Beware the pig mask.

Drinking Buddies @ Landmark. Cake tasting @ Luscious Layers. Girl dinner gone wild @ Carmen’s (see photo above). Quesadilla la Reyna del Sur during a hail storm, drink @ Violet Hour, Co-worker Devon’s band (Lights Alive) @ Double Door, drink and fried pie @ Handlebar. Spin, Daniel Clowes exhibit @ MCA, pizza @ Dimo’s. Z and my 10-year Chicago-versary midwestern potluck party [Z’s Chicago-versary was August 1st and mine is October 6th].

Wow, looking at the list of everything I did last week – no WONDER I took many naps. So much stuff is happening. Wedding blanks are getting filled in. This week I really need to concentrate on making some new stuff for Renegade and then it’s ALL wedding stuff from then until our wedding October 19th. Whoa my gosh! My boothmate I was matched up with for Renegade is Jessica of di Palermo Body from New York and we’re super excited because we scored a corner booth. Come see us at Booth 174, South side of Division at Hermitage. These things sometimes shift around, but that’s the ballpark of where we will be! Can’t wait to see my awesome customers there – I’ve got some last minute surprises up my sleeve!

There is lots of happy stuff going on, but I should note some sad news. Z took Katniss (our hedgehog) in for our vet follow-up re: mites. The mites are gone, thankfully, but she had started limping and not putting much weight on her back right leg. We feared this was a side effect of the oral ivermectin since it can cause neurological damage. Z talked with Dr. Horton about it at the appointment and she took an x-ray. As it turns out, bone cancer has taken over Katniss’ back right leg and our choices were amputation or chemo. It was a no-brainer for us because there are plenty of very happy tripod animals out there, but it is still very sad to think about our happy Katniss with one less leg. We take her in on Thursday to have her leg amputated. Hedgehogs get many different types of cancer, so for her to have lived to be 3.5 and be absolutely healthy up to this point was great news, after having two hedgehogs with cancer. This comes at the stupidest of times, right before our wedding when we are trying to adhere so closely to our budget. The cost will be somewhere between $500 – $600 and we’re not sure how much VPI (our pet insurance) will cover of it, if anything. Sucky curveball to be thrown. Silver lining: I have an awesome friend Christina who is a fellow hedgemom who will watch Katniss and medicate her twice a day for pain while we go to Alex & Megan’s wedding and then have our own and mini-moon. Hedgemoms are the best moms.

Films watched 35th week of the year:

Drinking Buddies
Waiting for Armageddon *
The World’s End
Maria Full of Grace ** [ Colombia ]

* documentary
** foreign language

I am probably a *tiny* bit biased, being a featured extra in buddy Joe Swanberg’s Drinking Buddies, but I loved it. Z and I have been watching Joe grow up as a filmmaker in the time that we’ve known him and he has really come into his own. Favorite scenes: fight scene & malort scene. Only the REAL Jeppson’s malort, of course!

Tweekly make: favor bags for Eliza’s bachelorette party. I filled a clear polka dotted bag with Trader Joe’s candy and magnets I made. Then I punched holes and ran a ribbon through them, tied a bow, and then pinned the custom pins I made for the attendees in the bow’s center.

This was a pretty excellent week. Got my measurements taken at Mignonette for my wedding dress, had after work drinks at Rootstock, purged a lot of books, spin x 3, Eliza’s bachelorette party, Annie & Jason’s wedding. So great seeing such happiness in our friends. Only five more weddings to attend (other than our own) this year! 🙂

New in the Rhymes with Twee Etsy shop are the Beignet Birthday Card and the Flaky Croissant Card. Enjoy!

Films watched 21st week of the year:

The Place Beyond the Pines
Moliere * [ France ]
Her Master’s Voice *
Vida Secas ** [ Brazil ]
All I Desire

* documentary
** foreign language

The Place Beyond the Pines and Her Master’s Voice were both very enjoyable. The score for TPBTP was excellent.

#instacookingclub3 recipe was Moroccan Lentil Chickpea Stew. Veganized with Upton’s Traditional Seitan and it was OH so tasty.

More fun with WPAC spinning, but the room was so hot for Live DJ Spin on Wednesday that I had to go refill my water halfway through the class. It’s been hot before, but this was a first for me. Usually I can get by on one bottle of water. Had my bridal dress consult with Kpoene at Mignonette Bridal. Brunch @ Jerry’s with Kirstie & Jason for Z’s birthday. Sold at Urban Folk Circuit at Logan Square Farmers’ Market. Saw a ton of movies this week. This was one year I had watched all of the best picture nominees, so watching the Oscars was much more relevant than usual. My #1 pick was Beasts of the Southern Wild and I was bummed it didn’t win anything. Such an amazing film and reminded me so much of David Gordon Green’s George Washington. It was fun to watch the Oscars anyways.

After considering it for years, I finally decided to raise the price of my cards from $3 apiece to $4. I don’t know why it took me so long because now that it is done, I feel totally okay with it. My friends and my boo are awesome because they helped me re-label all of the cards with the new price stickers. Honestly, that was a big part of why I hadn’t done it sooner! 🙂

Films watched 8th week of the year:

Zero Dark Thirty
Beasts of the Southern Wild
2001: A Space Odyssey
Amour ** [France]
Bestiaire *
Life of Pi

* documentary
** foreign language

me, post-Wednesday live DJ spin class

Quote above from ‘Oh Memory’ off the new Hayden record, Us Alone. It is so good. I found a great review of the record here. Pitchfork’s review is a joke. I can’t wait to see Hayden in April. Over the years, I’ve seen him so many times, and his music helped shape who I am. I love seeing musicians like Hayden move forward with recording even though life has not dealt them all Aces. Julie Doiron is a yoga instructor now, but releases an album every few years. This new record makes me wonder what Hayden is doing when he is not writing music. Hopefully I will get to ask him in April at Schubas.

Tweekly Make: I am experimenting with a new method of making new button and magnets. Pictured above are some of the tests I made Friday night.

Busy, busy, busy week. Dinner with LCB @ Sen. Swapped with Betsy for a Foxglove necklace of a Hungarian postage stamp featuring a hedgehog! Jason Anderson @ Swerp Mansion. Breakfast with Jason & Destry @ Chicago Diner. Cider Summit @ Navy Pier. Our two faves Black Star farms Sirius Maple Dessert (16%), which was very mead-like & Eden Ice Cider Co.’s Heirloom Blend Ice (10%), which was almost too drinkable. Movie & Dinner with Shanley’s. Boo-entine’s day dinner @ Deleece. Also took my spin classes Wednesday and Sunday this week. I finally bought SPD cleats so I can clip in to the spin bike and my ride Sunday was so different! I thought clipping in and out would be harder, but I am getting the hang of it.

Films watched 6th week of the year:

Jacob’s Ladder
Seven Psychopaths
Warm Bodies
Searching for Sugar Man *
Alps ** [Greece]

* documentary
** foreign language

Warm Bodies and Searching for Sugar Man were my faves this week. WB was enjoyable and pretty to look at. SfSM was an uplifting story; the kind that artists need to see once in awhile. Z and I bought both of Rodriguez’s albums after seeing it. Looking forward to hearing his body of work.

Tilda emerging from the blankets

Had dinner with Annie @ Fat Willy’s and saw Gangster Squad. Took first Live DJ Spin class @ WPAC. Epic Burger with two of my fave coworkers. Went to Dragonlady for the first time in ages. Finally went to Township for the first time with Amanda and Derek. Sold at my first craft fair of the year, Urban Folk Circuit @ Logan Square Farmer’s Market.

Same Sex Wedding Card by Arthur’s Plaid Pants

It was great to get back in the swing of things and sell at Urban Folk Circuit even though it was an icy Sunday. I got to hang with Reba (Rar Rar Press) and had a great time chatting with Jen (Arthur’s Plaid Pants) and the father/son team of North Coast Organics. I got a super tasty grilled cheese from Prairie Pure Cheese and picked Z up a small gift. I love the pairing of handmade crafts with farm grown/artisan foods. The shoppers seemed to enjoy it as well!

Also, I applied for Crafty Supermarket, which is April 27th in Cincinnati, OH. Fingers crossed because I don’t believe I’ve ever been there and I’ve heard this show is great and lots of fun!

Tweekly make was remaking Dowager Countess cards in a new colorway (pink on yellow) for the fair.

Films watched 4th week of the year:

Generation P ** [Russian]
Gangster Squad
Die Hard
Bandwagon
Hollow Man
Drive Me Crazy
Cosmopolis
Cleanflix *

* documentary
** foreign language

Generation P was my winner, though I think about 1/4 of it could have been chopped out. It lost both me and Z for a wee bit in the middle. Otherwise, it was really exciting, dreamlike, and fun to watch. I love movies based around advertising and it did not disappoint. Bandwagon was a close second. I will always love movies about touring bands. All thumbs down on Cosmopolis. What a boring, pretentious pile.

Ornaments on our tree by SteffBomb and Chet and Dot.

Pre-weekend things: Ms. Mint’s Holiday Bazaar at Goose Island Clybourn was flipping amazing. Bought so many awesome gifts for others and a few for myself. Cookie Party.

Weekend: Bazaar Bizarre Cleveland. Had a great time getting to know more about my friend Beth on the road trip. Stayed with Kate & Brian. Saw Z’s mom and aunt. Saw Marikka. Ate at MELT!

Made friends with my awesome booth neighbors:

Wishbone Letterpress: thrilling letterpress. One of the cutest and craftiest couples ever.

Forest City Portage: utilitarian but stylish bags and accessories made from sails and other upcycled materials. Also, Michael recognized me and we couldn’t figure out why until I realized he worked at Melt (Lakewood location) and I’m guessing he recognized me from being a regular even though I live in Chicago. 🙂

I Heart Skeletons: Day of the Dead inspired art and jewelry.

Bumbly’s: Sweet soap for your skin. I traded for ginger lime!

Not a neighbor, but amazing stencil artist whose subject matter is Pez dispensers onto broken skateboards –> Richard Cihlar. Also happened to trade mead and ginger wine that he made for a RWT shirt for his daughter! 🙂

Films watched 49th week of the year:

Clifford
I’m Still Here
Buskers*
Love Actually [need to finish it next week]

*documentary