How About Them Apples?

Okay, so I've been missing in action all this week.

And I can explain.

My computer broke on Tuesday.  Just as I was sitting down in my studio to work on a pet portrait using my computer to see the true colors in the images I was working on, my favorite computer ever-- my little pink Dell-- fell off the table and onto Murphy's little dog bed beneath.  (Yes, my little Murphy is so spoiled that he has his own bed in my studio... Luckily he wasn't in it when this happened.)  Well, since it didn't fall that far, I thought nothing would be wrong.

                                                                                                           Source: google.com via Stinkweed on Pinterest

Not the case...

When I tried to turn little pinky on, it said "no hard drive detected."

Oh no...  I just replaced the hard drive in this computer about 6 months ago when it died of old age.  

I took my poor little old computer to Best Buy so the Geek Squad could give me a diagnosis, and I was hoping against hope that it was just knocked out of place.  No such luck for me though.  It hit the floor juuuuuust right so that the hard drive shattered, broke, or whatever happens when they die.  Crap...

I came home to discuss it with Kent.  I didn't know whether I should dump more money into a 3 year old computer or just get a new one.  He said I should just get a new one.

Really, he just saw it as the perfect opportunity to convert me to a Mac.  Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against Mac.  I used them in all my art classes in college, but I just never could get used to them because I had always had a PC.  (Let's face it... we all love what we're comfortable with.)  

Well, upon deciding that I needed a new computer, Kent-- because he's such an awesome husband-- got online and ordered me one right then.  Just after he placed the order, his computer ran out of battery.  That's because he left the cord at the hotel where he stayed during his last training trip.  Soooo... neither of us had a computer until his charger came or my computer came in the mail.  Needless to say, that didn't happen until today, and Kent's charger finally came.  

I felt bad not being able to check in, and I hope you guys didn't totally forget about me.  Hopefully, tomorrow I will be getting my new computer in the mail today (Yay for a really awesome, one-day-early birthday present!), so I can check in on it later once I figure out how to work the new contraption.  :)  

Anyone got any advice on seriously learning about Mac's?  I know the basics... well, enough to get by, but the darn things confuse me. (And yes, I've heard all about how "simple" they are and how "streamlined"... I just have a hard time relying on keyboard commands)  Any tips, tricks, or cool things I should know? 

Hope you guys have a great weekend! 

Sunday Blues

I don't know what was up with the weird day I had yesterday.

Do you guys ever have those really funky days where you just wake up and everything seems a little off?

That was yesterday for me.

It should have been a fantastic day.  Kent had just gotten back home Saturday night, so I had been stoked to spend all of Sunday doing lots of fun things.  However, it didn't happen quite that way.  

                                                                                                         Source: google.com via Nicole on Pinterest

Since Kent was so jet lagged, he woke up at 4:30am, and since he wakes up and turns on every light and loudly opens and closes every door when he gets up, I did too.  Plus, I woke up from a not so pleasant dream, that just made my day start off all wrong.  Has that ever happened to you guys?

The morning wasn't so bad, since I made a big breakfast, and we went to the farmer's market.  Getting my favorite jam-- Coconut-Pineapple-- definitely put a smile on my face.

On the way home we had a discussion about where we might be in the future.  Those discussions don't always end well because we don't always agree.  We get over it soon enough, but a little piece of it sticks in my head and drags me down.

For most of the afternoon, nothing really went the way I planned, so I just felt like I had wasted precious time... and who ever gets enough of that, right?

By supper time, I was just feeling a little down.  Despite the fact that I had yummy cheesy rice (don't judge), and fresh Mahi Mahi from the farmer's market on my plate, I couldn't help but see my mood reflected back at me.

Honest to goodness, this is how my food looked immediately after I scooped it on my plate.

As I sat down to eat, it started pouring down rain outside.  I seriously felt like I couldn't catch a break, and a big part of me still has no idea why I was so down.  I guess between the dream waking me up on the wrong side of the bed, the day feeling wasted, some difficult conversations, and some anxiety I've been having about some upcoming appointments I've got (nothing crazy... just regular doc and dentist stuff... but when you have a real, honest-to-goodness needle/medical phobia like I do, you start stressing weeks ahead of time), I guess it was just a little much.  

However, I'm bound and determined that today is going to be a much better day and that this week will be a happy and productive one.  They say you're as happy as you make your mind up to be, so I'm deciding that I'm going to be very happy this week.  After all, it's my birthday week.  I turn the big 2-5 next Sunday.... oh boy....

Do you guys ever have days like this?  What do you do to get out of the little funk they cause?

Halloween Nails!

It's been quite a while since I've done a nail art tutorial, so I thought with Halloween just around the corner, today would be a great time for one.

How about some Halloween nails?  :)

These are super easy (although you may need help for your "wrong hand"). 

All you'll need is a base/top coat, some orange nail polish, a black nail art pen, and white nail art pen.

Start by applying your base coat, and follow it by painting your nails orange.

Next, use the white nail art pen to create a little ghost on your thumb.  Do this by creating a little circle, add a body with a little tail, and add arms.

Outline the ghost with the black nail art pen, add eyes and a mouth, and add the word "BOO!" if you like.

Add a spider web on your ring finger.  Do this by drawing several intersecting straight lines. Then, starting at the center, connect the lines in a spiral with short, slightly curved lines.

Let the paint from the nail art pens dry completely.  Then, finish off with your top coat.

There!  Now you have festive Halloween nails!

Hope you like them!

Glorious Gloomy Days

With all the pretty pictures of fall scenes and beautiful leaves I've been seeing on blogs and Facebook lately, I've been feeling pretty homesick.  As beautiful as Hawaii is, it's hard for this girl from the South to be so far from home and away from the changing seasons.  I was really missing the crisp air, the pretty colors, and wearing comfy, cozy sweaters.  To make all that worse, Kent got a chance to go to Charleston (one of my favorite places) this past weekend for a big family event since he was already doing some training in North Carolina.  I was beyond bummed, and I felt completely disconnected from my family and all the things I love back home.  It was one of those times when the isolation of this island felt very pronounced.  (Don't get me wrong... I was happy for him that he got to be there.)

However, I desperately needed at least a little taste of back home. 

Yesterday, the weather here must have gotten my message.  We had one of those rare, glorious, gloomy Hawaii days.  (Yes, I know that sounds totally ridiculous.  But can you imagine if you never had a lazy rainy day??)

 

I decided that the rain and gloom would be the perfect time to imagine that I was back home in weather that was slowly turning colder.  I cranked my air down, put on some comfy clothes, and decided to make "cool weather food."

Back home, my daddy always makes chili on cold, rainy days.  So what did I do?  I pulled out some ground beef, and got to work.  Before long, I had an incredible smelling pot of chili simmering on the stove all afternoon.

It was amazing.  I needed that little taste of home.  

I also decided to sip on some coffee with a little homemade Irish cream while the chili was cooking.  Warms the body and the soul...

Want to make your own Irish cream?  It's super easy.  Put 1 cup heavy cream, 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk, 1- 1 2/3 cup Irish Whiskey, 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules, 2 Tablespoons chocolate syrup, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract into a blender.  Blend on high for 20-30 seconds, and store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge.

It's amazing what familiar food, cool weather drinks, and a little lazy, gloomy lighting can do.  I may not be home, and I may not be able to make it to every family/friend event that I'd like, but these little "tastes of home" help hold me over.  

What about you guys?  Ever need those little things to make you feel closer to home?  What do you do on a nice lazy, rainy day?

A Little Shop Talk

Just wanted to take a minute to remind you guys about the crochet hats and scarves in my shop right now.

With the colder weather and holidays approaching, these would be perfect for you or a special person in your life.  Not only would you be warm and cozy, but you would also be helping to save animals because 10% of each sale in my shop goes to an animal charity (Humane Society, SPCA, or a local animal shelter).  For a short time, you can also use the coupon code SAVEAPET for an extra 10% off your order.

I also do beanies for men!

If you don't see the exact color/pattern combination you're looking for, shoot me a message.  I'd love to make something just for you with custom colors or even custom yarn.  With advance orders, I can create your hat or scarf from high quality cashmere blends, alpaca, or wool. (I just need time for it to be ordered and shipped to me.)  Just contact me for pricing information. :)

Turn on the Faucet

I know I did a fairly random post yesterday, but I have to do another one today.  I watched a documentary last night (I know... I'm like an old person with all these documentaries lately), and it really opened my eyes about some things.

It's a film called "Tapped," and it's about bottled water.

I had heard a good bit of what the documentary told me.  Plastic bottles have chemicals that can cause cancer and other problems, some companies bottle tap water, and the bottles have very detrimental environmental effects.  However, this documentary showed images that I can't get out of my head.

So many un-recycled bottles make their way to our oceans.  Plastic doesn't break down like organic materials... it takes a very long time.  Plus, it washes up on our beaches.

[source]

Is this what you want future generations to play in when they visit the beach?  It's not what I want.

Those plastic pieces also are being ingested by marine animals and fish.  It's killing entire populations. 

[source]

Is this what you want to find when you eat your filet of fish?  It's not what I want.

It's not even just the environmental effects that are so crazy.  It's the fact that these companies producing bottled water take it from small towns like many of us grew up in.  Did you know that when Georgia was in a very serious drought several years ago (one in which lakes were at the lowest recorded levels) and everyone else was on severe water restrictions that the Coca-Cola bottling company was still pumping water out of local lakes and streams to bottle water--  many of which were sold back to people in Georgia?  How about them apples?

And the politics behind it all?  Oh, it's frustrating.  Politicians are pretty much working for the bottling companies that are bottling our free tap water and selling it back to us.  Does anyone else see something wrong with this?

Now that I've told you some of the juicy tidbits, I should tell you that there's much more.  I highly recommend  that you guys check this film out.  It will change your way of thinking, and you will want to turn on that tap more often.  

Here's the trailer so you can check it out.  The full length version can be found on Netflix, for sure, but I'm sure you can find it other places as well.

On the Brain

Once again, I've found myself without a lot to say lately.  That is partly because the hubs was around for a few weeks, so the computer was at the bottom of my "fun list."  It's also because I've been doing some custom crochet projects and preparing for a few paintings.  All that doesn't add up to lots of excitement to share in a post.  

However, I have had a few random things on my mind lately, and those things are evidenced by things I've found on the ever addictive Pinterest in the recent hours days.

Crochet Stuff

 

Source: dottieangel.blogspot.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

I've been browsing Pinterest for inspiration for new crochet projects, and when I'm finished with the half a dozen custom projects going now, I desperately want to try something with some beautiful granny squares like these.  Isn't this lovely?

Exercise

 

Source: None via Lindsay on Pinterest

Maybe it's some things I've seen on television lately, or maybe I've just been paying more attention to the many unhealthy and extremely overweight people I see all around, but I've been extremely motivated to exercise lately.  I've always loved to run, but sometimes I go through slumps. One of those was just a few months ago.  I'm out of it now, and my love of exercise and fitness is back in full force.  I've even signed up for a course being offered here so I can become a Spin instructor.  I can't wait!

Craftiness

 

Source: kevinandamanda.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

I haven't been doing much random crafting lately, but I'm ready to jump back in with a few projects.  This photo is my inspiration for a project I'm dying to try.  I really need a cool jewelry holder/display for some of my earrings, and I've finally found what I want to use to create it. (Hint:  It's an old drawer.)  As soon as my carpenter (a.k.a. hubby) gets back, I'm going to try to make my vision a reality.

People

Source: etsy.com via Lindsay on Pinterest

This could probably speak for itself, but I'll give a brief explanation.  Lately, I have been noticing a lot of closed-mindedness, a lot of judgmental people, and many instances of people believing that because they warm a pew once a week that they are superior to everyone else.  All of these people seem to belong to the same club.  Now, I definitely believe in God, but I'm having a hard time with how some of his supposed followers are acting.  I can't seem to understand why everyone thinks their way of thinking is the only way of thinking simply because they are brought up that way.  Do people not understand that everyone is brought up in a belief system of some sort and that to them that belief is right because it's what they know?  That a book of any sort can be misconstrued and made to say what the interpreter wants?  I'm really not trying to start a religious debate because what I'm noticing has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with actions.  I just pray that one day people can all respect each other based on morals and ethics and not just beliefs or how beliefs are expressed (as long as those expressions do not harm anyone... think more group worship inside vs. worship with family on a mountain after a hike).  To further see what I'm saying, check out the documentary "Lord Save Us From Your Followers" on Netflix.  It raises so many valid points.

Well, in a nutshell that's what's been going on in my head lately.  Anyone else had similar things going on in their brain?  What has been on your mind this week?

P.S.  All of these images came from Pinterest.  For some reason the source links are wanting to hide behind the images... silly blogger.