Monday - dance
Tuesday - travel and reviews, general
Wednesday - tutorials (crafts, programming, etc)
Thursday - drawing/art
Friday - cooking
...okay so tentatively this is my new blogging schedule. If it works, I will post on the side of the blog layout somewhere...although I am working on a new layout so it might not happen until after that.
I may post every day of the week, or only two or three, depending on my mood and what is happening. :)
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
I need to get back with it.
Okay so I am getting a bunch of random stuff done this morning, then fixing lunch for Syd, then going to get groceries and run errands (library, post office). After that, depending on the amount of time I have, I want to work on our professional website, Maya, ASP.NET random tutorials, and stuff...and tonight I want to finish the scrapbooking page we started last night (it is mostly done and it is AWESOME!), and start the other one (it has to semi-match), and I also kind of want to bake something, plus I will have to fix dinner.
I am also quite in the mood to cook or bake. I want to try making churros, because Syd has taken quite a liking to those, and I also want to try quesadillas with spinach and fish. Maybe I will make that as a meal some day this week. And then Syd & I want to try fruit leather and rock candy, both. And I want to make Ystervarkkies for Syd. And more chocolates and candy making, maybe I'll make some fish-shaped gummies once I get my new molds (which should ship this week).
Additionally, I need to get my rear-end in gear on scanning magazine patterns, as I would ideally like to have those all scanned and boxed before we move...hahaha, at the rate I am currently going, that is highly unlikely. So I really need to work on that.
I've got my fingers crossed that I will be able to use my lampwork supplies when we move, I miss lampworking and it is too much of a hassle at Mom's house. I want to make Magic, The Gathering beads and send a box of fun stuff to Maria. :)
We still haven't finished rounding everything up for the box to send to SA. We are still missing stuff for Willem and then I need to find all of our DVD's of stuff and make a compiled video and copy it like four or five times and send it to various people..yay.
So, to sum it all up:
1) groceries
2) errands
3) dinner
4) apartments/housing
5) magazine scanning
6) packing
7) cooking/baking
8) exercising
9) knitting
10) DVD
11) professional website
12) flash/Maya/animation
13) art
14) scrapbooking
15) present for John?
16) geeky crafts
17) dance
18) poi
19) bead
20) birthday presents
Okay I really don't want my list to have more than 20 things so I am going to stop now. :P I also really need to finish at least one Hobbit Comic and get back into doing Illo Friday...
I am also quite in the mood to cook or bake. I want to try making churros, because Syd has taken quite a liking to those, and I also want to try quesadillas with spinach and fish. Maybe I will make that as a meal some day this week. And then Syd & I want to try fruit leather and rock candy, both. And I want to make Ystervarkkies for Syd. And more chocolates and candy making, maybe I'll make some fish-shaped gummies once I get my new molds (which should ship this week).
Additionally, I need to get my rear-end in gear on scanning magazine patterns, as I would ideally like to have those all scanned and boxed before we move...hahaha, at the rate I am currently going, that is highly unlikely. So I really need to work on that.
I've got my fingers crossed that I will be able to use my lampwork supplies when we move, I miss lampworking and it is too much of a hassle at Mom's house. I want to make Magic, The Gathering beads and send a box of fun stuff to Maria. :)
We still haven't finished rounding everything up for the box to send to SA. We are still missing stuff for Willem and then I need to find all of our DVD's of stuff and make a compiled video and copy it like four or five times and send it to various people..yay.
So, to sum it all up:
1) groceries
2) errands
3) dinner
4) apartments/housing
5) magazine scanning
6) packing
7) cooking/baking
8) exercising
9) knitting
10) DVD
11) professional website
12) flash/Maya/animation
13) art
14) scrapbooking
15) present for John?
16) geeky crafts
17) dance
18) poi
19) bead
20) birthday presents
Okay I really don't want my list to have more than 20 things so I am going to stop now. :P I also really need to finish at least one Hobbit Comic and get back into doing Illo Friday...
Thursday, April 16, 2009
I miss jewelry class!
I went over this afternoon to pick up my final pieces from silver jewelry last semester...man, I miss that class. :'( And I want my own studio with equiptment, or at least some place where I can rent a studio with equiptment!!!!
I'm making more chocolates this afternoon...strawberries, oreos,and who knows what else! Maybe coconutty things.
I'm also planning a blog layout update, with image links to the side and lots of cool stuff. :3 But it will probably take me forever.
Let's see...what else? Oh yeah I am still working on ASP.NET tutorials randomly, which is kind of fun. I want to work with flash, but I need to buy flash or adobe CS3/4. And I want to work with Maya some, too, but I need a better laptop. And a second external drive, so that when Syd takes the drive we have to work to listen to music I can still work on things. We do have gift cards that we could put towards that sometime. >.>
I'm really in the mood to do something fun. Either go somewhere, or make something. One of the projects in MAKE magazine, for example? MAKE magazine is totally awesome.
I need to be figuring out birthday presents for fishy..ack too much too much too much to do...
I was sad that I didn't get to attend the local Tax Day Tea Party yesterday. I kind of wanted to, but it has been such a bad week with Syd working constantly, we are both sleep deprived (which gives me headaches, literally) and I have had stomach aches all week constantly, probably accidentally got something contaminated at Easter. :( So it didn't happen, but I'm thinking about going to the next one. :P If I can talk Syd into it...he thinks governmental protests are useless (and he is quite possibly right)...but I still think it would be fun! Besides, nothing would ever get done if everyone had that attitude.
I reserved some more exercise books at the library (and some other random stuff too). Yay, fun! ^_^
Okay chocolate-making time. After dish-washing time. Ugh, dishes. >.< Oh how I hate thee!
I'm making more chocolates this afternoon...strawberries, oreos,and who knows what else! Maybe coconutty things.
I'm also planning a blog layout update, with image links to the side and lots of cool stuff. :3 But it will probably take me forever.
Let's see...what else? Oh yeah I am still working on ASP.NET tutorials randomly, which is kind of fun. I want to work with flash, but I need to buy flash or adobe CS3/4. And I want to work with Maya some, too, but I need a better laptop. And a second external drive, so that when Syd takes the drive we have to work to listen to music I can still work on things. We do have gift cards that we could put towards that sometime. >.>
I'm really in the mood to do something fun. Either go somewhere, or make something. One of the projects in MAKE magazine, for example? MAKE magazine is totally awesome.
I need to be figuring out birthday presents for fishy..ack too much too much too much to do...
I was sad that I didn't get to attend the local Tax Day Tea Party yesterday. I kind of wanted to, but it has been such a bad week with Syd working constantly, we are both sleep deprived (which gives me headaches, literally) and I have had stomach aches all week constantly, probably accidentally got something contaminated at Easter. :( So it didn't happen, but I'm thinking about going to the next one. :P If I can talk Syd into it...he thinks governmental protests are useless (and he is quite possibly right)...but I still think it would be fun! Besides, nothing would ever get done if everyone had that attitude.
I reserved some more exercise books at the library (and some other random stuff too). Yay, fun! ^_^
Okay chocolate-making time. After dish-washing time. Ugh, dishes. >.< Oh how I hate thee!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
8 things...
8 Things I am Looking Forward To:
1. Moving to a bigger, nicer place! ^_^
2. Finding a job.
3. Going on vacation/late honeymoon to South Africa!!!!!!
4. Summer weather :)
5. Dance Fair
6. All of the good movies coming out this summer
7. Going places on our list as the weather gets nicer
8. Holding my husband when he gets home from work <3
(also: doing one of the Make magazine projects!)
8 Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Made Oatmeal-Raisin bread for Syd...
2. Mixed up fruit-yoghurt-coconut salad
3. Got groceries
4. Made Oatmeal-Raisin bread AGAIN because our oven has issues and the first batch was ruined >.<
5. Did my Yoga :)
6. Fixed lunch (tacos, leftover apple betty) and dinner (steakburger, parmesan potato wedges)
7. Pampered my hard-working fishy
8. Knitted, a little.
(and also scanned patterns, and did random other stuff)
8 Things I Wish I Could Do:
1. Scuba dive
2. Speak five languages, fluently
3. Feel well :(
4. Move far, far away (eventually)
5. Invent something super-awesome (or multiple super awesome things)
6. Start my own company (joint with husband, of course)
7. Make the Forbes top 200 XD
8. Travel the world (eventually, but money is needed first :P)
8 Shows I Watch:
1. Dancing with the Stars
2. The Amazing Race
3. Heroes
4. Ugly Betty
5. Stargate! <3
6. The Emperor's New School (love the Disney channel)
7. Mythbusters
8. MacGuyver :P
...Battlestar Galactica is in the line up, as are some other stuffs...I am catching up on years worth of no cable thanks to Netflix. XD Ooh and of course Rescue Rangers and Darkwing Duck belong on that list, too!
You are tagged if you read this! Mwahahahaha....
1. Moving to a bigger, nicer place! ^_^
2. Finding a job.
3. Going on vacation/late honeymoon to South Africa!!!!!!
4. Summer weather :)
5. Dance Fair
6. All of the good movies coming out this summer
7. Going places on our list as the weather gets nicer
8. Holding my husband when he gets home from work <3
(also: doing one of the Make magazine projects!)
8 Things I Did Yesterday:
1. Made Oatmeal-Raisin bread for Syd...
2. Mixed up fruit-yoghurt-coconut salad
3. Got groceries
4. Made Oatmeal-Raisin bread AGAIN because our oven has issues and the first batch was ruined >.<
5. Did my Yoga :)
6. Fixed lunch (tacos, leftover apple betty) and dinner (steakburger, parmesan potato wedges)
7. Pampered my hard-working fishy
8. Knitted, a little.
(and also scanned patterns, and did random other stuff)
8 Things I Wish I Could Do:
1. Scuba dive
2. Speak five languages, fluently
3. Feel well :(
4. Move far, far away (eventually)
5. Invent something super-awesome (or multiple super awesome things)
6. Start my own company (joint with husband, of course)
7. Make the Forbes top 200 XD
8. Travel the world (eventually, but money is needed first :P)
8 Shows I Watch:
1. Dancing with the Stars
2. The Amazing Race
3. Heroes
4. Ugly Betty
5. Stargate! <3
6. The Emperor's New School (love the Disney channel)
7. Mythbusters
8. MacGuyver :P
...Battlestar Galactica is in the line up, as are some other stuffs...I am catching up on years worth of no cable thanks to Netflix. XD Ooh and of course Rescue Rangers and Darkwing Duck belong on that list, too!
You are tagged if you read this! Mwahahahaha....
Monday, April 13, 2009
Movie Nights
Movie #1: Monsters vs. Aliens
Very enjoyable. We were the only people in the theater, which was nice, and the movie is very cute. Had to laugh when Susan tells her mom on her wedding day that she was "hit by a meteor!" and her mom replies "That's normal, dear, everyone feels that way on their wedding day!" (side note: I did not!) Not as inspired as any Pixar movie, nor even as good as Shrek or Madagascar or Bolt, but still very enjoyable and fun.
Movie #2: Fast & Furious 4
Yay! Very much as good as the earlier Fast & Furiouses...not sure what the subtitle for this one was, it should actually be F&F 1.5 or something. But anyways, very hot cars. And a very good plot, actually. Same cast (for the most part) as the original. If you like awesomely tricked out cars and racing...this is definitely a must-see. On a side note...omg Vin Diesel has waaaaaaaaaay too much muscle. It's scary.
Very enjoyable. We were the only people in the theater, which was nice, and the movie is very cute. Had to laugh when Susan tells her mom on her wedding day that she was "hit by a meteor!" and her mom replies "That's normal, dear, everyone feels that way on their wedding day!" (side note: I did not!) Not as inspired as any Pixar movie, nor even as good as Shrek or Madagascar or Bolt, but still very enjoyable and fun.
Movie #2: Fast & Furious 4
Yay! Very much as good as the earlier Fast & Furiouses...not sure what the subtitle for this one was, it should actually be F&F 1.5 or something. But anyways, very hot cars. And a very good plot, actually. Same cast (for the most part) as the original. If you like awesomely tricked out cars and racing...this is definitely a must-see. On a side note...omg Vin Diesel has waaaaaaaaaay too much muscle. It's scary.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Chocolate Making, Day 2 - molding
So I wanted to make 3D hollow chocolate eggs for everyone for Easter...so that was 9, in total. Syd has done 3D molding before (it actually isn't that hard) so he helped me. We couldn't get the milk chocolate or white chocolate to temper properly, so it was unfortunately too thick to work for 3D chocolates. So we ended up making dark chocolates, which tempered very well, and most people at Easter probably preferred that anyway!
Basically, you take your chocolate mold, you fill it less than halfway with chocolate, you clip the two halves of your molds together, and then you turn it to evenly coat the inside of the mold. You keep turning it until the chocolate reaches room temperature, then you put it in the freezer until it starts to separate from the mold (it goes kind of white-ish). Then you take it out, unclip the mold, take one side of the mold off (carefully) and then pop it out of the other half (again, carefully) onto waxed paper. If you are confident that it turned out well, you can trim the seam with a razor (but if you hold it too long the chocolate gets soft and you can squish it). Then you wrap it up in chocolate/candy foil..and voila! Pretty 3D hollow eggs. =D
I wanted to try caramel or cadbury-style eggs, as well, but because I only had three eggs molds and on average only two of those actually survived each time, it took us the entire night plus one last batch in the morning to get enough to hand out! It did get easier as we went, and got a better feel for it. I'm going to play with the milk and white chocolate some this week and see if I can't get tempering down, and then when my new molds (we ordered 3D butterfly molds and a 3D shark mold) arrive maybe we can get some colored white chocolate (I have oil coloring) butterflies done and/or some milk chocolates. I also might buy dusting/sparkle powder this week (Hobby Lobby has a 40% off coupon this week) and try dusting the butterfly's wings...). I need a new box for all of my candy and chocolate stuff now...new obsession. And I reaaaaally want that chocolates & confections book.
I wish there was a professional chocolate making class that I could take somewhere in the area. That would be really cool. Oh well...I can figure it out on my own! ^_^
I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of our finished eggs...they were all glossy and nice, and looked so pretty wrapped up in green foil! Bah! I will have to take pictures of the next chocolates that I make that turn out well. >.<
Basically, you take your chocolate mold, you fill it less than halfway with chocolate, you clip the two halves of your molds together, and then you turn it to evenly coat the inside of the mold. You keep turning it until the chocolate reaches room temperature, then you put it in the freezer until it starts to separate from the mold (it goes kind of white-ish). Then you take it out, unclip the mold, take one side of the mold off (carefully) and then pop it out of the other half (again, carefully) onto waxed paper. If you are confident that it turned out well, you can trim the seam with a razor (but if you hold it too long the chocolate gets soft and you can squish it). Then you wrap it up in chocolate/candy foil..and voila! Pretty 3D hollow eggs. =D
I wanted to try caramel or cadbury-style eggs, as well, but because I only had three eggs molds and on average only two of those actually survived each time, it took us the entire night plus one last batch in the morning to get enough to hand out! It did get easier as we went, and got a better feel for it. I'm going to play with the milk and white chocolate some this week and see if I can't get tempering down, and then when my new molds (we ordered 3D butterfly molds and a 3D shark mold) arrive maybe we can get some colored white chocolate (I have oil coloring) butterflies done and/or some milk chocolates. I also might buy dusting/sparkle powder this week (Hobby Lobby has a 40% off coupon this week) and try dusting the butterfly's wings...). I need a new box for all of my candy and chocolate stuff now...new obsession. And I reaaaaally want that chocolates & confections book.
I wish there was a professional chocolate making class that I could take somewhere in the area. That would be really cool. Oh well...I can figure it out on my own! ^_^
I can't believe I didn't take any pictures of our finished eggs...they were all glossy and nice, and looked so pretty wrapped up in green foil! Bah! I will have to take pictures of the next chocolates that I make that turn out well. >.<
Monday, April 6, 2009
Chocolate Making, Day 1 - Dipping
So we went to Sugarcraft over the weekend (also to the Zoo, and Jungle Jim's, and putt-putting, and to the movies, but I digress), and so I now have a double boiler. Yay! :D And an egg mold!
I was able to melt milk chocolate MUCH more easily, without killing it, and I think I even tempered it fairly well. I ended up with 12 chocolate-dipped Oreos (to which I added hard-sugar decorations) and the same number of chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks (to which I added easter-colored, aka pastel, nonpareils). I can't eat them, but that is okay (and is probably better for me anyways). I couldn't even eat them if I dipped my own pretzels, because I did the oreos first (as they are a gift) and the chocolate was therefore wheat/gluten contaminated.
I had fun, and it was much less frustrating than the last time I tried dipping anything. I actually had the right tools, the double boiler helped a lot, and I now know (at least, in theory) how to temper chocolate.
Tomorrow I am going to try making hollow chocolate eggs, "Cadbury" creme eggs, and "Kinder" eggs. I need to get the clips tonight so that I can clip the two halves of the mold together. Although, given the amount of things I want to make it may take more than one go...I will probably make more chocolate covered pretzels (some for me next time, with white chocolate) with the leftovers from the batches.
Other than that this week, let's see...well, I finished the Mystic Star KAL last week, finally, sans blocking (which is unlikely to happen until after we move and/or I have a job, so 2+ months probably). I am finishing up a small lace doily that I started as part of the little needle lovers monthly KAL, and am finishing the crochet border off tonight. Kalinumba has an Egyptian-themed KAL starting next week, called the "Eye of Horus". I signed up for it, but I am not sure if I will find yarn and start knitting in time or if I will wait until I get the shawl for Ma done first or what. Hmmm. I am also currently awaiting the right size and length needles in order to start two knits from the Sensual Knits book that Syd bought me for Valentines Day <3. I'm going to check my LYS Thursday when I take the car in...if they have them I might go ahead and buy them, I am quite happy with they HiyaHiya needles I bought for the Mystic Star Shawl KAL and the price was fine.
Finally, dance-related, we began International Rumba on Sunday, so this is our first introduction to International Style. I'm totally excited, it is really fun and it looks good and yay! That means we are better than they are! XD Or something like that. We also did our chacha full speed, so we will be doing it faster than previously, and we did a little bit of Tango.
I was able to melt milk chocolate MUCH more easily, without killing it, and I think I even tempered it fairly well. I ended up with 12 chocolate-dipped Oreos (to which I added hard-sugar decorations) and the same number of chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks (to which I added easter-colored, aka pastel, nonpareils). I can't eat them, but that is okay (and is probably better for me anyways). I couldn't even eat them if I dipped my own pretzels, because I did the oreos first (as they are a gift) and the chocolate was therefore wheat/gluten contaminated.
I had fun, and it was much less frustrating than the last time I tried dipping anything. I actually had the right tools, the double boiler helped a lot, and I now know (at least, in theory) how to temper chocolate.
Tomorrow I am going to try making hollow chocolate eggs, "Cadbury" creme eggs, and "Kinder" eggs. I need to get the clips tonight so that I can clip the two halves of the mold together. Although, given the amount of things I want to make it may take more than one go...I will probably make more chocolate covered pretzels (some for me next time, with white chocolate) with the leftovers from the batches.
Other than that this week, let's see...well, I finished the Mystic Star KAL last week, finally, sans blocking (which is unlikely to happen until after we move and/or I have a job, so 2+ months probably). I am finishing up a small lace doily that I started as part of the little needle lovers monthly KAL, and am finishing the crochet border off tonight. Kalinumba has an Egyptian-themed KAL starting next week, called the "Eye of Horus". I signed up for it, but I am not sure if I will find yarn and start knitting in time or if I will wait until I get the shawl for Ma done first or what. Hmmm. I am also currently awaiting the right size and length needles in order to start two knits from the Sensual Knits book that Syd bought me for Valentines Day <3. I'm going to check my LYS Thursday when I take the car in...if they have them I might go ahead and buy them, I am quite happy with they HiyaHiya needles I bought for the Mystic Star Shawl KAL and the price was fine.
Finally, dance-related, we began International Rumba on Sunday, so this is our first introduction to International Style. I'm totally excited, it is really fun and it looks good and yay! That means we are better than they are! XD Or something like that. We also did our chacha full speed, so we will be doing it faster than previously, and we did a little bit of Tango.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Guitar Hero: Metallica - ROCK ON!
The next in the Guitar Hero : band installment came out just recently, this one (the second after Guitar Hero : Aerosmith) based around Metallica, and using the new GH:World Tour format. Now, I really really personally disliked World Tour, although I have decided that this can be attributed to the serious lack of decent songs (there were only about three songs worth playing in World Tour, and I could easily five star nearly all of the songs on hard the first go-round). I still don't like the smaller notes buuuuuut hey our TV is tiny so this is likely the reason.
GH: Metallica is full of reaaaaallly good songs, both Metallica and other bands, and has even more songs than previous versions. It does have two "intro" songs that were included in other versions of Guitar Hero, but I'm not complaining. :) I also like the way they really captured the band, their facial expressions and movements seem much more realistic than previous versions.
Also improved from World Tour is the difficulty level of the songs. They are much more challenging on hard, and very difficult on expert. Which is good, because the challenge means I will have something to play while I wait for the next installment of the Guitar Hero Universe! =D
Rating: 4 out of 5
GH: Metallica is full of reaaaaallly good songs, both Metallica and other bands, and has even more songs than previous versions. It does have two "intro" songs that were included in other versions of Guitar Hero, but I'm not complaining. :) I also like the way they really captured the band, their facial expressions and movements seem much more realistic than previous versions.
Also improved from World Tour is the difficulty level of the songs. They are much more challenging on hard, and very difficult on expert. Which is good, because the challenge means I will have something to play while I wait for the next installment of the Guitar Hero Universe! =D
Rating: 4 out of 5
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