Friday 19 April 2013

Currently...

Reading: Stiff, by Mary Roach.  I picked up the book from Ephraim a couple weeks ago, when he decided he just didn't need to know that much about the human body after death.  I tend to be a bit more interested in the macabre, and not easily grossed out by gore and details of the body (I was actually working toward a career in medical illustration for a long time), so I figured I'd have more luck with the book.  So far, I really like it.  I only started reading it a couple days ago, as last week I was tearing my way through the first compendium of The Walking Dead, which encompasses the soft cover volumes #1-8.  And man, did THAT ever fix my displeasure with TWD season finale.  If you're also a fan, and felt that the finale was just too anticlimactic, pick up the comics, you won't be disappointed!

Watching: I'm still working my way through Veronica Mars, and I'm already on the 3rd season.  Honestly, this season isn't as good as the first two, but I love me some snarky Veronica, and I'm emotionally invested in the show, so I'm seeing it through.  Other than that I've watched the first third of too many romantic comedies before I decide that I hate them, and go and read instead.  Yup.

Anticipating: A weekend FULL of plans.  I am double booked for Saturday night and can't wait to see some friends and have a good time.  Especially at formal bowling.  Fancy clothes, beer and bowling? It's like all of the things I like, at one time! Plus it's to celebrate my best friend's birthday.  So you know it's gonna be a good time.
Laughing about:  My inability to keep my Bloglovin' unread count under like, 100.  Just last week I got fed up and marked all as read, and now BOOM I have 125 unread posts already.  And you know what's to blame? Fuckin' blog hops, man.  I give up on bloghops (except for Chantilly's, but that's because it's special and not demanding).  Seems like every week someone I follow is hosting or co-hosting a blog hop, and oh it's free to join, as long as you spam the ever-loving shit out of your own reader with the mommy blogs of the 8 co-hosts.  Enough.  I am not a person who can handle that many blogs, particularly that many that I don't really find all that interesting.  A purge is gonna happen, and I'm no longer going to feel badly about missed posts here and there.  It's started to eat up too much time, and is making my reading list so long it's overwhelming to the point of avoidance.  Blog hops.  Not even once. 

Listening to: Lots and lots of 8Tracks while I work.  I'm a bit disappointed in their search function on the mobile site, I can't seem to search activities or moods as well... I don't know why "sewing" results in mixes consisting entirely of Rap and R+B.  So, it's a lot of just acoustic indie and pop for me, easy to find and less likely to require song skipping.  Do you stream music on your iPhone? Any suggestions for a good site? I'm pretty new to streaming music, outside of looking a tune I have stuck in my head on Grooveshark.

Eating:  The funny thing is that I talked about making brussels sprouts for the first time ever in my last "currently" post, and I literally ate a plate full of them, topped with Parmesan cheese, for dinner last night (at like 9:30.  I got in a sewing groove and had no idea how late it had gotten!).  But at literally this moment, I am sipping a chai latte (which in my last post I was wishing for.  I don't change much, month to month!)

Working on: Sewing a dress I designed and started working on this past Sunday.  It's been a weird and difficult balance between wanting it to look clean and professional, and not wanting it to take forever.  I've already decided to replace one of the back panels, because the one way pattern looks a bit too sloppy for my tastes.  It sets the progress back by a good 1.5 hours, but I know I'll be glad I did it, in the end. I kind of wish I was staying in NOTL this weekend, so I could finish it up, and make a trip to the fabric store to get the remaining supplies I need.  I spent 5 minutes hemming (hah, sewing pun) and hawing over zippers, and somehow managed to leave with a standard zipper and not an invisible zip.  Needless to say, that realization earned a hearty (and disappointed) slowclap... from myself, to myself.  Well done, Erin.  Well done.  I took a sick day this week (allergies plus spring cold equals no fun at all) and spent the vast majority of it sewing, and it was awesome.  I needed something inspiring to get me out of this little sewing rut I've been in ever since I abandoned my Sew for Victory dress.  I'm hoping this project kicks me in a high enough gear to actually complete my Sew for Victory dress in time for the Guys and Dolls opening night next month, but I am not going to hold my breath.

Wishing:  That the wind would die down and I could get a handle on taking outfit photos for myself, mid-week.  I get to dress however I want to to work, and sometimes it's pretty cute.  I hate feeling like I'm "saving it up" for the weekend, and frankly, I like outfit posts, and it would seem that the folks dropping by these parts do too, so being able to have more of them would be really swell.  I've been spoiled by Ephraim's photographer skills! 


I hope you all have a great weekend!! 
--Erin

14 comments:

  1. Color me impressed that you are not only sewing a dress- but designing the pattern! Sounds like you have a fun weekend ahead of you! We went evening gown bowling for a bday last summer- so fun! I can't wait to see pics from yours. You seriously made me start craving a chai latte. Also, it's been windy here lately too, which is pretty annoying. At least it's still warm but it's really cramping my dress-wearing style! Have a good weekend!

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    1. Ohhh I WISH I got to spend my weekend finishing the dress! But I have plans out of town. I am so psyched for fancy bowling though! I am going to have to bring my camera along, and get all up in everyone's business :P.
      Man, I wish the wind was the worst of it! This morning when I got to work it was 68', and now it's 46' as I am about to head out the door. It's insane. Layers layers layers!
      --Erin

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  2. I can't wait to see this dress!!!!

    I can barely read a pattern let alone make one.

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    1. I just wish I could finish the darned thing this weekend! Alas, Toronto beckons. Looks like I know what I'll be doing on Monday night, though!
      As for sewing patterns, I kind of learned to sew in an unconventional way using Japanese sewing magazines (written in Japanese. Fun!). From there I used my first (and come to think of it, perhaps only) commercial pattern to make my prom dress, and then just started experimenting from there. I got to learn pattern drafting in university, as well as expand on my sewing skills, and I promise, it's all just a matter of time before it all "clicks". One day I realized that basically everything in sewing is a straight line, if you turn it the right way. That concept has made me pretty well fearless when it comes to sewing and drafting.

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    2. Japanese sewing patterns are SO CONFUSING to me. I need detailed step by step instructions. I love me some quality hand holding.

      That is why I love anything that has a full online tutorial sew-along.

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    1. I would put it on everything, if I could (or if it would taste alright). Yum.
      --Erin

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  4. Loved Stiff. Spook was almost as enjoyable. I've got another of her books on request at the library...can't recall the name. I got into her writing via a recommendation on The Dainty Squid, she usually has great book recs if you're in need of more :D

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    1. Haha wouldn't you know it, I just sent Kaylah an email the other day! She and I do have some overlap in our reading material, I definitely like getting some suggestions from her blog when I need something new to read :)

      --Erin

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  5. Stiff was a fantastic book!

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  6. I feel the same about Bloglovin, I really dislike it when there are too many to have time to read. I find it hard to unfollow blogs because I want to have time and be interested in everyone who is taking the time to put themselves out there. But there does come a time when you realize that you just aren't that interested in a lot of the blogs you ended up following for a hop or whatnot. I guess it's time for spring cleaning all areas of our lives, right?

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    1. Yes, you're absolutely right! And really, if the free advertising via blog-hopping means to defeat the purpose of blog reading by filling my reader full of junk I don't find interesting, I won't be participating any more. I mean, hell, even some of my very favourite blogs have features that I regularly skip, particularly if it's nail-art related. My job requires working with my hands, and I can't keep nailpolish unchipped for a solid 6 hours, so I am NOT spending nearly that long to get them looking spiffy just to wreck it, haha!

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  7. I've read Stiff and I really liked it! Also - don't feel bad about all of the blog hops and blogs you follow. I too have accepted that there will be posts here and there that I will miss. C'est la vie! Worse things have happened, and it's totally healthy to purge some blogs you don't absolutely love! My trouble is I've found so many blogs that I love and want to keep up with!

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    1. Ooohh, finding too many blogs you love is the best problem! How often I wish there were more hours in the day...

      --Erin

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