Verbs are doing words

Admitting - defeat. Yup. I extended my borrowing time from the library, and even still... In my defense, this is one incredibly dense novel. It deserves my full attention, and that's only gonna happen if I own a copy. David Foster Wallace -1, Me -0.

Rethinking - a project. Do you ever do that thing where something looks amazing in your mind, but the reality is just kind of... meh? I found these brilliant felted alphabet stickers and thought it would be perfect for a bit of wall lyric action. But I got halfway, ran out of A's, and fell hard out of love with the whole idea. These weekly projects are harder than I thought!*

(Dear reader, you may have noticed that I've spaced big-time on the weekly projects. That's because I'm oppositional. Equal parts lazy and stubborn. I hate being told what to do, even if I'm telling myself. I'll get back into it... probably. I've still got a bunch of weeks, right?)

All that being said, I've got some really fun stuff in the works. Stuff I love wildly, that makes me very happy, stuff that gets me out of bed in the morning! So, stay tuned.

Thrumming - in my veins every time I hear this song by Melbourne band Harmony. It's called Cacophonous Vibes, it's loud and strange and full of soundwaves. Enjoy!

Project 8 - Get happy, stupid.

I've been a gloomhilda this week. Normally this is when I just put my head down, avoid interaction and try to ride it out. I have nothing to complain about, but we can't be shiny all the time, right?

So I've tried a bunch of things to improve my mood, rather than waiting for it to get better, and in the grand tradition of the internets, I've made a list to share with you.

I call it

My List of Things That By Rights Should Improve My Sooky-La-La Temperament.

1. Trampoline. Jump like a crazy coconut until your PF muscles remind you that you've had two children and neglected your Kegels. (It's good cardio-whatchathingy too, apparently.)

 

2. Fondle haberdashery. Either this makes perfect sense to you, or you're glazing over. Whatever. I'm hot for fabrics and don't care who knows it.

 

3. Avoid the internet. If you're in a tetchy kinda mood, maybe the photo-perfect lives and exploits of others isn't what you need.

 

4. Season 1 of True Blood. Vampire Bill - hello, salty goodness. Am I right?

 

5. Dancing like a dickhead. This only works if you are a very bad dancer, which luckily I am! Venue? The loungeroom. Visual reference? This piece of gold.

 

6. Hugs. From the kids, randoms in public, whoever will stand still long enough and not call security. 

 

7. Write that shit down! As horribly honest, mean-tempered and foul-mouthed as you can, write down exactly how you're feeling and then burn it, recreate it as interpretive dance, throw yourself a tickertape parade. It's healthy, and way cheaper than a therapist.

 

 

 

 

Project 7 - A week of mending

 

A week of mending! That was the plan, anyway. But of course, although I've mended boring things like school uniforms and a rashie, there's still a stack of troublesome to-mends waiting impatiently for me.

 

The most fun mended item was my plaid skirt, which I wore (as usual) despite a raw hem. It looked super cute but I could hear my mother's voice reminding me it was a little shabby. (She's right. No surprise.) So I mended it with bias binding and teeny-tiny stitching. (Well, it was without my glasses)

 

As a fun addition, I embroidered plus signs in sets of three, and a little heart too. It's the tiny things that make me happy - maybe no-one else will ever notice, but I will know that I took that time and effort to make it different and special.

 

It also led me to wonder about the underside of my hem. I know it's proper to keep your underside tidy (so to speak) but what do you think?

A little iron-on cutie that found it's way onto a painted board. Should I add this to my hem? Undecided.

 

My pincushion is in a bad way. It's all out of shape and a little dusty, with random threads just hanging out on it. The most precious part is the knowledge that inside that fat little poodge of pincushion, there are myriad tiny needles just waiting for me to squeeze, agitate or manipulate this thing in any wrong way. I'm not exaggerating.

I need a new one. Stat.

Project 5 - I am the jean genie!

No, I'm not strung out on lazers and slash-back blazers. I've just got busy with a bunch of old jeans.

It's 501 city in the bedroom now! This west facing window lets in so much unrelenting sun and heat in the afternoons, and after looking at the price of blockout blinds, I knew I had to do something myself. This is the upside of never throwing anything away... four old pairs of dark denim was enough to make this rough-edged curtain.

I just cut off the legs below the crotch, split them lengthways and sewed them together. Adding a generous pocket for the rod to slide through means that I can slide it to one side easily. And call me lazy, but when I hung the curtain to check the hemming length, I decided it looked better unhemmed.

It's kinda random and messy, but then, so am I! Yay!

Project 5, done and dusted. Jean Genie, let yourself go!

Project 3 Chalkboard globe - Circumnavigation!

 

Well, project number 3 taught me one thing: I may come from a long line of globe-trotters, but I am no good at geography. Or is it cartography? Both?

I'm super pleased with the final result. When the original paper map finally disintegrated and fell off this old family hand-me-down, it was a pity. It's been sitting downstairs, all naked and neglected, for years.

Cue brain wave!

 

Chalkboard globe! Draw your own planet Earth! Or any planet, I guess...

 

Look how big Australia is!

 

Anyhoos, this project was fairly straightforward. Start with redundant globe-type-thing.

 

 

Clean it thoroughly and give it a good sanding. The globe is made of thick old-school plastic, and scuffed up quite well to hold the paint. Always wipe with a clean damp cloth after sanding to remove grit.

You need to have all your equipment ready and at hand. This, I have learned by NOT doing. Realising you don't have mineral turpentine when you're covered in enamel paint is not a good thing.

I was painting inside because of the horrible weather, but I made sure to have ventilation. The fumes from the paint are a little intense.

I roughly masked the areas I didn't want to get paint on, mixed the paint well and got to work! I followed the instructions on the paint tin, and had my fingers crossed the paint wouldn't just bead off the plastic.

Two coats and some horrible weather and flooding later, and it was all ready for chalk! And my dubious efforts at drawing our kooky wide brown land.

 

 

Photobomb! My little mate, being super cute and also seeing what was for dinner.

 

Coming next... Project 4!

Project 2 - Buffy cross stitch Parts A and B

 

Parts A and B. Essentially this means I bit off more than I could chew, and had to make it all sound OK. Which it is, because I make the rules here!

I know, right? Cheating, so early in the piece. But, as the kids say, "That's how I roll."

Anyhoos, TADAHHH! The characters from Buffy, made small and squarish, but nonetheless awesome. I found this pattern at Wee Little Stitches, and I can't wait to make another. It was fun, and a reminder to pay attention to what I'm doing.

And to never assume I know how long something will take! (I'm too shy to admit how long it took me - I've got no idea how long it's 'supposed' to take!!)

And now... Project 3!

Get your 365 outta my face! Or, before and after - Door



So, I'm crazy with the goal setting and making things happen right now. The start of the year feels full of promise, and I guess part of that is this article I read recently from cracked.com, which really lit a fire under my butt. I blathered on about it until friends were rolling their eyes. Don't care!
You should read this thing and then come back to me.Go!

And now, all these awesome people in blogland aiming to kick out an incredible 365 project, I guess that makes me feel ... inadequate? And then I thought, the heck with that, I'd last 3 days. What about a 52 project? Mmmmm! Now you're talking!

 

I had a little paint left over from sprucing up an outdoor bench, and couldn't resist taking down the Amy Blackwell poster from the last Frankie mag and getting a bit dotty.

 

I started hesitantly. A few dots.

 

And before I knew it - bam! It was raining!

 

 

I love the way the door looks now. And I've got to say, it feels damn good just to be doing something. And more to the point, finishing something. Can I keep it up for 52 weeks?
Did you notice the Tavi on the wall?