Sew Sew

Once upon a time there was this darling asymmetrical zip jacket on the babyGap website. It was, of course, ridiculously expensive for something that would only be worn by my child like 6 times over the course of our mild Arizona winter before he outgrew it. So I waited for it to go on sale but it kind of never did and then it was just gone.

So, I made my own.

It was my first foray into pattern making.


...And zippers...

...and lining.


Some of it's a little wonky because I initially made the pattern waaaay too big (note to self, use things that actually FIT your child when looking for something to trace for a pattern) and that caused problems later when I was trying to size it back down but mostly? It turned out awesome.

And my little monster (who finally finally FINALLY called me "mommy" today for the first time ever) looks dang handsome in it.

NaNoWriMo Report: Day Twenty Five

Word count: 44,296 and counting. I'll be getting back to it as soon as I get this finished.

I finally sat down and got back to writing today and actually? Today was probably my best writing yet. At this point I know my characters and my story but I've also had some time off. The combination of the two led to some halfway decent stuff that I don't feel the need to go back and mark up with my figurative red pen. It's a nice feeling.

Unfortunately, there's still the fact that my story is pretty much over. I introduced a new character tonight in hopes that it would help me push my word count a bit but...he left. I got like 1,000 more words out of him so I guess he helped, but I was hoping for more. I've mentioned this problem to Aaron and he's like, "Why force it? If it's a 45,000 word story it's a 45,000 word story. Just end it." But I'm like, "NO. I MUST GET TO 50,000." Because then NaNoWriMo gives you a certificate to print out. And apparently that is really important to me.

Anyway, happy Thanksgiving to you all! Mostly I'm just thankful that NaNoWriMo is almost over and I'm almost done and very shortly I will be able to WALK AWAY from this train wreck for a while.

That, and I made chocolate haupia pie and creme brulee for Thanksgiving dessert. I am always thankful for good desserts.

Edit: finished at 45,252 for the day. Less than 5,000 to go!

NaNoWriMo Report: Day Twenty-Two

Word count: 42,090

I've been slacking, but hey! Less than 8,000 words left! And by not writing I've actually been going to bed at a decent hour all week which feels soooo niiiice.

I killed off a character today. It felt good. Even though it was a character I'd been planning on killing all along and she hadn't even started to bother me it was still a nice feeling to just get rid of one of them. If I were going for a bit more realism here I would kill off more of my other characters but then they wouldn't get to have the happily-ever-afters I have planned for them and that just seems unfair. Plus even though I'm really tired of them I actually kind of like them.

I am very concerned that I don't have 8,000 words worth of story left. I totally thought I did but then somewhere between 30,000 and 40,000 my story just kind of wrapped itself up very neatly and all I have left is almost the epilogue-y kind of stuff. I'm going to have to go back and add an incident or two to add some length so I can reach the 50,000 word goal. I should probably go back and add some romance since I've basically been ignoring that plot line but I refuse to add that MUCH romance, so I'll have to come up with a few other things as well.

The NaNoWriMo website occasionally offers these random ideas or objects to insert into your story if you're feeling stuck. So if someday you're reading my book and come across such random things as "The Shovel of Death" or a 7 foot pink flamingo you'll know where they came from.

NaNoWriMo Report: Days Nineteen and Twenty

I haven't written for TWO DAYS.

Wes keeps staying up ridiculously late (last weekend he pulled an 11:30er on my poor mother who invited him for a sleepover. Take THAT, Grandma!). When he goes to bed at 7:30-8 I have the steam left to sit and write for a couple hours. When I'm trying to coax him into bed at 9:30-11 well...I don't. And I feel horribly guilty and like I'm falling behind but dude. I'm 4.5 months pregnant. Sleep is very very very important to me. Like, it's up there with FOOD which is pretty much more precious to me than air right about now.

Also, I'm not as motivated to sit and write because my story? Is pretty much done. I have to wrap it up, but I got my characters to the end of the line and they're in the process of saving the world and I just need to make sure the guy gets the girl and then go back and write the parts that I skipped for lack of inspiration and...that's it. So even though I know I SHOULD write I totally have this attitude of, "it can wait, I'm almost done anyway." Which is why I'll probably be squeezing out the last 3,000 words on November 30th. Lovely.

THIS is Why This Baby was Supposed to be a GIRL

Person 1*: TANDER!

Person 2: It's like Tanner and tinder put together. It's not a name and I refuse to consider it.

1: Millow!

2: First of all, ew. Second of all, like MARSHMALLOW? What if he's fat?

1: Keggan?

2: Like keggers? And keg stands? That's not a real name.

1: How do you come up with these associations? NO ONE ELSE would have come up with that!

2: Actually they probably would have. Taking a random word from the dictionary and adding an extra syllable does not make it into a name.

1: Gray?

2: It's decent, but eh.

1: Grayman!

2: Like a man who is GRAY? WHERE DO YOU COME UP WITH THIS STUFF? How about Gus?

1: Nasty.

2: Hey, I like Gus! Levi?

1: Levi is a person who is going to grow up with bad hair and wear pocket protectors and get beat up every day of his life.

2: Yes, because KEGGAN stands a better chance.

(pause so that we can glare at each other for a moment)

1: Blandin.

2: Bland? Like boring?

1: No, BlandIN. It's totally different.

2: NO IT'S NOT.

etc. etc. etc.



Dear God,

Are you sure on this boy thing? Because seriously, I thought You were all about love at home and not yelling at your spouse and junk.

From the trenches,

Kayla



*Names omitted to protect the person in this relationship who comes up with the most heinous boy names ever.

The Universe is Laughing

It's another boy. It took me a second to be ok with it, but I am now.

Two boys. Heaven help me.

NaNoWriMo Report: Day Eighteen

Word count: 40,117

Less than 10,000 words left!

NaNoWriMo sends out these "pep talk" emails to help keep participants motivated. The most recent one said something to the effect of, "I know you want to kill off all your characters because you are so deathly bored of them and you hate them and you want to stop writing forever, but..." and then it listed reasons to persevere. But I was like, HOW DID YOU KNOW??

I am bored of my characters. I am tired of writing. I don't look forward to sitting down to write each night anymore. But apparently that's normal at this stage of the game and that's a relief and it's kept me going. That and the fact that I'm 80% done.

My original plan was to use November for getting my rough draft done and then immediately jump into editing in December and January. However, me and my characters need a break from each other or I will kill them (literally). After my rough draft is done I'm giving myself the holidays off and I'll start back in again in the new year. I need to back away for a while and hopefully return in a month with a fresh perspective because boredom has made some of this stuff seriously bad. It needs help and I have nothing more to give this story without a long break first.

However, today I did get to write an ignominious end for my bad guy. It actually helped a lot.

Random Things I Am Afraid Of

You know how in horror movies there's always a scene at night where someone in a lit house flicks on an outside light to discover something frightening/gory/deadly directly in front of them?

That is why I am scared of turning on my porch light when it's already dark outside. I just know one of these days someone will be standing there poised to knock on the door and I'll flick on the light and there will be this freaky silhouette in the window and I will pee my pants.

Once, I turned on the light and there was a cat laying in the walkway and it scared me half to death. Cause, you know. A CAT. Scary!

And NOW, remember my wreath?

When I turn on the light there is always something there. RIGHT in front of the window. It's like a mini heart attack every night.

Which is why I choose to not turn on my porch light tonight. I might be braver tomorrow.

NaNoWriMo Report: Day Seventeen

Word count: 37,126

Exhausted. The end is in sight. Characters are reaching the end of their journey. Hallelujah. I need a vacation.

I Don't Normally Do This....

But I REALLY want this dress. It's gorgeous. I neeeeed it.

The Hop, Skip and a Jump Maternity Frock GROSGRAIN GIVEAWAY!!!!

NaNoWriMo Report: Day Sixteen

Not writing tonight. Too exhausted. Spent the day in full on nesting "MUST. CLEAN. HOUSE." mode. My house is spotless. All of our clothes, sheets, comforters, pillowcases, towels, and bathmats are clean. The toilets, counters, cupboards, and floors are sparkling. I made dinner and dessert for a group FHE. I have nothing left to give tonight. I'll be lucky if I actually make it to the bed instead of just falling to the floor and passing out where I land.

However, because a whole bunch of people offered to share their lovely geographical knowledge, I need to know what the following states/areas look like:

Northern Idaho
Southern Montana
North Dakota
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Illinois
Indiana
Ohio
Pennsylvania
New Jersey

Been there? Lived there? I'd love to hear about the scenery. Also, do you know what the weather is like in the late spring/early summer? Cause I'd love to hear about that too.

And, because I love you all/am too tired to switch over to posting on the baby blog just now, a rather dark 17.5 week belly pic:

I found I was physically incapable of not making stupid faces while trying to get the iPhone to point in the right direction, so I just ran with it. Anyway, I'm huge. I have to pee all the time already, which I swear didn't happen until like 30 weeks with Wes. I get out of breath walking from the fridge to the couch. But I'm not puking anymore, which is why I am able to participate in NaNoWriMo this year. I think the cessation of the nausea was a sign. Baby 2 WANTS me to write this book. So thank you, Baby 2, for your support. I apologize for giving one of your potential names to a character.

NaNoWriMo Report: Days Fourteen and Fifteen

Word count: 33,023

I didn't write AGAIN on day 14. That was FOUR days this week I did not write a word. However, I did devote some serious time that day to brainstorming and trying to figure out what needed to happen in the second half of my story. My characters are traveling from Seattle to New York on foot which is like fiveish months of just...walking. And I was feeling really stuck on that. I knew what I wanted to happen once they finally GOT to New York, but I also knew I couldn't just say, "And then they walked for five months and got to New York and this is what happened." I had to sit down and figure out some sort of exciting action type things to happen along the way. I was able to come up with some ideas that should hopefully keep me going until I can get them to their destination.

Some of those ideas involve the romance between my two main characters which I have basically ignored since my triumphant kissing scene like 20,000 words ago.

Anyway, today the writing came much easier after my brainstorm. I did, however, spend a LOT of time on Google Map Pedometer figuring out the basic route my characters are taking and trying to figure out how much they could probably walk in a day* and oh my gosh it is SO HARD walking fictional people through places you yourself have never been. I am refraining from describing the landscape because how would I know what the middle of Montana looks like?? Am seriously considering hopping a plane to Seattle, renting a car, and then driving to New York, taking extensive notes and copious pictures along the way for research purposes.

*Assuming these are people who are traveling pretty light, are in peak physical condition, are nomadic in lifestyle anyway and used to lots and lots of hiking, and they walk pretty much from sun up to sun down, is 15-20 miles a day unreasonable? Keep in mind they are not using paved roads or anything, pretty much just hiking through the wilderness.

Ramblings.

I didn't write last night. AGAIN. Aaron has been working like 17 hour days (not actually exaggerating on that one) shooting the U.S. Green Building Conference in Phoenix this week and I've seen him for about 3 seconds in the morning when he kisses me goodbye and I mumble something that should sound like "Bye, have a good day" but comes out more like, "mumphbagadah" and then for about 2 minutes at night before he sits down to unload the pictures off his camera and I crawl into bed to recover from whatever Wes saw fit to inflict on me that particular day.

So when he got home early yesterday and suggested we spend the evening snuggled on the couch watching movies I shut down the computer and popped some popcorn and remembered what it was like to have a husband who is around sometimes (it's nice!).

We watched G.I. Joe and Transformers 2, which leads me to-

People I never ever want to hear about or from ever again. Seriously just go away:

Megan Fox (a. lay off the self tanner. b. no one wants to hear how hot you think you are). Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag (WHO are you again?? WHY do people care?).
The Gosselins (I actually had to LOOK UP your last name because I couldn't remember. That's how little I care to hear about your stupid divorce and whatever other issues).


Also, I think I am nesting. With Wes it was the nursery that I spent hours and hours lovingly painting and assembling and fretting over. With Baby 2 it's canning. All of a sudden I'm like, "MUST. CAN. EVERYTHING." This week I did peach preserves and applesauce. I have plans for apple butter and chicken and after that, WHO KNOWS.

P.S. Locals, some varieties of apple are $1 a pound at Fry's. You know, in case you get a crazy urge to can tons of applesauce. Apparently chicken is on sale there this week as well. In case you need to can a whole bunch of chicken. Be prepared!

Also, I think all my cold weather clothes moved back to Provo without me. It was 57 degrees this morning which, for Mesa, is a little on the chilly side. So I was like, "I'll put on some warm clothes and Wes and I can go outside and feel like it's really legitimately Fall!" Except then I looked in my closet and I apparently no longer own any long sleeved shirts or sweaters. I swear I had a ton back in the days of yore with the ice and snow and what not but they are missing. And I mourn them.

AND on that note I'm going to put on my flip flops and go buy more apples. The canner is calling.