Hannah's Space

I was very excited this year about decorating for Christmas. Thus it was that on Thanksgiving afternoon, after all the food was eaten and dishes...err, piled in the sink, we set up our Christmas tree. We strung it with lights, carefully placed the ornaments, and added the tree skirt. Being the thinkers that we are, we decided to weigh the tree down, just in case Booth decided to mess with it. HA. just in case?? For the next several days we did our best to keep our tree decorated and upright, but we had to sleep sometime and morning inevitably brought bent branches, ornaments scattered about the apartment, and the tree skirt nowhere near where it should be. One morning I simply gave up. I took off the lights, what ornaments remained, and packed up the tree skirt. I figured that a bare tree was still a Christmas tree and it would save my sanity. Booth, while highly disappointed about the disappearance of her Christmas "toys", soon discovered that the tree was ever so much easier to climb! She spent her time flattening the branches (it's a fake tree) and chewing on the needles. Our Christmas tree began to resemble Charlie Brown's. Seeing that our tree wasn't likely to last the season, we gave up on having one this year. We packed away the tree and sighed in relief as kitty went back to normal. In an effort to keep the festivities alive I bought a fresh garland (so much cheaper than fake!) and some red bows. The tree may be gone, but the house smells like Christmas and we rest a bit easier now that ornaments don't go 'ker-plunk, ping!' during the night.  

Weyerhaeuser has a lovely campus. I met Brian there one afternoon and we walked around the trails snapping pictures. 

I've liked the idea of henna for some time. I remember having Mum put a henna soccer ball tattoo on my shoulder during soccer season in high school. Recently, I've been trying to learn more about it and practice applying it. I've taken pictures of most of my endeavors so far and have posted them. It is somewhat difficult to tattoo myself, so those are apt to be a bit smeared and smugged in places. My most recent henna mix was a failure. Runny and clumpy all in one! I managed to do my left palm with a Celtic knot but I tossed the rest of that mix after I'd finished. On the plus side, it's a darker stain than usual because of the "terp" (terpene). The terp I used was aromatherapy grade cajeput and geranium bourbon essential oil - not the best smelling thing out there unfortunately, but it did darken the stain. Making a henna mix is like following one of Mum's recipes: you know the basic ingredients but the amounts and any extras are trial and error! If you're curious or interested in knowing more about henna, I've found this website to be helpful: http://www.hennapage.com/

It's been a bit since I've written. I quit my retail job a week ago, and I have to say I'm enjoying the time off! I've read lots of books, the house is marginally clean, and I've caught up on miscellaneous errands. I planned to start knitting baby hats. However, that idea rapidly fell apart when I couldn't find my knitting needles or the necessary patterns. gah.

I hurt my neck and haven't been able to stand sitting at the computer for any length of time, which is probably a good thing- it gets me out and about more. Say no to facebook!

I wish I could do more decorating (paint and such) but with an apartment, I'm fairly limited. I found that Ikea sells these cheap and oh-so-easy to install under-cabinet and shelf lights. Wowzers! Adding drama to a space is all about contrast; be it color, texture, lighting, or style. I was, and am, so excited about them! I attached one to a bookshelf in my dining room. See the result! Lovely.

 

Booth, our lovely new kitten is a friendly cat. She likes to ride on shoulders. Brian and I think this is cute and we've encouraged it. However... there is a downside to having a people friendly cat that likes to sit on your shoulder. If you don't pick her up fast enough when she wants up, she will find her own way to your shoulder. She makes a small leap to your legs, claws extended, and grapples her way up your body. At this point you desperately hope that you are wearing thick clothes. This morning she tried it when I was wearing a thin summer dress. She didn't make it past the back of my poor bare knees. Ouch!