Crafty Sunday

I actually had all my homework done on Friday. Which meant for the first time since school started, I had nothing to do on a weekend. 

It was nice…for about two seconds, and then I was bored. So, I decided to do some Pinspired crafts. 

I wanted to try my hand at wreath making. We have a tree in the backyard that is shedding its leaves like crazy so I had more than enough supplies for this first project: a leaf wreath. Coming from someone who isn't exactly an expert crafter, I was proud of the end results. 

Original

Mine :)

                     

All I used was some floral wire tripled up, a crap ton of leaves, and some ribbon, et voilà!

Next, I had a surplus of toilet paper tubes since I like making things with them, and I decided to make a Halloween wreath inspired by this: 

Source

This was a little more involved but short and sweet as well. 

Starting with toilet paper tubes, measuring tape, a pencil and some scissors, I cut the tubes in half inch wide rings. 

Then, after I cut enough for my needs, I painted them. I recommend spray paint to save time, but sadly I had none and had to paint each individually. It was time consuming, but it staved off boredom. 

 Once dry, assemble your circle, bust out the hot glue gun and put that together. Then I took my orange tubes and cut them in half to make the curly bits, before glueing them wherever. Using the left over curly bits, I made the "Happy Halloween" for the middle.

Crappy lighting, sorry!

The original post used thicker cardboard tubing, which is why their's is more substantial, but mine was relatively free, so I dig it, amateur looking and all. 

Follow me on Pinterest: Nikki0510!

Fill in the Blank Friday

My first link-up!

My favorite flower is a tie between Bleeding Hearts and Orchids. I love the bold colors of orchids; I had a blue orchid for a while. I love bleeding hearts because they have a very bold look, plus they're shaped like a heart. :)

You should never talk about politics. Mainly because I don't know enough about the election to really contribute an educated opinion (working on it, so I can make a good vote though). 

My favorite discovery as of late is Marshals. They have super cute home decorations for really cheap. I bought a table cloth, art for my wall, and a glass centerpiece for $30. Can we say score?!

This fall you will probably find me wearing my knitted beret. I love a cute knitted cap and it makes hair styling easier while also keep my ears warm. Double win! 

I wish I were  done with school already. Seriously, it's been three very long years and this last home stretch seems to be the hardest part. 

My favorite TV show currently is Doctor Who. I discovered this show some time last year and watched all six seasons within two months. I got way too attached to the Pond's and I am still not quite over their departure.  

This weekend I want to take a lot of pictures, attempt to make my first apple pie, and hopefully have a really nice visit home full of family and friends. 

Confessions of a Germaphobe

No, I don't care that I am holding you up while I adjust my coat sleeves to cover my hand to open the door. Really, I'm not touching it. The building could be on fire, and I would still find a way to not touch it. 

Yes, I realize I'm giving a dirty look when someone sneezes or coughs near me…I'm sorry. Really, I'm just holding my breath. Yeah, it could just be allergies or some tickle, but I take NO chances. 

Yes, I take an unusually long time to take a pee in the bathroom. Whether toilet papering or hovering, that shit takes talent and time not to touch the seat. 

Yes, I do take the paper towel I used to dry my hands in the bathroom with me until I reach my final destination. There are a lot of door handles from point A to point B and I'm not touching any of them.

Yes, I do wash my hands before and after every class. I have no idea who sat in my seat last and what they did in that seat while they were there. 

Yes I will still visit your house if you're getting over a cold, but don't be surprised if I enter in a cloud of disinfectant spray and then spray every area before I sit in it. I don't want that shit. 

Yes, I know you think I'm weird when I pull from the middle of piles. I'm not touching the top. I'm just not. 

No, you are not allowed to touch my food or drink at any point in the meal eating process. I don't care if we've known each other for days or years, the moment your finger touches anything that potentially goes near my mouth, it's not happening.

No, I will not eat something if I can't see the expiration date or know when it was opened. 

No, I will not eat leftovers that have sat in the fridge for more than two days

No, I will not drink the milk even if it smells good after the date. That may be wasteful, but I've made that mistake before…NOT FUN

How did I turn into a neurotic germ freak???? Easy

1. SOOO many people don't wash their hands in the bathroom. SERIOUSLY DISGUSTING

2. I have been food poisoned one too many times and would rather not relive those moments

3. I see people sneeze into their hands and then not wash them

4. I go to college where sickness spreads like wildfires in drought season

5. I enjoy not being sick and everything above may give me dirty looks, but I guarantee you'll be coughing before me. 

This list stemmed from a friend making fun of my door opening process. If you have any weird germ quirks, leave a comment. I would love to know some fellow germ-freaks! ;)

A Date with My Future Hubby and Fall

It has not been an easy couple of weeks. Every week has been a cycle of sleep, school, homework, eat at some point, sleep. Jay and I have had no time to just be together. 

I think we've both been frustrated with the lack of us time. So this weekend, we said enough is enough. We both cleared our schedules for Saturday, and went on what I am referring to as a Fall Date. Anything and everything Fall was done yesterday. 

Early in the morning, we got up and made a delicious breakfast together. Eggs, toast, bacon…the whole nine yards. Something we haven't been able to do in a while. 

Then, since the trees are turning at an unbelievably fast rate, we decided to head to our local nature reserve. It was gorgeous, all the colors and smells. We spent an hour walking through the various paths (damn meter parking puts a time limit on everything). It wasn't too busy, only a few runners and a couple getting what I think were engagement photos taken. I did a little 'aww' at that and squeezed Jay's hand. We reminisced about our own engagement and time together.

Isn't this cute!

I didn't take too many pictures,
wanted to enjoy the moment. 

After words, we figured 'tis the season' and went to the local cider mill for some apple flavored goodness. I went a little crazy…apple donuts, hot cider, cold cider, organic syrup, honey, and apple butter. Seriously love fall. 

Then, I have been really itching to carve some pumpkins so we picked some up on the way home before making a pit stop to the local video store to rent some kid friendly Halloween movies. Disappointingly, they didn't have too many, but since I wanted to stick with the cartoon theme, we picked up "Coraline" and "The Lorax."

It was dinner time by the time we got home, so we set to making some dinner before popping in the movies and carving our pumpkins.

Mine is on the left and Jay's on the right. 

It was the best day. We finally got a chance to laugh, talk and just be together again. It's days like these that break up the monotony that schedules and repetitiveness can bring to any long standing relationship that remind you just why you're doing this whole love thing, and why we really work together. 

We've decided, to keep our sanity and our connection, that we will now reserve every Saturday for date day, no matter what. No amount of school or work pressure is worth the loss in contact we've had recently. Follow my blog with Bloglovin

A Poem or Two

Source

Since I am currently taking three upper level lit classes this semester (I just had to be an English major) finding the time to plan and create posts with anything akin to substance has been hard.

To make up for my lack of blogging skills at the moment, I have decided to put up a few poems I wrote for the poetry class I am taking.

I am not a poetic genius. This isn't even a craft course, so please don't expect genius. That said, hopefully they make you chuckle, considering it's a class about comedic currents in poetry.

The first one is my Whitman imitation poem:

Life! A portable time line I can scroll through!

Every stage categorized, photographed...marked with a
     notification, a time stamp shared!

Every illness and cure a click away, my doctor a mouse, guiding me
     through harmless hangnail to full finger amputation!

Images of my organized, three story, gothic, 4 bedroom, full library,
     100 acre, middle of nature with a fully functioning green house 
     so I can finally say I am self sufficient home... easier pinned 
     to a board than somewhere solid!

Images of my family with whom I share blood but not common
     memory, e-cards rather than real cards...virtual hugs better 
     than none!

What a comfort to see my friend list greater than 100, that increase
     of 'Happy Birthdays' posted to my virtual wall—popularity 
     finally measured in numbers!

What a joy to know I leave my own footprint in the sands of the
     wireless—it'll last much longer than the beach anyway!

                                                                                  N.L.

And this one is what happens when I am instructed to write a bad poem: 

“Ode to a Cricket”

Creatures of the night

        With legs like string and bow

You sprinkle my yard

        Like chocolate chips on a cookie

A movable symphony

        Free music for four-legged insomniacs

Sometimes I am lucky

        A bedtime solo just for me

And we play a game of tag

        So I can get a closer look

Night's lonely singer

        With my shoe

                I squish

                                   N.L.

So these are the types of things this lovely mind is creating this semester. Thoughts? Opinions? Any one want to write an awesomely bad poem and share it with me???