Irony is the Shackles of Youth

Cross stitch progress! This is the piece I’ve been working on and off for about a year and a half. Not because it’s particularly complicated. I just put it down to work on other things or because I screw up and have to take stitches out and then need a break from it.

There’s actually more done than shown (I worked on it while at the in-laws), but I hate taking pictures of my pieces when you can see the half-done stitches.

The reason I love this pattern (and patterns like it) is because you can work it up in sections. I tend to break this pattern down into 1/8ths as you can see from the missing 1/8 of the pattern. I also love monochrome patterns like this because I can focus on the pattern and not have to worry about keeping track of which thread colors I still need. I usually also have a pattern using multi-colors going at the same time so I can switch between the two.

Ultimately, this will be one of three similar pieces for my kitchen. The next one will be in dark gray. Not sure what color I’ll do the third one it. I have the pattern already picked out. I do know that the next piece I will back with some muslin or white cotton so that the threads are not quite as visible through the fabric.

Pattern Source: Antique Pattern Library
Fabric: 18 count

I need to stop saying, every time I have to get some sort of ID card made, "Man, that is the worse picture ever." Because obviously, fate takes this as some sort of challenge and the next time I need to get an ID made, I get an even worst one.

I think I hit rock bottom this time. Not only can you not tell I'm wearing glasses in it (hello, the contrast doesn't need to be that low), but the glare from my glasses makes it look like one eye is partially closed. So I basically look like I'm washed out and have my eye swollen shut. It's terrible. If this ID was used in the game of "If this was your mug shot, what were you arrested for?" people would look at mine and say "Bar fight."

Ugh.

I have all these ideas for writing and absolutely no urge to write. It's like as soon as I open a blank document, my mind goes blank as well. Hopefully once the thesis is done this will go away. Of course, I keep saying that about a lot of things. "Once the thesis is done I will read more books... write... update my webpage... work out more... be able to think once I get home instead of just vegging..." Getting a Master's degree is hard.

miome is attempting to make banana bread pudding with rum sauce. I get the feeling it's not going well. I get this feeling from the fact that random curse words keep coming from the kitchen.

( And now, have some pictures! Very picture heavy. )

Behind the cut our the pictures that people requested. I apologize in advance for the state of the apartment. We haven't unpacked too much.

( Picture heavy behind here! )

This picture is not safe for work due to the level of Tsaiko and Miome content.

http://pics.livejournal.com/tsaiko/pic/00013p68/g2