Argh, on top of ACK!

Oh my goodness, my posts have been so sporadic. Life has been nothing but a gigantic ball of stress for the past few weeks. I came to the realization yesterday that for the first time in about five years I'm going to have to get a "real" job. I'm still going to try and put together my dance group, but teaching dance some place where I will be happy is looking very dismal. Yesterday I found out that the last studio I was looking into working for does not hire teachers as employees, only independent contractors, which in the dance world is really shady and borders on illegal. I told them so, and I was told in reply that their lawyers had structured the business in a way that it *was* legal. I thought to myself...they have shady lawyers.

So what's the big deal? People work as independents all the time, right? Well let me tell you what I know, and horror stories I've read about... Dance is considered a "dangerous activity." Parents have to sign liability forms for their child to participate in classes. Those forms waive accountability for the studio and its employees. Do you see where I'm going with this? So you're an independent and Suzy Ballerina breaks her leg in *YOUR* class. Richie Mom and Dad can turn around and sue, YOU. You're not an employee, you have no protective rights.

Also, because of jury duty crap-o-la, I was doing a little research. Remember, a few weeks ago, when I lost that week of work? Well it is illegal for a company to threaten your job security simply because you are fulfilling your civic duty, *IF* you are an employee. If I took this job offer, and did, (God forbid), get onto this jury, the studio could turn around and pull all of my classes. All of this is on top of the fact that your taxes are not taken out, you have to take care of that yourself and you can kiss workmen's compensation good bye. You know, because no dance teacher in history has ever hurt themselves on the job... *Rolls eyes*

So I'm feeling ultra-defeated. I worked my last retail job five years ago and said to myself, "Never again. Never will I work a job that is unrelated to dance!" It worked for awhile, and now it's not working. Maybe that was an unrealistic proclamation for me to make. I feel like I've failed to live up to my own standards. I am good at what I do, and all I want is to be able to pay my bills doing it. I don't want fame and fortune, I just want to survive.

Wow, rant much? I didn't mean for that to happen, but you know blog friends, sometimes it just. has. to. What I meant to talk about here was VACATION. As in I'm going on one. TODAY. FOR A WEEK! To Silver Bay! I think that my brain would explode if I stayed here another day, so thank goodness for vacations. I had plans for you all though. I had scheduled posts and crafty tutorials and fun things planned for all of you whilst I was gone, but alas life has really gotten in the way of all of this.

So, I bid you adieu for now. I'll be back roughly around August 2nd. Then it's job hunting for me - vomit. But I'm not going to think about that right now. I'm off to park my ass by a lake for a week solid - woot!

Ack!

Somehow, I set my Mac settings back to default. I lost all of my settings, iTunes, e-mail, iPhoto, my address book is *gone*, my calendar cleared.

Frazzled would be putting it lightly.

this is...what makes me happy {today}

1. Good coffee

2. Cat love

3. Cleaning my kitchen (kinda)

4. Ginger lime syrup over blueberries

5. Dinner parties with friends

6. Bedtime

Pigmentary Portraits

Last night I had the joy of attending Pigmentary Portraits, a new show by Lisa Solomon and Lisa Congdon curated by the ever lovely Susan. Seriously, was that enough links in one sentence? The evening did not disappoint, and if you live within driving distance I highly recommend that you visit Artstream while it's up!

:: the work ::



The artists chose twelve historical pigments as their inspiration for the work, then researched and rendered their ideas separately. There was a little historical blurb beside each piece, which I thought was really cool. I'm kinda dorky in the sense that I loved that there was an educational component to the show! I love learning about new things!

:: some favorites ::

(I could've taken pictures of everything here, but I'll leave some mystery!)

:: indian yellow ::

*the hair!!!*



:: realger ::



:: malachite ::



And really the cherry on top of the sundae that was this awesome show was meeting the artists themselves. I've read Lisa C's blog for longer than I can remember, and am fortunate to own one of her prints (someday, someday I will be able to buy an original!) and she is every bit as cool and awesome in person as one would expect. Lisa S. was so warm and lovely, and it was just a pleasure to chat with them both. If you're reading - so GREAT to meet you ladies!



Yippee!

quick update

today was such a nice day! more on that tomorrow.

tomorrow marks my seventh year of blogging, geek+nerd is four years old.

too. sleepy. to. post. properly.

more tomorrow :)

P.S. Christephi is the winner of the Lucky Day Give-Away, thanks for the fun stories everybody!

this is...what scrambles my brain when i try to understand it

Math Gnomes, originally uploaded by Pictures by Ann.

Oh, math. I always joke with people that as a dancer, all the math I need to know is how to count to "8" and how to make change! Math was absolutely torturous for me in school. One of the greatest triumphs of my academic life was the realization that graduating from college meant that I would never have to take math again!

I was one of those students that excelled greatly in things that interested me, and did horribly in things that didn't interest me. Math was definitely one of those things. I saw no practical application for it after eighth grade, therefore, it lost it's usefulness. I was never going to be an architect or physicist, so I was over it. (Note: I did not knit, cook, garden, or build things pre-college years...hmpf, maybe I should've paid more attention.)

Maybe if I had an awesome set of *math gnomes* my interest wouldn't have waned so quickly. How could there be anything more awesome than math gnomes? I practically squealed out loud with the awesomeness when I found these on Pictures by Ann's Flickr Set.

That's what scrambles my brain. To the non-this is meme readers out there, I ask you, what scrambles your brain when you try to understand it?

P.S. This-Izzers: I'm having a blog give-away here, if you're interested!

Luckiest Day EVER!

Two posts in one day, it's been a long time since I've done that! Today is deserving of it though, because today is seriously one of the luckiest days I've ever had.

First off, when I went to the ATM this morning I had to open the door of my Jeep because I didn't drive close enough for my stumpy little arms to reach. I looked down on the ground and there was a crisp $20 just lying there. There was absolutely no one around, so I picked it up! I couldn't believe it! I don't think I've ever found anything more than a quarter on the ground! I made my transaction and was about to drive away, when about ten feet away I saw a spot on the ground. It looked like a spot of road paint, but as I got closer it was ANOTHER $20!!! I stopped my car, got out and looked around. I felt like I must be on Candid Camera or something, but the bill wasn't on a string, or stuck to the ground, so into my pocket it went!

Then I went to the Farmer's Market, where I was greeted with a freebie maple ice cream from a now dear friend and a deal on some tasty fresh salsa from the nice guys at Appledore Cove.

After that I went to my sister's house and plunked a guitar for a couple of hours. My brother-in-law is in the process of building an amazing sail boat for the two of them. I wish that I had had my camera to show an in progress shot here on the blog, because man, that's about as DIY as you can get! So neat!

As I headed home I was feeling pretty awesome and content at that point. I was almost at my house when something caught my eye at one of my neighbor's houses.

"FREE"



I have been asking the universe for a cute, affordable, vintage looking outdoor furniture set for over a year now.



Oh how the universe was smiling upon me today! Four perfect metal folding chairs, and a round table, in slight disrepair, but nothing that a little TLC can't handle.

So guess what peeps, I'm feeling a little generous today.



***Luckiest Day EVER Give-Away***

To send some love back out into the universe, I'll be sewing up another sewing case just like this one:



Inside will be a few surprises for the winner!

Leave a comment below by Wednesday, July 16th at Midnight EST telling me the story of the best day that you've ever had. I will choose a winner at random by the next day.

Have fun!

One Local Summer :: Week #6

Whoops! I missed last week due to the holiday. Fear not, Week #5 was full delicious local burgers and buns, Appledore Cove country ketchup and salad. Alas, no pictures, I gobbled it all up too quickly!

This weeks local fare was a Roasted Beet and Chevre Grilled Cheese Sandwich, recipe via CHOW:



Local ingredients:

Goat Cheese
Beets
Bakery Bread
Butter

Non-local ingredients:

Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

This recipe was easy, delicious and utilized simple, local ingredients. I would make it again in a heartbeat!

P.S. I'll also be able to use the leftover greens later to make one of my favorites: Beet Greens Over Polenta

today was a good day

Oh today was a much needed breath of fresh air. My mum came over to play, and came bearing gifts of coffee and doughnuts. Mornings improve exponentially with coffee and doughnut consumption, it's proven!

We went adventuring and hit some farm stands. I was disappointed that my quest for strawberries was met with bug-ridden, rotting quarts at $7.65!!! I passed and bought some blueberries instead and later down the road some green beans.

The highlight of the day was definitely the long overdue visit to C'est Cheese, a fine cheese and wine shop just down the street from my house. It's one of those places that I've been driving by for ages saying, "I have to stop in there," and never doing it! Well, now it's done! The shop is just a tiny hole in the wall, but they have a nice selection of fancy things, and fancy cheese, one of my favorite things!

I don't know if I've mentioned it in the past, but I am such a cheese snob! I worked behind a cheese counter the summer before I went to college, and I think I packed on the freshman fifteen before I even left for school. I'm a sucker for a well crafted fromage!

We made our purchases and headed back to my apartment for a tasty lunch:



Hard salami, warmed, herbed olives, a crusty baguette and three new cheeses to taste. We had Delice D'Argental, a Burgundy region triple creme that had a slight blue taste to it. Second up was Chevre Noir, a goat's milk cheddar from Canada! It was super tasty, with a milder bite and consistency than a regular cheddar. Lastly, a dessert cheese, Mango Ginger Stilton, which tastes almost like cheese cake.

When I feel like I need to pamper myself, what you see above is one of my favorite meals. Matt isn't fond of any of those foods, so out of practicality such fancies rarely make it home with me from the market. But sometimes...a girl has just got to have some fancy cheese!

What about you, dear readers, do you have any comfort foods? Recipes? I'd love to know your thoughts...

Fabric Button Swap Spoiler :: No Peeking

I posted a swap package yesterday (late *whoops* due to all of the current DRAMMA - with two "M's" that has been life lately) to sweet Shael.

I hadn't done a swap for so long, and I just loved the idea that Ella came up with: a fabric button swap. We had to make five fabric covered buttons, a project inspired by our buttons and a little something extra if we felt like it. You can see the beautiful buttons and tissue holder that Shael made for me here. She also included some of her own twill tape, which is on sale for $2.50 in her Etsy shop. You can bet that the tape will be making an appearance in some Christmas crafting soon! Thanks again, Shael!

Now on to my end of the bargain...

::buttons::



::pockets::



::sewing case - with built in needle book ::



::gifts - the brooch is for little dancing Ophelia::



I hope that she likes everything!

Fourth-a-Palooza and Five Minute Dresses

Fourth-a-Palooza, my sister's annual Fourth of July party, was fantastic this year, as always. My brother-in-law's best friend, Matt, made smoked ribs that were to die for! I had never tried ribs, just plain, without any sauce. They were super yummy! There were some amazing desserts there as well. I think I had three times the amount of dessert that I did "real" food and many a beer to wash it down. But what is an American holiday without beer and barbecue, right?

For the second topic of this post I'd like to point your attention to the cute, polka dotty daisy frock that I'm wearing in the center of the photo mosaic. This has become my summer uniform of choice. It's the perfect shirt, dress, skirt, beach cover-up all rolled into one, and I made it!

Now I'm usually not a fan of what I like to refer to "insta-crafting". I'm not a "kit" girl. For example: Pre-cut quilting squares, fabric baby books, aprons, eyelash yarn scarves, etc, these all irk me, because I don't really find them that crafty. What's fun about popping something out of a package, altering one thing in the whole pre-fabricated jumble, and then your done. I'm a process girl. I'm a swear at my sewing machine/knitting/collage, whatever it is that day kinda girl.

*BUT* I must confess. I have a new guilty pleasure! The dress that I'm wearing above is pre-smocked fabric, sold by the inch. So a seam and a hem (not even a hem in the above picture) and you've got the perfect summer dress. I'm addicted!

Here's dress #2



I've got two more, plus a third for a friend waiting to be sewn up! See - addicted!

P.S.

I did my first actual errand with my bicycle today. I rode to the post office, and whew was it hot, but I was so excited to be using my bike for a utilitarian purpose! Is that nerdy, or what?

I'm geeking out with love for Sweet Dreams Bakery, one of the latest local treasures I've come across in my travels. The eclairs are out of this world! You must visit the site just to see the picture of the cute little store front. Cheers!

this is...my most treasured childhood possession...a day late

This is Pookie.

THOM :: THIS IS A CHRISTMAS SPOILER :: DO NOT READ BELOW!!!

My brother Thom has really been riding the green wave so to speak, and seems more interested than ever in all things environmentally friendly. This melts my hippie chick sisterly heart! For his Christmas gift I wanted to do something that was up-cycled, preferably from something that he had owned before, into something useful.

I enlisted my mom to scour her attic for me and she brought me three of his old t-shirts, which I turned into...

re-usable shopping bags!



The idea popped into my head when I came across this listing in zJayne's Etsy shop. She makes re-usable bags by the dozen, if you don't have the time to make these and you'd like to purchase them instead. I, however, felt certain that I had access to a ready supply of t-shirts, so I chose to make them myself. I *did* add a nifty detail to make them look a little more finished.

*suh-weet wrapped handles*



The handles really ice the cake for me - I'm feeling complete nerdy happiness over how sturdy the handles are! And since both of my brothers are kinda lumberjacky, not only are these bags sturdy, they're HUGE! I could fit a load of laundry in one of these puppies. Hopefully they're a hit!

Cheers, S

Rawrrr!

I have a bit of a complex...



I'm in constant competition with myself to a) come up with nifty handmade gifts for every occasion and b) be the coolest auntie ever.



So when my little nephew, Caleb, was turning seven, I knew I had to come up with something cool. Also, boy-friendly and DIY-ish. Here's what I came up with:

The Dinosaur Terrarium Kit - RAWRRR!



Caleb is *obsessed* with dinosaurs, (he's going to three fossil camps this summer - WOW!), so I went with that as my theme. This is not exactly handmade, but I thought that this kit would inspire a little boy-friendly DIY adventuring and that it was better than the hottest new plastic toy from a big-box store. I was definitely inspired by the sweet gnome terrariums over at Thompson Family Life. I included everything that he needs to put this together, except for the soil. The rocks I picked up on the beach, so that he could have a little piece of New Hampshire in Colorado.

I think that boys can be so tough to gift for, if you're trying to do something handmade/unique, so hopefully passing this idea along helps someone else out! I'm really psyched about this kit, and I can't wait to see how he puts it together. I'm thinking that I'm going to have to go get another fishbowl and make one of these bad boys for myself! Although, I'd probably go back to the kitschy gnome woodland theme, if I were to make my own.

Happy 4th everybody!

when life gets you down

dress



to impress!



I woke up the other day and thought to myself - boo to pity parties! They are unproductive and silly. So I woke up, put on my best summer outfit, did my hair and make-up and hit the street on my new bike for a nice early morning ride.

It's all going to be okay. The job thing is just a bump in the road.

I'm doing some Christmas crafting tonight, (finished projects soon!), and then tomorrow is my sister's infamous Fourth-A-Palooza Party. Will I survive??? It remains to be seen.

Keep smilin' peeps, and enjoy the holiday weekend if you're in the U.S.A!!!

*EDIT*

P.S. Things that are making my day:

Gray Goosie's Flickr Photoset is rocking my universe! I literally looked through all 3,053 of her pictures in a fit of happy clicking. Amaaaaaaazingly fun!

Scuppernong and Muscadine - This little book makes me smile, especially the ending.

My lovely new headband from See Katie Sew that just arrived. My hubby bought this for me as an anniversary gift. Cotton for our second anniversary. I love his attention to detail, catering to my nerdy love of what Emily Post dictates is a perfect 2nd anniversary gift!