Fight Your Funk!!

Winter depression is a thing, and I know it kicks me right where it hurts. How about you?

Well for anyone out there looking for some zaniness or a good challenge to keep motivation up and spirits high, I suggest Fighting Your Funk. By that I mean a GISHWHES inspired short list of a few weird but fun challenges. Do one a week. Do one a day. Do one and see how it makes you feel.

There are no prizes for this other than the achievement of pulling yourself out of your funk.

For me, that's already a pretty big prize, so let's get going.

Here are 15 challenges of varying levels of difficulty. The only one responsible for laws you break or damage you incur is yourself, so choose carefully. You need not do all or any of the tasks. This is for entertainment purposes only.
When you complete a task, upload the pics or video to imgur/youtube and share them on twitter with the tag #FightyrFunk so we can all share in their awesomeness.

Here's the first list. Expect the second list in 2 weeks.

1. Re-enact a scene from a classic 1980s film using sock puppets. (like Amanda Palmer's LABYRINTH with SOCK PUPPETS )
2. Be Ironic. Donate blood while dressed as a vampire.
3. Make Mayhem. Literally. Sew, craft, weave, or otherwise decorate something with the word "Mayhem" in as many languages as you can. *(Bonus points for accurate kanji)
4. Tackle a problem you've been avoiding. You know which one I mean.
5. Volunteer at a soup kitchen while dressed as a superhero of your choice.
6. Dance in a public place where dancing is not normally seen (i.e. bookstore, supermarket, Wall Street). Music optional.
7. Send three postcards to people you have not seen in six months or more.
8. Write down five things you are thankful for. Every day. For a week. Take a picture of the 35 sentences all together.
9. Your bed is now a pirate ship. Dress yourself and your ship accordingly. *Extra points for a full crew.
10. Find 3-5 object in your home that are in good condition but rarely if ever used. Give them to someone who will use them. Objects need not go to the same person.
11. Learn a new skill and demonstrate it within a 24 hour period.
12. Teach someone your new skill from 11.
13. Come up with your own Random Act project to benefit people or a person in your area and fill out a form to make it come to life at this website.
14. Perform a short play comprised only of lines from an English phrasebook. A limit of one line per page of the book can appear in the play.
15. Make a geoglyph exclaiming, "I am fighting my funk!" Geoglyphs must extend at least 15 feet in one direction.

*Except there are no points here. We are all winners.

Have fun! Fight your funk!

Arm Warmers and Ways to Help (My Mom)

I've made a little progress in the way of arm warmer making. Video to be posted as soon as I can make that work. In the mean time, here is a picture of the completed pairs. All are completely available for $10 per pair! Free shipping!

1. The first from the left is a lightly quilted number depicting rabbits and sakura blossoms. Wear it and say, "Come on, Spring!"
2. The second is a set with illegible kanji, save for the big white characters that are parts of the names of famous Japanese military leaders. Wear it and say, "Yeah, you can't read it either, buddy!"
3. The third is a fleecy pair, short but stretchy. Fun and funky.
4. The fourth is a longer, stretchy silver pair. They remind me of Amanda Palmer, and putting them on makes me feel like a rock star.
5. The fifth is a larger set for larger arms, made with charcoal fleece and a black dragon print on light gray. Good for a dragon lover!
6. The sixth is a longer set with orange dragons on white with a tan knit insert. Again, good for a dragon lover!

I have 2 pairs of the kanji, which is lined in white. I also have enough fabric to make more of the dragons. If you see something you like, let me know. If you aren't sure about sizing, send me an email and I'll do my best to make sure you get something you can wear.


Other Ways to Help

As you can see, I'm working on making fundraiser items to help support my mom in her quest to complete her associate's degree in IT. In order to do this, she needs transportation. With no job, no money, and no car, things are pretty bleak. This is where you come in.

Things you can do to help my mom:

• Contribute to her campaign on this website. A credit card is required. If you have paypal, contact me or her to work something out.
• If you're in DFW, give her a ride when you can. Check in on her. See if you can help her when she needs it.
• Buy arm warmers from me! $10 for something to keep your arms warm.
• Buy a sock monkey from me! I can still make sock monkeys, especially those with specific Japanese themes. Ninja monkeys will be available from $10 starting next month. If you've got another theme in mind (geisha, samurai, etc.) contact me for more details.

Happy 2015 and Crafting for a Cause

Happy 2015 Blogverse!

This year, I will tend to you more regularly.

Also, this year, we're starting things off a bit wonky but focused.


I am still finishing off the last of the sock monkeys from my Endure for Kindness thing back in October, and once the last one is ready to be shipped I plan to dive right into my first ever Crafting for a Cause project: Arm Warmers to benefit this amazing cause.

For anyone who isn't already aware, my mother has fallen on hard times financially and the lingering, expensive death of her car was nothing easy to withstand. Now she has to make it across her city to finish her degree at the only campus of the community college she is attending to offer the classes she needs to finish this semester. Without transportation, she is helpless. Public transportation doesn't run late enough to get her home or conveniently enough to get her there.

Unfortunately, I have settled on the other side of the world and as a housewife no longer have the disposable income I would need to be able to help her. But I do have cloth. Cloth and craftiness and friends.

So I am going to be making arm warmers. For a $10 donation to my mom's cause (via the website listed above or preferably paypal), I will supply you with arm warmers to keep your forewarms happy and warm this winter. This donation includes shipping and my heartfelt thanks for helping my mom in any little bit that we can. The selection will be limited but interesting as all materials for this project as straight from right here in Japan. I'm collecting funds either in person or via paypal. For more information, email me.

This fund raiser runs from now until the end of January, so get your donation in today! First come first serve for selection and I will have pictures listed here and on my twitter account.

Thanks so much for your support!