Happy Determined Thursday

Happy Thursday, everybody!

I've been reflecting on the last decade of my life lately because in a few months I will be turning 30. I joke about how old that makes me, but actually I'm really looking forward to it. I have felt more self-assured and confident with each year of my late 20's and I'm hoping to continue that theme into my 30's. In these last 2 or 3 years in particular I have become very determined. I've made some difficult choices and overcome some obstacles and come out stronger on the other side.

Now I just need some awesome theme music and curtain dresses.

Phoning in the weekend, more room for activities!

 So many activities this weekend! Yoga and running and thrifting and moving (my cousin) and crocheting and knitting and reminding the cats NOT TO PEE ON ANYTHING I BRING HOME FROM THE THRIFT STORE and lots of chips, sometimes with guacamole and sometimes with greek yogurt and salsa.

Not pictured: dice and drinks with friends, the massive amount of cleaning I did, cuddling with my baby nephew, and daylight savings time confusing me a lot.

Friday FO's

Phew! Only one FO this week: I've been working on this baby blanket for a couple of weeks now trying to race my nephew to the finish line (for me: binding off, for him: being born). He won by a long shot. My sister's first baby, the lovely Evelyn, took 24 hours of hospital time to be born. My new nephew, Alden, took 2 minutes. 2 MINUTES. To be fair, my sister labored at home for a lot longer this time, but I am here to tell you as a first hand witness that Alden was born two minutes LITERALLY after Laura got to the Maternity Ward. It was completely crazy.

Anyway, I finished his blanket the following Sunday at a family dinner and he got to enjoy it right away:

(His face is less yellow and blurry than that in real life. But it is completely that cute.)

Welcome to the world, baby boy! You have a billion aunties who love you and can't wait to keep you cozy with knitted things!

Happy Thursday, weekend dreaming

Happy Thursday, one and all! I have had a wonderful, productive, busy week. So much so, that I can't wait for the weekend, for a little unstructured time. In that spirit, this is my whole weekend to-do list, and it's a pretty gentle one. I've been thinking a lot about horror movies lately and I feel like having a marathon. But I'm a scaredy cat and I live alone, so I think I'll just watch the Shining instead since I've seen it about a thousand times. This article made me want to watch some Nora Ephron movies. I've been so tired lately that I've only been able to read a page or two of Clash of Kings before bed so I'm going to try to devote at least an afternoon or evening to reading a few chapters. I'm watching Mad Men from the beginning to prepare myself for season six; I've forgotten so much! Knitting and sleeping are pretty much a given. I've got to do at least some prepping for craft weekend, next weekend Liz and Erica are coming over to get our display ready for the season's craft sales so i need to prepare the house for a flurry of crafting ideas.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Heroes

I've been helping the librarians with some guides for diversity issues at work. This month is Women's History Month so I've spent part of yesterday and this morning watching videos on YouTube about women's history and listening to the voices of some of my heroes. (I know that heroes can be a complex, tricky, divisive, and even out of vogue idea, one that I could write a thesis on, but for the sake of this lighthearted little blog, I have heroes.) I want to share this video here because it doesn't really fit in the context of the guides on which I'm working but I love it and I could listen to Winona LaDuke talk all day.

If you're curious, here are the two I've helped with so far:

http://libguides.cmich.edu/blackhistorymonth
http://libguides.cmich.edu/content.php?pid=129924

Phoning in the Weekend, Monday 3/4

You know what turns out to be totally awesome?  Having a niece and a nephew.

Less awesome: Jack Nicholson eyebrows.

 Also, I will pay for niece cuddles with letting her have free reign of my phone. Which is why I have about a thousand pictures like this in my camera roll:

 And then about a thousand more of her forehead.

 Running has been leading to some hurty ankles which stinks. But an icepack and a berry LaCroix makes it all ok.

The cats also helped with the healing power of their cuteness

and so did my friend's dog Loki. Jenelle and I were crafting while watching the Walking Dead instead of cuddling with Loki like we usually do, so this is the mournful face we got.

Not pictured: a phone date with my Aunt, getting my taxes done, and playing (and being awful at) pool with my good and patient friend Mandi.