What I've been making in the past year...

I have definitely veered from my plan for this year. I wanted to and still plan on making the furabura zodiac animals. But so that you can see a small portion of what I've been spending my time on making, you'll maybe forgive me for not following through on it as of yet.

First, I want to show you what I've made with my new wood burning tool. It's not a very good quality of a tool, but with patience, perseverance, and burnt fingers; this is what I've accomplished.

I crocheted a tiny rooster door hanger when I stumbled upon a picture of one on either ravelry or google. It was a very simple pattern, (which I didn't read or even look at... >.> ) and only took about 3 minutes to make, since I was watching a Korean show at the time.

Since I've had these two yarns that I despise for over a year now and because I absolutely hate the look of them, I decided to use them to make potholders. Ugly, circular, 2 sided (tan) and (blue striped white yarn) potholders.

I made this doily by accident. I was wanting to make a really feminine looking, slouchy beanie. (Or is it called a tam? I'm not really sure.) I was just wanting a light one that I could wear on chilly summer nights. But as I kept trying to make the decreases so that it would start to form into the hat shape, the less pretty it looked. So I tossed out that idea and just snipped and hid my ends. And funny thing is, everyone loves the look of it. Even the teenage boys I hang out with on Monday nights. I was a bit surprised by that.

Since my pretty silky pillow sham and comforter, which I adore, are falling apart and the trim was ripped halfway off, thanks to my class ring getting caught on it, I decided to upcycle the trim that I snipped off the rest of the way to make a lovely fabric flower brooch/pin. I love it and it looks a lot better in person than in the pictures.

Because I had always heard of people finishing small projects on their way to work, I decided that I would try to do something like that, just between classes and appointments. Needless to say, this thing took forever to finish. It did turn out somewhat pretty but honestly, I don't know who in their right mind would do this on a daily basis. Not me, for sure.

I always make little flowers and yoyos out of the small scraps from my crafts. I've started a organizer full of these little beauties so that whenever I need something to finish a project off, it's already there and has been saved from filling a landfill to make something the world even more beautiful.

I have wanted to make one of these for the longest time, but never had the right type of yarn. Its called a tawashi. Its used in kitchens usually to scrub dishes and counters. If I understand correctly, it is also more environmentally friendly. I've also heard that it works better than sponges and dishcloths because it needs less water, less soap if any at all, and less elbow grease to do any job. I was sold. Lets just hope that these things I've heard were right. 

Here is another doily I made, which I started yesterday and finished today. It is by far the smallest thread I have ever worked with but also the best quality, in my opinion, because I didn't have to ever worry about it felting or unraveling while I was in the middle of making this thing. Plus, I love the striping. Its in kiddy crayon box colors. Its really cool.

So that's it for the time being. Are you ready to forgive me yet?

De Colores.

Kay

Korean drama review! Numero 3, I believe...Pasta

Pasta is about a woman who dreams of becoming a chef, specifically, the chef of the restaurant that she is working for, La Sfera. La Sfera is an Italian restaurant that only makes the finest Italian cuisine in Korea. It is a very popular and well known store. Our main character is only a kitchen aid. She only gets plates, restocks food and wine for the cooks and do menial tasks such as making pickles and such for the waiting staff to put on the tables. Not very impressive stuff seeing as how all she has wanted to do for the past 3 years is hold a frying pan.

Now, as a new employee comes in and takes her place as kitchen aid, she finally has her chance to show her worth as a pasta cook. The only problem is that as soon as she gets her chance, a new chef takes place of the one she worked under before and because of that, she is given many problems. This new chef doesn't let women work in his kitchen and says that love between anyone in his kitchen is unacceptable. 

Now that all of the women have been thrown out of the kitchen because of their romantic involvement with the male cooks, she has to figure out what to do to pay her rent! Should she go work for her father in his restaurant or should she try once again at La Sfera even though the chef is obviously against females cooking with him?

I am a few episodes away from finishing this series. So far, I like it. It is a very traditional Korean cooking drama. There’s the love interest who has no real interest in the main character, the unexpected helper to the main character, and some supposedly major reason that blocks those two from finding love or showing it between them.

Bottom Line:

I give this a 3/5. It isn’t too surprising in any way but it has a good enough plot and moves along well enough that you will be willing to watch and possibly a good one to re-watch.

Korean drama review 2! Boys over flowers

Boys before Flowers is a Cinderella story of sorts. It tells of a poor girl, Geum Jan Di, who ends up going to a rich man's high society school. It is a school that is meant to educate the most elite of the elite Koreans. This school was set up by Goo Jun Pyo's parents who made an agreement within the Blue House that this school would be an elite private school to educate the future leaders of Korea. Geum Jan Di only gets to enter this school because of her fame of saving a student of the school from committing suicide and the people of Korea proclaiming that the school was a bad thing that needed to be abolished immediately.

So under the disguise of being a swimming scholarship holder at the school, and being the only scholarship student at that, Jan Di has to just make it though school without being noticed by others who might try to make her life difficult. Because Jan Di has a great sense of justice about her, she has to butt in when one of her friends gets in trouble with the F4, the 4 top elites of the school, and she ends up getting a red card due to this action. Her friend leaves school in a fright because she fears for her life while Jan Di goes through the pain of this punishment alone.

As the whole school revolts against her, she finds solace in the most unlikely places...Will Jan Di be able to graduate? Will her friend ever come back to school?

Bottom Line:
This is amazing! I loved this one the best out of all the drama interpretations. Japan and, I believe, Taiwan did versions of this anime/manga too. This version, though, seemed the most realistic to me and the way that Jan Di never backs down makes her a great influence to others who've ever been in her kind of situation at school. Add in the F4, and this is a stellar comedic romance to watch.

This drama gets a 5 out of 5. Awesome playback value and leaves you wishing there was more.

Korean Drama Review- Mischievous Kiss

Mischievous Kiss is about the lowest ranking girl in high school, Oh Ha Ni, who has fallen in love with the highest ranking boy, Baek Seung Jo. Ha Ni gives Seung Jo a letter professing her love for him, only to be rejected. After being rejected, she ends up moving into her newly built home with her father and while they are celebrating this with Ha Ni's friends, an earthquake brings her home crashing down.

Now that she has no home to go back to, she and her father are living in a hotel. Due to the news coverage on the destruction of their home, Ha Ni's father is contacted by a long lost friend of his who wants the both of them to live with his family! This sounds amazing and Ha Ni is so excited until she realizes that she is moving into the same home as Beak Seung Jo.

Now that Ha Ni is living with Seung Jo, she has to keep their living situation a secret and act like nothing has changed. The truth about this living situation will turn disastrous, though, once Bong Joon Gu, who loves Ha Ni, finds out that his lovely maiden is living with the guy who has already publicly humiliated her.

Bottom Line:

I really liked this drama. It has a really great playback value for me. I watch it whenever I have free time and no internet. I have one thing to note though. The manga was never finished because as Kaoru Tada was moving into a new home, she had an unfortunate accident which led to her having a cerebral hemorrhage and after falling into a coma, she died a short while after.

I give this show 4 out of 5 stars. It didn't quite earn five because it felt like it took forever for Seung Jo to warm up to Ha Ni.