Tag: home

The Blanket

The Blanket

Stefanie Snider

I’m not exaggerating when I tell people it’s like Halloween every day in this house. Some people have an abiding love of angel knickknacks. Some collect fine porcelain. Me? If it has a skull on it, odds are it will find a place in my home.

That being said, it’s not all gloom. There’s a sugar skull, embellished and dainty. There’s the vodka, the cut-glass bottle gleaming like crystal.

And now there’s this:

skullblanket

 

It took me about four months, during which time I had to teach myself to crochet. It weighs a ton, and the colours are even more eye-searing in real life. It’s gaudy and kitschy and I’m so damn proud of myself for finishing the thing.

And now that winter is kinda, sorta finally here, I plan to spend my lazy Sunday afternoon curled beneath this Technicolor monstrosity, book in hand and coffee at the ready.

(To give credit where credit is due, I stole the idea from Granny Mania via Pinterest. But those 630 squares? All me, baby.)

This Week in Sniderville: 16

Stefanie Snider

So. Long time no see. I’ve been working on a very cool idea with my writing. I don’t want to say too much yet, but if it goes according to plan I’ll have a full-length, dead-tree book for sale before the end of this year. Cross your fingers for me?

Otherwise, I spent this week doing house-y things: reorganized the bathroom, tended my new plants, did a bunch of cleaning I’ve been meaning to get to. It was our second anniversary, and my wonderful husband surprised me: he gave away his shift so he could stay home scrubbing our back deck and getting it ready for summer.

(Which went like this:
We park behind our place. So I pull in after work, expecting an empty house, and instead find our deck chairs all over the back lawn. From my vantage I couldn’t see the deck they came from, so of course my overactive imagination decides there are weird strangers who’ve decided to throw themselves an impromptu Thursday-afternoon party at our house when we’re not home. I gave myself the willies in a matter of seconds, thinking I’m going to get out of the car, turn around, and get murdered by vagabonds. Nope, just Dude, pleased as punch that he managed not to let word of his little plan slip. It took me a minute to relax enough to be appropriately appreciative.)

We’ve decided to dress up the deck; we’ve lived here for ten years now and have never really used that space. So we planned, and we planned, and today we went comparison shopping for outdoor furniture and completely changed our minds. Gone are thoughts of dining-style tables, in are thoughts of low-slung couches. We left almost empty handed (solar lights and hose trigger notwithstanding) and came home to plan some more. No deck-warming barbecues any time soon, kids.

AND in keeping with this week’s theme, my lovely Mom bought us a very special anniversary present. A baker’s dream come true. WHO’S GOT A RED KITCHENAID MIXER? I DO. (I mean we. We do.) So much more bread will be made and eaten in this house now.

It’s funny, how we’ve lived here this long and it’s never really felt like home. But we’re getting there.

We’re getting there.

How was your week?

This (Last) Week in Sniderville: 14

Stefanie Snider

I decided last week I’d move the Sniderville posts to Sunday, to better incorporate Saturday’s goings-on. A full week, if you will. I don’t think I like it. It messes with my title (what week is this, exactly?)
Back to Saturday next week.

Hmm. So, what went on this week…

Sunday was Mother’s Day, of course, and I took my beloved Mom out for lunch.
We went to our Thai haunt, and it was delicious as always. We’d gone to the flea market, also, per her request, and I ate fantastic creme brulee. Everything was going so well, until suddenly it wasn’t. Something I ate didn’t enjoy being part of my person, and long story short I cut out to go home and lay in my bed whimpering and trying not to die. Some Mother’s Day. I love you, Mom.

I went out to Target to buy the cats some furniture.
Yep, you read that right. We’d had a box of cardboard by the back door, destined to go out for recycling, but it was commandeered by the cats. Turns out it was at a good level for squirrel watching, and since we’re exceedingly indulgent we let it stay. For months. Finally I decided this was ridiculous, and set out to buy them a little bench to sit on. An awkward conversation with the Target clerk* and $100 later, I have never felt like such a cat lady in my life.

jadie benchWorth it.

 

I discovered that the groundhogs who live in our backyard had babies.
I’ve tried to get pictures, but the mama is understandably protective and won’t let me too close. There are two adults and at least two babies, and they’ve made an elaborate series of hidey-holes in the neighbourhood backyards. C has taken it as an excuse to let the grass grow on our little hill, since they’ve built a burrow inside. I’m just waiting for one of us to snap an ankle in the hole.

I published a new horror story.(Click here for a preview)
Honestly? I think this may be my favourite yet. A little more suspenseful than the others, with a definite wallop of gross.

How was your week?

*“Oh, looks like all we have left is the one on the shelf. I can check in the back for you; sometimes the ones on the floor get a little scuffed up.”
“No, thanks, that’s okay. It’s just for my cats, anyway.”
“For your…”
“Cats? For them to sit on?”
“Oh. O…kay. I hope they…like it?”

Domestic Little Weekend

Stefanie Snider

This weekend was exactly what I needed. The week was exhausting, and stressful, and I still feel like the whole week flew by without my getting anything done. By the time Friday night rolled around all I felt like doing was hanging out under blankets and reading. So I did. Saturday we meant to go to the movies, but by the time C finished work neither of us was in the mood. So we had a nice dinner out, then bought movies and snuggled up on the couch. Today I went to a book sale with my mom, and out for brunch.

Then I spent the afternoon cleaning, and reorganizing, and reading the Young House Love blog. It’s time to get the house ready to be closed up all winter, to fill it with yummy smells and baking bread and rich, heavy meals. It’s the time when I start reading cooking and decorating blogs and making plans to cozy up the place. As much as I hate winter, it gives me a great excuse to just be comfortable at home.

This winter I think we’ll finally get around to redoing the living room floor. I want to get C’s blanket finished. I want to master this whole Crock-Pot thing and spend more time making good food.

The outside world is getting faster and harder and, frankly, meaner as time goes on, but that only means that home is more important than ever. So if you need me, I’ll be here: reading and knitting and working on my writing career. Working on what matters, what makes me happy.

What I Did This Weekend

Stefanie Snider

I made some satisfying progress my continuing struggle to be an organized person this weekend.

Friday:
– took back library books, early
– finally upgraded my credit card to one with better benefits
– FINALLY changed my name at the bank (after being married a year this past May)
– scheduled another banking appointment to set up some new investments (holy shit! I’m a grownup!)

Saturday:
– bought more storage/organization bins and, y’know, actually used them for their intended purposes
– stocked up on sale pharmacy items AND took advantage of a one-day-only deal for store points

Sunday:
– got up early, bought and assembled a laundry-sorting hamper
– revised my daily to-do’s for this shift
– customized our Quicken program

I feel pretty good about things right now. I didn’t manage to get any writing done, but now that some of these niggling tasks are dealt with I feel like I can get further ahead this week than usual.

Missing Half Her Face

Stefanie Snider

Sundays are for crafting. In between rounds of laundry and cleaning and naps (another reason I don’t have children: these are MY naps), I like to make things. Something about the connection to all those women before me who sewed and knit and baked makes me feel peaceful.

Then this happened:

That’s my unfinished cross-stitch of Marilyn Monroe, in the drawer where I hide it from the cats. Somehow when I was working on it last, I failed to notice how disturbing she looks. At some point she’ll have eyes and lips, but in the meantime she looks like Leatherface got ahold of her.

Office Peepshow

Stefanie Snider

This is my first spring with my new office. I’m still tweaking things (a trip to IKEA should help with the organization), but I’m getting to the point where things have their places. My favourite part of the day is when the sun comes in like this.

Featured above: the dresser that my older cousin had in her bedroom, then her dining room, then it was in my teenage bedroom, and now here. I don’t remember at what point it turned blue. Also, my knitting basket, sewing box, files, and a few books. The dinette chair was red vinyl, at some point, and is now half pink, half leopard-print Duct tape. I like things that have been loved and well used.

Tag, you’re it! Share a picture of your office or creative space. What do you make there? What does the space say about you?