Artsy Fartsy

Happy Halloween!  This past weekend we proved, once again, that you’re never too old to do something silly, like carve pumpkins.  Luke, our neighbors Roland and Renee, and I got together and gutted some squash for fun.  Can you guess which is mine??  I bet you can’t…  Renee was the creative one who carved the goblin, mine is the face on the left, next to Roland’s.  Luke’s is all the way to the right.  Here’s what they look like lit.

Ohhh… spOOOoooky!

At home today I’m living my own spooky scene out of The Birds, only for me, it’s The Flies.  Luke is on vacation this week, and all day yesterday while I was at work, he was working outside with the doors open.  The house is now FILLED with flies.  I went downstairs this morning to start the wood stove and spent half and hour killing flies like a maniac.  I came upstairs and killed a few more in the kitchen.  I went into the bathroom and killed a bunch more there.  As I type, there’s one soon-to-be-dead fly who keeps skimming the top of my head.  It’s disgusting and I don’t know what I want to do more, whack flies, or smack Luke with the fly-swatter for letting them in.  For someone who normally “wouldn’t hurt a fly” I’m feeling a bit violent today.  HA!  I got him.  No more tickling my hair, you sucker!  Anyhow, I’m heading out in a bit to go see my nephews in their costumes.  I can’t wait.  Melt-your-heart cute pictures to follow shortly.  Happy trick-or-treating to everyone!

I had to scrape my windshield yesterday before work, I wore mittens and a scarf, then got to work where the heat was cranking and it was about 80-degrees. This morning, more frost, more mitten-wearing, but the forecast says that tomorrow will be near 70-degrees. What is going on? Fall is messing with us.

Sorry for the short posting lately, work has been hectic and the last thing I want to do after sitting in front of a computer all day is go home and sit in front of a computer. I’m taking tomorrow off to hang out with vacationing Luke and go see my nephews in their costumes. Hopefully that will result in some interesting posting and/or photos of the cuties.

Hey, hi there.  Sorry I’ve been gone and left you with that grumpy post.  It’s busy, busy, busy here and I can’t write much now, but I wanted to give you something pretty to look at instead of my crabby woe-is-me-I-have-a -cut-on-my-face whining.  Look, leaves!  There, that’s better.

Today was the first day this week that I woke up and forgot about my nasty, busted-up lip. It’s not so swollen anymore, my nose isn’t tingly numb, and I can pretty much pucker and move my lips around like normal. Then I got out of bed, staggered into the bathroom, looked at myself in the mirror and screamed in horror. Well, it’s not that bad, but it still looks like a big gash on my lip. Much better than Tuesday when it was so swollen that I looked like a Simpson’s character with a top lip that stuck out so much more than the bottom.

I occasionally forget that I am a walking curiosity and do something normal, like walk into a Starbucks for a morning latte and a reality check of barely-masked disgust. I know that perhaps I’m a little sensitive, but I always look people in the eye when I talk to them and I know when they’re watching my mouth, staring at my chest (ha! funny) or gaping at the scary wound on my face. This morning the Starbucks was full of gaping and I left there feeling terrible. Come on now! I should never leave a Starbucks feeling terrible. Caffeinated and slightly ripped-off, yes. Terrible, no.

Christmas is coming. I just Googled “days till Christmas” and found that there are only 61 shopping days left. Target has their Christmas trees out, Jo-Ann Fabric shoved the Halloween costumes out of the way weeks ago to make room for the ornament display, and I keep thinking about what I want to buy and/or make for everyone on my shopping list. Whenever I get asked about what I want for Christmas, I always feel uncomfortable and inappropriate, like Christmas lists and wish lists are for kids, grown-ups shouldn’t do that. But still, someone will ask, and so I have to come up with an answer. For a while, Amazon was great for keeping a wish list because they have goods from so many retailers, but if you want something unique or handmade, there was nowhere to place a subtle hint, a guilt-free wish list. Until Etsy. I love Etsy for so many reasons, but one of the best is the “Favorites” link on every shop homepage. I like to look at these lists if I see a shop selling things I like. It’s like getting recommendations from someone I know has tastes like mine. But then I realized that it was a great way to also keep a Christmas wish list. When I’m browsing around on Etsy and see something I love, I click the “Add Item to Favorites” link and viola! a new item is added to my ever revolving wish list. Check it out, here’s what my wish list looks like right now: Pretty please, I’ve been a good girl, I swear. There’s a tab for items I like, and there’s a tab for the shops I like. Very cool. Even if you’re not a seller, you can set up a favorites page as a buyer on Etsy, too. Just register, and click away. Then make sure everyone knows your Etsy ID so they can look you up and see what’s on your list. Happy shopping!

Before Bloody Sunday and the self-inflicted wound, there was gorgeous Saturday, and a trip out on the Connecticut River in our friend Bill’s boat. Even Molly got to go, she loved it, and added speed-boating to her repertoire of exciting adventures. So here, enjoy some photos of a beautiful day and try to forget about that one down there with my lip busted open.

Sexy, huh? The sad thing is that I look at this picture and think: I rolled out of bed, put a hat on, and never did my hair. How embarrassing. Oh right, the big gash on my lip, yeah, that’s pretty awesome, too.

So we were target shooting yesterday. I decided to try out a shotgun that a friend brought, and it kicked up and back more that I thought it would, causing me to clock myself. That’s right, I punched myself in the face. It really didn’t hurt, it was just a little shocking, and then there was all the blood. I was worried I broke a tooth but luckily it was just a gash on my lip.

I called my mom, who is the #1 most awesome mom/registered nurse on the planet. Imagine calling your mom, slightly freaked out at the fact that you just split open your lip and are now bleeding all over, and saying something to the effect of, “we were shooting guns… and I punched myself in the mouth…and I’m not bleeding anymore… should I get stitches?” Now imagine how YOUR mom would react. My mom quietly gave me advice to ice it and keep it moist, she said good-bye without ever screaming “you did WHAT!?” or driving over to my house to smack me for being stupid. This morning when I sent her an email to thank her for her advice, and thank her for not acting shocked, she said, “you shooting a shotgun does not shock me” and also “I would avoid vigorous kissing for the near future.” Two of the many reasons I love my mom.

So I’m fine, I’ve got a nasty-looking fat lip, and I’m storing up potential stories to tell strangers in the grocery store. Luke preferred the “I fell down the stairs” line, I thought I might use Amy Sedaris’ line “I’m in love,” but I think I’ll just go with, “alligator wrestling”.  And I’m also looking forward to healing quickly so I can smile again, and of course, the vigorous kissing.

I love small towns, especially fictional small towns.  Redbud from Funny Farm, Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls, even Mitford and Elmwood Springs.  I love that everyone knows each other and everyone is so involved in the goings-on of the town.  They’re always so small and cozy, it makes me long to live in a town like that.  But when I stop and think about it, I realize that I do live in a town like that.  Have you visited Andover?  We are a town of less than 3,000 residents.  We have no bank, no police station, no large businesses (except for a recent Dunkin Donuts/gas station monstrosity built on the outskirts of town).  One of our town selectmen is also the dog warden and the manager of the town’s transfer station.  We have characters, we have charm, but sitting in my house and not going out and meeting anyone in town isn’t exactly bringing out the Stars Hollow in Andover to me.  After living here for almost nine years, I decided it was time to go forth and meet my neighbors.  Yesterday I tentatively joined the town’s website committee.  The town has a cute little website: www.andoverct.org, and they announced in the town newsletter that they were looking for new members to join the committee and help update the site.  My urge to help won out over my fear of committees and this Monday night I’m going to go to my first meeting.   Maybe soon the Andover town website will also be the Artsy Fartsy Andover town website.  Who knows?  Maybe soon I’ll be attending the town meetings and joining in the knit-a-thon to save the Muddy River Bridge - oh wait, wrong small town.

Oh right, jewelry! You almost forgot I made jewelry, what with all the blabbering on about the little purses, didn’t you? Don’t fret, the jewelry-making is ongoing, and after a little bead shopping with Paula the other night, I as inspired to make a few new gift sets for the upcoming holiday shopping extravaganza. Nothing is listed yet, I really have to get on the ball, but here, for your viewing pleasure, are three new Christy Gift Sets. Soon to be listed for $25 plus shipping.

Did anyone watch Pushing Daisies last night? I desperately want to reach into the screen and steal all of Chuck’s dresses. And Olive’s hair. I love that show!

Brace yourselves for the whininess.

Last night, after finding out about the ebay fiasco, I wasn’t feeling as creative as usual.  I sat down to watch Funny Face (which was adorable, it was the first time I’d ever seen it) and sew some purses.  I put one together but kept forgetting things and breaking thread and riping seams.  It wasn’t going well.  Hence, only one purse was made.  This little brown one.  Which looks terrible in this picture because I left my camera in the car overnight and the lens fogged up when I brought it in to take a picture of the bag.  I didn’t have time to defog, so here is what this cute little purse would look like on a foggy day.  Or with dirty glasses.  Or maybe if you were tipsy.  I’m still grumpy.  Can you tell?

There is something to look forward to that might bring me out of my funk, Pushing Daisies tonight on ABC.   I’m very excited.