Today I am going to share with you all how to make “yarn” from plastic bags.

Step 1: Lay your plastic bag out flat.
Step 2: Cut off the top (handles) and the bottom. You should have an open cylinder left.
Step 3: Fold this piece of plastic into a flat strip.
Step 4: Cut this strip leaving about 2 inches of space between each cut. You are left with some plastic circles!
Step 5: Lay one plastic circle strip on top of another.
Steps 6 & 7: Connect each piece together using the knots shown above.
Step 8: Pull the knot tight, but be careful not to tear the plastic or you will have to pull the broken plastic pieces out!

Step 9: Roll your “yarn” into a ball and it is ready to use!

Here are a few purses that I made to auction to benefit the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources in 2008:

I decided to post something fun today: a picture survey! Let me know if you do this too so that I can see your answers too

Where you grew up:
*Trinity, NC

Where you live now:
*Raleigh, NC

Your name:
*Miranda

Age:
*21

Favorite band (s):
*The Avett Brothers and blink-182

Favorite tv show (s):
*Friends and House

Favorite movie (s):
*The Notebook and 10 Things I Hate About You

Dream vacation:
*Everywhere on this map

Dream car:
*Yellow beetle!

Favorite season:
*Autumn

Favorite dessert:
*Brownies

Favorite animal:
*Pandas

Pet’s name (s):
*Schroeder (cat), Beethoven (chameleon), Mozart (hamster)

First job:
*Pizza Inn

Current job:
*Gymboree Play and Music

Also, I added some new emoticons:

Let me know if you would like to use them for your website or forums; I was thinking of making them downloadable!

That’s all for today.

My website looks a little outdated, yes? The new layout is a work in progress.

I wanted to post a Vlog today, but I didn’t have enough time to figure it out. Instead I wrote this up, although it is technically being posted after 12am, I think it still counts as the 15th seeing as how I did try to video it already..

Today (December 15th!) is Annual Quilting Bee Blog Day! The Quilting Bee is an online club that I am so glad to have found. I have been a member for almost a year and a half now, and I wish I would have joined sooner!

I first found the quilting bee several years ago, but I didn’t join right away. I would always check out members’ blogs by checking out the member list, and one day it occured to me to sign up so that I could actually meet these people that I had admired from afar. Each member in the club trades pixel patches with one another, so we collect patches and make our quilts. We also participate in many themed club activities.

My favorite part of being a quilting bee member is the sense of community that comes with it. I have met so many wonderful people just by being active on our forums. Some of us chat daily, showing off pictures of pets or asking for advice. No one is EVER rude, and it is so great to have such a wonderful group of people to call my friends! This year some of us sent winter holiday cards out to each other.. I sent out over 20 and I look forward to receiving them too. I will proudly display my cards that come from all over the world, all from my considerate and funny friends from the club!

This year’s entry was short and sweet, but I’m sure there will be many more to come.

You can learn more about The Quilting Bee (and join! ) here!

My dad won a game at the fair and let me pick out this lion. Schroeder seemed to like it; this morning I walked around the corner and caught him batting it around. He looked up and tried to let it go, shaking his paw because his claw was stuck. I said, “it’s OK. You can play with it,” and I smiled at him. Then he just pounced on it!

I had been planning to make him some toys anyway, so tonight I cut open the back and stuffed in some catnip. I stitched up the back and called kitty over. This video was taken shortly after!

Beethoven, my veiled chameleon, grabbing a quick bite (large cricket).

Here he is right up against the cage drinking the water as it is being sprayed.

A few years ago, I would have considered myself completely apathetic about politics in general. Today I look back at my naïve attitude and realize that all too often this same apathy I felt is the same reason our country is currently in the shitter. Although I wasn’t old enough to vote in the 2000 election, I definitely didn’t ever support George W. Bush. Yes, that’s right, I disliked Bush before it was cool. Call me unpatriotic. Actually, according to the definition (dictionary.com says, “showing lack of love for your country”, I suppose that would not be true at all. In fact, I can’t see it as anything but showing love for my country.

Most Americans are so hungry for a change. In the past 8 years, our apathetic country has progressively become more aware of the corruption that we call The Bush Administration. I too am ready to focus on the future and what is in the best interest of the planet as a whole. I want all of the positive changes promised by our presidential candidates, but who is the “best” choice?

First of all, let’s all take a moment to be thankful for the fact that we even are able to vote. Imagine being brought up in a country than not only did not have your best interest at heart, but also you had no say in the matter, no opinion, and you better not show your opposition. Thank you, beautiful democracy. And I certainly would not describe myself as a total feminist, but it is so important to acknowledge the history of a woman’s voting rights. Women were not even allowed to vote until 1920. That really isn’t so long ago. Women that petitioned for their say near the White House were imprisoned and treated as less-than-scum to be “taught a lesson”. Here is a great article for more details about why it is important for women to exercise their voting rights.

Second of all, how do we decide who is the “right choice”? Between John McCain and Barak Obama, who can bring the best to the table? Which party can bring the best administration as a whole, from the individual supporters to the promises that they are making us? First, we must decide what is in the best interest of our country. We in fact need this positive change. Do you really want 4 to 8 MORE years of the Same Shit, Different Day Syndrome?

Discussing the candidates themselves would be another entry altogether. But, please, acknowledge the importance of voting and consider what matters to YOU. I encourage you to exercise and embrace your right to vote. It’s easy! (haha - can you tell we are on Letter E at Gymboree this week?)

The moral of the story is: if you don’t vote, I don’t want to hear any of your bitching!

And, just for giggles, here is a “Politically Correct Dictionary”.

Happy Friday!