Traveling

I'm off to India and France on Friday. (The above is a picture of me on my birthday in 2004.) Himself's cousin is getting married, hence the India; and we didn't want to spend the entirety of his only week of vacation that way, so we're rejoicing in a three-day stopover in Paris on the way back. Staying here. Have a list of book-arts-y places to go in Paris, as well as the Orsay and the other tourist spots (I've been a few times, but always quite quickly, and he's not been much if at all), and my uncle's favorite restaurant.

I've been doing Rosetta Stone French through the library (free!), and have learnt to say such useful things as, "my husband has drunk much and has fallen down" :) -- hardly likely! But we'll have a grand time, I'm sure.

Last of Christmas

Yes, I put away Christmas stuff on January 6 or 7. But I didn't post pictures until now!

These are those little houses ... I have to admit, while all snobby and classy in other respects, I confess to a weakness for Thomas Kinkade (in moderation) and little Dickensian houses that light up at Christmas.

(Peeking out under the drawer you can see the edge of some University of Texas demitasse cups my fabulous grandmother gave us, as we've each gone -- Himself for undergrad, me for my MA.)


And I got a gingerbread house kit in the secret santa at work, so ... house! It was truly a merger -- Himself had never made one before, so he was a novice, while I ... well, let's just say, the last one I made was a scale model of the Stephansdom in Vienna, with colored M&M's making up the patterned roof. So we compromised! I think it was sufficiently happy, anyhow!

Aunt Cushion

This is a cross-stitch cushion I made for my aunt. It's entertaining -- she has such specific likes in colors, ones that no one else has, that everyone who saw this in progress knew exactly who the intended recipient was.

It's about four inches across; as mentioned below, I don't like finishing, so I had my lovely mother (who's finished pillows for me before) make it up for me -- she added some ribbon around the needlework to make it a bit larger.

Sweet, don't you think? Pattern's from this book.

Christmas Quilt

A bit late, eh? Well, here's a little lap quilt I made for Himself, who gets cold. It's a silly cold -- he wants to sit around in light cotton clothing in January. I want to dress like it's January, and am actually doing stuff around the house (plus I have some extra natural insulation he doesn't have), and see no reason why I should be in a summer sundress and sweating to keep him comfortable sitting still in summer clothes in the winter ... so I refuse to turn the heat above 60, and make him put on blankets if he refuses to wear socks and sweaters!
Bizarrely, blogger seems to have rotated my picture ... but, as you can see, the back is poinsettias, with gold diamond-shaped quilting, and the front is santa toile (so funny!) with shaped quilting around each vignette. My first complete quilt! I tried to piece things when little (my mother's an accomplished quilter, and actually had to sew the bias tape around the edge here after I gave up, so I of course wanted to do what she was doing), but never actually completed one before. It was modeled after Erin's three and a half hour quilt, but it took me a bit longer ... lack of experience, I guess. And that's not even counting the binding. But, I'm pleased! And so was he.

Distractions

Over at Not Quite Vintage, Colleen mentions that she can't concentrate when real people are talking, but can when the TV is on. (Along with cute quilt block patterns.)

When I was writing my thesis, I needed "company," as I was holed up for weeks, but real people were too distracting. I would put the TV on (no cable, but in Boston, so two PBS stations) nonstop. When it got too interesting / my deadline got closer, I switched to only the more boring PBS documentaries (steamboats, anyone?). Then finally to a rotating constant run of High Society and The Philadelphia Story, over and over (it was a year before I could watch them again!), as that provided me with "company" but didn't draw my attention in the least. Only in the last two days was everything turned off (and my dear roommates plied me with bananas and buttered toast).

What distracts you?

Wuthering Heights

I watched Wuthering Heights last night -- well, the first part of it; the DVR cut out and didn't remember to record the second half. I really enjoyed it! I haven't liked the others (and once my dancer friend and I did a marathon of several different classic versions, so I've seen a bunch), but this one was good. Cathy both attracts and irritates, which is how she ought to be. Charlotte Riley's accent is fabulous, as well. Heathcliff's sullenness, brief period of moderate happiness, and eventual madness and destruction is well done.

I see I can watch the rest at the site, so will do that soon!

Inspiration / Ideas

I have to create things. Even when telling myself I needed to stay focused at work, I created curtains and crowns out of discarded items. But I'd love the things I create to be objectively productive, not just turning junk nobody wants into more junk nobody wants. Some people have ideas:
Sheri Schmelzer had an idea. She made bugs and flowers and junk to stick in the holes of ugly plastic shoes to make them, if not less ugly, at least more decorative. It became popular, became Jibbitz, and now she's a millionaire. (Full disclosure: I wear Crocs at work, because I'm on my feet all day and walk a mile to and from my car. I have no jibbitz, and wear this kind of Croc, but still. Shame takes second place to waterproof comfort.)

I have ideas, but I doubt they're things that would appeal to the masses. My sister understands the masses (she's a school counsellor, down with Hannah Montana and all that), but doesn't make things. New plan: to get together, her ideas and my making things, and become millionaires.

Hey, a girl can dream, right?

(Now back to the knitted socks.)