Monster Hat Pattern

R.I.P Vampira (Maila Nurmi)

I was very saddened to hear the news that Vampira (Maila Nurmi) passed way on the Tenth of January this year. She was defiantly one of my favorite personalities of all time. Her name will forever be remembered in my house. I think in her honor I am going to set up a movie fest of movies she was in. For more information on Vampira and her death check out here. Feel free to share and spread the flyer I made just please host it on your own. It's just polite.

On a happier note. The make-up I ordered for myself arrived and I am in love with it. It is a new brand called Coffin Color. It is natural, mineral eyeshadows that are hand blended by two awesome horror-rock-lovin' babes - Melissa and Xiane - in their "dark secret labs 50,000 feet underground." I am in love with the colors with such ghoulishly fun names as Gangrene, Gold Toof, Tombstone, Poison Purple and many more. It is very affordable as well which makes me happy and from trying it out the past couple days has some real staying power. Very happy to be supporting a diy, independent company. I am actually about to order the sample pack (which what I have pictured and what I purchased) for a good friend of mine, Abby. I am hoping she'll love it as much as I.

January was always a weird month

I guess that its bound to be since it is named after a god with two faces. First I have to say that I am writing this as I listen to
Richard Cheese's cover of Gin and Juice. You should check it out if you haven't ever heard it and tune into it if you have simply because its awesome.

I started a myspace page for my pin up. Not to to much there yet but its all work safe as I don't do nudes.


I am currently in the middle of making a penis pinata for my friend Sara's bachelorette party tonight. I still need to make cupcakes and figure out what to wear. The pinata has been fun to make though. My friend Tiffany helped me for a bit last night.I am also making cupcakes for the party tonight which I am hosting though not at my home but at my friend Leah's. My friend Tina has helped me contract a stripper and I am hoping that everything will go well since I am planning this party from an hour and half from where I am currently having never done a bachelorette party or really anything involving a stripper so I am just hoping that I have enough set up to entertain everyone and that they all have a good time.


I am still in Virginia visiting Nathan. Its been a good break though a bit rough at times. Nathan got held up at gun point at work the other day. Needless to say I was not happy about that. I think that was the roughest patch everything else has been really peachy-keen. I have been working on some monster hats for my friend Merideth's nieces and nephew. The one I have a photo of right now I call razz-berry. I'll post the others soon.

I got an new apartment in Tennessee with my friend Jen. I am really excited to get back so I can really start unpacking and getting settled.

Well back to cupcake and pinata-ing. <3 hope everyone has been awesome.

In Case You've forgotten how to make a pinata

2 cups flour
1 cup water
(or 2 parts flour to one part water)
salt to keep the paste from molding
mix till pasty and smooth

rip newspaper into strips and pieces
build a form from cardboard, balloons, and/or poster board (be sure to leave an opening for things to get placed into you pinata)
dip a strip of paper in paste and squeegie off excess with your fingers
apply and continue till the whole form is covered.
let dry.

(note: I like to let the pinata dry in between layers to make sure that it is fully dry.)

Almost There

Hey Everyone! Sorry I haven't been on in a while. I have been fighting with the end of the semester blahs. Thats where you have to fight with your self to stay modivated and on track to get everything done. This week is the last week though. I have two more finals and then I am done done done for the rest of the year. Yipee!

I have been knitting up a storm though. I finished another rasta hat (for dixie), a set of wristers (for Rocky), a bikini (for Emma), and started another set of wristers (for John Rocky's boyfriend). I have several other items lined up and in the works for people as most of these are as trades. I will try to get pictures up soon. It should slow down considerably here in the next few weeks since I am spending a month in Virginia with Nathan. I am hoping to get three sets of wristers, a rasta hat, a felted skull scarf, felted flower scarf, slippers, a set of leg warmers, a crochet sperm (a trade for Sophie ... not really sure what its about but I really love her work so I am not going to question it), and an octopus hat. All of that is going out to others as wither christmas presents or trades. I am excited to knit them all.

In fact I am getting ready to mail myself a whole lot of yarn. I am mailing all the yarn I have for those projects and a few others so I can knit while Nathan is at work and I have nothing to do. (trying to not spend a whole lot while I am there... hopefully...)

Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season what ever you celebrate. Hope to catch up on all of your fabulous knitting and life adventures soon. <3

Its Turkey Fest 2007!

Its Thanksgiving here in the good ol' US of A. That means my momma made all the traditional fixin's and I totally chowed down. It was awesome! Now I get to go freak out over final projects and tests. EEP!

Since last posting I have finished two rasta hats. One for my friend Bethany as a trade for one of her amazing Scoodies. I <3 it so so much. The other I did for my friend John's daughter Dixie. She is five and adorable. I have another one to make for my girl Jen. I have a few other things to make like a set of wristers with a built in beer cozy, an octopus hat, a skull scarf, a crochet sperm, 3 hats with ears and a few other things. Its fun knitting for commission. I'll be sure to post pictures of everything as they get going and finished.

I registered for classes for next semester and I am very excited about them. I am taking Painting II, Anthropology, Surface Design I, and Metalsmithing I (which will focus on metal casting). Should be an awesome semester filled with fun projects that will hopefully be as rad as my dad.

The never ending week of Halloween

Man I feel like all I have been doing all week is dressing up for Halloween. Not that thats a problem though I am very stubborn about not wearing the same costume twice in such close relation to one another so its been very busy. The day after Halloween I went a Halloween party for the College Radio Station I do my radio show through. My friends Lori and Anna came as well. Since I was kind of dress up'd out I decided to cop out and be a Zombie because they are fast, easy, and I don't have to change my clothing. Lori also dressed up as Zombie and Anna who hates Zombies decided to go as our victim.
Now I have to reveal how we made our peelie skin because I had an epiphinay as to how to do it a few months ago when I was giving myself a facial. If you purchase a clear cucumber facial peel and apply it then apply your make up and peel some of the peel you get this look. The best parts of this are 1) when the night is over you can just peel all the make up off and rinse. There is no super scrubbing of grease paint-ness or applying of vasaline (which makes me break out even more than the make up itself) to get trouble areas off. 2) You get a facial as you scare and party. My face as super soft at the end of the night and when people asked me if I was worried about it causeing me to break out I actually had no break outs compared to when I wear the grease paint with-out the peel so bonus! 3) The stuff gets cooler as the night goes on. As the night continued the Peel would naturally start to loosen due to the natural movements you make while talking, laughing, dancing etc even flaking off at some point all adding to the overall zombie effect. 4) Make up kits that give you a measly amount of zombie skin peel cost the same amount and don't work very well. I bought my bottle of peel for $3 It covered 2 zombies and I have done 5 facials before doing the zombie outfit( bought the stuff at the beginning of the semster) and one after I took all the peel and make up off. Its a better bang for your buck I geuss.
Last night on the day of the dead. I went to an art opening with my friend Joe. It was a halloween theme with live preformances and art which was fun. I wasn't expecting to attend anything so I just wore a fake beard that Joe had and went as the bearded lady. It was a good time though. I put my information down to hopefully get info about displaying some of my work. This picture is from last years day of the dead party I included it since I don't have a picture of being the bearded lady yet. It was themed so you could dress up along the day of the dead theme so zombies, skulls, mariatchi's, you get the idea. I think only three of us dressed up and the turn out wasn't all that grand since its right after Halloween but I made anise bread which is a day of the dead tradition and very yummy. I'll have to post the recipe becuase it was easy to make. You can see how much my hair has grown in a year if you compare this photo with the zombie ones. Kind of funny.

Tonight is a food themed halloween party. I am not sure what to be. I really want to be a cupcake(I wanted to be that last year at Meg and Erika's party but ended up going as a carton of milk creamer). If I can't get that together than I am going to go as a can of budwiser. I have a dress that has that printed on it. We'll see. I think that will put a fitting end to the week of Halloween.

King of the Bling Generation

I am currently obsessed with Damien Hirst's work. Enough to make a flyer in my class for his already concluded show that occured earlier this year. He has been described as being the "King of the Bling Generation". I really like his work. Especially his paintings. Everyone should look into him. This link shows the process of making "For the Love of God" his skull piece that has won him a large amount of news coverage and acclaim. This link talks about the show I made the flyer for(note: this flyer is a "fake" flyer. The show was real but his wasn't the official flyer for the show). It shows othere pieces that were in the show. I'll close with a picture of the artist.

Halloween

Yesterday was Halloween. My favorite holiday. I dressed up as the invisible (wo)man. Which is apprently becoming an obsure reference I geuss because only one person actully geussed that. Most people thouht I was Freedie Krugers wife or something like that.

For the evening I went with friends to Nashville to see Nightmare before Christmas in 3-D. Which was awesome. For that I dressed up in an oogie boogie costume I made right before the movie out of a lime green sheet I never use. My friend Lori dressed up as Zero. It was cute.

Other than that I finished the rasta hat and worked some on my turquois sweater and started on a hat for a friend that I going to be an octopus you can wear.

Schools been busy and I visited Nathan in Virginia last weekend so I have just been rushing around like a chicken with out a head trying to get stuff done. Well I am going to get back to class.

Tag I'm it

Kasia tagged me. Sorry I hadn't caught it sooner. I have been so busy with school. So here are the rules and the goods. I look forward to seeing what everyone says once I've tagged them. <3

Rules:
Once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list 8 random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to 8 other people, visit their sites, and leave a comment letting them know they've been tagged.

1. I am the oldest of 4 and the only girl.
2. Everyone close to me thinks I am stuck at the age of six. The fact that I love bright colors, toys, candy, and anything hello kitty might have something to do with that.
3. My movie recommendations are never taken very seriously by my friends because they are almost always "old". I love black and white and other classic films and find all the themes and very often the characters and exact story lines in newer movies are just poor rip offs of the older ones.
4. I collect children's records. I have a smurf sing-a-long, rainbow bright, several Disney and sesame streets and many other random and obscure things made for kids.
5. I am a wee bit of a fashion whore. I own at least 60 pairs of shoes (and wish I was exaggerating) and more clothing than I will ever need. (I have a walk in closet and 2 dressers stuffed full)
6. I was born bald and didn't have any hair until I was one.
7. I have never lived any where longer than 3 years in my whole life.(military brat)
8. I have only ever broken bones in my face. My nose and my jaw.

I tag Atlanta,Nice Knits, Angela, Knitty Muggins, Home Ec, Severina, Meandering, Elvis Knits

I included a video of Pankor free runners playing tag. Man I love free runners.This isn't even the best video showing it but they are playing tag which is why I chose it. If I weren't such a chicken I would totally be all about trying to free run. Fascinating sport and so beautiful. <3 the mock tag videos with the little kids on you tube is cute too.

Virtual Vacation destination California

I am a bit late on posting this but here is my virtual vacation to California. It was an amazing trip let me tell you. I got to go to disney land and got some tinker bell stationary. Picked up some postcards from alcatraz, never finished the unfinished project (she packed an unfinished project how amazing is that!), my reading material i thought i'd read was hidden away in my towel (which is great for all occasions travel), Yarn that came from places I visited on my rounds of the cali sites, knick nacks from Midieveal Times, stickers from all over. I loved the package. Angela did a great job. She even mailed it in a suitcase she hand covered in retro traveling stickers which is something I have always wanted. She included a great letter which I enjoied to the fullest. I can't wait to use the yarn she sent and share what I make for her and everyone else to enjoy. Thank you Angela for a great virtual Vacation when I needed it most. <3 I aplogize for the opened suitcase picture being so blurry I didn't realize it until I laoded it how fuzzy it was and i have already taken the suitcase contents out and distributed them about my lodgings.

In the background of one of the photos you can see the rasta hat I am currently working on. I unfortunatly am at a stand still on it because I only bought one skein because I thought that was all I would need. Normally I follow that golden rule of buy one skein more than you think you'll need but I was like meh. So of course I ran out of yarn and of course where I got it is out and not going to be getting anymore in. GAH! so I am now on a quest to see if I can find it anywhere else and if I can't if I can find something compatable to finish the hat with. It'll all work out fine it s just an extra bit of leg work to get something good. Anywhoodles. I am going to jet off my brothers are visiting today to check out the college I attend so toodles.

This week has been rather heavy but I do have some goodies to share. I started working for the school maintenance team at the Craft Center to earn some extra bucks in my spare time and when ever I am notvacuuming I get to paint mini murals for different things. Here is a shot of the first one I did.

Other than that I started knitting a rasta hat for my friend Bethany for a trade of one of her scoodies (a hood and scarf combination) that she sews together. I am really excited about the scoodie and also about knitting my first rasta hat. Its a really easy pattern from the looks of it. Talking about projects for other people I have a picture of Andy wearing the scarf I made him. He loves it. Its charcoal grey with Navy Blue stripes that I knit at irregular intervales to give it interest then when it was finished I crocheted a navy border that goes up and down the scarf but
not across the bottom. I think it turned out pretty nice.

Andy's Irregular Stripe Scarf
Yarn: 1 skein each of Lion Brand Yarn Wool Ease in Navy Blue and Charcoal Grey
Pattern: CO 15 Stitches on Size 13 Needle
K1, P1 rib the whole thing, I just knit a stripe til I felt like switching so some are long stripes and others are very short.
Weave in ends
Crochet a row length wise on either side in the one of your stripe colors. I used Navy.
Wallah fin!

R.I.P Amy I miss you

My good friend Amy passed away on Sunday. She had a complication with her pregnancy and it lead to a heart failure. The baby survived which is a miracle since it was due in December but Amy unfortunately didn't. I am still in shock but heart broken at the same time. I just talked to her recently and she was doing great now I'll never get to talk to her again. I miss her already. I am hoping Andy, her husband and the rest of her family are doing ok. I can't even begin to imagine how they feel right now. Her memorial was on Wednesday but I couldn't make it which was really hard for me because I really wanted to be there. I have however gotten in touch with some of Amy and I's mutual friends whole live closer to me and we are going to try to get together to remember her since a good number of them couldn't make it to the memorial either.

The discovery of ones crucial missing things leads to anothers loss

Well for the most part. haha. Kasia said "I know the your pain with disappearing stuff... my grannie always said that it was a devil who covered them with his tail (you know one of Polish folklore) and if you will stop looking for the lost thing, it will surely come up! Works for me :D". She was right of course. This weekend with Nathan visiting and all the craziness with my new job, school and parties I found my glasses and my phone. I have to laugh at their hiding location which was in my closet hanging up in the pockets of some of my sweaters. I'm glad to have them back.

Nathan got here early on Friday and slept while I was at working painting mini murals for maintenance at the school I go too. I paint and vacuum for three hours a day three times a week and it gives me a little extra cash. After work Nathan and I went to my class and radio show, took a nap,went out for sushi with craft townees, attended Joe's moustache party. After which we went to see the dry valley gamblers at Spankies and hung out with Merideth, Jamie, Ben and Kyle.

Saturday we drove to Murpheesburro to visit Nathan's friend Mike. Drove back and attended a festival at IDA, a gay commune in these Smokey mountain hills. It was a blast. We all had a great time until we got back to the car and discovered it had been broken into. The only things that we couldn't find were Lori's purse, Rose's laptop and the beer which I believe they broke into the car to get to in the first place. Everything else that was missing was found this morning in the woods off to the side of the car. Other than us only one other group from IDA has reported anything missing theirs being the car itself being stolen. We've filed police reports and are awaiting any possible news. No one is mad about anything just sad that people can be like that in this world and worried that we won't be able to get the stuff back.

This morning after making breakfast for Nathan we talked of cthulu. Which is where this image of a plushie octopus I got him comes into play. haha I thought it would be funny to have the octopus checking out cthulu on the Internet while Nathan was in the shower so he'd get a giggle when he got out. After Nathan left Lori and I went to IDA to see if we could find anything which we did though only a few of the clothing items that had been stolen. After a hike around IDA we went to Wally world and got tissue paper for a class project and worked on our book projects while watching Nightmare Before Christmas, the Kill, and Office Space.

the strange disapperance of all things crucial

Nathan is coming to visit this weekend. Hurray! I can't wait for him to get here. I finished my scarf for my friend andy. He loves it and I will share pictures as soon as I can find my phone... which went missing this week in my room, along with my glasses which went missing last week. I can also add my drivers lisence to the list of the lost since I haven't been able to find it or the planner I stuck it in since I moved back to school. All I know is that its at my parents house... some where. I can't figure out how I am able to be so especially scatter brained lately. I loose stuff all the time but I can usually find it after a good search but these have just PFFT! disapeared up in to thin air some where. Interestingly enough an earring I haven't been able to find the mate to for the past year now has its mate back... the strange part I found it in the jewlery box that I had ripped apart searching for it in multiple times. It just appeared! I am hoping this same phenomenon will happen with the glasses and phone. As for the drivers lisence I am going to play it safe and go get it replaced.

I am going to apply for a local art scholarship. I hope that I get it. I figure it doesn't hurt to try. We'll see how that goes. I'll keep you posted. they don't decided til December so it'll be a while but I'll still let you know.

Now that Andy's scarf is out of the way I am determined to finish sewing the silk slip and knitting the tourquis sweater. Its cooling off and I totally want to wear it. I wish I had time to do more. I have just been squeezing knitting in between everything. i should probubly start knitting in my art history class since all I doodle in it. Shameful I know but she only tests us on a sheet she gives us so there isn't really any point to take notes unless I am just captured by something she's talking about which is usually an image and they I draw it really quick. So ya. I think I'll start doing that since I'll probubly focus alot more.

The Ultimate Combination EVER

If you haven't seen these yet you have to check them out they are amazing. I found them on Nice Knits page.

Silk Slip

This is what I have been doing for the past little bit. Finishing this top. I am not done yet but its getting decidedly closer. I am using my roommate Jenni's sewing machine since I haven't brought mine up yet. I had to stop once the bobbin thread ran out which was after sewing one cup on so in the picture one of the cups is just pinned and awaiting attachment. I haven't found a bottom fabric yet so I will still need sew that on after I get it. Which I think I'll do this week. I am really excited about finishing it. I hope I can get it done before Nathan gets here so I can wear it for him. He's the one who bought me the book and helped me pick the color of the yarn. I can't wait to show it off for him.

Other stuff. I recently adopted some new monsters from my friend Jamie. They were gifts from her last boyfriend that she doesn't want around as memories so I get to give them a good home. I present to you Big Toe(B.T.), Wedgehead (Wedgie), and the one who can not be named (jamie didn't get to look at the name tag before it got tossed so he is nameless). They are pictured here with Cuddles the penguin whose mate, Snuggles, lives with my boyfriend, Nathan. Yup. I have plushies and I love them.

How I rate

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I am amused that my blog has a g rating. Especially with the recent drag queen party post. Haha. I would have assumed that would have given me a pg rating at the least.

Another day in Craft town, USA

Today I went swimming at Love Colony with Jen, Andy, Mike H., Everette, Abe, and Micheal and his 15 year old dog, Bosco. It was perfect. The weather here is just starting to get the hint of fall. So there is a slight chill but the water was perfect.

After that I watched "Swap Women" a campy movie from the early 60's about a jail break and undercover police woman who is trying to recover some stole diamonds. Its pretty awesome.

Anywhoodles... the whole point of telling you all this was to get to the macrame necklace I made tonight while chillin with Jen, Megan, Renae, Tom, Mike H., Brad, Andy etc... I haven't done macrame since middle school when a girl named Desire (DEZ-ER-RAY) stole all my beads ($300 bucks worth) and just killed my drive to do it any more. Which is a shame because I really loved doing it. Its so fun. So anyways. Tonight I made a necklace and was suprised at how much I remembered. I did it all fro total recall which I think is pretty impressive after having not do this in over 10 years. So anywho... the picture is of Jen wearing it since I gave it to her. Had ot share because I was so excited about remembering how to do it.

Meet Tara Dactyll

This thursday was my roommates Sophie's "Schools a Drag" drag queen party. I have to say the most amazing party ever. It had cupcakes, wax lips, two dance floors, a pole on the lower level dance floor, a kareoke machine in the upstairs dance floor, spiked punch, hula hooping and then a ton of people in drag. I came as a girl dressed as a boy dressed as a girl because I love drag queens and seriously believe if I were a boy I would totally have to be one simply because they are that fabulous. So here is a shot of me as "Tara Dactyll". I wish you could see my boots in this shot. They were gold faux snake skin stilleto boots with camel color faux fur trim that I got for a dollar brand spankin' new at Rugged Warehouse. AMAZING! plus my uber hip hop earrings are hiding in my hair. They are these giant gold bamboo hoops that say "baby girl" in cursive across the hoop. haha. I love them and I am going to wear them so, so much.

Pipe cleaner mini me

Last night I went to Knoxville with my friend Merideth to go see Andrew Bird. The show was awesome! I got to meet the band memebers and have them sign my ticket stub too which made my week amazing. Merideth took pictures of us with them as well so when I get those from her I'll post them for you guys to see. I bought 2 LP's a cd and a long sleeve-t which means on top of the amazing chips and avacado/ atichoke dip, prickily pear margarita and mango margarita I spent way to much money in one evening for a college student with no job to spend.

Earlier that day in my Art Applications class I finished my "mini me" project. Its a project we can teach to kids as a reflective tool. We basically build ourselves out of pipe cleaners. It was fun and quick. Here is myself if I lived in a pipe cleaner world. All I can think of is Micheal Gondry. Can't you just imagine him making a movie with pipe cleaner people? The mini Heidi is now living a life as a dash board element since I can't think of a better place for a mini person to chill out.


I went to my parents for my brother Christian's birthday on Saturday. He just turned 20.

That is about all I have accomplished. I am almost done with Andy's scarf. I hope he likes it. I made it navy and charcaol grey striped. The stripes are irregular which I had fun with and I think he'll like but we'll see. I should be done with it by the end of the week I hope.

I still need to finish that top. I just haven't had a slow minute to just pull out the iron and get it all together. I am determined to get it done though.