cool weather and gorgeous colours of fall, and for the cozy sweaters and blankies that will keep me warm throughout the chilly days

I'm thankful for giant cups of steaming hot tea

I'm thankful for visits from friends --there have been a lot of those lately, which has been lovely

I'm thankful for the heap of leftover turducken that's sitting in the fridge --we had a lovely Thanksgiving meal that will keep on going all week!

What are you thankful for today?

♥ Craftzilla 

Five Things that Make me Happy in the Heat

I know it's a common complaint lately, but it's hot out again, and I really was enjoying the weather being a bit cooler. Over the summer, our apartment was just too hot. We don't have an air conditioner  and it was hard to sleep and to get anything done,  as my brain was metling into a puddle by degrees. So all I can do now is to think of things that make me happy in the heat and stop my brain from melting again as the heat makes another appearance!

1. Water - drink it, have 3 baths or showers a day, run your wrists under the tap (my mom always made us do this as kids--it totally works) . I miss having a sprinkler to run through or a kiddie pool to sit in though when it's really hot out (though I won't be recreating that summer my roommates and I put a kiddie pool in our living room anytime soon )

2. Ice cream, popsicles and everything cold and tasty: pretty self explanatory--if it's cold and tasty, I'm there! Does anyone else have popsicles for dinner other than me? I'm also dying to try this iced coffee recipe! 

3. Wear sandals and only sandals: I don't know about you, but I'd probably be walking around barefoot if I could. Maybe this is just because I have the world's hottest hands and feet most of the time, but the thought of putting on socks and shoes in the summertime (or even the fall) makes me die a little inside.

4. Looking at pictures of snow : Does anyone else do this other than me? Even better than looking at pictures of snow is watching a movie that's taking place in the middle of a blizzard --Christmas or disaster movies are great for this.

5. New haircuts! Seriously, I was going to lose it if hair touched my neck any longer. I'm not even sure that cutting off 5 + inches was enough, though I'm pleased with  how adorable this haircut turned out!



Even Jesse got a new haircut (see above!) More cute pictures of the fancy puppy to follow!



♥ Craftzilla

5 Things I Hate about Packing

1.  Getting enough boxes to pack all my stuff. At times like this, I wish I was able to surround myself with as few possessions as the people in this photo series. (photo above)

2. Finding the end of the tape roll...over and over again. I appear to not have a tape gun any more and it is making me full of the sad.

3. Packing up all my lovely book friends for weeks and weeks at a time. I like to be able to gaze at my rows of books on the shelves and think of the ton of money I spent on my English degree.

4. Bare walls - pictures are always the first things to get taken down, and the sight of the chipped paint and random nails is a bit depressing.

5. Towering stacks of boxes - I keep stubbing my toes on these things and am a bit worried the dog is going to knock a stack over on himself. 


But it will all be worth it, right? I guess I just wasn't expecting to have to move THIS weekend! Wish me luck friends--I'll post some more pictures of the new place once the craziness of packing and moving is over and we're a bit more settled in. 


♥ Craftzilla

5 Things I'm working on that are keeping me from Blogging Lately

Have you ever had one of those months where everything went crazy and you couldn't really sleep for all of the things happening in your head and on your to do list? Well that's sort of how this month has been going for me-and I thought I'd share some of the things that are keeping me busy.

1. Picnic blankets - I have orders backed up for  these in my Etsy shop, as it gets warmer and everyone starts thinking about tasty summer picnics. I'm working on some fun custom orders too, and will soon have some new colours available! Good thing I trekked out to the fabric store on the weekend and restocked my supplies- I feel less badly about buying like 40 metres of fabric now!

2. School - I forgot how hard it is to make your brain work during the summer, even if I'm only taking just one course. I'm also working on a soon to be announced and crafty related event for a project for this class that I need to pull off in the next month, as well as setting up and arranging important things like my practicum placement for September. I'm pleased to announce my interview went well and I got the placement I wanted - yay!

3. Work - there's a big, scary, deadlined project going on at work. I was lucky to get one day off this week and it won't be getting better in the next few days. I'm also trying to finish up the work for a research project I've been working on since last year, which is proving to be taking longer than I thought it would.

4. Planning to move! We were vaguely looking around for apartments, and found one we loved a lot and took it. The unfortunate part is that we have to find someone to take our apartment, so there's been a lot of cleaning and apartment showing going on. But it will be worth it to move to a quieter area of town, to a place that has more character (hello claw foot tub!) and even has a garden! I'm excitedly thinking about starting some seeds soon, even though it's a little bit late in the game. I also need to get rid of SO MUCH STUFF. I AM SCARED,

5. Trying to relax: With all this other stuff happening, let's face it- I need some time to relax, and while blogging is fun, sometimes it's also a lot of work to think up an idea and take some photos and make things all clever-like, and sometimes all I really want to do is eat dinner in my pajamas while watching an episode of the X-files. You all know what I'm talking about :P

♥ Craftzilla 


PS. check out the giveaway post to see who won the Retro Fabric tote bag!

P.P.S My photo is featured on the Canada Arts Connect site today! 

How to Have a Blast and Not Break the Bank

I was chatting on MSN with a friend today and trying to lure her away from her work to get a coffee, since I'm stuck working at home with nary a drop of coffee left in the house (except maybe for some ancient instant coffee that has been in the cupboard for years and years...not going to go there!) until we get to the store. And she sort of jokingly commented that I'm a cheap date, since I'm all about the walks and grabbing a coffee. I was a tiny bit offended, but then started thinking of all the cheap outings with friends and others that I've been on, in particular an outing I had with a friend in high school that really was the cheapest date ever.

My friend Radha and I met up at the public library in my home town, picked a movie from off the lending shelves ( I'm pretty sure we watched Prince of Egypt or something animated like that) and popped it onto the viewing TV in the library. We put on those ridiculously huge 80's headphones, plugged 'em in and watched a movie together in comfy library armchairs. After the movie, with our ears all squished from the headphones, we headed over to the grocery store down town, and bought a loaf of fresh bread and some peanut button, and had a walk and a feast in the park. All in all, an awesome day, with a cost of oh, $3 or $4?

So I thought I'd share a few of my favourite (and cheap) ways to spend time with friends.

Picnic in the Park 




There is nothing like grabbing a few sandwiches or making up a fancy feast to bring to the park and eat on a picnic blanket. Throw in some crayons and paper,  a frisbee and a book, and you've got yourself a fun time!

Coffee Date



I have regular coffee dates with friends, and I like to try to go to new places that I haven't tried before -especially if they also serve tasty treats and have good tables for doing a crossword puzzle on.


Walk



Personally I find walks are just better all around when you throw in a dog, a friend, a trail and good cup of coffee, but there is always somewhere new and interesting to walk, or people to watch if you have the time.

Craft Night 




If you have friends that are creative in any way, this one's an obvious. All you really need is somewhere to meet, a few cups of tea and maybe a person or two to kick in some snacks, and you're all ready to craft /draw/ write / knit the night away together. Knit at chat at my local yarn store is pretty much my favourite way to pass the time, as well as the best place to get tips when you're stuck on your latest knitting project. Or you could always learn a new skill or teach one to someone else!


Board Game Night




Let's face it, everyone has a closet full of board games in their house somewhere, and it can be fun to break them out sometimes and have a good marathon of games. Scrabble is definitely one of my personal favourites, as well as a good card game. At one of the last Brownie camps I went to, myself and the other leaders were waking up the kids playing a rip-roaring game of cards.

I probably could think of tons of other ideas, but here's a few others:

• Talk, share things you haven't before. Make a connection
• Movie or TV show marathon - hello popped at home popcorn! It's sometimes fun to pick a theme and make a night of it 
• Cooking together- it's always nice to whip up a meal or a batch of cookies 
• Museum - lots of museums have a night where it's free or very cheap to go and see the permanent collection. I used to go to the ROM for these nights all the time when I lived in Toronto  
• Concert - there are tons of shows going on on any given night, with minimal or no cover. Plus you never know, you might end up seeing the next big band before they get famous!
• Play - A lot of community groups put on plays, with relatively inexpensive tickets 
• Lectures- going to a public lecture or talk is a great way to learn something new, and these are often free 

29 Leaps: Comment Love

I thought for something fun to do for the 29 Leaps project (see my post about it here) that I'd share the comment love to 29 of my fellow bloggers. I'm usually more of a reader of blogs than a commenter, unless I really force myself, although I know how inspiring it is for me to get comments on my posts. So I've made some comments on all of these blogs in the few weeks (this took longer than I thought it would for sure)  to help share the love! If you're inspired to do the same, please let me know in the comments!

Tea Pots and Chatter

Searching for Serendipity 

To Make Love Stay 

The Simple Boxcar

A Blog about the Little Things

Too Crewel

Living Apockylypse


The Student Knitter

Lord knows I love to Dance

Newfoundlander at Heart

Skates and Stitches

Of Woods and Words

Dainty Daisies 

Whimsical Poppysmic

Bookhou at Home

Scientific Culture

Make Something

365 Lucky Days

April Boyd Counselling

Bossy Femme

Triing to Be Athletic

Sangui(knit)ie

Hey Zombot

Rouge and Whimsy

Revolutionize Her

Mama Marchand's Nest

Polkadot Pretties

Dot in the City

Earl Leigh Designs

I won't lie, it was a bit difficult commenting on 29 different blogs, and I even took the last few weeks to do it. But I know I appreciate the comment love, and I hope others did as well:) I'll also be sharing my adventures from our mini vacation this week, so stay tuned!

♥ Craftzilla 

Give Thanks: Accentuate the Positive

Source: crafts.slides.kaboose.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Given the busy and the stress of everything lately, I've been having trouble giving thanks.

I've been having trouble getting through the days without wishing they were already over, and that everyone would go away and allow me to be a hermit by myself and stop making demands on my time.

I've been having trouble not dwelling on all the things I can't do right now, due to lack of money, lack of time and not being at the right place in my life, right this minute.

So I think today's linkup party is the perfect time for me to spin all these thoughts around and accentuate the positive. ( have you ever heard this song? I have it totally stuck in my head now!)

So here it is, my laundry list of things I'm thankful for right at this moment:

I'm thankful.....

....that  I made the decision to go back to school, and to leave my job at the end of August to be able to finish my prerequisite courses in time to start my program in January. I'm feeling crazy at the moment, but things will get better, and I'll be doing something I really want to do, and I'm still managing to get really good marks:)

...that I have such a great boyfriend and puppy to come home to at the end of each day. And that somehow we still all like each other

...that I'm managing to make ends meet so far this semester, and that I haven't had to borrow any more money to do it

...that my parents lent me that tuition for school

..that I'm still finding a bit of time for crafting, and that some people are starting to come to my Etsy shop. It's fun to make things for people --and better still to get paid to craft!

... that I have such great friends here ( I was a bit worried when I moved here!) and that I've made so many others through blogging and Twitter

....for my 20% discount at work...yay for more craft supplies for your buck!

...and most of all for my little spaces on the internet, in particular my little blog, for being a place to go to when I'm happy and inspired and for a bit of a helping hand when I'm feeling down

Tea Time : Sickie Edition

I'm sick at home today with a cold that has knocked Zen and I out, and am mostly just drinking tea. So needless to say, tea has been on my mind today. So I thought I'd share some pretty tea related pins from Pinterest.

Source: etsy.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: foreverafterblog.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: weheartit.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: None via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: abeautifulmess.typepad.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: herecomesthesunblog.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: google.com.au via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: curbly.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: ohafternoonsnacks.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: images.google.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: frogsandcrowns.tumblr.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: encoreuneminute.tumblr.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: culturastreet.it via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: weheartit.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: sosochampignon.blogspot.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Source: dellystar.tumblr.com via Gillian on Pinterest

Off to drink more tea and hopefully feel better soon!

♥ Craftzilla

A-Z about Me

I saw this post over on Vanessa's blog and decided to add in my 2(6) cents!

A. Age: 29 (I think I have to finally concede late 20s at this point)

B. Bed size: Queen

C. Chore that you hate: Putting away the dishes once I've washed them. I'm famous for dishes mountain (except for the time a cutting board fell on someone's toe and then I was infamous)

D. Dogs: My pup Jesse is the best pooch in the whole world!

E. Essential start to your day: Coffee, puppy cuddles

F. Favorite color: blues--all blues

G. Gold or Silver: white gold or silver

H. Height: 5′ 7

I. Instruments you play: We had to learn to play the recorder as well as the ukelele in elementary school. I can probably also pick out Happy Birthday on the piano. But really I like singing the best.

J. Job title: I guess student (feels weird), as well as blogger/crafty business owner 

K. Kids: I'd like some of those eventually

L. Live: Guelph ON, Canada

M. Mother’s name: Valerie

N. Nicknames: Gillybean, Gilly, Gillybean tron, Gillbot (apparently Gillian is easily made into nicknames)

O. Overnight hospital stays: A lot when I was a kid for asthma related/mystery illnesses.I remember being in an oxygen tent, eating terrible oatmeal and being very upset when I woke up and found that my dad was gone and had taken my clothes, after he told me I wouldn't have to stay overnight.

P. Pet peeves: I think I covered most of them in this post, but also people who have meetings two feet behind my desk, open plan offices, loud talkers and lazy people

Q. Quote from a movie: All I can think of at the moment is quotes from the Princess Bride --the usual "As you wish" and "Inconceivable!" pop to mind 

R. Right or left handed: Right handed

S. Siblings: Little sister, Sarah

T. Time you wake up: 8:30 usually, or equivalent to 40 minutes after my alarm has started to go off. Will need to be earlier in future

U. Underwear: Yes, this is needed, especially when out in public

V. Vegetable you hate: nothing that comes to mind, although I've never tried things like brussel sprouts because my mom hates them

W. What makes you run late: I forgot to make lunch and coffee is taking too long to brew, and really, I just slept in too late..any number of reasons really!

X. X-Rays you’ve had: Dental x-rays, spine/full body for chiro, feet a few time to see if things were broken (once a bone was cracked in my foot)

Y. Yummy food that you make: Manicotti, lasagna, pizza, black bean soup

Z. Zoo animal: Pandas! so cute!

If you take part in this survey leave a comment so I can check it out!

Nerdy Cross stitch Love - Sci- Fi Edition

Who doesn't love nerdy cross stitch samplers? I love how these samplers subvert the traditional cross-stitch sampler into something more awesome, and in particular my favourite sci-fi books, TV shows and movies.

I love this one I found via  the Elf loves Dwarf Crochet blog--there are lots of wonderfully geeky cross-stitch patterns for sale in their Etsy shop too!

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 Another fun collection of geeky cross-stitching from here yielded this cute one:

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This is even on the official Star Wars blog--pretty awesome

Ah Bowie!!! Saw this gem here

I laugh, because Zen has a hat like Jayne's in Firefly. I always think this whenever he wears it. Snagged from here

Hope you enjoyed all the cuteness!

♥ Craftzilla

Five Things that give me the Shivers

Do you have those things that you encounter that you run screaming from or avoid at all costs (aside from some more obvious things, like people describing their latest surgery step by step)? Here is a quick list of y shiver inducing things

[*WARNING*  This list is not meant for the purposes of evil]

1. Touching cotton balls, especially when you have to pull a wad of cotton out of a new bottle of ibuprofen

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 [ Look I'm not the only one: here  and here ] Apparently the fear of cotton is called : Bambakophobia--weird!

2. The feel of cornstarch in a bag --this feels wrong to me  (same with icing sugar!)

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 3.  The sound of a fork scraping on a plate

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4. The sound of someone dragging/shuffling their feet --this gives me sidewalk rage, as I powerwalk by them and give them my best "Pick up your feet!" Mom glare

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5. The sound of someone grinding their teeth in their sleep. Anyone ever slept next to a tooth grinder? It's like someone scraping 45 simultaneous plates with 45 super sharp forks. I ended up buying Zen a mouth guard when I just couldn't take it any longer and hadn't slept for weeks. Best money spent ever.

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What sounds/things make you run screaming from the room? I'd love to hear some of your crazy!

♥ Craftzilla