hurry up and craft

I haven't got anything against Star Trek, I swear. But for all my interest in comics, sci-fi, and all things fantasy, the idea of a Voyager marathon today isn't what I'm feeling. When T, who never gets sick and yet is sick, asked if we could get these episodes out of the way so he could return the discs to his friend, I immediately thought, I need to craft. So, yeah, as long as you're ok with me running around getting things done...
I had a zombie dream last night, where I was trying to cure the "zombie virus" with essential oils (I made a small amount of eucalyptus rub for T the other night for congestion, maybe that's why?), and I've also been on a craft-using-only-what-I-have-kick*. Oh, and I've been reading The Complete book of Incense, Oils & Brews by Scott Cunningham. Put all this together and you get smelly soap balls.

Green eucalyptus and lavender balls, for sick people.

an intersesting mix of sandalwood and violet leftovers, and 2 different types of purples.

Reddish purple sandalwood celtic heart soap in mold

Violet essential oil scented. they were all made into balls, but this pic was supposed to show how cool they looked as chunks, almost crystal like.

Detail of sandalwood celtic heart.

The goods, in nothing fancy packaging.

I used Melt and pour soap and supplies from wholesale supplies plus (except the essential oils, which came from Moonshadow magic shoppe), with Crafters Choice coloring in forest green, candy apple red and something something blue. (A wave of exhaustion just washed over me. too tired to get up and look at the bottles.)
*an explanation of craft-only-what-I-have-kick:
I'm a crack-head when it comes to trying out new crafts. I realized this after xmas, when I bought a crap ton of yarn, a book on liqueurs, a bunch of glassware for apothecary stuff, and couldn't find places to put it all among all the leftover supplies from last years "new" crafting (woodburning/pyrography, stamping, soap, ect). So now I'm not going to buy more craft crap until I've used up (or given away) the old stuff. There was an attempt at a plan to do something each week until i was out of supplies, but that is way too organized for me. I also wanted to discipline myself by not using the new yarn until things get done, but hell, it's a cold winter here in P-town (yeah, that false spring sunshine from last post is gone) and I need a bunch of warm stuff.
Also, I got impatient with liqueurs. I'll give it one more shot, with almond flavoring, and maybe try out some tinctures, but I'm much more comfortable with oils and herbs. 

I know it's not spring but it feels that way.

In Portland I expect rain and weather that rarely goes below 35 degrees F. I don't expect to see the sun or patches of frost all over the ground, more like puddles, mudslides, and concrete grey skies if I can look up for more than a second without drowning. Seriously.
So this year I'm seeing the sun almost every day. And patches of ice on the ground...and freezing fog...morning temps around 24, which for us is really damn low, or maybe I just never paid attention to the weather growing up.
About 8 weeks ago, out of curiousity, I planted a bunch of stuff in the window.

garlic greens

Chamomile, anise, peppermint

I never expected this in such a short period of time.
So now it looks like spring, a very early, cold spring. That can only mean that I'm lighting candles and incense, listening to my (mostly) 90's Pandora station and spending what little is left of my limited funds on cleaning supplies for some early deep spring cleaning.
(What the hell else am I gonna do when my upstairs neighbor is building shelters and rabbit proofing her hardwood floored apartment above me at 9am?)
Right now I'm taking a lunch break after breaking and repairing the mop and scrubbing my bathroom floor.
All I can say is that it appears that my Virgoan nature takes over when I am not smoking (100 days last Saturday) and while I wasn't planning on doing this when I requested today off work, I don't have a choice.
Besides, now I have no money left to do anything else.
Ok, and it's kind of fun. kind of.
But the best part will be getting the kitchen clean, so I can continue to cook and make more crafts, and inevitably mess it up again.
Today's plan after the kitchen is clean:
Soap making
Liqueurs
Dessert which might be this or these

Wish me luck, all. The bathroom was easy. I'm dreading the kitchen for some reason.

YUM

Our toaster oven is probably a month away from a grease fire. Maybe that's what makes everything taste so much better though. So. Super. Easy. About half way thru toasting 2 frozen waffles, toss a marshmallow on top of one, and let it get kinda toasty/caramel colored. Slather on some hazelnut cocoa butter, and make a sammich... Oh, yeah, and consider cleaning out the toaster oven. I used gluten free waffles from Trader Joes, not because I'm one of those gluten free peeps, but because they do taste pretty good. Marshmallows are from Whole Foods, which is pretty much the only product I go there for, specifically.
Enjoy!

bring in the new year

Happy new year!

Mason jar + champagne

stupid bruise (NOT caused by champagne)

It has been almost 3 months since I quit smoking, and since then I've been a bit like a fruit fly on crack, in that I find little ways to occupy myself, but for short periods of time. Keeping updated here would have been crazy and impossible because I wasn't interested in any one craft long enough to take pictures, write about what I was doing and hit the post button. But here's a taste of what I've done in that time.

Thanksgiving, baking, and wearing a hand made hat and triangle scarf.

Baking and knitting. I also did some writing on a story I started a year ago, but obvs I couldn't take a picture of that. You probably wouldn't want a to see that anyways. ...chaos. really.
Learning new crafts:

Making apple pomegranate liqueur!

Unfortunately I didn't do everything I wanted to in 2012 (I blame pinterest...just kidding), but I did things I never thought I'd do, and I'm certain I'll do more hopefully awesome and unexpected things in 2013.
Here's some of my faves (recaps!)

Twin Peaks themed tattoo

New glasses

wood burning

wood burning

More baking

cleaning and organizing my kitchen (newer pic)

showing off my pretty spice jars

For the holidays I got lots of new yarn, specialty types, so my goal for the new year in knitting is to work with materials I've never used before, and to eventually write my own patterns. I also have an idea for dishcloth knitting, but I'm not ready to share that yet.
In 2012 I quit smoking and using any nicotine products, and started an exercise program, which I want to continue to expand. My main goals for the new year are to keep busy and to work on positive things.
What are your goals for 2013?