Zombie Amigurumi

I would first like to say that I am offering this pattern free but if you don't crochet or if you just don't have time, you can also buy one already made (from me!) through my newly opened etsy (I would certainly appreciate the business!).

I made this lil guy, who I call Mr.Zombie, for a zombie apocalypse themed swap while also reading my way through World War Z. I had originally planned to make him look decomposed and all nasty but he began to come together, I switched gears and decided he was going to be a recently turned zombie (as you may see at the start of the apocalypse). I may return to him someday and make the gnarly edits that could only come from surviving the human threat and time spent roaming while your guts hang out but for now he remains cute.

Materials needed:

• E/4 crochet hook (3.50mm)
• 2 safety eyes
• Worsted weight yarn in tan (or whatever skin color you choose; I think a variegated green would be pretty cool too), red, blue (pants), grey (shoes/ belt), pink, and white (shirt)
• Polyester stuffing such as Polyfil
• Yarn needle
• Approx. 3 pipe cleaners (best if in same color as yarn used for skin)

     Stitches used:

• ssc - single crochet
• st - stitch
• dec - single crochet decrease
• slst - sling stich

This project is worked in continuous rounds unless otherwise noted

Ball Joint & Upper Body:

Row 1: Crochet 6 sc in magic ring with skin colored yarn (6)
Row 2: Inc all the way around (12)
Row 3: [sc, inc]* Repeat * all the way around (18)
Row 4: sc all the way around (18)
Row 5: [sc, dec]* Repeat * all the way around (12)
Row 6: [sc, dec]* Repeat * all the way around (8)
Row 7: sc all the way around (8)
Row 8: [sc, inc]* Repeat * all the way around (12) On the very last stitch of this row, switch colors from skin to white (shirt).  This marks the beginning of the upper body.
Row 9: [sc, inc]* Repeat * all the way around (18)
Rows 10-13: sc all the way around (18)
Row 14: Ch1, switch to pink and chain 8, switch back to white and ch 1, skip 2 sc from the body and continue row (2 skipped, 16 sc)
Drop tan and go back to the pink, [ch 1,turn, sc 6] * Repeat * 3x
Slip stitch, clip yarn with a few inches to spare, fold your little pocket rectangle in half and sew the bottom (the row you just finished) together.
Row 15: pick the white back up, stitch 3 sc into your pocket (1 in the bottom side, 1 where you joined the halves, and 1 on the other side), then continue your normal sc around. (19)
Row 16: 1 sc, dec, 16 sc (18) slip stitch and tie off end

You now have the upper body of your zombie complete with inside pocket to contain the guts. I would suggest going back, perhaps with red or pink thread, and sewing the pocket sides closed and to the open sides so you don’t accidentally pull out stuffing or shove the intestines somewhere unretrievable.

Also at this point you can begin stuffing your zombie, making sure the head pivot ball is stiff and, when you fill the body portion, there’s enough room for your pocket.

Legs (Make 2):

Row 1: Sc 5 into magic ring with white yarn. (5)
Row 2: Sc 1, inc, sc 1, inc, sc 1 (7)
Row 3: Sc all the way around (7)
Row 4: Repeat Row 3. (7) switch to blue
Row 5: Sc 1, inc, sc 1, inc, sc 1, inc, sc 1 (10)
Row 6-8: Sc around (10)
Once you’ve finished the first leg and cut the yarn at a suitable location, repeat for the second leg. 
This time, after finishing the leg, don’t cut the yarn off.  Instead, go through the first sc of the current leg and the ending sc of the 1^st leg.
From there, sc around the 1^st leg for 8 sc. Sc into the final sc of the 1^st leg and the next sc of the 2^nd leg (so you will have 2 sc joinng the legs together). Finish sc through the remainder 8 sc of the 2^nd leg. In total you should have 18sts.
Sc around (18) Do not cut off the yarn when you have closed this row.


Next, you are going to be attaching the ball joint/upper body to the legs, so stuff the legs to your liking at this point.  After that, sc the two parts together using the grey/black yarn. Finish the row and cut the yarn.

He looks a bit odd right now but stick with it!

Shoes (Make 2):

Shoe tops
To begin, ch 10 and then sl st to connect the loop on your hook and the first ch you made with Grey/ Black yarn.  
(In effect, you are creating a ring out of these 10 sts.)
Row 1: sc around (10)
Row 2: sc around (10)
Row 3: sc 4, inc 2, sc 4 (12)
Row 4: sc 5, inc 2, sc 5 (14)
Row 5: sc 6, inc 2, sc 6 (16)

Shoe soles (Grey/ Black yarn)

Row 1: Ch 4. Skipping the ch closest to but not on the hook, sc into the next chain on the left side of the v made. Then, sc into the next chain on the left side.  You should be left with a single chain at this point.  Sc twice into the left side of the chain and then once into the right side.  Then, moving towards your starting point, sc into the next chain on the right side and then the last chain twice.  Sl st to close row. (8)
Row 2: Inc all the way around.  Sl st to close row. (16)

Attaching the top and sole
Take a length of yarn and go through both loops of an sc on the wider end of the shoe top and both loops of an sc on the sole.  Sc these together and repeat all the way around. 
Then, do the same on the other shoe.

Intestines:

Leaving an inch or so at the end, with red, ch 50, tie off leaving another inch of so


To attach to the zombie, using your crochet hook, grab a loop on the inside of the pocket (if you can pull it inside out, that would work too). From there, tie off both ends of your intestines to the inside of the pocket so that you are left with a red chained loop.

Arms & Hands:

Fingers (4 per hand)
Thumb/ pinkie (make 2): With tan, Ch4. Turn and Sc 3. In last sc, Pull up an inch or so of thread and trim
Longer fingers (make 6): With tan, Ch5. Turn and Sc 4. In last sc, pull an inch or so of thread and trim

I had originally planned 5 fingers/ hand but changed my mind as I began putting the hand together since 4 fit better.

For all fingers: Bend the top of a pipe cleaner (I used red here 1. Because I ran out of tan and 2. So you could see the difference between the pipe cleaner and the yarn a little bit easier) over the top most loop of a finger so as not to poke out of the end or slip out of the finger when attached.

Next lay the pipe cleaner in the center of a finger with the bent end being the top of the finger.
Taking one tail end of yarn, whip stitch the two sides of the finger together around the pipe cleaner.
Finally, clip the pipe cleaner leaving approximately 1/4in at the end for when we attach the fingers to the hand.

Arm (and hand; make 2ish):
Row 1: In tan, ch10. Slst to create a ring
Row 2: sc all around (10)
Row 3: dec, sc 6, dec (8)
Row 4: dec, sc 4, dec (6)
Row 5-7: sc all around (6) *end here for one arm
Row 8: sc all around (6) to continue full arm *for ripped off arm, ch 6 and slst to make a ring
Row 9: dec, sc 2, dec (4)
Row 10-12: sc all around (4)
Row 13: switch to white yarn, stitching only in the outer loops, sc all around (4)
Row 14: Inc, sc, Inc sc (6)
Row 15: Inc, sc 4, Inc (8)
Row 16-17: sc all around (8)
Pull the sleeve so that it flips around the arm, tie off, and weave end to the base of the arm for when we attach the arm to the body

Closing the ripped out arm
In a magic ring using red yarn, sc 6, slst  (make 2)
Using your yarn needle with the red yarn end, whip stitch to arm end by going first through the outer loop of a tan sc up through the top/ outer loop of a sc in the red magic ring. Do this all the way around (total of 6 times), tie off, and weave in.

My nail polish is so on fleek (did I use that word correctly?)

Attaching fingers to hand
First, take a pice of pipe cleaner, make a triangle shaped loop the size of the zombie's palm, and twist down the length of the arm plus a little extra to poke out the end.

One finger at a time (obvi) wrap the finger pipe cleaner around the top of the arm skeleton pipe cleaner, ending with the sharp end pointing towards the finger (just to avoid poking the future recipient). I put my shorter finger in the corner of the triangle to give it a bit of an angle. At this time you also want to trim up those finger ends to roughly the length of the hand (they’ll act as stuffing; you can certainly add more stuffing if you feel your hand/arm needs a little more life).

Next, pull your pipe cleaner skeleton through your arm so that the hand skeleton slips nicely into place and the extra length sticks out at the sleeve. If you’re having a bit of difficultly getting it through the narrow part of the arm, push your crochet hook through the arm from the sleeve end, wrap your skeleton around the end, and pull through. 

Finally, using your yarn needle and tan yarn, sew the hand shut. When folded in half, the hand should have 5 sc on either side of the fingers (5 of the back of the hand and 5 for the palm) so using those as your guide, stitch through those loops and through the fingers to make them extra secure.

Attaching arm to body
Hook the arm skeletons to the sides of the body along the first row of white, where you want your arms

Now using the white ends left from the sleeves, sew the sleeve/ arm onto the body around the skeleton/ pipe cleaner. I suggest moving the arm around to make sure you completely cover your pipe cleaner so that it doesn’t show (I thought I was done until I moved my arm into the shape I wanted it and I realized I had completely missed a spot)

Keep in mind that it looks disproportionate because that little ball on top is just the pivot ball, not the head. Don’t freak out. You’re doing great!

Head:

Row 1: Sc 8 into magic ring using Aran yarn. (8)
Row 2: Inc all the way around (16)
Row 3: [sc, inc]* Repeat * all the way around (24)
Row 4-6: sc all the way around. (24)
Row 7: [sc, dec] Repeat * all the way around (16)
Row 8: sc all the way around (16)
Row 9: [sc, inc] Repeat * all the way around (24)
Row 10: Sc counterclockwise all the way around (24) What this technique will do is make it so the “right side” of the crochet switches sides.  The rows you made so far will actually be on the inside of the head and function as a place for the body joint to go into, thus making the head pivotable.
Row 11: (go back to crocheting clockwise) [sc 2, inc]* Repeat * all the way around (32)
Row 12-15: sc all the way around (32)
Row 16: Sc 7, dec 4, sc 2, dec 4, sc 7 (24) *place a marker at the 2^nd dec and 6^th dec, this is where the eyes will go

Row 17: Sc 6, inc 12, sc 6 (36)
Row 18: Sc all the way around (36)
Row 19: [sc 4, dec]* Repeat * all the way around (30)
Row 20: [sc 3, dec]* Repeat * all the way around (24)
At this point, I’d recommend stuffing the head (just lightly around the pivot) and placing eyes if you’re going to do safety eyes. 
Row 21: [sc 2, dec] * Repeat * counterclockwise in the inside loops only (18) The outer loops will act as a hair line when we add the hair/ head latch.
Row 22 : (go back to crocheting clockwise) [sc 2, inc]  all the way around (24)
Row 23-24: sc all the way around (24)
Row 25: [sc, dec] * Repeat * all the way around (16)
Row 26: dec all the way around (8)
Row 27: dec all the way around (4) tie off and weave in end

Brain:

Row 1: 6 dbc in a magic ring with pink (or light green) yarn (6)
Row 2: Inc dbc all the way around (12)
Row 3: [dbc, inc dbc] * Repeat * all the way around (18)
Row 4: [dbc, dec dbc] * Repeat * all the way around (12)
Row 5: dec dbc all the way around (6) stuff, tie off, and weave in end. It should fit loosely in the head space at this point.

Make 2 chains of 75+ each, depending on how close you would like your gryi (the convolution of the brain) bound together. I sewed a straight line down the center of the brain to keep me oriented and then started from the magic rings on either side, stitching down the brain chains/ gyrus. I only attached the gyri to the sides (temporal lobe area) and front to back, leaving the bottom flat (thought that's not what an actual brain looks like). Once everything is stitched down, it should fit snuggly into the zombie’s head.

Top & left = without the attached gyri; Right & bottom = completed brain

Nose:

Using your yarn needle, satin stitch a nose. I placed mine 1 row below the eyes, 2 stitches in from the eyes, and it is 3 stitches wide. I stitched across 4 times for the desired look of the nose and then tied off the yarn end.

Ears (Make 2):

Sc 5 into magic ring and arrange in half-circle shape.  Attach to side of head along the same row as the eyes.

           

Hair:

Row 1: sc 6 into a magic ring with hair color (I used light brown) (6)
Row 2: inc all the way around (12)
Row 3: [sc, inc] * Repeat * all the way around (18)
Row 4: [sc 2, inc] * Repeat * all the way around (24)
Row 5: sc all the way around (24)
Slst, pull the yarn through, and cut off  leaving a long enough end to attach to head.

Attaching the hair to the head
Starting above the ear, where the row from the head was crocheted only into the inner loop, now whip stitch around the front of the head in the remaining outer loop. Only stitch the hair down to the front half of the head so that the back can be peeled back to reveal the brain.

Extras:

Collar
Ch 4 with same yarn as shirt. Turn, dbc in first ch from hook, 2sc, slst to close.   Leave a tail long enough to sew collar to body.

Shirt Buttons
Stitch using yarn needle or find fun little buttons and stitch down with thread. I chose just 2 buttons done with the same yarn color as the shoes and belt.

Bowtie
Ch 4. Turn and sc, ch 1,  slst into the next ch, ch 1, sc into the last ch in the row, ch 1 and slst into the same ch. Pull your yarn through and around to the back of your bow tie and wrap around the center. Tie/ sew in place on the front of your stylish zombie.

You did it! You have a completed Mr. Zombie! Now take him out and let him explore. Here are some more pictures I took of him before sending him to his forever home (since the first Mr. Zombie was the main item in my Zombie Apocalypse themed swap).

Can I haz your brainz, plz?

Either recently attacked or basking in the sunset. You decide.

Worf made the perfect Zombie attack victim

Tune back in on Wednesday (Oct. 28) for some zombie themed books, movies, and tv shows to get you in the spirit of Halloween. Or, if that isn't your thing, join me on Saturday morning (Oct. 31) as I wrap up the books I read and movies I watched this month and then on Sunday (Nov. 1) for my TBR/ TBW for November. In my attempt at some consistency, I'm going to plan to post something crafty related every Monday, a bookish post every Wednesday, and a misc. category post every Friday (movies you have to watch, journaling/ planner tips, wedding update). Also, the last day of every month I'll post my wrap up/ what I accomplished then the following day I'll post the plans for the next month. Make sense? Great! I can't guarentee that every post will be as lovely and full as this one but I'm working on consistency this month. Bear with me!

As always, you can follow me on Instagram @trekkiechick29 or Pinterest @TrekkerChick29 or Twitter @AimeXAime and check out my newly opened etsy shop. In the comments, leave me a name suggestion for my shop and I'll announce what the official name is (maybe) next Monday. 

Until Wednesday dearest readers, live long and prosper!!!

October 2015 TBR

In case you didn't know, there's this magical place full of lots of fun stuff that you can borrow, take home, enjoy at your leisure, and then return for even more fun. Better yet - it's all free! What's this magical place called, you ask?

The library!

This picture belongs to the Casco Public Library in Casco, ME - isn't it wonderful :)

*Angelic voices "ah-ahing" as your eyes drift over row after row of beautifully bound books of all different genres*

My local library offers more than just your typical books, audiobooks, movies, tapes. They also offer board games, video games, and other household tools like odd shaped cake pans, ice cream makers, and [coming soon] power tools! How freaking awesome is that!?

One of my fondest memories of childhood summers was my mom taking my younger siblings and I on frequent visits to the local library. I somehow forgot the joy of reading physical books that I wouldn't have the money or space to have otherwise. In our attempt to save money for our wedding, I was looking up alternatives to the growing list of books and comics we wanted to buy and the internet spoke - "Free things to do this summer: Go to the library".

Library week 1

Mid-august we waltzed into the library to sign up for our free cards and check out what there was to offer... we walked out with 7 graphic novels, 2 novels, and 2 movies we had been dying to check out. Admittedly, the first book I checked out has also been the only one that I returned without reading (Vampires, no matter how terrifyingly they're depicted, just isn't my thing. Sorry Guillermo Del Toro).

Library week 2

One week later we returned everything except 1 unfinished book (yeah, we read and watched everything else) and left with another 6 graphic novels, 3 books, and 4 movies.

This trend has now continued every Monday evening (and occasionally Friday too) with the added bonus of reserving books, movies, and video games ahead of time (sometimes being put on a crazy long waiting list), knowing where everything is in the library, and updated recommendations from our Goodreads accounts.

Library week 3

September TBR = 7 books & 4 graphic novels + forever-photobombing cat

Having access to all the books and movies that we wouldn't have a chance to enjoy [legally] otherwise has brought us so much enjoyment. Just in September I read 7 books and 19 graphic novels plus we watched half of all Studio Ghibli films, Edward Scissorhands, Moon, Watchmen, 2.5 seasons of Legend of Korra, and a Tai Chi instructional video (so I could learn how to water bend). I loved not brainlessly watching whatever was on tv and instead spent 2 weeks in a row not turning on the tv at all, spending our evenings emersed in our books. While reading through the memoir I mentioned last post (My Year With Eleanor by Noelle Hancock) I realized the one downside to not owning the book you're reading - you can't mark in it and keep notes in the margins. I'm one of those people that prefers buying used books with the hope that the book with have the notes of previous owners. Never fear for OCD note-taker Ariel is here!

As you can see, I have a spot for the books I plan to read (though the list for September was more what I had already accomplished reading), the author(s), when I finished reading them (the number in the left column), my star rating out of 5, and if I have left my review for them yet (GR = Goodreads, B = blog). Below the book list I also have a spot to start writing down favorite quotes, notes to myself and about the book I'm reading (both of which can continue onto the back of the page and so on), and a spot for the shows that I watch starting that month (because Fall shows is where it's at!). I didn't start this until I was reading the last 3 books so there's not very much written down quote/ note-wise.

Also worth noting is that I drew out a few symbols:
 --- = books that I didn't care to finish reading
X = graphic novels
^ = books with limited reading time
o = book club book

Now, without further adieu, my October to-be-read pile:

This pile has several more books and less graphic novel than what I actually accomplished last month so I do have a feeling that I won't make it through everything but that's okay. There's one book that I wasn't planning on reading this month but then I received it as a free ARC (advanced reading copy for review). If I run out of time to read it, that's totally fine (I'll just bump it to next month) but if I do have time, you can bet I'll spend it engrossed in another adventure. I'm still on the wait list for The Martian by Andy Weir, which is apart of one of the book clubs I'm in. I highly doubt I'll get the hard copy anytime soon (I'm #223 of 248 at the moment) so I'll probably be borrowing it through my kindle as an eBook.

And here is the book journal page for this month:

Before you say anything - yes, I spelt "quotes" wrong. In my nervous attempt to not mess up using pen, I totally messed up. I realized it right away but instead of tearing out my already listed and decorated page, I decided to just own it. There's also an additional column on the right side for Amazon review check mark. Also, the book Ready Player One by Ernst Cline is on this month's list but I decided shortly after writing it down to hold off until November to read it.

Since I have a ridiculously long list of books I hope to read (and it grows faster than I can read), I had the idea to make choosing the next book to read based on monthly themes. So, being October, my attempted theme was scary/ thriller. A few of the books obviously don't fit that category due to me checking them out before thinking it all the way through but I do hope to complete this list. Future months won't have quite as long a list since I'm also trying to find a balance for all my hobbies (I'm calling it the 30-minute plan - I'll maybe write something up about that at a later time).

Categories for the next few months and a few books I've already chosen:

• November: Geek life
•  I am Spock by Leonard Nimoy
• Ready Player One by Ernst Cline
• Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
•  Fangirl's Guide to the Galaxy by Sam Maggs
• Star Wars: A Long Time Ago vol.2-5
• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic vol. 2-3
• You're Never Weird on the Internet by Felicia Day
• December: Fantasy
• Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones and/or 
• The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
• January: Self-improvement/ Memoirs/ Autobiographies
• The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8am) by Hal Elrod
• You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life by Eleanor Roosevelt
• February: Love
• The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

If you have suggestions for themes or book recommendations, please let me know in the comments below. Or maybe we can start a book group on Goodreads? Any interest?

I wanted to use categories instead of a TBR jar like I've seen many do is because I knew that I would end up pulling out a book that I want to read eventually, only to go to the library and spend hours deciding if I actually wanted to read that book or another. This way, I decide what category the book would fit into and I can look forward to picking it up when the time comes. Organization makes my heart happy :)

Depending on how quickly I make it through each book, I plan on posting my review on Goodreads, Amazon, and here (I promise no more than 1 book review related post per week). I'm also considering reviewing movies and games but we'll see what happens with the books first.

Let me know your thoughts. What book(s) are you hoping to pick up this month? Any good book/ movie/ game recommendations for future months? Keep an eye out for a crafty related post and my book reviews. I started reading Yes Please by Amy Poehler last night and I'm hoping to have it complete by Friday night. Until next time lovelies I'll leave you with my photo bombing cat #2.

Live long and prosper!

What's that sound?

This last weekend I read my way through My Year With Eleanor by Noelle Hancock. As I pushed back my thoughts of negativity about the author's whininess and my self-imposed mountain of a to do list, I began listing my own fears. Now, to give a brief summary of the book, upon approaching her 29th birthday, Noelle takes on the challenge of facing one fear everyday for a year based on the famous quote by Eleanor Roosevelt. The memoir is her highlights from that year - diving with sharks, parachuting, and finally climbing Mount Kilimanjaro (you know, things that every person recently laid off has plenty of money to do). I initially felt embarrassed at my growing list of fears as I realized that many were little things that I was facing everyday.

What I also realized about my list was that my fears, both big and small, made up something resembling a bucket list of things that felt impossible or laugh worthy being listed beside something "extreme" like climb to the top of a mountain. I mean, who puts making a simple phone call to a friend or hanging out with those with similar interests on their bucket list? Aren't bucket lists supposed to be things like diving with sharks and learning to fly a plane? Yes, those big things scare me but I have no issue with those more instinctual fears. But fearing going outdoors for a walk around the block by myself or spending the day somewhere unknown are both terrifying and, ultimately, things I wish I wasn't quite so fearful of... That is, unless there's a more realistic reason to fear those like some natural disaster ravaging my city or a serial killer on the prowl for a chick of my type... *shakes head like an etch-a-sketch to erase images of being dragged into an alley* And, when it comes down to it, they are things I want to accomplish purely for myself and not to make someone else proud or to be noticed. Simply to show myself that I can conquer anything I set my mind to. That I am a warrior! *eyes darting around to make sure that no one saw me superman pose in my seat with a cheesy smile on my face*

Okay, so what does this all have to do with Eleanor Roosevelt and this post's title? Well, I found that I fear a lot of things but at the root its all about rejection and failure. It goes so deep that it has the power to stop me in my tracks, gasping for breath. Some things I can easily muster the courage to conquer and push past (thanks small dosages of propranalol as prescribed by my doctor) like having to make that biannual phone call to Comcast to haggle for a better price for the bare minimum in internet and cable. But other things send me into pre-panic attack mode just thinking about how I might tackle such a task. Would it surprise you to hear that one of those things is posting a blog post that I've spent hours composing and editing?

*transition music*I've always enjoyed reading (this is going somewhere, just stick with me). I remember how accomplished I felt the first time I was able to read Hop on Pop out loud to my parents. The absolute excitement I felt in completing my first "chapter" book - you know, the ones that have 1-3 sentences per giant page and each chapter is 4ish pages. Reading soon translated into writing and, eventually, crafting. Writing a super cheesy poem often wrought with poor rhyming (thanks dad for that inherited skill), composing a research paper after skimming through dozens of scientific articles (and increasing the period font size to 14 to make it that extra required page), crocheting a scarf, assembling (stitching and quilting) a blanket, cross stitching a scandalous mermaid, and even composing a silly song to sing to my family at the start and end of my college years. The delight and ownership when you create something entirely from your own thoughts and ideas cannot be topped by anything else.

But as with every thing there are always those who are going to criticize what you do. I recall the first time an adult told me that he didn't believe I was reading the book I claimed to be reading and just laughed at me because there was no way I understood what I was reading. Because of situations like this, probably as a defense mechanism, I've grown to be my own biggest (and meanest) critic. I find myself terrified that I'll write/craft/bake/say something and have it go so terribly awry that I begin to list everything wrong with what I've started that I most often don't even finish or allow myself to start a sentence. Of the 50 posts that I've published here (this being the 51st), I've written nearly 3x that and eventually deleted them because no one is going to read what I've written. I have a long list of crafts that I've started and not finished because the next thing is going to completely ruin my progress. I sabotage every healthy eating plan I've started because I'm never going to be successful anyway.

At the root, I am afraid of rejection (even from those I don't know) and failure (even if I'm the only one who knows). To bring it back to the beginning, what I learned in reading My Year with Eleanor is that those fears and worries tend to repeat themselves over and over in our heads rather than be a long list of things. "I'm going to mess up", "What will people think of me?"... pretty much just those two over and over. NO MORE! I'm not saying I'm going to attempt to conquer one fear every day like Eleanor suggests or Noelle accomplished (maybe someday but I'd rather not live an entire year in a panic attack craze) but I do want to make a promise to myself that I will stop and reflect on the root of why I feel I can't move forward and go from there.

First up, I'm going to post this blog entry even though I fear that in putting a plan forward yet again, I'm only going to fail in the end. Next up, I'm going to continue to post blog entries about a variety of things I enjoy such as reading (I just received my first ARC and I review every book I read so look out for that), crafting (because I do have all those UFOs and swaps to finish after all), planning and organizing (because I may be slightly OCD and that's totally okay), and health related things (because I've lost 30lbs since Christmas and I refuse to give up this time *as I sit here eating my third handful of Skittles and drinking cheap wine*). I decided to cover a little bit of each of these topics because, beyond enjoying each of them, it never felt realistic to me to devote my life to only one of these hobbies so I want to share how I as a middle class, youngish adult find enjoyment in life. Once I get past the fear of posting the random things in my life at random times, I'll figure out a schedule for it all. For now if you want to stay updated, enter your email into the the box (just off to the side above tags/ labels) or click the button that says "follow me" (which is just a smidgen below the email box) and the internet magic should email you when I post something new. I do promise I'll continue to keep my bucket list (with a few added fears), 24 by 25, and crafting pages up to date (each Friday evening).

Thank you for sticking with me and I hope you find some enjoyment in my scatter brained blogging. As always, you can follow me on Goodreads and Instagram or, if you understand twitter, that too (AimeXAime but, honestly, I just use it to enter giveaways). Tune in October 1st for my overly ambitious October TBR (to be read) list and how I keep track of it all. Live long and prosper!

P.s. The title, I almost forgot! So you know when you're lying in bed and you hear something? Yeah, one of the things I'm terrified of that isn't related to rejection or failure (well, maybe heart failure) is either a bad guy (thanks Law & Order: SVU and Criminal Minds) or a demon (thanks Nicky Cruz) killing J and I in the middle of the night often causing me to lay in bed on high alert for hours. Sooooo, that's where the title came from and I kinda hoped it would keep your attention to read all the way through this near pictureless post. *nervous chuckle* Thank you again for at least scrolling through this post. It means a lot to me. :)