Birthday cake!

So last Saturday was my parents' friend Mark's birthday. (He is also the Destroyer of Trifles.) Being the awesome and forgiving person I am, I baked him a birthday cake.

I taught myself how to do the criss-crossy shell thingeroo on the top when I decorated it. I had seen it in my baking book and I thought it looked neat. I always need to improve my piping skills. It was pretty difficult to make it in a countertop oven—it didn't bake very evenly. I had to switcheroo the two layers halfway through the process and the bottom one had risen higher than the wire rack, so it got a little torn. I also somehow managed to layer it weird, so it kinda... leans.

Oh well. It still tastes super duper delicious! It's a yellow cake and it is light and fluffy, but still very rich. (And of course, so does the frosting!)

I love cake. I wish I could eat cake every day all day.:-d

I also took a boatload of pictures of random things I love in Twin Mountain. :)

Tom Tom thing thing

So this week I got a GPS because I was sick of getting lost in Boston and ending up on Storrow Drive even if I wasn't near it in the first place. It's cute, and I may or may not be getting the Darth Vader voice for it... >_> I mean I could wait until August and get Han Solo!! <3 <3 <3  I mean......

Oh! Look over there! Something not nerdy!! ---------------->

Anyway, since objects that enter my purse usually do not come out unscathed, I figured it would probably be wise to create some sort of protector case for the Tom Tom. Yesterday morning I was delaying before I went into work, and decided to make a mock-up of what one could be like using some crappy felt.

aw yeah, check out my too-short ribbon!

I kinda like the idea of it, but not the execution. I like the cross-stitch along the seams. I am going to make the foldy-top part [that's a technical term] longer, and use one of my 18 billion-trillion antique buttons from my grandmother. And I'm gonna embroider some flowers on it. I do like the color combo, though, even if it is unusually girly for me. (I suppose I should stop pretending I am still a tomboy at this point, considering how froofy my bedroom is and the number of heels I own.)

Also, I am thinking that I am finally going to be able to start decreasing the size of my yarn stash. My company is planning on starting a "knitting and networking" group that would meet during lunch once a week. Consistent knitting FTW! I know what everyone is getting for Christmas this year! :P

And, just a warning (though I am pretty sure no one besides my mom and sister read this), I am 97.3% sure that I am not going to post next Monday. It's a holiday and all, and I will be in the White Mountains with my awesome family. But maybe my mom will loan me her sweet new laptop ;) and let me post if I end up making something sweeeet this weekend.

Haha.

So yesterday it occurred to me that I hadn't made anything for my post today. I haven't worked any more on the blue lady because my thread is still at my parents' house (along with all of my embroidery projects), and I haven't worked on any of my other stuff because I am lazy.

So I wanted a day project: something simple that would make me smile. Last week I doodled a little dude with enormous arms who I thought was super cute. It made me think of how I used to harass my sister in public by saying "biiiiiiig huuuuuug" in a doofy voice. I had drawn up a basic idea of a pattern, and I figured I could just go from there.

I used my sewing machine for once, and one of the problems with that is I tend to forget about things like places to put in stuffing, and arms. >_>

I'm gonna be honest, I have no idea what he (she? it?) is. He is still nameless.

But I still think he is super cute. :) I hugged him last night while I slept, and now his place of honor is on my chaise. ^_^ He's made of white fleece leftover from my bunny project (and I still have more), and his doofy smile is embroidered. I was going to embroider his eyes, but then I remembered how freaking stretchy this fleece is. Buttons, then!

I just think he is hilarious. You win a prize if you think of a name and/or what he is!

Blue lady

More pictures of the work I've done on my blue lady.

omg bewbs

I need to find my original sketch and figure out how I meant her hand to go... I am feeling like she's missing a finger in the sketch on cloth right now. I don't think you can really tell, but she has more hair... I just haven't sewed it yet. :P Her hair was totally the most fun part!

swirly!!

I liked using the changy-color thread (that's the technical term). Man, I think I need coffee, because I can't actually remember the real word.

Anyway, I also finally taught myself how to do buttonhole wheels, which are great fun.

depending on your idea of fun

I am probably going to fill the background with these, since they are so entertaining!

ho hum

Not much happening. I am so lazy. I am pretty sure that Homer would write an epic poem devoted to my laziness. I mean, Calliope shows up once in a while asking if I should write one about myself, and I am always like, "nah...."

I am such a literature nerd. And I guess a regular nerd, too.

Which reminds me: lately I have been wearing my powerup mushroom earrings a lot, but I find myself wishing I had one up earrings instead, since they would match my green clothes. But that would involve trying to sculpt more mushrooms out of polymer clay, which was super tedious. So... Yoshi eggs! :D

 Those wires are just for painting and glazing, not for sticking in my ears.

I will make them into earrings later... I have a serious earrings problem, btw.

This also reminds me, I finally made my bunny and carrot charms into a pair of earrings.

Everyone is so happy.

I think I have been meaning to do this for two years now. Wait... no... close to three. -sigh-

Ooooh! I also did some more embroidery with my boobie lady. But I think I will save pics until Thursday, when I will have even more progress completed! I won't be done, because I left some of the thread at my parents' house.... -sigh-

Sorry.

I meant to post a "sorry nothing to say" entry on Tuesday Monday because I definitely remember which days I have promised to post, but I forgot. I was exhausted from seeing the Colbert report. :D

Anyway, on Tuesday I made cupcakes for one of my coworkers, whose last day was yesterday. She loves my cupcakes, and says that my delicious frosting has ruined other frosting for her forever. (Sorry!) But anyway, I got to use my new silicon flower veiner, and it was a lot of fun.

I forgot to take a picture in the morning with good light (and a decent camera) so I took one at work with my cell phone. I still think you can see how awesome they are. ;)

Not much happening

I was lazy the past two nights and haven't really done anything. I tried to embroider a nose for Mr. Lumpy Bunny, but it was really frustrating. I kept messing up, or the fabric would bunch, and then I couldn't unbunch it... argh. So I decided I'd pick up some felt and applique a nose. Just need to find pink felt...

What??? You want a picture of something!?

Fine. Sheesh.

I finished embroidering "LOVE" on my love and peas piece for my quilt. I had a list somewhere of all of the embellishments that I was going to put around each little embroidery, but now I can't find it. I am pretty sure I was going to couch some spirals, but I can't remember what color I was going to use for the smaller thread.

I know I said I was going to post cupcakes, but I fail at counting weeks. I need to make them next week.

Bunny foo foo!

A bunny foo foo is a mixed alcoholic beverage that one drinks out of a chocolate rabbit. But that isn't the reason for my subject. I haven't tried one yet. Because, you know......... I've been busy making things!!!11ONE!

Liiiiiike.... Sangria!!

 Doesn't that count???

No? What about..... a cute video of my cat?!?



No!?!? Well, I guess it is kind of dark.

Ok, well, to confess..... I did actually make something. I'm just not proud of it. It's kind of lumpy and creepy, and kind of awkward. (like me!)

You probably don't want to see it....

...

...

...

...ok I guess you do.

Awww... poor bunnykins. He's just misunderstood! He's actually kind of growing on me. I hated him a little last night, because I was sooooo close to being finished when I realized that I totally messed up because I didn't read the directions. I posted my frustrations on my twitter last night. Le sigh.

 

But this bunny seriously needs some new eyes! The buttons are kind of creepy.

On Thursday I am probably going to post cupcakes.