Friday, November 30, 2012

Goodbye, November...

...and thank you.

I'm not going to lie- even though this month rolled around pretty fast, it was probably one of my better months in the whole entire year, so far (we've still got next month, silly!...though, my hopes aren't that high this holiday season, and it's probably better to keep them that way to prevent disappointment five years running...).

Now, onto today's story...

This morning was mostly bittersweet.

Ian took me over to Michael's to find stuff to make holiday gifts with. I was dropped off a good five minutes early, so I watched as employees prepped the store front around me. They were pretty polite, and let me in the store right on time.

Finding all of the stuff I needed was a bust. Feathers were nowhere to be found, so I think that they might have sold out around this area. No wonder there were multiple reminders around the store telling customers that they should order in bulk while they could. By the time I got most of the stuff together, Ian got back from his chiropractic appointment with Evelyn, and basically killed any ideas I had with shipping worries.

My mind was in panic mode, and I was slightly depressed and angry. To make matters worse, I barely checked my bank account before Ian arrived to pick me up to see how much money I had left after Christmas spending just on Ian alone, and I didn't have enough to pay off photography expenses for a client and pay for website fees for my other work (my paycheck from one of my clients was not going to be here until after Brett's birthday, and we can't wait until then with shipping for the holidays being as crazy as it is around here). I was completely SoL. I had to make a choice, so I did...

...I asked Ian if he could foot the bill. He did so, grumbling. He got me the memory box that was on sale outside (we desperately needed one since the box that all of our other cards were in is starting to rip pretty badly), a Crayola airbrush system (the most logical way to ship anything to my relatives was to create artwork on a flat surface. It was either going to be huge fees in ink for the printer [if I was going the digital route], or canvas [for traditional works; which might still happen for mounting later on], and manila envelopes [which is still is, for shipping], and a dinosaur plushie for Evelyn (for Christmas) that she had grabbed on the way in, and refused to part with (there were tears galore when we tried to take it away. Bright side is that we know exactly what else on what to get her for Christmas now!).

The rest of the morning it felt as if he was annoyed with me, and he sure was. It was uncomfortable.

We drove over to Jared to get my rings inspected. It was a good thing that I had checked the paperwork before we left, or else we probably would have done the inspection tomorrow. That would have totally null and voided the insurance we had on the rings... We plan on picking them up tomorrow, since I went on 24 hours of no sleep with how Evelyn was these last couple of days.

Next stop was the mall for the last pickup of my clients' photos. Ian made me run into the mall, claiming that he was exhausted (I think he was to a point, but I think he just wanted a break from me being around him, for the time being). Made a beeline toward Idaho Camera. When I got there, the guy that was usually dealing with my orders wasn't there, so I had to deal with the other two people that was in there constantly. They looked all over searching for my negatives, even claiming that the main store hadn't even sent them over. After a good eight minutes, they finally found my negatives. I didn't realize that the film I was using (that was expired) needed to be in an E-6 format. The regular development only for black and white film for 35mm was only $3.50 plus tax-the E-6 format that was used bumped up the price to $9.99 (yikes)! At least, I know with them I'm getting a good deal for my money, compared to a bunch of competitors around here, so complaining for only momentary.

On my way back, I made a stop over at The Body Shop with my hands being dry due to the weather. After being stopped by an employee, I made my rounds around the store, finally finding lotion. I probably should have used one of the body creams, but my hands were full and I didn't want something that could possibly mess with the negatives. I ended up putting on some of their signature cherry blossom scent. Oldie, but a goodie. That was a small happiness that I had felt the whole morning.

Back to the car, it was. By the time I had gotten back, Ian seemed to be more awake until he saw me. I got in the car to check the slides for the prints. They were pretty decent sized.

With the Mormon Channel playing in the background (they have one of the best selections of holiday music this time of year. I can hardly stand using the regular radio with some of the garbage remixes I've heard in dealing with any sort of holiday music. There's only a couple of radio exceptions to date), we drove over to Hastings so Ian could find a holiday CD in dealing with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. As he looked, I checked out the comics section to mostly check up on any of the Witchblade and Artifacts comics. With Witchblade, I mostly knew how far I was behind on the series, with Artifacts, I was completely in the dark. I'm so far behind on that series that it isn't even funny. The worst part was that there were huge gaps in the selection, which meant that store was cleaned out by some of the local Topcow collections I know around here. I was pretty bummed.

I accidentally found Marceline and the Scream Queens. I only found the fourth and fifth issues, but decided on not getting them since Ian pointed out that they were probably going to put out a compendium later (I sure hope to the Gods and Goddesses that he's right, or I'm going to be super bummed out), since it was Adventure Time related (Cartoon Network put out weird groups of episodes together on DVD).

We drove home afterward, with Ian claiming that he could barely keep his eyes open (which I hardly thought that was the case, but whatever). As we pulled up into the driveway, I voiced the thought of him being angry with me. It totally was. After multiple requests, I had a mini breakdown. After making a beeline downstairs, I grabbed the rest of the stuff from upstairs that I thought I had to grab. It hurt hearing Ian seem way more awake as he walked through the doorway, and greeted Logan.

Everything still looked pretty drear on our end, until Steph showed up. I think he presence was welcomed by the both of us. We all watched The Cleveland Show (I can hardly stand that show with how tasteless some of the jokes are, but randomly watched it anyway) together while we found stuff to eat. Ian headed off to bed after watching a couple of the episodes (which also hurt, with him claiming how exhausted he was earlier). Being forced to stay up to watch Evelyn, I hungout with Steph. She cheered me up quite a bit, especially when we talked about Neopets. Good times. On the downside, when I went to go and show her the striped Kacheek plushie that Christina bought me years back, it was completely MIA. I started tearing up pretty badly after that.

This day just kept turning into a downward spiral. Was it ever going to look up?

After getting some sleep, I was feeling better, but not by much. I was still on edge with how Ian treated me earlier. I debated on going over to Jared to pick up my rings since I had asked to have them plated. I held out since Ian plans on taking me over there tomorrow.

Fast forward to when Ian was about to wake up. I had another mini meltdown, and I said things when I wasn't in the right mind. After Ian showered, we kissed and made up after I told Ian what was going on. We both apologized to each other for how we treated one another.

As one of my favorite actors Matthew Davis said recently, "We forget that the preparatory step to peace is always justice."

Apologies are nice.

P.S. See you all tomorrow for the first day of Creepmas! I'm so excited for it to start! ^w^

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Twisted Cowl Project



Most of the time, my best ideas tend to strike during the wee hours of the morning.

I know I said that I was going to create a circle scarf the other night, but had no idea if I would actually get to it with so much stuff I had to do.

After a depressing talk with Ian during his break, I decided to cheer myself up by immediately taking a break, pushing most of my plans aside. I started creating a random circle scarf and read a little bit more of the Chinese birthday book I picked up from the library while drinking some green tea. 

I decided to create this scarf in a neutral color, since last year I learned that the dark gray cowl I gave my grandma (my mom received a scarf in dusty blue) practically goes with everything (the dusty blue one didn't go with a bunch of stuff, which surprised me since I had jeans in that color!). I wore both of the circle scarfs before I gave them away as presents to my mom and grandma (shameful, I know!), to test them out. Where ever I went, I got so many compliments on those scarves. They were hits, especially at the holiday parties I attended.

The scarf this time is a light gray. I'm using up more of the Red Heart yarn I had bought awhile back. I twisted some stitches on purpose to give the scarf a more unique look. I plan on making this scarf twenty rows long, and from a 181 stitch foundation (I gave it one more stitch to make it more even). After I'm done, I plan on sewing beads and sequins into the yarn. When folded around, I can either make it into a necklace, wear it barely layered, or wearing it over my head in a hoodlike fashion.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Game Plan of the Night (11/28/2012 edition)

  • Finish writing up all of the holiday cards I have planned to do
  • Try to finish up the rest of the Chinese birthday book that's due back to the library on the first of December
  • Plan to head over to Idaho Camera tomorrow to pick up the rest of the negatives, hopefully (it's like they haven't seen expired film before :/ )
  • Do a long session of yoga (sadly, no collaboration with my friend tonight since she's sick D: ); I will probably do combined sessions of Namaste Yoga
  • Work on scanning in the black and white negatives I've received the other day onto my Macbook, and arrange/make multiples of the pictures I think are best for my clients (they said to surprise them, so I will!)
  • Continue to plan out the Cozy Sweater Holiday Party (Adventure Time inspired) (birthday plans are put on hold at the moment; I don't think I'm going to have a birthday party this year since I've been disappointed year after year now)
  • More cleaning (specifically the bedroom tonight) and organizing
  • Crochet another circle scarf for myself (still debating on what design I plan on making. A ripoff Infinity or rippled effect design sounds promising...)
  • Finding twinkle lights to put around the Yule/Christmas tree base (the tree I got from Michael's is so tiny that it can only hold small ornaments and bows)
  • Decorating the rest of the living space for this holiday season (so I will have a complete peace of mind when the first week of December rolls around)
  • Work on (and hopefully finish!) Katrina's graduation announcements
  • Figure out how I'm going to pick up the expired film negatives tomorrow (since my transportation options are heavily limited this week) >.>

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Giving Tuesday

I'm really glad that a day like this was put into effect. I love helping people out.

Here are some great charities, organizations, and movements that are near and dear to my heart (besides the ones I have already mentioned in this blog so far. Check previous posts, especially if they deal with bats):

  • Girl Scouts (I have mentioned this group all the time, but I haven't actually posted up the link), or more specifically, the Girl Scouts of the Silver Sage Council-I was involved in the Girl Scouts for a long time. I learned a bunch of awesome stuff from this group, and got to travel everywhere. Such good times. It wasn't too long ago, actually, that I was recently accepted into the Alumni group. I will always hold Troop #551 close. Many of us have kept in contact to this day.
  • Heifer International-It's always awesome to help someone become self sufficient, especially if they are less than fortunate and need to help feed their families. This organization helps people by providing services by how much you donate. You can help feed a family for weeks with help from an cute animal, for example.
  • Ian Somerhalder Foundation-Not only is this guy from TVD pretty hot, but he also has a big heart and a passion to help others.
  • World Wildlife Fund-I am a sucker for helping wild animals.
  • ASPCA-I'm also a sucker for helping abused and neglected animals.
  • Pictures of Hope Foundation-I love this group of photographers that help photograph families with a baby in the NICU. I've had several friends have a baby go straight to the NICU after they were born. This foundation really hit it close to home for me, especially when a volunteer stayed with one of my friends who had a premie. A project I plan on taking a part of when Evelyn becomes older.
  • Dog Meets World-I plan on participating in this when I receive my Foto plushie and portable printer. This organization uses photographers that help provide unfortunate people for a picture for the first time.
  • Operation Love ReUnited-I love this group so much. Yet another group I want to be apart of. This group takes photographers, and makes the photographers take pictures of military personnel and their families. Not going to lie-I've teared up whenever I've witnessed a person from the military reuniting with their loved ones. This group really hits close to home.
  • Help Portrait-Another project I want to be involved with. On December 8th, photographers will get involved with their communities, supporting personal causes.
  • TED-These ideas are really worth spreading. I love the talks from this site. Thank you, Mr. Zimmerman, for introducing this to me while I was at SHC. It really changed my life. I plan on using this site when I homeschool Evelyn.
  • Women Hold Up Half The Sky-This group empowers women and girls to be awesome, no matter what part of the world they're from.
  • Human Rights Campaign-Everyone should be treated as equals, no matter if they're LGBTQ or not.
  • It Gets Better Project-No kid should have to be bullied and commit suicide because they're different.
  • American Institute of Bisexuality-Growing up bi had it's challenges. This group hits close to home.
This list is just a taste of what I love. More organizations I love will be posted next year around this time, and scattered throughout my blog throughout the year to come (since everyone should be helping out more than one day a year!). ^w^

Monday, November 26, 2012

Vinyl Goodness

Today was a pretty awesome day. It started off on an uneasy note, but it gradually turned out pretty fun and carefree. So much stuff got done, and I got to hangout with Ian a good portion of the day without him falling asleep... wait, I take that back. He did fall asleep, but I was in his arms. :P

After he went out to early in the morning to run errands, he picked me up, and took me to the bank to get the check I received cashed.

Next, we headed over to the Target on Milwaukee to get part of my Shopkicks spree done. (After today, if I go in at least one more time, I get a free giftcard. SCORE!)

We roamed around that first Target for a bit. I scanned some items for Shopkicks. I found two of the three items of the day. We picked up a limited edition holiday apple cider scented Chapstick three-pack and various flavors of Hershey's kisses. Chocolate mint truffle is the best! >w<

We made a beeline toward the other Target, near Eagle, to further continue the Shopkicks giftcard spree. No walk in credit, sadly, but that's alright.

What I found later on from there made my day...

I was looking for castor oil (which I totally forgot about due to getting sidetracked >.> ) at first, since I couldn't scan anything else. I wanted to try the oil cleansing treatment I had heard about, due to my acne still being out of control (sorry if that's TMI!). I look over to see if the photo area is open, and it's not. I randomly go looking for film for Ian's Holga (that I have seriously gotten attached to!).

Good things tend to happen when I search for film.

I came across this:


I had seriously been wishing for one of these for quite awhile. Portable record players are a super rare find in this area. Most of the ones I have come across are supposed to be stationary. I hadn't even checked out the ads on this so I was totally surprised (not sure if they were Black Friday or regular ads, but my FIL spazzed when I showed him this!). It was the last red one in the store, and on sale too! SCORE!!! I cried happy tears in store. I deem this record player as an early Yule present to myself. <3

After I paid for the record player, Ian treated me to some KFC for my late brunch (3 p.m. I was so hungry! T.T), and we drove home.

We proceeded to chill out with each other while Ian played more Happy Wars, a free game on XBox Live arcade. It's pretty cute.

Nearly 6 p.m. ish, we headed out to get some of my client's pictures developed. We first headed over to Walgreens, since that was a sensible option. Lesson learned: Don't go to Walgreens if you have expired or black and white films. It's a total waste of time!

Idaho Camera was the best option overall. I wish we went there first. >.>

After getting everything all set up, I received receipt tickets. All the developments should be done by tomorrow around 4 p.m. What's left to do is to scan them immediately after I get home, print them out, quote my client, and collect payments. ^.^

We roamed around the Boise Towne Square Mall for bit after. We looked through different stores for gift ideas. It's always awesome seeing Ian's face light up after finding something he really likes/loves. We didn't purchase anything, but it window shopping is free fun.

Panda Express was in store for dinner. Our orders were to-go. I picked out an order of chow mein and double dose of orange chicken. Ian picked out fried rice, orange chicken, and Kung Pow chicken. The batch  of orange chicken for tonight was way too spicy. We watched Family Guy while we ate. I was thankful for old episodes. The latest episodes are tasteless, IMHO.

After changing out of my day clothes, Ian and I took a power nap together. We just barely woke up.

I tested out my record player for the first time ever soon after. Not going to lie-mP3 < vinyl. I really missed this. The last time I had heard anything on vinyl was over at Amber's house. Good times. :3

Here's a picture of my first test run of my portable record player:


Ian, Evelyn, and I listened to the first Bioshock official score together. So perfect. <3

P.S. *Wishlist alert!!!* If anyone wants to know, I'm been wanting the Lana Del Rey vinyl featuring the song "Born To Die." I was going to post it up on my Wishpot Holiday 2012 wishlist, but keep forgotting to. I probably should after this...

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Couch Potato Friendly, Lazily Approved


There are so many delicious desserts this time of year. I'm especially digging the homemade pies.

Logan brought home a pumpkin pie from work since they couldn't sell it. We nommed on it after watching the latest episode of The Walking Dead.

Seeing this picture of Fluttershy, I also really need to catch up on MLP episodes. I'm two episodes behind since the premiere. I'm also behind on Merlin, Castle, and Supernatural.

On the note on other television/online shows, the latest OUAT episode's ending really shocked me. I didn't see it coming.

 Oh, and there's a local channel that shows The Twilight Zone on weeknights at 11 p.m. I know what channel I'm tuning into then. ;D

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Bat Shooting Madness In Queensland

(This bat's name is Shine. She was rescued. Isn't she cute? ^w^ Source)

If you know me, you'll know I love bats.

What's happening in Queensland is madness and heartbreaking.

Only 2,422 signatures are needed for activists trying to stop this to be heard. Please sign it.

Here's another link to send e-mails to Queensland officials.

Thanks, and take care!

Friday, November 23, 2012

Fashion MONSTAAAAAAA!


This piece of artwork makes me super happy.

I'm not sure who made this "Fashion Monster" tribute piece, but I give them major props.

P.S. I'm totally going to style my hair like that someday, whether I use my actual hair or a wig. ^w^

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Thanksgiving Day 2012

Today reminded me why I loved Thanksgiving all over again.

I love being able to hangout with my family on my side, especially if they happen to be from out of town (this time, it was really nice being able to see J.R., Uncle Doug, Aunt Gail, and Sammy).

I really needed this type of family gathering. Here's why:

  • No one got into a fight. 
  • There were plenty of delicious foods to eat (seriously, the variety was awesome!!!).
  • Gifts were exchanged (my family has the habit of giving out Christmas gifts early, mostly to save on postage and in case nasty weather prevents everyone from seeing each other later on [which happens quite a bit]). 
  • We watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade together (which I haven't honestly done in years!). 
  • Plenty of spirits were served (I loved the selection of wines in general!) and drunk
  • My Uncle Doug and I discussed photography quite a bit (He's one of my biggest inspirations for getting back into film photography in general. A bunch of his digital work is so organic, and he hardly ever touches up his work digitally. So amazing! Oh, and a possible photography collaboration might be in store if he travels back up to Idaho sometime. It's pretty exciting. ^w^ )
  • More desserts galore!!!
  • Evelyn got to hangout with my side of the family for an extended period of time (it's seriously been forever since she was able to, sadly) and had a blast in general, making me have a blast in return (happiness creates more happiness, somehow)
  • The apple cider jello turned out pretty awesome, though tasted pretty tame considering the taste of the last batch (I'm thinking that I'm going to keep a lot of things plain from now on. The marshmallows balanced out the tangy taste pretty well, but I'm going to put less of them in next time, if I make another jello creation)
  • Plenty of laughter
  • Plenty of distractions from the Black Friday BS going on around here (plenty of people on Ian's side had to work today, thus why Thanksgiving dinner with them was celebrated on Monday; my mom also had to work, which didn't help matters much) and grandma's death (this dinner really helped grandpa cope, along with everyone else that was there. Uncle Doug's dinner blessing brought my grandpa to tears. Grandma gave the blessing on the food when she was alive. There was a big group hug at the end)
On an ending note, this was one of my favorite Thanksgivings of all time. I'm glad that I decided to go and was able to attend.

P.S. I'm thankful for many things including but not limited to: My family (especially Ian and Evelyn), my friends that have stuck with me through the thick and thin (especially Miqmiq, Katrina, Tyler, Tori, Nicole, Einar, and Courtney. You guys are awesome!), freedom, film photography, record players, bats, cute things, laughter, the basic necessities (food, water, clothing, shelter, etc.), being able to freelance, being able to vote, having an education, being able to travel freely, being able to hope and dream without restrictions, divination of all sorts, being able to learn different languages, yoga, crafting of all sorts, technology of all sorts, Chaos Magick, being alive (I've had plenty of close encounters with death), life experiences, and music.

P.P.S. I was going to do the Evil Queen's makeup from OUAT today, but I was once again rushed by my dad. =.= That makeup will be done, if it's the last thing I do! X.x

P.P.P.S. I wasn't able to take pictures again since my phone was being unreliable, yet again. I forgot my Holga since I was rushed. It's going in the diaper bag for sure next time! Pretty ironic, since I was talking about photography for the longest time with my Uncle Doug! >.>

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Oops (Pre-Thanksgiving Day Edition)...

Today is another unfortunate day in the fact that I thought that today was tomorrow (I seriously thought TVD was on tonight!!! UGH).

Thinking like that REALLY throws my schedule off. :/

I haven't had a day like this since I was still going to BSU (which way quite a while back!).

Here's what's on my agenda for tonight:

  • Finish writing up the holiday cards that deal with my relatives that I will be seeing at tomorrow's Thanksgiving family dinner so I can give the cards to them then (it saves a lot on postage!)
  • Make more apple cider jello (I think I'm just going to keep the jello in the bundt cake mold overnight and into tomorrow, since I don't want to deal with transferring it into another container (this forced me to make the jello into a jello salad >.O ). I'm also thinking I'm going to add marshmallows in it this time, balancing the sweet with tangy; the last batch was quite sour with all the added spices last time, even with a bunch of sugar added into it the night before! I had to add additional whipped cream on top. >.> The odd thing was, the jello perfectly mimicked a Granny Smith apple in taste and almost in texture! )
  • Hopefully finish up Wicked, so I can get to the books I actually borrowed from the library this time!
  • Pick out an outfit for Evelyn to wear tomorrow. I suspect that pictures will be taken, so I think that I'm going to go matching on this one
  • Making single sigils and a hypersigil (since I feel way better than I did than when I originally wanted to make them [doing anything magick related sucks when you're sick!]; I may post them up later)
  • Organizing more of the bedroom and closet (Ian decided on getting a locker to put in our closet to put his clothes in, along with the dresser next to his side of the bed. I don't know how he's going to pull that off, since our closet is not a walk in closet)
  • Thinking in advance how I'm going to decorate the living space for the holidays (I'm probably thinking along the lines of Lurlinemas this year, especially after reading more of Wicked)
  • Making a list of what I plan on making/buying everyone for the holidays
  • Planning out more of my birthday and holiday parties
  • Planning out more Creepmas posts

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

A Chill Vibe

Today was pretty laid back, for the most part.

Way earlier into the day, most of the boys around here couldn't sleep, so we watched Thankskilling and Hausu. The boys wanted to watch Trolls 2 (to make fun of it), but I won in a heated game of Ro Sham Bo.

Short, but sweet, review of Thankskilling:
Awful. Just awful. The only redeeming quality of that movie is one song that plays. That's it. I don't recommend it, unless you're drunk off your ass. The storyline is jumbled and rushed so bad, and the dialogue is terrible. Also, the use of nudity only made sense in one point of the movie. The other scene where nudity is shown is completely uncalled for and tasteless.

After we watched Hausu, Brett just bolted out of the room and slammed his door. Later on, while we were eating leftovers, he said that he didn't like it. I just can't believe that he said that Thankskilling was better than both Hausu and Trick 'r Treat.

Complete blasphemy, I say. I know a bunch of others that would agree with me wholeheartedly. Hausu was created in the 70's, for one, and is loved to the point of being part of The Criterion Collection. Only awesome old movies can be apart of The Criterion Collection. Trick 'r Treat is also a fan favorite globally, and has been deemed a new classic.

Connor, on the other hand, was actually freaked out. I think he liked Hausu, but didn't want to say anything around Brett.

Whoever put the fake flower above Logan's door was a genius. It seriously creeped me out when I spotted it. I suspect Brett put it there just to screw with people. Ian is a close second guess.

The next part of the morning involved cuddle time with Ian and a bunch of needed sleep. I got a good six hours of uninterrupted sleep, for once.

After one in the afternoon, we headed over to the library to pick up some books that I had on reserve. I sincerely wish that I hadn't slept in on Saturday so that I could pick up my books then. I have no idea if one of the books I really wanted to read was checked out. I plan on checking on the library site after this post.

The next part of the day consisted of leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner, more sleep, and more reading of Wicked.

So yeah...

Monday, November 19, 2012

Early Thanksgiving Celebrations

This day had its ups and downs, ending on an alright note, I think.

Pros:

  • Makeup was put on in a flash (I think I'm going to pair up hair and makeup photos together) and done pretty well
  • I was treated to a haircut over at the Great Clips over by my folk's house (pictures to follow sometime soonish! Explanation below on the last con)
  • Since my haircut was done fast and wonderfully, I got to hangout with my side of the family for the first time in a good while (especially with J.R. and Remi), and get some me time in the process
  • I got to play Street Fighter x Tekken on J.R.'s new laptop (So. Much. AWESOMENESS!!! I'm so jelly of the graphics card he has for his laptop!)
  • Desserts galore!!!
  • Evelyn was rather behaved throughout the day (On that note, I'm so proud of her!)
  • So much food at both dinners!
  • Family got along, for the most part, on both sides
  • We got to watch the latest Adventure Time episode with everyone :3
  • Kids (especially Evelyn) and MIL appreciating and trying out my homemade apple cider jello (it tasted even better with fresh whipped cream. OMG)
  • Even though we participated in early Thanksgiving dinners, it felt like Thanksgiving today since both families celebrated today in a full manner
Cons:
  • I wish my makeup could have been more party oriented, but that didn't work out since I was rushed for time (little sleep + little head's up on when my dad was going to pick me up = no fancy makeup); due to this, I'm forced to do my makeup in the original way I wanted to tomorrow for picture purposes (I can't break the promise I made to my to my friend! There will be pictures, dammit!)
  • Ian forgot the diaper bag when he brought Evelyn over to my folk's house (one of the contributing factors in leaving way earlier than I wanted to)
  • Problems in dealing with Remi (I sincerely wish that wasn't the case, as he's a really good dog when he wants to be. Also, I'm not going into detail on this since it's really depressing); various issues contributed to this
  • T.J.'s dinner stories (another thing I won't go in detail to...let's just say a good portion of the stories were pretty gross and leave it at that!)
  • People took off quite quickly after dinner was over at my folk's house, so no one tried the jello I made for dessert
  • People talking in Mickey Mouse voices for hours (driving me insane and pissy in the process!); this includes Ian! Not cool!
  • A good game of Apples-To-Apples gone sour (not in the good way!)
  • People leaving early and falling asleep due to the "itis"
  • Not enough pictures taken today due to my phone acting up and turning off on me at random times (I really should have brought along Ian's Holga!)

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Productivity Roll

I'm so proud of myself. I'm getting a lot done tonight that has been on my latest to-do list.

So far, I've already made the jello mounds for my folk's dinner and Ian's folks dinner. Both are taking place tomorrow night. I forgot to take picture of this batch since I was rushed by my FIL. He needed to use the kitchen for tonight's dinner and Thanksgiving dinner prep.

I've got about an hour to kill before I have to flip the mounds onto plates. After I transfer them on the serving dishes, I plan to decorate them with various spices, powdered sugar, and homemade whipped cream. I'm highly expecting these jellos to be demolished instantly, as usual (I'm the family specialist when it comes to steaks and desserts in general).

Other things on the agenda for tonight (since OUAT is out of the question due to some music awards ceremony that's going on):

  • Getting a head start on writing holiday cards (I'm so bad about writing these and thank you cards! It's so embarrassing! X.x Does this ever happen to you?)
  • Sorting out the clothes I plan on donating/selling within the next couple of days
  • Cleaning more of the closet as best as I can with it still being a hazard zone
  • Possibly picking up J.R. so that Ian and him can play the Halo 4 campaign together (it all comes down to him actually being in town or not. The weather where he was supposed to start from put delays in traveling plans. I just hope he makes it down before dinner tomorrow!)

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Detox Thoughts

I've been thinking that more green drinks and longer yoga sessions via Skype are in order, especially with Thanksgiving just around the corner. I don't want to be feeling sick then due to bloating with family in town and plenty of foods to nom on.

It feels like ever since Ian picked up some Mountain Dew Halo 4 Game Fuels that I've been consuming way too much soda.

After the root beer is all gone in the fridge, I'm going back to just drinking teas, milk, juices, and water... with maybe a little coffee and specialty drinks on the side every once in a while.

Also, with more yoga and green drinks in my diet, I'll hopefully prevent the "itis" (I really don't want to fall asleep this year way early due to consuming way too much food and miss out on any fun activities) with the three Thanksgiving celebrations coming up. My folks are having their dinner on Monday. My in-laws are having their dinner on Monday too, except later on in the night. Last, but not least, my other relatives on my dad's side are having dinner on Thanksgiving day around noonish at my Aunt Denise's house.

P.S. Oh, and for the Thanksgiving celebrations, I plan on making homemade apple cider jello from scratch. It's so exciting! :D I think pictures will be involved in the processes, since the first two batches will be made tomorrow (so they form in time).

P.P.S. Since I've been watching the Grindhouse Double Feature on Spike tonight, I had to post this, since I'm on the topic of Thanksgiving. The presentation of this fake movie commercial just kills me. XD

Friday, November 16, 2012

Closet Dilemma

Ever since the bar broke in our closet, finding places to put clothes has been quite the problem around here. The bar broke mostly due to a bunch of Ian's clothes being hung up in one corner and poor installation on the original handyman's part. I'm lucky that I have a dresser that can hold of majority of my clothes, due to Ian being awesome on Mother's Day. Ian isn't so lucky. His dresser only holds under clothing, pajamas, and socks. He's been forced to hang up almost all of his clothes up in Brett's closet. Brett hasn't been too happy about that.

I see laundry baskets, shelves, and a bunch of donating/selling is in order soon.

*sighs*

Have you ever been in this predicament before? If so, what did you end up doing? Suggestions would be awesome. =.=

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Spooky Season: Anniversary Sweetness and A Farewell

(Note before I start this post: Well, today is the last day of what I consider the Spooky Season. Any leftover shots from this season will be spread out when photos develop or when certain crafts are done. Other creepy stuff might still be in the mix the rest of this month, but sparingly. Anywho, I've considered this Spooky Season to pan out for the most part. I have gotten a bunch done this year, despite being sick several times. Next up, Creepmas [December 1-13]..)

Today was a pretty nice day, especially for our second wedding anniversary. The weather was fair, despite being chilly, and we were able to do stuff together.

Ian came back home after work this morning, and woke me up with a kiss. Unfortunately, we weren't able to visit Jose like we wanted to, since my MIL had to work tonight with three truckloads of freight. I wasn't going to be a jerk, so I told Ian to tell mom that she should rest, and that she wouldn't have to bother watching Evelyn.

Ian and I stayed up for a good portion of the morning. We talked a bunch while he played Halo 4, gaining more of the story achievements. I told him that his gift was still in the works. It's either going to be a 3-D painting of the Arbiter or of a Promethean screaming. After awhile, he suddenly told me he was going out and that he would be back in a bit. Steph came over in the meantime, and we watch Ratatouille while we waited for him to come back.

He made me twirl around six times-Three counterclockwise, then clockwise, made me close my eyes, and then handed me this:

I've seriously been wanting to watch all of this for quite some time in one run, so receiving this made my day.

Ian announced that he had a bunch of Pizza Hut pizza and other goodness upstairs for brunch, so we then made a beeline towards that. Afterward, we headed back downstairs to watch Hausu. I have to say it's quite excellent. If you haven't watched it before and enjoy cheesy 70's goodness, this movie is for you.

Fast forward to tonight. After Ian and I took naps, we went on a DQ run. Being the bad influence, I told Ian that I would rather have dessert for dinner over having one big meal, since we did have a bunch of leftover pizza due to brunch. He heartily agreed. Ian and I ended up getting pumpkin pie Blizzards while they were still in season. We then decided to hit up the closest Fred Meyer directly after to see if Halo 4 edition Game Fuel was around (it wasn't!), and I happened to stumbled across these:

OH HELL YES!!! This type of candy is one of my all-around favorites of all-time! I hardly saw these during Halloween!

...so that was my second anniversary in a nutshell.

Oh, I didn't make myself all pretty today, like I wanted to, but I did make myself pretty during an early anniversary dinner on Monday. We went to Tucanos. Yummy, but expensive, Brazilian food goodness.

Take #1:

Take #2:


P.S. Here's a letter I wrote to Ian on FB for the day:

To my loving husband,

It feels so surreal knowing that another year has passed since we have been married together. We have had our moments where times were fun. We also have had other times that have tested our bond, but we have worked things out (making everything wonderful in the end). We have definitely been through the thick and thin, especially with my grandma passing away last month. We ha
ve raised our daughter past a year now together. You have made an excellent father, by the way. I can't believe that she is going to be two when May rolls around next year. Time sure does fly!

It is always great making memories with you. Let's make more, okay? ^.^

I love you so much, Ian. You rock my world. ♥

Happy second anniversary!

~Kris

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Spooky Season: Vamped Up Vixen


I don't know why I'm on such a vampire kick lately, but I just am.

Maybe it's because my wedding anniversary is tomorrow... ;D

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Spooky Season: Animal Totems

A couple of days ago, I realized that the spirit animal that fully described me was a bat.

Cute, mysterious, spooky. Yep, that's me alright.

Looking into it even further, I came across this meaning:

Let's face it, the bat isn't the most popular of animal totems. In fact, it's largely misunderstood and so therefore many of its symbolic meanings are inappropriately fear-based. However, the very savvy Native Americans approached the realm of animals from a position of honor - knowing that all things are connected. They understood that seeing the bat with fear in the heart would be the same as being terrified of their own children. Ridiculous. The Native American animal symbolism of the bat comes from a keen observation of this magnificent animal. These people recognized that the bat was highly sensitive to their surroundings and so therefore was considered a symbol of intuition, dreaming and vision. This made the bat a powerful symbol for Native American shamans and medicine people. Often the spirit of the bat would be invoked when special energy was needed, like "night-sight" which is the ability to see through illusion or ambiguity and dive straight to the truth of matters. It is a symbol of communication because the 
Native Americans observed the bat to be a highly social creature. Indeed, the bat has strong family ties. They are very nurturing, exhibiting verbal communication, touching, and sensitivity to members of their group. 
Here is a quick-list of bat animal symbolism:
  • Illusion
  • Rebirth
  • Dreams
  • Intuition
  • Initiation
  • Journeying
  • Inner Depth
  • Communication
The bat is a symbol of rebirth and depth because it is a creature that lives in the belly of the Mother (Earth). From the womb-like caves it emerges every evening at dusk. And so - from the womb it is reborn every evening.
If you have the bat as your totem you are extremely aware of your surroundings. Sometimes you can be overly sensitive to the feelings of others. Additionally, you are quite perceptive on a psychic level, and are prone to have prophetic dreams.
If you work with the bat as your totem, you will be put to the test, because it is demands only 100% commitment to spiritual growth. The bat will never accept half-hearted or lukewarm attempts at self-improvement. Indeed, if the bat senses that you are slacking in your psychic/spiritual training it will likely move on to someone else who is more willing to learn the lessons the bat has to offer.
As with most of our hardest challenges, working with the demanding bat will reap some of the most profound rewards you could ever dream of.

But be warned, the bat asks a lot of us, like:
  • Dying to our ego
  • Loving our enemies as ourselves
  • Going within to touch our inner demons
  • Exploring the underworlds of reality (which can be scary)
  • Renewing our thoughts and beliefs on a moment-to-moment basis
All of these tasks can be harrowing experiences. This is why the Native American symbolism of the bat deals with initiation; because this creature takes us to outlandish extremes. But rest assured, the bat is never leaves our side while we are journeying.
Furthermore, once we are tested to satisfaction, the devotion of the bat will never fade. It will eternally support us on our spiritual path - ever faithful and forever loving us on our journey to maintain our highest potential." (Source
This is so cool.

Do you have an/any animal(s) that you identify with?

Monday, November 12, 2012

Spooky Season: Campfire (NSFW)


(Major thanks to the Scotsman for posting the link to this earlier. I was looking all over for it!)

This is basically a shoutout to my friends Colleen and Nick. This is their h48 entry for this year.

More information about h48 here for those that wanted it. This competition was mentioned in one of my previous posts too, for things to do around here in the Treasure Valley around Halloween. This year's competition took place on October 27, 2012.

Nick told me that he and the rest of of the writers wanted to have a tribute to found footage, angsty teens, and possessions. I think it hits right on the mark.

What do you think?

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Spooky Season: Creepmas Is Nearing Closer...

Creepmas is coming up, and signups are still going strong. My blog has already been added to the list. If you loved Countdown to Halloween, then you'll love Creepmas.

What exactly is Creepmas? Here's the official explanation.

Why am I participating in it this year? It's because I'm sick of Christmas taking over, especially when cooler holidays are not even celebrated yet/have barely been celebrated. Halloween and Thanksgiving used to be even cooler when they were given their share of the spotlight. It was a good while, back in the day, when my family could still spend time together on these holidays versus panicking over what to get people for the holidays. One of my fondest memories was hanging out with my side of the family on Thanksgiving morning and watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Santa would appear on the tv screen, and everyone in the room would cheer. Thinking about Santa coming to town was magical. Such a youthful thought. Christmas was only mentioned after Thanksgiving, like it should have been in the first place.

Nowadays, you see Christmas EVERYTHING starting in July. What the hell? What's worse is the fact that stores have become so greedy that they have forced family and friends to work on the holidays themselves. Ian and I only get to see each other on Thanksgiving for a couple of hours, then he's forced to sleep, wake up, and make a beeline to his work for Black Friday BS. How lame is that? Oh, and my birthday gets overshadowed to boot (I was born on the twenty-second of December). That sucks even worse.

Take a stand. Bring the creepiness into the beginning days of December (the first through the thirteenth). Give the people celebrating the holidays something to scream about...

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Spooky Season: Adventures In Different Sides of Boise

Ian was kind enough to take me over to the Idaho History Museum before the Dia de Los Muertos Festival exhibit ended (which is later on today). I have always wanted to go to the IHM this time of year, but usually school usually prevented me from doing so. Before we finally ended up downtown, Ian wanted to head over to see the temple (he was raised LDS and still is an active practitioner) before the open house ended later on today too. Today is the last day that anyone can see it before it's closed off to the public and open for the re-dedication ceremony. Since I'm not LDS and don't have a temple recommend, I won't be able to attend the re-dedication ceremony. :<

We were able to do both of these events, since the temple was in east Boise, and the history museum was downtown. They were fun.

Ian's phone was the only one working properly (mine was reacting weirdly due to the cold-it was 24 degrees outside!), so this is as closest as we could get with a picture with the both of us in it on temple grounds (since people were making a beeline toward the warm reception area, no one was around us to take a proper picture of the both of us). Hey look! We're shadow people! :P

The very top of the temple. You can't see it very well, but there's a golden angel blowing a trumpet on the end. It's a hell of a sight up close.

A closer look of the name of the temple. It's the one in Boise, Idaho. If you're wondering why we didn't get pictures of inside the temple, they told us that photos or videos of any kind weren't allowed. Sorry. 


Ian and I decided to go for a brunch break, since we were both hungry as hell. We decided to hit up the Taco Bell by Boise State University. Here is a picture of my hubby caught unaware. Isn't he cute? ;3

I wonder if someone has used these to propose and reply (in dealing with marriage, of course) around here...

After the brunch break, it was off to the Idaho History Museum, finally. The Dia de Los Muertos altars were located up front. The only free parts were the altars and the Pioneer Village located outside. The website has false advertising. If you wanted to go before five today, it costs cash to get into the rest of the exhibit, and we only had cards on us. Anywho, part one of the altars are by artists and children in the Treasure Valley. My favorite ones are the top middle one and the bottom three in this group. The other altars on this side were a bit boring, so I didn't take a picture of them. >.>

Part two of the altars. The second one on the top left and the third one on the middle bottom are my favorites in this bunch. The top one has a guy who was a very dedicated dog owner and pedigree judge. The bottom one deals with a family loving their grandma very much. They were very touching and heartfelt.

Part three of the wall altars. The last vertical line of altars on the right are the best in this group, and are all made by children.

The main altar displayed up front. It's so cool!

Traditional paper decorations up by the museum gift shop.

My favorite large paper decoration up by the front of the entrance. This was the last picture taken before we left. I would have taken pictures of the Pioneer Village, but my fingers would have frozen off. >.>

I hope you enjoyed these! Take care! ^.^

Friday, November 9, 2012

Spooky Season: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Love

If you know me, you know I love spooky and cute things. I especially love them combined.

On that note, Kyary is one of the many style icons and girl crushes I have. She combines the best of both worlds, and still looks fabulous while doing so. Her singing voice is also adorable.

Here are some of my favorite videos by her:






I love how her videos look like acid trips. So much color! ^.^

JUST LOOK AT HER!!! >w<




Last, but not least, is my favorite gif set featuring her on my Tumblr account. <3

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Spooky Season: Happy Birthday, Bram Stoker

It's crazy to think that if Bram Stoker was alive today, he would be 165.

If you have been living underneath a rock, you wouldn't know until reading this that Bram Stoker was the creator of Dracula. He helped to bring vampires to life.

I love vampires and what they are supposed to represent. They are death incarnate in multiple demonic forms that inspire romance, immorality, and mystery.

Here are some cool ways you can celebrate his birthday today:
  1. Read Dracula, his most famous work, in its full extent on Project Gutenberg. If you're not a fan of vampiric stories, he did write other books, which are also found in the search.
  2. Donate to charities promoting how cool bats are like Bat Conservation International and Bat World Sanctuary.
  3. Listen to a tasteful Gothic playlist. 
  4. Vamp up your look in a Noir fashion, like this: 

(I plan on using this look for my wedding anniversary that's coming up! Shh! Don't tell Ian! ;D There will be pictures, of course, when that happens...)

Carpe Noctem! Take care, everybody! ^.^

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Spooky Season: Early Warning Signs Include Terrible Twos and Nausea...

Today was quite a lesson in the adventures of parenting. It was so crazy, in fact, that I actually driven to discussing not having any more kids with Ian. He half-heartily agreed with me after witnessing how pissed Evelyn was. With temper tantrums like these, it's amazing how other couples can have multiple kids.

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm afraid of her turning two, especially with stories from other parents I know.

Here's how everything went down:

Get five hours of sleep--->Get myself ready to accompany Evelyn to St. Alphonsus--->Get Evelyn ready for her doctor's appointment--->Wake Ian up to take us to St. Alphonsus--->Check Evelyn in--->Evelyn gets examined by the nurse, and won't stop moving around to the point that she can't weigh in correctly--->Finally meet up with Dr. Townsend--->Dr. Townsend can't properly weigh Evelyn either, and declares Evelyn too squirmy--->Evelyn is constantly running into things during the appointment--->Evelyn is just being a butt during the rest of the appointment, just constantly wiggling, running around, and screaming--->Dr. Townsend examines Evelyn as fast as possible, and writes up a prescription to Norco (a medical supply company) for Pediasure (I had no idea that insurance actually covered that!)--->Evelyn gets a flu shot and won't stop crying--->The nurse feels bad, and directs Evelyn over to the toys, which she makes a huge mess of--->Evelyn finally picks out a shark squeaky toy--->Evelyn gets checked out, and her next appointment is set for January for a growth check (since she was underweight last time)--->Ian randomly is on a "Let's go search for a West of Philly's kick (we later find out that it went out of business, again)--->Ian takes me over to the library to pick up my reserved library book--->The reserved library book didn't desensitize, so I was held up for a good ten minutes trying to prove I didn't steal a book or something--->We drive back to the house--->BABY HELL (due to the reaction to the flu shot)--->Evelyn sleeps (due to tiring herself out due to raising hell) until past midnight, then wakes up, strangely compliant and super happy.

WTF. =.=

Kids are scary...

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Spooky Season: Elections Are Crazy


Today was pretty important for different reasons, and left me on edge for quite a bit.

It's November 6th. Today is not only Election Day, my parent-in-law's wedding anniversary, and my now deceased grandma's birthday.

I woke up close to noon, since I fell asleep at nearly 5 a.m. this morning, due to staying up and watching Ian play Halo 4. If you haven't played it yet, you're seriously missing out. The graphics and music are amazing and the storyline is intense.

Anywho, I woke up and was forced to make a beeline upstairs (after praying for my grandma and wishing her a happy birthday under my breath) since Ian was replaying the end of the main story with Steph. I went on the computer to find a good representation of the candidates that were going to be in the local elections so I knew what I was voting on for sure. I was surprised that there weren't anymore Independents running this year than there usually were. Almost all of my favorites off of the Idaho Statesman interactive voting guide were Democrat, except for the Libertarian sheriff pick. I was worried that Jill Stein wouldn't even show up on the ballot in this state.

At about 12:30 p.m., we headed out to the church where we were supposed to vote at. It was pretty busy, with people voting at the booths every minute. I was ushered over to a guy who found my name on the list to vote right off. I was then given a ballot to fill my answers on. I was pleasantly surprised to find Jill Stein and her running mate on there under the presidency box. What I didn't like, however, was the fact that she was listed as "Independent." That's what happens when Greens aren't fully represented in this state.

After my ballot was in the box, my name was announced, and I got a sticker. I was feeling great...until Ian killed that voting spirit. I voted for my values.

Fast forward to later, and I turn on CNN to see what's going on. Romney's leading in the popular vote. My nerves are on edge. He's seriously one of the scariest candidates I've ever witnessed in my lifetime. I've never liked how his aura always spikes. It makes me uneasy. Ian makes me turn off the tv, seeing how it's making me anxious. I join him, and we head over to Kyle and Eliza's place to give Eliza a blessing since she's sick. After the blessing, my BIL wouldn't stop spouting off Romney this and Romney that.

I couldn't wait to get out of there.

We make a stop over at the nearest Albertson's (just checking for Mountain Dew Game Fuel, in the Halo 4 edition for more XP) afterward, then we head home. I turn back on the CNN coverage. The lesser of two evils is winning.

Thank gosh. Thinking about a country run by Romney is a pretty scary thought, especially when the guy can't get his story straight. Oh, and having my rights taken away is one of the scariest things I can think of.

Obama gets re-elected after Romney finally concedes after quite some time. Hooray. Back to life. I would have had more enthusiasm if Jill Stein was elected, but whatever.

What I'm more happy learning about is that my home state of Washington legalizing marijuana and gay marriage, along with other states. Progress is cool. I wish Idaho was that cool.

Oh, and due to Ian's suggestion, I'm thinking about running for a local office position sometime in the future. We need more Greens around here in this scarily Red state.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Spooky Season: Creepers In Line

(I'm going to keep this post short and sweet, since Ian is going to play Halo 4 once everyone has everything set up, and I REALLY want to see what's going to happen.)

...so, we waited in line over at Best Buy since before 9 p.m. for the Halo 4 launch.

I wish I had brought my gloves that you could use on smartphones easily. My fingers felt like they were going to fall off from the cold.

I warmed up slightly from eating food from Smashburger and keeping my hands in Ian's coat pockets.

This launch had more heavier cons than pros, in my personal opinion. :/

Here are my thoughts about the launch in general:

Things I didn't like from the launch:
  • Creepy guys hitting on me in line and out in the parking lot, even after telling them I was married (I may or may not elaborate on this later when I have more time [in an edit in this post], it was that bad)
  • Waiting out in the cold (with that size of Best Buy, there is literally no excuse of why we couldn't wait inside the store)
  • The fact that Terry didn't project his voice during Halo trivia
  • Not thinking out my food choices from Smashburger too well (oil got all over my hands, making them freeze even further)
  • Smokers that wouldn't take the hint to move away from us even after we told them that several people, including myself, are allergic to cigarette smoke
  • The two guys driving around trolling and blasting music from their car stereo system
  • Creepers in line getting all touchy feely (seriously, not cool!!!)
  • Best Buy bathrooms at night (I thought I was going to get jumped or something)

Things I did like from the launch:
  • Halo 4 trivia being as organized at it was
  • Terry was extremely helpful
  • People in line were mostly cool to talk to
  • I got treated to Smashburger food by Ian
  • We were some of the first people in line
  • Ian won a shirt during trivia
  • Customer service was pretty awesome in general
  • Free drinks
  • This picture on one of the white boards in the middle of Best Buy (it was created totally in white erase markers!!!) found before we had to wait in line. So. Freaking. EPIC!!!
The opening is starting. Got to go. 

Holy SHIT. It's so pretty!!!

Oh, and voting madness will be later on during this morning. That's the scariest thing I can think of at the moment, especially if Romney gets elected. 

*shudders*

I don't know about you, but I'm voting for Jill Stein this election...

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Spooky Season: Family Gathering

Today/tonight was a pretty good in general.

Even though I got a couple of hours of sleep this morning, I felt more awake that I had been for awhile (I think it was the Cold-Eeze and Gypsy Cold Care working their magic), so I stayed up before Ian went to church, since he got out of work earlier than I thought he would. In that sense, I'm thankful for Daylight Savings Time finally ending. I stayed home since I was still coughing up gunk and Evelyn had multiple things going on, sickness wise. After Ian left for church with Connor, I fell back to sleep for about an hour before waking up to having an online discussion for Go Team Lolita, an EGL group that helps out Anime Oasis. I discussed my thoughts with Jeanine, the head of our group, while we waited for others to show up and chat with us. With lunch drawing near, I called it quits when Ian told me he was hungry, and we went off in search of food. Brett and Eli had made a bunch of pizza rolls, so we munched on those. Evelyn became fussy, so I retrieved her, and brought her upstairs to roam around. Nothing seemed to please her and continued to piss her off even further, so I thought of a last resort-jumping on the trampoline outside. I think we both needed the fresh air, and she was all giggles. Running around outside also helped to calm out her down pretty well, and allow her to sleep for quite a bit. Ian was super tired after consuming food and drink, so he made a beeline for the bedroom after what seemed like forever (he randomly sat in front of his old tv upstairs, droning out to some of the cartoons showing on Cartoon Network beforehand). After tiring myself out with some more Witch Wars (that game is seriously addicting; I highly recommend getting it if you have Google Play), I slept a little bit more. Sleep when you're sick never hurted a soul. Feeling even more rested, I woke up a couple of hours later to get ready for the dinner my MIL made since Kyle and the girls were coming over. Checking to see what the lucky color was for the day, I decided that I would backtrack into the room and change out what I was going to wear after I took a shower. I decided on my favorite silver (the lucky color of the day) velvet cami paired with the only pair of jeans that actually still fit me. After getting my jewelry on, Sarah and I changed out Evelyn's clothes before we brought her upstairs. She ended up wearing a pink leopard print dress. Ian and Evelyn were both out of it still, so waking them up took around ten minutes each. After making our way upstairs, Evelyn still wanted sleep, so I placed her in the playpen while I ate with everyone else. Mom and dad worked on a spread of crock pot lasagna, broccoli bits, and homemade French bread with garlic sauce. After dinner, Ian and Kyle went to go retrieve Ruckus and Apples To Apples to play with the rest of the family. During the middle of the game, Eliza brought out the dessert she made, which happened to be a fruit cobbler. After the game ended on a sour note (Connor was being inappropriate causing Ian to back out, making dad the victor with ten cards [we were playing an endless mode that we had created] ), Kyle and the girls called it quits, and headed home.

So yeah...

P.S. I keep seeing Grandma lately. I haven't told Ian about this yet. I have an odd feeling that she's welcoming us to see her at her grave.

P.P.S. For the people that were wondering, the picture of the finished skeleton will be posted up after the other layers fully dry. Until then, it's a surprise!

P.P.P.S. Here's a pretty epic feminist explanation of my favorite "Final Girl" characters in the horror movie genre. No wonder I love Ginger and Dawn so much. They're so cool!