My boyfriend, Will, turned 21 on Sunday. I wanted to make it a pretty awesome bday - 21 is a pretty big one.


I bought him a Jeff Lewis plays Crass album. It's really good. I saw this wrapping style in a Martha book. Basically you wrap your gift in tissue paper and then wrap it again in folded parchment paper. I just used tracing paper. The folds are very convenient for tucking in notes.


I also got him a straight razor set from Lehmann's and wrapped it in newspaper.


I dropped off a strawberry cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory in the hotel room before I brought him there and at midnight we lit the candles, he blew them out, and then we went to the bar for a drink and to watch people dance.

I got the most awesome and unexpected care package in the mail on Friday.

After "ignori[ng that] part," I found a note with a cute description of everything contained inside.



this picture doesn't include all of the awesome things inside. everything was so thoughtful and perfect.


thanks, Anh!

GOOD WAYS TO CHEER UP (non craft edition)

1. listen to songs about people who feel the same way as you. Jeff Lewis, Spoonboy, and Kimya Dawson have been saying all the things that I can't lately.
2. plan something fun. I've been starting to think about christmas, which is fun because then I can think about being home and being with the people I love. I want to make it a really nice time.
3. lately looking at pictures on Flickr can really cheer me up.
4. call a loved one. will cheers me up.
5. think about drugs.
6. go somewhere alone.
7. when you're bored in class make up stupid stories abotu the people around you.
8. eat great tasting, beautiful food
9. buy something nice for yourself or a friend.
10. take a day! when it's your day you feel great.

Well,
One post during October.
I've hit an all time low!

I feel so uncreative here - but today while reading about el dio de los muertos i remembered my little embroidered day of the dead skull that i have been meaning to make into a bag. then i looked down at my sewing machine (that's right! my very own sewing machine! a belated bday gift to myself), and I looked at my thread, so I decided to get off my ass - and well, get back on my ass - but this time with zipper and 4 pieces of fabric in hand. I didn't have straight pins but it worked well anyway. So I present to you, my DAY OF THE DEAD ZIPPERED BAG, the first product of MY BRAND NEW SEWING MACHINE!





yay!

I need to admit- i was lazy for halloween and did nothing. i'm glad it's over. all the halloween stuff in the stores just made me feel guilty for not feeling it this year.

I plan on getting an early start to xmas. As you may have read, last year I decorated with a cowboy theme. this year it's going to be lumberjack-ed out. lumberjack xmas!! how fun! squirrels, woodgrain, thermoses, flannel, fir trees - i'll keep you updated.

School is going a bit worse. i am really lonely and busy here. but today, riding my bike around some of the most beautiful buildings and gorgeous trees was enough to banish all negative thoughts from my head.

anyway, tell me what you think!