[darkfoxx]

I was only going to lurk this challenge, after completely forgetting challenges were a thing I was checking on during the last cycle and then missing my Nerds. 

 

I successfully lurked for like 3 days.

 

And then FOMO SHINY RACCOON BRAIN STARTED SCREAMING AT ME DURING BREAKFAST.

 

Warning: Raccoon brain is still in full effect. I make no promise any sentences I’m about to type make any damn sense. 

 

 

 

Yo … Yo … Breakfast is nice, but …. We need a June sewing project. 

 

I should make a shirt. I hate shirts. I probably can’t have only dresses in my wardrobe. I have no more room for dresses. 

 

 

*Stage WhIsPeR*

 

But … what if we make a mini capsule wardrobe for our upcoming vacation since we’ve been spinning our wheels and hate all shirts in existence that don’t either cost $400, exist only in Japan or the Ukraine, only exist in digital form, or are so damn simple we can just make it ourself? 

 

Like seriously. I’ve been all over the damn Internet and 3 malls and there are only like 20 shirt designs out there right now - 10 came straight from 2007, and the other 10 are dead simple shirred cottage core looks I’m either loving or hating depending on the moment. 

 

Raccoon brain would not let me treadmill at the gym post-breakfast. 

 

WE COULD MAKE LIKE ELEVENDY THINGS 

 

Raccoon brain needed to ensconce itself in a nest of electronic devices in the lounge to draw. (I’m off again in my favorite place on Earth - just a slightly different hotel with no Starbucks)

 

Raccoon brain forgot I can’t draw a straight line for shit and get annoyed at my handwriting on screen. 

 

Raccoon brain cobbled a workable holiday wardrobe in like an hour. Or two. I barely know what damn time it is.

 

Ooh. And then I finished the really cool online course I started this week on creating digital floral patterns for print on fabric or other goods. 

 

This came about because I suuuuuuuuuuuuper hate all the patterns that aren’t geometric I can find at the shops - or I hate the colors because they’re not black - and DH thinks I should try to create a houndstooth-but-make-it-dachshund print. Which is hurting my brain. 

 

So. I took a pattern making course to figure out how to even make a pattern for fabric, by the chick who has the free tutorials I’ve been using to learn how to draw on the iPad in the first place. 

 

Not sure if I’ll ever actually use these skills, but it’s a thought. And something I can practice toward. 

 

I also learned how to do mock-ups in Procreate, so if I ever did want to Etsy the cards and art shit I’ve been making, I could. Maybe. Not sure how I’d actually ship items, though. 

 

Anyways. 

 

A brief catch-up because I can’t remember when I ghosted last challenge. 

 

RHOD (Real Housewives Of Doha - aka my expats behaving badly drinking group) friends came in to town to celebrate one of the group’s 50th. Three of us shut the bar down on 3 separate occasions that week and hung out for dry breakfasts a couple times. A good time was had by all.

 

I bailed on yoga every day I was either busy or hung over, which was most days last week. Or the week before since this is actually Monday. 

 

This last week, I’ve been in the Happiest Place On Earth - taking my course, hitting the gym for at least :30 on a scenic zippy walk program every day but the longer mall walk day, and crocheting - then destroying - a project I hated. 

 

And planning our next vacation - to Greece - where we aim to meet up with @DarK_RaideR Excited is an understatement. Hence the manic crafting plans. And I broadly sketched out like everything in a couple hours without the 2 months of intensive underpants collecting I normally go through. 

 

Thinking about AI taking my damn job potential still hurts my heart’s feelings, but I broke down and put an itinerary request into Google Bard - and it wasn’t terrible. I used like a tenth of it, but it was … interesting. I like my underpants, though. 

 

 

 

I then limited myself to 3 ‘this is the ultimate list of shit to do in Athens+’ and the suggestions a friend sent, and I was off. 

 

Remembering this is July and the entirety of the UK is like to descend upon Greece like a horde of sunburnt sausages, I preliminary booked tours for the biggie sites we wanted to see that involve small groups + waaaaaaaay too early for my liking times in the hopes to avoid said hordes for the nerdy parts. 

 

Of course, we are also in talks with a tattoo studio I’ve been Insta-stalking for years …. 

 

But this is about the patterns! 

 

Bummer. Freeform won’t easily export a good file. This is my chicken-scratch plan, and it even includes a COLOR and a PATTERN. *pats self on back* - let’s see if I can physically purchase fabric in a bright color and/or a pattern. Or, if I can even find such a thing. 

 

- Updates may be infrequent, but I’m aiming to lurk daily at least. 

 

[Heidi]

YOU'RE GOING TO GREECE????

[darkfoxx]

18 hours ago, Heidi said:

YOU'RE GOING TO GREECE????

I am! In July - DH hatched the idea when pulling the trigger for another Summer trip - tix were much easier and it’s always been high on the list. 
 

And we’ll be in Athens! That houses a Nerd! 🎉🎉

[Heidi]

2 minutes ago, darkfoxx said:

I am! In July - DH hatched the idea when pulling the trigger for another Summer trip - tix were much easier and it’s always been high on the list. 
 

And we’ll be in Athens! That houses a Nerd! 🎉🎉

So excited for you!  

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

So glad to see and follow a Darkfoxx challenge.

 

Give D_R a big hug from me when you get to Athens.

[TimovieMan]

Aaaaaah, I'm going to Greece as well in July!!!!

 

[DarK_RaideR]

15 hours ago, TimovieMan said:

Aaaaaah, I'm going to Greece as well in July!!!!

Feel free to hit me up ;)

[Heidi]

20 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

So glad to see and follow a Darkfoxx challenge.

 

Give D_R a big hug from me when you get to Athens.

Same on both counts.

 

17 hours ago, TimovieMan said:

Aaaaaah, I'm going to Greece as well in July!!!!

 

AHHHHH! 

 

1 hour ago, DarK_RaideR said:

Feel free to hit me up

A Nerd meetup in Athens and how am I not going to be there?

Now I have the FOMO. 

Sending love to you all and demanding many pictures.  

[darkfoxx]

23 hours ago, TimovieMan said:

Aaaaaah, I'm going to Greece as well in July!!!!

 

Whaaat?! We will be there from the 9th - 16th

[darkfoxx]

5 hours ago, Heidi said:

Same on both counts.

 

AHHHHH! 

 

A Nerd meetup in Athens and how am I not going to be there?

Now I have the FOMO. 

Sending love to you all and demanding many pictures.  

Of course - and I’m sure you can imagine the noises that are going to involuntarily escape my face 🤣🤣🤣🤣 

 

I could say I’ll try and be a cool grownup, but …. 🤷‍♀️ … you’ve met me in temporal time and space 🤣🤣🤣

[darkfoxx]

On 5/23/2023 at 6:48 PM, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

So glad to see and follow a Darkfoxx challenge.

 

Give D_R a big hug from me when you get to Athens.

🥰

 

And of course! 

[TimovieMan]

16 hours ago, darkfoxx said:

Whaaat?! We will be there from the 9th - 16th

We'll be there two weeks later. July 24th - August 2nd.

 

We'll be staying near Corinth, but we're renting a car, so we'll definitely be visiting Athens for a day or two as well. 😎

Never been to Greece before, but since we're looking for a healthy mix of culture, landscape and activity, it's bound to be perfect. 🙂

[darkfoxx]

5 hours ago, TimovieMan said:

We'll be there two weeks later. July 24th - August 2nd.

 

We'll be staying near Corinth, but we're renting a car, so we'll definitely be visiting Athens for a day or two as well. 😎

Never been to Greece before, but since we're looking for a healthy mix of culture, landscape and activity, it's bound to be perfect. 🙂

Bummer! But I agree - we are looking forward to the history nerdery! 

[darkfoxx]

Tattoos have been booked for our first whole day in town.

 

The 2 patterns I had to purchase for my mini capsule have been printed and I started cutting 1 out - until poor Odin tried climbing into the leg of my overalls for a cuddle. I’m taking a break and can finish this skirt cut tomorrow. 
 

Also made a killer strawberry prawn salad for lunch / dinner.

 

And posted my Day 2 handstand thing on Insta after today’s handstand class.

 

Did I mention I’m doing a 21 day challenge through my yoga studio to see how many gainz I can get with inversions? It’s mainly a handstand challenge, and I don’t do handstands (chronic wrist injury), so I’m opting for pincha. 
 

Im 2 days in and have posted both days. 
 

Ooh. And I finished a pattern. I still want to monkey with the colors a bit, but it’s not bad. I wouldn’t wear it, but it’s pleasing. 

[darkfoxx]

* Patterns have been cut out

* All but 2 fabrics have been purchased and the one I was sure was going to be nigh on impossible to find has proved me right.

* Yoga has been gone to 5x this week (since Wed at that).

* Hanging out with yoga friends has been achieved most days - and now they’re trying to talk me into this Fall’s teacher training.

* Social time with other friends was had.

* Finished another pattern and have been working on a crochet thing.

 

 

[darkfoxx]

* More hanging out with yoga friends.

* Secret Pants - aka 1800s riding pants have been 90% completed, though I need more buttons because I sewed the damn skirt flap on backwards 

* Shorts pattern has been drafted and a mock-up has been tried on - and works as pants.

* 6 yoga classes have been attended this week.

* managed to eat mostly healthy.

* A few more patterns have been designed.

 

 

[darkfoxx]

Moar yoga has been had.

Shorts have been finished.

Complicated skirt has been half finished.

Extracurricular crochet project is marching along.

Resisting the urge to drop everything and bead some bug brooches.

Recipe for this weeks post has also been photographed but not written up yet. 

[darkfoxx]

Sewed for 5 hours Wednesday and then missed yoga class by 15 mins due to a schedule change I wasn’t aware of. 🤦‍♀️ 

 

So, I hit the mall to pick up a happy baby card for the pups’ walker - she threw them a goodbye for now party before she has the baby: 

 

 

I think they had a good time.

 

I gifted her one of the beach bags I made back when I was contemplating an Etsy shop. I’ve got the same design and have absolutely loved it for the past 15 years. It’s my go-to.

 

Handstand (pincha for me) class went well the next day and yoga friends were hung out with.

 

Today I had back-to-back slow flow & core flow classes with another lunch with friends after. 
 

Also finished the skirt I was working on.

 

Skirt is 100% done.

Pants/skirt is 95% done.

Shorts are 100% done.

 Pattern has been pulled for the long dress.

Tutorial has been mapped out for the short dress.

Tutorial has Ben mapped out for the tie shoulder tank.

Shirred tank tutorial has been chosen; waiting on fabric to come in the mail. 
 

Have also worked on my crochet busywork project and have been coloring a bunch. 
 

Food has been vegan restaurant & steak at dinner heavy as of late. 

[darkfoxx]

*sPiNNiNg oUt*
 

some big life changes may be on the horizon.

 

A few weeks ago, my yoga studio announced that it would be reconvening Teacher training, and 2 of my favorite teachers were creating the curriculum.

 

Studio drama aside, now it’s only 1 of them + the dude handling the woo part is someone I don’t vibe with. I don’t want to disappoint my friend, but I don’t think this is the area I would like to focus on.

 

I do feel a pull that if I were to teach yoga, I’d want to focus on anxiety riddled beginners and people needing physical modification. 
 

Functional yoga is my jam.

 

Talked to DH, and he’s been pushing me to do TT for years. I brought up the general tack people take - a month-long intensive somewhere away from their home - and he said that sounded like a much better route to go.

 

Enter one of my other favorite teachers, who has moved away to teach in Bali. I love this woman, and while she is not a functional-based practitioner, she knows that practice well and works on tRauma, rehab and recovery. She is also the only yoga person I have ever listened to about the woo stuff without my eyes trying to roll out of my head.

 

And she just so happens to be teaching woo in a course whose main teacher and school leader is a physiotherapist. 
 

The price isn’t bad for what it is - DH is supportive even if I don’t end up turning this into a career. He thinks deepening my own practice is worth the price and me being gone for a month.

 

The sPiNoUt: so much. Mostly physical questions (2 hours a day of asanas before breakfast and up at 6:30), and have a call scheduled with the owner of the school to answer. 
 

 Not sure if this is the right path for me - not sure that path will lead anywhere - and I’m not sure I’m ready. 
 

But if I decide I am, this is kind of the ideal setup, no?

 

Adding insult to: the class runs August/September. I’ll be home for a couple weeks in between vacation & this crazy ass thing. 
 

This may be an exhausting Summer.