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???

Holding Hands

Source

        A few years ago, I joined my college's honor society and shortly after my induction, we participated in our town's “Relay for Life” walk. I was still relatively new to the group and hadn't had a chance to make any friends, so I brought Jay along as a buffer for any social awkwardness.

     We arrived early that cold morning and walked up to register. After being pointed in the direction we needed to go, Jeremy instinctively grabbed my hand as we weaved through the walking path in search of my group's booth.

     I spotted my old teacher first; he was the advisor of our honor society and the only one I actually knew at the time. We walked up and said our hellos, me introducing Jay as my teacher shook the hand he wasn't holding.

     It was then that he noticed our clasped hands. He got that look...that look most people get when they spot such an innocent display of affection. He got the attention of another older member of the group and they started conspiratorially commenting: 'young love, the honey moon phase, puppy love' with fluttered eyelashes and exaggerated gestures.

     Blushing, I told them of our then 6 year relationship, how we were well past the honeymoon stage. My teacher reacted with a pleasantly surprised smile, commenting on how he and his wife hadn't held hands in years, his joking partner commenting the same. I just shrugged my shoulders, but I was a little saddened by that.

     When does that happen? At what point do those little pieces of intimacy just stop?Relationships don't fails due to lack of hand holding, but it's still a nice moment to share. I remember a time when holding someone's hands was enough to create butterflies and blushes and sweaty palms.

     Even now at nine years, Jay and I still holds hands, still kiss before coming and going, still say I love you—with feeling—multiple times a day. By no means do the excited jitters that once accompanied such actions still happen all the time, but Jay's hand in mine still provides a connection I cherish as our relationship continues to grow. Those little things are a sense of comfort for me. If I am heading towards a situation I'm unsure of, I can grab his hand and a sense of calm replaces all anxiety. The simple touch letting me know that he's there, and he'll be right there the entire time.

     I'm not saying that Jay and I have a perfect relationship because we still hold hands. Our relationship is far from it and no amount of hand holding is going to solve all our issues. But, what I'm trying to say is don't take those little comforts for granted. Those things are important.

     Go home tonight, or tomorrow, or right now, and grab your partner's hand and just remember what it was like that first time, when your relationship was new and such a simple gesture told you all you needed to know in that moment. And then take comfort in the fact that that hand is there when ever you need something to hold on to.

     Then take that comfort often.

Happy Blog Resurrection Day

Much like myself, this blog is back from the dead. Somewhere around the time of my last post I just dropped off the interverse. My twitter stopped (@Nikki_Writ if interested-also back from the dead), not that that ever really got going; this blog was forgotten; and Facebook, the page I used to check and update religiously, was filled with the sounds of crickets.

Chalk it up to school stress, the crushing blow I was delivered from said school, or the fact that my weight loss was stalled somewhere between giving up and fighting to lose one more pound. Either way, the creative well had dried up quicker than my backyard in this drought filled summer.

So, I decided to scrap everything and start over. Hopefully, round two of blogging will be much more successful.

To get things started: what have I been up to these past seven months?? Not a whole lot. I survived my first year at big university and am beyond excited that I am only three semesters a way from rocking a Bachelor degree.

I discovered Instagram and went a little crazy taking pictures. If you have the time or inclination, please check it out: http://web.stagram.com/n/eternalsun/. If you are actually interested in one of my prints, I do have an instacanv.as gallery, but I think the prices are outrageous and will make and sell them to any interested party for less than the price they have advertised.

I also went camping as a final hoorah to the summer about a month ago. While it was a really nice way to end the summer, it was slightly dampered by a run-in I had with a patch of poison ivy. A month later and my legs still look like a red speckled mess, but scars don't itch!

I read a lot. Two books I think all can benefit from are Gillian Flynn's “Gone Girl” and Sol Smith's “Sight.” Im working on full book reviews for the future.

In other news, I would really like to revamp the look of my blog. If anyone is good at html, header creation, or general design layouts and feels like taking on a charity case, please HELP ME!! ;)

I have some ideas about what I want, but no idea how to implement them.