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It's been a fun weekend around here. I worked at the office job on Saturday morning then dragged Rob to the Habitat for Humanity Restore just to get out of the house and browse. Well they were having a 75% off all green tags sale (for the Eagles apparently) and I found two cute vintage hats for a steal! I didn't NEED them but...hard to pass up for under $2 a piece. Then on the way home we were about to pass my local tea house and HOLD ON A MIN IS THAT AN ANTIQUE MALL I'VE NEVER NOTICE *screeching change of lanes* Rob was a very good sport and wandered around with me looking at oddities. I ended up buying a pair of white leather gloves and another ADORABLE hat. This one was a few more dollars but it reached the level of NEED IT. So maybe I'll try and sell on the other two to happier homes to justify my hat purchase.

Hat #1: A lovely navy velvet number with some kind of spazzy feathers I thought were derptastic.

Hat #2: is a hilarious pink straw with a GIANT flower. It looks fairly stupid on a head but when I put it on with hair it actually filled out and was kind of charming.

and Hat #3 that I just HAD TO HAVE:

Then today I packed up the rest of Christmas. I had taken it down and piled it on the table but still needed to really repack into the tubs I bought. It over-summered down in the basement in cardboard and a lot of things got moldy and I had to throw out a bunch so not going back there this year. Then I settled in and had a delightful time knitting on a sontag I started for

ktlovely

Good models are hard to come by.

I also snuck in a few rows on my pinball! I'm enjoying having a big easy, needs no thought project to alternate with the tiny needs-my-full-attention project.

And I shall leave you with a picture of Rob and I modeling what I have called the poop hat but sadly that did not come home with me.

Current Mood: chipper
Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/279054.html

Well work is definitely getting easier. I walk out of a 12 hour day with a few brain cells left to rub together. I've been on my own twice now which is great. On Sunday I did have a kid try and die on me which I did NOT appreciate. Yo kid, keep with the breathing please! but otherwise been going smoothly...everyone is nice...but still in a kind of distant way. Don't feel like I've made any really friends yet. For example I've come every day since Christmas with a rubber chicken purse...and no one has commented? I feel like that's noteworthy...

Rob's really struggling with withdrawl symptoms from his cymbalta. Apparently that's a stand alone diagnosis it has such a bad rap. Days of just crying uncontrollably or feelings of rage and suicidal ideation. *sigh* it's been a rocky ride. But Friday he starts his new meds and hopefully we're headed upwards from there. Today does seem better than yesterday. And he worked Thursday, Friday, Sunday, Tuesday and again this Saturday. Not huge jobs but just getting him OUT and into contact with his world is a step forward.

I ended up with two days off in a row because one of the doctors at my other job had eye surgery and it didn't go well so he didn't come back on Monday as expected so woohoo day off for me...but I didn't get a lot done. I did some minor picking up and a lot of puttering and knit on this pinball. But I'm having a hard time not feeling like I'm walking underwater. I know a lot of it is internalizing Rob.

So here have a pinball progress photo. I'm officially 25% complete with the first side. I'm hoping to have it complete for the Georgian Picnic some of us have decided to have in May...btw if anyone wants to come to a Georgian Picnic and I didn't invite on FB just lemme know I would love to add you.

Current Mood: blank
Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/278877.html

I keep sitting down to journal and staring at a blank cursor....Firstly thank you SO MUCH for the amazing gifts and cards. I am humbled and touched and feel so so loved. And very excited to start many a knitting project. I've already started a pin ball from a little kit from [Bad username or unknown identity: koshka_the_cat, i] haven't taken any photos yet as I'm still in the "knit 20 rows" and it's very boring. 14 rows in it's about 5/8"? I'm too lazy to find a ruler.

I haven't been on here a lot because the new job, while good, is currently taking a lot out of me. It's not that it's impossibly hard or anything, it's just hard that I'm not used to and haven't mastered. There's lots of skills and knowledge I haven't touched since nursing school. I had to go back and review ventilators and what all the numbers MEAN. So by the time I get up at 5:30, leave at 6:15, work from 7-7 and get home by 7:30 I kind of stare at the walls for a while, eat what food Rob puts in front of me and go to sleep. I think the 12 hour day will be awesome when I'm more adjusted and can enjoy my 4 days off a week (granted I'm still working 1-2 days a week at the OLD job so I'm working more than 40 hours a week).

Things with Rob actually seem to be a little better. It's small things like he'll do dishes without asking, or I came home one day and he had picked up the living room and dining room. He's seeing a therapist every week and had an appointment with a psychiatrist on Wednesday. So we have a plan to try adjusting his meds and while I want to skip ahead to the point of "we have a great medication plan that works and is test" I realize that's not going to happen. But I'll take the small boosts.

2018 feels like a big scary hole. Will I get this job under control so I'm not a zombie? Will I start to enjoy it and not feel like I'm barely keeping it together soon? Will Rob continue to improve? Will we get our finances right side up (PLEASE GOD)? I want to feel hopeful about the New Year. and I guess as I'm at heart an optimist I'm trying to think about the good. So I raise my glass to all of you my beloved LJ/DW friends. Thank you for being here for me when I need it and I promise to try and be better about posting.

Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/278772.html

I had the whole weekend off *gasp* I KNOW! That's going to be a thing of never come starting my new job. But we did fun things both Saturday and Sunday this one.

On Saturday we went to a Flyers game downtown. I got free tickets through work, the Physical Therapy company that sponsors the team has a box and all the regional reps get a turn hosting events and bringing local office staff.

It's kind of a fun escape from my reality. You pick up tickets in the VIP entrance, go up a special elevator with a person who escorts you to this fancy box. The seats were amazing, all the free food I could eat, there was beer for the drinkers and soda for the mes. We've gone to a Phillies game before, and a Philadelphia Soul game (arena football) but this was special as Rob is a HUGE Flyers fan and he was practically vibrating. Even though they lost it was really fun experience. I bought a Christmas Ornament as a momento.

TODAY I went to the Narberth Dicken's Festival with my Peeps. okay SOME of my Peeps. SOME people ditched us for "Homework" sketchy excuses *cough

mandie_rw cough*

It was billed as a "family friend" event so I brought the whole family! Granted this was because 10 min before leaving Rob said "can Ellie go? and I can wear my plaid pants?!" I mean I'm not gonna argue with a well dressed man.

The party consisted of the Coccagna Family and

miss_philomena ,

hiraimi came but didn't dress. We were definitely the most fully dressed of the spectators...but who does this shock? We had some delicious fish and chips for lunch (okay Rob had chicken fingers as he's a very bad Brit), then picked up our tin cups to go "begging" for wooden pennies form various characters for the scavenger hunt. Mostly it was us and mobs of small children. I kept telling people "we're not too old to play dress up so I'm not too old to play. And everyone kept asking if we were characters. Can't blame them we looked awesome.

After we collected our seven pennies we cashed them in for a bronze shilling that was basically good for $5 towards anything in the festival. You could get a cheap top hat or a cup of hot cocoa. We picked a carriage ride.

Then we ran into some not LJ costumer friends, watched a snippet of a questionable Punch and Judy show and tried to eat a MASSIVE piece of baklava without a fork...THAT'S NOT A FINGER FOOD. I went into the shop and got a fork.

All in all it was a super fun, easy event. I would happily go next year. BUT with more than 5 min notice I can definitely do better than a bow on the dog. Newsboy puppy? little top hat? She actually wears costumes well so the possibilities are many...

I don't wanna go to work tomorrow.

Current Mood: happy
Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/278499.html

Wow I LOVE all the posts! I actually can't keep up with my friend's list for the first time...in years? AWESOME.

Things here are...well...oh I do have a good thing! after a week of trying I got Rob a therapy appointment!. I wanted to call Wednesday but we didn't have time at work it was insanely busy. Friday I called and left a message and they didn't call back (I suspect they were closed). On Monday I called and left a message. and they called back but the person Rob saw once isn't there anymore (she was new in July...so no idea what happened there). I had to start all over with the intake person. Fine *sigh* transfers me to intake...they won't schedule it with me unless Rob gives permission for me to help it...Rob calls back and leaves a message saying I can schedule (they're probably closed by then I suspect). Today I finally got a min to call (I can't call during my lunch hour as they're closed then too) and got him an appointment! On Thursday which is my day off so I can bring him. HURRAY! I know one therapy appointment isn't the solution but it finally feels like there's a path towards hope. When we go in with the therapist we can schedule an appointment with the psychiatrist to adjust his meds which is what I think really needs to happen. So yay there.

Also yesterday I gave my two weeks at my job. I feel REALLY torn about this. I love the office I'm in, I like the people, I like the kids. I am a little bored technically and I don't make nearly as much as I could. My new job is working in an in patient facility for kids with high acuity needs. A lot of kids with vents, trachs, G-tubes etc. I won't lie I'm both excited and terrified. This is REAL nursing and what if I'm horrible at it...but I'll make $2 more an hour from 7-3 with an additional $1.5 from 3-7pm and $3 more on weekends...plus they have tuition reimbursement. Sometimes change is good, but at this moment where everything feels like it's falling apart change is very scary.

Current Mood: nervous
Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/278049.html

Step One

- Make a post (public, friendslocked, filtered...whatever you're comfortable with) to your LJ. The post should contain your list of 10 holiday wishes. The wishes can be anything at all, from simple and fandom-related ("I'd love a Snape/Hermione icon that's just for me") to medium ("I wish for _on DVD") to really big ("All I want for Christmas is a new car/computer/house/TV.") The important thing is, make sure these wishes are things you really, truly want.

- If you wish for real life things (not fics or icons), make sure you include some sort of contact info in your post, whether it's your address or just your email address where Santa (or one of his elves) could get in touch with you.

- Also, make sure you post some version of these guidelines in your LJ, or link to this post (it'll be public) so that the holiday joy will spread.

Step Two

- Surf around your friendslist (or friendsfriends, or just random journals) to see who has posted their list.

And now here's the important part:
- If you see a wish you can grant, and it's in your heart to do so, make someone's wish come true. Sometimes someone's trash is another's treasure, and if you have a leather jacket you don't want or a gift certificate you won't use--or even know where you could get someone's dream purebred Basset Hound for free--do it.

You needn't spend money on these wishes unless you want to. The point isn't to put people out; it's to provide everyone a chance to be someone else's holiday elf--to spread the joy. Gifts can be made anonymously or not--it's your call.

There are no rules with this project, no guarantees, and no strings attached. Just...wish and it might come true. Give and you might receive. And you'll have the joy of knowing you made someone's holiday special.

( my list )

Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/277965.html

So the last two times I've gone to Gettysburg I've done tons of posts leading up and zero posts after. Not even a place holder "I went"...lets see if I can do any better.

Thursday: Picked up

koshka_the_cat bright and early after her red-eye. Brought her home and put her to bed while I finished turning alphabet letters and packing. We waited for

mandie_rw to arrive and filled the car up to the brim. (during which the G-d damn dog ran away and I had to run towards the giant road and almost flop in panic). Everything in the car we headed out to the house. Everyone else was already there by the time we arrived. We had a lovely dinner and were hanging out. Around 11:30 we decided to go to bed at which point both toilets started backing up and over flowing. Really I can't tell the story NEARLY as well as

hiraimi so I'll hope she comes on here and rants and raves about it. Suffice it to say we shan't be staying there again.

Friday: We started the morning very lazily waiting for a plumber who didn't show till lunch time. Had a FABULOUS tintype appointment at the Victorian Photo Studio and then did some shopping. My car went to needle and thread and others headed home. Had a FABULOUS dinner of soup and biscuits that

damesalamode made and prepped for the fancy dress ball. Half the group decided they weren't up for the ball so five of us solidered on alone. I was very happy with how the alphabet turned out when it was all over.

However I got ZERO good photos of it. Not sure how I'll do a blog post. I'm going to have to dress up again and find somewhere to take pictures.

Saturday: It was down pouring all day, so we dressed in daywear. ran out for our tin type appointment and ran home. This was the only part I was sad about. I barely got to wear my daywear, didn't get many photos and I missed walking around town. Too bad. Saturday evening we went to the "crystal ball" where I wore the new gown...I hate it. I feel like a man in it. a man who wants to be a cupcake. eh. BUT I think I have several ideas for improving it. And I was so happy with the alphabet and spent so much more time on it I can't REALLY complain.

Sunday: we packed up and headed out. Did a little shopping in town but I didn't buy anything. We stopped at Alice's to play with her cat.

All in all it was a mixed trip. Some awesome points, some points I was fairly miserable and depressed, some toilet adventures...I am sad I got so few good pictures of myself. And zero for new blog posts.

Current Mood: tired
Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/277018.html

I was SUPPOSED to finish the letters, clean the bathroom and wash the guest room sheets tonight...I got two of three done? But the letters are painted and Rob just finished painting them so they need to dry...so instead I packed tonight instead of tomorrow. My plan was to pack while

koshka_the_cat napped and we wait for

mandie_rw to show up. Now I'll hope that using the sewing machine down stairs doesn't wake her up...plus side the letters are all painted and I only have 11 more to do.

YAY GETTYSBURG SO EXCITED TO SEE MY FRIIIIIEEEEENDSS!!!

Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/276989.html

sooo I woke this morning feeling crappy. Scratchy throat, throbbing head...crap. I spent most of today napping. I didn't get everything done yesterday either...double crap. Well we'll just keep plodding but it's looking very likely I won't have a red wool bodice for Friday day. Which means either A. I wear the same day outfit two days in a row. B. I wear the red wool skirt, with Rob's 18th century shirt and a sontag like I did last time. C. I wear my beloved wrapper, only downside is it doesn't fit over a hoop. If all I was making new was the ballgown and the alphabet dress I'm in pretty good shape...so we'll have to figure out my plan B for Friday.

Ballgown
-~~whip up bottom piping~~
-~~sleeves- made up need to be attached~~
-bows- strips sewn and turned, need to be bowified.
-waistband on skirt
-attach skirt
-~~bone bodice~~

Alphabet dress
-~~bone bodice~~
-~~cut, sew, paint bertha~~
-~~dye shoes~~
-sleeves- cut and sewn, halfway through painting the letters
-print cardstock letters
-tiara?

Red wool dress
-um whole bodice
-attach bodice to skirt

Chemise
-~~second half of hem~~
-button/button hole- I found a button! this is tomorrow's sew-at-work project
-~~wash to try and remove stains that are there before I even wore the damn thing.~~ Stains did come out!

Odds and ends
-actual hooks and eyes on velvet bodice
-sew buttons on velvet bodice
-shorten fancy dress hoop
-waterproof shoes
-finish fringe on wool shawl

Tomorrow's a 12 hour work day so my goal is just to get the ballgown skirt on a waistband. That should be doable.

Current Mood: sleepy
Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/276480.html

Ballgown
-~~whip up bottom piping~~
-sleeves- made up need to be attached
-bows
-waistband on skirt
-attach skirt
-bone bodice

Alphabet dress
-bone bodice
-~~cut~~, sew, paint bertha
-dye shoes
-sleeves
-print cardstock letters
-tiara?

Red wool dress
-um whole bodice
-attach bodice to skirt

Chemise
-~~second half of hem~~
-button/button hole
-~~wash to try and remove stains that are there before I even wore the damn thing.~~ Stains did come out!

Odds and ends
-actual hooks and eyes on velvet bodice
-sew buttons on velvet bodice
-shorten fancy dress hoop
-waterproof shoes
-finish fringe on wool shawl

Current Mood: sleepy
Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/276460.html

My list of "OH SHIT" contained two other things: a chemisette and under sleeves...and I decided that as I was so stressed cause I've been working 50-60 hour work weeks for the last money that I would give myself $30 to throw at my problems.

Did you know that Amazon still sells dickies?! Apparently there are people in the world who wear them...

Yes this will work nicely...my nice undersleeves from Etsy arrive tomorrow.

Current Mood: amused
Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/275972.html

Ballgown
-whip up bottom piping
-sleeves
-bows
-waistband on skirt
-attach skirt
-bone bodice

Alphabet dress
-bone bodice
-cut, sew, paint bertha
-dye shoes
-sleeves
-print cardstock letters
-tiara?

Red wool dress
-um whole bodice
-attach bodice to skirt

Chemise
-second half of hem
-button/button hole
-wash to try and remove stains that are there before I even wore the damn thing.

Odds and ends
-actual hooks and eyes on velvet bodice
-sew buttons on velvet bodice
-shorten fancy dress hoop
-waterproof shoes
-finish fringe on wool shawl

oof giant list is giant. SO here's my rough plan to get it all finished....

Today: nothing I'm done
Thursday: whip up ballgown bodice, cut and assemble ballgown sleeves
Friday: set ballgown sleeves, bone ballgown bodice
Saturday: bone alphabet dress, alphabet bertha. alphabet sleeves
Sunday: entire red wool bodice
Monday: attach ballgown and red bodice to skirts
Tuesday: frantically clean and pack for COMPANY!...

WISH ME LUCK I'M GONNA NEED IT.

Current Mood: busy
Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/275894.html

Okay

mandie_rw and

koshka_the_cat get in here. We need to have a come to Jesus moment. I haven't started a rational dress. It's two weeks Katherine hasn't either and amanda is making bailing noises. The only reason I'm stressing to make one for Gettysburg is group costume fun. If y'all aren't gonna I'm just gonna make a nice easy red wool bodice to go with the skirt I wore last year. Much less stress. But I don't want to let the group down...so are we are are we not.

Current Mood: stressed
Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/275657.html

Happy Halloween! It was a quiet day here. I kinda blew my Halloween excitement on the party on Saturday. I barely managed to dress up for work. (I wore a tiara and Rob's captain America sweat shirt and called myself Miss America). Ellie did visit in her pupkin spice latte costume which was pretty adorable.

In the evening I sat by a fire and sewed eyelets waiting for trick or treaters...still waiting...last year I only had five but at least I HAD five. This year? zilch. sad Robin is sad.

Tonight I finished the last of the eyelets and made the piping for the alphabet dress and the plaid dress.

I prefer using a slightly larger cord but couldn't find it. So I used plain sugar and cream cotton yarn. It looked so dinky, and I can't do anything the easy way, so I actually made double piping.

Current Mood: tired
Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/275321.html

Well I did get offered a job...not sure if I'm going to take it...I feel iffy about it, but the paycheck would be great...going to ponder it. I have a meeting scheduled to meet the child the one-on-one is for a week from today which is after I have my OTHER job interview next week. So I have time to ponder it and evaluate other options.

Then I went and worked an estate sale (I've been doing that for extra money) this time they needed someone else so Rob came and that meant I basically got paid double...I mean what's his is mine right?! Plus she paid us with a $50 bill so it's in MY wallet. MWAH HAHA.

Came home. ate dinner. cleaned the kitchen a bit. and then cut out both my alphabet dress AND ballgown bodices. I finished hemming the alphabet skirt and whipped down the waistband.It's done sans hook and eye which I need to buy apparently. I can't keep flat hooks and bars around for some reason.

I'm in major denial that tomorrow is Friday and I have to go to work. murph. I also am in no way ready for a party on Saturday...

Current Mood: tired
Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/275103.html

I got home and managed to trace a pattern off the muslin I fitted yesterday. the adjustments were so minor I didn't feel the need to make another. I just added 1/2" to the bottom edge of one and added 1" to the CB where it didn't quite close.

Now I'm trying to motivate myself to pick up the hem of the alphabet dress...It's been 1/3 hemmed for days...

Current Mood: exhausted
Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/274768.html

Sitting eating a cookie at work. Feeling guilty that I shouldn't be eating a cookie and am supposed to be trying to lose weight before Gettysburg. But I just feel so overwhelmed with work stuff. Gettysburg and why did a Halloween party this weekend sound fun!?

tomorrow is my day off but I have a job interview for a job I only half want and am working my second job for spending money. And am behind on both sewing and cleaning....so I eat this cookie.

Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/274631.html

Yesterday I did pretty much nothing. I sat on the couch in the fetal position and tried not to barf. Yay periods! when you get one every 6 months it sucks. and no it's not by choice. I have defective ovaries.

Today I NEEDED to get LOTS DONE both in cleaning the house for our Halloween party next weekend and in Gettysburg sewing. In fact I'm kind of in that SO MUCH TO DO SO OVERWHELMED CAN'T DO ANY OF IT place. So I started small. I got up, showered and did a load of laundry. Then I de-clogged the tub (which was DISGUSTING) wait that was pre-shower...

Rob and I tottered off to Target to get our flu shots. PSA you all SHOULD get a flu shot and Target gives you $5 for doing so (and my insurance 100% covers it) so I got a free box of pumpkins and a free skull for making Rob get stabbed ;-) Then we came home and at lunch. We did another layer of spray paint on the patio set we picked up at the habitat for humanity re-store. only the table left to go! But we ran out of cardboard to stand things on.

Ellie and Rob went to the park and I took a nap...oops? Then I NEEDED to sew...so I started to pick up things. It's amazing what a good housekeeper I can be when I need to sew. I found half of the dining room table, emptied and re-loaded the dishwasher, picked up a bunch in the living room and found the coffee table. Still not company worth but...every little bit helps. Rob swears he's going to work on the list I made today. And I do have Thursday off.

After dinner I did FINALLY sew. I finished the corset. Got the alphabet skirt onto the waistband and the hem facing sewn and ironed up to be hand whipped down. So I just need to whip down the wiastband and the facing and add a hook and eye and the skirt at least is done...now that the corset is done I need to fit a ballgown bodice pattern.

Current Mood: okay
Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/274426.html

I forgot to post yesterday. WHOOPS. I was off yesterday but had a hard time getting started. I did eventually get some traction....

( drumroll please )Yes yes I will put it over a shorter hoop. I ordered this exact one again and I'm going to just move the bottom one UP to the final length but I'm not positive what that will be. So I'm doing it over the long one at the moment.
I did not manage to get the waistband on...but I put in a real placket (that never happens). And tonight I got the grommets set for the corset (remember that one...) and pinned on the waistband...currently I don't want to go upstairs and sew it on.

Aunt flo came today. so I feel disgusting.

Current Mood: crappy
Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/274039.html

Today was my second 12 hour day this week. But I keep telling myself I have to sew every day after work...it is less than a month and all. So today I sewed the second half of all the first french seams (up to 52 seams sewn).

Saveall pressed open. Then I sewed the pairs into couplets for the first half of that french seam...13 more seams. (65 done. 39 to go)
Then I couldn't handle the thought of more seams so I switched gears and made a replacement for the lacing panel I put too big of holes in now that I ordered smaller grommets. They came yesterday so I should get those put in and finish the corset.

Thank you for everyone's sympathy about the car. $400 later...

Current Mood: tired
Crossposts: https://sewloud.livejournal.com/273756.html

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