Spazzmanda

I had this truly batshit idea last month to replicate the original Fargo movie poster in actual (i.e. not digital) cross stitch for Fox’s birthday. (She loves the movie as much as I and I wanted to see if it could be done.)

It CAN:

I learned several things:

1. Cross stitch is NOT as fun (to me) as knitting.

2. Expect delays-elaborate borders take much TIME and you should add many hours to your initial estimation and might (cough) miss the deadline.

3. Not everyone ‘gets’ or has seen Fargo, so you have a lot of ‘splaining to do when working on this project in public.

4. It was totally worth it! (See the reaction HERE and HERE.)

UPDATE: I have no pattern for this. I made the beast by using a photo of the original movie poster blown up very, very large so you could see all the little pixels. It served as a pseudo-’pattern’ and it was not really to ‘scale’ (It didn’t exactly match the gauge of the grid of the cross stitch fabric) so I had to wing it a little and create the same overall shapes and shadows. I am not very skilled with cross stitch, so it probably has many imperfections. The text was backstitched except for the “Fargo” logo, which I drew on at the very end with pencil then filled in with thread using a very imperfect embroidery technique- and yes- that is a real needle.

Overall it is a success and I think it is sort of “funny looking” (like the little guy) dontcha know.

This is me.

Not only because I got my “elf on” for a face-painting job with Jeff last night (I’m making a pretty mean snowflake this year- with glitter and everything!) but also because I’m booked every freaking night from here through Christmas with little to no exception. I’m seriously buggin’ because I have some projects that need tending to and I haven’t really gotten going yet. Oh, and because someone called in ‘sick’ today and it totally screwed me over- I had to cancel appointments, skip my lunch break and therefore miss running two necessary errands, the usual crap. (Note: There are pluses and minuses to working in a very small office, this would be the latter, but I suppose you can’t help when you get sick, right?)

Oh and Jeff did this last night.

Yes that would be a purple-leopard-harlequin mask themed tree. (He has enough decorations to do several ‘themed’ trees.) I let him do this one ‘cuz he does it so well. I’ll be decorating my Charlie Brown Christmas tree tonight. It will be fun.

No really, it will. Or at least that is what I keep telling myself.

I know it is quite the ambitious title for a post, but I have a lot to catch up on. Last weekend we went to see the Police in concert on Saturday and then Blue Man Group on Sunday. That is a lot of concerts. That is a lot of concerts for a girl that has a pretty strict bedtime. So, of course, on Monday I woke up with a cold (I consistently get sick when I get tired) but it was totally worth it. I got to see Sting, up close. Our tickets were for right behind the stage, but it was so much better than being in front of the stage and far, far, far, away. I swear he smiled at me, and I screamed my head off. It was awesome.

Here we are at the Police (that is me and Jeff, of course, with my mom and stepdad.)

I had seen Blue Man once before, and let me tell you, the show is an amazing experience. This time we were up front and it did not disappoint. The band that plays with Blue Man is phenomenal. Really, I don’t know if people realize what an amazing group of musicians they have backing them. Again, I jumped around, acted a fool, and quite enjoyed myself.

This year, we decided to do a low-key Thanksgiving (i.e. not to spend all day in the car going from place to place and stuffing ourselves silly.) We went to my Dad’s in Stone Mountain and just watched T.V., ate, took a little nap and had a pretty wonderful day. I made Paula Deen’s Sweet Potato Balls and they kind of flopped. You see, the mashed sweet potatoes were wrapped around a marshmallow, which I did the night before so I suppose that my marshmallows must have just dissolved or something, because they sure as heck didn’t ooze out of the balls like they did on Paula’s plate (Oh well.)

Then on Friday, Jeff, Ted and I went to Watkinsville to an artist’s open house. There were potters, jewelers and the main draw (for me) was Loretta Eby, glass blower. I met her at work, we sell some of her ornaments and things and she is one of the most entertaining people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Every Thanksgiving, they have an open house the weekend after the holiday. What better way to spend “Black Friday” than to watch a glass blowing demonstration? I was in awe. We bought some things for gifts (and she personalized them for us.) It was an awesome trip and well worth the hour drive.

So, now I’m full, happy, tired. I dyed my wayward gray patch (yeah that was me) and baked some ginger snaps so the house smells fantastic, and I think, I daresay, I might just be starting to feel that holiday spirit! Just let me get through the next week or two at work and I’ll be golden!

Oh, another finished object- a hat for my friend Les. I learned a wonderful technique, the duplicate stitch, it beats the hell out of intarsia any old day!

The end is in site for the costume construction for DragonCon. We will be revamping Pee Wee and Miss Yvonne (last year’s Halloween costumes) sometime this weekend in addition to our group outfit- the Life Aquatic team- and our ultra-secret creation. I just have to pack and make sure I don’t forget a single eyelash, in addition to packing up the car for the beach!

I have managed to do some knitting.

See- Baby Bobbi sans stuffing

I still have much work to do, but it is finishing stuff. The last arm is knit around the stuffing and closed up. This yarn has been a tad difficult to work with, but I went down a needle size too so the fabric would be more dense so it is probably my own fault. (I wouldn’t want his guts to come out, you know.) Then I will do the ears, a duplicate stitch around the neck – which I’m not quite sure of how or why it needs to be done, but I’ll do it. And then embroider the face. The head is freaking HUGE. I looked at the photo and I believe the head is supposed to be as big as the torso, but it looks, so far, gargantuan. But I think I may still be able to pull it off.

It snuggles good though. And, because I will eventually HAVE to mention it, so does this:

Look what Dr. Doolittle found in the woods. Yup, that would be a beh-beh kitteh, about a week old, abandoned by its momma and starving to death. No, it will not be living with us. In fact, I’m hoping that someone that will remain nameless will get off the fence and take this here little-un off our hands once it is old enough to go. (It has to be bottle fed and so far I’m proving myself to be not very maternal, thank goodness Jeff is maternal enough for the both of us.)

It is no big secret, I’m dating a geek. But, during our extensive courtship, he has taught me to embrace my inner geek. OIn fact- I’ve apparently always been a closet geek all along!

You may not realize that the biggest geek fest in the southeast, DragonCon, is this week. I’m so tired from our preparations already, and I’m not seeing much opportunity for resting in my near future as I am packing for both the convention AND the beach trip, I sure hope I don’t forget to pack enough underwear.

I will be leaving immediately from the convention on Monday morning to go to St. George. (Woo- hoo St. George!- Thank you John Olin and Margaret for inviting me again!)

Photo from last year’s trip:

From left to right- My adopted sis Anjanette, Moi with sunburn, the lovely Sally and of course John and Margaret- Babs- my adopted parents.)

Anyhoo, back to the costume, the whole point of the post! Foxy and I have been working on an UBER-Secret costume for the upcoming ‘con.’ Since I’m also going to the beach, it will be some time before photos are posted (because I’m not taking my laptop with me, sorry, but I’m totally unplugging.)

Now, I don’t sew. My mother does, but I don’t have the talent or the patience. She won’t sew for me anymore, so I have been forced to figure my own way around the machine. I can make costumes and ‘embellish’ pre-exisiting shapes with some minor sewing and adjustments. Last year, Jeff tried his best to convince me that I could sew him some Batman gloves. I refused. He persisted and it almost ended in bloodshed (his, not mine.)

This costume idea was totally Fox’s, and it is totally cool! I hope it will be a hit. She wants us to enter the big costume contest. I told her I might need a drink (or four) before I would be ok with going on a stage in front of a bout a million geeks that positively live for this stuff.

It should be pretty neat. More to follow.

Last weekend I joined a group of lovely ladies, some old friends and now some new, in an excursion to Decatur to partake in the Chocolate Bar. We first went to Watershed- a spectacular restaurant where I’ve eaten several times – and have NEVER had a bad meal- particularly on fried chicken Tuesdays. I even have the cookbook- Southern Cooking- written by the Executive Chef, Scott Peacock, although I haven’t had the guts to make anything out of it, it makes for very good reading if you are a fan of southern cuisine. I had the salmon croquettes which came with grits, spinach and sliced tomatoes- it was in a word – yummy. But it was a toss-up between that and the basic pimento cheese sammich (which Jenny had.)

This was a Non-Knitting excursion I’ll have you know. It was hard to leave the house without a bag of knitting to take with me, but somehow I managed. We did sneak in a brief peek into Nease’s Needlework- because it was, after all, right THERE! I refrained from buying anything, but mostly because I neglected to use the ladies room before leaving the restaurant and couldn’t “focus” on anything fibery at that particular moment.

Anyhoo, back to the chocolaty goodness. Read the rest of this entry »

Yes, inded it is true. As of today I now have wireless access to the internets ,at my place of residence, and I’m currently blogging from the comfort of my couch. I’d take a picture and show you, but I don’t know where to put the photo card yet- although I hear this is a feature I can manipulate to my will at a later date.

First order of bizness- bitch out customer service at kpixie.com. Two weeks for a piece of paper? No piece of paper after two weeks? This is beyond redonculous.

So, I have had to formulate my response: Read the rest of this entry »