aunt barbie's first month at the library

being a working girl means less time for blogging. at least, that is what i will blame it on.

so far, i've been at my new job for about a month. probably my favorite part is the variety.  on any given day i'll be able to sort, shelve, work the circulation desk, search for lost books, and email patrons. even my hours are slightly different each day, which means i get to enjoy a few lazy mornings, and and a few late afternoons, etc . one thing that is different is the atmosphere. the uwb library was fairly quiet (at least in comparison). i was probably the loudest part of the office that i shared at uwb. of course, this library is much bigger, so one would expect more people and therefore more noise. but also in the office, where i spend the majority of my time, it is much louder. which isn't necessarily bad or good...just different. i really enjoy the people i work with too, and i've already found at least 2 new knitting buddies.

on the family front, i am finally allowed to announce that i'm going to become an aunt (again)! this time i'm proud to say that my brother (aaron's technically, but i love to claim him as mine too), justin and my soul sister, angie, are expecting a sweet little girl in september. i couldn't be more excited about this. being an aunt is the greatest job in the world. they will be terrific parents and i'm thrilled for them.

on the aunt front, i've been lucky lately to see my nephew, kainen, on skype when i talk to my parents. this morning, he made my day when i saw him run up to the computer when he heard my voice and say "bah bie! bah bie!" we talk, make silly faces, he shows me his cars, etc. today i showed him my pumpkin (he likes it as much as i do). the day i finally go home to visit i think he is going to be so confused, and wonder how i got out of the computer.

kainen (age 1), my brother, larry, and me [october 2009]

domesticity, thy name is barbie

this sewing thing is getting easier. i whipped up this apron from the sew everything workshop by diana rupp (click for larger image).

debuting my apron, and making pumpkin pancakes.

the whole thing took about 8 hours, and the hardest part was creating the pattern (the book tells you the dimensions). i have yet to find sewing pattern paper here, so i used freezer paper. it works, but it's a bit of a process. i'm starting to learn that sewing is a lot like knitting in that the finished item usually costs more to make than to just buy (the fabric for the apron was about $30), but creating the garment is fun, and it's nice to have a one-of-a-kind item afterwords.

vuw gets new library assistant

i am quite excited to announce that starting april 11th, i'll be employed at the victoria university library! i was starting to become a bit bitter about going so long without even an interview. and then when i got my first library interview, but  didn't get the job, i was heartbroken. almost a week later, i got a call back regarding this position. after our whirlwind trip to the south island (we returned on sunday), i interviewed on monday. tuesday evening, i heard the good news.

most people seem to think that unemployment is awful. it wasn't. i have tons of hobbies so it was amazing. it was fun to get tons of sleep, lazy mornings with coffee. and then knitting, genealogy, sewing, cooking, or running. but it is nice to not have to worry about blowing my entire life savings. and the fact that its a library job, something i am truly passionate about, is icing on the cake.

with every new job there is a learning period. trying to remember everyone's names, getting your log on info, where things are, etc. there are forms to fill out, and pictures to take, etc. it's a bit of a headache to begin with, but i'm excited to jump in and get started.

family visit!

march 18th, justin & angie, traveled half way around the world to visit us. we camped, we sang, we visited the south island, we talked, we played, we cooked. we drank. for the highlight reel, including pictures, visit wech & barbs go south. i had every intention of reposting the entire, 3 part blog series here. but it was too much work. go visit the site and come back here.

you back?

can you believe i get to be an aunt again? I'm so excited about sprout's september arrival. i can hardly stand it.

in other aunt news, a few weeks ago, i began talking with my nephew via skype. i had gotten into the habit of calling home a bit more frequently than usual (due to unemployment, and skype makes it more fun to see each other). i have been rewarded with getting to see my nephew, kainen, when my mom watches him. he is so hysterical. and cute. not to mention, watching my parents being terrific grandparents is also a highlight.