On bullying

I was lazing around today, surfing the web and checking out the news when I came across a piece on the Phoebe Prince story. For those who don't know, she was a 15 year old girl who committed suicide after being intensely bullied by six of her peers at school. This brought up a huge wave of emotion in me. I was bullied throughout all of my school years, most intensely in grade school and junior high. I had the unfortunate circumstance of having a birthmark on my nose. I've since had it removed as an adult but it was the source of lots of grief. There were many days when I felt cursed. The name calling, people going out of their way to chase you down and taunt you. It was almost too much. I hated school. Dreaded it. So, when I hear of instances of bullying, I have no sympathy for those who are the aggressors. What kind of horrible person is so vile and hateful? Who on earth raised them? Bullying is not very different from stalking, which by the way, is illegal. I'm glad that many states have laws on the books that prevent bullying. However, there are no shortage of tales of schools who are reluctant to do anything real to prevent bullying. Schools can host seminar after seminar but until they get really tough, it will do no good. I had teachers witness instances of bullying and not step in. My dear friends' daughter was bullied and school officials simply shrugged it off. Here's the bottom line, if your child is a menacing little heathen, they should be expelled. It should be up to you, the parent, to either pay the fee for a private school or homeschool. No one should be subject to the little monster you've produced. If that sounds harsh, well, so be it. I'm sick of perpetrators having more rights than victims. No adult would tolerate such treatment in a work or personal environment without demanding action be taken to prevent it. If you harass someone at work, you're fired. If you harass someone in your neighborhood, the police will be knocking at your door. Why should our schools be any different? Our children deserve to be treated with the same basic dignity that we expect. So, to Prince's tormentors, I have to say, you should be horribly ashamed Sadly, you likely are not because the same wretched parts of your souls that allowed you to bully likely prevent you from feeling remorse. Rest assured that the higher power in the universe will be wanting answers for your behavior when you stand in front of him.

Lunar Eclipse and Winter Solstice

Last night I stayed up to watch the lunar eclipse. I've always thought eclipses were magical. It's such a reminder of how small we are in this great big universe. I'm still scheduled to fly into London so let's hope that doesn't change. In the meantime, I must pack and clean. Here's a shot of the eclipse! Yep, it's tiny and you can see better images on the internet but I'm sharing it just the same. Now, time to quite procrastinating. I have a lot to do!!!

Into the fray and other thoughts

Normally, I avoid politically charged topics but I feel the need to post today. Today, Elizabeth Edwards passed away after a long struggle with cancer. She was 61. For those of you who don't know me, my Mom passed away this year at 62 after a two year struggle with terminal brain cancer. News of Elizabeth Edwards' death is especially poignant to me since it is so close to the death of my own mother. I find myself thinking a lot about her children and how very sad they must be feeling. I've also read some of the reader comments on major new sites in response to the news of her death. Some of the comments about her estranged husband are just so incredibly inappropriate. Whatever he was and whatever their relationship was, there is a family who has lost a loved one. Right now, they just need support. So, I guess I just wanted to say that I wish the Edwards family the peace that only time can bring. Somewhere, long ago, I read that there is a Vietnamese saying that a grief takes a thousand words. This is so true. Talk about her. Remember her and share her legacy. Some days will be unbearably hard. Some days you will feel okay. I think about my Mom all the time. Sometimes it makes me smile and sometimes I sob, overcome with feelings of loss. They will likely never read this blog but I would like to extend my sympathies to the Edwards family.

Topstitching and fair isle

Here are the pics of what I'm working on. I'm making a Vogue sheath dress to wear to London for Christmas. That's the plan anyway. Hopefully it will come out looking nice enough to wear. This is the most complex sewing I've done in a long time and the pattern is rated easy!! I'm still plugging away on my Primavera wrap. This week is so busy for me schoolwise that I don't have much time for knitting. I have two papers due this week and a ton of reading. That's how it goes! I ordered a bodymedia fit armband today. I should get it Friday. It's this neat little gadget that you wear and it detects the calories you are expending. Love that. This should make it a little easier to really track my progress. Later!

Guess where I'm blogging from!!

An airplane!!! A friggin' Delta flight!!!! Apparently, Delta has teamed up with Google to provide free in-flight Wifi on some flights. Oh yes, I am loving this!!! I KNEW it was possible!!! Hopefully they won't screw this idea up with charging like 5 dollars per MB or some such nonsense. I recall when they tried that inflight phone business. It died out because of bad reception and sky high (hee hee!) prices. My Dad was also generous enough to buy a camera for me on this trip so I will have some images to post on Monday. In the meantime, I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. Later!!!

Dumb tv rocks!!!

Confession time: I love the World's Dumbest on Tru TV. I feel like a friggin' genius every time I watch it. So, the next time you are feel a little less than fabulous, I'd highly recommend that you watch it or something like it. On the needles, I"m finishing up my Primavera wrap from Virtual Yarns. Yep, that's by Alice Starmore. Love her! And yes, it's been on my needles for three years. I've gotten sidetracked. On the sewing machine, I just cut a Vogue pattern by Kay Unger. It's a great sheath dress that I hope will look fab when I'm done with it. Once I figure out where the heck I left my camera charger, you'll get the photo! Till then, take it easy!

Sockage!

Okay, I'm getting this blog back up and running after an email from a friend advised me it was disabled. I imagine blogger disabled it due to no posts! Eeek! So, here's the status on what's up in Aliciaville:

-formulating a business plan with my sister
-working on my MBA
-raising 2 boys, 2 cats, a dog and 2 hamsters
-whipping my body into shape via the eat clean diet
-knitting when I can

Speaking of knitting, the only thing off of my needles recently has been my firestarter socks. If I told you how long they had been on my needles, well, I would be ashamed. Let's just say I lost my notes on the first sock so the second sock looks a little, urm different. I've put in a, gasp, photo! I know! It's been awhile since I've done photos. I'm trying to rectify that!

Fitness-wise, I'll just put it out there. I entered the third annual Eat Clean Diet Challenge. Since Mom passed, I sort of let it all go and gained a lot of weight. I mean a lot. Now, it's time to engage in life again. So, I figured why not take the challenge. I have nothing to lose at all. So, I took some seriously unflattering photos of myself and posted them to the contest page. OMG! I had no idea my butt looked like that!!! It was like the scene from Psycho where Janet Lee is surprised in the shower and starts screaming! Still, nowhere to go but up so here I go. I'll keep you posted on my progress. I may even become brave enough to add the photos!
Till later, Alicia

Now that you have a drink in your hand...

When you hear that phrase, it's never gonna be good news that follows it. My husband and I decided to help out a relative with a real estate issue. The skinny of it all comes to the fact that because of a bureaucratic issue we will end up losing 10k. It's a long story and hard to explain but it's done now. Still, what can you do? That's the nature of risk and we knew it could happen. Regardless, I'm down two Irish coffees and am having a third as soon a i get done typing this post. As soon as I can find my digital camera I'll get back to posting projects with pics. Till later!

Faith restored

Sometimes, when I'm at the end of my rope, I really become convinced that there are some really not nice people in the world. It's funny, though, whenever that happens, some kind soul or souls always seem to come into my path and restore my faith. Right here, right now, I want to say thank you to those folks. I so very much appreciate all of the condolences for mom. There are no words that can express how much comfort that has brought me. Never underestimate the power of a simple smile or kind words. They heal nerves that are frazzled; comfort the grieving, and provide solace to those in need. This might sound melancholy to some but it's true. All of us have the power to be kind and compassionate. The world would be an infinitely better place if more of us exercised that power. Till later, Alicia

Bitter endings and new beginnings

Today, my Mom passed away. She had a Glioblastoma Multiforme brain tumor. This is such a little understood type of cancer. It is truly truly a horrible disease. We knew this would be our end result but somehow that brings so little solace. This part of our journey has ended and now grieving has begun. I will grieve. I will grieve and go on because that is what life is about. I must go on because nothing good can be had from marinating in one's own sorrow. I would like to take a moment to say what a wonderful woman my mother was. She was creative, caring and always encouraged us to go after our dreams. I will miss her and her wisdom.

Ugh!

Okay,
I'm needing to do an update especially since I'm a fickle blogger. So, while I try to find my digital camera to upload my most recent escapades I'll post this as a "bridge" until then. Apparently, though I earned my GI Bill, the veterans' affairs department is so overwhelmed that I'm going to experience an indefinite "delay" in getting my claim processed. That really sucks because it screws up my plans to go back to school at least for the moment. Ah well. Sooo, in the meantime, after much thought, I've decided that it might not be a bad idea to go back to work since the kids are a bit older and don't require my constant attention. I've got several ideas but I'm not completely committed to any one of them just yet. Then, there's the fact that I've not worked for quite awhile since deciding to stay home with the kids. In the current economy, I'm feeling a lot less than competitive in the job market. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful I don't HAVE to work but it would be nice to get back out there and the extra money sure wouldn't hurt. Soooo, if any news ever develops on the "Alicia would really like to be gainfully employed again" front, I'll post it. If not, I'll continue to post about what the heck ever it is that I'm currently up to. Here's a snapshot till I get the camera from the depths of whatever bag I've managed to put it in:

In my glass:
2007 Sebeka Cabernet-Pinotage

In my ears:
George Washington Biography audiobook by A&E
Tao of Healing by Dean Evanson and Li Xianting
Koyasan Reiki Healing by Deuter
Sacred River by Gandalf
Reiki Whale Dreaming by Kamal

On my needles:
Bed Jacket by Jennie Atkinson
Military Cardigan by Red Dog Knits (test knitting)
Firestarter socks by Yarnissima

Books and other stuff:
Veil of LIes by Jeri Westerson
Many paper related and screenprinting projects
Jeans pattern by Sandra Betzina

Socks and stuff

Okay, soooo I've been supah busy with back to school and all. Back to school means a new, faster paced routine. Kai is doing tackle football this year and everytime I turn around we have practice. The upside is that they have a criterium course around the practice field that tons of cyclists use to warm up for the velodrome on. Ding-light bulb moment!-Let me start bringing my bike so I can ride the course while Kai practices. Tomorrow we're apparently supposed to ride a 50 miler with our bike group. Lord I hope we stop at an Ihop for some pancakes at some point during that ride. My body is pretty sore from getting back to a more intense weight and cardio routine. So, now that all that is established let's talk crafty stuff. I've finished yet another pair of socks. These are a heavy weight cabled pair.I'll post pics this weekend along with another post. I'm been asked by a friend to host a stamping birthday party for her daughter in October so I'm really looking forward to that. In September, my buds and I are getting together to do a Halloween treat camp. Our goal is to get all of our kids' treat bags put together in one (or more) sittings so we have it done and ready to send to school with the kiddos. The plan is to do things early this year. I'll be hosting a Christmas Club in November for the same thing. Speaking of Christmas, I've made mention of a blog candy "contest" so to speak. I'll hash out those details and post on them this weekend. Later ya'll, Alicia

Sahara is done!

Well, I finished my Sahara yesterday and I'm really happy with it. I confess that I did mess up a few times due to not paying attention to the directions. Still, I enjoyed knitting it quite a bit. A new goal of mine is to knit up what I have currently residing in my house before diving through my garage for more yarn/projects. Not sure what I'll move on to next but I'll make up my mind tonight. Take care ya'll! Alicia

Mojo Monday card # 97

Okay, here is my Mojo Monday card as promised! I finally sat down this afternoon and got my creative cap on and cranked it out. Funny, I actually started out with some old buttons as inspiration but ended up going in an entirely different direction. Still, I'm pretty happy with the final product. Okay, now for the deets:

(all stuff is Stampin' Up unless otherwise noted)
Cardstock:
Earth elements--chocolate chip (I think) textured
So saffron
razzleberry cardstock and DSP
faux croco paper I got from Michaels-don't remember who made it

Other:
square fire rhinestone brads
canvas cuts elements circle
chocolate chip classic ink pad
soft suede classic ink pad
razzleberry stampin write marker
melon mambo stampin write marker
barely banana stampin pastel
chocolate chip stampin pastel
pretty in pink stampin pastel
gold glitter glue I got from michaels
SNAIL adhesive, zyron adhesive and glue stick

Whew! That was a long list!!! Dinner is on the stove so I'll save my knitting post for tomorrow. Later ya'll!

Bread and butter

Hey all! It's been rainy rainy here in Colorado Springs. I don't really mind it though. Still, I have been a bit behind in my Mojo Monday submission. Okay, I haven't even started it yet. But, I will have it done by Friday and posted. In the meantime, let me show you what has taken my attention. There's a little blog I like to read call Farmgirl Fare She makes awesome stuff! She has a recipe for some raisin bread which I whipped up Monday. Baking is so therapeutic and so yummy! So, I got on a bit of a baking jig and the kitchen was a complete wreck. Tuesday was pretty much dedicated to getting it back in order. I'm also almost done with my Sahara top. When it's finished. I'll post a pic and a link to it on Ravelry. In the meantime, I'm planning to showcase a number of handmade Holiday projects here on my blog. I have a big handmade goal this year that will be easier to tackle if I start early. If you want to join in, please feel free. Who knows? There could even be some blog candy involved!!! Later ya'll!

P.S. Almost forgot, Hope made a great comment on my raw mohair posts in regards to yoke. Do read her advice in the comments section in addition to my posts if you plan on doing some fiber processing with mohair. Thanks Hope!

Wednesday Round up

Thanks so much for the comments! It's nice to know that someone reads the blog! Well, I was going to do a Technique Tuesday post but spent the whole day in bed sick as a dog. Since I'm feeling better today, I'm going to do a longer post to make up for it. First, let's talk about stamping with bleach. I hadn't done this before but really wanted to give it a try. The resulting Best Wishes card is what I made. Here's how I did it:
Tools:
a plastic container and a very old rag soaked in bleach (not dripping though)
stamps
cardstock, ink, ribbon. pastels and adhesives.

Once I assembled my card the way I liked, I decided to stamp a bleached background for my sentiment. I simply dabbed my stamp onto my rag and stamped onto the cardstock. Don't worry if it takes a minute to show up, this is normal. And, voila, that's it! Now, it's very important to clean your stamp off properly right after. I use my stampin mist and stampin scrub to do that. I'll definitely be using this trick again. I'd like to try it on some darker colors for a more dramatic effect.

Now for the bonus item. Recently, I breezed through Michaels and picked up some $1 journals in the most fantastically bright colors you can think of. I love journals. I love notepads. I'm a bit obsessed with them. After seeing the spiral punch, I decided this little tool would allow me to make some great journals out of dollar store finds. I was right. Introducing, the Poe journal!
Deets:
(all materials are Stampin Up unless other wise noted)
Cast a Spell DSP
Perfect Plum cardstock
Black Grosgrain Striped Ribbon
Square " Fire" rhinestone brads
Canvas Cuts
Stampin Pastels
Stampin Write Black Marker
Blender Pen
Snail adhesive
Sticky strip
Tombow removable adhesive
Spiral Punch

Basically, I simply measured , diassembled and reassembled the journal after covering it with my chosen paper. Too easy. I love the Cast a Spell paper more than I thought I would. I didn't want the journal to be too Halloweeny so I almost didn't use this paper unitl I saw the sheet with the birds. It made me think of Edgar Allen Poe. Thus, the Poe journal.

Hope this inspires you to make your own journal and try a new technique! Thanks, Alicia

Monday Mojo Card

So, time for another submission for Mojo Monday. I'm digging this because it's getting me to use my paper and stamp supplies. My husband is not digging this because I've commandeered the dining room table. So, we've been eating picnic style on the floor. Still, I'm doing some sewing stuff Wednesday and he's lined me up to do some hemming for him. I've decided whether school is in the cards for me in the fall or not, I'm the type of girl who needs a schedule and some concrete goals. So, today, I've established some workout goals to last until school starts in August. I've been floundering a bit since the triathlon at the end of May. Perhaps I'll do another triathlon in September before the season is over. We'll see. I"m contemplating moving my blog and renaming it to more accurately reflect my interests. If I do, I'll keep this one live and link the new site. Till then, here's my Monday card. I used all Stampin up supplies. Deets as follows:
Cardstock:
Apricot Appeal
Walk in the park DSP
Mellow Moss
Ink:
Whisper White Craft Stampin Pad
Chocolate Chip Classic Stampin Pad
Ribbon:
some vanilla colored ribbon I got on sale ages ago at Michaels.

Mojo Monday card

Hmmm. Okay, here is my Mojo Monday card. I can truly say that I inherited none of my grandfather's ability to take photos. Something about cameras I just can't figure out. Ah well. So, now that we've established my non photo taking ability, here are the deets for the card:
All supplies are Stampin up unless otherwise noted...
Cardstock: Soft Suede, Crushed Curry, Razzleberry, and dusty durango. I also used a tiny bit of the Razzleberry Designer series paper as well.
Other stuff: Canvas cuts (sadly now discontinued!), and Stampin' Write markers in razzleberry, crushed curry, and bermuda bay. The ink I used for the stamping was Classic stampin pads in Soft suede, dusty durango, and chocolate chip.
Stamps: Rustic rooster (now a retired stamp set) and fundamental phrases.

The new holiday mini catalog coming out in September has some great stuff in it. I can't wait to make several things. Can you say big August preorder for me!!! I'm also, in knitting news, working on Sahara by Wendy Bernard. I'm using knit picks shine worsted in Wisteria. When I have more progress, I'll post a pic. Most of my knitting stuff though, will likely be on ravelry with the exception of the big projects. Well, I'm off to enjoy another cup of coffee before we head off to the Celtic festival. I earned it after a pretty grueling (for me anyway) 26 mile ride yesterday that consisted mostly of climbing. I rode with the "enthusiastic" group! They hand my arse to me everytime!!!! Still, it's good to ride with folks who push you. No other way to get better! Take care ya'll!!!

First Triathalon in the books!!

Well, I finished my first triathalon and am quite proud of myself. I finished second in my age group but must confess that there were less than 50 females in the whole thing so I'm not sure that's such a big deal. Still, I'll claim it! My total time was 1:25:06.9. My swim was 13:20 for 400 meters. Definitely slow but I also made a very conscious effort to pace myself so I wouldn't gas out. I'd like to take some swimming lessons when the kids go back to school so I can improve my stroke. My bike was 35:54 for 11.2 miles. Slower than I would have liked but I'm still pleased with it. My run was 29:58 for 3.1 miles. Very slow but considering that I'd only been running for about a month and a half prior to the event after a several year hiatus, I'm happy. The thing I like about first races, well, any race. It gives you a nice yardstick to try to improve. How can you set goals if you don't know your current limit? So, my goal is to do another sprint triathalon and then an olympic one. Long term, before I'm 40 I'd like to do an ironman.