Les Miserables...

I don't remember how or when I was introduced to Les Miserables - I just know it was the first musical I was ever obsessed with as a kid. While all the girls were drooling over Phantom of the Opera and Eric, I would walk between classes humming 'I Dreamed a Dream' and 'Castle on a Cloud'. So, of course, when I found out that Les Miserables was coming to the big screen, I dragged my husband to see it, and I loved every minute of it. The costumes! The sets! Anne Hathaway! Hugh Jackman! Helena Bonham Carter! And, of course, this man - Russell Crowe.

Now, I know Russell Crowe is getting a bit of crap for playing Javert. People aren't really happy with his portrayal and how he sang the songs. In his defense, Russell is an amazing musician and a lovely singer - but the part of Javert is just not his range (either that or we're just so used to hearing basses sing it that it's a shock to hear someone who isn't a bass sing it). However I think he still did a good job of playing Javert, and towards the end of the movie, when Javert begins to question who he is and everything he believes, he got a bit more emotional and his singing had a bit more oomph, and was MUCH better as a result (and much closer to what I was used to hearing as a kid)

So, today, the last meatlocker of the year, goes to you Monsieur Crowe.

WIP Wednesday the Sixty Eighth

Merry (Belated) Christmas everyone!

Last year we weren't able to celebrate much - I hadn't started my job yet, and the husband's job had cut back his hours, so any funds we had were saved to be put towards the bills. This year was a different story! Thanks to my new responsibilities at work I've been putting in a lot of overtime hours, and the husband has a new job, so we were able to enjoy ourselves a bit more. We were even able to go on a mini vacation and get away for a night!

I hope your holidays went just as well as ours!

I'm still plugging away at the ravenclaw scarf when the boys allow me to knit. 

(even then it's under protest)

I'm currently on the sixth stripe and it's going pretty well. I love how the colors look together - they aren't quite what the pattern calls for (I think they're off a shade or two) but they're just so gorgeous!

And they go quite well with my new bracelet!

I'm also still writing when I can. The story - the title of which is now The Undying Ones - comes in spurts and it's currently clocking in at 30,000 words. The average novel is about 50,000 words. I've also been tinkering with a short story I started for giggles one day, and I just updated my FF.net account for the first time in over a year. 

Check out Tami's Amis for more great Works in Progress!

Meatlocker Monday - The Hobbit Edition

The husband and I went and saw The Hobbit on Friday (because we're big Tolkien nerds like that) and let me just say it did not disappoint. Especially this guy - Mr. Richard Armitage who played Thorin Oakenshield.

I'm alive, and... oh look... here's another handsome gent to look at!

I'm sorry I haven't been updating very regularly lately. Work started getting busy in August, and most of my energy has been spent working on my writing and focusing on that blog (It's over here in case you missed it!)

Last night we were at a friends house when Reign of Fire came on. Do you remember that one? It's where dragons take over the earth and burn everything to the ground. Christian Bale plays a grown up version of the kid who discovered the dragons, and I was surprised to notice that Gerard Butler is his best friend. I never realized he was in it!

So here, ladies and gentlemen, is Gerard Butler again - the hottest Scotsman alive!

WIP Wednesday the Sixty Seventh...

I still haven't had a chance to get more yarn for the baby blanket, so I officially started working on the Ravenclaw Scarf this weekend. Only I forgot to do something before I started to knit...

I forgot to wind the yarn into a ball

It didn't occur to me until I was two rows in that maybe it might be easier if I didn't try to knit the scarf while the yarn was still wrapped up in it's skein. By then it was too late to save the the yarn - it had already wound itself into such a knot that I ended up frogging what I had done and then spent most of Friday night and Sunday undoing the God awful mess. 

Everything is mostly untangled now (once the yarn ball reached a certain size, I snipped the yarn, so now I just have a small knot to deal with) and I re-casted on the scarf Sunday night. I'm 18 rows in and almost done with my first stripe. I just need to remember to wind the yarn before using it and all should be fine!

How is your Work In Progress going?

Music Monday: Snow White...

More selections from the TUO playlist - this week's selection is Snow White from the Snow White and the Huntsman soundtrack by James Horner

WIP Wednesday the Sixty Sixth

The baby blanket is at a stand still. I ran out of yarn for it on Sunday, and I haven't had a chance to get more and I don't know when I'll have a chance to. Probably a week... maybe two. We've been really busy lately and money's been pretty tight as well.

So I pulled out some yarn from the stash to start another project in the mean time. I really wanted to make some arm warmers for my next project, but I don't really have the focus to attempt cabling or working with four needles right now. I opted to do another Harry Potter scarf - this time it's for me and it'll be in Ravenclaw colors (since that was within reach ;) )

I'll be sure to have more pictures next week! Have a Happy Halloween!

Check out Tami's Amis for more works in progress!

Music Monday: Welcome To Lunar Industries...

Another selection for the TUO soundtrack!

WIP Wednesday the Sixty Fifth

It's been an eventful couple of days here in Anaheim;

On Saturday I participated in the Run For Your Lives 5k - which is a zombie infested 5k race with obstacles. I was a zombie, and spent three hours trying to grab flags off of runners when they ran by. I returned home dirty, sore, and sunburnt, but I would do it again in a heart beat. It was SO MUCH FUN.

(This was prior to being splashed with more blood, because you can never have enough blood)

Sunday was spent hobbling around the house and recovering from the Race. 

Monday I woke up to find that our upstairs bathroom was leaking into our downstairs bathroom. Then something snapped off my clutch pedal on the way to work (thankfully the clutch is still working but I still took it in to the dealer today for service... just in case). And to top everything else off, traffic was so bad that it took me over an hour and a half to get to work.  

Tuesday was trying. The husband had to go to EDD for an interview where basically they wanted to make sure he was still looking for work. It was a big waste of time because all they did was ask for documentation showing all the jobs he applied for and that was it. Meanwhile, my work computer was freezing up every so often and generally being a pain in the butt. I swear if I ever get a new computer, or leave that job, I am taking a baseball bat to that thing and putting it out of it's misery a la Officespace.

Thank God today is hump day and it's all downhill from here right?

At least the mystery baby blanket is going well. I have reached the point where I feel comfortable doing just a straight granny stitch from here on out. It's ruffling on me a little, but it's looking pretty good so far!

I'm thinking of casting on another harry potter scarf. The weather is getting a bit on the chilly side finally and I would love to have a nice long fluffy scarf to help keep me warm. I know I have my technicolor dream scarf, but I've made so many harry potter scarves for friends and family and I want my own. The question is do I make a Hufflepuff scarf... or a Ravenclaw scarf? I've always identified with Ravenclaw (My old high school has the same colors as Ravenclaw... kinda... We were blue and orange, they're blue and bronze. It's close enough!) but when I joined Pottermore I was sorted in to Hufflepuff (which, interestingly enough, shares the same colors as my husband's high school - yellow and black) Hmmm.

Check out Tami's Amis for more Works in Progress!

WIP Wednesday the Sixty Fourth!

Between going to Halloween Haunt on Saturday, trying to get unstuck on my story yesterday, (writer's block is teh suck) and then trying to put together a last minute sewing portfolio today... well... there hasn't been much time for crocheting lately.

I did start on the third row of the baby blanket (this was before the panic of throwing together that portfolio). I'm still figuring the pattern out as I go (so there's still parts where I crochet a bit, then frog, then crochet, and then frog, rinse and repeat) but it still looks pretty good!

And that's all my frazzled brain has for you today.

Check out Tami's Amis for more Works in Progress

WIP Wednesday: the Sixty Third...

I did it! I figured out where to go next on the mystery baby blanket! Without a pattern!

Sunday afternoon was spent playing around with it. I crocheted a section, frogged it, crocheted some more, frogged it again, and finally came up with something I like:

I'm currently on the second round of the blue (which involved more crocheting and frogging) and I bet the third round will involve more crocheting and frogging as I continue to play with this idea of mine. I'm making sure to take notes though, so I can share the details with you.

Check out Tami's Amis for more WIP Wednesdays!

Admit it - we all secretly love the bad boys...

Sons of Anarchy has been my favorite show for about 3 years now (I got into it a year late...) It's hard to pick a favorite character, but Opie Winston comes pretty close.

So, for this week's Meatlocker Monday I give you Ryan Hurst:

WIP Wednesday: HELP!!!

I have finished the circle that is the base for the baby blanket - and I have no idea what to do next.

(I've already posted this picture, but it gives you an idea of the shape)

I wanted to turn the circle into a star at this point, and while I understand how ripples work after doing the granny ripple, I have no idea how to start it. I've been looking at patterns on Ravelry and Pinterest to look for ideas, but the instructions either make no sense or I have no idea on how to convert them. 

So I am begging you my fellow hookers - where do I go from here?

Check out Tami's Amis for more Works in Progress that are, hopefully, less troublesome!

WIP Wednesday!

I have finished the circle that is the base of the baby blanket. Now I just have to go through my yarn stash to find an appropriate blue for the next color.

Still don't know what it is? Here's a hint; that's no moon! Granted, it'll be more recognizable when the embroidery is done.

Check out Tami's Amis for more works in progress!

WIP Wednesday the Sixtieth!

Holy crap! Sixty WIP Wednesday posts!

Unfortunately, I don't have much progress to report on the mystery baby blanket. I've completed maybe 20 more stitches since last week. The husband and I went away for our anniversary, and I deliberately left my crochet, knitting, and writing behind that way I could fully relax - and relax we did!

I was hoping I could include some pictures of our trip in this post, but blogger isn't loading my picasa pictures for some reason. Hmf. Well maybe tomorrow.

Check out Tami's Amis for more Works in Progress!

WIP Wednesday the Fifty Ninth...

The mysterious baby blanket project is moving along.

The plan right now is just keeping crocheting the circle until I run out of grey yarn. Then I'll see what other fabric I have in my stash and go from there.

The husband and I are driving up to Tahoe on Friday for the weekend. It's our first anniversary on Monday, so we decided to celebrate it by getting out of town for a mini vacation. I'm debating about starting another Harry Potter scarf to take with me (this time for me!) I don't know though, I tried knitting (and crocheting) in the car before and it didn't work out so well, so we'll see!

Check out Tami's Amis for more Works in Progress!

From One Robin to Another...

And this one has aged really well!

Ladies and Gents, I give you Chris O'Donnell:

Finished Object the Eighth...

I have finished the baby blanket!

(I tried to get a good picture of the whole thing, but it proved to be tougher than I expected.)

It took a skein and a half of each color. The top is a little smaller than the bottom (I didn't keep the initial chain loose like the pattern suggested) but I think it turned out really well! 

I decided not to do the second row of trim. The light blue wasn't quite working for me so I stuck with just the dark blue. 

(The boys approve)

Now to send it off to it's new owner!

Check out Tami's Amis for more finished objects!

WIP Wednesday Fifty Eighth

Sorry for not updating last week, but last Tuesday was the end of the month and our system at work was having some issues. So, Wednesday was spent placing orders that couldn't be placed the day before and then backdating them and answering questions and... yeah. By the time I got home I was exhausted and didn't want to look at a computer for a long long time.

But hey - I am 99.9% done with the baby blanket.

I have also started a new project. I was going to do some fingerless gloves for work, and then I thought about doing another scarf (I have enough yarn for three more HP scarves) but honestly I'm kinda tired of doing scarves for the moment. Then I remembered I have been wanting to make another friend a baby blanket (Yes... yes... I know. I really need to stop doing that) But this one is going to be really different - I have yet to see anything like it. 

But I'm not going to say what it is - you all will just have to sit back and watch as it unfolds and guess what it is!

It doesn't look like much yet. In fact you probably won't be able to tell what it is until I do the embroidery at the end. 

Check out Tami's Amis for more Works in Progress!

The LA Kings Appreciation Continues...

This time our Meatlocker Monday Man is Jarret Stoll:

WIP Wednesday the Fifty Seventh...

I don't have a picture this week - but I can tell you that I am 99% done with it. The stripes are completely done and all I have left to do is the border. I'm thinking something in bright green, because I'm strange like that.

Unfortunately I don't have any more works in progress to share at this time. I have plenty of yarn and plenty of ideas for projects - I just haven't started them yet because I can't decide which one to start!

How are your Works in Progress going?

The Dark Knight Rises Edition...

The husband and I saw The Dark Knight Rises today and it was amazingly good. A little long, a little slow, but really really really good. I have to say that Joseph Gordon-Levitt has come a very long way from his time on Third Rock From the Sun.

And Tom Hardy as a bonus because he was fantastic as Bane (even if the voice was a little hard to understand)