A special case?

Sometimes I wonder if I'm some kind of special case in my University and in my program. Ok, my department usually messes up with everybody, but I think I still have more problems than some of my friends. Every single procedure I have to do in the University has some problems. Either someone lost one (or few) of my documents, or there are problems with the computer or my name is written wrong and I have to do the whole procedure all over again. I'm still waiting for my official student card, too - most of my study mates got their plastic card about 8 months ago, and I still have my temporal card. And no sign that it's ever going to be changed.

Today we had to do our reinscription to the program. The system kept telling me I couldn't do it because it wasn't the right day. And yes, I was the only one. Finally the problem got solved - they always do here, you just need lots of patience and time - after I got personal help from the Academic Services department's boss. But I just wander do I have some kind of "no smooth transactions for this girl" tag in my data... I can't wait the see the huge problems I will have when I'll try to graduate... I can see it coming already.

Well, the good thing is that the reinscription is done now and I can finally craft! (I promised my self not no make anything before it was over.) Though I still have to send some documents to Finland and edit some texts - yes, I'm editing some articles in Spanish as part of my scholarship work (no, they are not mine) - next weeks, so not too much time for crafting anyway. But I'll buy some materials on Monday, when I'll go to the center to meet the other members of our new Etsy Mexico Street Team. Beeswax! New yarn! Yupii!

I have another shop!

I now have a new shop at DaWanda, too. I have only two items there now, but will be listing more once I'll have some time to create instead of studying. The site seems nice, there are lots of cool features -plus it's in euros, which I really like. Go and check for yourselves!


Here are my Kaamos Is Ending necklace and earrings that are featured in the shop:





Kaamos stands for the polar night in Finnish, aka the darkest time of the year, when the sun doesn't get up the horizon in the north of Finland. No kaamos here, but I have been in a wintery mood lately (I miss snow!), so that's where the inspiration came from.

A scary weather phenomenon

Candlelight dinner with your loved one... Sounds romantic, doesn't it? At least if you choose to have one. We didn't, and although it was kind of nice for a while, spending hours and hours without electrity started to be quite boring. Well, I'm one of the lucky ones I guess - my home was without electricity only for about 12 hours. In some parts of the city they are still working on that.

All this was caused by a strange weather phenomenon - huracane winds, it said in the newspaper, but without the huracane. The day was very beautiful and warm, until about 7 p.m., when the storm came out of nowhere. I was in my home and wondered why suddenly there was this loud noise coming from my roof, as if someone was throwing things there. I looked out of the window, and suddenly the sky was black, the winds had risen and you could hear the thunder. And baff - the lights were gone.

It was a bit scary to sit alone in the dark (my boyfriend only came after the storm) and just listen to the noise in the roof and all the sirens from the streets. I was sure that the winds would rip the plastic part of the roof away. They didn't, but something big and heavy fell on the roof.

The phenomenon stopped as suddenly as it started, it took only about 40 minutes, I think. But it was really devastating - the wind was blowing 70 km/h, 12 out of the City's 16 districts couldn't get electricity, 50 trees fell down in different parts of the City and at least two persons died (one when a tree fell on his car) and others were hurt. You can see the photo (it's not mine by the way, it's from El Universal newspaper).

New creation

I figured that I haven't been showing any creations of mine lately... So here we go, a jade necklace that I just listed in my Etsy shop:

Weekend on the beach

Last Saturday boyfriend and I had our second official aniversary (yes, some of you may have noticed that we actually have been together longer, but it's a long story), so we decided to get out of the City.

We had thought about two options: Patzcuaro and Acapulco. I have this obsession about San Juan Parangaricutiro, a village that was buried in lava in the 1940's, but it was just too far away this time. Well, as you can see in the picture, we chose Acapulco instead of culturally more interesting, but much colder Patzcuaro.

And I think it was definitively a good choice for the aniversary weekend. It was relaxing, even though we didn't get much sleep (some kids started to scream at the pool at 7 a.m.). And oh so warm! During the day the temperature was over 30 degrees and even in the night we were sweating when we walked in the center. Nice change for the cold Mexico City! Besides there weren't so much turists now, which is always a plus.

I really can't complain: sunny weather, swimming in the warm see, walking on the beach, good food, sparkling wine for breakfast - and of course all this in the company of the man of my life. What else could I ask?

Another Treasury...

I got a another treasury in Etsy! Though it kind of happened very suddenly, so I didn't really have time to plan it at all. Here's how it turned out:

You can see it better (until Sunday) at http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=23971.

Here's what I won...

My prize has been shipped to me, so now I can show you what I chose:

Aren't they cute? I like the green ceramic beads a lot, they are very original. The earrings are made by eyecandytreasury. Now I'll just have to wait that these lovely earrings arrive...

I won, I won!

Yes, I won in the Treasury hunt Etsy Texas crafters held yesterday. I'm so happy! I think the last time I won something was when I was in the kindergarden. Well, in this kind of competitions, at least - competing with your own merits is another story. But I won't tell you what prize I chose before I'm absolutely sure no one can buy it before I claim it.

Today was a good day in general. I also got some encouraging news academically - and I don't mean getting extra time to present my research progress, which is perfect, too. I might be able to change the director of my thesis and the person I want to have as a director, is actually interested. Hope that all works out well!

Does it ever happen to you...

... that you go to buy materials for one thing and end up buying something else? Well, with jewelry materials it happens to me a lot (ok, ok, with other shopping too, sometimes). For example my "Winter Berries" set is a result of that kind of spontaneous shopping. And it's really one of my favorites now!

Last time it happened to me with these lovely fossil stones, when I was looking for hand made slippers for my boyfriend. I didn't find the slippers, and bought the fossils instead. How could I NOT buy them?? They have such an interesting texture, whole stories in them. Can't wait to see how these will turn out to be... I have already decided the name for one of them, even if I'm still not quite sure how I will make the necklace.

And what comes to other crafting projects... I'm dying to start a sweater for myself and find the beeswax (I found a place where I might find it). But I have promised to myself that I will have to wait until the whole re registration process is over at the university. I really really have to make some advance in my investigation these weeks, so I can't buy any yarns or other crafting materials to tempt me. Besides, going to the center just takes hours (in the subway alone, not even to mention the time I would use actually looking for the materials), it's too much for now. Mexico City is so huge that you can spend hours just sitting in the traffic or in puclic transportation.

Some goals...

Here are some of my goals for this year:

- Advance in my doctoral thesis
- Find beeswax and start making yarn paintings again (and sell them in Etsy!)
- Go jogging more often and take longer paths - and exercise in other ways too
- Make my Etsy shop more prosperous

Ok, the last one is more like a wish, but I'm going to work for it listing more items, making a banner, trying to promote more and creating a new line of products (the yarn paintings). We'll see if that works!

Happy New Year everyone!

Mexico - warm??

Many people may have this idea that Mexico is a warm place. Well, it isn't! At least if it's winter and you aren't lucky enough to be in some of the beautiful Mexican beaches. Right now in Mexico City (not even to mention the Northern parts of the country) it's pretty cold...

Ok, maybe it sounds silly to be complaining about the cold, when during the day the temperature have been something like 18 Celsius degrees (during the night about 1 degree). It's not that cold, I know. But the thing isn't really the outside temperature, but the fact that it's freezing cold inside the houses. Last night I was sleeping with two pajamas, woollen pullover and a fleeze jacket, and of course two pairs of woollen socks. And I was still cold. Hrr! I'm eternally thankful to my grandma for making me a pair of woollen hand warmers that let me study in my fridge (read: my home) without my fingers turning blue.

My advice for anyone coming to Mexico in winter - bring your woollen socks with you! Except if you are going to the beaches or to the jungles of Chiapas.

Luckily on Tuesday we made a little day trip to Cuernavaca, a city that is about an hour away from here. The climate is very different, as you get down from the mountains where the capital lies. It was lovely, the city is beautiful and it was nice to enjoy some sun and warmth. I don't have any pictures, though, I had only my "old fashioned" systems camera with me.