Lately I've been posting about 50/50 friends locked/public entries. I add pretty much everyone who friends me so if you want to add me, add away!

Also, I would love it if you posted an intro comment on this post about yourself or where you found me. (comments are screened)

<3 Carly

We finally rented a moving vehicle rented for early next week!

I am moving all my stuff to my grandparent's place in north western Indiana on Tuesday. I will be staying with them temporarily while I travel into Chicago to look for a permanent place to live and a place to open a store.

I forgot I had a few musical instruments stuck in the back of one of my closets. I keep finding fun things I forgot I had.

The phrase "The things you own end up owning you" (-Chuck Palahniuk) is never more apparent than when you are packing to move.

We had 4 consecutive nights of heavy fog and freezing temperatures that covered everything with a heavy layer of frost. I was in the neighborhood of our state park and stopped in to take a few pictures of the lake and all the frosty trees.



I also did a couple panoramic photo collages (click to go to my flickr to see bigger pictures).


( More pictures under here )

After I move and get settled in I am dying my hair back to an unusual color. I'm getting very tired of having brown hair.

There it is. I knew it was going to happen one of these days.

The snarky comments about how I am doing everything wrong have begun.

Thanks. It's nice to know you have no confidence in me to make the right decisions for myself. Maybe, if you had a track record of doing the right things for yourself I would listen to you. I hope you like my cold shoulder because that is what you get from me after those comments.

I just got off the phone with a friend. He isn't up for going to SXSW this year because he would rather save his money to go back to Japan. :( I can't blame him for that decision but it still makes me go :(.

Would I be a horrible person if I put off opening my store (my main potential source of income) until the end of March so I can go to the SXSW music festival in Austin?

P.S. This is a serious question.

I drive a rather unique car. Compared to the volume produced of other models of cars, my car is pretty rare. Luckily for me, people who own these cars love them, take care of them, and hold on to them for parts.

My car is 14 years old and has a damaged rim (cause: 1st slippery winter morning 2003 + a street curb). I have really amazing car repair people here and now that I am getting ready to move away I am finally having that rim replaced.

The rim is refurbished (not pulled straight off a vehicle) and is being shipped in from another state.
Cost of just the replacement rim: $180

My car is amazing in many ways. The only downside, the cost of replacement parts and the difficulty finding parts.

I am home from visiting my cousin (and her 9 cats and a rabbit). I had plans to visit my cousin and the trip was pushed up one day to avoid driving in that horrible snow storm that came across the midwest late last week. Now that I am back from that, I feel better about posting my near future plans.

( Where I am going and what I am doing )

I am not one to follow horoscopes. Sometimes I will read my horoscope for fun but I don't think too much about them. DaWanda sent out an email promoting product groupings that match your star sign. So I checked it out.

I can't believe how accurate the products for my star sign are to my current thoughts and interests! I checked out Kris's sign and it matched her focus right now too.

Do any of you see yourself in your star sign's products?

2009 was a lousy year. For me, it really felt like there were a lot of bad things that happened. Based on the things I am seeing around the interwebs I think many people feel like 2009 was just a bad year.

So, on the last day of 2009, here is my list of personal items worth noting:

- I read 22 books

- I finally met stars2811 in person

- My kitty died.

That pretty much sums up my year.

I think 2010 is going to be a good year. A lot of things in my life will be changing very dramatically and I am very optimistic.

Happy New Year everyone. I hope you all have a great 2010!

I have been trying to keep the negative posts to a minimum which means I pretty much haven't been posting anything. All the bad things going on are simply things I need to wait until they go away.

The plan for the next month keeps changing. I have been planning to move since August and I can't even remember how many times the plans have changed. I'm just so tired of the plans changing. There is more going on than just moving and I really can't talk about it but I am dealing with external circumstances in addition to my own plans.

I will probably move away from Iowa before the beginning of February, but I will most likely stay with family for a short time while I figure out a few things and find a new place to live. Kris and I are moving at the same time. I could be packed and out of here in a week. Kris has barely started packing. I'm feeling pressure to be out of here, like, tomorrow, but I can't move until Kris is ready. I don't know why she hasn't been working on packing her stuff since August but I guess that is her deal. Too bad it affects me too.

Things are just so complicated. So complicated that I don't think I could explain things in full to anyone outside the situation. I can't wait to get away from the complication which is part of the reason I am making some of the decisions I am and not budging. I just can't do it anymore.

On to a couple more positive things.

I recently purchased 3 new patterning books. There are sort of two schools of flat patterning and I was struggling with the techniques that I learned in college. I got a new book with a different technique and I am have a lot more success. Things are turning out how I want them without so many test fits and mock garments. I have been making lots of things again and I am actually excited about making things again.

I made three Instructables for mixed drinks to enter in their "Cocktails vs. Mocktails" contest they are running. I have two more that I want to post if I get them ready in time. I am not much of a drinker and with the stress going on right now my fibro has come back in full force so alcohol is upsetting my stomach again. If you are curious, you can see my entries here.

Plans are changing again.

This is seriously getting old.

So, I guess my dad is in a bad mood because either 1. my mom didn't give us a bunch of money for Chirstmas or 2. Kris and I didn't ask for money for Christmas.

I guess he is upset that Kris and I aren't greedy.

On a side note - Kris and I didn't get anything for Christmas from our parents which was to be expected. It has been years since we did anything other than make food to celebrate the holidays.

I'm having a really hard not arguing with him today. He has already had me out in the snow/rain taking pictures of the water running down our and the neighbor's yards so he can send the pictures to the mayor to complain. He got mad at me because I didn't just show him how to use my camera (he has never in his life used a digital camera) and send him out onto the slippery wet cement driveway. Thanks but, I'd like to keep my camera in one functioning piece.

Yay, you are going out of your way to be in a bad mood and to be mad. Gotta love Christmas!

I'm so glad this will be the last time I have to spend Christmas with my father.

I cannot wait to move away from here.

1 month, 10 days (approximately).