underwater basket weaving

Last week sometime I was trying to get some books bound but kept being distracted by Braeden (whenever he's around I just want to be with him and not be doing anything else) so I banished him from the studio and told him go look through the Kirkwood Continuing Ed catalog that came in the mail weeks ago that he told me to not get rid of ("because sometimes there are really interesting classes in there!") and find us a fun class to take. And he did. And the class that he chose we took tonight. That's right: Braeden and I went to one of those community classes that Leslie Knope is so fond of, and made these baskets:

You read correctly, my friends: in one, 2-hour class Braeden and I made the baskets you see before you, couched in the magnificent chair of last-postness. (His is on the left and mine is on the right.) So what if we were the only people there under 40 and Braeden was the only dude? We had a great time and may be converted into life-long basket weavers. For cereal. (No Trix.) I am also a new fan of community classes and plan to scour both this and future catalogs for other great gems.

On another note, here is that lovely outfit that I promised you a picture of. In case you can't see it very well, let me give you a textual description of said ensemble: my cranberry colored Dock Martin stomping boots (which must be worn mostly unlaced), jeans (which must be the same pair everyday and tucked into aforementioned boots), sunflower tie-dyed shirt from summer camp, flannel plaid shirt, compass necklace, hat I crocheted freshman year of college, and a single fingerless glove. You know, normal things. And, in case you were wondering (like my branch president was), while Jacob did pick out this outfit, no, he did not pick it out at a thrift store: I owned all of these clothes already. Of course I did.

I think the funniest part of this whole thing is that no one, other than the people who know about the deal, have commented on my attire. The most I've gotten is a compliment about my hat by my supervisor the very first day I wore it, and several compliments on the necklace from various people, including my co-workers who had seen me wear it at least 6 times before commenting on how great and unique it is and a homeless man who offered me his bike for it, then $100. Oh! And another coworker told me that she liked my compass necklace because it reminded her of nature and witchcraft. Witchcraft, huh? That is what I usually think of when I see a compass too. Who knows how those things even work? I mean, really.

I think this whole thing is more than just a bet: it is a great opportunity for social experiment. And I can't be too annoyed about it because it is akin to the 6 Items or Less challenge that have done briefly and wanted to do in a more permanent way. Let me tell you, getting dressed in the morning has never been easier.

Also, side note about the picture, do you see the lockers behind me? I purchased those today (from Stuff, of course) and I am just tickled pink. Braeden and I saw them there on Saturday for only $40 and I knew they needed to be in my life. So I thought about it and thought about it and decided that I could use them as storage for the things that people bring to and leave at my house. Braeden and I get the top two lockers, and the bottom two go to Gloria and Jarrod. Because we are like a little family. And the beach room in the house is slowly being taken over by all of their instruments (acoustic and electric guitar and acoustic bass guitar from Braeden, alto sax from Gloria, and acoustic guitar and mandolin from Jarrod). Granted, all of those things won't fit in these tiny lockers, but some of them will. And now we can pass notes to each other too. Of course.

I love having my own house where I can buy big things like that and my mom can't say that I don't need it and we don't have space for it. Now I'm the one who does the deciding and it is a wonderful (and very dangerous) thing.