Wishlist

Sigh. I've mentioned how poor graduate students are, right? I know I have.
Things are especially lean in the summer months when I am not on a teaching assistantship. Man, I cannot wait to get out of here and into the real world, with a real job, real salary and a life!

Ok, enough whining. Until I can buy, I can wish. Here is a list of things I would either 1) like for my birthday or 2) buy if I had some extra spending cash.

~Lady Antebellum's album. I have heard that it is really good, and I love their song "Run to You".

This costs what, 10 bucks? sad. Usually I treat myself to a new music album every month, but I can't this summer. It'll have to wait until fall.

~ JoAnn gift card. I need to buy a ton of fabric for Alyssa's duvet cover that I promised to make her. I have settled on a color scheme (red, aqua, black and cream), and now need to get the fabrics. I've started scoping out online for pretty designer fabrics that are on sale. I'll have to mix it up because you really cannot beat some of these prints.

Alexander Henry - reminiscent of gulls at the beach?

Alexander Henry - I really like this light fabric!

Joel Dewberry deer valley - Antler Damask

Alexander Henry


Joel Dewberry deer valley - I love this red

Alexander Henry

The pattern for her duvet cover calls for 13 different fabrics, 5 for the foundation, and 4 each of light and dark prints for the "bobbles". By the way, I plan to make the patchwork duvet cover from Amy Butler's In Stitches. I'm not gonna lie....I'm kinda freaking out about this project (and I haven't even started on it!) First, I have never done anything patchwork before....how am I supposed to make sure all the fabrics match? Maybe that's the beauty of patchwork...they don't have to? Like the ones I have selected from SMS and Pink Chalk Studios stores that fit my color scheme.... birds, what looks like a cotton plant, scallops, big aqua flowers, etc. It seems like too much, like maybe I should just stick with flowers, and some "shape" sort of prints. When I look at other projects in blogland, there are all sorts of prints within a given quilt or blanket, so maybe this will be ok. I'm just scared that I will spend all this money to put something together and have it turn out looking absolutely crazy. Or I will like it but Alyssa won't. Maybe it's just that activation barrier that one must overcome when it comes to starting something new, that you have no idea how to do, and you come up with reasons not to start, and so you get stuck. Either way, I can't work on it until I get the fabrics, and getting them has its own activation barrier in itself.

~ I need a setup something like this for my bike.

This actually looks uber cheap to do, but I have seen the metal versions you can buy.
Right now, I wear my backback (which is full with lunch, change of clothes, lab notebook, etc) when I ride. I get hot enough as it is biking 7 miles to campus in 90 degree heat at 8 am (Thank you Texas summers).

~ iPod armband. I don't have one for my new nano, and right now I keep it secured under my sports bra strap. (Don't worry mom, I only have wear one of the ear plugs, so I can still hear traffic too!)

from the Apple site

~ I need to get a dress altered...take the straps in. I have never gotten anything tailored before, so I have no idea how much it would cost. But I would like to wear this dress to my cousin's wedding in August, so I really need to get this done!

~ new workout shoes. Mine need to soon be retired.

~Some of this fabric:

Because I need everything seahorse... (Mendocino)

~Ryan's birthday is next Tuesday. I already got him that Cabela's gift card, but it would be nice to treat him to a nice dinner somewhere...something special. He's told me a steak or our favorite sushi restaurant (Musashino) would be awesome. We haven't had a treat like that in a really long time. I just got contacted by an organic student this week looking for a tutor to meet 3x a week, so I'll put whatever money I make towards the bday deal. We might end up having to pick up some nice steaks and grill 'em ourselves. It just seems like so little. I know this is where we both are at in our lives and we need to make do with what we have. This is life in grad school. At least we are both healthy, and have a roof over our heads, and our animals to go home to. He just works so hard and deals with a lot, and he does so much for me....I would like to do more than grilling steaks at the house. (Who wants to spend their birthday grilling at their bosses house?) I'll see what I can come up with.

I think that's it for now... I know I had a couple other things on my mind, but they have since left me as people have come to talk to me/ ask me questions. (yeah, in the lab) Those other things must not have been that big a deal.

It's Wednesday...the week is almost halfway over!
Have a great day.