A New Year, New Beginnings...sort of...

Suffering from bipolar disorder...I catch myself having ups and downs and it is a roller coaster of a ride.  I lived in Los Angeles for 2 years and realized it did not help with my mental health.

The yak is so sweet, and decided it was time to leave and pursue new adventures and be closer to family.  Moving back to Northern California in Amador County.  What an amazing place.  Why did we not do this sooner.  YEARS, agooooooo!  I absolutely love living out here.  Yes, my drive commute can be horrendous.  I admit it is worth sitting in traffic for.  It is quiet and people are friendly.  I also got myself a new buddy.  My little girl, Lucy.  She is a god send.

Everyday I wake up, and I see her face.  She reminds me that she needs me to open that front door so she could go out for her walks.  She reminds me, that I need to go outside for some fresh air and enjoy the beauty that is outside my very front door!

Because, I am going outside, I now do NOT have time to sew.  I do have passion for sewing still.  But, I would much rather be outside spending every moment I have with this little girl that needs me to be there for her.  She has become my little child.  Working on teaching her obedience or words so she could understand what exactly I am looking for.  I know, you ask...what about the cats?  I absolutely loooove and adore the kitties but they are so much more independent.  They do not need me, as much Lucy does.  I do try to spend time with the kitties.  Currently working on Miu and her weight loss.  She needs to lose some.  She became a little heavy living in LA.

She seems to enjoy it a lot out here.  Better for the mind and soul.  Plus she gets to spend some time outdoors for some supervised lounging.  The square footage in our new home is a lot bigger and she gets to be alone when she pleases.  She no longer screams at Chuck.

Chuck.  Oh dear Chuck.  She on the other hand changed a bit.  She has become more of a cat.  She spends most of her time upstairs basking in the sun in the hall window.  She will come downstairs during the evening for her dinner and cuddle time with me on the couch.

She is slowly exploring what the outdoors has in store for her.  Slowly coming out of her shell.

I am blessed for the yak, my new family, my kitties and my little Lucy.

L.A.

Thinking that I would be driving in a reverse commute I set out to do a few errands. *DOH* I need to drive back home. Normally my route would take about 12 minutes without traffic. It took me an hour and 25 minutes! Surprisingly I did not want to shoot myself. The weather was beautiful. A nice 66°. Perfect temperature in my taste. Slight overcast and a hint of rain in the air....PERFECT.
I guess I can not win all the battles I have with Los Angeles.
Thanksgiving is coming up and I am working for about 9 days straight. I want to put up a coupon code in my etsy shop. But I won't be able to ship things out until a week later....what to dooooooo.....
Well, I will offer it here. If you are willing to wait for your parcel to ship out on December 5th and want to have huge savings. Use coupon code PRETHANKS (expires thanksgiving day). This will be the best deal, I ever offer...40%!!!!! Enjoy!
manikgrl.etsy.com

instagram and twitter announcements

From time to time, I post exclusive coupons to instagram and/or twitter....so please make sure you check in, or even better follow me to get the coupon codes!
i n s t a g r a m
t w i t t e r

the world is spinning and not in a good way...

anxiety...
How in the world can I have social anxiety you may ask. I enjoy being with my friends and traveling. How can I possibly be stricken with social anxiety. I am and always will be awkward. I hide it rather well, if people are convinced I am an extrovert. I am completely, the opposite. I would rather stay at home. I could actually stay indoors on a daily basis without leaving. With amazon or google express I have the convenience of not leaving my home and have things delivered. People say that it is not healthy. But who is to dictate what is good and bad for me. Wouldn't you say that is better for me, when I do step outside of my home, I wonder the worst case scenarios? Will I get hit by a car/bus. What kind of people will cross my path today? Will I see a bad accident along my route? I then start to have a panic attack. The world starts to shrink around me. The air feels thin and I start to see spots before my eyes. But, if I do not leave my apartment, I will not get the benefits of the sun, vitamin d. Or the daily walks, to kick in endorphins as I take each step. There will always be an argument on any side of the matter. Instead I choose to have a little of both. I take daily walks in my neighborhood just to get outside. To take each "battle" of being outside my bubble. "Just one more time around the block", I say to myself. Then I hurry back to the safety of my home. I hope to overcome this battle of anxiety, one day at a time...

Eric

I have a fabulous friend who is fighting the battle on addiction and getting clean and sober. He is riding for AIDS Lifecycle and I can not be any more proud for what he has accomplished and the many more he will overcome. Come help me donate funds to his ride...

You can click on his photo above and it will link you to his bio...OR if you would like to buy a pouch from my etsy shop, I will be donating $2 from every pouch sold.

manikgrl.etsy.com
In addition to the donations...follow me on twitter for coupon codes. For a twitter follow there is always the coupon code TWEET for 10% off your purchase!

Social Media

Social Media It is everywhere you go. I go into a store and they say "Follow Us! Great deals and exclusive sales for our FaceBook followers" What about us?! The very handful that is not active on FaceBook. I do have an account, only because I love the social ride share program LYFT. I use them frequently in California.
But do I care for FaceBook? Not much. I once did. It was a place where I can catch up with old friends or see pictures of their expanding family! It was great. Until the drama started to unfold. I see bitter break ups, divorce or just plain old catty fights.
I also used FaceBook as an extension to view topics placed by my union. Yes, I am part of an union. I get a lot of useful information there until, the merger of two companies. Tearing the work groups apart. It became nasty. Yes on a page meant for friendly conversation and news. I keep my account "live" but rarely participate.
However, I am an addict on Instagram. I frequently post pics. I actually have THREE accounts. One personal. Second is my "promotional" account. Last is for my kitty. Yep, an addict. I seem to have found less drama there. I guess you are pretty limited to airing out dirty laundry, since you have to post pics.
erisa415 - personal
manikgrl - shop
kissamiumiueasterbunny - my kitty
Twitter was, my OF (original favorite). Tweeting nonsense was a novel idea to me. Then I read back my tweets and think to myself..."what the???"
manikgrl tweets
Last and final...my FaceBook "fan" page...only because I seem to be active on that site more than my regular account...
manikgrl facebook page

The Paths You Take...

Life is strange... The different paths you choose, may lead you anywhere! The good, the bad, some you just think to yourself, "what the fuck?". But every life path I choose, I am in for an adventure. That is how I see it. I never thought of choosing this path...but I chose to have a life partner. I was in a very long term relationship. After that relationship, I knew...I WANTED a life partner that wanted to be with me as much I wanted to be with them. I found that person...

Once we took this road...our lives changed, dramatically. We moved. I never thought I would leave the bay area. The bay area has changed so much. Admittedly, I did not like the changes. My neighborhood changed so much. Who would have thought, the richmond district would be affected. It did. We paid $1600 for our little one bedroom. I inquired what the rent price will change to, (I knew a few people moving to SF) $2400, at LEAST! WTF?!?! Seriously? It does not come with parking, nor laundry. You need to walk a few blocks to get your clothes washed.
The last time I will look out these windows...

All packed and ready to go...

Umm Charles, seems to have hidden all her "toys" under the stove

My final goodbye with my remaining posessions.

SoCal is where I now call home. I used to "hate" L.A. Everything about it. But you know what? People change. Places change. I am enjoying my new adventure here. Though it is warm, I do miss the fog. It is a-ok. People are so much nicer here. Chivalry is still alive in this town. I say "thank you" more than I ever did living in San Francisco. One other perk of living in Southern California?!

Miu seems to enjoy her new life here? "wassup!"

A Sneak Peak

Here is a sneak peak of what's to come...

the view from up above

simple yet whimsical

I recently saw a documentary TERMS AND CONDITIONS MAY APPLY. I officially deactivated my FaceBook account. Sometimes I get so sick of it all. Social media is revealing. People tend to share their personal information it makes me wonder if they are aware that others can see what they are posting. I sometimes tend to share too much information. I too, then wonder. Who can see this? Who and where is all my information being sent to? This documentary basically sealed the deal for me. I am currently deactivated. Knowing my moods, when the sun is aligned with the planet Uranus and the old woman across the street actually changes her pants, etc., I will reactivate my account. I go through this phase back and forth, for months at a time. When I deactivate it gives me the chance to live my real life. Instead of being glued to my phone/laptop, playing games or watching my friends lives unfold before my eyes. I am now, cleaning my apartment. Reflecting on what I did, did not do, or what I have yet to do. (though at times I don't know if that is very healthy for me) Interacting with my cats. Reading blogs or even a book! As of now, I am enjoying post FaceBook. This is NOT my final decision.

Here is my kitty, enjoying the life post FB...

wedding

early august we had to go to vegas for a friend's wedding. what a fabulous time. an union, of two persons, who are so madly in love. what a lovely moment shared...

THE D. This hotel is soo neat! Too bad they charge a resort fee. I would have stayed there. Instead I ended up at the CALIFORNIA where are the "locals" head to. Every time I stay there I run into at least ONE person I know. This year it was Trisha.

I won myself a viking hat at EXCALIBUR

yummy korean food SOYO Korean Barstaurant

OMFG!! MATT FREWER! I know him as Dr Leekie from Orphan Black.

The Golden Steer. I know this sounds weird. They had my favorite caesar salad ever. It was perfect in my taste. Prime rib was awesome too! ;)

The husband is a very private person, I decided to not post pics. Keep their moments, in my memory.

a little catching up to do

here are a few pics to start the ball rolling

my porn. fabric porn that is! Osaka!!!

kihei. gorgeous.

my little charles...she is so sweeeeeeet.

california extreme! this year I made a skirt. QBERT!!!

he is my favorite person to travel with.

alameda pinball museum. I really like alameda...

cleveland ohio, or shall I say, Ohio city! Oh so much fun!!!

life reflections

It's been a while....
since I posted anything. Life takes you everywhere and anywhere at any given moment. I am still trying to catch up with life and all the hiccups thrown my way. hiccups...there were many. There was an incident that recently happened. I was torn on what decision to make. But after taking a step back and looking in. I see that everything will be OK and perhaps things will fall in place. People may try to make one another look bad. It is easier to complain than to praise. I read a lot of negative reviews about a company in particular. But you know what? They are actually ok, no, GOOD people. A lot of flags were being raised but...they have compassion. Or the people that are involved has compassion. Our good situation that turned REALLY BAD is going to get better. One hurdle at a time. Karma truly can be a bitch. I must have done some good to balance such a negative situation. Vice versa. The morale of this post. Social media reviews can be great but talk to the people involved first. Don't make judgement on what you read. Feel it out yourself. What did we do before social media or the internet? Word of mouth and your gut. Sometimes you just have to make the plunge and judge for yourself.

Make the best of what you have. At least you have something, right???

AIDS LIFECYCLE

AIDS LifeCycle
It is that time again. I have a friend riding 545 miles for 7 days. Raising AIDS/HIV awareness. Tommy is amazing. He bought a bike and just decided to go. And off he went. Click on the link below to reach his page.

Please, donate directly to his link...or you can purchase one of my "goodies". I will be donating part ALL of my profits to his ride, this month.
click the pic below to take you to my shop!

Thank you!!!!!

how do people do it

I often wonder how people do it. They manage a career yet have the time to sew. I am currently unemployed. Yet I do not find the time to sew. I am constantly cleaning and organizing. Keeping up the household. I do not have any kids, but two kitties that make motherhood feel real to me. When I do find the time to sew, my cats are in constant need of attention, I become distracted and find other "projects" to work on. I have 2 dresses and 4 skirts waiting to be done. I wanted to build up my shop with more clothing. But it seems like eons, waiting for it to be done. Keeping my fingers crossed that these unfinished projects become finished projects.

i am seriously addicted to etsy. here are some cute finds on etsy.

clockwise starting from top left...

cute kitty zip pouch
sock kitty
danish inspired kitties
sweater clips
sweater
i actually got a custom made sweater from dandyrions. i sent in my own cardigan and she lovingly placed a fox wrapped around my shoulders! oh so cute!!!
scarf
teak duck
steampunk owl
tweet

strangely mesmerized...

lanea told me of this girl from japan, i admit i do like my j-pop bands with cute girly vocals...but this one takes the cake with cute visuals too!!!
dancers from kyari pamyu pamyu perform...
from the "eisa" beats...kids eat your veges!!

ok i need to stop lurking the interwebs...thanks lanea for the links...

wonder cats

oops i realized i did not update my etsy shop with my "donations". this time around i would like to make donations to...


a portion of my sales will benefit wonder cat. i have not personally experienced their services...but since i am not able to foster i decided to help out this non profit group with their goals of finding homes for the kitties...

so please stop by

my etsy shop
and shop away! i am trying to build my inventory, so stay tuned for new fabric choices. i update my facebook page or twitter feed when i am uploading new goodies...
"like" me on facebook and get a sweet coupon code!

pinterest: iced coffee

ok i am seriously addicted to pinterest and trying all these pins!!!

click on the "pin" to take you to the pin. the pin, then will take you directly to the original link for the full recipe...

my friend ryoks, sent me an email to make an amazing iced coffee, but never got around to making it since it called for a gallon's worth of water...and totally forgot to try the recipe. she then gets me addicted to pinterest! pinning here and there. celia, calls me out on a recipe! PINNED and challenge accepted!
i had to modify the recipe since i did not have a large container to accommodate the original recipe.

4 ounces of ground coffee
2 quarts of cold water





i poured in the 4 ounces of ground coffee straight into a container large enough to accommodate a little over 2 quarts of water
pour in the cold water and stir. cover the container and let it sit for at least 8 hours on the counter. you can opt to do it overnight if you wish. i was impatient. opted for 9 hours instead.
grab the container you wish to store the concoction in. have your mesh strainer and cheese cloth ready.




slowly pour the mixture with grounds into the strainer.


VOILA! place in fridge. ready to drink!!!
the next day i woke up to an amazing cup of iced coffee to start my day of errands!


a little shot of simple non sugar syrup and a little milk.


two thumbs up!

another pinterest challenge, saving money

this morning i came across this pin...



i have been using cash lately, to monitor my spending. i highly recommend it. it forces you to be aware of what you are buying.
i quickly rushed to my wallet to pull out all my $5 bills. $10 exactly. yay! i hope to report back in about (give or take) three months from now. maybe you should try this challenge and see how much you have saved up! if you do try this pinterest challenge, please do share your progress!

today i decided to try a pin i have been dying to try out.


1 cup arm and hammer washing soda ($5.99 at ACE hardware)
1 cup borax ($3.49 at TARGET)
1 bar of fels naptha ($1.79 at ACE hardware)

i have been using it for the past two weeks now, the verdict, i love it!
it takes all the stubborn stains out. i had a shirt that i was ready to throw out with stubborn wine stains. voila...presto change-o, stain is out. all it took was one tablespoon! yes! one tablespoon! amazing!!! it does not suds up like regular laundry detergents. i used both a regular machine and the high efficiency machines and the soap was fine. for real hard stains, i recommend maybe a tablespoon and a half. or maybe even two.
the scent. it smells like a clean citrus summer day. if you get a chance, grab a bar of fels naptha and smell it. your laundry will come out with that fresh smell. i use bounce fabric sheets in the dryer. my laundry smells like bounce.
oh that reminds me, i hope to take fabric sheets out of the equation too and perhaps save some cash on that! but that will be another post. ;)
the prices here in san francisco, are a bit higher. i went out to mountain view to look at the walmart pricing. amazingly cheaper. you can get a bar of fels naptha for $0.79! you save a whole dollar there! the borax was the same in price but the arm and hammer washing soda was $3.99. $2 savings there too! nonetheless, it is still cheaper to use this home concoction than to buy TIDE again. i am sorry TIDE, i grew up with you, but i am all grown up now with no job at the moment. i need to penny pinch anywhere and everywhere i can...
my next project, taking away the paper towel rolls...
is it possible??