tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78609712024-03-13T19:19:35.289-07:00good clean funUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger294125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-30474720268883434422013-06-27T13:14:00.000-07:002013-06-27T13:14:03.251-07:00an updateclearly i haven't been on this blog in a long time. and something has happened to a bunch of my old posts and flickr photos are not showing up. not sure what's going on with that but i am pretty sure i am too lazy to figure it out.<br />
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why haven't i been around? no particular reason really. i was never a great blogger to begin with. i think with ravelry, my need to document my projects has diminished. i would like to blog more about cooking and baking. I also have 3 (yes, 3) other blogs that i contribute to now which i love and have taken up a lot of my time.<br />
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so i don't know when or if i will ever get back here to blog regularly. maybe if i start sewing more and/or knitting more (omg i haven't knit a big project in ages). perhaps i'll just try for a monthly recap of my crafting projects. we'll see how i do. for now, if you'd like to keep up with me, you can find me in a whole bunch of places.<br />
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<a href="http://instagram.com/fishgirl182" target="_blank">instagram</a><br />
<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/people/fishgirl182" target="_blank">ravelry</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nitelitebookreviews.com/" target="_blank">nite lite book reviews</a> (adult fiction, romance, sci fi, non-fiction book reviews)<br />
<a href="http://www.readnowsleeplater.com/" target="_blank">read now sleep later </a>(ya, children's book reviews)<br />
<a href="http://thepaintedninja.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">the painted ninja</a> (nail polish and beauty blog)<br />
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:)fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-91613288269484185712013-01-04T13:30:00.000-08:002013-01-04T13:30:02.839-08:00a new yearhappy new year, everyone! i hope that you all had a nice holiday. i actually had a couple of weeks off from work, which was awesome. i am actually driving back down from my parents' house tomorrow to my place. i am going to be sad to go. it's been nice just hanging out and not doing anything. we had a great first christmas with my niece, who is the cutest thing ever. don't try arguing with me because you won't win. here's a blurry picture of her.<div>
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even though this is way out of focus, i think you can tell how adorable she is. :) i also saw a few movies including the hobbit (awesome!), django unchained (thought provoking and over the top), and jack reacher (tom cruise being super intense as always). the weather in norcal has been quite cold and was pretty rainy the first week i was up here. luckily my brother and sister-in-law gifted me with some really cool rain boots.</div>
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puddles fear me now. i bought a lot of nail polish which i am not going to show you. though i will show you the mani that i wore for over a week. it was seriously beautiful and wore like iron. </div>
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you can't really tell from this picture but it is seriously sparkly and shiny. it is a pink red with bits of scattered holo glitter in it. seriously one of my favorite polishes that i found this year. </div>
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and i ate. a lot. my mom is a great cook and i eat as much of her food as i can while i am at home. here are just a few of the tasty things i had over the break.</div>
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christmas dinner</div>
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beef pho</div>
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banh xeo</div>
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i will definitely miss the cooking when i am gone. that's about it. i read a couple of books but not as many as i'd hoped. i also pulled out my mom's old sewing machine to see if it worked. and it was working right up until it jammed. so now it's at the repair shop. i am hoping it just needs a good tuneup. it's a super old machine and it's not going to be worth putting a lot of money into it to fix it. if the estimate is too high i may just have to purchase a new one. </div>
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since it's a new year, i should probably think about what my crafting goals are for the year. i cleared out my ravelry queue to only be 6 pages long. that took a couple of days. i used to queue everything i liked instead of favoriting it. now i know better. i only kept the things that i would realistically make and the list is still quite long. i do hope to get a lot more knitting done this year and learn to sew. </div>
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<br />and of course i'd like to blog more consistently. i say that all the time and i still haven't quite gotten the hang of it, but i'll keep trying. what are your new year's goals? :)</div>
fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-67392031581639769302012-11-20T01:24:00.000-08:002012-11-20T01:24:04.699-08:00dreams in color<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just a wee nail polish haul from this week. My mom picked out the yellow and the lavender. I love having a rainbow at my fingertips. Off for Thanksgiving break. Hope you're all having a wonderful week!fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-75504498557640975642012-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:002012-11-08T06:00:01.969-08:00pumpkin coffee cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Fall is here, though you might not know it by the ridiculously warm weather we are having in SoCal. But fall means pumpkin time! I finally got to make something with pumpkin this past weekend. I decided to make a tasty looking coffee cake that I saw at <a href="http://brettbara/">Recipe Girl.</a> It was pretty tasty (and my co-workers decimated it). It wasn't my favorite though. I think I wanted something more like a pumpkin cake and this is like a coffee cake with a layer of pumpkin pie filling in the middle. Delicious but not what I had been craving. I think pumpkin donuts or pumpkin cupcakes are going to be next on my list. <div>
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What are some of you favorite fall recipes?<br /><br />Pumpkin Coffee Cake<br /><div>
adapted from <a href="http://recipegirl.com/" target="_blank">recipegirl.com</a><br />
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Yield: 12 servings<br />
Prep Time: 20 min<br />
Cook Time: 50 min<br />
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CAKE:<br />
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature<br />
3/4 cup granulated white sugar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract</div>
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3 large eggs<br />
2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda</div>
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1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 cup sour cream<br />
One (16 ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin puree<br />
1 large slightly beaten egg<br />
1/3 cup granulated white sugar<br />
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice<br />
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STREUSEL TOPPING:<br />
1 cup packed light brown sugar<br />
1/3 cup butter, softened slightly<br />
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, optional<br />
Directions:<br />
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1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9x13-inch pan with nonstick spray.<br />
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2. Prepare cake: Use an electric mixer to cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl; add eggs and beat well. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Mix dry ingredients into the butter mixture half at a time, alternating with half of the sour cream. In another bowl, combine pumpkin, egg, 1/3 cup sugar, and pie spice. Keep separate.<br />
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3. Prepare topping: Mix the topping ingredients together with fork or hands until crumbly. Set aside.<br />
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4. Spoon half of the batter mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the streusel topping over the batter. Spread the pumpkin mixture over the streusel. Carefully spread the remaining batter over the pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle remaining streusel on top.<br />
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5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.</div>
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fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-29330587151456506342012-11-02T16:00:00.000-07:002012-11-02T16:00:07.059-07:00weekend update: trick or treat <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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I can't believe that Halloween is over already. I feel like I look forward to it so much each year and then it goes by so fast. I had a really fun timing hanging with my friends and their baby while handing out candy. Then we watched Shaun of the Dead and Halloween while eating copious amounts of candy. I really can't think of a better way to spend the evening.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">iris as a gnome</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">she is walking now so always in motion</td></tr>
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I also went to a taping of Ellen this week, which was a lot of fun. They don't make you wait too long and the show goes by quickly. Ellen is always so positive and funny as well. I don't have any huge plans this week except for a knit night on Friday and a book signing on Saturday. The signing is for <a href="http://www.gallerynucleus.com/gallery/exhibition/360#.UJNgvMXA-Co" target="_blank">Jon Klassen </a> at Gallery Nuceleus and that's on Saturday evening. I am a big fan of his so it should be really fun. <br />
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I am hoping to start a new book this weekend, too. I haven't decided which book just yet. I love it when I can start a new book though. There are always so many possibilities. I hope you all had a great Halloween. Does anyone else have any good plans this weekend?<br />
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I'll leave you with the book trailer for Jon Klassen's newest book, <i>This Is Not My Hat</i>. Happy weekend!<br />
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fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-37253861570528645792012-10-31T00:30:00.000-07:002012-10-31T00:30:04.706-07:00happy halloween<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Halloween, everyone! This is my favorite holiday. I don't have a costume really this year but plan on wearing my Minnie Mouse ears to work. In the evening I am going trick or treating with my friend and her baby before settling in for junk food and horror movies. I hope everyone has a safe holiday. Sending positive thoughts out to everyone on the east coast. I have lots of friends and colleagues over there and we're thinking good thoughts for them.<br />
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<i>*my nails are the sally hansen nail strips. i bought this design last year on sale after halloween. they were kinda tricky to put on but they are super cute.</i>fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-10315228906271646762012-10-29T10:30:00.000-07:002012-11-20T01:25:19.780-08:00disneyland adventureHello! I hope everyone is having a good week. A couple of weeks ago I went to Disneyland for the first time in maybe 25 years. I went once when I was a kid and I have the pictures to prove it, but almost no memory of it. One of my lovely friends works for Disney and was able to get us in for free. So I took a day off of work (which I never do for fun stuff) to go.<br />
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We started off with a delicious pancake breakfast at <a href="http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/" target="_blank">The Original Pancake House</a>. Almost every entree comes with side of pancakes and there's nothing wrong with that. I got pumpkin pancakes as my sides and they were quite delish.</div>
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Our first stop at Disneyland was the new Cars Land. I have to say that Cars Land looked awesome. It looked just like the movie and the Radiator Springs ride looked just like Arizona or some other desert town. It was really cool. The wait for Radiator Springs was the longest of all the rides we went one (1.5 hours) but it was a really fun ride and I am glad we waited for it. </div>
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Next up was The Haunted Mansion, which was done up with The Nightmare Before Christmas. The house looked fantastic! OMG it was my favorite and we went on it twice. I think it should be like this all year long and not just at Halloween.</div>
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We did a bunch of other rides, including Pirates, Monsters Inc., Roger Rabbit, Toy Story and the river rafting ride whose name I can't remember right now. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">still pretty magical looking</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">i love roger rabbit and toon town looked great.</td></tr>
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We finished off the long day with ice cream sundaes from Ghiradelli and the World of Color water show. We were actually behind the water show but it was still good. Next time we want to get fast passes for it so we can see it from a front row seat.</div>
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Needless to say, I had a great time. There were lots of lines and it was crowded but it was a decent trade off. Not to mention that I went with some pretty awesome people. The day was a big win and I can't wait to go back. Anyone else out there like Disneyland? Do you go often or only once in awhile? It's so expensive that I doubt I could go more than once every few years. But I want to go more. :)</div>
fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-56156291106955915092012-10-28T22:29:00.001-07:002012-10-28T22:29:20.970-07:00weekend update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hi, everyone. I can't believe the weekend is practically over. I don't know where it went but it really flew by. I spent most of the weekend wedding dress shopping with a friend (her wedding, not mine). Shopping for wedding dresses is a very interesting experience. That took up a lot of my time so I didn't get to do much for myself. I did pick up an old knitting project again, which I hope to be able to finish soon. I'll post an update on it in the next week or so. </div>
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Even though I am sad the weekend is over, I am very excited for Halloween this week. I'll definitely take some pics of my baby friend all dolled up for her first trick or treating outing. I am going to leave you now with a few pics from the weekend. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ryan gosling greeted us at a bridal shop</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">loved this masked doll</td></tr>
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fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-31410012720905142562012-10-24T12:43:00.001-07:002013-01-01T18:33:50.895-08:00total eclipse<div style="text-align: left;">
I know I always come here saying that I need to post more and then disappear for months. Looks like this time is no exception. I actually found this post while trying to clean up some of my tags. It looks like I might never have posted it. Since the pics were already here, I figured I would finally put it up.</div>
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This is a hat I made awhile back. It's called Wurm (cute name) and I made this with a skein of <a href="http://www.sunshineyarns.com/" target="_blank">Sunshine Yarns</a> sport in the Vampire colorway. This is probably one of my favorite Sunshine colorways and I loved working with it. Not much to say about this except that I like it and I liked the hemmed brim I got to make. Also had some nails that matched it one day. I don't remember the color name but it was from the Goth polish set that Ulta had a couple of years back. </div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49503111724@N01/4766015777/" title="IMG_9531 by squishyme, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_9531" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4766015777_223988687e.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/49503111724@N01/4766011349/" title="for bitten by squishyme, on Flickr"><img alt="for bitten" height="300" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4115/4766011349_8ab580b9c0.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you're interested, the project details are <a href="http://ravel.me/fishgirl182/ya58x" target="_blank">here</a> on my Rav page.</div>
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I have been doing some crafting lately, including some sewing and pattern stashing that I want to share. Hopefully I will find some time to update again soon. Bye for now!</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-3796554289519494582012-08-20T06:30:00.000-07:002012-10-25T00:22:00.726-07:00beat the heatIt is stupid hot here in Southern California. It's been going on for about a week now. If it lasts much longer I think I really am going to go crazy. Fortunately I think it's supposed to get better by next week. Until then though, I am hiding out in spaces with really strong AC.<br />
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Last weekend my parents came for a visit. It was a bit last minute and they haven't been down here to visit in a long time. Of course they always choose the hottest weekend of the year to come. In order not to kill them with the weather, I decided to take them up to Santa Barbara last Saturday. Here are a few pics from our day. Enjoy!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">at the sb botanic garden - look at the mountains!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">not sure what this is but it looks cool.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">i love the way cactus looks.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my favorite part - the redwoods</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mission santa barbara</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cool chalk drawing on the ground by the mission</td></tr>
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fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-8432020095729504042012-07-20T19:17:00.000-07:002012-10-24T13:59:59.680-07:00weekend update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This is what my weekend looks like so far. Yup, couch potato island. Actually I do have plans with people that include a steak dinner and possibly seeing The Dark Knight. But I got some fun, romantic flicks to keep me busy in the meantime. I plan on doing lots of reading and knitting and hopefully a lot of sleeping as well. I was sick yesterday and I still don't feel 100%. My friend is also letting me borrow her sewing machine for a bit and I hope to play with that this week as well. Maybe I'll get to use some of those fabrics that I bought a few weeks ago.<br />
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What are your weekend plans?fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-51869076413898483722012-07-16T15:55:00.000-07:002012-12-04T10:37:11.921-08:00what i did on my summer vacation - part 1Hello again! I know the stats on this blog are totally off because it says that 8 people read my last post and I am pretty sure only two people might read this blog regularly. And I don't blame anyone because I update so rarely and randomly. Anyway, I am back again in the same month (woo!) with some fun stuffs. I am on vacation right now though it's almost over. I've just been hanging out with my family doing way too much shopping and eating and visiting with my new niece.<br />
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Last weekend I took a little trip with my parents up to Santa Cruz. Love that place and it always reminds me of when I used to go as a kid. This time I did a little Yelp-ing beforehand to see if there were any fun crafting or yarn stores in the area. I found <a href="http://www.hartsfabric.com/" target="_blank">Hart's Fabrics</a>, which had excellent reviews. We drove up on found the shop easily. It's a little ways away from downtown to parking was plentiful. And the store = AWESOME. Tons of really new, hip fabrics as well as tons of notions, books, patterns, and buttons, lots of lovely buttons. They sell a wee bit of yarn, though not a lot. They do carry Madelinetosh though if you like that (and who doesn't?). Check out the pics below!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">omg look at all the buttons!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">gobs of oilcloth</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">i really want this chair in my house</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this was only about 1/3 of the ribbon</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">some madtosh for the knitters</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of the fabric aisles</td></tr>
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Hart's has a really great selection of new and hip fabrics. I wanted buy pretty much everything in the store! I managed to come away with a good selection of fat quarters as well as some buttons for a baby sweater. I haven't yet managed to take a pic of my fabric haul but I'll try to do it soon and post it for you all. In the meantime, definitely check out Hart's if you are in the area. <br />
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Hart's Fabrics<br />
1620 Seabright Avenue<br />
Santa Cruz, California<br />
831-423-5434. <br />
<a href="http://www.hartsfabric.com/">http://www.hartsfabric.com/</a><br />
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fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-29082325942802464412012-07-06T01:00:00.000-07:002012-12-04T10:37:59.936-08:00a little vacationHappy Independence Day, everyone. I know it was technically yesterday but hey, I'll take what I can get. Right now I am on a little vacation up at my parents's place. My brother just had the most adorable baby girl a couple of weeks ago and I took the whole week off to just chill out and visit with my niece a lot. I've visited a lot of crafty stores since I've been back. There are some really great yarn and fabric stores not too far from where we are and I am hoping to post about them soon.<br />
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Life's been a bit of a whirlwind lately. Last month I went to a ton of book events (for those that don't know, I am a big reader). After my July 4th vacation I will head back home for 2 days and promptly take off again for San Diego Comic Con. I am super excited about Comic Con! It's one of the events I really look forward to every year. I'll try to be good and update again soon. I am leaving you with a picture of my adorable new niece. Have a wonderful weekend!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">i like to call this her zoolander face.</td></tr>
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fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-16621915690918730142012-06-12T01:15:00.000-07:002012-10-24T13:59:59.606-07:00susie cakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last weekend when I made out a trip to Manhattan Beach, I also stopped by Susie Cakes. Susie Cakes is an adorable and delicious bakery that my friends and I make a point of going to any time we are in the area. I've been to Susie's several times now and I can say that I've never been disappointed. Cupcakes, cakes, cookies and whoopie pies are the main staples of the store. I usually try a variety of items when I am there - whatever happens to look good. I am partial to the lemon bars and my friend loves their butterscotch pudding.<br />
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This was the hand pie that I got. It was a strawberry, blueberry flavor and it's cute as heck. Unfortunately I didn't love this as much as I was hoping. It was still tasty but I felt like the filling was a bit bland. The crust was flaky but wasn't as buttery as I like my pie crust. Also, the price point on this was way more than I want to pay for a handheld pie. I can't remember the exact cost right now but I think it was $5-$6. At that price I want more than just a few bites of pie. So even though this was freakin' adorable, I don't think I'll be getting it again.</div>
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The other item I got was one of their red velvet cupcakes. I kind of have a love/hate thing going on with red velvet. On the one hand, I don't love the red velvet cake flavor. I mean, it's fine, but I am really getting it because I know that red velvet always comes with cream cheese frosting and I LOVE cream cheese frosting. Sure, sometimes I can get it on a different flavor cupcakes but you'd be surprised by the lack of cream cheese frosting in bakeries. </div>
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Susie's red velvet is pretty tasty with a moist cake with great red color. Their cream cheese frosting is delicious which makes this a winner in my book. </div>
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I am a fan of Susie Cakes and definitely recommend it. There are several locations in SoCal along with one in Northern California (which I am going to the next time I visit my parents). You can see their menu along with all of their locations on their <a href="https://www.susiecakes.com/" target="_blank">website</a>. The location that I went to was their Manhattan Beach store and their address is below. </div>
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<b>Susie Cakes</b><br />
Manhattan Village<br />
3500 N Sepulveda Blvd, Suite 150<br />
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266<br />
tel 310 303 3780<br />
fax 310 546 4561<br />
Mon-Sat 10am-7pm<br />
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<br /></div>fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-48849340978287163272012-06-03T09:00:00.000-07:002012-12-04T10:38:27.756-08:00twist, yarns of intrigueGood morning, everyone. Yikes, I slept in really late today and therefore woke up really late. Isn't it crazy that it's june already? It feels like christmas was just last week but we're already heading into the second half of the year. I am not usually a hug fan of the hot southern california weather but i do love that it stays light out for so long. I feel like a vampire sometimes when i don't get to see sunlight during the day. only without all the good things like supernatural strength and special powers.<br />
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This week i had a hankering to fondle some yarn (knitters will understand) but none of the local stores in my area were appealing to me. so on saturday, I wrangled my friend to trek down with me to manhattan beach to go to <a href="http://www.twistyarns.com/" target="_blank">Twist, Yarns of Intrigue</a>. the owner, Cathy, is fabulous and they have recently moved to a much larger location down the street. they also carry the most fabulous selection of <a href="http://www.malabrigoyarn.com/" target="_blank">Malabrigo</a>, one of my favorite yarns, as well as their own yarn and other treats. A trip to twist never fails to inspire me to create and i knew it was the thing to get my creative mojo flowing.<br />
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We walked in to see the wonderfully large new space. If you have never been to the old store it's hard to compare but the new space is easily 3-4x larger than the old one. It's so open now with a large couch and an area to hang out and look at pattern. There is also a great yarn bar where you can learn about some of the yarns in the shop and actually knit a swatch with them. you can see how the yarn knits up and what it feels like first hand, which is a great way to try out a new yarn.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">books and pattern galore</td></tr>
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The malabrigo is always what interests me the most and they really do have the best selection of it that i've ever seen. Mal is notoriously hard to keep in stock in large quantities with a good selection of colors but cathy manages her orders so well and has such a good relationship with them that she always has lots of colors in all their bases.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">seriously swoon at the mal sock yarn</td></tr>
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Cathy also dyes her own yarn in wonderful colors. There wasn't much in stock unfortunately for me. I think the locals are snatching all of her yarn up before I can get there. I did find some wonderfully soft and beautiful cotton yarn that Cathy dyes. I am not usually a fan of cotton. Ironic since it's perfect for Southern California weather. But I just find it unyielding and hard on the hands. However, this cotton was dyed up vibrant jewel tones that caught my eye straight away. And the swatches showed and amazingly soft and cushy fabric. I wanted to buy it all! But that wasn't possible so I settled on 3 skeins of a beautiful green with blue undertones to try out. I am seriously going to order more for a sweater though and maybe a blanket. If you you visit Twist, you must feel this cotton.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the cotton of my dreams</td></tr>
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I was also looking for inspiration for a wedding shawl I am going to make next year. My friend (who was with me) is getting married next year and requested a shawl for the big day. We looked at some books and narrowed down some ideas but none of the patterns was calling to her. Right when we were about to leave we saw a lovely red lace shawl in the corner made from Malabrigo Silky Merino, a really beautiful silk/wool DK blend. Peggy tried on the shawl and it was love.<br />
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So we picked up 3 skeins of the Silky Merino in a really pretty lavender/grey colorway called Madre Pearl. It's a gorgeous color and I am really excited about starting the shawl now. </div>
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That was our big day and yarn trip. It was just the pick me up I needed and got me excited about knitting again. If you're ever in the area, you really should stop by and visit the shop. It has something for everyone. I'll leave you with our yarn purchases for the day. Have a wonderful afternoon!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">twist cotton in jade</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mal silky merino in madre pearl</td></tr>
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fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-6888215189232837342012-05-11T22:47:00.001-07:002012-12-04T10:37:46.663-08:00monster cookies - rawr!i can't believe it's may already. where is the year going? as you can see, my resolution to blog more really hasn't been working. sorry to the 3 people who actually read this blog. tonight, in a fit of baking mojo, i decided to make the monster cookies that i saw this week on <a href="http://www.recipegirl.com/" target="_blank">recipe girl</a>. these are well known cookies though i've never actually had them before. it's basically butter, sugar, oats and chocolate. you can totally make this gluten free if you use gluten free peanut butter, vanilla, oats, chocolate chips and M&M's. i would like to try making these gluten free some day.<br />
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no real issues with the recipe except that i ran out of oats and had to go get more in the middle of making them. and i used my large cookie scoop to make these. they're not mean to be petite. like recipe girl suggested, i dotted extra chips and M&Ms onto the uncooked mounds before baking so that they'd look prettier. and they do.<br />
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yeah there is flour in this pic. that's my bad. i totally pulled out the flour thinking that there was some in this recipe but nope, held together with peanut butter and love.</div>
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then throw in some pretty m&ms....</div>
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dotted my uncooked cookie mounds with MORE CHOCOLATE!</div>
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cook for 10 minutes....</div>
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and voila! giant cookies!</div>
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now here is the recipe from <a href="http://www.recipegirl.com/2012/05/07/monster-cookies/" target="_blank">recipe girl</a><br />
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monster cookies<br />
Yield: 36 regular sized or 22 giant cookies<br />
Prep Time: 15 min<br />
Cook Time: 10 min<br />
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Ingredients:<br />
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1 1/2 cups creamy or chunky peanut butter<br />
1 cup packed light brown sugar<br />
1 cup granulated white sugar<br />
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened<br />
3 large eggs<br />
1 tablespoon vanilla extract<br />
4 1/2 cups quick cooking oats<br />
2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips<br />
1 cup M&M's plain chocolate candies<br />
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Directions:<br />
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1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick spray, or line with parchment paper or a silpat mats.<br />
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2. In a large bowl, combine the peanut butter with the sugars and butter. Use an electric mixer to mix until well combined. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Mix in the oats and baking soda. Then stir in the chips and M&M's.<br />
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3. Drop the cookies by heaping spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. If you'd like your cookies to look pretty (like the photo), dot a few extra M&M's and chocolate chips on each mound of dough before baking.<br />
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4. Bake 10 to 12 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool for 5 minutes on cookie sheets until cookies are set. Transfer to wire racks; cool completely before storing in an airtight container.<br />
Tips:<br />
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*If you are preparing this cookie as gluten-free, just be sure to make sure you are using brands of the following items that are known to be GF: peanut butter, vanilla, oats, chocolate chips and M&M's.<br />
*If you'd prefer to make giant cookies, use an ice cream scoop instead to scoop the dough onto the cookie sheet. They'll need to bake for 18 to 20 minutes, and you'll end up with about 22 cookies.</div>
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i will be sharing these with my book club tomorrow morning. i already ate one cookie and wow, am i full. very easy to make and highly recommended. </div>
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anyone have any good plans for tomorrow? i am going to read. and sleep. and read some more. and then maybe eat some cake. have a great weekend, everyone!</div>
fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-51821702619765828632012-04-13T17:43:00.003-07:002012-10-24T13:59:59.639-07:00first so cal yarn crawl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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yesterday was the start of the first los angeles couty yarn crawl. now i've heard of yarn crawls happening in cities before but there's never been one in mine. i am super excited about the crawl and kicked it off last night with a champagne party at <a href="http://www.unwindyarn.com/" target="_blank">unwind</a>. if you're in the los angeles area, definitely check out the <a href="http://www.yarncrawlla.com/about" target="_blank">website</a> and check out all the fun events happening this weekend. tomorrow morning i'll be back at unwind to help out with a book signing event. mac barnett and illustration jon klassen will be on hand to sign their book, extra yarn. </div>
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there will be a reading and snacks and teaching kids to knit afterwards. i am very excited about it and can't wait to get my copy of extra yarn signed. i don't really know if i am going to have a ton of time to visit any other stores but we'll see. i'd love to make it to the westside to <a href="http://www.wildfiber.com/" target="_blank">wildfiber </a>or even to manhattan beach to <a href="http://www.twistyarns.com/" target="_blank">twist</a>. anyone wanna carpool? :) hope you all have a wonderful weekend!</div>fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-40304590553573659302012-03-23T17:04:00.000-07:002012-10-24T13:59:59.628-07:00may the odds be ever in your favor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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yes, it's finally the release day for the hunger games. no, i did not go to a midnight screening. i decided to save my sleep and just go on sunday with friends. i am really looking forward to it, though, and hope that it's a good movie.<br />
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my only other plans for this weekend are to read, sleep and make some oroeo stuffed chocolate chip cookies. it might sound gross but they are awesome.<br />
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are you going to see the hunger games or have you already? :) have a wonderful weekend, everyone!</div>
<br />fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-78630625875898332692012-03-05T12:19:00.000-08:002012-10-24T13:59:59.675-07:00book review: knits for nerds<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11135537-knits-for-nerds" target="_blank">Knits For Nerds</a> </b>by <b>Joan of Dark (aka Toni Carr)</b></div>
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<b>Publication date:</b> 21 February 2012 by <a href="http://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/products/?isbn=1449407919" target="_blank">Andrews McMeel</a></div>
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<b>ISBN 10/13:</b> 1449407919 | 9781449407919<br />
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11135537-knits-for-nerds" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> | <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1449407919/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=nilirenoslla-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1449407919" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/you-slay-me-katie-macalister/1100316162?ean=9780451411525&itm=1&usri=you+slay+me" target="_blank">B&N</a> | <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Knits-for-Nerds-Toni-Carr/9781449407919/?a_aid=nitelite" target="_blank">Book Depository</a></div>
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<a href="http://rnslnitelite.blogspot.com/search/label/3%20stars" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4R1WsU1Sfl3c8MODnA5Qp8UKvldIwm5fuJJkxDg6pdLPS2r23RtaYqYhKjJTwo2cqtl4rwQOKAfV-J2efZvRzCU7npBH1osbalcA9ct01PmXimauRVS8J8NYvNBM2z_Ws_Onl8A/s1600/rating3b.gif" /></a></div>
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<b>From Goodreads:</b><br />
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The best of science fiction, manga, and animaguiri meets knit one, purl two as knit siren and part-time roller derby girl Joan of Dark offers up an out-of-this-world assortment of knitting nerdiness inside Knits for Nerds. The patterns for 30 iconic clothing and accessory items inspired by popular TV shows, books, films, comics, and more--including Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Firefly--are presented alongside full-color photographs showcasing completed projects, such as:<br />
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* Lieutenant Uhura's sexy Star Trek minidress<br />
* Hobbit feet slippers<br />
* Firefly-inspired scarf, socks, hat, and jacket<br />
* Tank Girl socks<br />
* Hermione Granger's secret beaded bag<br />
* Manga-inspired leg warmers<br />
* The Big Bang Theory-inspired his and hers sweater-vests<br />
* Lord of the Rings-inspired shrug<br />
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In addition to a wardrobe of costume finery, hobbyists will also find instructions for practical projects such as an e-reader cover or a laptop bag crafted of checkered fabric that serves double-duty as a chessboard and carryall, as well as patterns for plush toys inspired by Star Trek, robots, and the comic book Squee! Wear (and knit!) your nerdiness on your sleeve with Knits for Nerds.<br />
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<b>Review:</b><br />
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How could I resist a book called <i>Knits For Nerds</i>? I couldn’t really. As a knitter and a lover of many things considered “nerdy,” I was excited to pick this one up. <i>Knits for Nerds</i> is by Joan of Dark (aka Tori Carr) whose last book, <i>Knockdown Knits</i>, was inspired by roller derby. This time she tackles the nerd community with patterns inspired by things considered geeky, including television shows, books, comics and video games.<br />
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The book consists of 30 patterns divided into the categories of Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Comics & Manga, and Other Stuff. The patterns range from easy to intermediate with the Browncoat sweater or lace shrug probably being the most complicated projects. The patterns range from small accessories such as fingerless gloves, hats and scarves to larger items like shawls and sweaters. There are quite a few toys to knit in the book as well as a pair of socks. There is a brief Tips & Techniques section at the back of the book but it’s more of a refresher than a how to knit section. I’d suggest getting a book dedicated to learning to knit if don’t already know how before starting.<br />
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I had a lot of fun going through this book. The projects are inspired by things near and dear to my heart. The photos were even shot in Neil Gaiman’s house, which made me do a fangirl squee when I read it. My favorite projects were the most wearable ones, such as the Vampire Academy inspired Alchemy Scarf and the Firefly Browncoat Sweater. There’s a really beautiful cable shawl inspired by Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series. Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog is represented by a pair of really cute, striped arm warmers. There are a pair of vests for men and woman from The Big Bang Theory that look quite cute and wearable. The Space Princess Hat and Cape (seen on the cover) are really cool but are items that I, personally, would not wear and therefore I would not make. I was kind of disappointed in the Dr. Who inspired Time Traveler Scarf. The colors are more pastel than the Dr. Who scarf I am used to and I would not have made the connection if not for the project title. There are also some fun, little projects like a checkerboard and a Gryffindor bag that would make good gifts.<br />
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While not all of the projects in this book are the most practical (do I want my feet to look like hairy hobbit feet?), it was certainly fun to go through this book and see projects that were inspired by some of my favorite movies, games and comics. For me, this gets a little bit of a lower rating because I can’t see myself, personally, wearing too many of these knits. However, I can see a lot of these projects appealing to others. Fans of cosplay will find lots of cool, inspiring things to make in this book.<br />
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Filled with a wide variety of patterns, <i>Knits for Nerds</i> is a great gift for the fanboy, fangirl or crafty person in your life.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">This review is cross posted on <a href="http://rnslnitelite.blogspot.com/2012/03/non-fiction-review-knits-for-nerds.html" target="_blank">Nite Lite - Read Now Sleep Later</a>.</span></div>
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fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-52586542241353125722012-03-03T18:02:00.000-08:002012-10-24T13:59:59.648-07:00rivetinggood weekend, y'all. so far it's been an extremely lazy saturday for me. right now i am making some delicious <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/smores-crumb-bars/detail.aspx" target="_blank">s'mores bars</a> while waiting for a friend to come over and watch this week's <i>the voice</i>. so far the big thing i've done is gone up and ordered the entire hunger games nail polish collection by china glaze. yes, china glaze is releasing an entire collection inspired by the hunger games to coincide with the film's release date later this month. as my friends are away, i am a huge nail polish junkie. i also love reading and really loved the first hunger games book. this is a obvious one for me so i ordered the entire collection this morning. one color was sold out. luckily i had seen some of the hg polishes earlier this week at my local sally beauty. i was really hoping that they had missing polish and, lo and behold, they did. now i have the rest of the collection winging its way towards me.<br />
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see how pretty? there are two in this picture because i picked one up for a friend. not much else going on. i hope to finish a book or two before the weekend ends. i just read a hilarious regency romance last night called <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12079407-a-tryst-with-trouble" target="_blank">a tryst with trouble</a>. comes out april1 and i highly recommend it. </div>
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what are your weekend plans?</div>fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-75574344415930141532012-02-24T09:46:00.000-08:002012-11-07T22:44:05.238-08:00new beginningswow i really can't believe that it's practically march already. how insane is that? and my resolution to blog more hasn't really been working that well, but that's ok. sometimes life happens which is a good thing. i've still been in a bit of a funk but am trying to will myself out of it. hopefully with good friends and good food things will be a little more optimistic soon. i have been knitting more though. i got a new laptop and have been able to watch some hulu streaming. so far i am into alcatraz, the voice and once upon a time. i still have tons to catch up on, but it's a start.<br />
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this is a wee baby cupcake hat a recently made for my soon to be niece. these things are kind of addictive and, even though i hate making bobbles, the results are great.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/fishgirl182/cupcake-beanie-2" target="_blank">ravelry link</a></td></tr>
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made from a mix of wool scraps like lamb's bride and malabrigo, this hat is a tiny ball of fun. seriously it's so cute and needs a baby heat in it - stat! they're so easy that i've started another one already. this one will be chocolate. :) </div>
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what's new with you?</div>
<br />fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-50905867349965465512012-02-01T18:28:00.000-08:002012-10-24T13:59:59.636-07:00on life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This isn't a real post but this is how I feel today. Some days it just feels like your best really isn't good enough no matter what you do and how hard you try. I know it's just a bad day but I feel like there have been more of them lately.<br />
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But I still try to find small pleasures in life. A good book, a delicious pastry, all help remind me that I am lucky to be living in this crazy world. I got my new laptop this week, which is a million times faster than my old one. I am also looking forward to a book signing and a yarn sale this weekend. See, I feel better already.fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-77310932644507320292011-12-19T17:25:00.000-08:002012-10-26T22:51:26.175-07:00current obsession: all knitweari am in the midst of crazy holiday shopping and haven't had any time to update. instead i will distract you with this. i just found this fun line called <a href="http://www.allforeveryone.com/" target="_blank">all knitwear</a>. it's machine knitting in all shapes, sizes and colors. i am in love with these hats! and the sweaters are ridiculously bright and fun. i don't know if i could actually wear any of them but they're beautiful. have you found any fun and inspiring things you'd like to share?<br />
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fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-64211176773906266692011-12-09T07:00:00.000-08:002012-12-04T10:38:55.429-08:00persimmon loveto me, fall means cooler weather, changing leaves, and PERSIMMONS! these lovely, strange fruits only come around once a year and only for a very short time. mid to late october are usually the best times for them. growing up we had a large persimmon tree in the backyard which would bear hundreds of persimmons. we gave plenty away but i also ate my fair share. unfortunately my family no longer lives at that house but, my parents are friends with the new owners. this means that i still get my annual persimmon fix (the store selection is never as good and i am always disappointed). we have both the hard variety and the soft variety of persimmon at our old place. i actually only eat the hard ones (peeled) and give the soft ones away. i did take a few this year though to see if maybe i could make some persimmon bread or something from them. here are some pics from our fruit picking adventure to the old house.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">big basket of the hard variety of persimmons</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">unripe soft variety persimmons</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">soft persimmons on the tree</td></tr>
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tell me, do you like persimmons? what is your favorite seasonal fruit?</div>
fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7860971.post-6858241002895950342011-11-26T15:42:00.001-08:002012-10-24T12:47:56.590-07:00i'll wake up for yarn<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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it's that time of year again. it's black friday - time to shop in the wee hours of the morning or the middle of the night now that stores are opening late on thanskgiving day. i don't usually participate in the huge black friday sales. however, there is one sale that i've been going to for the last few years. that's the <a href="http://www.purlescenceyarns.com/">purlescence</a> pajama jammy jam. pjj is a wonderful yarn-y sale over at <a href="http://www.purlescenceyarns.com/">purlesence yarns</a> in sunnyvale, ca, only a hop, skip and a jump away from my parents' place. discounts are all day but if you get there from 6am - 7am you get a 40% off coupon. i am so down with that. so mom and i work up early as usual and headed down to yarnland. </div>
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the store actually wasn't too crowded at this point. they recently relocated into a bigger space in the same lot and it's much roomier, which may also account for the uncrowded look.<br />
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<a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6408032001_eda142e843_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6408032001_eda142e843_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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that back table was 75% off. i went back there many time.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6219/6408035499_53ee5c9998_b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6219/6408035499_53ee5c9998_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">samples from creepy, cute crochet</td></tr>
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all in all i had a great time and managed not to spend too much money. i don't have pics of my haul but, needless to say, everything was lovely. i also got to talk a bit with someone there about spinning wheels. i really want one now. unfortunately they're a bit out of my price range right now. but i might go back at christmas just to try a few out.</div>
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that was my black friday fun. did you brave the mall? </div>
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fishgirl182http://www.blogger.com/profile/00761801256949976904noreply@blogger.com0