30 March 2008

buy buy buy



Hey, look what else I made. I made it a few weeks ago for a craft fair I did at a Catholic church; it was surprisingly not popular at all.

I've made rosaries a few different times, but this is the first time I've used linen cord. Each decade is separated by a knot; I'm not sure that's clear in this photo. I'm a big fan of knotting; I want to do some research on the technique. I know it's a traditional method of making pearl necklaces, but I wonder how else it's been used throughout history. I really want to do research on folk arts and crafting techniques and maybe write about it. That's more of a long-term project rather than something I have time for right now, though.

Anyway. The rosary is listed at my etsy shop, if you're looking for a gift for your Catholic friend. I've spent the last hour editing photos and creating listings and generally trying to create some type of order to this whole "craft business" thing, and now it is time for dinner and then homework and getting organized with the whole "grad school" thing.

29 March 2008

i did it!


finished polka dot apron
Originally uploaded by marinatina
Oh, you guys, I am so proud of myself! I finished the apron! And it went pretty well! And the polka dot fabric made it just the right level of cutesy, and I made an apron!

28 March 2008

polka dot apron


polka dot apron
Originally uploaded by marinatina
Look what I cut out!

It will probably be an apron by tomorrow. I used the pattern from Bend the Rules Sewing, which is awesome btw. The apron skirt will be gathered, assuming I can figure out how to sew a gather, and there are so many polka dots! I am excited. It'll be nice to sew something besides tote bags, much as I love making bags.

I sort of want to try sewing it tonight, but I am sicky and somehow I feel trying something new would end badly, which would be so sad for such pretty fabric. I'm impressed that I've managed to get anything done at all today, but I think now it is time for bed.

let's put it to a vote

I really want to go to New York for a week in May, after finals. The tickets will probably be around $200.

I also really want an iPod touch. You can buy them refurbished at Apple.com for $349 (32gb).

When I get my tax refund, should I buy a ticket to New York or an iPod touch?

27 March 2008

half awake

1. I have class on Thursdays at 9:30. Our professor is out of town this week, so we had to take the quiz online, so I woke up at 8, made coffee, drank coffee, studied, downloaded the quiz at 9:30, uploaded the answers at 9:50 or so, and now... I am awake. And I don't have to do anything all day, or at least until this afternoon. Lame.

2. Ugh, that story was not as interesting as I thought it would be.

3. My room is so messy! I'm not even going to upload a picture, it would be too shocking. Unless you know me; then it would be too expected, and you'd be all "oh, Marina, your room is messy again, HAHAHA LIKE ALWAYS." Which is true, but still, I am sick of people making fun of me for my mess. I have made my bed every day this year, thank you very much.

4. Oh, I am cranky!

5. I finished an awesome bag last night. It is adorable, and I'm going to list it on Etsy even though the seams are not very straight because it is awesome and lined with a multi-colored polka dot fabric. Adorable! Pictures later, I should do the listing today.

6. I sold more of the strange little face beads on Etsy, to someone in the Netherlands, which is pretty cool. I still have some left, so check out my etsy shop if you're into buying things that are really awesome.

11 March 2008

funny funny!

You know how yesterday I said that I finally felt like a grad student? Today, I was offered a position as a TA in the History department. Tuition remission, health benefits, and a (generous!) stipend. Excellent.

10 March 2008

library time is my favorite kind of time

Oh, you guys. I really do love spending the afternoon in the library. Especially when it involves editing a paper that's due in two days instead of writing a paper that's due in two days. Papers are so much more fun to work on when they're not due in six hours. Of course, now that I've given myself time to edit it, I have to actually edit it, which is nerve-wracking. Making sense is hard! Still, I'm excited about this whole thing where I have time to edit my papers so that I'm actually developing an argument. I feel like I'm getting closer to writing academic papers, rather than just writing papers for class. I feel like a real grad student.

And yes, I realize that I am a gigantic nerd, but I would like to take this opportunity to point out that I went out drinking with friends (I have them!) last Thursday, and I stayed out until bar close, and then I went to Oakland Gyros and got food (with friends!) and listened to a very drunk girl drunk-talking to her far less drunk date. (I need a thesaurus!) She was completely ridiculous, but she was also sort of me when I was twenty. So much has changed in three years! (By which I mean I stopped drinking whiskey, so my drunk talking is far less ridiculous.)

Okay, break over, back to the paper.

05 March 2008

all hope is lost


Guess who's retiring?. The next few seasons are going to be tough.

In other less-depressing news, I met with my professor this morning to talk about my paper because I thought I had no idea what I was doing. After I explained what I wanted to write about, he gave me a few suggestions but said that I'm basically on the right track. Awesome! Now I just need to write it.

03 March 2008

monday again!

Wow, I can't believe it's been a whole week!

I am terribly busy and will be until March 15 at 3pm, but I felt that I needed to take time out from my busy, important schedule to tell you that I got my first paper back today, my first paper of grad school, and there are comments and suggestions a plenty, but I got an A-! I've been feeling overwhelmed by this whole grad school thing, so it is nice to know that I actually know what I'm doing. Basically.

Also, I know you don't care, and I would totally be bored and/or nauseated by this if I were you, but I went home this past weekend, and I got to spend oodles of time with Nathan, and it was our six-month anniversary (six monthiversary?), and we went out to dinner, and I will stop myself before I get too gross and sentimental, but I had a really good weekend.