Relocated the kitten from my desk chair to my lap so I could get some work done. I'm now typing from a position that is ergonomically terrible, but worth it for the cuddles.

Putting a still from the iconic "this is an Alaia" scene from Clueless in this weeks fashion history lecture on the 1990s. Because even if my students don't get it I will at least be amused.

Currently weaving this tapestry at a very slow rate, but I'm very much enjoying the process of creating gradients by bundling my yarn.

Finally picked this project back up after abandoning it in a closet for nearly a year. Got the first petal done, now I just need to do four more. I really enjoy this project, so I'm determined not to abandon it again.

Was going to sit down for just a minute yesterday, but the new kitten sat on my lap and I wasn't able to get up for over an hour. Luckily, my mom had this great documentary on Bella Abzug on the TV. www.pbs.org/wnet/america...

Did I completely forget about this platform for a few months? Yes. However, I'm now posting a video of the 6-ish-month-old kitten we adopted in January attacking his own tail, so I assume I'm forgiven. (note: I do not expect anyone to have noticed my absence 😆)

Listen, I can suspend disbelief for all sorts of things if I’m watching a good romcom, but asking me to belive that two 30 somethings in the year 2025 were together for two days and didn’t exchange phone numbers is pushing it.

That “my grades have been submitted all 3 of the required ways” feeling

New shelves for the craft room/ office closet have arrived! I just need to take care of one more thing and then Operation: Make the Craft Room Less Chaotic can resume!

Made myself pick a healthcare plan. Will be paying 356$ a month after a 55$ subsidy (I’m guessing I’ll make 55k next year, but 🤷‍♀️). Thats for one person, with a 1.5k deductible and 10k max out of pocket. I can do it, but I’m going to have to cut back on some things 😭

Extremely proud of this semesters group of sewing students. Our intro sewing course is notoriously difficult, but they worked so hard!

Glad I bought my table loom a few years ago because wow have prices gone up! I’m pricing them out again since there might be some spare money at work and ouch!

I regret to inform you (by which I mean, me) that if I want to wear the sweater I’ve been working on, I have to actually finish knitting the sleeves.

Doing some knitting while binging Dynamite Kiss and the brief the writers were given was clearly “yearning, lots and lots of yearning.” This whole show is infused with the energy of Mr. Darcy’s hand flex and I am here for it.

There are many things I can and should be working on today. But we have reached the point where my brain will not work unless the first one is “rearrange and clean up your office”

At my dentist appointment today, the hygienist said I made her job easy because I have very good oral hygiene and I’m gonna feel smug about that all day.

Today is: how did the semester go by so fast and how did I manage to make such a mess of the dye lab day!

The Sunday scaries can’t get me this week because I put off both grading and some mandatory training and have to get them both done this afternoon.

I have finished cutting the last of the pieces for my hand sewn quilt. I have 3.5 blocks left to assemble. I don’t know if I will manage to finish them all before I go to sleep tomorrow, but I will be close!

One of my favorite ways to get rid of thanksgiving leftovers is to bake them into little hand pies using some store-bought puff pastry. I’ve got a set filled with sweet potatoes, rosemary walnut lentil spread, and spinach in the oven right now for lunch.

So far the snow is very much sticking but you can still see bits of grass peeking through out here in the Chicago suburbs. Definitely shows no sign of letting up soon, so I’m settling in for a cozy, indoor day!

Forgot to deadhead a bloom on one of my miniature roses and now I think she’s pregnant.

Once again, I need to get out of my comfy chair and get ready for bed, but there is a Clara on my foot.

Kind of looking forward to the snow storm predicted for this weekend. I’m having a no-spend weekend (online and in-person) because I don’t want to participate in Black Friday, so it’s basically just cozy time!

Spending the day trying to explain to the cats that it is too cold to open up the unheated sunroom, and this “too cold” thing will continue for the next few months.

The last few years we’ve been doing thanksgiving on Wednesday instead of Thursday for various reasons and honestly it is the best. It’s 6:30pm, everyone is gone, and we’ve got lots of leftovers to get us through the next few days.

Nothing has gotten me out of a reading slump better than a bunch of T Kingfisher novels I put in my Libby queue over the last year all coming in one after the other.

Putting on my teacher face really takes it out of me! Even after the easiest, calmest, low-stress class session, I still need at least an hour to decompress, a good snack, and a cup of tea.

I’ve been making good progress on my hand pieced quilt top, so I made a little video of all the bits I’ve sewn so far this month! 🪡 #quilting #sewing #craftsky

I have ordered an entire 15 yard bolt of my favorite off-white quilting cotton. But in my defense, I have plans for 7 yards already.

I don’t want the confidence of a mediocre white man. I want the confidence of a stray cat who walks into a random person’s house and says “I live here now. You’re going to feed me and adore me. You’re welcome”

And now to settle into my comfy chair and decide if I’m going to work on one of the projects I need to work on or if I’m going to zone out and work on the pretty pink sweater that is at an easy part.

This is inspiring me to use my PD funds to subscribe to some of the crafting magazines I’ve been eyeing. I don’t get enough to do anything big, like go to a conference. But knitting and weaving magazines totally would count and be within budget 🤔

Idk if it’s just me, but Senator Duckworth seems to have responded to the angry email I sent to Dick Durban after he folded. Thats… a choice.

The most important thing to ask when adopting a new cat is “is this an up cat or an under cat?” The answer will have a significant impact on your life going forward.

Once again, I am preparing to log off of all social media for the entire month of December to avoid hearing Christmas music.

Extremely pleased with myself for getting my grading done today. Lately, I’ve been putting it off until Sunday, which is less than ideal.

Everything about this so-called deal is infuriating, but I’m particularly mad about how they’ve promised to get a vote on ACA extensions by the second week of December. To have healthcare in January, we have to pick a plan by December 15th.

Emailed @durbin.senate.gov to tell him that reopening the government without securing extending ACA subsidies is some cowardly bullshit (apparently his phone is not accepting messages) and now I’m logging off so that I can be calm enough tonight actually sleep tonight at a reasonable hour.

This is a perfectly normal amount of sprinkles to have on hand, right?

The other day my nephew described me as “sort of having a job. I adjunct and blog, so accurate. But wow kid, you don’t have to come at me so hard.

Woke up to the first snow of the year! And I’m enjoying it immensely because I have absolutely no reason to leave the house today.

Hours and hours later, we have made it out of the American Girls store and are headed home. We ate at the restaurant. We got my nieces dolls hair done. My sister bought her an unreasonable number of toys. I really hope my niece remembers this as a good day.

Shout out to whoever decided to just play the entire K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack straight through at the Schaumburg Joong Boo today.

Wondering how bad the flight cancellation thing has to get before people start talking about using Amtrak instead.

Please sign this petition! c.org/BC4Vtwxw7P

We’re taking my niece to the American Girl store for her birthday and she is insisting that everyone bring a doll. So, I dug my 1991 Samantha out from her box in the basement.

I can have a little bourbon barrel aged red tea, as a treat ☕️

Saw a listing for a 1M$ ~7.5k sqft house on a main road nearish to me and it just makes a great case for why single family zoning is stupid.

Upgraded my union from a janky spreadsheet of emails to an actual email list today!