SHIT happens

Well, today started just as SHITTY as yesterday ended.  Possibly even more so:
When I went to pull Skylar out of her bed this morning, she had smeared her shit all over her bed and herself.  This is NOT the first time this has happened either.  Needless to say, I cursed and yelled a lot.  And Sky got really upset.  But by this point she should fucking know better than to dig around in her diaper.  I scold her EVERY time that I catch her doing it.  My aunt has requested that DJ and I only put her in onesies for daycare to prevent it from happening there.   Well, she can't fucking wear onesies forever and I'm at a loss as to what to do about this problem.

How do I keep my toddler's hands out of her diaper without constantly putting her in a onesie?!?!?!

She is extremely headstrong and defiant.  Sometimes I think that she does things like this just to be defiant but maybe she really just doesn't understand why it's wrong.  I hate being mad at her but my whole apartment, not just her room, literally smells like shit right now and it's fucking disgusting.

Sooooooo, if anyone has any insight into this issue or a solution for this problem, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE, enlighten me.  Thanks.

B.M.C.R.

I'm so frustrated and disappointed in myself right now.  I got a call back on that job I was hoping for today and I didn't get it.  I know why too and I feel ashamed and embarrassed that I couldn't get it.  It's worse because, in my mind, I already had it.  My cousin that works there says a second interview is pretty much a guaranteed job.  I guess that's not really the case...

I'm a freaking basket case.  Just when I think I've punished myself enough for this thing I couldn't even control, I lose it again.  I've got that trapped feeling again, like I'm doomed to work in retail until the daylight at the top of my debt hole is just a pinprick in the darkness and I'm swallowed whole...

I cannot even imagine how crushed I would be if this had actually been a position I really desired.  Job hunting is shitty business...I guess it's time to get stinky.  Again.

I need something positive to think about before I fall asleep or I'm going to wake up just as sad and frustrated as I am now...either way, it feels like my eyes are going to fall out of my head.  Seriously.

Beige Earring and Necklace Holder

This, one of the first, "Functional Facelifts" is a very basic earring and necklace holder, just 8"x10" in size, perfect for a petite jewelry collection:

Neon Jewelry Organizer

This "Functional Facelift" posed a few problems along the way but came to completion today.  It's a pretty basic jewelry organizer popping with neon colors:

Open front Shadowbox for photo clipping

This "Functional Facelift" was the marriage of 2 pieces of would-be trash discarded by customers at work.  I measured and cut the mock litho print to fit the shadowbox exactly scoring it so the picture would line it, removed the glass and stretched crocheted cotton chains across the front.  It's purpose is for clipping pictures and/or notes as a quick, easily interchanged display case.  I love how it turned out:

Accessory Organizer

This is one of my most clever "Functional Facelifts".  At least I think so anyways.  The main frame of it was actually a cast off from another project when it turned out I didn't need it for that.  I decoupaged paper on it and added hooks, pegs, a dowel, plastic canvas, and a magnet strip for the ultimate accessory organizer.

closeup of bottom left corner

closeup of upper right corner

Little Boy Photo Clip Block

The last of the four 5"x8" wood block projects, this one themed for a little boy:

Little Girl Photo Clip Block

The third of four 5"x8" wood block projects holds 1 (or 2) 4"x6" photos themed for a little girl:

The day's deliciousness...

I've been ultra productive today and would like to keep on a roll...but first I want to share the food I made today because it was freaky fantastic.

I've been watching a PBS show I recently found on Netflix called "The Mind of a Chef".  I felt compelled to make something I had never made before and something that I have been craving for quite some time.  I've wanted Pad Thai for a long time but I rarely keep all the necessary ingredients on hand.  So today I looked at a few different recipes for inspiration to create the flavors I was looking for with ingredients that I have.

I used this recipe, Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Legs, as the basic structure of my dish.  I used my favorite recipe resource yummly.com to search Pad Thai recipes for supplemental ingredients since I didn't have all that was needed for the slow cooker recipe.  I rarely measure things when I'm cooking (not baking) so this is a rather loose recipe of my fantastico delicious dinner:

6 skinless chicken legs
1 can of diced tomatoes with onion and garlic
about 1/3 cup of creamy peanut butter
4 cloves of garlic
about 2 T soy sauce (more to taste)
about 2 Tlime juice
ketchup (just a squeeze)
brown sugar (to taste)
seasonings all to taste:
crushed red pepper
salt and pepper
garlic powder
onion powder
ground ginger
cilantro

Mix everything and pour over chicken in slow cooker.  Cook on low for 5-7 hours

My little legs just getting started on their journey to tastiness!

I served it with a really simple fried rice recipe I made in my rice cooker.  I just cooked some white rice (with salt and olive oil) as usual but with some mixed frozen vegetables and a little vinegar.  Once fully cooked, I added an egg, some garlic and onion powders, ground ginger and pepper.  Lastly I added some soy sauce.  It made a super yummy side to sop up some of that delicious sauce.

My plated finale:

I also made some banana bread using a recipe I've done before but this being my second time making it was far more successful, not just in look but also taste.  The recipe (which I follow to the letter except I use a bread pan and bake it for longer) is available here: Banana muffins with streusel topping.  And once baked (in an 8"x8" pan), looks like this:

Now I'm gonna go make my leftover chicken, sauce and rice into a soup so as to prolong the delicious!

Beachy Sunglasses Frame

This is one of the first "Functional Facelifts" I made.  An open back frame with a cool paint job and a bit of ribbon makes a sweet sunglasses holder:

Decorative Keyholder

And another:

This is another of my 5"x8" woodblock facelifts.  More decoupage, paint and ribbons...It is now a decorative key and sunglasses holder:

Fun Flowery Photo Holder

Another project for "Functional Facelifts":

I got 4 of these 5"x8" wood blocks from Y's Buys awhile back for $1.99.  This one transformed via paint, decoupage, and ribbon into a cutesie photo holder that can hold 4 images (2 at top, bottom frame is 2-sided).

Argyle Mini Mirror

I've been gradually finishing off handful of projects I've been working on for the upcoming Artists Against Hunger Exhibition.  The series is called "Functional Facelifts" in which I give thrifty found objects a new look and purpose.  I want to share them one by one as I complete and then document them.  So here goes...

I found this little framed mirror at the Goodwill for $1.50.  I primed it and then gave it a few healthy coats of yellow-orange paint.  I sassed up the front with a puffy paint pattern and the sides with some decoupaged argyle paper.  It's something like 3"x12" not including the frame.  I think it's totally adorable:

 

Wine sweet whine.

Well, I decided to kill that giant bottle of wine I got last night tonight.  I went halvsies between last night and tonight.  And now I'm getting like/comment happy on Facebook.  Lame, I know.  I just posted a real live comment on a sort-of ex's post.  That rarely happens.  I hope it came off cute and funny rather than as lame and trying-too-hard.  It is, after all, the person I almost had an illegitimate child with...  Lame.  I can't believe we're still "friends" on fb.  We were only together for a hot minute before I left Chi but I still get curious whenever he posts.  I got jealous at first especially after the miscarriage but I realized after my grieving period that it just wasn't supposed to happen with us.  I dunno if it's even necessary to keep the relationship alive electronically since we rarely like/comment on each other's posts.  But somehow it's a reminder of what happened and what was lost.  I know I don't ever want to forget.  I've even made a memento, just for me.  I've thought about sharing it but I feel like it would lose something.  So it sits on a shelf on my family wall in my living room.  A part of me that I'll never forget.  And a person I encountered, though briefly, who changed my life forever.

Wow...that just got super cheesy.  My moscato is talking, for sure...I should probably head to bed considering tomorrow, Saturday morning, is the last coffee at the grandparents' for the season.  They are heading south earlier this year, so we're celebrating Thanksgiving on Sunday (a week earlier than usual).  I am sad that they will be gone thru the winter as Sky gets older and is starting to develop more long term memories...I know she loves them very much.  We're both going to miss them immensely.  I guess I'll just have to take lots of pics...

Roar!

Ok, so I feel I've sufficiently caught up in posting today for the last break but I really wanted to share a sweet awesome video of my lovely little girl getting her groove on.  She has quite good rhythm and loves to dance.  Lately she's been totally into girly music which is fine by me cuz I like it too.  One of our faves is "Roar" by Katie Perry.  I caught this video a few weeks ago, the pinnacle of the song and her interpretive dance:

I swear every time I watch it my heart fills up with pride like a mama bear and I even get teary about it sometimes.  I just love my beautiful little girl!  She's so spunky and fun, I cannot even imagine life without her...


PS.  This video should be viral cuz it's freaky fantastic.  Just sayin...

Muerta Skull Tattoo

Earlier this year my brother Aaron charged me with drawing up another tattoo for him (before the ship).  This one was inspired by one of his son's shirts:

I know I ended up doing the entire drawing twice because the first was much larger than he wanted.  I'm pretty sure this image is the first drawing (though the second was a near exact smaller copy, plus color):

 

He got it inked in late May at Fatty's Tattys by Ryan Ford:

 

Pirate ship tattoo

Remember back in September when I took my vacation and finished the drawing for my brother's tattoo?

Well, he got it done shortly afterwards.  Just a few simple alterations by his artist Ryan Ford of Fatty's Tattys and he got the "deep tissue massage" he had been looking forward too. 

 

Now, I won't claim that the idea was original.  Aaron sent me 2 specific images that he liked, one for the structure, the other for style.  The end result was a marriage of the two hand drawn in graphite.

The structural one is easy to find (via Tumblr or Google image) though the original source is unknown to me and the style one was just too small of a file to do much with so I had to do a bit of improvising:

Little Foot

Recently I decided to take my Mother's Day gift from earlier this year (the awesome one I made for myself) and my gift from my own mom and combine them into a sweet little shadowbox.

The item I made is a little salt dough impression of Skylar's foot.  It says "Skylar Helen, May 12, 2013, 13 mo."  I painted it with nail polish because I've always liked how it shines despite never using it on my fingers and rarely on my toes.  I also embellished with a ribbon and beads.  In the base of the box are 6 yellow dried roses that I received from my mom on the holiday which shares the weekend annually with the Avera Race Against Breast Cancer.

The completed project now resides on the family wall of my living room:

I also made a salt dough impression with my grandmother's hand, my mother's hand, my hand and Skylar's hand.  I baked it but I haven't decide how I'd like to paint it so it's sitting on the back burner with a handful of other projects.

Faucet Extender

The first mini project I'd like to share is mostly for my board on Pinterest: Pinned it, Did it.  I got Skylar an awesome step stool at a thrift store a few weeks back because we're building the habit of brushing her teeth every morning and she's too heavy for me to hover her over the sink.  The one downfall:  she still can't reach the water stream.  I randomly found this pin using an old baby wash bottle as a water extender of sorts that just pops right on the front of the faucet.  When we finished off Sky's bottle of baby wash, I cut it down to fit and it's been the perfect addition to our little toddler friendly bathroom.  Our results:

 

Skylar just loves her faucet extender.  It's simple, yet brilliant so Thank You to whoever came up with it! :D

She also loves her step stool which has dual function:  our bathroom is far too small for a traditional potty chair and we're quickly approaching the time to teach her...but we're totally ready!

Finally an update already...

I didn't realize (though I should have) that as Skylar gets older, it's becoming more and more difficult to accomplish anything during her waking hours.  This includes blogging.  I know it's been well over a month since my last post.  In my defense, I'm still relentlessly on the hunt for a new job and now that we're quickly approaching the season of gift giving, I'm busy gift making.  I'm going to share some of my current and recently completed projects in upcoming posts but this one's more of a personal update.

The Paint the Night Pink show was amazing and successful.  I, unfortunately, did not sell my new piece as hoped but it is available for sale at my website and I will still donate 15% of the sale to the Avera Cancer Institute.  My parents came to the show so my sister-in-law Terri watched Skylar.  All in all it was a pretty great night; I even got to take my wine glass home (which is pretty cool, seeing as I've been drinking my wine from tumblers for ages).

Fast forward to Skylar's 2nd Halloween.  DJ and I took her to the Zoo Boo at the Great Plains Zoo the Sunday before the holiday.  It was quite chilly, we waited in line forever, and it was pretty boring (for us, I think because we don't really converse anymore), but Sky had a good time and got some cool treats to bring home to her dad's house.  Then, on Halloween (a Thursday), after I got off work, Sky and I met up with my brother Jon and his wife Marcy at my parents house for some trick-or-treating with their two youngest, Sammie and Nicki.  Sky was a butterfly, Sammie was a lamb and Nicki a dalmation puppy.  They all looked super adorable and we ended up walking the 3 blocks over to my grandparents' house and back as our little Halloween adventure.  Sky and I also stopped at a row of highly decorated houses on our way home.  All in all, she got enough candy that she's still working on it now, over two weeks later.

So my sister Jessica was expecting her second child near the end of October.  She was due the 28th and ended up going into the hospital on Halloween.  Apparently labor stopped so she went home and waited and waited for baby to come.  She finally went in for induction on Sunday November 10th.  And, SURPRISE!  She and Matt had a boy!  Jax Matthews was born at 8:17 pm (actually during a Norwex party of mine); he was 8 lbs 11 oz and 21.5" long.  He is absolutely precious and I can't wait to hold him again!  We were all hoping for a boy all along...I can't post pictures of his sweetness as per his parents' request, same as his sister Ella.  However, we drew names for Christmas this year and I drew Matt's name so I will be painting him a portrait of Jax and that I will be posting (like Ella's).


Aside from those few things of note, life has been the same as usual.  I am hoping for a big change soon though.  I know that when I get a better paying job, no matter the work, I will not feel so desperate all the time with my financial situation.  It will also provide me the opportunity to network and expand my Norwex business.  I just have to hope that it will happen soon so that the desperation and inevitable depression don't take over.  In the meantime, I'll be positive about my baby, my art and my family.  So be prepared for awesome in the upcoming posts...