So, What Else is New?

I'm sick of school.

The End.

Santa's Workshop

It's officially 59 days, 11 hours, and 2 minutes until Christmas...but who's counting? Besides me...I am so excited for the holidays that I went to Robert's the other night and bought my Christmas trees (a couple of little artificial alpines). They are still sitting in my trunk, but since I can't decorate them until December I will probably try to work them into my regular decor until then.

Most of my Sunday afternoons this month have consisted of me barricading myself inside my sewing room so I can work on my Christmas projects undisturbed. I've completed a couple, but I've always got at least a dozen extra ideas that I never get around to...it's hard being so busy! Still, I am quite pleased with my finished products thus far. I can't post all of them, because I don't know who all reads my blog, but here's one. This is the jacket I made for Steph:





It's a Rachelpologie, of course...someday I will learn how to design my own stuff, instead of just copying everyone else. I did make some of my own adaptations (Stephanie doesn't like 3/4 length sleeves), and used a slightly different pattern. St
ill, if you compare it to the original, I think I did a pretty good job:


Yay for Christmas!

Ghouls Night Out

So, I am sitting up late tonight, wondering where the last hour went...I was going to go to bed with Colby a while ago, and then I got sucked into the infinite vortex that is on-line Christmas shopping (I think I may single-handedly solve the economic crisis with my holiday purchases; you can all thank me later). But before I "hit the hay," I wanted to share just a smidge about my Fall Break...

I went to Boise!!

It was so wonderful to see my family, especially since I only make it up there a couple of times a year. Holly was so wonderful to let me have the weekend off (seriously, I owe you big!), and I got to ride up with Dave, which was awesome. Friday night, my dad and brothers went to the BSU/Hawaii game, so I stayed home with Mom, Andi, and Steph for a "girls' night." We watched "Hairspray," swooning over James Marsden and Elijah Kelley and gave each other pedicures. I also copied Sarah's fantastic fingernails and gave my sisters Halloween manicures:





I wish I'd gotten some better pictures; I was trying to get the details in while showing all of my little paintings in just one or two photos. I wish you could see the little witch on Steph's thumb...she was really cute! But, since I still don't have a digital camera, my crappy cell phone pics will just have to suffice.

Winter Weather

I really like Christine's Halloween background on her blog, so I decided to follow suit and decorate mine for the season, as well.

Speaking of the season....even though Saturday night's snowfall shouldn't have caught me off-guard (because it was in the forecast all week), I was still a bit shocked as I looked out the window Sunday morning, torn between disappointment and excitement. While part of me screamed, "No, NO!! It's only October!!" the so-excited-for-Christmas-cuz-it's-just-around-the-corner side of me could barely be contained. (Consequently, that side of me was in charge today...I didn't study at all. Instead, I vacuumed my apartment and finished two Christmas presents.)

When I walked to church Sunday afternoon I was still in awe of the snow. I think I kind of forget how cold it is, the way the sky looks, and how it smells when it snows. It's so pretty, even when it's gray and cloudy outside.

I Guess It Serves Me Right

Let me apologize for the perfectly crummy mood I was in this week. I mean, I still feel that I was completely justified in being a "grumpy giant," but sometimes I wonder if I complain too much. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable; I just needed to vent (and yes, Angie, it was..."the mean one" -- if, indeed you are referring to the one who seems to have a special place in her pit of meanness reserved especially for Rachel)...

Aside from that, I had kind of a funny/ironic/creeeepy experience this week. Brooke was in the darkroom a few days ago when I heard her scream. She had discovered a spider on the counter, right next to her. Well, I hate spiders just as much as the next girly-girl, but I decided to be heroic and save Brooke from the venomous monster. Okay, so it turns out that it was an itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny spider (no yellow polka-dots, even). I smooshed it with a pair of scissors and threw it in the trash. I kind of laughed to myself, because seriously -- it was a nothing of a spider. Maybe I shouldn't have thought her so silly, because you know...what goes around, comes around. Thursday night, I got home late from visiting with my family. It was really dark outside, but when I opened my front door I could see that there was a spider on the ground, just outside my apartment. And not just any spider...a huge black widow! EEEEEEEEWWWWWWW!!!!! I was wearing flip-flops, so I practically jumped over the threshold to avoid it. I knew I had to kill it, though, so I ran and put on some tennis shoes, then jumped around my living room shrieking for a couple of minutes or two (I think the shrieking helped me summon my courage). I finally managed to send that big ugly bugger to its cobwebby grave, but I had the creepy-crawlies all night long. I was jumping and jerking around in bed all night because I SWEAR I could feel things crawling on me...

This week I am spraying down my whole apartment building. I already have all the stuff to do it, and I'm not taking any more chances. I've learned my lesson, too: I promise not to laugh at any of you ever again if you freak out over a little, tiny spider.

Some Chain Maille Might Have Come in Handy...

If you all will indulge me for just a moment...

Today I encountered a beast of epic proportions. She appeared as one of my clinical instructors and reared her ugly head at me over and over again. I nearly melted from the heat of her fiery breath (or maybe just from embarrassment) as she publicly harangued me; I had not made any serious errors, at least not the ones she was accusng me of, nor did I deserve such a severe tongue-lashing in front of my patient and my peers. I was so upset I contemplated walking home, just to blow off steam. I decided, though, that since it was nearly four miles, I would likely be more agitated by the time I got here for having used up my whole afternoon. So instead, I rented a Rug Doctor and shampooed my living room carpet. Perhaps a strange way to deal with my indignation, but it was pleasantly cathartic. In fact, although a couple of "mystery stains" still haunt the floor in front of my couch, it looks almost a million times better. Plus I found some sick, secret enjoyment pretending I was dumping her down the drain along with the ten gallons of thick, grey water that came out of the Rug Doctor...

And now, I'm a bit exhausted from my venture into the grimy depths of ancient apartment floor coverings, so I'm all nestled up in bed with my lappy. Colby is down at the hospital tonight doing a sleep study, so I think I shall sleep quite soundly -- providing I don't have nightmares about monsters in lavender scrubs.

Holiday Fever

I don't know what's come over me, but I am suddenly obsessively excited for the holidays! A couple of days ago I went into Roberts to get some stuff for a school project. They had all of their fall & Halloween decorations out and I just about lost it! I'm like a little kid all over again, or maybe like Martha Stewart -- or maybe Martha Stewart as a little kid, because all I want to do now is hang things and wrap things and make costumes and buy a huge, cute bowl for our Halloween candy. Yikes! I've become a monster! A monster who can't wait to put up her Christmas tree...I even started my Christmas shopping. Yep -- last week at Swiss Days I purchased a present for...well, for someone...I can't say who, even though she doesn't read my blog. But, let's just say it's something that needs a mat and a frame. Unfortunately, I didn't realize how expensive mats and frames are, especially when you have to have the mat custom-cut because the gift in question is a funny size. I decided after checking prices at Roberts and Michael's that I will probably have to sell my soul to the devil to afford the rest of this Christmas present. Oops! Well, at least I won't have to worry so much about my Halloween costume...just don't be scared if you notice my eyes are glowing red or my voice is a little bit raspier. I will be a happy little Christmas demon, and that is all that matters!