At least I paid for my crochet hook.

My first crochet class was last night, and looking at the image above I don't have to tell you that I stink at it. While everyone else rhythmically stitched their chains and proceeded to single crochet, my yarn was tangled in my clumsy hands as I tried to figure out a slip knot. It was that bad.

It didn't help that the fellow students were...how can I put this delicately...rough. I saw one of the girls discreetly swipe a crochet hook into her bag! There were several 30-something bartenders that all had their hair completely bleached out or dyed a saturated black. Tattoos littered their arms (and probably everywhere else), and they were kind of mean! Maybe I was asking for it considering I was wearing one of those silky, secretary style blouses in the land of ripped t-shirts and black leather, but it was a crochet class!

I'm going to make myself return to class next week, but I honestly am not looking forward to it!

Personalized Woven Labels

I love these personalized labels from Charm Woven Labels, an early Valentine's present from Mom! She said she did a lot of looking around, and this company's offerings appeared to be the best. I've never had labels before, but these feel durable, look professional, and most of all they are pretty! I can't wait to sew these into some projects.

Part II, to be opened on February 14th!

New Rug and 100th Post

I love my honey-colored wood floors, but considering they extend up the walls for oh, about four feet, I could go with seeing a little less--that's a lot of wood! [here's where you make a wood joke] I've been hunting for a rug for several months, often backing out of purchases because of my unwillingness to commit to a color scheme and my paltry budget.

Finally, last week during a late night, wine-induced online shop-athon, I found a screaming deal on a rug from West Elm. It's big enough, blue is safe and livable, and the price was right ( 8'x8' and $90, down from $350!).

Before:

After:

I didn't expose the photos right, so the colors in the rug don't appear as saturated as they truly are, but it is pretty, no? It is durable, as well. Three hours in, a full glass of Makers on ice was dropped and shattered right in the center of the rug (I won't name names, but he felt really bad). Cleanup left the rug looking new, however, so no friends were lost. Cheers to 80% wool and 20% cotton blend.

In other news, I finally hit 100 posts!

If your picture is on your blog, it can happen to you!

I use my lunch break to catch up on my Google Reader and today finished the hour by reading a post by Angela over at her blog, Tomorrow is Another Day. As soon as I finished reading I went downstairs to the UPS Store to mail those potholders to my grandmother, when the girl in front of me in line looked strangely familiar...

I am no mystery writer, so obviously, you guessed it...it was Angela! We "met" during NaBloPoMo in the twenty-somethings group, and even though we found out we both work in downtown Seattle and both avoid the hills because we always fall, I didn't realize she works in the SAME BUILDING!

Angela is such a sweetheart, online and offline. So glad to have met her! Things like this make the whole blogging thing even more worthwhile, just when I was feeling down about it!

happenings

dying to try: Banya 5. I've never been to a Russian-style spa and furthermore didn't even realize they existed! Last week I tried the accompanying vodka bar, Venik Lounge, and am subsequently hooked on the Russian experience. Now for someone to go with....(T, I'm looking at you!)

cooking: I'm embarrassed to say, but dinners this week have consisted of fried eggs and sugar-free strawberry jello. I hope you're impressed. This weekend I'm thinking of cooking one of the two ducks I've had in my freezer since Thanksgiving, so wish me luck! I'm not sure if I even like duck, much less know how to cook one, but with a grim weekend forecast I'll need something to keep me occupied while I'm hiding out indoors. Well, either that or I'm going to starve because I am out of eggs and jello (btw I don't even really like jello).

contemplating: Chopping my hair off and dying it dark brown, but I've received mixed reactions so am thinking twice about it. I would just love to cut my drying time in half!

exercising: I have been doing it. I almost don't believe it either, but I have worked out a whole three times this week so far! Current motivations are a snowboarding weekend next month that will be sure to kick my ass as well as a potential week in Hawaii. I am definitely fearing the bikini right now.

trying: Joe's Goals. I'm tying it in with the goal planning book I read, and so far it is working rather well. Kind of proud of how I am putting the pieces together, so maybe I'll post about it soon.

learning: Programming. That's the plan, anyway. Next month I begin a class in C#, but in the meantime a friend has suggested to play around with Python tutorials. Heaven help me.

crafting: still need to finish that shirt... crochet class starts next week... there are some cross-stitch and embroidery ideas I want to get started on...want to make a few little gifts for v-day...lots of lovely, little things.

Mass Transit Flattery and Shoe Compliments*

I was sitting, waiting for the bus in the tunnel yesterday, when in no less than 90 seconds I had a strange man's jacket over my legs. Of course I protested (after all, I was wearing tights, wasn't cold, and umm...ew), but he insisted that he had "been thinking about it all day" and it was the "least he could do" in light of the sinking temperature.

Avoiding eye contact and thinking about all the potential germs on the fleece that adorned my legs, I thought over my outfit and decided I was surprised that such a demure ensemble would garner a man's attention. I had a client appointment in the morning, so I traded my typical jeans and blouse work attire for an army green sheath dress that although figure-hugging, was hidden with a sweetheart cut black cardigan, further covered with a bulky North Face jacket. Pair all of that coverage with opaque black tights, and I wasn't even showing a square inch of skin! Hot.

My self assessment was cut short because luckily the bus arrived within two minutes, saving him from his feeble attempts at making conversation with me. Comments ranged from "I like your shoes." to "That's a nice dress." He was very interesting, obviously.

Upon sitting down for the ride to the Eastside I feigned complete interest in my cell phone, which failed miserably as he continued to talk to me though I barely murmured "mmhmms" in response. Ok, maybe I am exaggerating. I found out he is a brick layer (he specified "big bricks" because "old men lay small bricks"), and I did manage to answer questions about what I do for fun. I replied "sewing, blogging, cooking." You know...all the things that completely turn off a man. I was wrong about one of those. The blogging spurred a brief spark of interest.

Brick Layer: "Oh! Is it a LiveJournal?!?!?!? Where you write all your secrets about crazy things you do when you go out?!?!?!?!" His eyes were opened wide with intent interest and enthusiasm.

Me: "No." I probably scowled, but I can't be sure.

He appeared sorely disappointed and didn't talk for several more minutes, that is until he saw a Denny's and went on and on about how he used to hang out there all the time. I didn't respond.

Predictably uninterested and unimpressed, I made my exit and went to class.

*I got several compliments on these shoes yesterday. Yay for cheap Nine West shoes from at least four seasons ago.

Identity Crisis

I'm having an identity crisis. A blogger-identity crisis, to be specific.

I told myself when I began blogging again and started Life Tonic, that I would write about lifestyle. Though I didn't, and still don't, have much of a lifestyle to write about, I wanted to blog about cooking, photography, living in Seattle...pretty, sophisticated things. A blog where I could talk about what I have going on whilst sparing myself the embarrassment of divulging details about romances (past, current, and desired), vanity, wishful thinking, and pretty much all other thoughts I manage daily.

Other days, Internet, I want to tell you everything. The good, the bad, the really bad, and the no-one-cares-but-I'm-telling-you-anyways. I want to profess my love for Rock of Love and gush to you how elated I was when I heard news of the second season and other important things, like how Brett Michaels should really be with Heather from Season 1 and what is going on under that bandana??!?

I want to drink a bottle glass of wine with you and complain about all the things I can't stand about the men in my life and then have you forget so the next day I can tell you how wonderful he/they are and how I couldn't live another day without him/them. Repeat.

I want to reveal that I read Missed Connections on Craigslist way too much even though no one's ever written about me.

I want to post ridiculous pictures of myself and not care if someone disapproves.

I want to write without boundaries.

I'm thinking it's silly to keep my blog semi-focused because let's face it, no one really reads this anyway. On the other hand, how can a blog ever be useful to someone if they are reckless with topics? Are there people out there like me who like to read about someone's personal life as well as cooking and sewing, etc? Will people decide I'm not very sophisticated if I share all those random facts of life? Should I care?

Internet, sorry if I have disappointed and shared too much. Regularly scheduled programming will resume tomorrow.