Halestorm

Last night was a blast. I got to see Halestorm perform again, this time indoors and at night. I saw them back this spring in St. Louis at Pointfest, which if you can go, do it. Tickets were fairly cheap and the band list was great (VOLBEAT and some others :)).
Halestorm won me over at Pointfest. I generally don't like chick fronted bands. Play something random and I can figure out who it is by the voice over anything else, so the voice has to be appealing to me. Not that Lzzy doesn't have a good voice on CD or anything, I enjoyed it but wasn't impressed enough to go out of my way to see them live.
After seeing them perform at Pointfest, she sounds just as good live as she does recorded which is huge in my book. Plus they put on a really flipping good show. Even better as a headliner. The drummer did such a good solo bit.

 Yay cellphone cameras. My friend that went got way better shots on her phone, but anyway.

Also a band called Heaven's Basement played, they won be over by being British. Haha typical American response, it's the accent! But besides the fact they've got cute accents, they were really good! Very energetic and good loud music. I feel like Octane (Sirius XM channel that's always on in my car) has played them but I can't say for sure.

I'm sure they were getting sick of taking pictures by this point but that's understandable.
I can't say too much about the first band Enduval, as I missed half their set. Plus they didn't have a merch table so no cd from them...yet. I have an addiction, cd's, records, DVDs, must collect them all!

Anyway, be sure to check these guys out, and girl.

Halloween time/minor rant

Every year my favorite holiday comes around with a bang. No, not the 4th of July. Halloween! I don't know what it is specifically but I love this holiday. Get me around people dressed up in costumes any other time of the year and they freak me out. Especially bunnies, it's creepy. Halloween night? It's fine!

Usually I've had my costume planned out for the entire year before hand. This year, I have no clue at all. School has kept me so busy, then trying to work enough hours to pay my few bills, worrying about other things life throws at me, my costume ideas are on the back burner. Easy ideas that if I end up going somewhere, Jane Lane from Daria (super easy I know) or Moira from American Horror Story. My hair is almost that color already so just need a cheesy french maid costume and that should be easy.

The reason I say this holiday comes around with a bang is because of Etsy. I sell on there and have for years now. Around the end of July I start getting questions about Thing 1 Thing 2 hats for little kids, even adults. This year, one order. By this time last year I was drowning in orders trying my hardest to get them all done and maintain some semblance of seeing human in my conversations with buyers. Even two years ago I had almost more orders than I could come up with.

Now surely I haven't made these cute sets for every person in the United States have I? Surely not, I think my wrist would have swelled up and fallen off from carpal tunnel had I done that. So is it Etsy? Have they changed crap around so much that no one can find jack on their website anymore? Are there so many re-sellers and fake crap that isn't actually handmade but from China and being sold under false pretenses that no one wants to bother with Etsy anymore?

I have no idea but I'm a little bummed this year as to the next to zero sales of Cat in the Hat costume ideas. I loved Dr. Suess as a child and being an only child it would have been silly to dress up as Thing 1 or Thing 2 and not have the other. So I've enjoyed making these hats for others and I absolutely love getting pictures from customers with their kids all dressed up. Trust me, they're adorable. I would post some but I don't have permission from parents and I would hate to disrespect wishes from anyone like that.

So any ideas on what in the world is causing the no sales this year? Dr. Suess isn't popular anymore? Pinterest has ruined the crafters edge in consumerism? (I do not have a pinterest account nor do I plan on getting one. I think it's silly to bookmark all these projects and then waste 3 hours finding more and more that I will never actually do rather than google one project and actually do it). Etsy is becoming so fake and not taking care of their handmade crafter's? I don't know but if you needed an idea for your kids or twins Cat in the Hat is a good choice and I have plenty of hats made up already and extra yarn!

Oh the idea for these hats started out a long time ago. I wanted to make hats for those going through Chemotherapy and had lost their hair. They're super soft, fuzzy like short hair, and as a customer recently said a whimsical way to cover up a bald head. Someone wanted two of these and told me for their little ones for a costume idea and it's exploded from there. I still make the Cro-Wigs as my mother and I called them, in various colors and still donate to the local cancer centers here. 

Back Again

I've had an on again off again relationship with blogs. I guess I'm of the mindset that they're silly. How many bloggers are out there? What in the world makes me think I have something interesting enough to say that people will sit down and read this? Yea I don't really but I miss writing. And this might be a way I can just take a little time for myself and rant, rave, or post about something weird I did. Instead of going back in time, I'll just start with the present. Things I've done or gotten emotional about will come up throughout I'm sure.

 So any kachegans out there? What is a kachegan? Well, it's a little joke some co-workers made about my diet. I'm a lazy vegan, so it's Kas' Cheater Vegan=kachegan. Is that how they would spell it?

Hopefully. I eat fish and cheat on dairy products, like a little bit of cheese, or packaged food that has some dairy products in it, and yes honey. My allergies would be a nightmare without local honey! I do have to watch my diet carefully though to make sure I get enough protein, vitamins, and nutrients.

What better way to get loads of nutrients than granola? I love my granola, I buy to much of it, including the processed, crap fill bars from the store. Even a good friend brings me homemade granola bars often, however not lately because we're both so busy :(. I decided, these bars don't have enough protein or nutrients I need, plus this is getting expensive. I made my own! The bars are sad looking, very sad. I'm not even going to post the picture of these sad flat crumbly bits of mooshed together oats, nuts, and berries. However my loose granola cereal, DELICIOUS.

 This took me most of the afternoon, plus I made about the same amount for my mom. She's a kachegan as well. The recipe? From this book: http://www.amazon.com/500-Vegan-Recipes-Delicious-Casseroles/dp/1592334032/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377816920&sr=8-1&keywords=500+vegan+recipes

It has honey, agave, coconut, oats, flax meal, chocolate chips mmmmm, craisins, currants, cherries, almonds, I can't remember. I improvised on the recipe too and added some extra fruits and nuts too. I must say, I'm really darn proud of it and it was great this morning with chia seeds and almond milk. Plus this is vegan (minus the honey). The real recipe called for brown rice syrup, no. I already had honey handy why am I going to spend more money?

Next up on my "find productive distractions from school" is an indoor garden plus drying herbs.