Hodgepodge time again.

I've been in a bit of a slump recently, but after reading last week's Hodgepodge, I decided I needed to get back into doing it, so here's this week's Hodgepodge.


1. What's something you could do today to feel more peaceful? Stop watching the news.

2. June 2nd is National Rotisserie Chicken day. Who knew? Are you a fan of rotisserie chicken? You've purchased one at your local market for tonight's dinner. Will you serve as is or make something else using the chicken? I would totally just serve up the chicken. Of course it's just me in my house, so it doesn't matter that much. I go grocery shopping tomorrow, maybe I'll pick one up.

3. I read a list recently (go here to read more) of 20 of the most beautiful places in America. How many of these have you seen up close and in person? Of the sites on this list that you haven't seen, which would you most like to see?
Antelope Canyon Arizona, Kenai Fjords Alaska, White Mountains New Hampshire, Crater Lake Oregon, The Palouse Washington and Idaho, Grand Prismatic Spring Wyoming, Multnomah Falls and Columbia River Gorge Oregon, Horsehoe Bend Arizona, Na Pali Coast Kauai Hawaii, Antelope Valley California, Lake Tahoe California, The Berkshires Massachussets, Maroon Bells Colorado, Angel Oak South Carolina, Acadia National Park Maine, Grand Teton National Park Wyoming, Turnip Rock Michigan, Central Park New York City, Niagara Falls New York, and Skagit Valley Tulip Fields Washington My  favorites were: Turnip Rock, Michigan and Angel Oak, South Carolina and Na Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii. I really like basically anything with water that I can swim in.

4. What's one pretty spot you'd add to the list in question #3? Are there travel plans of any kind on your calendar right now? Does that make you happy, anxious, excited, sad, or relieved? Arnold's Park, Lake Okoboji, IA. My parents had a timeshare there when I was a kid, it was always the 3rd week of August, like our last hurrah before school started. 

I realize it's not a beautiful picture like the others of the other places, but to me, it's heaven.
5. Tell us one un-COVID related thing you're looking forward to in the month of June. There's an estate sale this weekend, that I'm hoping to go to. The person was a huge button collector, supposedly one room will be filled with buttons. I LOVE buttons, they probably won't be in my price range, but I can hope.

6. Insert your own random thought here. My birthday is coming up. I realize it will be very different this year. I bought myself a box full of stuff online the other day. I just want to go to lunch and shop with friends, but I don't know if that's going to happen.

Catch-up post

Saturday: I was thinking the other day I really missed garage sales. My plan this year was to go to every one in walking distance, so much for that.

I found my Anything Goes ATCs in the mail:

 I like the mouse and ice cream, I suck at coloring, so when other people send me things they colored, I love it.
I also completed challenge #12:

 "Money" - whatever that means to you (Canadian penny), Something that starts with the letter f (Fern), Something drawn or written in pencil (Drawing by my friend), Coarse paper (glitter paper), A label (cigar label), Bonus: a flag (page flag).
Sunday: I got the 13th challenge done:

 Something orange (top piece), Something with claws (hawks and lemur), A bell or bells, Stripes or striped paper, Calligraphy ('thank you'), Bonus: numbers.
I was about to sit down for lunch and a friend asked if I wanted to go to Dollar Tree. I convinced her to go to Walmart as well.

 Double stick tape, shirt, dress, stickers, composition book.
I keep cleaning out Walmart's supply of double stick tape when I go there, I just need a lifetime supply of it. The shirt has Big Bird, Cookie Monster, Oscar and Elmo and says Everything I know I learned on the street.

 Cup of noodles, brioche bread, Hi-chew, Ghiradelli chocolate covered cashews, yogurt covered pretzels, chicken bacon ranch sandwich.
As I was paying I asked the guy to just keep it to 2 bags, and when I got home, I realized, he just haphazardly put things wherever. It would have been better if he had a food bag and an everything else bag.
We ate some fried chicken and headed over to Dollar Tree:

 Since I was just there last Tuesday, I only picked up some stickers, some chips and some gummy raspberries.
Monday: work was nuts, we had 4 carts of holds come in over the weekend and the world finally got the message to return stuff. Everything was very full when I came in.
I found a spring notecard swap when I got home:

 and got the 14th challenge done:

 Something wet (coffee, I also realized the girl is crying), Lavender - the color or the plant (flower), A game piece or piece of a puzzle, Paper in "soft" color or colors, A business card or portion of (the scene in the bottom right corner), Bonus: a sticker (pink flower).
Tuesday: I went to work in the morning, it was our first day of curbside pickup, it went pretty well, we had a couple issues, but they got worked out.
I got the 15th challenge done:

 Something that rings (telephone), A plaid pattern (pink piece), A piece of map, Something in a hexagon shape, Text in a foreign language, Bonus: numbers.
I found a cute card in my work mailbox:

 We did a card exchange at the library, this one was colored by someone, I stuck it on the front of my journal.
Wednesday: I worked the morning again, I was at the phone station and it was pretty slow, I put in a ton of renewals on items we borrowed from other libraries. I finally put in my last (hopefully) order with Hollar, they used to have great stuff there, a bunch of the stuff had been sitting in my cart for at least a month, if not more. I decided it would be my birthday gift to myself. Originally, I was going to buy a pinata and fill it up with blind bags, but I also assumed I'd be buying them by now.
I finished the 16th challenge:

 Something that dangles, Something that starts with the letter J, A piece of a letter or note, A schematic, A rubber stamping in any color but black, Bonus: circles
I also got an owl card ready to be mailed:

 I realized, I'm getting grumpy again, I think it's because it never seems to be quiet at home, and it's driving me nuts. I can't go anywhere for quiet.
Thursday: I got the 17th challenge done:

 Something red, Two of something, Something that points or is pointing, A piece of envelope either side, Kraft paper or brown paper, Bonus: a sticker.
I put together a couple birthday packages:

 and another one:

 I just think it's more fun to get stuff not just a birthday card for your birthday.
I found two items in my mailbox, A ladybug card swap:

 This thing is huge, it had to be mailed in a legal bubble mailer. It's one sided, it's not a card, and if it is in your mind, then you need to send an envelope that fits it. She also sent a bunch of die cuts:

 which I love, I just figured they were all die cuts.
And a May flowers pocket letter:

 Also cute, goodies:

 And some embossed papers she included:

 I made a ladybug card:

 It turned out way different than I planned, but I still like it.
I had planned to go out to eat with a friend, but I couldn't deal with the world, so I just stayed home and did my own thing. I realized I hadn't been to Hobby Lobby since February, but I've been a couple other places that sell crafting supplies and participated in a ton of swaps and tags where we're basically swapping crafting stuff.
Friday: I worked the afternoon shift at the library. We had opened up hold requests on the website on Wednesday night and had about 500 come in, I felt like all we did on Friday was check in holds and check in holds and on and on. I went in to work early and mailed my stuff. I was going to do it Monday, until I remembered Monday is a holiday.  I received my Hollar box and put it away to open on my birthday.
I had an email from the You Matter box saying it was mailed and it should arrive on Tuesday. I haven't heard anything from the Blessedly Coping box. I'm so annoyed with these, I realize the world fell apart shortly after I ordered them, but I wanted them to get through this time. I think I'm done with subscription boxes.
Saturday: Slept until 9:40, which is really late for me. I accidentally got a 4-day weekend. I asked my boss if I could have Tuesdays off and do mornings. She was able to schedule me for when I asked, I didn't think about next week being a holiday. I watched ER and read on the computer all day.
Sunday: Slept until 9:30, and basically only got my laundry done. I dropped one of my facebook groups.
Monday: finally got out of my slump. Put together a May flowers embellishment swap:

 And made a Hello card:

 Made some tassels:

 These were really fun to make. I like doing them because I get to use up my lace and trim. I still can't see a change in my lace stash.
I also put together a scavenger hunt swap:

 Alphabet stickers, Brads, Clouds, Doilies, Embossed paper, Flowers, Greeting card, Hearts.

 Iridescent, Junk mail, Key, Lace, Map, Napkin, Ombre, Puzzle piece.

 Quilted, Receipt, Stars, Tissue paper, Unicorn, Vellum, Washi, X--our choice (a stencil).

Y--a note about yourself, and Zig zag.
I really liked this swap, I got to search through all my crafting stuff to find it. I found most of it within in 10 minutes. I have too much stuff.
I found this online:
Just wanted to say this is all a real lot for everyone dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, compulsions, addictions, grief, poverty, toxic relationships, chronic pain or other types of ongoing battles. I see you and it's not your fault. You are more than your struggle. You are more than your job. This reality isn't normal and there's no normal way to react. The way you react is valid. Your mental and physical health is essential and a priority. You do what you can, when you can, with what you can. I'm sorry it has been so hard. Wherever this takes us, there will be better days.
I totally needed to read that today

Food haul

Wednesday: I got a sticker sheets tag in the mail:

 And made my ninth tag:

 Jewelry, something green, paper with lines, something found in a desk, something drawn in ink, Bonus: security envelope paper.
Thursday: I find it sad that both these items cost the exact same price:

 The Blue Bunny was not that good.
I put together a purple crafting items swap:

 The card I made to go with them:

 I made a couple ATCs for another swap:

 And made my tenth tag:

 Something you see through a window, Something you hold in your hand, a mushroom or small flower, a poem or portion of, a dictionary page, Bonus: a geometric shape.
I made a pocket letter for a tag:

Friday: I chose to go in to work for a few hours and made plans to have a picnic lunch with a friend. We're getting ready for curbside pickup next week, there's so much to think about.
I decided to get a sandwich at Subway, I also picked up some cookies:

 The Asian food store was on my way to the park we were meeting at, so I stopped in. I haven't been there in awhile, no big reason, I've just been going to the grocery store, work and the post office with some random jaunts to Walmart or Target. I also end up spending too much money there. I  spent a little over $30.

 multipack of taro, matcha and red bean mochi ($6), Yogurt flavor cake ($6), Cici jelly drinks ($5), Darjeeling Milk Tea ($2), Osmanthus cake ($3), Pork mini buns ($6), and two Thai milk teas ($1.30 ea).
I also usually have no idea what I'm getting there. The ingredients are usually on a sticker in English, so I just guestimate from that. I haven't had mochi in awhile, I'm not a big fan of the red bean ones, I find them very sweet. I could have gotten a package of matcha and a package of taro, but figured this way I wouldn't eat so much. I have no idea what the yogurt favor cake is, it looks like some kind of sponge cake. I've had the Cici jelly drinks before, they are really good. It came with 6 packets, 2 each of peach, lychee and mango. Also have no idea what the osmanthus cakes are. There's not a lot of taste, it's weird and I have no idea how to describe them, at least they were cheapish. I keep looking for interesting dumplings/buns, so I picked up the pork from the frozen section. I might have gotten more frozen things if I wasn't going on a picnic. I've had the milk tea before, it's very good.
I stopped at the HyVee gas station basically because I wanted a Mountain Dew, I also picked up a pistachio muffin that I ate for dessert.

 I'm not exactly sure why I picked up the sandwich, when I already had one. It just looked good.
My friend and I ate a opposite ends of the picnic table and just talked. She did give me this:

 It's cute, fairly certain it came from Dollar Tree, not the chocolate, I'm not sure where she gets this chocolate, she always seems to have it.
At about 2, we parted ways, I really wanted to do something other than lunch, but the world is still messed up, some day.
I found a RAK of a flipbook when I got home:

 Very cute:

 lots of nice collage:

 The goodies:

 I was thinking it was for a pocket letter tag the person owed me, I decided it was a RAK, as that tag was last week and she's in Romania, and she knew she was making a flip book, it makes me excited to get the pocket letter from her.
The tag today for that group was happy mail, I tagged three people, I think I'm tired of no mail.

 We had to choose 5 things from a list. I went with 5 memo sheets, 2 pieces of stationary, a sticker sheet, a card and envelope and a postcard.

 This one has the same.

 And this one has washi samples instead of a postcard and then an envelope instead of a card.
I also made my 11th collage:

Something you're thankful for (friends), Something that's alive (lion), A ticket of any kind (ticket washi), a part of a map (got it from a book), something stencilled (I didn't have anything, I ended up tracing around something), Bonus: a bug (butterfly).