Teacher Clothes

Today I got the best compliment.

I met the partner of one of the teacher's I work with at the Shining Star Waldorf school and she said, after shaking my hand, that I look like a Waldorf teacher. I was wearing a long brown wool skirt and a scarf wrapped around my neck with bits of blonde and brown hair trying to escape. Something that I really strive for in any of my jobs is appropriate clothing. It can be so satisfying to look like you belong in your environment. It gives me a certain confidence and authority when I feel like my outfit matches my atmosphere.

The job at this new school was a bit rocky for me at first. In the sense that it is so different from every Waldorf school experience I've had so far, I wasn't sure how to handle it. I find I am excelling and exceeding expectations of others when I am really just doing the job as I see it before me. This position is really great for me because it's part time and permanent for what seems like as long as I would like it to be. That kind of stability is key for me and I hope I can continue to enjoy it.

Also, I watched the new Footloose with my roommates tonight. I wasn't disappointed but I think that's because I had outstandingly low expectations. All in all, not a waste of time. I could turn off my brain for an hour or so and I think that, is underrated.

I Think It's Happening

I think might actually be here now. It was warm today. It was sunny-ish.
I can't really believe it.
Two awesome things happened this weekend and they both happened last night.

 The last of the triangles had the first step finished and these super cute lace ones are almost finished more. Stupid cute. I am so excited. We actually completed one full banner but i don't have a picture because I'm lazy. Anyway, so great. 

AND THEN. I had a brilliant idea. Need I say more?

Cold

MY ROOM IS SO COLD.

I don't understand. I got the window insulation kit installed and put a curtain up behind the door but the cold air from that closet window is ridiculous. It's still snowing so it is also super cold outside and all that winter wonderland just seeeeeeeeps into my room. I feel like a naked mole rat in Alaska. Space heater and heated mattress pad are on but I still have to wait. I have one of those oil space heaters and it takes its sweet time to warm up a space. I'm a cold person anyway so it really gets to me. This is why I am so heavily depending on spring. That and I got the gas bill today and it's too much. WAY too much.

It's time for sun and warmer weather. I'm ready.

GROSS

5 Comfy Hours

Nothing productive happens while I have my slippers on. I don't make any phone calls, I don't return emails, I don't update my calendar, I don't fill out applications or pay bills and I definitely do not make decisions that actually matter. I put them on at 7pm this evening.

Since my slippers were on tonight I complained and groaned and whined for a little while, ate some leftovers and chocolate covered almonds with sea salt. Actually I did a bunch of sewing and knitting so I guess technically that was productive. Crafts don't really count though because I can basically knit in my sleep and I didn't make anything where I had to make any new choices. 

I finished up the last step of the 77 triangles and started on the next pile, the solid colors. With help of course. We did a bunch of math and figured out some spacing and exactly how many banners we could make with the amount of flags we have and at what length the final project could be. We can make something around 15 banners with all the triangles we cut and that is if each banner is 12 feet long. Hot damn, we certainly were not expecting that! So stoked.

So anyway, I am getting exponentially excited for the video and am more ready then I can ever remember, for it to start warming up. It was the first day of spring the other day and it snowed. And it snowed again tonight. I'm fine with the rain I just wish it would get a tad warmer so I wouldn't have to wear 6 layers every time I leave the house. I am somehow mustering up the faith that it will happen. The 4 year old I nanny for demanded it to happen and yelled for spring to come several times today so if I were spring I would hurry up cuz she can get cranky.

Sunshine & Irony

I feel like the amount my life is shortened by everything bad for me I do anyway, doesn't affect my overall life expectancy because of how incredibly happy I have been in the last 24 hours, it surpassed the deficit.

 For the past 2 days my best friend from college has been staying with me in my new home. Her band is with her and I love them all. I am so elated and I can't get enough words out of mouth fast enough. I have a fear of losing some of the ones that are constantly circling in my head trying to fight for themselves to be spoken. I have cried tears of sheer joy and love not only multiple times today, but since they arrived.

This is a utopia and a contentedness I feel I have never experienced before. I was telling her last night as we sat on my porch smoking cigarettes telling each other how much we love each other, that there is a level to our friendship that was not only unexpected but is like no other relationship I have. She has been using this word to describe families of friends and I love it. She calls me part of her tribe. We don't live in the same place, yet when we are together it's like we have been living on the same land for years. We know each other so deeply, there is no re-acquaintance that needs to happen. It's just a catch up. Our truest desires of who we are and who we want to be have not changed and we can still feel that from each other.

The band is talented and haunting and touching. I am so proud of them and her and am excited to have these wonderful people in my tribe for the rest of my life. 

 This girl. 

Taken by Alwynn

 Taken by Alwynn

 The three of us are what kept me living a life I didn't want. 

I am so happy I can now have both.

 Passion

 Patience

 

Euphoria.

77 Triangles

Tonight I sewed 77 triangles.
Alwynn ironed and pinned.
5 hours, so much cuteness and weirdness.
It's late and I'm tired again.
The banner making saga continues...

Sewing

 Before the ironing

 SO CUTE

 End of the line ironing

 Scraps!

 And this happened.

 77 triangles partially sewn and ironed.

In other news...

...I also made curtains...

(First 6 photos taken by Alwynn)

House

It is 2 am and I'm tired.

I got out the house tonight and went to a lovely show. And then hung out with some of my favorite people. Then I came home to my fantastic house and hung stuff up.
It is really coming together and makes me feel great.

We did this.

Goodnight.

A Trip to Jo-Ann Fabric

WE ARE GOING TO COVER THE WORLD IN CLOTH BANNERS!
A few of my friends and I are making a music video for another friend. Lots of planning has been going on the past few days, Google Doc sharing and editing, lists, and tonight is was fabric cutting. We are making triangle banners out of cloth that we found in the remnants bin. Grace (who I mentioned in an earlier post and is totally amazing) cut all the fabric and we paired them and got a stack all pinned and ready to be sewn. I'm tired and don't have much more to say about it for the moment so here are a few pictures.
There will be updates on this project in the coming days and weeks.

 Before the cutting

 Triangles ALL cut!

Scraps!

I Really Thought it was SPRING

I woke up this morning to a cold snowy winter day. In the middle of March. WHAT? Saying I was displeased is an understatement. I am seriously ready for spring this year. Usually it kind of sneaks up on me without realizing it at all. But this year I seem to be longing and waiting.
Actually the more I think about the more I realize it has to do with my massive lifestyle change since I went to India and got sick last year. I need to have fresh, living food in my diet and in winter, produce is so expensive whether it is local or not so I honestly end up not eating it at all. Which by now, I am missing immensely. I bought some very dark, almost black kale, some spinach, and a hand full of green beans which I have been using sparingly that last couple days. I am hardcore craving green. Also, peaches.

Anyway, after the couple of inches of snow this morning it became very windy and slushy and then quickly changed to warm and sunny. All I have to say about that is that is is very hard to dress for a day like today.

I do keep seeing hope that spring is actually on it's way though. There are early daffodils opening up, the rhododendrons are budding and several cherry blossom trees are bursting into pink. I took a couple of branches from my Dads house today to remind me that although Spring is taking it's sweet time to show up, it RSVP'd attending.

My kitchen window sill

Part 1.
Hey Portland!
Guess what?!!
I have moved into a bona fide house. Yeah you better believe it!
And you know what else?! I have a studio. For my art. For me to make stuff and be creative and explore ideas and try new things and be HAPPY! And guess what else? I have a huuuuge backyard. Enough room for food to grow, forts to be built, a fire pit, garden parties. Yeah, this is for real. It's so absolutely wonderful I can't control myself in making plans for things. Except, I feel like I don't have to control myself. Because I can actually follow through now. so I'm happy.
I have a good group of jobs right now and excited about my prospects and all the future projects I'm planning. It's great.

Here's a little look see at my room. 

 Not very interesting view from one of my THREE windows.

 Vanity

 SO COZY

Part 2.
I do not keep promises. Normally I do. But blogging promises are hard to keep. I apologize. Profusely. Mostly just to the one person who I know reads this and actually likes it (yes, Grace, I am indeed talking to you). I really do want to get back to posting something everyday like I did when I was in Montana. It was really good for me and it helps me remember that time in life. It was really important to me and I want to be able to have a history of the things I do. My memory is not so great with the details sometimes and I'm working on the whole commitment thing, but I think I am turning over a new leaf. I'm doing it.

Here's to day one of the things I have to say or pictures I have to post.

Thanks for being so awesome again Portland and keeping me happily occupied.

<3