Lord of the Rings Cross Stitch

At the end of the summer, I sewed up this little ditty as a way to escape labeling cardboard boxes. Here's a scan of it. The pattern is sold by weelittlestitches, and I've made a couple other Pixel People patterns like this.

Springtime Photo Dump

So, I haven't been keeping up as well as I should have this last month or two. I've been busy with stuff of course, and there are some exciting new developments taking place 'round these parts. In a feeble attempt to both recap and avoid housework, I'm putting some pictures I've taken in a nice steamy dump here:

First thing: succulents. Last year I had dismal success, but I realized that the trick is not to buy them from Home Depot. This time, I ordered a variety pack of clippings from a nursery in California.

I spent about a week designing and calculating the cost of making my own vertical garden pane. Then I saw that Home Depot sells them for twenty bucks. The cedar smells really good, too.

Because of the amount of cuttings I got, it quickly became a game of "what can I cram these into"

I even propagated the odd bits at the bottom of the box, and it actually worked.

This was the prettiest rosette of the bunch. It's actually still alive.

What I did buy at the 'Pot were some droopy houseplants, in an attempt to create more colorful container gardens. I actually bought flowers for the first time and photographed them, knowing they'd probably shrivel and die after the first week. It was a good thing I did.

This flower *could* have been pretty if it hadn't been half-dead when I bought it

This was the most variety I could work with Home Depot's houseplant stock during my visit.

This flower actually budded and bloomed. And then got rained on for 5 weeks and died.

I made some spring-themed cards for my friends and family, channeling the spirit of Martha Stewart.

We've also taken walks around the neighborhood and visited outdoor areas such as the Boston Commons and the Arnold Arboretum.

Pretty brick houses on Beacon Street that are all now chiropractor's offices.

What kind of flower is this? They're so pretty!

Party Mountain at the Arboretum.

This bonsai tree is like a billion years old, roughly

Redwoods at the Arboretum

Taken during Lilac Sunday at the arboretum

I've always loved the willow trees at the Commons

Columbines have been growing everywhere, and they're one of my favorites

Some cloud pictures I've taken because I'm a boring individual:

Lastly, hamsters. Man do they reek but they're oh-so-cute when they're cuddling. I keep trying to take pictures of them but always fail because a) they're moving, b) low light, c) they're inside a cage or ball that distorts/blurs the image and makes it look like it was taken at night.

They look like little Ghibli owls when they sleep. When it's hot they sprawl out on their backs like little pups.

Harry the Bunny Pum-Pum Cross-Stitch

Made this for a friend as a culmination of inside jokes. I'm quite pleased.

Green Bathroom Succulents

Taking more photos with my new Samsung ST77 camera. I like this one because of the color and the apparent fuzziness of the leaves.

Birthday Cupcakes

Been swamped with freelance work lately and haven't been leaving my computer, but I was able to make some festive red velvet birthday cupcakes for my boyfriend's sister. 

A Little Green when Everything else is White

The window this morning.

One of the 3 bouquets I created from my boyfriend's massive anniversary/Valentine's Day bouquet

An attempt to save these pretty doomed mini roses. I wish I had a yard...

The potted garden that I planted last spring is flourishing, even the ivy.

A new plant, chosen for its pink stripes, curly leaves, and purple undersides.

Repotted the bamboo I got at a fair as a junior in high school. I finally realized that maybe it was a bit cramped. The roots were really weird and lobster-red, and I had to cut it out of its plastic container. It's about 3 feet tall and has two little babies. 

Another new plant, chosen because it looks leafy and happy and I don't have anything like it. 

One of my older plants, grown from a little squirt. I "let its hair down" because it wouldn't fit under the lamp anymore propped on sticks. Now it's on the top of this high shelf, where hopefully it'll still get enough sunlight to stay happy. I wish I knew what any of these plants were, but they're all anonymous "house plants" from Home Depot.

Holiday Felt Cakes: Buche de Noel

My mom used to make buche de Noel every year. I made 4 different variations and stamped gift boxes to give as presents for friends and family. They're a variation on Keiko Sugano's pinwheel cake design.

The Nail Polish Thing

Earlier in the year, I bought some nail art stamps and several bottles of nail polish (more than I've purchased between ages 12 and 24). I decided to start painting my nails to discourage nail-biting, and to put some modicum of effort into my outward appearance. I've actually had a lot of fun coming up with new designs, and here are a few pictures that I took.

Princess Cupcakes for New Year's Eve

This year I brought the makings for princess-themed cupcakes to make with my little cousins. I got the idea from cupcake design book my boyfriend's mom got me for Christmas.

My grandma was simultaneously making Italian zeppoles for New Year's, so there were many desserts (as usual) to choose from.

In the background you can see the gingerbread house that I helped my little cousin make. I'm glad I'm not an architect. Plus, I'm guessing the gumdrops and candies that come with it are roughly a decade old.

 

My grandpa is a major oenophile, so we had real champagne for New Year's. He taught me that champagne is only champagne if it comes from Champagne, France. Otherwise it's a white wine. Either way, it all tastes like bitter Sprite to me.