Category: Halloween

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Wooooo-ie! And that’s not just the Vicodin talking.

Note: Trying to write this before the Vicodin kicks in and makes me loopy. My apologies if I don’t succeed.

My gnarly molar is gone-daddy-gone, and while it turns out that it did indeed reach all the way into my sinus cavity, the surgeon was able to stitch me up without any scare-tactic grafting. I am now home and assigned to pureed food, ice packs, and rest, which is good because I can get lost in my own house when the vicodin is working. And I’m not supposed to SNEEZE for the next week. Um, yeah, okay, I’ll try that.

Side note: I fixed my sewing machine! At least, I got most of the offending thread out of my way, and am ignoring the remaining piece that is wound tight around a screw, but doesn’t seem to be affecting anything. I got the easy parts of Butterick 4790 all done on Sunday afternoon, but am now on painkillers and don’t trust myself to continue. But mostly, hemming that huge skirt and attaching nearly 900* yards of bias tape is the drudgery part. However, this also meanst that, yay, Halloween costuming is back on track! Alison picked up some footwear for me on sale, and while it isn’t what I had in mind; it will do, and it won’t cost me anything. Thanks, Alison! (I hope they fit, or I’m back to basics on that.)

S’anyway, I went to my local Target pharmacy to get my scrip filled this morning, and had a look at the clearance racks while I was waiting. Meh, meh, meh, HEY THERE! For $5.74, it looks like Costume Two is on again! Now that it’s October already, my time is running out. I’s better be getting back to hemming and shirring and creating! Oh my!

*Closer to 9 than 900, but it LOOKS like a lot.

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Week In Review

I finally went to my first 2008 Rockies game, which happened to be the last home game of the season. Shout out to Megan and Joe for giving me a ticket. I had a great time, even though the Dbacks spanked us. Opening Day for 2009 is April 10, and I plan to be there after missing the last two years because of Stupid Work Stuff.

After mentioning on Twitter that I’d sold a couple more bracelets before even getting around to posting them in my shop, an acquaintance/follower commissioned me to make a manly-looking mala bracelet for him. Cool beans! Not that malas are generally very girlie-looking, but I chose paint-brush jasper for it’s grey/black tones. The hard part was/is finding an affordable “guru” bead. This is the 3-hole-drilled bead that is used as the counting point on a mala, to mark the beginning and end of the circle. I couldn’t find what I was looking for, so I’m going to attempt to drill my own. As for the other bracelets: Still not photographed and posted.

My last contract day with my prior employer was Tuesday. I slipped out with a complete lack of fanfare, because I’m not very good with good-byes. Also, I was RACING to a FedEx drop box, and didn’t have time for chit-chat. I realize that the reorg put into place by upper management, under pressure from the Board and stockholders, was short-sighted. Heck, it was BLIND. But I don’t work (much) with upper management, the Board, or the stockholders. The folks with whom I worked are my friends, and in some cases feel like family. I will be happy to return to the office for more work whenever I’m needed. At twice my old pay, of course. 🙂

I took my mom in for a preventative maintenance ’scope, and she gets a clean bill of health. The family genes are pretty good at shielding themselves from everything we throw at them. Yes, yes, mom’s side of the family battles diabetes, and her sweet tooth (which I thankfully did not inherit) keeps me worried, but she has managed to escape that particular complication for YEARS longer than her mom or brother did. Still, I’m keeping my eye on her.

Two former colleagues and I met up for lunch, to discuss the possibility of joining forces into one design company. After speaking to our individual strengths and weaknesses, I’m not sure that we’d be any better off than we are as independent contractors, but I still want to see what the initial business plan looks like before I bow out (or shake hands on the deal).

With my new, limited income, I’m trying to stay close to home and keep as much money in the bank as possible. I went to the thrift store ONLY to do a quick check for a dress that could affordably be used for Costume Two. I didn’t find one, but I did find a vintage, self-belt dress for the ridiculous price of $2.95, so I bought it. It looks to be home-made, but by someone who really knew what she was doing. I considered buying the new-but-retro-styled wedding dress that needed a dry cleaning but was priced somehow at $4.95, but it was a size 4 and there was NO WAY that I was ever going to be able to use that for anything. The sad, sad part of that trek was finding a mid-century-looking buffet-style chest of drawers for $60, and not knowing anyone with a pickup truck to help me get it home. Regardless of provenance, I liked the shape. It doesn’t go with ANYTHING in my house, outside of the kidney coffee table in the basement, so I should just put it out of my head.

I came up with the brilliant plan of using Very Long Tweezers to remove the offending thread from my comatose sewing machine. Except that I didn’t know where to buy Very Long Tweezers. Mandelion came to my rescue, and suggested the local fabric store. Of course! One trip to JoAnn later, and I was holding in my hands tweezers that are specifically advertised for reaching tight spots in sewing machines. Perfect! Alas, they don’t fit into this particular tight spot. Oh, for fuck’s sake. In frustration, with the aid of the tweezers, a metal barbecue skewer, and scissors, I wrestled most of the thread out. I am skipping the last camping trip of the season this weekend, but hope to make good use of my time at home by getting some of these sewing/beading/photographing projects out of the way.

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The Ol’ College Try

I refuse to give up.

I sat the Singer down on the dining room table, with the Interrogation Room-bright overhead light on. I got out the manual. I flipped toward the back, where troubleshooting and maintenance can usually be found. The manual did not disappoint in that regard. I troubleshot. I maintained. I officially cannot reach the dealio that controls the thread arm. Is it really time to raise the white flag and call a shop? I hate to do that, to spend good money on such a goofy little issue. But Halloween is rapidly approaching, and my costume* isn’t sewing itself.

Grumble, grumble.

*Yes, my children. Singular. I am disappointed, but the current economic situation has my hands tied. I am going ahead with the one that was further along when my job was “eliminated.” Unfortunately, it is not the one that best fit this year’s theme. Still, in my head, it looks great, and if I can ever get this machine fixed (and remember to get my dressform back from the friend who borrowed it), it is so close to being finished. It still needs shoes, however, and I am torn between $37-but-will-likely-never-wear-again and $13-and-will-definitely-never-wear-again-if-they-even-last-the-night. I am leaning toward the disposable option. Heck, I can probably make my own! I do love a project. 🙂