New header and a hommage to a few artists

Yes, I've finally been able to change my header. Gone for a very simple design.

I'd like to put forward a few artists from Etsy. The place is simply amazing and full of terrific eye-candies.

1st of all Anne Julie who is a French artist of great talent. Her etsy shows her prints, original art, jewellery and more. She reminds me a little of theblackapple but their styles are still very distinct.
I've also had a crush on Molly Jey. Her paper sculptures are simply whimsical !

I crave for scrapping but can't give in, because I'm finishing an album for my colleague who had a baby. He and his gf love it classical so I'm feeling a bit frustrated and I'm not sure I'd even be able to scrap in my style anymore ! lol ! Here's a sample of it :Classical I told you !

Been cleaning up

I think I must be the least resilient person in the world. I'm ashamed to admit it, but I'm still looking around for China. The pain has faded a little because I'm under prozac (had to go back on the med anyway), but it still lingers though.
I feel ashamed of whining like that, cause I know so many people who lost their family/husband/friends/parents...or just survived tragedy themselves, and still keep their chin up.

Anyway, I've been trying to move my @$$. This must be part of the mourning process (if you've lost someone dear to you, please don't be upset about my using the word "mourning", because for us pet owners, it is a real loss when a pet dies) : I have felt the urge to clean up and change everything around.
Here are a few (bad-it was getting darker when I finished) pics of the deco.

This is my "geeky corner" with toys and old vinyls and my Avengers collection (let's all pretend you haven't seen that).

And this is the "Alice in Wonderland" clock in the kitchen. Ok, everybody has this Ikea clock, but I just love it. Just bought it in red too for the future house.

And I have also changed my hairdo, and for once in a blue moon I don't hate it !

Ok, it's the basic "longer at the front, shorter at the back" do, but I still like it. The girl adapted it to the length I wanted, and she actually listened to what I wanted.

Also, isn't it funny how life has a way of playing with you? Everytime I have lost one of my dear cats, a newcomer showed up in the garden. Many of my neighbours adopt cats that they let astray, and they don't spay them. And it seems that there is a guide of "best houses to stray to", because all the cats in the neighbourhood end up in our garden !
Well, anyway, we have a new visitor, a small red-headed cat that looks like a stayer. Red-headed cats are always stayers, mind you. We have one who showed up in the garden like 3 years ago, and was then fighting all the other cats. We spayed him, talked to him, tried to get him to obey, but he still fought everyone, so we had to give him away to one of my mum's customers. Presumably a reliable guy. Well, the next day he had works at his house and let the door open. I mean, who lets their door open right after adopting a pet ?! The cat ran away, obviously; there was much shouting and crying on my part, because of course I felt guilty for having given the cat to the mor*n !
We went looking around his house (which was 2 miles away from ours), in all the streets, shouting the cat's name. Nothing.
And then before the end of the week the red-headed cat showed up in the garden again, covered in dirt. Only difference was that he never fought the others anymore. Poor cat must have thought that we were "punishing" him by sending him away.
Anyway, I have a feeling that this newcomer is probably in the same vain ! I'll have to take a pic of him one of these days !

Bad news

Hello everyone
Been a while since I have written anything. Shortly after my latest message I have learnt that China suffered from pleurisy and that the issue was more than likely fatal.
So I had been watching her closely every night after work these last weeks, and we had to put her to sleep as her health had dramatically worsened on Sunday night. We went to the vet last Monday morning.
I'm still looking around hoping to see her, and I feel like I let her down (inexplicably, as I've stayed with her her whole last night and I think we couldn't have done anything else, but still).

Here's a video of my sweet little girl a few days before she died :




It was very dark on that day, but you can still see her breathing hard and you can see how sweet and loving she was.

Hopefully I'll be able to post something happier on Sunday.

So What's up ?

I have been back at work for 2 weeks, and predictably only have been able to update today !

The atmosphere at work has been of a big and general comatose. My colleague has to stay up all night because of his new born baby, and I just can't seem to have a restful night (maybe the Dr who said I was suffering from sleep disorder was right).
We've had an evaluation. And it looks like we're getting the raise we had asked for considering the amount of work we had done on top of our assigned tasks.
We're getting 45$. Yoohoo ! (said in my cynical voice). We were both hoping for at least 65$, but I had told my colleague not to be too optimistic, and it turns out I hate being right !

On a happier note, I shed another 2 lbs, but I'm still dubious as I have no clue why. I'm sure doing less exercise than I'm used to. I've been putting weight on and off for no reason before, so I'm defiant. But maybe it's just how I am.
I have received new clothes from torrid. I had to pay 65$ for custom fees, but I'm trying to persuade myself that I couldn't find these clothes around here anyway!
First, this skirt

that I am too old to wear by a good 6 years, and that I sure can't wear for meeting officials. But I wanted it sooooo bad.
And then this dress

that I can wear more easily at the Museum. Matter of fact, it just is über referential ! This is da dress to kiss young GIs in their tanks isn't it ? It kinda screams May 1945 at you. lol !
I need to find a red turtleneck to wear it these days, because what with global warming and all, it's still on the cold side here in Northern France !
And I've finally managed to find a pair of red tights to wear with it, after a whole day of searching, on this site that carries an impressive range of plus size tights and stockings, plus cool stuff like petticoats and garters !!!

I've also been scrapping a bit, doing an album for my colleague's kiddo. They like the classic style, so it's a bit hard on me ! lol ! But I'm doing my best.
And I've been doing a monsterlet for my cousin's daughter who came for a visit. No pic, cause I've done it in about 15mn before she had to go home. But here's the recipe :
take this stamp

and shrinking plastic, some color pencils, cook the plastic monsters, and Voilà ! A very happy kid permanently holding her arm up in fear of losing her monsterlet ! lol !

----------------
Now playing: The Cure - young americans
via FoxyTunes

Would you believe ? 4 lbs off !

Yeah, but I'm not too enthusiastic about it, because I put weight on and off without rhyme or reason.
In this specific case, it must have been because I was on holidays, so less stress for me ! Too bad I'm going back to work tomorrow. But I'll be starting sophrology, so let's hope it'll help !

And yet I sure worked out less : when I'm at work I spend half of the day on my feet walking or climbing stairs...So let's hope I haven't lost 4 lbs of muscles ! No, I know there isn't that much muscles in my whole body, lol...

I think we're the only family I know who is susceptible of LOSING weight during the Xmas holidays. We've such small appetites ! And in the past years I drunk more but I find that alcohol now sets up my migraines if I drink more than two glasses ! Sure to put me off !

Well, of course, that leaves 36 lbs to go, not for me to be thin, but to be acceptably-in my own criteria-fat. Ha !

And now on "lighter" subjects (no pun intended).

We don't have the second season of Heroes here in France yet, and my brother has so been telling me that it was well below the expected level, that I wanted to watch some. Si I found a streaming of the last episode, and watched it.
I mean, who in their right mind would watch a season final without having watched the rest of the show ?!
Of course I've never minded spoilers too much. I'm the one who always reads the end of a book at first (no, not just in case I'd die before I read it !). Don't know, I must have a cyclic mind.

But still, that was pretty silly, uh ? Now I have to go back and watch the other 10 episodes.
And I already have this sinking feeling that Heroes is going all Lost on me, with writers killing my favorite characters and losing sight of a thread and all...erm, of course, the circumstances are rather peculiar with the writers' strike.

----------------
Now playing: Dinah Washington - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
via FoxyTunes

On more futile subjects

When I said I had showed the family Xmas trees on my blog, my aunt insisted a lot on my showing her nativity scene too.
Well, some of you know nativity scenes are not really my trade, since I'm not a religious person, but I must say in all fairness it really is a family tradition.
Every year my aunt settles a creche with "santons" (traditional southern France characters, whose name I believe means "little saints", but they really embody villagers, shepherds). And every year we buy her a new one at the Xmas market.
She has also added a few from abroad.
Luckily, the creche is confined into the limits of a closed cupboard for now, because nativity scenes don't traditionally include 15lbs cats ! Baby Jesus, yes, ass and ox yes, but no cat !

So here is da thing :
And a few details :
The traditional Provence scene

The manger and the three kings

And this little guy comes from Southern Italy.

And as we're talking about my aunt, here is what she got for Xmas (along with a new flat screen for her comp) :
Not that she's a George Clooney fan, no, she's a con and robbery fan ! The kind of "no gun, no victim" stuff that you only see in movies.
She's always dreamt of setting up a big plan. We've always been teasing her about that !
Family, right ?!

Please keep Christine and her fam in your thoughts !

I feel terrible for babbling about my little insignificant problems when I've just learnt that Christine is going through a terrible time right now.
Please send her and her family your support if you can.

----------------
Now playing: Gorillaz vs Scissor Sisters - Dirty Harry vs Laura
via FoxyTunes

Happy New Year (late)

----------------
Now playing: Nina Simone - Try A Little Tenderness
via FoxyTunes Hello all and Happy New year ! May all your wishes be fulfilled for 2008.

Everybody seems to be writing up their resolutions these days, but I never make these. My commitment-impaired me forbids me to.

But there are a few things I would like done in the coming year :

1. I want to get the house NOW. I have so been postponing this project by fear of, well, commitment ! I want to go and ask for a credit in April or May max.

2. I need to go back to the gym. My subs ended in November, and I have to try and find another, cheaper subs. But as it will be at least 500$ a year, and I'll have to pay maybe at once, I have to wait till the end of the month for that !

3. I have to go and find a surgeon.
I have been horrified by my New Year pic. (there was an ugly pic here, but I had to remove it, couldn't stand it being on the blog for like ever, even for honesty's sake)

If I were any fatter I'd be absolutely square.
I won't give in and do any diet ! Diets have led me to this ! Before I started them I was healthily plump and had a nice figure; after every diet I put on the weight back with a bonus. And it gave me compulsions that took me years to shake off.

Admittedly it worked even worse for me, because, in the Dr's words, I have a genetic anomaly that helps my body adjust to very severe diets. So it stocks up on fat at the slightest occasion. Thank you Dr, can I return this anomaly to the store and rather curb time or read minds? No? Oh well...

Obviously, as I'm a small eater (no junk food, no soda, 1600 kcal a day), I can't go under stomach operations either, would be of no use.

So aesthetic surgery it would be for me ! Now I just have to find a surgeon (and the money ! lol !), and make some tests to see if it wouldn't be too dangerous. Some surgeons don't like to operate obese people when it's not absolutely necessary because the anesthesia is more hazardous.
I don't want to be operated to be "thin". This is not possible. Not gonna happen. And if I could have Paris Hilton's figure in the blink of an eye, I'm not sure I'd want to.
But I want to get a figure back. Curves.

P.S. I'm totally not one to feel sorry for.
I've just learnt that one of our relatives' new born child was born without skin on some body parts. Please keep the child and his family in your thoughts, not me.

4. Yes, Dutch for dummies ! Need to get back to studying Dutch.

I think that's it for the main wishes for 2008 !

On the craft front, I haven't been scrapping much during my days off.
But I've been doing a few necklaces :





And as a good-bye note I will leave you with a few kitties and garden pics (just hoping to make you forget the part about my ugly pic) :


----------------
Now playing: Miss LI - Let Her Go
via FoxyTunes