The Mask is almost complete.

Le Masque du Péché is almost complete!

The sanding and gesso of the volto (face mask) are done. Next comes painting and mounting. The columbina is done, except for the baton. I need to find (or likely make) a finial for the baton and find out how to mount it to the plaque. The plaque is painted and drying. Then comes putting it all together and getting the nameplate on. Then I can put it in the mail and call it good. Another piece to my portfolio. Another creation that's helped my maintain my sanity.


I'm so excited to see it all done.

Four.

Four years ago, the man who would become Husband asked me to be his girlfriend. He also hinted that I was not allowed to say no. Seven months later, we'd be married. Today, to mark this special occasion, I've gotten out my cake tools. Decorating cakes for more than ten years was quite enough for me, so I only do so for special reasons now. Even more special is the fact that Husband doesn't know I'm making the cake.

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I weighed myself today. I am down 5 1/2 lbs and can fit into smaller pants. Score one for me. Hasn't been hard and I haven't made huge changes to my diet. Just a lot more activity now, largely in part to my fitbit.

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Kittens are well and wonderful this morning. Not much to report today. No eyes are open yet, but their ears are slowly unfolding.

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Older Daughter is learning her colors. She can now correctly identify red, black, green, blue, yellow and pink. Purple and blue are a little bit lacking yet, and white is not registering at all.

I'm giving serious thought to changing Younger Daughter's name to Baby No Nap, because she never sleeps. Then she's miserable by 4:00 and I can't let her go to bed before we've even eaten dinner.

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Husband, who is crazy scared of needles, is donating blood for a blood drive at work today, after they got an email that pointedly said they needed A+ blood type donations. I'm so proud of him <3

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Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not a huge fan of cooking. I've been known to state that I am allergic to the stove. Husband did most of the cooking for the first couple years we were married. That said, I find a special satisfaction in cooking for my family and friends. They get good food made with lots of love, and that makes me very happy.

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I went out and bought a polymer clay book yesterday, because I'd borrowed it from the library and renewed it too many times. The inspiration and tutorials in it are wonderful, though, and I was struggling without it.

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That's all I've got for right now. Maybe something more exciting will happen with kittens today and I can come on here and brag about it.

"Taking food alone tends to make one hard and coarse. Those accustomed to it must lead a Spartan life if they are not to go downhill. Hermits have observed, if for only this reason, a frugal diet. For it is only in company that eating is done justice; food must be divided and distributed if it is to be well received. " -Walter Benjamin

Progress- In a manner of speaking

This afternoon, I came across more prime examples of my inability to stick with any hobby I take up. In the middle of knitting a square, I decided it was time to get up and sort out the floss that came with the counted cross - stitch rooster kit I got last year (I had grand intentions of getting it made and framed in order to give it to Grandmother for Christmas last December, but...)


So I spent two hours untangling and sorting the flosses. They're all labeled by color number and chart symbol. Then I opened up the chest next to my knitting chair and dug out an embroidery project I started about.... Oh, two years ago? It was another one of those things I decided on a whim that I wanted to learn to do. It's just outline embroidery, but... So here's the progress I made before I forgot all about it.



I sorted out the accessories for my counted cross - stitch and put them in my nifty little travel bag and then promptly zipped it up and set it aside :-/ I dug out the separate flosses for my embroidery and set them aside too. I've got all my knitting books stacked neatly by my chair.

And yet, after the disaster that was The Beret That Wasn't, I'm reluctant to really take on any project now. I also have a tendency to let my mind nag at me about every other project than whatever I happen to be working on at that moment.

Wait. The Beret That Wasn't? Yeah. It had a lot of potential. But my lack of attention span and the fact that I've never worked on circular needles didn't lead it any place good. So it ended up with weird stitches and the shape and size are all wrong. If I had been trying to make a mushroom hat, I couldn't have done it.




Le Sigh. Hopefully the boredom and reluctance will pass soon and I can get back up and try again.