Friday’s Meanderings: easily sidetracked

During the first year of dental school, midterm exams for all our classes all fell during the same week. It was absolute torture, mostly: you finish taking one exam only to go to the next one; and then repeat for the rest of the week. After a whole year of this madness, you kind of end up used to it. Sure, it’s horrible, but at least they’re all done in one big shot.

When our second year rolled around, our test schedule was eventually switched up. What’s different is that midterm exams are spread out over two, sometimes three weeks. In a way, it’s been nice not having to lose sleep and cram, cram, cram for a slew of tests in a row. On the other hand, especially now since our classes aren’t as time-consumingly science heavy like before, the primary downfall is that I end up relaxing. Relaxing too much. I’m caught off guard during the period of midterms easily: I always rationalize myself into thinking that they’re be time later to study.

The past three weeks or so have been our midterm exam weeks. Because there’s been so much time between tests, I’ve been finding myself watching a lot of movies, reading books, and even getting into some crafting.

What kind of crafting?

Well, cross stitching, apparently.

Yes, I cranked the majority of these puppies out rather fast. I’m thinking my subconscious was telling me to do something, anything other than studying. In short, I’m trying to say that was easily side tracked.

But at least I ended up with some products to show for my efforts!

The robot panel is for some friends that obviously got married. As for the knitting one, I remember seeing the phrase cross stitched somewhere, loved it, and just had to make my own version of it.

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Lastly, another obligatory photo of our dog, this time of her wishing with all her heart/eyes to have me give her the go so she can eat the piece of chicken balancing on her nose:

That’s what I would call a display of extreme longing.

Friday: meandering thoughts…and crafty hands

It’s Friday again! Ah, yes…ce bine.

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This week has been a good week. So good, I don’t really have words to describe it. Mostly because there’s nothing to describe…I’ve had half days all week long (!) and merely loose study sessions for the upcoming board exam during all my break times. I’ve also had the chance to do some physical activity, walk the dog more, relax, read a few books for fun. Best of all, there has been no need for studying for any of my current classes!

As I said above, ah yes, ce bine…life is good.

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I confess: I’m not really a spontaneous kind of person. Well, hardly. Rather, how it works for me, I make room in my schedule to have time for spontaneity to occur…but then again, can that still be called being spontaneous? Point being, I’m not normally wired to just pick up something and go. Thus said, looking over some old pictures, I’m reminded of my occasional and unusual spontaneity streak in picking up new crafts.

It all started with seeing this awesome little cross-stitched panel a friend had done for another friend of mine. It was presented in a cute little white frame and said “This place sucks.” What a contradiction of ideas: an old timey craft that’s usually presented with hearts, flowers, frilly scrolls and text saying something inspirational or homey that was instead used to present a current and pessimistic take on life! Personally, I thought it was hilarious.

Eventually I found out where this friend got her inspiration from (mild warning: use of strong language after the click). Next thing you know, I was on flickr searching for similar cross stitch projects and eventually was side tracked by idea that I could make cute characters from video games. I had seen some examples done and thought, “I can do that.”

All of a sudden, I found myself at the craft store buying various colors of cross stitching thread, hoops, needles, and then making pixelated video game characters come to life:

After I realized how annoying it was to make solid panels of crossed stitches next to each other, row upon row and column after column, I then decided to make something with more space in between stitches.

That’s when I saw this:

Image credit: mooosh ♥ miso funky

My creative side then took the idea, made it into just two robots, and changed it for a friend that was going to be married soon:

Minus the gold non-pliable thread that was difficult to use for the lettering, I thought it was the cutest and coolest thing ever! I wished I had another friend that could have made us something for our own wedding. Heck, I was tempted to even make one for ourselves.

When another couple I knew was going to be married, I still loved the idea so much that I made one for them as well, minus the difficult metallic thread:

Isn’t it lovely?

When I’m done with school and have a steady job, I’m totally going to be devoting a portion of my free time toward creativity, to give my brain a chance to be crafty again. I want to cultivate more of it!