Six (hopefully) new random things

I love Lynn's incredible and beautiful work at UnaOdd, so was both delighted and honored to be tagged by her. (You should check out her blog in addition to her shop - I really enjoy reading it!)

Six hopefully new to you random things about me:

1. I have a scar extending from inside to just the outside of my belly button because ... when I was a little kid, I was totally mesmerized by my Mom's collection of nifty rocks, stored in a glass jar with a glass top. Maybe I wasn't supposed to look at them without permission (don't quite remember the details...), but I was looking at them, heard Mom coming in, slammed the top on in a panic, and it chipped sufficiently hard to shoot a shard of glass into my belly. I really don't remember how I talked my way out of it. Since Mom reads this blog ... hope you forgive me now, Mom!
2. My first job (not counting babysitting, working for my dad, or other occasional gigs at the State Fair) was one of the worst ever ... the Mall's Easter Bunny! I was in high school and desperately wanted to wear contacts instead of glasses. I worked fulltime the week of Easter Break plus the weekend before/after for an entire $150, which paid for the contacts. Minimum wage and/or slave wages! Here's why it was the worst. HOT. Miserably hot. And what's the worst thing to happen to a 17 year old kid? Mortification. And I couldn't believe how many of my classmates came by for photos on the lap of the Easter Bunny (most of whom didn't know it was me!). Finally ... little kids get excited. And scared. Either of which can cause bladder control issues. Eeeewww. (p.s., but I got my contacts, so it was worth it!)
3. My dad is SUCH a story teller. He loves telling stories more than anything. I never bought into the idea of Santa Clause, but he had me convinced that a human-height white rabbit spent early Easter mornings in our yard, hiding the eggs that we kids spent the week decorating. I was so disappointed when I got up early enough one Easter to see him out there hiding eggs (and I'm sure having the time of his life). Dads are the best, particularly mine!
4. OK. I hate to admit to this ... I truly do ... but I was once an obsessed fan of a boy band. Long before the advent of boy bands. My secret shame is this: I absolutely looooved the Bay City Rollers. Not only did I lurve them, I was going to marry the blonde drummer, Derek Longmuir (more than 30 years later, and I still remember his name ....) (OH sad. I just read that Derek was arrested and plead guilty to child pornography charges). I still have all of their albums packed away somewhere, in all their worn and scratched up glory. Even though I cringe to admit to this infatuation now, I wouldn't give up those LP's for anything. I've been looking for a great clip from youtube for them, and have been transported back to my tween-age bedroom with Tiger Beat posters of Derek and the other teenage heart throbs of 1975-1977 all over my walls. Look at those super cool waiting for a flood tartan-trimmed pants! They were styling!
   
5. I have never travelled outside of the US. I hope to remedy this soon!
6. I am completely and totally stressed at the idea of unoriginality (is that a word?). I'm constantly striving to be unique and original in how I approach work at my day job, and particularly in how I create art and knitting. I really hate doing what everyone else is doing - I'll go out of my way to not do similar to others' work/designs. Which can be quite the challenge on the Big E (Etsy), with a limited world pool of supplies, as well as with knitting in general. I love to see what folks are doing, and am consistently amazed at and in awe of the incredible talent of my friends and colleagues. I just want to do my own thing (and really wish that more folks felt the same way ...)!

Thank you so much Lynn - this was a fun walk through memory lane! I'm confident that I've exhausted my pool of taggees, so would like to open this to all of you! I'd love to read your six random things - here's what to do:

1. Share with us in the comments, sharing in my theme of "secret shame," your favorite boy/pop band from your tween years (girl band for our boy readers!).
2. And, also, please add a link to your own post sharing your six random things!
   

I'm in shock!

I've been looking forward to this day for weeks, and now that it's here, I'm in shock.

I'm on vacation!

Yay!!!

I am on vacation tomorrow and all of next week. Woooo!

• I'll be working on a nice stack of orders (after all, vacation from the day job means more time for work for the night/weekend job).
• I'll be finishing up and announcing/listing my new Spring line of neckwarmers (excited!).
• The Grand Opening for shop #2 will be announced!
• I'm going to Stitches West this weekend - a joy for knitters and spinners!
• I'll do and see lots of other things that I'll share with you all right here.

Most of all, I'm really looking forward to a week of quality time for myself and my bebes.

Just a little closer!

Everyone's trying to keep the secret under wraps over here at Chez Phydeaux! Shop #2! Very very soon!

Laissez les bon temps rouler!

Happy belated Mardi Gras! Today is Mardi Gras - I nearly missed it (another very late night at work).















I did finish this year's Mardi Gras scarf, now available in the shop. Kettle dyed wool + a strand of variegated fuschia mohair/silk + a strand of deep orange mohair silk.

I wish I could say I had a nice bowl of gumbo or plate of jambalaya or a steaming hot beignet today, but it's just not quite the same in California as NOLA. (For one thing, one bowl wouldn't cost you 5 lbs! But 5 very yummy lbs!)

When I was a kid (2o-ish), I had a dream to take a red eye to NOLA for 24 hours of Mardi Gras and a red eye back home. I did spend a week in the French Quarter for a conference, long past my 20's, and found I had VERY little patience for those partying kids in town for Halloween. So, my Bourbon Street partying days are over (thank the heavens), but I start a week + of vacation this Friday (!), so may treat myself to home cooked jambalaya, a dish I was once pretty darned good with, if I say so myself.

Hope you all celebrate the good times, in your own way, this week!

Coming soon!

I'm in the process of opening a shop #2 for something I've been planning for months, but am only now able to move forward with!

But I'm not going to tell you more than that yet.

Aren't I mean?

(hee hee)

Stay tuned, the Grand Opening might be able as early as next week!!!

New World

I worked up the energy and courage to go to the big mall yesterday, being in desperate need of work clothes and shoes (haven't made clothes purchases for more than six months).

It was ... odd.

I was a kid during the 70's oil crisis. I was still kiddish during the early early 80's recession. I didn't grow up well to do, so can't really gauge how those economic downturns affected us. And in the recession of the very early 90's, I couldn't have been much more below poverty level than I already was at that time, so it didn't affect me at all (back in the days when I could make a bag of rice and a bag of beans last for weeks).

This time around, I do pretty OK as a single professional gal. So it's more real. With immediate impact. Deciding which "luxuries" to give up. How to decrease overhead in my business. Reducing my home budget and expenses. Making food stretch. At work, it's very real. Budget reductions. Policy changes in allowable expenses.

Our current economy was shockingly apparent at the big mall yesterday. Macy's turned off lots of lights around the peripheries of the store. There were very few things NOT on sale. I walked out with a jumbo shopping bag crammed with super sale items, and didn't pay very much at all. The mall itself was a little sobering, though jam-packed with people. So many shops closed or with closing sales. The mall's hours, a sales person told me, have been reduced to save on overhead. I usually walk out of Sephora empty handed because of the lines. This time I was determined (needed an eyelash brush - an obvious necessity regardless of the economy?), but only waited in line for 15 minutes (vs. the usual 30+ minutes).

I just got back from a quick trip to Safeway (groceries). I bought a whole lotta bags of food, for far less than I would normally have to shell out for that amount of food. Chicken was on super sale. I actually bought a piece of cake for $0.99 (normally $3.99!) (come on, it was German Chocolate!).

I keep thinking about tsunamis. You know how the tourists always go running out to observe the phenomena of the oceans inexplicably receding? Whilst the locals run for the hills? I feel like I should be running for those hills ... just don't know where there are or which direction to head in ...

It's a new world. I'm rather looking forward to being on the other end of this, discussing everything in hindsight. It's not that I'm totally freaking out. I'm just unsettled, as is everyone.

Audiopleasure

I started reading at a young age. I love reading: stories, myths, history, how to's, cookbooks, just about every possible topic you can imagine. I love writing, too! There will be at least one book published by moi before I leave this planet ...

Several years back, I pooh pooh's my very dearest friend Kris' excitement about listening to Harry Potter books. Listening???!!??? What about reading? I'm afraid I was a bit of a word snob in response, have apologized several times since (and do so now, publicly!).

Then I listened to a Harry Potter book. It was all over for me. Now, granted, Jim Dale may be the very master of all narrators (e.g., the voice of Pushing Daisies, for you non Harry Potter listeners). Nevertheless, I was in love with the idea of listening to a good book in the car during a time when I had no time for pleasure reading (fulltime work and fulltime school).

And I'm still in love with audiobooks. I still don't have time to read, but even when I do - and this makes me very sad - my reading vision is so poor now that I really struggle to read anything at all. Even with my (gasp) progressive lenses in my glasses. (I'm heartened, somewhat, that I needed these at such a young age.)



















I just finished listening to The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaman this week. What a great story! I love a good children's/young adult's book, and this is no exception. I won't give anything away, but do highly recommend it. I usually avoid, based on bad experience, audiobooks narrated by the author. Prior to this, Steve Martin was the only author who also did a wonderful narrating job (in my opinion...).



















Now I'm glad to add Neil Gaman to this list. I don't think anyone else would have captured the magic of this tale as well. He seemed to have absolutely no trepidation over crickety crone voices to a 15 year old girl to the main character from childhood through adolescence. What a joy to listen to! And in case you're not convinced by me, The Graveyard Book won 2009's Newbery Medal (the top honor in children's literature - a very big deal)! (Kris, you'll LOVE this book!!! So will Rich!)



















The only drawback to listening to books in the car is that if I'm nearing the end of a truly wonderful tale on my morning commute, I have to put off the end until that evening. I invariably get weepy and don't really want to show up to work with running mascara and red eyes. :)

I just started listening to one of my very very favorite all time books in world history (that's pretty serious for me!): Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin. I've not listened to this before, but read this wonderrful book a couple of times in the 80's and early 90's. I used to loan it out, never see it again, buy a replacement, loan it out, never ... you get the picture. That's how wonderful it is! I know I will not just be weepy, but outright crying, at the end ...

(p.s., to Kateri re your Clam Beer post ... you may have a new appreciation for a passage in the beginning of Winter's Tale describing the delights of Clam Beer after your own up close and nearly personal experience ....)

Sooooper Sale!

I have a brain and heart filled to overflowing with new designs and ideas, and my fingers and needles are furiously flashing to keep up! I'm retiring several regular items and am housecleaning lots of other items to make room for the new!

So here's Phydeaux's Last Chance Clearance Sale - grab 'em while the grabbin's good - when these go, SOON, they'll be gone for good!!!

Drive By Announcement

I've been so crazy busy this week with my day job, haven't had time to post much, but wanted to share this tidbit: Phydeaux knitting patterns!





















I've relisted a couple of patterns that I sold last year, and more will be on the way. More patterns and also kits are coming up. So you can knit your own Phydeaux original scarves!

For the most part, these will be designs that I've retired from my regular line up. I'll also be offering these on Ravelry - my user name is Phydeaux, shockingly, come visit me there, too!

Bunnies!!!

I opened up the most adorable prints yesterday, of "Beau Bunny," from Donna from TheDecoratedHouse at Etsy!



















My very closest and dearest friends, for completely separate and totally unrelated reasons, both call me "Bunny," making these all the more wonderful to me!



















These make me smile and put glee in my heart - I hope you'll check out Donna's wonderful shop!

We heart you!

My Valentine to you all! 14% of everything in my shop! All day long.

And I hope you all have special days with your special someones!

Friday the 13th Special

I loooove Friday the 13th. At some point as a kid, I decided this was to be my lucky day, and it hasn't really let me down yet (well, at least I'm not jinxed on the 13th)!
















To celebrate my lucky day, everything at Phydeaux Designs is 13% off today!!! See? Now it's YOUR lucky day, too!

Super Cool Anniversary Drawing at 2ReVert

I've been seriously busy at work this week, but learned about 2ReVert's anniversary specials and fantastic (!) anniversary giveaway tonight, thanks to Ottoman's wonderful blog. (Isn't the blog world grand?)

2ReVert's recycles used skateboards into incredible jewelry, coasters, and other goodies!















Like this coaster - gorgeous (I just may treat myself to this one)!!!

Check out their Etsy shop for beautiful and very creative recycled wonders and check out their blog to enter their drawing for $200 of goodies!!!

First day back post ebola

OK, so I didn't really have Ebola Virus ... but it feels like it right now! Still hacking and wheezing, but I did actually go to work today. :)

I also managed to list a couple of new creations last night!


















This gorgeous scarf of Falkland wool handspun by Knotty Naomi at Etsy (of course, I have a box fille with her beautiful handspun yet to knit) I love the colors so much - the variegated neutrals + the lovely strawberries and reds and peaches.
















And this lovely neckwarmer was a custom order and I loved it so much, I listed it! Buttery yellow alpaca and vintage white glass buttons - this screams Spring to me, and I am definitely ready for some Spring. And a super soft bit of luxury to cradle your neck in.

Here's to finishing out Winter ebola free!

{ o sunny day }

What a treat, to learn that a treasury that I LOVED and that sadly expired last night, nevertheless made the front page of Etsy this morning! Here it is, thanks to Kateri of leavesofglass for forwarding and Shana of cookoorikoo for the screenshot, in all its glory. A sure antidote to windy, wet, chilly Winter blues.

(p.s., congrats to Heather of sewhappyjane - this might be her first front page, if not, congrats anyway!!!)

Bronchitis is not my friend

It seems like every year, I am floored by bronchitis. A simple cold or flu takes a turn south and my lungs no longer like me. Same goes for this year! Today's the first day in over a week that I feel better than semi-good - yay!


















Since I have a slight tendency to overdo things almost immediately (haha), I'm really trying to take it easy today (after a shamefully long sleep unbroken by coughing throughout the night - absolutely delicious!). But I have TONS of catching up to do with the day job and the Phydeaux job:

• I'll be getting some custom orders finished and listed today.
• I have an absolutely gorgeous scarf that's been dying to be photographed to list in the most amazing colors and softed handspun wool (pictured above, from Knotty Naomi at Etsy!).
• I have a couple of new wrist cuffs that have been crying for buttons.

Most important, I have a couch with my name on it - I'm not going to overdo it today!

I hope you all enjoy your weekends - be sure to spend some time on your sofa!

And the winner is (for real)!

Krishell of Blue Starr Butterflies! Krishell is a very talented fiber artist, with beautiful crocheted cowls, scarves and other accessories in her Etsy and Artfire shops. I hope you'll visit her shop(s)! She selected an already knit wrist cuff, Spring Garden (which happens to be my own favorite!).

Thank you Krishell and thank all of you! I'll have another giveaway in a couple of weeks!

Custom Wrist Cuff Winner ...

Announced tomorrow (Tuesday) night! Anticlimactic, I know ... just don't seem to have enough hours in my day, particularly recovering from the flu from hades ...















I did finally finish this scarf, started oh so long ago, before the Holiday Rush of 2008!















And I did finally sew buttons on to some wrist cuffs finished weeks ago!



















And finally found the perfect vintage glass buttons to add to this super fuzzy, warm, cozy neckwarmer/cowl that I finished weeks ago!



















Now I'm just achy, dizzy and tired, so night all and check in tomorrow night for the winner!